Lee Bowyer has won the Manager of the Month award for April. Bowyer also picked up the accolade in November.

‎Rochdale visit The Valley for the last game of the regular season on Saturday. Depending on results elsewhere, the Addicks can finish as high as third, but no lower than fifth.

Bowyer will have to strike a balance between keeping‎ players sharp, and not risking those carrying a knock.

Bowyer has the experience of last year’s play-off campaign to draw on so, looking ahead, what does the manager expect from this year’s play-off games?

“The emotion will be high, and the adrenaline will be pumping, so my job will be to try and keep them as level headed as possible and to just try and treat it as a normal game, because it is at the end of the day – it’s 90 minutes of football.

But emotions obviously get involved, and you can’t deny that, so for me it’s encouraging them to play the natural game that we do on most Saturdays.

“We’ve been able to rotate when we’ve needed to, and the lads deserve all the credit because they’ve been outstanding. We’re in a good place and when we’ve got a full squad, we’re a very good team.

I believe that what we have is something unique, and I’ve said that from day one. Nothing’s changed we’ve worked hard, and we’ve got halfway to where we want to be.”

‎For so long it looked like Charlton would face old foes Portsmoth in the play-offs, but Sunderland now look more likely to provide the opposition.

Here is what Bowyer thinks of his possible opponents:

“I think Portsmouth will finish third, I went to their game the other night. Crazy game. They should have won it really, they had a goal disallowed for offside and they shouldn’t really have been in that situation, they should have won the game.

“Obviously, Peterborough came out on top and they’ll be pushing for the last play-off spot.

“Whoever we get, it’s going to be difficult because it’s going to be against the four sides that are good enough to be in the play-offs. But, like I’ve said before, I believe we can beat anybody, and we’ve shown that before, this season.

“We just have to concentrate on what we’re doing and makes sure that the players are ready.”

Both Portsmouth and Sunderland have stuttered recently, whereas – Oxford aside – the Addicks have been in good form. Does Bowyer believe this gives his side the edge?

“Going into the play-off’s maybe they (Portsmouth and Sunderland) have an advantage on us, they’ve already played at Wembley. We’re in a good place. Toe to toe we’re as good as anybody and there’s nothing that I’m afraid of.

“I wouldn’t want to play us. we’ve got everything. We fight and compete. Our work rate is exceptional. We have people willing to run in out forward. We have forwards that can score. We defend with six clean sheets out of eight. We can pass the ball. So yeah, I wouldn’t want to play us.

“But the other teams that are in the play-offs are also good. Every team’s got strengths, every team’s got weaknesses, were no different. If we turn up on the day, we’re capable of winning.”

Charlton fans will want to see Bowyer pen an extended contract as soon as possible, but negotiations have stalled for the time being. The contract situation is not Bowyer’s priority at present though:

“No update (on the contract negotiations). I had a positive conversation end of last week but now things have gotten a bit stuck at the moment. That’s where we are. Nothing’s changed, I haven’t signed.

“As I’ve said before, it’s not my biggest worry and it still isn’t.

“I’m not a greedy person. What I’m asking for is fair and it’s what I think that I’ve earned. So, I’m sure that we’ll get there in the end, but my concentration is on the matches.

“The only time I think about the contract is when people mention it. But that’s the least of my worries, and my full focus is on getting promotion. And that won’t change until the end of the season whether I sign the contract or not.

“Maybe it’ll be done before the first ball is kicked (in the play-offs) but not before the end of the season because that’s in two days’ time.”

 

The play-offs will take place next weekend, 11 and 12 May, with the return legs being staged on 16 and 17 May.‎ The final will be played at Wembley on Sunday 26 May.