Bloomfield: 'We have to believe'

Apr 19 2012 By Greg Burns

Matt Bloomfield

MATT Bloomfield said belief is they key to Wycombe upsetting the odds and beating Charlton this weekend.

Wanderers’ disappointing Easter and late surrender to draw at home to Oldham last Saturday has left them facing the toughest run-in of all the relegation-threatened sides.

That run, which also includes a home game with play-off chasing Notts County and a trip to Sheffield Wednesday, starts at the promoted Addicks who have only lost two League One games at the Valley all season.

Punters can get 4/1 on a Wycombe win against Chris Powell’s side but, with a three-point gap to safety still to make up, Bloomfield said his side can be a coupon-buster.

“Charlton have been promoted and no-one expects us to win,” said the 28-year-old. “But why can’t we go there and get a result? That will be our thinking.

“We went to Bury last year when they got promoted and managed to beat them so we have to take the same thoughts into this week’s game. Everyone will think we won’t win but, in our dressing room, we have to believe in ourselves that we can.

“It is not easy but what is hard and what is easy at this stage of the season? You could be playing a team at the bottom who are fighting for their lives or teams who have had good seasons. On paper it (the run-in) looks hard but we can get the results.”

Bloomfield, in his ninth season at Adams Park, is desperate to avoid that sinking feeling again after Wycombe’s relegation from League One back in 2010.

“There is no chance we will throw in the towel,” he said. “It is not an option and the manager will not allow it. There is a group of players here who are working hard to stay in this league. It has been a long season with a lot of ups and downs but we are still in a position where we can stay up.

“It is a tough division. The teams at the top have budgets far outweighing ourselves and that is why, at the start of the season, you can pick the top five teams without too much hassle.

“You try and perform well against them and the rest are left to fight it out to stay up. We didn’t quite make it two years ago and we have an opportunity to do it this time.”