Bolton Wanderers midfielder Jem Karacan gives his view on fan-criticism of manager Phil Parkinson

Defeat at Ipswich Town on Saturday leaves the Whites four points from safety at the foot of the Championship after nine games.

Only twice before in the club’s history have they had to wait longer for a victory from the start of a season – but the current captain says culpability lies with the team and not the coaching staff.

“It’s up to us,” he told The Bolton News. “There’s no point looking at the gaffer.

“Everyone is getting an opportunity to stake their claim but I don’t think anyone is doing him justice.”

Parkinson became the first manager to guide a club under transfer embargo out of League One back in April but has found the going much tougher this time around.

Restrictions were only lifted last Thursday – a full fortnight after the close of the transfer window – but that has not stopped the Whites boss from coming under fire from some quarters of the club’s support during a run of nine winless league games, including four without scoring a goal.

Karacan says the players need to shoulder some of the burden.

“Whether we’re in an embargo or out of an embargo, I don’t care, I want points,” he said.

“The chairman has done fantastic to get that off, but he knows the job the manager has done. Not many people take a club in embargo to promotion. We need to look at ourselves, not him.

“Now the embargo has gone we might be able to freshen up a few things. I know he’ll be looking at a couple.

“Now it’s up to us to sort things out on the pitch.”

Wanderers have not won at Portman Road since 2001 in the league and their poor run continued after a heavily-deflected goal from Cole Skuse set Mick McCarthy’s side on their way.

“We have a shot and it hits their defender and goes past the post, they have a shot it hits a geezer and goes in the net,” Karacan complained.

“They say luck evens itself out but I think we need to start making our own and putting chances away.”