BOB Taylor is convinced Wanderers will have the edge in tomorrow's FA Cup tie at the Reebok . . . and no Bull!

The Bolton favourite, who has seen Steve Bull at close quarters in big West Midlands derbies, is relieved the record-breaking Molineux hero is out of the third round tie.

"Losing Steve had dented Wolves," says the down-to-earth former West Brom man.

"It's not just his goals they are missing. It's his presence out there. He works so hard and that's why he gets his rewards." Those rewards have come in the shape of more than 250 league goals for the Old Golds - a club record that once made him one of the hottest properties in the game. He is currently battling to recover from knee surgery designed to extend his glittering career - a void Wolves boss Colin Lee is struggling to fill.

"People say Bully should have moved on at the peak of his career but Wolves have always looked after him with good contracts," Taylor says with an in-depth knowledge of affairs in the Black Country, where he spent six years with the Baggies before signing for Wanderers on a free last summer.

"If he was at his peak now, he could make himself a multi-millionaire. Clubs would be queueing up to sign him on the strenghth of his goals alone."

Taylor, who will again partner Dean Holdsworth in a Bolton attack that sees no place for 14-goal top scorer Arnar Gunnlaugsson, still harbours enough West Midlands rivalry to see a clash against Wolves as one of his season's highlights - even more so considering the added spice of the FA Cup. He relished scoring in the 1-1 draw at Molineux in the league last month and would love to repeat the feat in helping Wanderers to victory tomorrow.

"I always seemed to score against Birmingham and Wolves in my Albion days and couldn't wait for the next derby. That always kept me in good books with our fans," he recalls.

"It would be great if I could do it again because this is a tie that's going to have a big atmosphere. Actually I think Sky made a mistake in not picking this one. Both teams are going to be up for it and hoping to get one of the big clubs in the next round."

Taylor, whose personal contribution to the recent upturn in form cannot be under-estimated, has no hesitation in acknowledging the influence of Jon Newsome and Paul Warhurst - neither of whom will figure tomorrow following Newsome's return to Sheffield Wednesday and Warhurst's ineligibility as he waits to complete his permanent transfer from Crystal Palace. Now he believes it is up to the likes of Mark Fish and Gudni Bergsson to maintain the new-found defensive stability.

"We'll find out now whether anything's rubbed off," he says. "Before Jon and Paul arrived we were giving away silly goals and it was costing us. Maybe Mark and Gudni have got to look at themselves and play the way the English game should be played. Get the ball in Row 19 if they have to.

"I'm a striker and I love scoring goals but I'm a big believer in keeping clean sheets. None of the Fancy Dan stuff at the back.

"At this level the game's about 90 per cent hard work and 10 per cent flair. If we can manage that for the rest of the season, we'll do well."

Bergsson for Warhurst is expected to be the only change to the side that won 2-0 at Port Vale on Monday while Wolves have all sorts of selection problems and will delay naming their cup line-up.

WANDERERS are ready to take 19-year-old Blackburn midfielder Luke Staton on a permanent basis. The youngster impressed in two trial matches with the reserves and is expected to join the Reebok ranks on a contract to the end of the season when his future will be reviewed.

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