SAM Allardyce could not resist taking a pop at Michael Ricketts as he weighed up the form that has taken Wanderers four points clear of the Premiership drop zone.

"The reason why we are where we are now is that since we sold Michael Ricketts we've won four, drawn two and only lost one," the manager said as he put Saturday's 2-0 derby victory over Manchester City into survival context.

"That speaks for itself."

He did not elaborate other than to marvel at the spirit and the confidence Wanderers have shown since he took the risk of selling his unsettled top scorer to Middlesbrough and brought in three players on loan - the French duo Florent Laville and Pierre-Yves Andre and the Spaniard Salva Ballesta - without seeing them play!

Allardyce did not need the chants of "Who the **** is Michael Ricketts?" to tell him that his gamble had paid off. But with substitute Delroy Facey straining every sinew to test the City defenders in the closing seconds, it was a ringing endorsement from the fans who genuinely believe Wanderers have a better chance of survival now that the errant striker is off the scene.

The manager could not have been happier after seeing Jay-Jay Okocha respond to the disappointment of missing a 23rd minute penalty with an inspirational performance that brought out of best of his team's character and class and generated a confidence as high as at any time over the last two Premiership seasons.

"The composure of the side and the football they are playing is a credit to the players considering the pressure they are under," Allardyce said after Henrik Pedersen and Ivan Campo got the goals while Laville shone again with another impressively solid defensive display to leave Kevin Keegan in the depths of despair.

"We have to look at the response to Jay-Jay missing the penalty. He really did start creating for us after that. Eventually we got the goal we deserved then, crucially, we got the second just after half time, which took the edge off Manchester City and made sure we went through with a further three points.

"Jay-Jay and the whole team went up another gear. They were shocked that he'd hit it (the penalty) wide, which is unlike him. But when you've got character and determination as well as ability, the response wasn't the lull you might expect but an up in tempo, an up in workrate and an up in quality to make sure it didn't cost us."

There was pride in the manager's voice as he reflected on the way his players had ignored the pressure of the situation and played such an expansive game without any hint of nerves. And although he admitted he preferred to see Okocha displaying his skills in a more orthodox manner than the showboating flicks and dragbacks that had the crowd in raptures, he acknowledged how the supremely talented Nigerian World Cup star has won the hearts of the Reebok fans.

"He's going to excite anybody," he said. "He's a world class player and it's only because he's at 'little Bolton' that he doesn't get the credit he deserves. Put him in the Arsenal side or the Manchester United side and they'd be raving about him every week.

"But he's proving what a world class player he is. Everybody's enjoying playing with him and not only that, everybody enjoys the fact that he enjoys life and enjoys his football and always has a smile on his face."

With Ballesta and Andre nursing slight injuries, Allardyce rewarded Jermaine Johnson for his performances in the reserves and for Jamaica with his first Premiership appearance of the season as a late substitute but he had to disappoint Simon Charlton, who was fit again after missing the Sunderland and Spurs games with a knee injury but did not even make the bench.

"It was a little bit heartless from my point of view," the manager admitted. "But they are decisions you have to make.

"Charlie was fully fit but with two clean sheets I couldn't change anything.

"A sub's spot for him would have meant he could only fill one position and I didn't want that. It's a bit hard on him but that's life as you go onwards and upwards and everybody's fit."