Megson - Boo boys spur us on

Megson targeted by own fans

I can't do much about it, they were restless the day I joined the club. That's how it's been for me for a year.

Gary Megson
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Gary Megson believes the abuse he receives at the hands of the Bolton boo boys is spurring on the players to turn their season around.

Megson has come in for some fierce criticism from Trotters fans in recent weeks, most notably after last Sunday's 2-0 defeat at Tottenham and 1-0 defeat by Everton at the Reebok Stadium in midweek.

The former West Brom boss was an unpopular choice to succeed Sammy Lee just over a year ago, but he kept Wanderers in the top flight last season and in turn won over some of his critics.

However, after a brief and belated honeymoon period with the fans, Megson has been the target of the boo boys once again following a run of just one win in nine Premier League games - leaving Bolton deep in relegation trouble.

But the 52-year-old is taking the criticism on the chin and prefers to concentrate on helping to turn around the club's fortunes.

Restless

"I can't do much about it, they were restless the day I joined the club. That's how it's been for me for a year," Megson admitted.

"The players do talk about it but we've got to cope with it.

"There are no issues in the dressing room. Although I got a load of stick down at Tottenham, the same in the last minute of the Everton game, I don't feel I'm on my own because the players are every bit as angry and disappointed at that reaction for me as they would be for themselves.

"My confidence comes from working with a good bunch of people who are intent on getting us out of the position we're in at the moment."

Sunday's televised clash (live on Sky Sports 1 and HD1) with local rivals Manchester City provides an ideal opportunity for Megson and his players to display a united front and hopefully relieve some of the pressure.

Pressure

"When you talk about the pressure of being in the bottom two, with what's going on in the country, there's a lot more pressure on other people. Pressure is relative," Megson said.

"The only way you can charm a group of people in football is by winning football matches, and to do that you've got to score goals and then everything changes.

"People don't come with the intention of having a go, they react to what they're seeing, and at the moment they're seeing a team that's having a right good go and working its socks off, playing some decent stuff at times but not scoring goals - so therefore they get a bit agitated."

Bolton have failed to score in four of their last five games, and Megson believes that once his side start hitting the net, everything else should fall into place.

"If we start scoring goals and do everything we've been doing, we'll have no

worries," he added.