Charlton manager sets December challenge – and explains why January transfer window will be hard
BY RICHARD CAWLEY
richard@slpmedia.co.uk
Lee Bowyer saw his Charlton side take maximum points in November – then challenged them to do the same over December to fire up their top-two hopes.
Addicks captain Jason Pearce scored a late winner in Tuesday’s 2-1 win at Burton Albion.
After today’s FA Cup tie against Doncaster Rovers the sixth-placed South Londoners are back into League One action at Blackpool and then go to table-toppers Portsmouth, who are 10 points ahead of them.
“December is massive for us,” said Bowyer.
“November has been good, but if we can carry that on after December then it will put us right in among it. There is no reason we can’t do that.
“Blackpool and Portsmouth are tough games but if we get two wins then we go into two home matches. You need 90 points to get top two, I said that at the start of the season – it’s two points per game.
“After we lost to Rochdale at the end of October I told the lads we had to go on a winning run from there and be in the top six by the end of this month, which we are. If we can win most of them in December there is a chance we will be in the top two – that’s not planning on everyone else winning all the time.
“The other night I thought a couple might drop a point here and there but only Barnsley lost to Sunderland.”
Bowyer has rubbished a link to Wolves central defenders Dominic Iorfa and Ethan Ebanks-Landell.
He is set to be in the market for a loan left-back to provide cover for Lewis Page, ruled out until at least the middle of this month. But the Addicks chief says it is hard to tell if he could have more money to spend if the club are firmly in contention for a crack at the automatic slots.
“It’s out of our hands with this takeover [negotiations],” he said.
“If that was to happen then maybe new people would be saying have a bit of money or Roland [Duchatelet, owner] might say: ‘Go and get yourself another player’.
“At the moment it is difficult to bring someone in who is going to fit into our squad.
“We are really together and I have to pick carefully. I couldn’t pick up someone who is going to be a disruption and mess everything up.
“I’ve got a good squad of players and they are all in a good place.”
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