SUNDAY dinner in the Kelly household was one of the quietest on living memory this week with Bolton, Liverpool, and Everton all losing on the opening day of the season.

Usually one of us is winding up the other but football wasn’t even on the agenda this time – we were all quiet and just ended up talking about what was on the telly.

It was disappointing at the Reebok – I can’t deny it – and I think Gary Megson was right what he said about the first half.

Bolton looked at sixes and sevens and, although things did improve a bit in the second, it wasn’t what we were hoping to see.

But I’m not worried at all.

You always want to win your opening game, especially when it’s at home, but I wasn’t surprised that things didn’t click, because we had four or five new players involved.

And I’m certainly not going to pass judgment after just one game.

I always prefer to give players and teams five or six games because I can remember when I first came to Bolton it took me at least three months to win the fans over.

Once they get on your side, they are with you for life, but they do need time.

There were some positives to draw from the game: Jussi Jaaskelainen was magnificent and showed again why I think he’s the best in the Premiership and I was made up for young Danny Ward when Gary gave him a run in the second half.

I had a word with the kid before the game when I saw he was on the bench and just told him, if he got on, to make sure his first pass went to a white shirt with the number 188 on it.

Danny’s come out of the academy and getting his first taste of Premier League action shows all the other academy kids that if they are good enough, they’ll get a chance.

After the game I gave Danny a pat on the back and told him that he should be chuffed to have had his first taste of Premier League action but to keep his feet on the ground and keep up the good habits.

I think we saw enough surprise results at the weekend not to be too downhearted about the way things went at the Reebok: that defeat of Liverpool’s was a bit of a turn-up and as for Everton . . . losing at home to Arsenal is one thing, but 6-1!

David Moyes knows his business better than me but no way would I have played Joleon Lescott.

The lad’s made it clear he wants to leave the club and, until everything is sorted, I wouldn’t have had him anywhere near the team.

On the fan front, the family of Dave Hollins – a Bolton supporter for 50 years – tell me he’s not very well at the moment, so best wishes to him from everybody at the club.