Charlton belie their 'small club' status

Charlton start their centenary season at Bolton tomorrow with manager Alan Curbishley trying to solve the riddle of their status.

Most neutral football followers still regard Charlton as a small club perhaps performing above their stature.

But their challenge for Champions League football last season and eventual seventh place finish suggests they can no longer be regarded as members of the little league.

“We are possibly a small club when you look at our gates but we perform like a big club,” said Curbishley.

“We don’t really know what we are.”

At the end of this season Curbishley should be clear in his mind. The loss of midfield kingpin Scott Parker to Chelsea last season has finally been overcome with the acquisitions of Dennis Rommedahl, Danny Murphy and Francis Jeffers.

And with the promise of two more players to come, Charlton should possess the strength in depth they lacked last time to qualify for Europe.

In fact Charlton’s squad is beginning to look so strong that Curbishley might need to employ the infamous Chelsea rotation policy to try and keep all his players happy.

He is the first Charlton manager to possess four England internationals but the futures of Chris Powell and Paul Konchesky at The Valley could be short term.

The squad is now bursting with international players. Jason Euell and Kevin Lisbie have been called up by Jamaica for a World Cup qualifier with the United States on August 18 when Talal El Karkouri is scheduled to play for Morocco against Benin.

Hermann Hreidarsson (Iceland) is expected to face Italy and striker Shaun Bartlett will play for South Africa against Tunisia.

With Matt Holland and Dean Kiely (Republic of Ireland), Rommedahl (Denmark), Radostin Kishishev (Bulgaria), Mark Fish (South Africa) and Jonatan Johansson (Finland) also on the books, Curbishley could easily turn out an all-international XI.

Bolton impressed Curbishley with five wins in their last six games earning an eighth-placed finish and helping establish the club as a Premiership outfit.

“Sam Allardyce had a fantastic season,” said Curbishley. “We just pipped them for seventh in the end and I’m expecting a tight game.

“Bolton’s policy seems to be signing foreign players on short-term contracts and it has worked for them.

“Whether Charlton or Bolton can break through into the top five I don’t know.

“The top five seem settled with Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Newcastle in there. If there is a threat to any of them it could come from Middlesbrough or Birmingham.

“Fans of Tottenham and Aston Villa like to think their clubs are top six, too. If we make it into the top 10 again I will be satisfied although it would be nice to improve on last year.”