Charlton Athletic 1 v 3 Man Utd

Barlcays Premiership

ALAN Curbishley says his side face a big week of football and he wants to make sure they get it right to stop a worrying sequence of poor results, writes Tim Ashton.

He had just witnessed his team's demise at the hands of a Manchester United side who rarely broke sweat and responded to the media frenzy surrounding Roy Keane's departure with a superb all-round performance.

Now Curbishley's men face a tough trip to Villa Park on Saturday followed by an important Carling Cup encounter against Blackburn Rovers and a visit from Manchester City.

The latter games are at home where Charlton have won only twice so far this season against Wigan Athletic and Hartlepool United.

Curbishley said: "Perhaps we did not deserve to lose to Bolton but we did deserve to get beaten at Blackburn.

"Then we faced Manchester United and we have three straight defeats. Now we go away when it could become four.

"But I think the trick for us at this club is we have always managed to arrest a little run of bad results and we have to go to Villa do it.

"We have three games this week. Can we find ourselves in the next round of the Carling Cup?

"Can we pick some points up in the league and can we stop this home form? It is a really big week for us and I have just got to make sure I get things right."

Things certainly were not right against the Red Devils as United, captained by Ruud Van Nistelrooy, dominated from the first whistle.

In the 8th minute the superb Wayne Rooney lifted a ball into Van Nistelrooy's path but as the Dutchman rounded Stephan Andersen and angled his shot goalward, Hermann Hreidarsson cleared off the line.

Charlton's defending was hit-and-miss while up front Darren Bent could only miss when the goal was at his mercy as he skewed wide.

United's opener exposed Charlton's frailties as Luke Fletcher was given time in the penalty area to slip over, get up and eventually return Rooney's cross to Alan Smith who dispatched it low for 1-0.

Curbishley said: "We said at half time it is game on because we're 1-0 down and it can be turned around.

"At 1-1 I felt it was definitely game on, I thought we were back in it and the atmosphere changed.

"Our disappointment is having got ourselves level it only lasted four minutes."

It was Darren Ambrose who levelled the scores with a sweet 25-yard strike after good link-up play with Bent.

But his goal only served to make United step up a gear.

Rooney forged down the United left and poked a delicious cross to Van Nistelrooy who, despite the attentions of Chris Powell, controlled with one touch and volleyed into the net with his second.

Curbishley introduced Jay Bothroyd and switched to a 4-4-2 formation but it proved a fruitless tactic.

Van Nistelrooy, revelling in his skipper role, out-muscled Luke Young and sent a shot between Hreidarsson's legs and through Andersen, who should be disappointed with the goal.

Amazingly Van Nistelrooy's strike was his 138th for United and yet his very first from outside the area.

Less surprising is the fact Charlton have not beaten United since 1989 and on this showing it could be another 16 years before the feat is repeated.

Charlton: Andersen, 5; Young, 5; Hreidarsson, 4; Kishishev, 6 (Bothroyd, 76); Bent, 5; Murphy, 5; El Karkouri, 6; Ambrose, 7; Rommedhal, 5 (Thomas, 63); Powell, 5; Smertin, 5.

Subs not used: Myhre; Hughes; Perry.

Att: 26,730