ANYONE not aware that Bolton Wanderers have had a frustrating summer on the transfer front must have spent the last three months orbiting the moon or walking in the wilderness.

Sam Allardyce said from the outset that he wanted at least six new signings, and he is still three short - despite having more money to spend than ever before.

He has not been helped by a dramatically inflated market, which has hiked fees and wage demands to unprecedented levels, but the crux of the matter is that Wanderers have raised the bar in terms of the quality of player they are prepared to sign.

And, while the likes of Charlton have gone for broke with a succession of signings that appear to have given new boss Iain Dowie an embarrassment of riches - Andy Reid's move from Spurs last week was their tenth - Big Sam isn't in the least bit envious of his adversary at The Valley.

It's all about standards. For, while he freely admits to being desperately short on numbers, the Wanderers boss doggedly refuses to compromise on quality - even though the transfer window closes next Thursday.

Considering there was so much speculation that he was a Wanderers target, it would be fair to assume he would have coveted Djimi Traore. But Allardyce revealed today that the French defender was never on his wish list.

"I just wouldn't have signed Djimi Traore," he said of the full-back who left Liverpool for Charlton in a £2 million deal.

"He would not have been my selection. I think he's a good player but, looking at my squad, and knowing that he was never a regular at Liverpool, I have to ask whether he is better than I've got. And while he could be as good and he could do us a job, he is no better."

It would be all too easy to draw the conclusion that Allardyce is disrespecting both Traore and to Charlton, but he makes the point to underline the fact that, after five seasons in the Premiership, he is becoming more discerning in his transfer dealings.

"I think Djimi will be an outstanding player for Charlton," he said of the 26-year-old. "I'm sure of that because I know they need numbers, just like we do.

"But I have to try to get something that's better than what we've got and, while I think he is on a par with the players here, he is no better."

Having said that, Allardyce will be hoping Traore - available tomorrow after missing the midweek defeat by Manchester United as a consequence of his red card in the opening day defeat at West Ham - doesn not make him regret being so candid.

The omens, if they count for anything, suggest Wanderers should do well at The Valley tomorrow.

In contrast to their Fulham jinx - a five-match losing streak that was ended by Wednesday night's 1-1 draw - the Whites have a handsome record at Charlton in recent years - four wins and one draw on their five Premiership visits.

"We've had nothing but good results there in the last five seasons and I want to go with the attitude that we believe we can do the same again," Allardyce said.

"We would have gone there with a lot more confidence if we had managed to take all three points at Fulham, after getting ourselves in front, but we've certainly got the players to do it.

"I was a slightly satisfied at Fulham that we took a point at a place where we've never got anything before but, personally, I was very disappointed not to have got all three.

"We'll obviously be looking to improve because in possession we were extremely poor compared to how we played against Tottenham. We didn't get forward as much as we would have liked and we could have passed the ball better.

"But we were resilient and dogged and we were nice and solid at the back. Fulham had no shots on target in open play and that's why it was a big, big shame that we let it slip."