Time's up

After their disappointing 3-1 defeat at home to Barnsley on Saturday the future of Charlton manager Alan Pardew looks bleak to say the least. His side have already lost eight of their fifteen Championship games and lie in the bottom three for the first time this season.

The former Premiership side have been going no-where since their relegation from England's top league in 2006 and haven't once looked like regained their Premier-league status.

Since loosing Alan Curbishley in 2006 the club have been on a downward slope and are close to hitting the bottom if their season continues like it is.

The reason behind there current struggle could be explained by the season they had after Curbishley's departure.

The club went through three managers in four months sacking both Ian Dowie and Les Reed before settling with Alan Pardew, who came from relegation rivals West Ham United, who under Curbishley survived on the final day of the season.

The last thing the club needed after loosing a manager like Curbishley was this sort of managerial merry-go-round.

Pardew thankfully is still the manager, but after nearly two years in charge his position looks very vulnerable after taking too many steps back under his stewardship.

The club were relegated in his first season, but in truth he could do little to keep his side up after two sacked managers before him.

A quick return to the Premiership was expected as Charlton kept the majority of the players that had given them success in the Premiership.

However the quick return didn't come about as the fans would have liked as the Addicks underachieved hugely in finishing down in 11th six points off the play-off places.

To be fair to the side they weren't anywhere near the play-offs at any part of the season and were never contenders to be re-promoted as West Brom and Stoke City stormed the league.

This season was therefore looked as one to re-build the side and push for promotion next season.

Chairman Richard Murray had highlighted Pardew as his man to bring his side top-flight football, however this season has been more about how the side have missed their chance to get out of on the most difficult leagues in the world.

They find themselves in the bottom three and not a sniff of the the top half let alone the play-offs.

Things have to change if this side to get out of their current predicament and it doesn't look good for the London club.

The squad assembled by Pardew is simply not good enough for this league. It's as simple as that. It's a squad that are doing exactly what it says on the tin, struggling in a league to big for them.

Players like Mark Hudson, Luke Varney and Lloyd Sam won't strike fear into any side, dare I say it not even in League 1.

The man to take all the flack will be Pardew, due to the performances I'm sure. But I think the side are playing as well as they can, they just look out of their depth.

This blog may become irrelevant in 24 hours as Pardew is set to get the dreaded 'vote of confidence'. However it will take more than a change of manager to turn things around at the Valley.

This former Premiership club will find it hard whether he stays or goes, and their in for a tough end to the season.