BOLTON ON THE BRINK

THE days of Jay-Jay Okocha, Youri Djorkaeff, Ivan Campo and other continental stars lighting up the Premier League with Bolton under Sam Allardyce have long been consigned to history.

Fast forward a decade and current boss Ian Evatt is paying the price for the club’s refusal to back Big Sam’s plans to push them even further along the glory road.

Changes of ownership have seen the Trotters plummet down the leagues and they went into yesterday’s game at Cambridge United languishing in League Two’s bottom six.

Allardyce, whose ambitious signings took Bolton into Europe, resigned in April 2007 with his side in fifth place in the Premier League.

“It was the greatest club I managed because it was the club that gave me everything,” he said. “But when they told me they had no ambition, I left.”

Allardyce believes that, with greater backing in the transfer market, Bolton could have ruffled the feathers of the establishment and even done a Leicester by taking the top-flight crown.

Now, after another change of ownership in the aftermath of administration, Evatt, who took Barrow into the EFL last season, is charged with beginning the climb back to respectability.

With his growing reputation came expectation, with Bolton – despite having to make an incredible 21 signings – named as promotion favourites. A 2-1 defeat at

WINNERS Boss Allardyce and Okocha back in 2003 home to fellow strugglers Oldham last week left Evatt wondering about his future.

He confessed: “It has to change fast because either the players will change or I’ll be changed. It’s as simple as that.”

On Tuesday night, at 3-1 down against former club Barrow, his prediction was looking ominous only for a recovery to make it 3-3 and rescue a point – and maybe his job.

But the pressure is still on, although Allardyce hopes Evatt, 38, is given time and support to breathe new life into his ailing former club.

He said: “If Bolton get stuck in this league for too long, my fear is they won’t have the ability to survive. That’s the sort of pressure the new manager is under. I’m sure his brief was to win promotion this season.

“But I just hope he is given the time and support he needs to turn things around.

“He’s walked into a club that’s run down and on its knees after successive relegations. He’s got a massive responsibility to get it right. Bolton will have expenses above and beyond anybody in the division.

“Ian was very successful at Barrow and built a very good team.

“Bolton is a completely different story.”