Albie Morgan praised the belief within Ben Garner's squad following the Addicks' 1-0 triumph over Derby County at The Valley on Saturday.
Following a dominant first-half display from the newly-relegated Rams, Garner's side seized control and Corey Blackett-Taylor bagged the all-important goal on 62 minutes to earn Charlton maximum points.
“It was a game of two halves," reflected Morgan. "It was a very disappointing first half, considering what we had worked on all week. We didn’t take that into the game. We looked a bit lost at times and I don’t think that’s us. Considering what the Manager has put in place since the start of pre-season, we should have shown a lot more about us.
“I hold my hands up for the first half, it was obviously nowhere near good enough. I don’t need people to tell me that, I know in myself that was way off where I want to be and where we want to be as a team.
“In the second half we proved what we are as a team," the midfielder added. "There is a real difference compared to the last few years - there is a real belief about this team and a real togetherness. That showed in the second half when we came together. It was not the prettiest but to come out with three points, something that maybe we didn’t deserve, shows the belief we have and the real desire to get the three points.
"The fans want to see us win, the fans want to see us putting in effort and when that comes together The Valley is bouncing like it was [on Saturday]. I hope everyone is pleased with the second half and hopefully we can keep building on that in games to come."
Blackett-Taylor's goal was the product of another lightning Charlton counter-attack, something Morgan feels can be a huge weapon for Garner's men.
"When we're not going to have that foothold in the game we can really catch teams on the counter-attack," the 22-year-old explained. "We've got quality, we've got pace and we've got players who can finish. With those three aspects, if we're not going to control the game like we did in the first half, we've got that other side of the game where we can hit teams on the break and punish them like we did [on Saturday]. We'll take the three points and go onto Sheffield Wednesday thinking we can go there and get a result, too."
The academy graduate is revelling in his role in Garner's three-man midfield, adding: "The Manager is showing the belief in me where he feels he can play me a bit deeper or a bit higher, and that's giving me confidence.
"It's something new that I'm learning but the gaffer, Marshy [Scott Marshall] and Ant [Anthony Hayes] are all giving me advice every day. I'm trying to take that on board to put that into games."
Purchase your tickets for Tuesday's Carabao Cup tie with Queens Park Rangers at The Valley by clicking on the graphic below.
