Trotters rally round the boss

Bolton skipper Kevin Nolan has challenged the side to “win it for the gaffer” against unbeaten Portsmouth on Monday night.

Nolan claims the BBC Panorama controversy surrounding manager Sam Allardyce has drawn a tight-knit squad even closer together.

He said: “We want a positive result for the gaffer because he deserves it. Now we’re hoping to give Sam something to cheer about. Hopefully, we can get him through this tough time.”

The Bolton players held a team meeting yesterday and have given their full backing to their manager, who has denied any wrongdoing after Panorama alleged he and his son Craig had received illegal payments.

Nolan said: “The atmosphere around the training ground has been fantastic, the jokes have been flying, the banter is still going so it probably has brought us together a bit more.”

The Bolton skipper believes French striker Nicolas Anelka’s first goal for the club in midweek, combined with Kevin Davies’ possible return from a fractured cheekbone, should give Wanderers confidence despite Portsmouth having yet to concede a goal this season.

He added: “To go for five games without conceding a goal is very tough especially in this league but hopefully we can break the deadlock.

“Nicolas got his first goal and played really well on Tuesday night and his match sharpness is coming back to him slowly but surely.

“Kevin can play with anybody, and Nicolas will benefit from the way he plays and vice versa and hopefully they will gel very quickly and start terrorising defences.

“People think Kevin is just a big, tough centre forward but he has got a fantastic touch and he brings people into the game as well as frightening defenders.

“He scores nine or 10 goals a season but if he was playing alongside a player like Thierry Henry he would probably score a lot more – so let’s hope that happens with Nicolas.”

Davies may return for Bolton wearing a mask at Portsmouth after wearing it in training.

Stelios Giannakopoulos, Quinton Fortune and Abdoulaye Faye will all have fitness tests before the match but Tal Ben Haim and skipper Nolan have both been declared fit after picking up knocks last weekend against Middlesbrough.