[BFC SITE] "The past doesn't interest me. It's about what we do and what we produce tonight...

Fixtures

• Charlton Athletic Vs. Barnsley - Tue, Mar 04 2025, 19:45

Reds Head Coach Darrell Clarke spoke ahead of facing Charlton Athletic in Sky Bet League One on Tuesday evening.


The Valley plays host to the team currently sixth in the division, the Addicks, and the Reds in tenth, four points from tonight's opponents.

Despite what is at stake tonight, the gaffer has maintained the message that every game is a huge opportunity to add to the season's tally at this stage.

"They're all big games last coming into the last quarter of the season," began Clarke. "Charlton, they're on a great run. I'm looking forward to it, we've prepared as well as we can - I think it's our fourth game in ten days now. We've managed to get a little bit of momentum last week, and now we're looking to continue that tonight."

The Reds come in to tonight's clash with three consecutive wins, two of which came on the road, but the Reds boss isn't concerned with what has gone - his and the side's focus is on the Addicks.

"The past doesn't interest me on numerous occasions. It's about what we do and what we produce tonight against an in-form team, but we know what we're capable of when we're at our best, and we'll need to be at our best to win tonight. That's for sure. They've got a very good home record. We've got a very good away record, so it all sets it up to be a decent game. Really looking forward to it."

Our hosts are enjoying a good run of form themselves, unbeaten in five on home turf and winning their previous three at the Valley. It's an occasion which promises to be a competitive match between two teams with similar ambitions. Clarke concluded with a message of self-belief and positivity, adamant his side can leave the capital with a positive result if the performance level is to what the Reds can achieve.

"We've got a few players in our team that are used to playing in big games. Charlton are a big club, an ex-Premier League club. Two good clubs going against each other in a tight, tight race to try and get into that top six. So we expect it to be difficult, but every game it's difficult. Everyone gives you different problems. Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses, but I know if we're at the levels that we're capable of playing at, we can win."

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Six wins from twelve. Lose tonight it's still six wins just from eleven. It's when it's six from six that it's a tall order.

 

To be honest SD I was thinking we’d probably need 9 wins, assuming you mean wins needed for top 6?. Can’t see Bolton or Charlton losing many games and we may need to catch and overtake both to get in, so I think it’s a very tall order

Win tonight though and table starts to look very interesting…….

 

I don't concern myself with what other teams might do. Wastes emotional energy. If we win tonight we'll be be 1 point behind Charlton. If we lose we'll be seven and have to make up the points elsewhere. Come 46 games if we've got 70 points plus and miss out. We miss out.

 

I reckon you’ll need more than six wins. More like eight. To be sure of top six. But like you say, a loss tonight wouldn’t change that. Just one less opportunity to add three points.

 

We need more than to win 50% of our games to come. How many more depends on other results and who we beat. If we are to win only one of our two games this week, it's better for us if it's tonight. Bet 365 have us at 7/2 to win, which is disrespectful.

 

Oh its sacrilege.

 

All those directly above us to play though so a lot will depend on those results would have thought.

 

That's very logical.

 

Can't get this song outta my head since reading thread title at work earlier:

 

This aged well

 

It's in the past now, he won't be interested.

 

That made me smile. Superb.

 

Neither am I!

 

"The past doesn't interest me. But I'll make bloody sure I set my team up to not win here, just like the last 5 times".

You wily old fox Darrell.

 

Six wins for what SD? Six wins - eighteen points - gets us to seventy points.

With the exception of the Covid season which was curtailed and never completed, (but on ppg it wouldn’t have been enough that year either), seventy points hasn’t been enough to finish in the playoffs in league one since Chesterfield ten years ago. Current ppg rates, if maintained, would mean seventy six or seventy seven points are required for top six. There is as good as zero chance that seventy points would get top six. It might be top ten, if that.

What exactly is six wins a target for?

 

An ounce of respectibility perhaps? I don't care. It's my personal projection. I hope you're wrong and I'm right. If you're right and I'm wrong we'll still be here next season.

 

Couldn't be bothered when I read this earlier, but...

"Charlton are a big club, an ex-Premier League club."

What planet is he on? Yes he's correct, they are an ex-premier club but 18 blinking years ago!
We are also an ex-Premier League club, a bit longer ago fair enough, but neither team has the same players or manager or probably even owners. So him spouting this drivel seems to be negative management preparing for a loss excuse.
He would be better instilling in to our players that the are a league 1 side that can be beaten. That way we might have tried harder to win instead of what actually transpired.