SAM Allardyce has urged his team to go for the jugular when they face Premiership basement boys Wolves at the Reebok Stadium tomorrow.

For the first time in a long while Allardyce's side find themselves in the unusual position of being favourites to take maximum points.

Wolves arrived on the back of last Saturday's 5-0 thrashing by Chelsea and still without a league win since gaining promotion via the play-offs.

Ruthless

And any sympathy the Wanderers chief feels for opposite number Dave Jones will disappear at 3pm.

"We've got to be ruthless and not to let them off the hook," urged Big Sam.

"And the only way to do that is to play to the same level as we've done against the likes of Charlton, Middlesbrough and Blackburn.

"Being favourites is perhaps not a position we're used to but you have to be happy about that.

"It shows you've turned a corner and are making progress.

"And we've got to make sure that at five o'clock tomorrow we haven't slipped up.

"And now having engineered ourselves through a difficult period, we need to get this victory and we will have turned a bad start into a good start.

"We've got to take the opportunity that this is a game we are more than capable of winning, rather than being satisfied with a point if we'd played Arsenal or Manchester United."

He added: "Wolves come here after some poor results and lacking in confidence, which is unusual by the way for a side that gets promoted.

"But if we can get a win and that will be four games undefeated, and to do that in the Premiership is a good achievement."

Same again

Allardyce will send out what is likely to be an unchanged team from the one that drew at Newcastle last Saturday with a warning not to be complacent.

"I remember we were in a similar position against Southampton in our first season back in the Premiership," he said.

"We had won three on the trot but we ended up losing 1-0 and getting our backsides kicked."

Simon Charlton is expected to continue as a central defender after doing such a fine job at St James's Park.

"Charlie looks more than capable of handling that position but it's only if we have an injury or suspension that it becomes a severe problem," said Allardyce.

That's why the Bolton boss is continuing his search for a replacement for the injured Florent Laville.

The latest player to try and fill the berth is Portuguese trialist Joao Manuel Pinto.

The 29-year-old centre half has played previously for Benfica and Sporting Lisbon and ironically was being lined up by tomorrow's opponents.

Meanwhile, Paul Warhurst has left Bolton once again after turning down an offer of a short-term deal.

Last season: Different divisions

Key Opponent: Paul Ince - the Guv'nor will look to imspire his side to their first win

Prediction: Bolton 2 Wolves 0

BETFRED:

Win-Draw-Win: Bolton 4/7 Draw 5/2 Wolves 9/2

Correct Score
Bolton To Win
1-0 9/2
2-0 6/1
2-1 15/2
3-0 11/1
3-1 11/1
3-2 22/1
4-0 28/1
4-1 22/1

1st/Last Goalscorer In Match
Jardel 4/1
Djorkaeff 9/2
Davies 9/2
Pederson 5/1
Okocha 8/1
Ba 12/1
Nolan 14/1
Frandsen 16/1
Gardner 22/1
Campo 25/1
N'Gotty 28/1
Hunt 33/1

Scorecast:

Jardel & Bolton 1-0 18/1
Okocha & Bolton 2-0 40/1
Nolan & Bolton 2-1 90/1

Others odds available on request. Prices subject to fluctuation. Ring BETFRED on 0800 73 11 210

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