Mr Sam

Apparently, the formidable Sam Allardyce is back in Mr Angry mode. Angry because David Dunn chose to return to Blackburn Rovers rather than join Bolton. And angry because fans are not routinely packing the Reebok Stadium, despite the fact that Bolton are challenging Arsenal and Liverpool for a top 4 place in the Premiership.

Perhaps when, or if, the anger subsides, he will have time to reflect that Dunn has a perfect right to return to a club where he felt comfortable and the people of Bolton have a perfect right to stay away until such time as his team demonstrate that they are capable of abandoning their pragmatic approach for the kind of entertaining, attacking football that has made Arsenal and Manchester United irresistible.

Or to put it another way, Mr Angry will have to turn into Mr Patient, because that kind of transformation could take a long, long time.