If you know your history

6 points from 45 is not big nor clever and I wonder how many of us actually have any expectations of Charlton getting any more than 54 points by the time the curtain is drawn over this awful season.

The next three opponents all have something to play for. Bristol Rovers have a poor home record, whereas Rochdale have one of the leagues best on the road, but both will desperately be trying for 3 points. Powell has recently installed a bit more desire in the players, but one is sceptical that this will be sufficient enough to claim victory against sides with greater targets.

Walsall are in the relegation dogfight like Rovers and by Saturday week the Sadlers will probably need to win to stay up. Then the Hartlepool fixture has all the makings of a harmless draw as both sets of players look to avoid a summer injury or an early season suspension. God, I’m a cynical old bugger aren’t I?

As pointed out by Dave, we forseeably could end up as low as 18th, easily our lowest league position since the early 1920’s and just a handful of years after Charlton actually became a professional club! Powell unfortunately, like Alex McFarlane will be tagged with this rather unfortunate historic statistic.

However there is a chink of light for those Powell believers that remind us that Curbs took seven seasons to get us promoted and the rebirth is a marathon and not a sprint. Just three seasons after Scotsman Alex McFarlane led us to a 2nd-bottom Division 3 South league finish, his Addicks’ side swept the league title in the 1928/29 season pipping Crystal Palace by goal average.

See, the cream always rises to the top. Er, hopefully.