WANDERERS are being urged to keep their heads at the business end of the season - from top to bottom.

Comments made by chairman Ken Anderson last week in the aftermath of a home defeat to Birmingham City received mixed reviews among fans.

Phil Parkinson admits the timing of his statement - which was primarily aimed at out-of-contract players - wasn't ideal preparation for the game at Derby County.

He refused, however, to use the criticism as an excuse for a 3-0 victory which put the Whites in a precarious situation just above the bottom three in the Championship table.

“It doesn’t help, does it?" Parkinson said of Anderson's comments, released last Wednesday on the club's official website. "Emotions run high after defeats and on the day of the game, and the day after the game, I tend not to speak to too many of the players, if possible. You can say things you need to sit back and analyse.

“We have got to be bigger than that, though. Yes there is criticism but it didn’t stop us defending a corner as poorly as we did. It is not an excuse.

“Ken has been supportive of me in my time here. If it did get the lads’ back up then we have to show a response by winning enough games to keep us in this division."