But Lee, who saw Pompey target Nicolas Anelka give Bolton an early lead only for Portsmouth's Nigerian pair Kanu and John Utaka to turn the match upside down with a goal apiece before the half-hour, insisted: "It will take time to get things right and my chairman understands that.

"I'm not relaxed, do I look it? I'm not easy about three defeats this season, don't think that, but I can see some progress and some development - and for me that's a big plus in these trying times."

Bolton looked nothing like the well-oiled mean side which ground out a double over Pompey last season and battled to qualify for the UEFA Cup at Portsmouth's expense.

And Lee took off his normally inspirational captain Kevin Nolan soon after half-time when it was clear his new position as support striker to Anelka was just not working.

He explained: "Don't read too much into that change.

"Everybody understands what they were asked to do and next week it might be a different kind of change. We are trying to play a different type of game."

Pompey manager Harry Redknapp coped with an escalating injury-crisis - Sol Campbell, Pedro Mendes, Nico Kranjcar and Noe Pamarot all missed the game - and gave Lee his backing.

He said: "Sammy is taking on a hard job following big Sam, who was fantastic.

"And little Sammy will do it great once he gets a result.

"He's worked at Liverpool at the top level and just needs time to build his own squad. It is a long season and we've had just three games.

"It is not an easy start for him but I'm sure he'll get it right."

Unbeaten after draws with Derby and Manchester United, Redknapp is more concerned about a tough immediate future, facing consecutive fixtures with Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool.

Matt Taylor clinched the points three minutes from time with a penalty after Kanu was brought down by Bolton defender Gerald Cid.

But the turning-point was Pompey's response to Anelka's 12th-minute strike - a blast through goalkeeper David James' legs after he outpaced Hermann Hreidarsson to collect El-Hadji Diouf's pass.

Within three minutes Kanu, in his first start of the season, had a goal disallowed for pushing at a corner and then, almost immediately, stuck away a close-range finish after Utaka knocked back Gary O'Neil's cross.

Lee said: "We thought it (the equalising goal) should have been disallowed for a foul on Anelka in the build-up."

But 15 minutes later and Kanu returned the compliment for compatriot Utaka, a £7million summer signing from French club Rennes, who sped onto a smart touch and waltzed past goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen to fire home.

With Campbell still out, record signing Sulley Muntari suspended and Mendes the latest casualty, it was a tough ask again for Pompey.

Redknapp's injury-hit side featured a quartet of predominately left-footed players as his back-four - exactly how it ended up against Manchester United on Wednesday.

But Redknapp plumped for Kanu to spearhead the attack, flanked by Utaka on the left - where he plays for his country - and Zimbabwean Benjani on the right.

Benjani, a dangerman again as against United, should still have done better with another Utaka cross instead of heading over at close-range - and even two goals in two games might not save him from the challenge of £6million new boy David Nugent, who was relegated to the bench for this game.

With Anelka and Diouf around, Pompey could never relax and the Frenchman's header soon after Pompey's second goal was only a fraction off the mark, with James struggling.

Taylor joined the ranks of home heroes - a surprisingly low crowd of 17,000 watched Redknapp's expensively-remodelled side - with the late penalty for Cid's naive trip on Kanu.

But the left-back had been guilty of ball-watching Jlloyd Samuel's long left-wing cross earlier when Anelka headed a great equalising chance just too near James for the keeper to make an alert save.

Utaka missed a chance to seal the points for Pompey when his drive flew straight to Jaaskelainen just after half-time but Redknapp said: "He's got pace and power and looks a terrific signing.

"He was outstanding at Derby when he scored and very good again against United and today.

"But I wanted to play Kanu today after two games on the bench because he's everything I love about a footballer. He can create something from nothing - and we got him for nothing.

Kanu claims credit for encouraging Utaka to sign for Pompey and Redknapp added: "To all Nigerians Kanu is a king and I think that is one of the reasons John chose us."