Rommedahl urges Charlton to 'relax' in relegation battle

The Charlton Athletic winger Dennis Rommedahl has called on the club to stay calm as they battle to get themselves out of trouble at the foot of the Premiership.

Charlton last week sacked their manager, Iain Dowie, just 15 matches into the season, promoting Les Reed to become their new head coach. Despite the change in personnel, they could not improve matters on the pitch at Reading last Saturday, when they suffered a ninth League defeat.

Nevertheless, only two points separate them from Newcastle in 17th place, and they will next month take on League Two side Wycombe for a place in the semi-finals of the Carling Cup.

Everton come to The Valley for Reed's first home match in charge in Saturday's televised lunchtime game and Rommedahl is in no doubt his team-mates have the ability to get a positive result - so long as they "relax".

"We have the players and the mentality is there," the Denmark international said. "What we need is to maybe be a bit calmer in our decision with the final ball. Everybody is trying to play the killer ball, trying to score the goal and I think that is the problem.

"When you are struggling you sometimes start trying too hard instead of relaxing and just playing the extra pass and allowing things to happen for themselves. We are trying as best as we can and maybe we are trying too hard sometimes."

Rommedahl added: "It is up to us to do something about it. We have to work hard on the things we are doing wrong and start doing more of the things we are doing right."

The Dane, who has just returned to the team after a groin problem, maintained: "When you are on the pitch it is not down to the manager to change things, I think it is up to the players."

Reed could soon see his options increased as defenders Djimi Traoré, Cory Gibbs and Gonzalo Sorondo all featured for the reserves earlier this week.

Gibbs has yet to make his competitive Addicks debut after his summer move from Feyenoord following a knee injury which also kept him out of the United States squad at the World Cup.

Off the field, it is understood Reed is keen to recruit former Charlton left-back Chris Powell to the coaching staff. Powell is currently at Watford but has a long association with the club, having returned last season after a brief spell at West Ham.

Meanwhile, there has been no official reaction to the latest legal threat from the Crystal Palace chairman, Simon Jordan.

Jordan is currently involved in a legal action against his former manager Dowie, who left Selhurst Park in the summer and then turned up at The Valley shortly after.

Earlier this week he indicated he was also ready to sue Charlton, who helped fund Dowie's defence against the High Court writ for "fraudulent misrepresentation".

The writ was issued over Jordan's waving of a £1million compensation clause on the proviso the former Oldham Athletic manager would be moving closer to his family in the North-West, before he opted to join Charlton.