Curbs vows to hang on

Matt Hughes14 April 2012

Alan Curbishley today admitted he would be very disappointed if Charlton failed to qualify for Europe this season.

Curbishley has previously insisted that he would be happy with a top-10 finish, but has raised his sights as the season reaches its climax.

Charlton have been in the top six since beating Birmingham on 3 November and can reassert their European credentials by beating Blackburn at The Valley tomorrow.

The Addicks have lost their past three games following Scott Parker's move to Chelsea. But they are just one point behind fourth-placed Liverpool and Curbishley has challenged them to finish the season strongly.

He said: 'I'd be disappointed if we finished seventh or eighth given the position we've found ourselves in, but I know how long the season is. We've got 13 games left and can either tail off or finish strongly.

'We've been in the top six since the start of November and if we get a result against Blackburn we'll have been there for over four months. That's a long time, but it's where you finish that matters.'

Charlton's form has declined steeply towards the end of the last two seasons, and they won just one of their final 10 games last season, but Curbishley is confident his players can avoid a similar slump this time around.

Parker's controversial sale to Chelsea had a destabilising effect at the end of last month, but a 10-day break since the 4-2 defeat to Tottenham has given the squad time to regroup.

Curbishley said: 'Last season we were decimated by injuries but now our squad is much stronger. We could've got something out of the last three games so it doesn't worry me. We have to finish this season as strongly as possible and the next 13 games are vitally important.

'We were on the crest of a wave three weeks ago looking forward to every game, but now we've lost three games on the spin. I was extremely disappointed that we had to sell Scott, but I am looking at it as if he was injured.

'It was very disappointing that it came along and upset the apple cart but we're still in the top six and have to get on with it.'

Bulgarian defender Radostin Kishishev is doubtful for tomorrow's game with an ankle injury and Jason Euell should return to the midfield. Carlton Cole and Shaun Bartlett are expected to start up front with Paolo Di Canio on the bench.

Blackburn are without longterm injury victims Barry Ferguson, Steven Reid, David Thompson and Lorenzo Amoruso, and now have Brett Emerton doubtful with an ankle injury.

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