SAM Allardyce issued a reality check today as he set about getting Wanderers back on Premiership track.

Desperate to overcome the bitter disappointment of three successive and demoralising defeats, the Reebok boss assessed the scale of the task ahead when he measured the spending power of Chelsea, Arsenal and Newcastle - his next three opponents.

"Collectively, they've got £300 million worth of talent and we've spent £4.5 million in four years!" he said. "That in itself shows just how difficult life in the Premiership has been for us.

"They are the teams we have to compete against: Chelsea have spent £120m this season; Arsene Wenger's spent about £100m building his squad and Sir Bobby Robson's spent nearly £100m at Newcastle.

"That shows the levels we have reached when we've come up with our best against the bigger teams and taken points we really had no right to do."

Allardyce, who is on a European scouting mission, admits Wanderers have "an extremely tough period" ahead if they are to halt a slide that is casting a cloud over the season.

Successive defeats by Manchester City, Middlesbrough and Birmingham have shown that the team in general and the leading players in particular have been below par - a factor that needs addressing quickly if they are to retain their mid-table status, which came under more threat last night when they dropped a place to 12th after Middlesbrough beat Spurs.

"Irrespective of the disappointment of the final, our failure to get results in the last two Premiership games - particularly against Manchester City, when they were in such a poor form - has left us with a lot to do under very difficult circumstances," Allardyce added.

"Normally we do well against the bigger teams but our biggest problem at the moment is that we are not at full pelt.

"First we have to get back to the level of performance that took us into the top half. Over the last three games, 40 per cent of the team has been below par and, when it's your bigger players who aren't competing, you've absolutely no chance.

"We've got a great incentive on Saturday, playing Chelsea at home, to complete one of the biggest "doubles" imaginable, having beaten them already at their place.

"But we have to kick everybody back to the top end of their form."