DOUGIE Freedman has called for a ceasefire on the stands as he attempts to rebuild Wanderers’ stuttering season.

The Whites boss has come in for major criticism on the terraces after his side won just one of their opening eight league games in the Championship.

That culminated in banners demanding his removal as manager in the last home game against Rotherham United – and chants of “Freedman out” in the 1-0 defeat at Wolves.

Freedman’s situation wasn’t helped last night as his side bowed out of the Capital One Cup, although Wanderers emerged from the 2-1 defeat at Chelsea with their heads high, having given the Premier League leaders a real scare.

In any case, the Scot does appear to have the backing of Phil Gartside despite the chairman’s reluctance to make that support public – and that has prompted him to extend an olive branch to the fans in the build-up to Saturday’s home clash with Derby County.

Freedman feels he has the backing of many supporters who recognise the extent of the rebuilding job he undertook a little under two years ago.

But he wants everyone heading to the Macron Stadium on Saturday to put their personal differences with him aside and assist in trying to drive the club back up the table.

“The majority of Bolton fans that I’ve bumped into have been fantastic and fully understand where we are and why I have had to do what I have had to do,” he told The Bolton News.

“When you get masses, either on social media, or all in one stadium, then people tend to follow each other. They come up with these ideas but a few people just need to sit down and start looking at a bigger picture for this football club.

“We need to start pulling together because that is the only way we are all going some come through it.

“I haven’t got a magic formula. I can’t change things overnight.

“I don’t like our position in the table right now but I don’t see a single player or a single member of my staff tossing in the towel.

“The players are giving nothing less than 100 per cent and isn’t that what the fans want? Shouldn’t that be what they expect?

“I don’t look at it any deeper than that. Criticism is criticism but we have all got a job to do.”