SAM Allardyce, the manager of Town's next opponents Bolton, today heralded the Portman Road "stability success".Town have so far struggled to repeat their spectacular success in the Premiership last season.

SAM Allardyce, the manager of Town's next opponents Bolton, today heralded the Portman Road "stability success".

Town have so far struggled to repeat their spectacular success in the Premiership last season.

But speaking from the Wanderers' Marbella break headquarters, Allardyce declared: "Clubs have to take a leaf from the book of Manchester United who stuck with Alex Ferguson, from the situation with Dario Gradi at Crewe and with George Burley at Ipswich.

"Just look what George has achieved at Portman Road and also what Alan Curbishley has done at Charlton.

"These managers have been given time to build at the club, to build for success."

Allardyce, whose newly promoted Reebok Stadium club are in mid-table, said he had taken the squad to Marbella for what he described as a "topping-up session."

The Bolton boss, whose team visit Ipswich on Sunday week, said: "We would have gone to La Manga, but Blackburn are there and so we settled on Marbella. We can work hard together and analyse what we are doing.

"It is also a chance for the players to recover a bit from the stress the Premiership brings. Every game is a big one. The gap between the First Division and Premiership is mega.

"We are working on mobility, fluency, speed and endurance. On this third international break period we have taken the opportunity to get away to a different part of the world and hopefully it will be beneficial.

"We have a big series of games coming up before Christmas beginning at Ipswich.

"We have acquitted ourselves quite well so far but there is still a long, long way to go."