"There's a lot of improvement to make and we need to keep developing, but in moments against quality opposition we have a real way about us.

"We need to translate that into points – you don't want to be a team that plays nice football but loses matches and we need to get that balance right.

"I feel it's close, but it's been the fine margins sometimes. You can't afford to lose a minute of concentration in this division and at times we've fallen short in terms of understanding that.

"Anyone who watches us play and understands football will see where some of our deficiencies are, but will also see how good we are at times.

"We're a young team with a lot of new players getting to grips with my voice and my message, but as a team we are going in the right direction."

Ruben Loftus-Cheek impressed as a substitute during last Saturday's narrow defeat at Everton, and Parker is confident he can accommodate the Chelsea loanee in his starting line-up.

"I see him as a player between the lines really," added Parker. "I see him as an attacking-minded player. We saw a fine example last weekend.

"He needs that run of games, that belief, that real clarity in what's going to define him as a player and a real understanding of what he is.

"There's flexibility in the way we play. He can play off the side, he can play as a number 10, it's not just one position in my team that's up for grabs. We can be flexible in how we play him."