There is a sense of belief and expectancy around Charlton in their quest for promotion, a feeling echoed by their manager.

Sitting comfortably in the play-off places with an outside chance of securing promotion automatically, Lee Bowyer has always maintained belief his side are aiming for the Championship.

In a season of ups, downs, loans, sales, suspensions, injuries and dubious decisions, the Addicks boss remained positive with four games to go, beginning with Oxford on Friday.

“We are going for top two, people thought we had no chance, but we have and I’ve always believed in the squad we’ve put together,” he said.

“Whether we go up automatically or through the play-offs, it doesn’t matter.

“If we don’t go up I’d be devastated because I believe we are good enough to do it.”

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'We haven’t had that all season'

Bowyer has had a lot to contend with this season, and that’s just off the pitch.

On it however, he has manoeuvred the Addicks into a league position that belies their transfer budget, and it could’ve been better according to Bowyer had injuries been more forgiving.

Now on an 11-game unbeaten run and winning three games in a week, the manager believes people are seeing what his Charlton side are capable of with a full roster to choose from.

“I wouldn’t say we are playing better now, but the difference is we have a full squad.

“We haven’t had that all season.

“Since January I think the midfield we started with on Saturday against Luton was only the third time since Jonny Williams came in they’ve played together.

“I just think we’ve been unlucky with a lot of injuries.

“It shows how well the squad has done to keep us in and around it, coming to this stage.

“Last week we had Plymouth, Wycombe and Luton, we had a full squad and we come away with nine points, results speak for itself when we are strong.”

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'Tough time'

Charlton’s unbeaten run stretches back to early February when they lost to Fleetwood by a goal to nil, a match during Lyle Taylor’s suspension and with only an unfit Igor Vetokele and unproven new signing Josh Parker to choose from up front.

“We had no strikers at the start of the year, if you’ve got no strikers you’re not going to win games.

“Tough time for us was around Christmas period.

“The situations we’ve been in have been tough, but when we’ve been on the pitch we’ve always given 100%.

“We had a couple of periods when we had a lot of players out, no players to rotate, and it hurt us.”