WEST HAM 1, Wanderers 1: THE striker who had forgotten how to score has given Wanderers a tremendous pyschological advantage in the Premiership relegation battle.

Supersub Michael Ricketts turned back the clock to score the vital equaliser which kept Wanderers off the dreaded bottom spot at Christmas.

His second-half equaliser condemned West Ham to stay at the foot of the Pemiership - a position which tradition dictates means they will be definitely relegated at the end of the season.

Ricketts became a big money transfer target after an avalanche of goals last season earned him an England cap.

But apart from penalties it was his first goal in open play since before he received that England call-up.

Delighted manager Sam Allardyce was full of praise for Rickett's performance and claimed if his teammates had been on the same wavelength he could have scored several more.

Earlier, Allardyce revealed he thinks the squad which he has assembled is not performing as it should be, and particular problems are occurring in key areas.

Wanderers have kept just two clean sheets all season, but those successes against Aston Villa and Manchester United were more than three months ago.

At the other end of the field they have a respectable 18 goals, but Allardyce feels they should have a greater return from their 17 games.

He said: "We got into the Premiership earlier than I thought we would, and we stayed up when a lot of people did not expect us to.

"I thought we could move on from that this season, but maybe the squad is not as good as I thought it was. That is why I aim to do something about it in January.

"Bringing in two players is the minimum requirement, but it depends upon costs.

"I think defence and attack is the area we most need to strengthen, I've got about four or five strikers and two or three defenders on my list.

"If you find an outstanding defender then you increase your chances of keeping a clean sheet.

"If you get an attacker you give yourself more options to score a goal. At this stage of the season we have proved that if we can get in front then we will not lose a football match.

"I'm still not sure how much I will have to spend so time will tell if we can bring in players of the quality of Youri or Fredi Bobic this time."

In searching for his new aces, Allardyce is aiming for players who will be able to immediately become involved in Bolton's struggle.

He said: "If you get people coming into a new culture you have to give them time - look at Diego Forlan or Joseph Job - but we do not have that much time to get things right."

"Most of the players we get are those who have bombed at their own clubs, and it takes them longer to settle and get fit.

"It even took Youri a while, and he is a super-fit man and a world class player who is well travelled.

"We look at a player's CV and where they have played and what they have had to deal with in their career.

"Another concern is that they will have to be able to communicate in English. That is a necessity because the added time it takes if they cannot is too much to consider.

"Having said that if Ronaldo was available then myself and the squad would all learn Portuguese."