Wanderers skipper Kevin Davies hopes Dougie Freedman will inject a ruthless streak into the team.

The new boss, unveiled as the new manager at the Reebok on Monday, was in the stands at Middlesbrough last weekend to see the Whites throw away a lead in a 2-1 defeat.

Davies believes that was typical of the way things have gone this season.

He is fed up with the regularity Wanderers have conceded goals, and is backing Freedman to sort it out.

Davies said: “It’s quite evident we need to stop conceding, not just the back lads but as a team.

“We have been working on that and need to keep working on it.

“When we are on top we need to remain solid.

“We need to shore things up, particularly away from home and be more ruthless and show character.

“I’m sure the new manager will look to address that quickly.

“We know we can score goals but we can’t be having to score two and three to win games.

“I’m sure he is looking forward to getting stuck in and working with what I think is a good set of players.”

That group of players includes several who will have been frustrated not to have played more at the start of this season under previous boss Owen Coyle.

But Davies says the slate is wiped clean for every player at the club under Freedman, as it was to some extent under caretakers Jimmy Phillips and Sammy Lee.

The 35-year-old frontman added: “When Jimmy and Sammy took over, players had to prove their worth in the side and that will be exactly the same again.

“You see people like Martin Petrov who had been frustrated but has come in during the last few games and done really well.

“He has showed what he can bring to the side, we all know the quality he has.

“That’s an example of players who may have been out of the frame and wanting to get in and help the side. They now have a fresh start.

“We have a good group who are all together.

“Everyone is mucking in and encouraging each other.

“It is vital we keep that under the new manager.

“We have enough experience in there so we need to do better.

“We have all enjoyed the last two or three weeks under Jimmy and Sammy.

“It has been fantastic the work they have done. They put a lot of hard work in.

“I think the fans have been pleased with the way we have been playing despite Saturday’s defeat with teh amount of passes we have had and the chances we have created.

“We need to continue to improve under the new manager.”

There may only be three years difference in their ages but Freedman believes his captain will play a key role.

The new boss said: “I think it’s a quite nice thing to have a captain not much different in age to yourself.

“We can talk about family things and not just tweeting like the younger ones.

“Sometimes the older players can help get your message across.”