Many thought Southampton were taking a huge risk when they sacked Nigel Adkins and appointed Mauricio Pochettino as manager.

The Argentinian did not speak English, Adkins’ team was in reasonable form but still perilously close to the bottom.

On Saturday, Southampton probably hammered the final nail in Manchester City’s title coffin. The win lifted Saints to six points above the drop zone with twelve games to go. Still plenty of work for Pochettino to do but there is real hope for his team now.

What has this got to do with Charlton? Well, the Addicks also sit six points above the drop zone, though many will not be considering relegation as a possibility. The topsy-turvy nature of the Championship was never more clearly demonstrated than on Saturday, the top six all failed to win while the bottom three all took three points.

Charlton are now fifteenth in the table, seven points off a play-off spot, so anything is still possible. But for the spate of late goals they have conceded in the last three games, the Addicks would be ensconced in the play-off positions. As has been said many times, success and failure hinge on fine margins.

Jack Butland was in inspired form on Saturday and given Joe Hart’s horror show at St Mary’s, he will give Roy Hodgson a selection dilemma for the England shirt. However, how would Charlton have reacted had they taken the lead earlier?

They went gung-ho when they trailed Cardiff at The Valley in November, eventually running out 5-4 winners, and they came from behind to win a 4-3 thriller at Watford on New Year’s Day. But when they have taken the lead, the Addicks have never gone on to add more than a single goal to their tally.

Victories at Bloomfield Road and Ashton Gate were by a 2-0 scoreline, as was the win against Peterborough at The Valley. Other than that, all Charlton’s wins have been by a single goal.

As a watching scout remarked as Birmingham lined-up for the restart on Saturday, “Watch them retreat and put their keeper under pressure.”

Chris Powell is cautious by nature, and had his team scored earlier, he may well have opted to sit on the lead rather than try to press on and increase it.

The Addicks have two tough away games coming up and the manager will be anxious for his team not to be dragged into a dog fight at the bottom. A more adventurous approach may be the best way to do this.