THE feelgood factor will be sky high at the Reebok tomorrow when Wanderers take on Liverpool in the second of their shoot-outs against the Premiership's Big Three.

Having dispatched Manchester United in such dramatic fashion at Old Trafford on Wednesday night and with a trip to Arsenal on the horizon, confidence has soared to unprecedented levels promoting Sam Allardyce to enthuse: "This is the best spell I think the club has had for a long, long time."

The manager's assessment is not simply based on the successive Premiership wins - against Villa and United - that lifted Wanderers off the bottom to 12th in the table in the space of 11 days or on the fact that no other Bolton team in history has managed back-to-back top flight wins at Old Trafford.

But he is looking at the big picture: the progress in his three years in charge; last season's survival success; the quality of the players he has been able to attract to the Reebok; and his faith in the team he has assembled.

He knows that his management record will be judged by others in the fullness of time but Allardyce is impatient. "Sometimes it's not appreciated when it actually happens," he accepts, "but I appreciate what we are achieving at the club and I know the players are giving their lot."

He takes particular pride in the fact that his defence was able to withstand the might of Manchester United's attack to provide the basis for victory that was secured by his midfield prodigy Kevin Nolan 13 minutes from time.

"The back four or five has been with me a long time and they were our mainstay," he said in tribute to goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen, full-backs Anthony Barness and Simon Charlton and vintage centre-backs Gudni Bergsson and Mike Whitlow. "They were the reason we got that result, defending against outstanding world class players and a world class team.

"And at the other end to take the game to Manchester United in the first half was brilliant.

"We've come out on top again there which is a wonderful feeling for us.

"There is no covering our delight and pleasure at the result we got and we feel fantastic having achieved something that hasn't been achieved for such a long time - the first time since 1935 from what I've been told."

Indeed that 1934-35 Bolton team did score a second successive away win against United in the old Second Division. The feat has never been achieved before in First Division or Premiership encounters!

With demands greater than ever today, there is no let-up and Allardyce is aiming to get his players back down to earth for another severe examination of their top flight credentials.

"The ultimate test for us now is to repeat the performance at Old Trafford in such a short space of time against a team equally as good as Manchester United," he said.

"It's always a difficult task to get something out of the next game when you've put in all your effort to beat a team like United. They raised themselves to a level way above what they're used to and put in a huge effort and pulled off an unbelievable performance.

"But we'll have a full Reebok and hopefully the same atmosphere as we played in the other night night and I hope that brings the best out of them again - only then will know whether they the legs for it."

Wanderers are likely to be unchanged with Bernard Mendy (ankle) and Bruno N'Gotty (calf) definitely ruled out while Paul Warhurst's comeback could be prematurely ended by a recurrence of his groin strain.