PHIL Parkinson has vowed to help Chris Taylor kick-start his Wanderers season.

The winger, signed on a two-year deal in the summer after his release at Blackburn Rovers, has failed to shine so far at the Macron.

He has missed the last two games with a virus but could make a return to the squad against his first professional club, Oldham Athletic, this weekend.

Taylor has come in for criticism from some fans in his first few months with the Whites but Parkinson – who felt the 29-year-old was a “cast iron certainty” to be a success at Bolton – is determined to turn his fortunes around.

“Me and Chris had a good chat about it last week and it hasn’t quite gone according to plan for him, but I’m confident it will do,” he told The Bolton News. “My aim, and his aim, is by the end of the season, people will look back and say, ‘Yeah, he may have had a slow start but he came through it’.”

Taylor was a big part of Millwall’s run to the play-offs last season and was still highly regarded by Blackburn’s fans despite his release at Ewood Park in the summer.

But he has been unable to command a regular start for Wanderers, with half of his 10 appearances so far coming from the bench.

Parkinson had a heart-to-heart with Taylor on Friday and admits the lack of continuous games has not helped his progression.

“As far as I’m concerned, it was a fresh start from Monday,” he said. “He’s a very good player, I’ve got to get more out of him, he’s got to get more out of himself.

“I feel from his point of view, he’s a type of wide player who over a run of games supporters appreciate what he gives to the team. When he comes in from a one-off game, he puts himself under pressure to produce. Really he’s a slow burner.

“If you see him from his time at Millwall he’s a hard-working, diligent wide player who can produce quality moments. I think he feels because he’s been out of the team he has to produce moments to stay in the team and he’s putting himself under pressure to please supporters.

“What the supporters want sheer, honest, committed performances and if quality moments come off the back of that, great.”