Lee Bowyer has stated that his Charlton side were sloppy from start to finish in the defeat to Preston on Sunday.

The Addicks produced a lacklustre display at the Valley and lost the fixture by a solitary goal as the Lilywhites went top of the Championship table.

Since promotion, Bowyer's side have been impressive and have produced some brilliant performances, including picking up wins against sides such as Leeds and Derby.

Although on Sunday it didn't quite happen for Charlton and they are now winless in their last three league fixtures.

Bowyer has insisted that the Addicks were not at the races today, and that the ball was given away far too many times.

Speaking to London News Shopper, Bowyer said: “I thought start to finish we were sloppy. We gave the ball away too much, complicated the game.

“All those things are not what we are about, we had some good chances but didn’t take them.

“We have to be at it every single game, and when we aren’t we don’t do so well.

“Unfortunately we weren’t at it today.”

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The Verdict

It was a really disappointing display from Bowyer's Charlton side, but it's good to see that the manager admits to it and can see that

The Addicks were poor throughout the game and if anyone can get a response from their side, it'll be Bowyer. They have a massive game for the supporters next week when they take on Gary Rowett's Millwall at the Den, and it should be an intriguing battle.

Bowyer has done a terrific job so far since the club's promotion but he has to make sure that there are a couple more additions in January as injuries have recently hurt the team.