‘I never saw Sunderland as a free hit’ – Charlton legend Jacko on impressive start as caretaker boss

Johnnie Jackson is content with a seven-point return from his opening spell back in caretaker charge of Charlton Athletic.

The former Addicks captain’s 100 per cent record in the hotseat ended on Tuesday as they drew 1-1 with high-flying Rotherham United.

But Jackson, who has made clear his desire to land the manager’s job on a permanent basis, has injected fresh life to a Charlton side that had been languishing in the bottom four.

Charlton are up to 18th in League One after the midweek results. Jackson is unbeaten in four matches in his temporary role, one of those after Lee Bowyer quit for Birmingham City.

Asked if he would have taken seven points from the first three matches after replacing Nigel Adkins, Jackson told the South London Press: “Of course you would. Everyone said that Sunderland away was a free hit but I wasn’t having that at all. To me that would suggest that losing would be okay – and I’ll never be okay with that. I knew we could go there and get a result.

“It was a great start, going to a team that had won every game at home.

“Doncaster are in poor form and it looked like a real opportunity to get a result but it was the way we went about it, we really put them to the sword.

“Then we played the in-form team on Tuesday. It was a massive game, a real test for us.

“To get seven points is a good return. If we can carry on over the next period taking seven points every three games it is going to put you in a good place. You can always be pleased with that sort of return.”