PHIL Parkinson will take criticism for Wanderers’ fading fortunes squarely on the chin.

Frustration is building just 10 games into the manager’s tenure, with Tuesday night’s demoralising defeat at Rochdale seeing the Whites dip outside the top six for the first time this season.

It is now seven games in league and cup since they last tasted victory, and only the bottom two – Coventry City and Oldham Athletic – have scored fewer than their haul of 10 goals.

Parkinson and his players felt the full force of 3,500 travelling fans’ fury at the Crown Oil Arena but has fronted up to accept responsibility for the downturn in results.

“It’s a very disappointing run and I will take the criticism for that firmly on my chin,” he told The Bolton News. “I am the manager and when you have bad runs in football there’s no hiding place, you have to come out fighting.

“We need to stick together. I don’t want to stand and be critical of individuals for their performances right now but when we come to the end of the season, we’ll look back and see the players who stood up to be counted when we needed them, produced when a bit of pressure came our way.”

Wanderers host Oxford United this weekend at the Macron and while Parkinson accepts there will be an “air of negativity” about recent results, he has pleaded with the fans to stay behind the players.

“We have to be strong on Saturday,” he said. “I accept there will be negativity about the performance and the result. When you get a terrific away following like we did against Rochdale and don’t give them what they deserve it is very, very disappointing.

“We wanted to put on a performance and were unable to do it. The fans voiced their disapproval and you can understand it. We have to stick together and come out fighting at the weekend.”

Parkinson admits his players have been wasteful in the last few weeks but refuses to put the slump down to a lack of effort.

“There was no lack of effort from the lads at all. You need big moments to win games of football. Goals change the belief and feeling on the pitch and we so desperately need someone to produce a moment to give us a lift.”