Bolton on course for European spot
LONDON: In-form Bolton need to keep up the quality of their performances in the next three matches if they want to keep on course for European qualification, manager Sam Allardyce said.
A win against Arsenal on Saturday in the Emirates Stadium would mean Bolton would leapfrog the Gunners into fourth spot, the last berth for Champions League qualification. Evidence from past results does not augur well for them.
You have to go back to 1962 - 11 games overall - for the last time Bolton won a league match against the north Londoners.
It is a statistic Allardyce cannot see changing, even though their last three visits to Arsenal have ended in draws.
"Our next three games are particularly difficult," said Allardyce as he assessed his side's European hopes, with a home match with Reading and trip to Chelsea to follow the clash with Arsenal.
"We have to keep our form and try to reproduce the performances we have done in the past at Arsenal, without thinking we are going to win it.
"We probably won't because only West Ham have won there (the Emirates Stadium), and they were very fortuitous with that. It was probably a one-off. We can get a result, we've proven that in the past.
"But every player has to commit like they did against Everton and keep their organisation, shape, and find the quality of finishing like we have seen in the last three matches."
The UEFA Cup still appears the more realistic destination for the club, with seventh-placed Tottenham now six points adrift, albeit with a game in hand.
Allardyce knows his side must not falter now, given how they have performed for the majority of the season.
"Our destiny has been in our own hands all season," insisted Allardyce. "It would be a travesty to let it slip from our grasp now after spending 80 percent of the season in the top six.
"We've never been lower than eighth throughout, which shows a fantastic, consistent level of performance. Whereas in the past we've come in with a late run, this year we have maintained it from the start."
Everton cannot be totally dismissed from the fourth-place battle if Bolton do cause an upset.
Toffees boss David Moyes will be keeping an interested eye on the result: "If Bolton do beat Arsenal then it would tighten things up and be game on.
"Certainly that would be the case for them, but I don't know about us because we would still have to catch Bolton."
AFP
(China Daily 04/11/2007 page24)
