Jlloyd Samuel Exclusive

Jlloyd Samuel reacts to Bolton’s disappointing start to the season in his latest www.icons.com diary and says Nicolas Anelka’s decision to put pen-to-paper on a four-year deal is a huge confidence boost for the side.

‘Overall we have played pretty well so far this season, so it’s a bit strange to see ourselves second from bottom in the table. But we’d rather get this patch out of the way now then at the end of the season.

‘Of course nobody wants to end up in a relegation fight early in the season and we don’t think that will happen. We all believe that if we can just get a couple of wins on the spin we’ll turn things around.

‘The boss has just said to us to keep the faith, keep believing in what we are all trying to do here and keep working hard towards those goals. The spirit among the players is great and we’re not worried at all.

The defender also looks ahead to the Trotters’ Uefa Cup game against Rabotniki of Macedonia.

‘It’s not an excuse when we say you can’t underestimate anybody because time and again you see smaller sides winning against the so-called favourites. We won’t take anything for granted but, of course, we believe we can progress and we want to do well in every competition.’

For the full interview please go to www.icons.com