ANDY Todd is in line for an instant recall to the Bolton back four at Bristol City tonight. The 24-year-old centre-back sat out the 2-1 home defeat by Watford on Tuesday but is in the equation as Wanderers look to bounce back in front of a Sky TV audience.

Skipper Gudni Bergsson, who missed last Saturday's home draw with Oxford with a niggling groin problem, could again be the man to make way.

Colin Todd has not named his side but described speculation that Neil Cox is to be axed in a major shake-up as well wide of the mark.

While whatever changes are made will be restricted to the back line, the manager has urged all his players to accept their defensive responsibilities in an effort to eradicate the costly errors that are undermining the promotion push.

"They all want to be part of the action going forward," he explained. "When we're playing in an attacking vein, they all love it.

"But they've all got to be prepared to do their bit on the defensive side. Wide players have to get back, midfield players have got to put a shield up.

"Our big problem at times is that we don't re-adjust quickly enough when we lose the ball. It's not a question of having a more defensive strategy, it's just a case of individual players knowing they have their defensive jobs to do."

Though John Ward's City have struggled so far, winning just two of their 15 League games since winning promotion, trips to Ashton Gate have rarely been fruitful for Bolton teams, who have only ever won three League games there.

And with the Robins anxious to stop the rot after successive away defeats at Port Vale and Grimsby, Todd knows there will be no easy pickings.

But Wanderers must show their mettle after taking just two points from nine since making a clean sweep of the September awards - manager of the month, player of the month and highest scoring team!

Two years ago they showed Championship form when they bounced back from their first defeat with a resounding 6-1 win against Grimsby and the three other defeats in that record-breaking season were followed by solid statements of intent.

"There's a lot of people going to be watching us on TV tonight and wondering if we can bounce back," Todd acknowledged. "Who knows? But the response from the boys in training has been excellent.

"They know there was nothing wrong with the performance against Watford, from an attacking point of view, other than the result. If we do the right things, work and graft for each other and keep creating chances, they'll go in."

Bob Taylor is guaranteed a warm reception at Ashton Gate, where he top scored with 34 goals in the 1989-90 season, helping City to runners-up spot in the old Division Three.

'Big' Bob expects to be on the subs' bench on the ground where he first built his reputation as a prolific scorer.

Wanderers are understood to be one of a number of clubs checking out Nuneaton Borough's 19-year-old striker Malcolm Christie - one of the most exciting marksmen in non-league football.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.