Just as they did last season, the Trotters have spent much of the campaign in a top six berth and apparently certain to land a UEFA Cup spot.

Twelve months ago, Allardyce's men faded dramatically over the final couple of months and eventually finished eighth.

And this season is looking like a repeat.

Saturday's hammering at Manchester United was Bolton's third successive league defeat and the ambitious north-west outfit have now picked up just eight points from nine games since the turn of the year.

Only the patchy form of their major rivals for the UEFA Cup has kept Bolton in fifth place but with Everton and Tottenham closing the gap with weekend wins and both Reading and Portsmouth remaining in striking distance following their draw at the Madejski Stadium, Allardyce is growing increasingly pessimistic.

"Our European prospects are very shaky indeed now," he said.

"It is not just the defeats, it is the performances.

"We have slipped up at home against Manchester City and Charlton, sides we would not have dreamt of dropping points against right up until the end of December, and lost four out of five away from home.

"Our players are just not getting to grips with the basics and until they do, we will continue to struggle for results."

Although most pundits put the Old Trafford reverse down to some mesmeric attacking play from United - and Cristiano Ronaldo in particular - Allardyce felt his team's woeful defending was the major contributing factor.

Having also gifted goals to Blackburn in their previous league game two weeks earlier, the Bolton boss is extremely concerned about his side's prospects over the remaining weeks of the campaign.

And, with relegation-threatened Sheffield United due at the Reebok Stadium immediately after the international break, Allardyce is hoping for a quick upsurge in form.

"Sheffield United becomes a make or break game for our season now," he said.

"We have to try to get back to winning ways and hope we can get some confidence back into the players to kick on from there."