Charlton Athletic manager Nathan Jones is confident his team will be in and around the play-offs come May ahead of a crucial League One clash with Leyton Orient.
The Addicks have been in superb form since the turn of the year, winning seven of their 10 league outings. This saw them move into the top six at the beginning of the month, but a narrow 1-0 defeat against champions-elect Birmingham City saw them slip down to seventh.
Jones saw his side recover from the reverse at St Andrew’s with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Exeter City last Saturday, moving them level on points with sixth-placed Leyton Orient. This has made the meeting between the two teams this weekend a potentially season-defining one, with the pair sharing identical ambitions for the remainder of the campaign.
Jones Setting Short-Term Targets
Orient have also been in excellent form since the turn of the year, rising from the relegation places to promotion contention. They have lost their last two though, opening up an opportunity to the chasing pack.
Charlton boss Jones has his eyes firmly set on the clash at Brisbane Road, revealing that he has set his team short-term targets in order to get over the finishing line. Speaking to official club media, the former Luton Town manager said:
“We do everything in five-game blocks in terms of what our point total needs to be,” explained the boss. “If we hit those targets, then historically we will be in the right position. There’s so many good sides now around it.
“It’s good to be in the mix, but all we can do is take each game as it comes. It’s a big week coming up, a big month coming up and a big few months, so it’s the start of a real pivotal period.”
“The good thing about playing against people that are direct oppositions to you is that if you turn up and win the game, they are big wins,” he added. “If we want to impact our own future, then we have to play the best sides and Orient are one of the best form sides in the league. They are really well-coached and they have got an excellent environment with good footballers.”
Writer’s View
All eyes will be on this game on Saturday. It isn’t quite a winner-take-all scenario, but it would be a massive confidence boost for Charlton if they can leave Brisbane Road with all three points. They know that Orient will be keen to bounce back from successive defeats, but Jones will be hoping that their egos have taken a knock. Only Birmingham and Bolton are in better form than the Addicks at the moment, making this a potentially fascinating encounter.
