Megson issues warning to strugglers

09 May 2009 11:52
The Black Cats are the first to visit on Saturday and Megson insisted that although his side's top-flight status is virtually secured it did not mean they would present any less of a challenge.[LNB]Wanderers have lost one of their last six league matches at home and although there is often an assumption teams who are safe have nothing to play for, the Bolton boss said this would not apply on Saturday.[LNB]"It is going to be a big test for us," said Megson, whose team are eight points above the relegation zone with three matches to play.[LNB]"We need to approach every Premier League game we play in the right manner as we still don't have the points to say we are mathematically safe.[LNB]"You have seen this season when we played Northampton (in the Carling Cup), the players were not quite at it and we got beaten.[LNB]"We must not look upon the gap we have got as a safety net and think everything will be okay because football has a habit of making you look foolish.[LNB]"We will be playing two teams (in their remaining two home games) who are fighting for their lives.[LNB]"I don't want to be a team who Sunderland and Hull think they can play against us and it will be a good game [for them] because we are not at it.[LNB]"We have got to play in the manner which befits Bolton, a manner which enables us to get the results we need."[LNB]Having battled against relegation until late in the campaign last season, Bolton are relatively comfortable this year and Megson admitted that brought its own problems.[LNB]"It is very hard in any walk of life when there is an accepted finishing line and when you reach it you say 'Right, we've moved it on'," he added.[LNB]"It is like having a race for 100 metres. When you've finished you say 'We're going to have another 50m now' - you're not going to get the same as an out-and-out 150m race.[LNB]"You can't shift the finishing line so whether it is done on purpose or just one of those things that people relax because we've got those points, you have to accept it is going to happen.[LNB]"It is better to be in that position of having the points and being able to relax, even if it is something you want to do."[LNB]The visit of Sunderland sees a return to Bolton of former first-team coach Ricky Sbragia, who replaced Roy Keane as Sunderland manager in December following Wanderers' 4-1 win at the Stadium of Light.[LNB]Although the Black Cats are still fighting relegation, only four points from safety, Megson believes Sbragia has done well.[LNB]"Ricky coming back to this club is a big thing for him. It will be great to see him but we still want to win this match for our own reasons," said the Bolton boss.[LNB]"Ricky has had a really difficult job taking over from Roy and has not been getting the results but I think he has held it together really well."[LNB][LNB] Bolton v Sunderland. Click here to bet.  

Source: Team_Talk