Sheffield United are bang in form right now after suffering a blip at the start of the month. The Blades first five games yielded them just five points.

Then they put five past Notts County at Meadow Lane, followed by four against Chesterfield last night.

They have now closed the gap on the Addicks to six points with their goal difference being inferior by just four.

With Wednesday eight points behind and Huddersfield a further three back – albeit with a game in hand – Charlton need to return to consistent winning ways without delay.

Confidence plays a huge part in sport and the Addicks lofty position would gave given them bags of it but as the finishing line gets ever closer, nerves understandably begin to kick in.

The highest number of points needed for automatic promotion from League One over the last ten years has been 89, with Colchester being promoted with 79 points in the 2005/06 season. That year, Brentford finished third with 76 points.

The lower the total required for promotion, the closer the competition is. Conversely, in a year like this, when at least four clubs are likely to break through the 80 point barrier, the more spread out the field becomes. Theoretically, nerves aside, there should be some easy pickings to be had.

Nothing is ever easy with Charlton but in all probability, two more wins should be enough to win promotion. Nobody will rest easy though, until the club’s fate is decided.

The next three games should afford Charlton an excellent opportunity of gathering nine points, which would surely be sufficient to guarantee their elevation.

Leyton Orient visit The Valley on Saturday and are hovering just above the relegation zone. Their win at Oldham on Tuesday gives them breathing space though and the East Londoners are unlikely to be sucked into a battle for survival. Goal scoring has been their problem this season.

Next Saturday the Addicks travel to Oldham, another side in the lower reaches of mid-table with little to play for. The Latics have already lost eight times at Boundary Park this season, so their home is hardly a fortress. Incidentally, Huddersfield entertain Sheffield Wednesday on the same day.

Two days later, on Easter Monday, Walsall visit The Valley with the unenviable record of having won just twice on the road all season. Two games in three days is a big ask for teams, especially those with smaller squads, so it should be very much advantage Charlton.

Danny Wilson, Dave Jones and Simon Grayson are wily campaigners who have experienced this type of pressure cooker sitution before. As a manager, it is a first for Chris Powell of course and he will have one or two decisions to make about his team to face Orient.

Who to bring in to replace Russell, should he bring Green back, whether to start with Lee Cook, a natural left-winger, instead of N’Guessan are amongst the things that will be going through the manager’s mind.

A chat with old hands like Keith Peacock and Paul Hart would help too. Lennie Lawrence once described Arnie Warren as the ‘sort of wiser older head I needed alongside me after becoming manager’ and asked Arnie to stop him making mistakes.

In all walks of life there is no substitute for experience and Peacock and Hart have it in abundance. Their input could yet prove vital.