SAM Allardyce is adamant Bolton need to climb out of the bottom three before the turn of the year, the notorious time when they say if you are at the bottom then you will stay there.

Wanderers have five games to do that - against Blackburn, Leeds and Newcastle at home and West Ham and Everton away - and the manager said: "We will try our best to get out of the bottom three by the turn of the year because if you are at the bottom by then it becomes even harder to get out of it.

"After January the pressure builds and you find it is harder and harder to cope if you stay there too long."

Monday's last-gasp 1-0 win for Southampton at West Ham leaves Wanderers one point above the Hammers, and one behind Sunderland, but with a game in hand - at Newcastle!