Tipping point at Spotland?

I've been giving Saturday's fixture at Rochdale some thought - it's easy at 5am when you can't sleep. With us now down to eighth and Rochdale two points behind in ninth, it could be a pivotal game for the Addicks. Whilst our away record has been impressive and good enough for automatic promotion so far, we haven't managed a win on the road since Peterborough, although we have managed a point from all three aways since then.


Chris Powell would probably settle for a point at Rochdale on the basis that they have only lost twice at home all season in the league and it would mean a second unbeaten game under his stewardship. 


Trouble is, I don't believe a point is any longer good enough if we still have serious hopes of automatic promotion. We have games in hand on all of those above us bar Peterborough and could expect to climb back to joint-second with Southampton if we won those games and manage the double over Peterborough at the Valley in little over a fortnight's time.


With Colchester at home on Tuesday, I believe a second win for Powell's charges would set us up to beat the U's which should, by my reckoning, put us back in the top four. That would also represent the confidence building start we so desperately needed under new management and give us some breathing room for Yeovil away and Peterborough at home.


If we draw or lose on Saturday we effectively give up a game in hand on Huddersfield, Southampton and Bournemouth and the points gap widens. Brighton would effectively be four wins away and having lost only four times so far, we could almost give up on expecting to catch them. It would also mean we play at the Valley under more pressure once again, something I don't think the current squad thrive on.