Charlton caretaker boss Lee Bowyer spoke to the media yesterday ahead of his team’s trip to Sunderland tomorrow.
Below are five talking points and you can watch a pre-match interview with Bowyer on Valley Pass.
On Lyle Taylor’s fitness following injury…
“He’ll be travelling with us so he’s been ok this week. It wasn’t as bad as we first thought but we still have to be careful with him. I think, with the injuries we have, we have to look at the bigger picture and I think that Karlan (Grant) and Reeco (Hackett-Fairchild) did well against Norwich up top, so that’s a decision I’ll have to make nearer the time."
On if he’s ready for Saturday…
"You just want to play games. I’d rather put it back six weeks so we can get all our injuries back but that’s not the case but we’re ready. We’ve had long enough to prepare for the start of the season, every club does. We’re ready and we’re looking forward to it. This is going to be the start of the journey. Saturday is going to be tough, they are going to be the benchmark. This will put us in good stead to see where we are but obviously we’re going there with what, four players injured that would probably be starting for us, so we’re going with a weakened side but I still believe we can go there and win."
On his immediate focus of getting the team winning matches…
"I love the club. I played here. I started here. It was like a fairytale me coming back as a coach. So nothing has changed from when I took over at the end of last season. I’m a winner. I have to win. So I’m not just going to be here and just get through it. I’m going to bring this mentality that I’ve always had myself. So for as long as I am here I am going to demand and give them the expectations that I expect from them."
On Patrick Bauer…
"He’s staying. The owner has said that Patrick will not be going because he’s a big part of our promotion push. It’s that simple, he won’t be going."
On speaking to the owner about bringing players in…
"We all want the same thing, we all want promotion and to get promotion you need a good squad of players and he recognises that. Like I’ve said before there are certain players we need. We don’t need neat and tidy footballers. You have to have a good balance. Obviously we have a budget. We’re in League One and it’s a fact. We have a budget and we have to be careful about who we do choose."
Charlton season tickets remain on sale. Adult tickets begin at just £200 – equating to £8.70 per league match (if purchased before our first home game) – and U11s are completely free in the Family Stand when bought alongside a full-paying adult, as has been the case for the last two seasons. To purchase your season ticket online, please click here.
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Match tickets are available for the Shrewsbury game and can be purchased here.