GARY Megson knows his side have to produce on the pitch this weekend, despite admitting opponents Manchester City are on a different planet.

The Wanderers boss desperately needs a win to ease pressure on both himself and his struggling squad, but faces a City side still flying after victory over Chelsea.

Mark Hughes’s billionaires ended a run of seven consecutive draws to beat the league leaders at Eastlands last Saturday and although an outbreak of swine flu has checked preparations for their trip to the Reebok, Megson still believes a repeat of last November’s 2-0 victory is a difficult prospect.

“City are now into an entirely different sphere,” he said. “They are the wealthiest club in the world and up there more so with the Manchester Uniteds and Chelseas.

“They are cherry-picking the best players everywhere. It completely changes the football club.

“It was a great result for us last year. We know their following will be huge and we know it will be a particularly tricky game for us, given the quality they have brought into that club.

“It’s a challenge and we’ve got to stand up and be counted and put on a good performance that enables us to pick up points.”

The return of skipper Kevin Davies from suspension should provide a timely boost for the manager, who claims the striker is integral to his plan for victory against the Blues.

“It’s not just his battling, because we battled okay against Wolves, Davo is more than that,” he said. “He is a focal point for the way that we play.

“He gets hold of the ball and wins a lot of headers and hopefully we can get him scoring goals as well because one of the things we have been missing like oxygen at the moment is the goals Kevin scored last year and, more so, Matt Taylor. They need to get back to doing that.”

Megson is not ignoring just how important victory could prove to be against City, with Wanderers currently sitting second bottom of the Premier League and two points away from safety.

And he believes the first goal will be crucial at the Reebok, just as it proved in the Whites’ defeat at Molineux last time out.

“We’re in a business where we need to get results,” he said.

“We are second bottom of the Premier League, we know we are not a million miles away from safety, but we do need a win.

“The game is about playing well, and trying to be as entertaining as you can, but firstly and foremost you have to get results. At the moment, we are making life a bit too easy for the opposition by giving them that first goal and causing ourselves problems.”