TAKE a bow Michael Johansen, Per Frandsen, Claus Jensen and Scott Sellars! The back four rightly had to carry the can in the early weeks of the season when goals were being leaked but fingers were pointed at the midfeld quartet, who weren't providing adequate protection.

"We attack as a team and defend as a team," was how Colin Todd summed up the collective responsibility.

Now the holes have been plugged and, again justifiably, Jussi Jaaskelainen and his defenders have been taking the plaudits.

But the contribution of the men in the middle has not been ignored by the man who matters.

"The midfield has played a vital part," Todd said today as the fab four prepared for another test of their all-round abilities.

"Everybody knows they can play when they have the ball but they're keeping their shape better too, which helps when the opposition has possession. You've got to be prepared to work in there, whether you have the ball or not.

"The midfield get through a lot of work on the defensive side that goes largely unnoticed. The old 'engine room' phrase is perfect when it comes to describing an effective midfield and I think our quartet have been worthy of that title throughout our recent run."

The enthusiasm of the Danish trio and the wealth of experience Sellars brings to the department gives Wanderers the edge over most opposition units . . . when they have the ball. But there is more to midfield responsibility and, although they aren't the toughest tacklers in the business, they are playing to orders and to good effect - and Mark Fish and Co are grateful for their efforts. There were occasions at Sheffield United, notably in the first half, when the new-found solidity showed signs of strain. But they didn't go under, came from behind and in a second half that was more to their liking, fought tooth and nail for a victory that did their promotion prospects a power of good.

Now, after a fortnight's lay-off, they are looking to press on for a top two spot - without distractions.

Todd's insistence that "tomorrow is just another game" shows how he, for one, is staying focused.

It might be one of football's oldest cliches but in this case it sums up the manager's indifference to the fact that Bruce Rioch is in town and that his wantaway top scorer Arnar Gunnlaugsson will be making his first appearance at the Reebok since being transfer-listed at his own request - albeit only the subs bench.

So much water has passed under the bridge in the three and a half years since Rioch left Wanderers for Arsenal that, in pure footballing terms, this is only about Bolton v Norwich.

It's a point underlined by the fact that, although there will be a measure of personal interest on the occasion of his first game at the Reebok as a manager, there is unlikely to be a single player in the Wanderers' starting line-up who actually worked under Rioch. In fact, such is the transient nature of the modern game that the only survivors of his three-year reign are Gudni Bergsson, Keith Branagan, Jimmy Phillips and Nicky Spooner - of whom only Phillips has any chance of being involved in the squad.

The Wanderers of today is very much Todd's team - in body and in spirit - and goes into tomorrow's game not only buoyed by a run of 11 unbeaten games and three consecutive wins but already having put one over on the Canaries this season.

The Worthington Cup win at Carrow Road in October came, in the end, courtesy of a penalty shoot-out but the performance that night was impressively solid and deserving of the victory.

It was a welcome success in the middle of their only indifferent spell, in which they lost four games in five - still their only league defeats of the season.

They have since played their way right back into the automatic promotion reckoning and in a style that continues to earn praise from every quarter as well as having tightened things up considerably on the defensive side.

The Gunnlaugsson affair is an unfortunate business but, as the manager pointed out when he agreed to 'list' the Icelander, he will be treated no differently as long as he is a Bolton player.

The fact that he is only likely to get a subs' shirt tomorrow will be purely down to Dean Holdsworth's double at Bramall Lane.

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