Speaking after Charlton’s 2-0 win over Reading, Lee Bowyer praised his sides performance and a rip-roaring second half while also commenting on Leko’s ‘deserved’ first goal for Charlton.
Below are some of the talking points...
Bowyer on the team's performance...
"They're fearless. They’re in that place at the moment and they’re in that zone where they believe that they’re going to win every game, and I make them believe that they can win every game.
"We had a bit of luck first half, maybe if they had taken the chance that Dillon [Phillips] saved at the end, then it would have been a different game. But, overall over the 90 minutes, I thought that we deserved the win and it could have been four or five. If it weren’t for a couple of bad decisions from our lads in the final third, then we could have scored four or five comfortably. But listen, we won 2-0, it’s a clean sheet again and the defensive side again I thought was outstanding. So, from back to front I thought we were excellent, and we deserved the three points…
"Our aim is to stay in the league. We’ve had a good start but we’re only six games in. there’s still 40-odd games to go. But it’s nice to be up there and get the points in the bag early. But we know that our goal is to stay in the division and if we do that it’ll be some achievement. With the budget that we have - people laugh at us when we tell them what our budget is. So for the lads to be doing what they’re doing… and the fans as well; they’re playing a massive part, they didn’t stop singing for the 90 minutes. They were so loud and they’re helping the lads to push through these games. So everyone’s in a good place at the moment."
On an impressive second half…
"I said to them at half time ‘you’re taking to many touches’. When we were passing it across the back it was too slow. Once we picked the pace up and moved the ball quickly like we’re good at, then I don’t think that they could get near us and we just carved through them. We got in and around their box so many times second half and we should have mad it count. The game should have been put to bed with half an hour to go in my eyes."
On Jonathan Leko getting his first goal…
"He’s our wildcard I’ve said that many a time. You never know what you’re going to get from him. But he’s exciting and he can make things happen from nothing. He’s deserved his goal. I said before the game that I fancied him to score in the game. Hopefully now he’ll get confidence from that and it’ll only benefit us."
On remaining unbeaten…
"It’s massive. I said to them before ‘you’ve got a chance to go second and maybe joint top. Don’t let it pass you. Give everything out there and win all your individual battles and make the right decisions, if you do all that then we win’. That’s happened.
"Now [with the international break] it’s a good time for everyone to recharge their batteries and get ready for Birmingham in a couple of weeks. We’ve just got to hope that the lads that are going away don’t get injured. So fingers crossed nothing happens to them.
"The most important thing is that we’ll start preparing for Birmingham. Nothing changes for me I’ll probably be watching Birmingham from tonight. Then tonight we’ll just make sure that we have a full weeks training and get ready."