Charlton Athletic boss Nathan Jones says his side should be able to handle any outside “expectation” that they will see off struggling Carlisle United.
The Addicks host League One’s bottom club this weekend aiming to extend a six-game unbeaten run under their new manager.
Jones says he will take nothing for granted with the Blues despite their predicament, while any outside assumptions about the game will not affect Charlton’s preparation.
“The fans or anyone can say or do that [in terms of expecting to win] – that won’t affect us,” said Jones in a press conference.
“We have a way of working, we take every game as it comes.
“We have to back it up with another good performance at home, because we haven’t won a home game yet [since I took charge].
“Whether there’s expectation, pressure, whatever that is, we’ll handle that.
“In my tenure at the football club, I’m sure we’ll be in enough high-pressure situations that we’ll be able to handle, so this is just another one.”
Jones, who is Charlton’s third manager of the season after Dean Holden and Michael Appleton, has led the Valiants away from the immediate risk of relegation.
But the former Luton Town chief admits his 14th-placed side are only at the outset of what he plans to be long-term progress.
“We’re only laying foundations. We’re nowhere near the finished article,” he said.
“We know we have to keep this going. We’re unbeaten [in six] but we’ve won two in six – I’d rather have won four and drawn too.
“We take every game as it comes. There’s another really difficult game coming up on the weekend. It’s nice to be back home rather than on the road. Hopefully we can respond.
“We’ve had two tough [home] games against Lincoln and Portsmouth…we haven’t had any easy fixtures, not that there are any at this level.
“Saturday’s going to be a tough, tough game, two teams with a lot to play for this season.
“We’ve got to be the best version of ourselves, that’s all I can prepare.”
Jones, meanwhile, played down concerns over Rarmani Edmonds-Green, who went off injured in the second half of Tuesday’s 3-1 win at Cheltenham, suggesting it was not serious.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel