sport

MEGSON DELIGHTED BY BAGGIES

Megson - faces his old team.

Bolton manager Gary Megson is delighted to see West Brom back in the Premier League after he played a key role in the club's renaissance.

Megson faces the Baggies for the first time since leaving The Hawthorns in October 2004 when they come to the Reebok Stadium on Saturday, having spent over four and a half years with the midlands club.

Under Megson Albion improved from a team in the lower reaches of the Championship to earn two promotions to the Premier League, and is understandably pleased to see them back among the elite again this season.

"I'm pleased that there are a lot of players in that squad that I took there a long time ago," he said.

"I'm delighted that they got themselves promoted last year, they have fantastic support and the football club needs to be in the Premier League and it's nice to see them back."

Megson believes there is greater pressure on Albion boss Tony Mowbray to succeed with the club having improved their financial position since Megson's early days at the club back in 2000.

"Tony Mowbray has done well there," he added.

"From my own time I went there with no expectation at all - we were down the bottom of the league, we had no money, we were skint, we were losing £30,000 a week. We turned all that around and managed to get promoted.

"But with Tony's job there is now expectation there. West Brom now is entirely different to when I was there because it has been in the Premier League a couple of times. It now has got a training ground and it probably isn't losing £30,000 a week.

"It seems a little bit more settled than when I was there and they have now got to take the next step and establish themselves in the Premier League and stop doing the yo-yo stuff, and I'm sure they will do."

Megson does not know what sort of reception to expect from the travelling Albion fans but for his part there is nothing but respect.

"The support and the fan base are brilliant. We managed to get it going there a bit and everyone played their part, most of all the supporters because some of the football we played at times was just geared to making sure we got results, it wasn't particularly pleasing on the eye at times.

"They got behind that and were a big part of it and consequently they are where they are now. They play differently now because they can do because they have got a different kind of player.

"It doesn't matter what sort of reaction I get from the West Brom supporters, my impression of them will never change."

Megson was adamant neither side would come into the game with a point to prove after both suffered Carling Cup upsets in midweek.

Bolton were beaten at home by Northampton while West Brom lost at Hartlepool, leaving both sides with nothing to distract them from the league now until early January.

"There won't be a point to prove - there are three Premier League points that everybody is playing for. Proving points doesn't matter a great deal, there are 38 games you play in the Premier League and you have got to try and win as many as you can."

Wanderers will be without Gary Cahill, who starts a three-match ban after his sending-off against Northampton.

Johan Elmander is set to be out for another two or three weeks at least with a hamstring problem while Matt Taylor has a broken toe and could be out for another six weeks.

Kevin Davies, who signed a contract extension on Thursday which keeps him at the club until 2011, is set to return to the starting XI after being on the bench against the Cobblers, and the same applies to midfielder Kevin Nolan and defender Andy O'Brien.