KEVIN Nolan is confident Sam Allardyce will reject any approach he gets to manage crisis club Newcastle United.

But he fears the Bolton boss is becoming so financially frustrated, that he could be tempted to take the next big job offer that comes along.

Nolan, speaking as captain on behalf of his team-mates, has appealed to Wanderers' chairman, Phil Gartside, to release more cash for new signings before the transfer window closes next Tuesday.

The players, he said, were disappointed that Allardyce has only managed to sign former Blackburn striker, Matt Jansen, and the Oman goalkeeper, Ali Al-Habsi, on frees.

And he made it clear that the feeling in the dressing room is that the responsibility lies with the people who hold the purse strings.

"The lads are very disappointed we haven't been able to add to the squad, and that's not down to the gaffer," he said. "The people above are not giving him the resources to get the quality we need.

"We are a talented and quality squad but we're a small squad and we need to just add one or two to help us through this tricky period where we are missing five or six players."

Wanderers, already carrying one of the smallest squads in the Premiership, have four players on duty at the African Cup of Nations and have been hit by two new injury blows. Gary Speed, who has been out for two weeks with a knee problem, could be missing for another four weeks, and Khalilou Fadiga limped out of Saturday's 2-0 victory over Manchester City, also with a knee injury.

Allardyce is sill pursuing transfer targets but admits it is difficult to find players he can afford who can match the high standards he now sets, so he has turned to fringe players and used academy graduates, Joey O'Brien and Ricardo Vaz Te, more than he had planned.

Nolan's comments will not go down well in the boardroom, where, guided by the club's owner, Eddie Davies, Gartside and his directors have achieved success on and of the field by sticking to a financial strategy that has reduced the club's debt from £40m-plus to below £30m while the team has established itself in the top half of the Premiership and qualified for Europe. They have repeatedly said they are not prepared to gamble with the club's financial stability.

Nevertheless, the 23-year-old midfield player, who took over the captaincy from Jay Jay Okocha earlier this season, believes new signings now could cushion Wanderers from the blow of losing the four Africans and cover for injuries.

The fear is that, although well-placed for another top six finish, still involved in the UEFA Cup and with the prospect of a tasty FA Cup tie against Arsenal at the Reebok on Saturday, the season could still go flat.

"We've found it difficult to get players in who have the talent needed to play for Bolton Wanderers now," Nolan acknowledged, "and that's disappointed most of us, because what we've done over the last year with the players we've got is phenomenal. What we wanted was to add to that and bring more quality in.

"We're not asking them to go out and buy £5m, £6m and £7m players and we're not asking for the chairman to plug in £30m, £40m or of £50m like Freddy Shepherd has at Newcastle. We're just asking him to give the gaffer something he can play with.

"We certainly need three, four or five quality players in the summer to make sure we keep the badwagon rolling."

Newcastle's home defeat by Blackburn on Saturday has increased the pressure on Graeme Souness.

That has again put the focus on Allardyce, who rejected Newcastle's overtures 16 months ago but is still being touted as a possible Toon target.

Nolan believes the Bolton boss is happy where he is, but wonders for how long.

"Obviously we don't want to lose him," he said. "The only good thing is that we are in a better situation in league terms than Newcastle

"He's got it very cushy here. He really enjoys it, he's settled. So, hopefully, that will be a massive factor if he (Shepherd, the Newcastle chairman) does come calling.

"Hopefully it will keep him at Bolton for the next couple of years."