Megson says twin goal threat will hit the mark

6:20am Friday 10th October 2008

GARY Megson has backed his two major goal threats to come good.

Striker Johan Elmander and captain Kevin Nolan have scored just two goals between them so far this season.

But the Wanderers manager is confident the attacking duo will start hitting the back of the net on a regular basis.

Elmander’s Bolton career has been hampered by injury following his club-record £11million summer move from Toulouse.

He struck on his debut against Stoke, but was then sidelined for five weeks after tearing his hamstring in the following game at Newcastle.

The 27-year-old Swede looked rusty in Sunday’s victory against West Ham as looks to regain full fitness, wasting one glorious opportunity to add to his Wanderers tally.

But Megson has no doubts he will soon hit the goal trail. “We are hopeful Johan Elmander can go on and do the things he has done in the past on the Continent,” said the Reebok boss.

“He has not done a massive amount of training because he has been out with a torn hamstring for about five weeks and he needs to get into the pace of the things which we are doing.

“He has only played two full games, but he has already got a goal.

“Johan is a class act and we just need to utilise his strengths and he needs to get used to what we are trying to achieve.”

And Megson is equally convinced skipper Nolan, who registered in the Carling Cup exit at the hands of Northampton, will begin to fire sooner rather than later.

He added: “Kevin could have had six or seven goals by now.

“Against Arsenal he had five strikes at goal and one was a great save by (Manuel) Almunia. He’s missed the penalty at Newcastle, and had a header cleared off the line at Stoke.

“If these things had just gone his way, we would have been talking about what a great start to the season that Kevin’s had.”

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