Brady confident Cobblers will be a match for Charlton despite hosts' 'aggressive' signing spree

Addicks boss Michael Appleton is under huge pressure after a run of 11 matches without a win, and he has responded by signing an incredible seven players in the January transfer window - so far!

The seventh addition saw former Cobblers loan goalkeeper Lewis Ward join the club from Swindon Town on Monday.

He follows fellow permanent signings Macauley Gillesphy from Plymouth Argyle, Rarmani Edmonds-Green from Huddersfield Town and Conor Coventry from West Ham United, as well as three loan signings.

The loanees are Ipswich Town's Freddie Ladapo, Tyreeq Bakinson from Sheffield Wednesday and Manchester City's Lewis Fiorini.

The spree hasn't done Appleton or his team much good so far though, and on Saturday they slumped to a fifth defeat in six matches when they lost 2-0 at Burton Albion.

Brady feels Charlton's recruitment, and the quality of signings they are making, means the team’s form has to pick up at some point, and he is just hoping that doesn't happen until after the Cobblers take them on.

"Charlton are a side that are really trying to push, with what they are signing at the moment," said Brady.

"They have signed a lot of new players in the window, from the Premier League and players of Championship standard.

"So they are trying to show their intent in what they want to do, and I think they potentially feel they can still make the play-offs, I don't know.

"But they are being pretty aggressive in what they are trying to do, and they are trying to find the balance for the selection in their team.

"They have got players who have excelled, and you can't get away from what they have recruited at the moment.

"It is really strong, so you would expect them to turn it round.

"But we are hopeful that we won't let them turn it round on Tuesday night."

The Cobblers have yet to play Charlton this season, with Tuesday's match rescheduled from November when the original fixture was postponed due to international call-ups.

They are a club with a rich history, and with a fanbase that has tasted Premier League life on a regular basis in the not-too-distant past.

They are a big club for the level, and The Valley is a cracking stadium, but none of that matters to Brady.

"It is not about the size of the club, or who we play, I don't want to look at it like that," said the Cobblers boss.

"I look at the team on paper, and how we want to play and how we want to attack them, and I don't look at the gloss or anything around that.

"I just look at it and try and see how we can go and exploit any weaknesses that they have,and nullify any threats they have. That is how I look at it.

"We are in this league, we deserve to be at this level as well, and we are proving that at the moment and we have to consistently prove that.

"We are looking forward to trying to prove that on Tuesday night."

After their clash with Oxford United was postponed on Saturday, the Cobblers don’t have any fresh injury issues for the trip to south London.

Brady will be hoping the extra few days without a game will have offered the chance for one or two of his walking wounded to have recovered sufficiently to be involved.