Conor Washington: Judge me on my goal return under Johnnie Jackson – not Nigel Adkins

BY LOUIS MENDEZ

Charlton forward Conor Washington hopes he will only be judged on his goal return for this season after Johnnie Jackson took over at the helm.

The Northern Irish international started the campaign playing on the left of a front-three under former manager Nigel Adkins and only bagged one goal in his first 10 league outings.

But Jackson reverted to a front-two when he took over in October and Washington has gone on to notch 10 in 23 games in the period since – just shy of one goal every other game.

He owed his latest strike to a slice of luck after Chuks Aneke’s shot ricocheted off the back of his head on its way beyond Cambridge stopper Will Mannion during the 2-0 win at the Abbey Stadium on Tuesday.

“If you look at it, since the gaffer has come in, I’ve played up front in a two and I think my goal return is a hell of a lot better than when I was stuck out wide left,” explained Washington, who revealed this week that he is yet to be offered a new contract at The Valley with his current terms expiring at the end of the season.

“In the first 10 games of the season I think I scored one. I think as a striker I’d like to be judged off the second part of the season. 10 in 23, I think I should have scored more for sure but in a partnership where Jayden [Stockley] has been scoring as well, I think the goal return is relatively healthy. But as a striker you’re hungry for more and when you’re getting chances you feel like you should be scoring more.”

His fortuitous goal on Tuesday was a first in six games for the former QPR man and Washington admitted he felt he should have ended that dry spell sooner.

He added: “It’s been a bit of a drought, to be honest. I’ve had lots of chances in these games. Disappointing not to score and then one hits you on the back of the head and goes into the top corner. That’s the life of a striker. It’s just nice to be getting the chances consistently throughout the season and it’s up to me to make sure they’re going in the back of the net on a more consistent basis.

“I probably had two or three chances that I probably should have done better with [at Cambridge] but one of those goes in. The aim is to get two, three, four, why not, more before the end of the season. We’ve got two good games and hopefully two wins as well.

“It’s just really disappointing, the whole season. We got off to such a bad start it was always going to be almost impossible to claw that back. I think we had such a good go at it, and I think the manager has been brilliant. His record speaks for itself since he’s come in. When you lose three big names, big characters, big strikers as well. It’s ultimately disappointing but hopefully something to build on.”

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