Speed slams Souey's 'bullying' claim

Gary Speed has rejected claims by Newcastle manager Graeme Souness that Bolton employ bully-boy tactics.

Souness was seething after the defeat at the Reebok Stadium and accused Sam Allardyce’s side of “in your face football”.

El-Hadji Diouf put Bolton in front with a brave diving header and after Darren Ambrose’s superb long-range equaliser, Kevin Davies slid home the winner. Souness was clearly unhappy about the way in which his side were defeated – for the first time since he took over – and did not hide his feelings.

But Speed, who joined Bolton from Newcastle in the summer, told BBC Radio Five: “I don’t think we were bullying them in any way.

“There were more bad tackles from Newcastle than Bolton players. Newcastle have excellent footballers and if we got the ball down to try and play pretty football, they would probably win. We just wanted to win the game.”

Bolton boss Allardyce found an ally in Everton manager David Moyes, whose team have also defied the odds to move into third spot.

“When you go near the top of the league people think you need a certain style of play,” he told the BBC’s Match of the Day 2 programme.

“But you have to play to your strengths. Bolton are a very powerful team and they were too powerful for Newcastle. Every time we go there, it is the same. But I have to say they have some very good players.”

Allardyce is calling on his team to prove the critics wrong and remain among England’s elite force.

Victories against Newcastle and Liverpool as well as draws with Manchester United and Arsenal have propelled the club into fourth spot.

With 21 points from 11 games, it’s a remarkable start by a club with a modest fan base and limited resources.

Allardyce, however, knows the real test will come in the weeks and months ahead.

“I think people outside Bolton consider us to be in a false position,” he said. “That is very nice as it represents a huge challenge for us. The players now have a massive responsibility to try and be as consistent as they have ever been in their careers for us.

“They need to maintain that level of performance and that level of results we have achieved in the first 11 games.”

Bolton go to Middlesbrough on Sunday but Speed cautioned fans not to get ahead of themselves in dreaming of European qualification.

“We have only played 11 games,” he said. “History is full of teams who after a great start to the season, have fallen away and got relegated or just avoided it.

“The thing is to keep it going as long as possible and if we are in same position in March we can start thinking about Europe.”

Newcastle have already reached that level and face Dinamo Tbilisi at St James’ Park on Thursday in the UEFA Cup.

Souness is banking on his team to bounce back.

He said: “How they respond on Thursday, I can’t tell you now but I fully expect them to wipe their noses and get on with it.

“That’s life. When you get punched on the nose, kicked where it hurts, you have got to get yourself together again and go the next time round.”

Souness will monitor the fitness of midfielder Jemaine Jenas ahead of the group D game. He was ruled out yesterday after suffering a back injury overnight.