‘This is my toughest spell as manager’ – Johnnie Jackson on challenging period as Charlton Athletic boss

Johnnie Jackson has admitted he is enduring his most challenging period since becoming Charlton Athletic manager – but also feels it will also help in cementing his future squad plans.

The Addicks lost 2-0 at home to Milton Keynes on Tuesday night, a fourth successive League One reverse.

And the club’s striker crisis took another savage twist with Mason Burstow coming off with a hamstring injury.

Jackson is already without leading attacking options in Jayden Stockley, Chuks Aneke, Conor Washington, Corey Blackett-Taylor and Scott Fraser.

“When we get some of those guys back we will be stronger – I’ve no doubt we will improve,” Jackson said. “It’s difficult at the moment but I want to finish the season strongly and get a feel-good factor – end the season on a positive note.

“Then we can go away, get the summer exactly how we want it – recruit well and recruit early – get our group together and come back with one aim, which will be to get promoted next season.

“This season hasn’t gone the way we wanted it to for various different reasons. I’m learning a lot all the time, but you probably learn more in these tough moments.

“I will learn quite a bit over the coming days and weeks about some of the lads. I’ve said to them that they are playing for their futures now. You shouldn’t need motivation to perform, but if they do then that’s the way they need to look at it. We’re all playing for our futures. What better motivation, really.

“I’ve got an idea of where I want to take this football club – so does the owner. It’s up to them all now to show they want to be a part of it. Naturally some are going to fall by the wayside and not take that opportunity and some are going to step up.

“The club is going places. It might not feel that way today after a run of defeats – but it is. We’ve got a good owner and good staff – it is going to take off. Next season I’m confident we can have a good push for it.”

Jackson has had 28 matches in charge of Charlton – all but one of those coming after he succeeded Nigel Adkins in the Valley hotseat, initially as caretaker in late October.

“It’s the toughest period I’ve had – not just the results but the people we’ve had out makes it even more challenging,” said the Addicks former captain. “I firmly believe the whole picture of the season would look different if we’d kept those guys fit.

“To have that many key players out is going to make things difficult. The facts are there – with all the guys fit we compete with every one of those teams. We’ve just fallen a little bit short in some of them and to say those guys would’ve made a difference, I don’t think that is overstating it.

“The byproduct is that you find yourself defending more. By not having some of those attackers you’re not able to sustain your own pressure in games because you’re not retaining the ball as you would normally.”