WHILE there may be gloom in The Valley at Charlton's failed takeover, Blues boss Jim Magilton is cheered by the prospect that it could mean Darren Ambrose becoming available.

Derek Davis

WHILE there may be gloom in The Valley at Charlton's failed takeover, Blues boss Jim Magilton is cheered by the prospect that it could mean Darren Ambrose becoming available.

Ambrose is out of contract next summer and Magilton has made no secret that he covets the winger who came through Ipswich Town's academy.

Zabeel Investment's £31m proposed bid for Charlton ended late last week when their owner Rashid al Maktoum announced they were no longer going ahead, with the worldwide credit crunch cited as the reason.

Although the Addicks insist they have no need to sell, it throws doubts over the future of out-of-contract players like Ambrose who can talk to other clubs in the new year.

Magilton said: “Darren Ambrose is fair game in January. He is on a list of players we would like.

“Darren is very, very, good player who probably left here a bit too soon and we were robbed of seeing a few more years of him playing here. He has always been a pain in the backside against us

“He is certainly a player I have always liked. I played with him and always thought he would go on and do well.

“He is a player we would like, because he is a player who - whenever he lands on the ball - can do something special.

“He makes things happen. He can do the unexpected from both flanks, or playing off the front man, and he has experience.”

While Magilton feels his opposite number Alan Pardew may struggle to come to terms with the failed takeover, he doubts if will make any difference to the Charlton players.

He said: “Players don't take any notice. They just let things develop. It is more a headache for the manager and chief executive. Players are selfish they tend to concentrate on a game-to-game basis and whether they are in the team or not.

“Alan Pardew was probably planning for January so it will have changed for him.”

Since beating Town at the beginning of the month the Addicks have lost twice and drawn one game, but Magilton knows they will arrive tonight with dangerous intent and wants the Portman Road crowd to be in full voice.

He said: “Plymouth away is tough place to go and get three points so it builds it up lovely for the Charlton game. Since they beat us they have not really taken off.

“Pardew was hoping it would be a springboard for them, but it has not developed like that.

“They probably prefer to play away from home, like ourselves at times. We came away with nothing from the Valley when we should have, so it is nice that it has come round so quickly.”

“Pardew has made a lot of changes and players have not gelled so they are struggling.

“But he knows what coming here is all about and he has had some good results here over the years.

“They are always well organised so we will have to be patient. The crowd are going to have to be patient and we are going to need the crowd.

“Although we finished strongly down there, the Charlton crowd stayed behind their team all the way, so we need to the same.

“It is a big three points and that could set us up for Saturday against QPR and another win then would see us right up there staring at the play-off places.”