The valley view'

By Hermann Hreidarsson on March 28, 2007 12:00 AM |

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THERE'S only one thing you want to do all the while you're playing well, and that's to keep on playing.
Of course the international fixtures over the weekend meant that we didn't have the opportunity to extend our recent run of results.
But the recent breaks in the fixture list, most of which have been due to FA Cup fixtures, haven't affected us in the slightest.

Indeed, I hadn't really been paying much attention to it but I looked at our recent results the other day and we seem to keep winning following breaks in the Premiership schedule.
Both of our wins against West Ham United and Newcastle United were on the back of two-week gaps, and I can only put it down to how the manager has used the extra time that has been available to him.
As I've outlined in this column before, team bonding is something that the gaffer has been very keen to concentrate on and in the last two breaks we have undertaken a training trip to Spain and a spot of paintballing.
Both events were absolutely fantastic for morale, as West Ham and Newcastle found out to their cost.
The recent international break, however, saw no fewer than 10 Charlton players called up for international duty, and that obviously made it difficult for Alan Pardew to organise any kind of event over the past week.
Not that we need any morale boosting right now. Our victory against Newcastle before the international fixtures meant that we have now taken seven points from the last nine on offer, taking us just four points shy of safety.
The six goals and two clean sheets we've managed over the last couple of games has addressed the goal difference deficit that was also against us, but we need to realise that we can't afford any let-up.
We've got plenty of momentum right now but we need to ensure we maintain that, beginning with the visit of Wigan Athletic on Saturday, so let's hope another two-week break beforehand bodes well.
We know what a huge game it is and we know that if we let our intensity levels drop it's likely we'll lose the game.
Wigan are by no means out of trouble themselves and they will know that if we beat them we will reduce the gap between the two clubs to only three points.
We are riding the crest of a wave right now and we know that if we can stay on it, there is every chance we will do what seemed the impossible and keep the club in the Premiership.
It actually feels quite strange to be putting in a strong finish to a season when we have been so prone to falling away in the spring months, but we're not complaining!
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