Wanderers must forget pay problems, says Phil Parkinson

Preparations for the local derby have been completely overshadowed by the fact the first team squad and coaching staff were not paid their November salary on Friday.

Admin and hotel staff did receive their wages yesterday – but senior players held a conference call with Ken Anderson to voice their concerns and were told by the chairman the issue would be resolved by Thursday.

Parkinson called a meeting yesterday morning and asked his players to leave their troubles at the door when they report for duty this afternoon.

“We can’t run around with a sign on our back saying ‘we didn’t get paid yesterday,’ and feel unlucky,” he told The Bolton News.

“In years to come and people look at this game they will look at the scoreline, they won’t care that Bolton had a few problems a couple of days earlier.

“We have to make sure for ourselves, our supporters and our families that we play at our very best tomorrow to get a result.

“It’s just as important for the staff. We’re important in terms of our demeanour around the players and we’ve got families, mortgages etc. But we have to do what’s right for the club.”

Josh Magennis will have a fitness test on a dead leg to see if he will be part of the squad – and Parkinson says there is room for someone to make themselves a derby hero.

“I need players saying ‘I’ll be that man to inspire this team,’” he said.

“I firmly believe we have players capable of doing it but we haven’t shown it enough. When you lose games, you create that lack of belief. No-one will hand that back to us, you have to deal with the situation. And there’s no better feeling that when you’ve been on a run like we’re on to stick together and come out of the other side of it.

“The person who gets the winning goal for us tomorrow would be remembered for years, I’d imagine. One because of the recent run, but two, because of the magnitude of a derby game.

“Go and be spoke about in three or four years’ time. Be that person who can walk into the town centre and have people say ‘remember that game against Wigan when we were on that poor run?’ It’s there for them.”