Perfect mix to meet survival challenge GUDNI Bergsson believes Wanderers have the perfect blend of experience and youth to meet the survival challenge head on.

The veteran Reebok skipper is one of a selection of old heads Sam Allardyce is relying on to bring their vast knowledge to bear in the fight to beat the drop.

But the 36-year-old leader of the pack says the youngsters - the likes of Kevin Nolan, Ricardo Gardner and Michael Ricketts - give the squad a balance that could be crucial in the coming weeks.

"It's important to have experience," Bergsson agreed, "but you have to have the mix.

"We have quite a few old heads in the squad but also a few young kids whon have responded well and shown a maturity beyond their years.

"If you want to strike a good balance you need young lads with young legs to do the running around! And we have that balance."

Bergsson jokes at his own expense but the fact is that the seniors in the Reebok squad - all incredibly fit professionals - need no-one, however young, to do their running for them. Along with Mike Whitlow, Simon Charlton and Paul Warhurst, Bergsson has played some of the best football of his career this season and with Bruno N'Gotty, Fredi Bobic, Stig Tofting and now Youri Djorkaeff joining the ranks of the Thirtysomethings, Allardyce can rest assured that, in terms of know-how, he would struggle to be better staffed.

Versatility is also important in a squad as short in numbers as Wanderers' - as the vastly experienced N'Gotty has already proved with quality performances at right back and in the centre of defence.

The former French international is respected as a top flight performer in France (PSG and Marseille) and Italy (Milan and Venezia) and, although the signings of Bobic, Tofting and Djorkaeff have captured the imagination and commanded headlines on an international scale recently, it was the conversion of N'Gotty's status from loan to permanent that particularly delighted the manager and his players.

In truth the Frenchman sees himself primarily in a central role but he still looks a pedigree player in the number two berth.

"He doesn't like playing there," Bergsson said of his fellow defender whose class and character stood out in the victory over West Ham, "but Barney (Anthony Barness) pulled out with an ankle injury and he slotted in and played very effectively - as he has in the past.

"He plays there with ease."

N'Gotty has only a smattering of English and prefers to let his football, as they say, do the talking for him. But he has picked up one key phrase - "three points is good" - and when stuck for words has no hesitation in using it to make his point that winning is the be all and end all.

"I want to stay in the Premiership ," he insists, "so taking three points is good."