Charlton Athletic assistant manager Curtis Fleming has insisted that anyone can beat anyone in League One as he called for his players to “turn up” when the Addicks host Bristol Rovers tomorrow night at The Valley.
Charlton have won five of their last seven League One outings which has seen Nathan Jones’ side close the gap on the play-off positions to just two points while the South-East London outfit also boast a game in hand on sixth-place Barnsley.
The Addicks come into tomorrow’s meeting with the Gas following back-to-back wins over Bolton Wanderers and Shrewsbury Town, requiring a dramatic 96th minute winner from Thierry Small to beat Salop at home last time out, doing Rovers and their relegation rivals a favour.
Reflecting on Charlton’s win over Shrewsbury, Fleming said, as quote by South London Press: “I’m really, really happy for the lads and for the clean sheet. I think we only got five the whole of last season. So to have 11 is really good and gives us a real foundation.
“The win is huge for us. Everyone is talking play-offs but we just need to be the best version of ourselves.
“We can beat anybody in the league – but anyone can. You have to turn up. Yes, we are looking at the play-offs but Bristol Rovers is the next game (on Tuesday). There is nothing won yet. We aren’t anywhere yet.
“Every three points is important. The players and fans go off and celebrate tonight but our heads now are on Bristol Rovers straight away – so you only get that 10-second buzz when the final whistle goes and you jump around. Then you go on to the next.”
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The Gas had secured back-to-back league wins of their own before falling to a frustrating 2-0 defeat away at Wigan Athletic on Saturday afternoon, something they’ll be looking to shake off.
Given results elsewhere, including Charlton’s win over Shrewsbury, Rovers’ position in the relegation battle didn’t worsen with their advantage over the bottom four still seven points while they remain 18th and cannot climb up the league table due to 17th place Exeter City being four points ahead.
Their situation is still precarious despite initial improvement under Inigo Calderon in the Spaniard’s first month in charge.
They do boast a favourable historical record against Charlton though, winning the last five encounters as they seek an incredible third consecutive League One double over the Addicks. However, while they are looking to distance themselves from the relegation zone, their hosts will be looking to keep themselves firmly in the hunt for a top-six finish.