Games away at Boro, especially at the Riverside, have never been easy as far as the Wanderers are concerned with only one win in five meetings up there since the ground was built back in 1995, something which Allardyce is keen to change quickly.
"Historically we've been crap up there, I remember Bo Hansen scraping us a result but we were pathetic there the following year and we were pathetic again last year. " he said
"We've never really produced a Bolton Wanderers performance at the Riverside -- and that's a big concern."
The last time Bolton won on Teeside was back in the 1995-1996 season when goals from Nathan Blake, Simon Coleman, Fabian De Freitas and David Lee gave the relegation bound Trotters an unlikely victory. Since then the results have been as follows.
LEAGUE
17/02/1996 MIDDLESBROUGH 1 BOLTON WANDERERS 4
19/01/2002 MIDDLESBROUGH 1 BOLTON WANDERERS 1
06/10/2002 MIDDLESBROUGH 2 BOLTON WANDERERS 0
03/04/2004 MIDDLESBROUGH 2 BOLTON WANDERERS 0
LEAGUE CUP
18/11/1997 MIDDLESBROUGH 2 BOLTON WANDERERS 1