Bolton isn't a nice place but they have lost six games at home this season, not drawn any and only won once. Three points tomorrow and a lucky three against Liverpool will have the club hoping that fans will lay off the manager.
And if you were a betting man, you'd have to fancy we can win tomorrow. Scrap that, you would have to fancy, seeing as they've lost six at home this season, that Aston Villa should win. The thing is, it doesn't matter if we do win - because we will win one more game before the end of the year and four more this season after that.
The point is, it isn't good enough and the club haven't yet figured it out, which actually makes the people running the club look more inept than many gave them credit for. Doug Ellis would never have stood for this, but he would never have employed him either.
To the match
Bolton have taken a hammering at home this season. The only team they have beaten, in the league, is Stoke, and that was a 5-0 hammering in early November, but in the other games, they've let in a total of 19 goals. They are for the taking and only a Dodo could mess this up.
Bolton are so low on confidence that the only thing you have to do is attack and shoot at the goal three times for one to go in. The plan tomorrow has to be 'shoot when you see the goal' - a very basic plan I know, but one we have to run with.
You see, we have on average, 2.7 shots on target a game and it is the second lowest in the league. We need that to be closer to ten tomorrow to get the goals for us to win. If we don't and we play as we have done all season (second lowest amount of passes in the league too), then Bolton could surprise.
They might surprise, because they might see us for the taking. How does that feel - a team in the relegation zone welcome us thinking they might be able to get their season back on track.
The sad thing is, if they beat us tomorrow, they will only be four points behind us. That is just to show how close this manager has taken us. I used to think there are worse teams than us and that we couldn't get relegated, but I'm starting to doubt that, mostly because this manager has a habit of dragging teams down.
Odds: These tell a story
Prediction
I want to believe we will win tomorrow and my predictions for as long as I can remember, even when playing the top sides, has been three points, because it is possible. But tomorrow, I'm not so sure.
I hope the club get rid of McLeish, but all things are pointing to a stubbornness that only tells me someone is unwilling to admit they've made a mistake and when someone isn't willing to do that, it is just as bad as someone who cant see they've actually made a mistake.
I don't know what the result will be tomorrow, so if I was to have a bet, which I might, it will be on a draw. Your predictions below please.