PRE MATCH | Robinson looking for Addicks to discover ruthless streak

George Jones reports

Karl Robinson wants Charlton to discover a ruthless streak.

The Addicks head to Oldham Athletic tonight where they will be looking to edge closer to the play-off places.

In their last two matches, against Fleetwood Town and AFC Wimbledon, Charlton have been pegged back by stoppage-time equalisers and the Manager wants his side to establish more commanding leads in games.

“The group’s tenacity, desire and application was there for everyone to see at the weekend but when we are on top in games we need to be more ruthless,” he said.

“We need to score two, three, four goals. There has only been one game this season where we have scored two in a game and drawn; every other time we have scored two or more, we have won.

“That just shows you the edge that you have to have. That second goal is so important and it is important that we go into the games with the mentality of wanting to score twos, threes and fours.

“You’re always suspect to an error or mistake at 1-0 up. If one person switches off, likes on Saturday, then you can be punished.

“The players took the responsibility for that when they were told on Saturday and again on Monday. They respected that and I like it that they took the criticism like men.

“With the last two games, we should be sat here two points off the play-offs with two games in hand on the team in sixth. It just shows you how close we are.”

The Addicks were without Jake Forster-Caskey at the weekend, while Josh Magennis returned following a month out with an ankle injury and Robinson could make changes to his team for the midweek fixture.

He said: “I’ll probably make a few changes because I think a few of the players are looking a bit jaded and fatigued. We have to make sure that, at the top end of the pitch, we don’t break down.

“Missing a player for a game here or there is a lot better than losing him for three or four weeks.

“That’s got to be the message. Sometimes they’ll be taken out and will be frustrated and upset by that, but they’ll be replaced by someone of equal quality and it means they’ll be fit for the next game.”

Oldham have won four of their last seven games and now sit just outside of the relegation zone.

Robinson said: “Oldham are a good team and John Sheridan has done a good job since he went in there. He has shored them up.

“They are aggressive, I have seen them play a lot and they can twist between a number of formations. Hopefully we can be astute in the way we prepare and we can get ourselves physically and mentally ready.”