If Crystal Palace midfielder Sasa Curcic likes a bit of spice in his football matches, then he's going the right way about hotting up today's visit to his former club Bolton Wanderers. Curcic annoyed his former team mates and fans this week by claiming the spirit at relegated Palace is still better than that at Wanderers when the Lancashire side went down two years ago. And now Curcic has inflamed the situation by claiming he'll score three in today's game to almost seal relegation for the team he once played for:: I'm going to go to my old club Bolton to score a hat-trick, he said. I'm very confident we're going to play well there. With the home desperate for maximum points as they struggle to beat the drop, Curcic's comments will heat up the atmosphere to boiling point inside the Reebok Stadium and the player can look forward to some personal abuse when he takes the field. Curcic may well be laughing the other side of his face at the end of 90 minutes though. Palace are in disarray, despite all the pressure being off the London side after being put down by Manchester United last Monday. Apparently rumours of Chairman Ron Noades picking the side for the remaining games of the season is a bald-faced lie and first-team coach Brian Sparrow will select the side following Attilio Lombardo's resignation as player-manager. At least Sparrow will have a full-strength squad to choose from. Lombardo will be make the side in a purely playing capacity, while Herman Hreidarsson and Paul Warhurst are likely to regain their starting places. Matt Jansen and Marcus Bent could share striking duties up front. Bolton centre-half Gerry Taggart looks likely to make way for Andy Todd at the back of the home side's defence, despite winning the man-of-the-match award when the team beat Aston Villa last Saturday. Todd returns after suspension. Mark Fish (twisted ankle), midfielder Per Frandsen (hip) and striker Bob Taylor (ankle) are all expected to be fit, but Dean Holdsworth (hamstring) is doubtful for the game. And Fish believes that Bolton still have a very real chance of avoiding the job: We've spent all our time in Barnsley's shadow while everyone's been concentrating on their fight to stay up. That's suited us fine and I really think that we'll finish up above Barnsley and Everton. MATCH FACTS Last season: No corresponding fixtures Last five League matches: Bolton D W L L W, Crystal Palace L L L W L Top scorers: Nathan Blake (Bolton) 13, Matt Jansen (Crystal Palace) 15 Match odds: H 4-11 A 11-2 D 10-3 FOOTBALL365 PREDICTS Bolton 2 Palace 1. Nothing less than maximum points will do for Bolton, who have toiled hard all season to beat the drop. Their spirit seems good, a win at Villa will have bolstered their confidence and they look determined to do a job against a poor Palace side. They'll just edge it

HEAD-TO-HEAD BLAKE v DYER   So farewell then, Palace. You were clearly not good enough for the Premiership and your lack of goal-scoring expertese has cost you dear. Was Bruce Dyer to blame for your fall from grace? And if you'd had Nathan Blake, would your chances of survival have been greatly increased? Let's have a look, shall we? Blake Dyer Minutes On Pitch 2913 1708 Goal Attempts Goals 11 4 Shots On Target 44 18 Shots Off Target 54 13 Blocked Shots 10 2 Passing Goal Assists 5 1 Total Passes 959 504 Pass Completion % 69 77 Crossing Total Crosses 43 34 Cross Completion % 28 12 Dribbling Dribbles & Runs 112 78 Dribble Completion % 71 68 Defending Tackles Made 56 49 Tackles Won % 55 49 Blocks 1 0 Clearances 11 5 Interceptions 10 14 Discipline Fouls 74 55 Offside 50 47 Yellow Cards 5 4 Red Cards 1 0 The evidence is clear. A measly 18 shots on target and a paltry return of four goals for the aptly-named Mr Dyer, compared with an average effort of 11 goals and 44 shots on target from Mr. Blake. Not the kind of striking form to make Marcelo Salas quake in his boots from either player, to be fair. And only 55 fouls compared to 74? Palace the ponces of the Premiership.

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