SAM Allardyce is ready to gamble on keeping Wanderers in the Premiership writes Bolton Evening News Chief Soccer Writer Gordon Sharrock

The Reebok boss admits it is a risky business but he is asking chairman Phil Gartside and his directors to provide the funds to sign TWO new strikers, regardless of developments in the Michael Ricketts affair.

"It's crucial to get one in first," the manager explained as he stepped up his worldwide search for players capable of either replacing the wantaway top scorer or providing increased competition should he stay.

"But if a second comes along, I would ask the chairman to take him - even if Michael hasn't gone. I know that puts pressure on him but it's my job to tell it like it is, how I see it and what it might be like if we don't do it.

"We have to take the gamble. It might hurt us financially because I might have to extend where they want to go financially by getting two in, if Michael hasn't gone. But then, if Michael goes, they'll be better off because he will go for much more than we've spent.

"I hope they can see it my way."

Allardyce, who saw his strikers draw another blank at Newcastle last night, is determined to avoid the nightmare scenario of losing Ricketts so close to next Friday's transfer deadline that he has no time to secure replacements.

He was already looking for two new players - a striker and a central defender - before Ricketts handed in his transfer request this week and raised the spectre of a renewed Spurs bid, which so far has not materialised. Now the worrying lack of firepower - one goal in five Premiership games - plus the prospect of losing his top scorer has made him doubly determined to reinforce his attack.

Whoever he targets, the manager is not expecting a windfall from any possible Ricketts transfer. He continues to work under the constraints of the club's £34 million debt burden and is still looking exclusively at the loan and short-term markets.

"We're looking for players to keep us in the Premiership then we will re-evaluate our position in the summer," he explained.

Allardyce and skipper Gudni Bergsson both highlighted the desperate need for someone capable of finding the net after a night of many positives but no points at St James' Park.

"Everthing about the team is right apart from having a natural out and out goalscorer," the manager said.

"We missed some golden opportunites and we should have had two penalties.

"We did everything but score. We defended very well but our quality was not there in front of goal and that has been our problem for some time.

"We play Everton then we come up against Birmingham and West Brom and we have to put the same kind of performance as this one in against them but make sure we score goals."

It was a blatant penalty when Henrik Pedersen was bundled over by Nikos Dabizas in the 50th minute and the superb Bernard Mendy missed the target when it was easier to score while Wanderers also created several other good chances to level Jermaine Jenas' 18th minute goal.

It left Wanderers delighted with the performance but deflated by the result with Bergsson regretting: "It is no consolation that we played well and received praise from their manager. In the end we go away with no points. We had good chances and Henrik's penalty was blatant even from where I was 60 yards away.

"The manager has sometimes criticised us that we have played our best games against teams near the top of the league. Now we are coming up against teams at the bottom and we have to make sure we play as well against them and take the points."