Charlton head to struggling Watford with renewed confidence after a dramatic midweek draw at Burnley.

Sir Elton John might be wondering where it all went wrong at Vicarage Road, but Charlton will be hoping that Saturday's lunchtime encounter with the Hornets marks the beginning of a red revival.

Watford's early-season promise has faded alarmingly. After kicking off by beating Southampton and drawing with Wrexham and West Ham they have lost six of their last seven games and have slipped into the Championship relegation zone. Their only win was against bottom place Preston and their most famous supporter has expressed his disappointment, with Elton taking to Instagram following a humiliating 4-0 defeat to Burnley, before subsequently deleting his comments.

Things went from bad to worse on Tuesday evening when Watford suffered another hammering, this time losing 5-1 at Cardiff, having already conceded four goals by half-time. The mood around Vicarage Road is such that head coach Alessio Dionisi must surely be wondering how much longer he has left in the job, despite only being appointed this summer. Of course, Watford have something of a reputation for treating managers like candles in the wind - here one minute and gone the next - which is a far cry from the stability of Graham Taylor's glory days in the 1980s. Whether their latest incumbent can weather the storm remains to be seen. Indeed, by the time of publication, his time at Watford might even have been snuffed out.

Charlton, meanwhile, have had their own difficulties in recent weeks, but Tuesday's dramatic 2-2 draw at Burnley offered considerable encouragement. Twice behind at Turf Moor, the Addicks refused to give up, with substitute Ivan Mesik grabbing a 96th-minute equaliser to earn a valuable away point. Nathan Jones was understandably delighted with his side's resilience, declaring himself proud of a performance in which he felt Charlton had created enough opportunities to win the game. So while the Addicks still have plenty of room for improvement, there is a world of difference between their spirited display at Burnley and Watford's capitulation in Cardiff.

Last season's trip to Vicarage Road saw us gain a valuable point through Matty Godden's first goal of the season. Both Watford's best players that day - Irankunda and their captain Louza - left in the summer for a combined £22m and have been replaced by, among others, six players from Udinese. Can any sense of team spirit really be engendered during such turmoil?

Watford fans feel their weak link is the midfield. They play the 4231 system that Charlton started the season with and are struggling with a lack of solidity and creativity. One of the Udinese imports - Martin Payero - has played seven matches in the number ten role and is yet to register a goal or assist. In fact, only Lincoln have scored fewer goals than The Hornets and the stats make for grim reading - bottom of the xG table, bottom of the xG conceded table and top of the league for saves per match. Without their goalkeeper, things could be even worse.

The form book says that, with Burnley having put four past Watford last Saturday before being held by Charlton on Tuesday, the Addicks should travel to Vicarage Road with genuine confidence. This looks like an excellent opportunity to go one better and turn a battling away point into three on Saturday.

Football has a habit of producing surprises, particularly in the Championship, but if Charlton can build on Tuesday's performance, there is every reason to believe that Saturday could mark the beginning of a red revival.

And perhaps, for once, it will be the Addicks rather than Elton John's beloved Hornets who are Still Standing and possibly even back in the play-off zone when the final whistle blows. That's just the Circle of Life.