Nathan Jones said his side will be preparing for another tough game on Saturday, when they welcome Bolton Wanderers to The Valley.
“They’ve got real continuity – I think the manager’s been there anything up to five years,” he said. “They’ve been promoted, done well, steadied the ship initially.
“And now they’re a very well coached, real good side. Had good players and signed good players, so you would expect them to be up there.
“They’re all difficult. Very, very difficult games. This is another one, another test, a different test. But we have to make sure we’re the best version of ourselves. If we’re the best version of ourselves then that’s all I can ask for.”
Jones was buoyed by the physicality his side showed against Leyton Orient last weekend, with the Addicks able to assert their dominance as the game wore on.
“If you want to do anything in British football, then the physical side of it you have to be good at,” he explained.
“It was a really tight game early on, but I thought second half we were excellent, having watched it back. We’ve had a lot of situations where we just need to create clear cut ones. But we’re evolving, we’re getting better.
“We’re not a side that sits off and allows teams to come onto us. We’re not a pragmatic team – we go after every game. At times it’s going to be difficult to break teams down or to get the opening because sides want to win games. It’s just that patience that we need and the belief that we’re good enough to create something which will win us the game.”
The one negative from last Saturday was the injury to Josh Edwards, but the gaffer was pleased to report that it was not as bad as first feared.
“It wasn’t as bad as it could have been,” he said. “I’m not sure there was maliciousness in the challenge, but it was a poor challenge. It was a bad one, and those are the challenges that need to be protected [against]. Those are the challenges that need to be stamped out, really, because they’re the ones that can cause serious injury.
“We’re not sure on the timescale but it was ligament damage. No break, no rupture, which we feared on initial impact.”
Jones was also glad that he has such strength in depth in Edwards’ position, with Thierry Small replacing the Scot on Saturday.
“People forget Thierry’s only 20 years of age – he’s been around for ages. He’s still got masses and masses of development left. While Josh is slightly older, slightly more advanced in terms of certain things, we’ve got that great competition and that’s what we wanted to create in every position.”
Thursday saw the departure of another young defender, Lucas Ness, who has joined Notts County on a permanent deal.
“First and foremost, we thank Lucas,” said Jones. “Lucas has been a great lad, it’s just that his opportunities were limited here. He had a bit of an injury that he was carrying so we weren’t able to see his full potential. We had a decision to make – do we keep him around and see if he can fulfil what we need, or do we allow him to move on where he’s guaranteed games.
“The boy just wanted to go and get games elsewhere, so we’ve allowed him to do that and we wish him all the best. He’s a fantastic guy, real good pro.”
Finally, this weekend’s game is CACT Community Day, and the boss urged fans to support the excellent work done by the Charlton Athletic Community Trust.
“They’re a wonderful, wonderful organisation,” he said. “Jason [Morgan] is a legend. You talk about Charlton legends, that guy is a legend. Very understated, very humble, but something that’s key to the football club. We have the, not one of the, the best community trust in the country.
“Fans have a part to play – bring a pound to the ground.”
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