FORMER Wanderers striker Les Ferdinand has said he has sympathy for the club's fans after a stressful season, and backed his old club to survive.

Speaking as a panelist on Setanta Sports, the former England international traced the decline back to the day Sam Allardyce handed in his resignation last April.

"It all started when Big Sam left," Ferdinand said. "He was a massive part of the club.

"Sammy Lee came in and tried to change too much of the structure.

"The team couldn't adjust and it became a big problem, so he had to leave.

"Then they brought Gary Megson in and there were a lot of people saying he was the wrong choice. With that and the poor results, those fans have had to put up with a lot this season.

"But at least they have started winning games again now. They are looking more like their old selves and they should be all right."

Fellow panelist, former Liverpool winger Steve McManaman, said Wanderers' back-to-back wins against West Ham and Middlesbrough conjured up old memories of battles at the Reebok.

"They have gone back to that old school Bolton who are battling and scrapping for results," he said. "That's them at their best.

"A couple of scrappy 1-0 wins has completely changed things round and now they are ahead of Birmingham and Fulham."