Alan Curbishley was manager of Charlton Athletic for 15 years

Former Charlton manager Alan Curbishley has expressed his sadness at seeing the club's current state.

Charlton are bottom of the Championship with just 21 points and have won just once in the league in 21 matches.

Curbishley told BBC London 94.9: "So many people put such a lot of effort into getting the club where they were.

"I find it quite difficult to understand what has happened. I just hope they survive this season because next season's another year."

Curbishley became Charlton manager in 1991 and transformed a club on the brink of financial ruin into one that challenged for European football.

When he left The Valley in 2006 the Addicks were an established Premier League team.

606: DEBATE Just seems almost sad to see a club that most looked up to in the Premier League as a model club in decline kingwfc4ever

Curbishley has since managed West Ham United but is currently out of work.

And although he admitted he was looking to get back into management, he said his wish was to manage in the Premier League and had no plans to return to The Valley.

"I left the club when Iain [Dowie] went in there," he said. "I think I left them in good shape, they had the opportunity to bring players in.

"I've only been back once. I felt that I'd been there so long and I should leave the new manager to get on with it. I kept well away."

Although Charlton appear in grave danger of relegation to League One, Curbishley insisted that relegation was not a certainty yet.

"When I first went to Charlton as a player we stayed up by one point and the next season we got promotion," he added.

"It can be done but they've got to start winning games and putting three or four results together very quickly."

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