Powell unconcerned with Charlton slump

Championship side Charlton Athletic suffered their third consecutive league defeat at Derby County on Tuesday to slip into the relegation places, but manager Chris Powell says his players are more than capable of adapting to a higher level.

The newly promoted Addicks began their campaign in fine style, picking up a more than deserved point at promotion contenders Birmingham City on the opening day and then defeating Nigel Pearson’s Leicester in their first home match.

Recent defeats at Nottingham Forest, Derby and a home loss to local rivals Crystal Palace, has put pay to the London club’s good start and now Powell is charged with the task of rekindling the form that took the Addicks to the League One title last term.

“People will look at us as underdogs [with] a lack of Championship knowledge,” Powell told BBC London.

“We've nicked some good results this year but we've lost our last three and people will be thinking we are going to struggle.”

Charlton almost battled back to claim an unlikely point at Pride Park on Tuesday, trailing 3-0 after an hour Powell’s side scored twice in a two minute spell to set up a grandstand finish.

The Addicks boss is keen to take the positives from the final 25 minutes, in which the Londoners dominated proceedings without finding that elusive equalising goal.

Powell added: “Our season has got to be built on that 25 minutes, with more intensity to our play.

“Beforehand we were passive and I didn't recognise some of the decisions we were making. It wasn't befitting of a team I've been in charge of.

"But if we perform as we did in the last 25 minutes then things will turn sooner rather than later.”

The League One champions travel to fellow strugglers Ipswich Town on Saturday with Powell keen to adopt a fresh approach in wake of the three successive losses.

He continued: “It was as though we felt we had nothing to lose at 3-0 down, I think we’ve got to think like that at the start.”

“It’s three losses but I know how quickly things can change in football, we need to keep believing in ourselves.”

Following Saturday’s trip to Portman Road, Charlton face a resurgent Blackburn Rovers and Gianfranco Zola’s Watford in back-to-back home games at the Valley.