Sam Allardyce is refusing to name the Bolton players he plans to release at the end of the season as he fears it will shatter their confidence.
Allardyce's hopes of another crack at the UEFA Cup for next season are fading unless he can end a sequence of three successive League defeats.
One ace up Allardyce's sleeve is to keep all his players believing they still have a career at Bolton, which is why there will be no announcement on who stays or goes until the season is finished.
The futures of Jared Borgetti, Matt Jansen, Hidetoshi Nakata and Abdoulaye Faye are open to question.
Allardyce, though, is keeping his cards close to his chest as he said: "I've got my thoughts on which players we will be releasing at the end of the season.
"But we're leaving it right to the very end because the focus is on the next seven games.
"I don't want any distractions in terms of talking about contracts and money that may upset a player who I need to help us get three points.
"The focus has to stay on the football, and the football only."
Allardyce's hopes of another crack at the UEFA Cup for next season are fading unless he can end a sequence of three successive League defeats.
One ace up Allardyce's sleeve is to keep all his players believing they still have a career at Bolton, which is why there will be no announcement on who stays or goes until the season is finished.
The futures of Jared Borgetti, Matt Jansen, Hidetoshi Nakata and Abdoulaye Faye are open to question.
Allardyce, though, is keeping his cards close to his chest as he said: "I've got my thoughts on which players we will be releasing at the end of the season.
"But we're leaving it right to the very end because the focus is on the next seven games.
"I don't want any distractions in terms of talking about contracts and money that may upset a player who I need to help us get three points.
"The focus has to stay on the football, and the football only."
