January, yuck.

Itâ..s a horrible, long month, filled with cold, wet, revolting nights. Itâ..s enough to sap anyoneâ..s sense of humour.

So, maybe I should let Gary Megson have his moment, after a morale boosting win and some rare Bolton goals at the Reebok. Shouldnâ..t we all just get on board? Weâ..re all in this together, right?

The performances have been pretty good, and the results would have matched if it hadnâ..t been for a bit of bad luck, right?

I donâ..t think you can call it bad luck when itâ..s happening every week.

Arsenal and Manchester United are at the top because they get late goals. Thereâ..s no shame in holding out for eighty-five minutes against those teams.

But now, twice in four days, Megsonâ..s side have seen two-goal leads evaporate, against teams he has to get results against. Survival wonâ..t hinge on a smuggled point at Arsenal, but letting that lead slip at Ewood Park could be critical in May.

And, itâ..s not as if Blackburn were lucky to get those goals. They applied pressure and Bolton responded by kicking possession away and getting behind the ball, inviting more pressure. It has happened four times in three weeks. Maybe Gary Megson should be putting some thought into this, instead of moaning about the booing.

January can shape a teamâ..s season. After five games were crammed into January, Bolton will only play twice in February, after the team cunningly secured an early exit from the FA Cup.

You have to wonder just how much time managers spend preparing their teams in January. There is so much going on, with the transfer window and the cup competitions, and so many game piled on top of each other, how much managing actually gets done?

Maybe more importantly, is there an opportunity to get ahead by taking advantage of teams whose managers might have taken their eyes of the ball?

Just for fun, letâ..s look at the January record of a manager who probably spends 80% of January on the phone to agents, Harry Redknapp:

SPURS JAN '09 (???)
Tue 6th Wigan 1-0 Spurs
Sun 18th Spurs 1-1 Portsmouth
Sat 24th Man Utd 2-1 Spurs
Tue 27th Spurs 3-1 Stoke
Sat 31st Bolton 3-2 Spurs

PORTSMOUTH JAN '08 (8th, 57 pts)
Tue 1st Reading 0-2 P'mouth
Sun 15th S'land 2-0 P'mouth
Sat 19th P'mouth 3-2 Derby
Wed 30th Man Utd 2-0 P'mouth

PORTSMOUTH JAN '07 (9th, 54 pts)
Mon 1st P'mouth 1-1 Spurs
Sat 13th Sheff Utd 1-1 P'mouth
Sat 20th P'mouth 0-1 Charlton
Tue 30th P'mouth 0-0 M'brough

PORTSMOUTH JAN '06 (17th, 38 pts)
Mon 2nd B'burn 2-1 P'mouth
Sat 14th P'mouth 0-1 Everton
Sat 21st B'ham 5-0 P'mouth
Sat 25th Chelsea 2-0 P'mouth

SOUTHAMPTON JAN '05 (20th, 32 pts)
Sat 1st Man C 2-1 Sâ..ton
Wed 5th Sâ..ton 3-3 Fulham
Sat 15th N'castle 2-1 Sâ..ton
Sat 22nd Sâ..ton 2-0 Liverpool

17 of 63 points in January
Goal Difference â..12

Hmmmâ.¦