Curbs wants improvement

Alan Curbishley today challenged Charlton to prove they are not a one-man team.

They have lost both games since Scott Parker's £10 million move to Chelsea and must return to winning ways quickly if they are to maintain a serious challenge for the fourth Champions League place.

Curbishley admitted to being 'embarrassed' by aspects of his team's performance in the 1-0 defeat at Chelsea and the Charlton manager expects a huge improvement against Tottenham on Wednesday.

He said: 'Only time will tell if it's a Scott Parker hangover. Unless we start to win games then people will put it down to him. He's gone and we have to draw a line under it. We got a result at Everton without him and have to get on with it.

'Two weeks ago we played with Jason Euell, Graham Stuart and Parker in midfield and we were without all three for most of yesterday.'

Euell was absent with a foot injury and Stuart was withdrawn after 42 minutes because of an illness that has also affected midfielder Stephen Hughes.

Charlton have suffered slumps in form towards the end of the last two seasons and Curbishley added: 'You can easily go on a bad run in the Premiership. In the last two years we've fallen away but there have been reasons for it.

'Two years ago our home form went and last season we were hit by injuries. Everyone is trying to write us off. We've a big game against Spurs and I can promise the fans we will be better than we were yesterday.'