By James Riach Last updated: 5th November 2009
Megson: Has confidence
Bolton manager Gary Megson says his side are full of confidence ahead of their trip to Aston Villa on Saturday.
The Trotters travel to Villa Park on the back of a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Chelsea, and currently lie in the bottom half of the Premier League with 11 points from 10 games.
But Megson insists that, despite the heavy defeat at the Reebok last weekend, his team are still in good spirits ahead of the Villa clash.
When asked if he thought their confidence had been knocked, Megson said: "Not at all - in fact, I would say it has even gone up.
"With 11 against 11, Chelsea didn't score against us and we gave not far off as good as we got.
"I accept that their quality was better than ours but they knew that they had been in a game for 45 minutes.
"If Jlloyd (Samuel) hadn't been sent off, I'm sure it would have been different, and I didn't feel it should have been 4-0 - the fourth one was offside.
"If we had had our full complement on and we had got into the second half and started the way we did with 10 men, we might have got a better result. I think we did ourselves proud."
The Bolton boss hopes defensive duo Gary Cahill and Zat Knight can step up on their return to Villa Park, although full-back Samuel is suspended against his former side.
Megson says it is time for his former Villa players to perform against their old club, and he believes they will want to prove a point.
"I'm sure they will feel like that - being ex-Villa players they will want to go and put a show on," he added.
"In the past we've had ex-Villa players like Gavin McCann, Jlloyd Samuel and Gary Cahill who to be perfectly honest, have never done themselves justice when they have gone back to Villa Park.
"It will be nice if we can go there and the two lads perform in a way that I know they can."
Aston Villa v Bolton. Click here to bet.
Pompey may lose Algerian pair
Redknapp bemoans Modric absence
Ancelotti coy on Aguero
Pulis - Technology is needed
Robinho close to return
Hodgson sympathetic for Duff
Brown discusses Ireland game
Moyes looking for the win
| Time | Fixture |
|---|---|
| Saturday 21st November | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 12:45 | Liverpool vs Man City |
| 15:00 | Birmingham vs Fulham |
| 15:00 | Burnley vs Aston Villa |
| 15:00 | Chelsea vs Wolverhampton |
| 15:00 | Hull vs West Ham |
| 15:00 | Sunderland vs Arsenal |
| 17:30 | Man Utd vs Everton |
| Sunday 22nd November | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 13:30 | Bolton vs Blackburn |
| 15:00 | Tottenham vs Wigan |
| 16:00 | Stoke vs Portsmouth |
| Wednesday 25th November | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 19:45 | Hull vs Everton |
| 20:00 | Fulham vs Blackburn |
| Saturday 28th November | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 15:00 | Blackburn vs Stoke |
| 15:00 | Fulham vs Bolton |
| 15:00 | Man City vs Hull |
| 15:00 | Portsmouth vs Man Utd |
| 15:00 | West Ham vs Burnley |
| 15:00 | Wigan vs Sunderland |
| 17:30 | Aston Villa vs Tottenham |
| Sunday 29th November | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 12:00 | Wolverhampton vs Birmingham |
| Time | Result |
|---|---|
| Monday 9th November | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Liverpool 2 - 2 Birmingham | |
| Sunday 8th November | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Hull 2 - 1 Stoke | |
| Wigan 1 - 1 Fulham | |
| Chelsea 1 - 0 Man Utd | |
| West Ham 1 - 2 Everton | |
| Saturday 7th November | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Aston Villa 5 - 1 Bolton | |
| Blackburn 3 - 1 Portsmouth | |
| Tottenham 2 - 0 Sunderland | |
| Wolverhampton 1 - 4 Arsenal | |
| Man City 3 - 3 Burnley | |
| Wednesday 4th November | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| West Ham 2 - 1 Aston Villa | |
| Sunday 1st November | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Birmingham 0 - 0 Man City | |
| Saturday 31st October | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Arsenal 3 - 0 Tottenham | |
| Everton 1 - 1 Aston Villa | |
| Fulham 3 - 1 Liverpool | |
| Burnley 2 - 0 Hull | |
| Stoke 2 - 2 Wolverhampton | |
| Portsmouth 4 - 0 Wigan | |
| Man Utd 2 - 0 Blackburn | |
| Sunderland 2 - 2 West Ham | |
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chelsea | 12 | 30 |
| 2 | Arsenal | 11 | 25 |
| 3 | Manchester United | 12 | 25 |
| 4 | Tottenham Hotspur | 12 | 22 |
| 5 | Aston Villa | 12 | 21 |
| 6 | Manchester City | 11 | 20 |
| 7 | Liverpool | 12 | 19 |
| 8 | Sunderland | 12 | 17 |
| 9 | Stoke City | 12 | 16 |
| 10 | Burnley | 12 | 16 |
| 11 | Fulham | 11 | 15 |
| 12 | Everton | 11 | 15 |
| 13 | Wigan Athletic | 12 | 14 |
| 14 | Blackburn Rovers | 11 | 13 |
| 15 | Birmingham City | 12 | 12 |
| 16 | Bolton Wanderers | 11 | 11 |
| 17 | Hull City | 12 | 11 |
| 18 | West Ham United | 12 | 10 |
| 19 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 12 | 10 |
| 20 | Portsmouth | 12 | 7 |
Bristol City fan Hannah Shine was strutting her stuff in the Soccer AM studios this week.
Join skysports.com's Alex Dunn to debate the events of Liverpool's game with Man City from 2.30pm.
Paul Merson can't separate Bolton and Blackburn - but thinks Stoke will see off Portsmouth.
Blackburn Rovers have confirmed that manager Sam Allardyce is to undergo heart surgery.
Rafa Benitez admits Liverpool's game with Manchester City is 'make or break' for their season.
Everton boss David Moyes has revealed he is yet to receive any contact regarding teenager Jack Rodwell.
Roberto Martinez says he is tracking the progress of several players ahead of the transfer window.
Gianfranco Zola has stated that Scott Parker is one of the best central midfielders in the Premier League.