A Big Week Ahead, Part 2...

A soon-to-be cherished and rare image
of Diego Poyet in a Charlton shirt

Another big night at the Valley beckons tomorrow as Charlton have another stab at securing their Championship status. Between now and then I will struggle to focus on much else. I never expected anything from last Saturday's game, but none the less, the defeat has set up an anxious few days ahead as this awful season finally draws to a close.

 

Watford will visit the Valley knowing they have nothing to play for, which could go one of two ways. Either they will be focused on their impending summer holidays or they may play without fear or pressure. Let's hope it's the former.

 

Hopefully we can replicate the atmosphere of that memorable night against Cardiff in November 2012. A win for Charlton and we're safe.  

 

Tomorrow night could not only be the last time we see Charlton play at home in the Championship for a while but it is inevitable that young Diego will move on to bigger and better things this summer, so it could well be his last game at the Valley in a Charlton shirt. That kid is destined for the very top of the game and I wish him well. Whatever he goes on to achieve, he was made in Charlton.

 

As I continue to clutch at straws, it is not inconceivable that Charlton could loose their last two games and still stay up if Doncaster come away from Leicester with anything less than a win this Saturday. Leicester sit tantalisingly on 99 points and I'm certain they will want to get their points tally into three figures to top a fantastic Championship-winning season. Doncaster will undoubtedly give everything they've got, but that looks a huge mountain to climb. In many respects, their home defeat last Saturday was more relevant than our own result in our attempts to stay up.

 

As I commented at the time, that abandoned game v's Doncaster last August could well prove to be Charlton's best result of the season. 

 

How sad that our survival may still come down to other teams results over our own, but it just wouldn't be Charlton if we done things the easy way. No, we all know this is far more likely to go to the wire. How I hope I am wrong, but I expect this nervy, twisted feeling inside my belly to last all week. A few days won't make much difference, it's been there most of the season anyway.

 

After the season we've had, nothing would give me greater pleasure than to be in a position to pay little attention to Saturday's game and instead get my priorities right for once. The question is, will Charlton allow me to enjoy the Bank Holiday weekend with my family?