Source: Team_Talk
Megson calls for Trotters desire
Wanderers are currently 11th in the Premier League but only five points above third-bottom Portsmouth.
After their 2-0 defeat at Stoke, Bolton will have had a 10-day break by the time they face Fulham, one place above them, at the Reebok Stadium on Saturday - for which the club have slashed ticket prices to £10.
The Cottagers, by contrast, have played twice since then and, although Roy Hodgson's side have now lost their last three matches, Megson is more concerned by how his players react.
"We didn't have very many who could turn around in the game against Stoke and say, 'That was my absolute best'," he said.
"Work-rate, we were fine, but we didn't show the same desire and determination that Stoke did and that is what has gained us a few decent results this year, and we have to get back to that.
"Although it might stick in the throat a bit, it was complacency. We had won our last two games, we were in that mid-table bit where we still are and we wanted to push on from there.
"I had said the week before we could use the gap between ourselves and the bottom three as a springboard or a safety net, and the game against Stoke looked as if we used it as a safety net.
"It was disappointing but hopefully now a lesson has been learned and we can crack on again."
Megson does not even think the break has been particularly helpful for him and his squad.
"If you had asked me a couple of months back about the virtues of having a rest while your opposition is playing a lot of games, I would have said it was an advantage but it hasn't worked out like that for us," he added.
"When we played Everton a few weeks ago, they had had a really intense period and looked a lot sharper than we were.
"I hope that does not repeat itself again and that it is actually a benefit to get a little bit of rest and training without having to go through the rigours of a really difficult programme."
Megson believes the Premier League is now the best in the world and the form of teams in the Champions League this week has proved that.
Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal all made it through to the quarter-finals to line up alongside Barcelona, Villarreal, Bayern Munich and Porto.
"When you look at what we are playing against week in, week out, Real Madrid (against Liverpool) can't handle it, Inter Milan (against United) can't handle it," he said.
"The Premier League is the strongest league by a street. If Madrid can't handle it that shows how difficult it is for the rest of us.
"We have to realise how impressive the Premier League is to the rest of the world.
"We have got the wealthiest league in the world so it attracts the best players in the world.
"If the money wasn't here, the foreign players would be playing in their
own countries."
