Burnley - The smallest town ever to boast a Premier League team. A club who identified an upcoming British manager five years ago and, when he left to return to Bournemouth, simply went out and found another one.  A club who stuck by that manager through relegation. A club which values stability and intelligent decision making. A club in the play-off places.

It is hard to believe that it is only three years (November 2012) since Charlton, under Chris Powell, went to Burnley and Bristol City in the same week and won both games without conceding a goal.  This was the team of Jackson, Morrison, Solly, Pritchard, Kermorgant, Wiggins, Wilson and Cort.  A team with a fair amount of experience.

The few Charlton supporters heading north this weekend will do so with little optimism.  The listless and rudderless second half display against Bolton on Tuesday evening sapped the spirit of even the most die hard fans and it seems likely that the only bright spark from the game (Ademola Lookman) may miss the Burnley trip with a hamstring problem. It is hard to see Charlton's assortment of Academy graduates and foreign imports posing much of a challenge to a side which can count on the likes of Andre Gray, Sean Long, Sam Vokes, George Boyd and Joey Barton.

And yet...

Burnley haven't scored a goal in the last four and a half hours while we have scored four. Burnley haven't won for six games while we have won twice.  Burnley's manager speaks as if he has swallowed an exhaust pipe and our head coach doesn't. Even the fact that Andre Gray is the top scorer in The Championship shouldn't concern us too much as he is not the strong, bullying type of striker like Murphy or Heskey who we regularly struggle to deal with.  And if we do lose 0-3 it won't be as bad as the 0-3 v Preston.  So, plenty of reasons to be cheerful.

Whatever happens it is likely that we will remain above Bolton and Rotherham on Saturday evening. And isn't there always one team that drops in the second half of the season? Could that be Fulham this year?

And when Kermorgant returns on loan in January it'll all be fine...