Allardyce To Call On Youngsters

Last updated : 30 December 2005 By Matt Bottom
"Before, when not so many clubs had as many African players, it was not as big a problem," the Bolton manager said yesterday,

"But everywhere in the Premiership now there is an African Nations Cup player leaving the club and going somewhere else.

"We have got five, reduced to four because one has not been selected. It has a devastating effect on the club because it doesn't leave me with enough players to cope.

"It devalues what we can achieve and it devalues your own league really because it means that somebody who's in danger of getting relegated can get three points easier against us than somebody else who could get relegated.

"Does that become a major issue? Does it mean that we lose three points that stops us qualifying for the Uefa Cup or the Champions League? If that is the case, you are absolutely devastated by it."

Allardyce added: "You are just going to finish a period now of four games in eight days.

"Immediately after that it's the FA Cup third round which is always the first Saturday in January and we wouldn't want to lose that. But then you could shut the league up for two weeks.

"It lets your players have a much needed recuperation period and your African Nations people could go away. Of course, the Premier League will say where can it fit the fixtures in? The answer to that is, it is very difficult."

Meanwhile, according to reports in France, Bolton and Man City are queuing up to try and sign Monaco striker Emmanuel Adebayor from French giants Monaco.