DOUGIE Freedman has called for renewed focus after freshening up his squad with two new loan signings before yesterday’s deadline.

Following the arrival of Robert Hall from West Ham and Danny Butterfield from Southampton, the Wanderers boss wants to get a play-off push back on track as his side travel to face struggling Charlton Athletic tomorrow.

Hall – a flying winger who impressed on loan at Birmingham City earlier this season – and experienced right-back Butterfield both arrive as competition rather than front-line contenders.

But with talk of Kevin Davies’s impending summer release dominating the agenda this week, the Whites boss hopes his two new signings will give his squad a timely boost as they look to claw back a five-point gap on the top six in the final eight games.

The skipper remains in contention for the trip to the Valley after turning down loan moves to Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds United, but Freedman is keen to ensure that attention remains solely on three points at The Valley.

“Over the last 10-12 games, we’ve been the team in form,” he said. “Our results and performances have been consistent. We are playing well right now.

“If we’ve got any feelings towards Bolton Wanderers then these are the games we’ve really got to be focused on. We can’t be focused on anything else.”

Defeat against Ipswich Town last time out was the Whites’ first in nine outings. But the manager sees no reason to think that the result will significantly dent his side’s chances of catching Leicester City or Brighton in the play-off spots.

“It’s a wake-up call but I think we have performed quite well,” he said. “I can take a defeat, so long as it is done in the right way. This could kick-start us again.”

Butterfield’s loan from St Mary’s will take him up to the last game of the regular season but Freedman hinted that Hall's stay could be extended.

The England youth international can play on either wing but is unlikely to feature in tomorrow's squad because of injury.

“He's a good young player I have tried to get before,” Freedman said. “He's dynamic with loads of potential. We've got him for a month and I'll suss it from there.”

Freedman also revealed that he had experienced some degree of frustration trying to add to his squad this month, with Premier League sides unwilling to allow their players out at this stage of the campaign.

He allowed Stuart Holden to join Sheffield Wednesday for a month to gain some crucial playing time en route to his full recovery from injury but reckons some of the top flight teams have been less forthcoming.

“I was told on two occasions that the player I wanted was not coming out because they will play in the Premier League,” he said. “That's life. But we haven't lost out to other teams, which I'd much rather be the case.”

Although opinion has been very much divided on the handling of Davies's contractual affairs this week, Freedman does not expect the whole affair to affect his own improving relationship with the club's supporters.

“I personally think the fans have been on the team's side since the moment I walked in,” he said.

“I think tactically they are getting an education, which is great for me because I want my players and my fans talking the same way as I talk. I want them to understand what I am trying to do in moving forward.

“Yes, it has been more patient, yes, there have been some draws that should have been wins, but we don't seem to be getting beat very much these days and that's because of a feelgood factor spreading from the fans.

“They are now expecting to come along and see decent football and their team not getting beat.

“We have still got to change a few of those draws into wins, and that should be what the fans are looking forward to.”