The clocks have gone back, most people will get home from work in the dark, and November, a traditionally dank and dreary month, is upon us.
Bonfire night is at the weekend and, football wise, lower division clubs enter the FA Cup. Many fans feel that November is the start of winter.
Bizarrely, with the First Round of the FA Cup being staged on the 5th, and international matches scheduled for the 12th, some clubs will not play a league match until the 19th.
Charlton are likely to lose Jordan Botaka, Ademola Lookman, Josh Magennis, and possibly Andrew Crofts, due to international call ups.
The Addicks agreed to live transmission of their game at Swindon, so the fixture can not now be postponed. Russell Slade will have to play the game with a depleted squad.
The international call ups will impact on the team Slade puts out in the Cup match with Scunthorpe on Saturday too. The manager is likely to field his international quartet, while protecting other key players such as Ricky Holmes.
Charlton are currently 14th in the League One table, and despite failing to find consistent form, they are just four points off the play-off places with a game in hand.
Letting leads slip has been the Achilles heel, the Addicks have squandered nine points from winning positions.
But a little more consistency, coupled with some astute additions in January, could yet see Charlton have a successful campaign.
The four games in November are crucial though. The team have taken eight points from the last four fixtures, and if they can improve on that in November, they will be on track.
First up is that game at the County Ground on the 12th. Swindon are currently in the bottom four, and despite having to field a weakened team, Slade will be targeting a rare win in front of the Sky cameras.
Port Vale visit The Valley the following week, and the Addicks will be keen to make up for dropping two points at Vale Park recently.
The South Londoners dominated that game, before conceding a late penalty.
It was a particularly impressive performance, given Vale’s strong record at home. On the road, Bruno Ribeiro’s side are less potent, their sole victory coming at lowly Milton Keynes Dons earlier this month.
Three days later, Charlton travel to the West Country for a clash with eighth placed Bristol Rovers.
The Pirates have made a bright start to the season, following promotion, and have won three, drawn two and lost two of their seven games at the Memorial Ground.
The toughest looking game is on the last Saturday of the month when Sheffield United travel to South London.
After a slow start, the Blades are now unbeaten since losing at Millwall in August, a run of 11 games.
Chris Wilder will be keen to put one over on the club he nearly joined in the summer. But if the Addicks have momentum behind them, it will be a tough ask for Wilder.
November will be a fascinating month, and by the end of it, it will be much clearer if Charlton fans can be genuinely optimistic about the rest of the season.
TAGS: Charlton Athletic