Former Charlton Athletic defender Steve Brown has issued his verdict on the Nigel Adkins' current situation, claiming that he will have expected this sort of pressure given the poor start to the season. 

In what is Adkins' first full season at the helm, the Addicks sit just one place off the bottom of the League One table and have won just once in their first 10 games.

Their 4-1 defeat to Bolton Wanderers at the Valley in midweek was perhaps the low point of the season so far and you feel that with the international break ahead, Saturday's game against Fleetwood Town could be the 56-year-old's last chance to save his job.

Speaking to London News Online, Brown – who spent 10 years with Charlton and made nearly 250 appearances for the club – has addressed Adkins' current situation and suggested he understands the fans' frustration.

He said: "If you take on a managerial role then you know the way modern-day football works.

“If you have four or five bad results then pressure starts to build.

“We’re now one win in 10 and you can feel the pressure around the ground. They [the fans] are still trying to get behind the team when performances warrant it. But, by the same token, when we collapse like we did in the last 20 minutes on Tuesday then they are going to vent their frustrations.

“Nigel has been in the game a very long time, he’ll know that the pressure is building. He’ll know he is under the microscope from the owner, and more so from the stands. They have got to a point where they are very frustrated.

“It’s a bit grim at the moment. I don’t think there is anyone in the industry who doesn’t expect pressure to come when the results don’t come.

“It’s the first thing that happens at a football club when the results don’t come, you get that reaction from the stands, and then it snowballs. Every result you don’t get it snowballs just that bit more.”

Back in May, owner Thomas Sandgaard made some bold claims about Charlton securing promotion this season and you feel he will have a decision to make if his side fail to win again on the weekend.

They're already 11 points back from the top six will could see their promotion hopes fade further if they don't turn things around soon.

The Verdict

This is a fair assessment from Brown, who is well placed to provide insight given his links to the south London club.

The sort of pressure Adkins is under now is part of modern football and should Charlton lose on Saturday, you feel the 56-year-old can have no huge complaints if Sandgaard pulls the trigger.

Neither the results nor the performances have been there for the Addicks this term and that's a dire situation to be in.

The international break looks to be the ideal time to make a change and allow a new manager to get their ideas across.

All eyes on Fleetwood on Saturday.