Trotters have great expectations

29 december 2006, 09:50

Koen Freriks

Bolton manager Sam Allardyce believes his players are learning to live with the expectations of their fans.

Allardyce's side are flying high in fourth place in the Premiership following a run of four successive victories and the prospect of Champions League football for next season is being talked about ahead of Saturday's visit of another side riding high in fifth-placed Portsmouth.

While it is an exciting, enticing prospect, Allardyce knows he has to be guarded against such enthusiasm, as he said: "We have to live with the greater expectations we have built year in and year out. I'm glad to say in the main we've gone beyond their (supporters) expectations and dragged them up to a new level. It's difficult to maintain, although at the moment we are."