Boss takes positives from Walsall changes (From News Shopper)

Boss takes positives from Walsall changes

3:16pm Thursday 4th February 2010 in

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MANAGER Phil Parkinson has explained his decision to make four changes to the side which started against Walsall on Tuesday evening.

Charlton travelled to the West Midlands on the back of two disappointing home results against struggling Leyton Orient and Tranmere, games which only produced a solitary point for Parkinson’s outfit.

The manager dropped Lloyd Sam, David Mooney, Grant Basey and Jose Semedo to the bench and drafted in Chris Solly, Scott Wagstaff, Therry Racon and new signing Akpo Sodje to freshen things up.

And although the Addicks were forced to settle for a point in the end, Parkinson is satisfied he saw enough positive signs to justify his sweeping changes.

He said: “Certainly there has been a dip in our own performances, which I felt we got back against Walsall.

“The co-called lesser teams tend to improve and Tranmere have improved a hell of a lot since we played them earlier in the season.

“We just reminded ourselves about what we need to do to get ourselves back on track and there were certainly signs of that against Walsall. We made a few changes and I think they needed to be made.

“A few people had been on the fringes of the team waiting for an opportunity, got it and I felt worked hard. The energy in the team was certainly better.”

Parkinson added: “After the Tranmere game, the longer the weekend went on into Monday I was thinking I’ve got to freshen this up a bit.

“We don’t want people getting complacent and thinking they’ve got a divine right to play in the team. That goes for everybody.

“Also, we are constantly saying to the players out of the team ‘work hard in training and you will get your chance’.

“In the last two performances, everybody has seen - even though we could have won against Tranmere and Orient with the chances we had - the standards we’ve set in terms of work rate and closing down, we’ve took off the pedal to a certain extent.

“That’s why we made the chances.”