Welcome to Clarkeonenil’s daily comment feature on all things Leeds United, today a short plea to match Charlton Athletic all the way to May.

Another let’s keep this relatively short, I wouldn’t want to spoil the over extreme good mood the rah-rah girls are postulating on forums by letting any doubts creep in over a normal length piece. No instead let’s accept what we have and embrace it.

After last night’s result, good rather than season defining (it was relegation battling Tranmere Rovers after all), we can safely assume we are definitely in the play-offs come what may. Huddersfield Town have dropped below the “point to games ratio” that I outlined in previous DC’s, Swindon Town are on the precipice and dropped points Saturday should see them out of the automatic promotion race. The slight bad news is the continued good form of Millwall but that can work in our favour also, it means we should be well motivated for their visit in 12 days (and they play Charlton this weekend so one way or another someone slips up).

For me life is now relatively simple, forget winning the division (so no “we are fighting for top spot” stuff please Simon) Norwich City can have that, we have a 5 point cushion on Charlton, we need to get that to 6 before we visit the Valley in May (our goal difference would make that the equivalent of 7) and we are home and promoted. So basically we spend the next 9 games matching or bettering the South East London mob, they win, we need to win, they draw, we need to draw minimum. Forget “game at a time”, think “it’s ours to lose or win”.

Regular readers will recall the excel spreadsheet my mate did before the Orient game, well every time I revisit the fixtures of ourselves and Charlton the same result accrues, with any kind of normal form we should be up before that Valley game (which should please the Metropolitan Police). Yes the next 4 fixtures are tough but as we both agreed we’d only take 6 points from those games that limited return has been factored in.

One aspect I am now happy to agree with Grayson with is this, the style in which we match Charlton point for point is not an issue, we can do it the Arsenal way or do it the Stoke City way, it’s the result that counts (although it might be the Arsenal way is more effective….). Equally I don’t give a monks who the starting xi are from game to game, Beckford in or out, who gives, a midfield full of ball passers, I’ll survive, Rui at right-back, fine with me. Play fat boy Robinson so long as we get that blow by blow in.

Editor Michael.

BTW: The Original Grumpy Old Man is taking a week off.