Bolton Wanderers boss Gary Megson says even the Carling Cup is now out of reach for smaller clubs.

The days of Middlesbrough & Co claiming the smallest piece of silverware have gone as Megson groaned about the state of the game after his side's thumping by Chelsea.

Megson moaned: "Our squad is not big enough to cope with the demands, but we are not in exclusive club of one with that.

"There are only five or six teams in the Premiership who can do what Chelsea did and make an entire line-up change and still bring in really expensive top quality players.

"If you look at the teams in the quarter-finals it is almost the top eight in the Premier League. These teams are just getting stronger and stronger all of the time."