Charlton boss Chris Powell spoke to BBC Radio Kent and his club's official website ahead of his side's FA Cup second round tie against Carlisle at the Valley on Saturday afternoon, Powell wanting the League One table toppers to also have a good cup run this season :
“I think the momentum will be there, the fans want to see their team winning, they want to see any players that play for Charlton doing their best and doing their best to win a game. They have seen that over the course of the season and I think having a good cup run alongside your league form can help, it can keep the squad going because you can maybe dip two or three players into the starting line-up and let them experience what is going on.
“I think it is good, I think it shows progress on and off the field and I think our fans, as we will see against Carlisle, maybe one or two hundred who will come because things are going well. So, I think it bodes well for the club, having a cup run alongside your league form can do you the world of good, so I don’t see why you should forfeit because I think you should go and win every game possible, and that is what we will try to do.
“The season is built on 46 games and that is what the majority of the season is built on, but there are three cup competitions so why not do your best in each and every one of them. Of course you can’t win all these cups but it is good to be in the competition, as we have seen with two Championship clubs in the League Cup semi-finals, why not do it? Why not show people that you want to do well and progress?
“I love the competition, I really do, I think it is the best cup competition at club level in the world, I really think it is really special. As each round goes by I think you see the tension coming into it, you see the support and the real romance of the competition come to the fore, and as each round goes by now you will see that, so I would like us to be involved, why not?"
“Of course people know what we are about this year but I think if we could do our best to progress and get in the third round then you never know who would be visiting the Valley or where we could be going for a third round, but of course we have got to negotiate Carlisle first. If we have to go back up to Carlisle then we will do it, we are professionals, but I want us to progress and I want us to go into the third round.
“Of course I think everyone would, Carlisle included, like the game to be settled on Saturday, but if it goes to a replay then so be it, we have to deal with it. But, I am sure Carlisle will be looking at it, they came down here and lost 4-0 so I am sure they will be thinking they would like a positive result in the return journey. But, I want us to be ready and I think we owe that to ourselves to try to have some sort of cup run.
“Everyone is available for us apart from Dale Stephens, Johnnie Jackson, Hogan Ephraim and Mikel Alonso. Hopefully Yann Kermorgant will be fit, we have kept him away from the training group because there is a little bit of swelling and we just want to make sure he is 100%, so we will see how he is but he should be OK. Darel Russell is very similar, we kept him away from the group just to make sure that that extra 24 hours can help them in their quest to be fit for the cup game.
“I have got to look at who needs that breather and we have got a few games coming up in December, plus some lads deserve to play but with the team doing ever so well in the league it is very hard for me to change a lot of the time. So, we have got a lot of players available, I would like one or two youngsters to be involved, more than likely on the bench, because I think it is good for them to just see how we prepare and what it is like on a matchday.
“I am all about the team and about the squad and trying to keep them involved in where we are at the moment. We are in a good place on and off the field and I want that to spread, we will see how we go in our preparations for the game but I want to use some players that haven’t had game time recently and with the increased substitutes our squad will be slightly bigger. I have got to look at who needs that breather and we have got a few games coming up.”