Charlton manager Phil Parkinson has taken a swipe at predecessor Alan Pardew over last season’s cut-price sale of striker Chris Iwelumo.

The 30-year-old Scotland international, sold to Wolves for a knock-down £400,000 in July last year, came back to haunt the Addicks with a first goal in 17 games at Molineux on Saturday helping inflict a 2-1 defeat on his former club.

Explaining the decison to part with Iwelumo, Pardew cited the need to change tactics. “We’re going to play a different way,” he said at the time.

Parkinson, who had been influential in bringing Iwelumo to The Valley from former club Colchester in May, 2007, offered a contrasting opinion.

Asked if Charlton’s depressing season would have been a different had Saturday’s stars Zheng Zhi and Therry Racon been available earlier, Parkinson said: “There have been plenty of frustrations this season and when you see Chris Iwelumo scroring the first goal against us - a player we sold for £400,000 while he was our top-scorer - it’s hard to take.

“We sold our leading scorer for what was a nominal fee and that hurts. Now, our top-scorer is a midfielder (Nicky Bailey) and we’ve needed a striker all season to score those scrappy goals which make a difference.

“I know Chris well from my time working with him at Colchester.

“ He might not be the prettiest player but he’s effective. Seeing him score against us is a big frustration.”

Iwelumo retorted: “I’m still close to a lot of the Charlton lads and cannot believe they are bottom.”

Racon has prospered since the change in management after Pardew allowed him to join Brighton on loan after the player stayed on the fringes since his £427,916 move from French club Guingcamp on a four-year contract in August 2007.

In his first game in charge at Queens Park Rangers on November 25, Parkinson handed Racon an immediate recall. The Frenchman responded with a goal in a 2-1 defeat but sustained a foot injury on the night and did not return until the 2-1 defeat at Bristol City on February 3.

“Having ZZ and Racon back has improved the team significantly and I only wish I could have had them available earlier,” Parkinson added.