Charlton fans belting out their rendition of  'Allez, Allez, Allez' at the beginning of the season did not go amiss, as the Addicks were flying high near at the higher reaches of the Championship.

With four wins and no defeats from their first six games, there was an sense of confidence that Lee Bowyer's side could plot an unlikely promotion push the season after coming up from League One. Then, reality set in.

The losses started to come thick and fast, as the real quality of the league began to take a hold. Charlton began to slide down the table as a result.

Then came the well noted injury crisis, which at one point saw more than 14 first-team players on the sidelines, which at any level of football is unprecedented. That no doubt made a win harder to come by.

East Street Investments' takeover of the club brought with it some welcome positivity, as Roland Duchatelet's time at the helm came to a relieving end. And to be fair to him, Matt Southall has done a fine job as Chairman since the consortium asserted their control.

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However, we need to talk about the January transfer window, as it could be argued it is a key reason as to why the Addicks are in the dire position that they find themselves in now. The new owners have to take some responsibility.

January was underwhelming to say the least, and you could see from the outset that there was a lack of forward planning and preparation. Three of the four total deals completed by the club came on deadline day. All of the signings were also loans, which meant no net spend.

Andre Green, David Davis, Aiden McGeady and Matt Smith all walked through the door in SE7 during the first month of the year. However, when you look at the players that were lost, the signings didn't necessarily make the squad any stronger.

With the departures of Conor Gallagher, Jonathan Leko and Beram Kayal, January was a balancing act. The lack of planning has proven to be costly, as Andre Green so far has been the only January signing to show regular signs of what he can do.

Since February, there has been a clear upturn in performances for Charlton, with three crucial wins. But, problems still remain, and the club now have an uphill battle with just eleven games of the season remaining.

Teams below the Addicks have started to pick up crucial points, which has been a major factor as to why Charlton's comfortable cushion of nine points from safety has shrunk to just one over the last two months.

Wigan and Luton in particular have proven to be right up for the fight, and Charlton will now have to think about doing the same.

If we take a look at the end of season run-in, the Addicks are in luck in that they will only come up against two sides in the top six - Brentford and Leeds United, with both games away from home.

But, there are also two six-pointers, starting next weekend as 22nd placed Middlesbrough make the long trip down to The Valley. In what could be a vital game at the end of the season as well, Charlton also face Wigan at home in their penultimate match of the campaign.

Despite the notable problems, the club will be doing all they can to secure their Championship status between now and the end of the season, and Lee Bowyer will be hoping that his players can channel their inner fighting spirit, as the situation has now become serious.