‘I’d be an idiot if I did’ – Charlton Athletic boss asked if there is League One play-off final favourite

Nathan Jones says he would be stupid if he talked about any club being a favourite in the League One play-offs.

The Welshman’s Charlton Athletic side are in the knockout phase of the campaign and will face Wycombe Wanderers over two legs.

The Addicks have defeated them twice in the league including a 4-0 victory away in the third to last fixture with the Buckinghamshire club then going on to lose their final two matches.

Charlton’s 3-1 win today over Burton Albion – coupled with Wycombe going down by the same scoreline against Stockport – moved them up to fourth.

Stockport will play Leyton Orient in the other play-off tie.

Asked if there was a favourite, Jones told the South London Press: “I’d be an idiot if I did. A categorical idiot if I did.

“Stockport have finished third so it shows over a 46-game season that they have been the third best team. Wycombe, for so long, have led the division. We were nowhere near for so long. Leyton Orient have been magnificent.

“The table doesn’t lie – it shows the most consistent teams. The two who have gone up automatically – congratulations to them. Then the next four teams there is very little in that. They have justifiably got in the play-offs.

“I wouldn’t say there is a favourite in any way, shape or form because a lot can happen.”

Charlton were without key first-teamers for the Burton Albion match with Lloyd Jones, Luke Berry and Thierry Small not included.

Centre-back Jones was at The Valley to pick up his Player of the Season award on the pitch.

His namesake boss was predictably tight-lipped over the trio, when asked if they were set to be fit for next weekend.

“What I said in midweek is that I have to prepare a squad to go into the play-offs and that’s what we’ve done today,” responded Jones.

The Welshman was asked for his thoughts on the 46-game season. Their automatic promotion hopes were only ended last weekend after a 3-0 loss at Wrexham.

“First and foremost we’re not high-fiving and thinking we’ve achieved anything, we haven’t,” said Jones.

“We said year in and year out we have to improve. Last year we did our job, barring something miraculous we couldn’t have gone up last season. We had to arrest the negative momentum that the club had, for whatever reason.

“We did that and finished strongly. There was a bit of optimism and we had a good summer. We feel we recruited well in the summer. It wasn’t going to be meteoric. I’ve had one window at the helm and the players we have brought in have had a really positive impact on the football club – especially the team and results.

“We’ve had some highs and lows. We have had some tough points which less experienced managers might have gone under and less experienced focused boards and ownership groups might have got trigger finger. We’ve needed to all be together. The fact we all have a goal and looking to move forward has brought us to fourth place in the league when we were 16th.”

MAIN PICTURE: KEITH GILLARD