What a difference a week makes.

One minute we are celebrating our historic 3-1 victory over local rivals Manchester United and the next we are walking out of Maine Road having lost by a single goal to Charlton - a team close to the bottom of the Premiership.

We came in for some criticism in the newspapers for the way in which we performed on Saturday but I don't think we played as bad as some people have made out.

We were not as effective around the goal and consequently we were made to pay, Shaun Bartlett scoring the winner 11 minutes from time.

I didn't realise until afterwards when I was watching the highlights but Charlton have a 100 percent record against us in the Premiership. They have beaten us on every occasion.

I don't like to dwell on facts like that though because if you do go a goal down then you start to think 'Oh well, we've lost this' and it certainly can't be used as an excuse for our defeat.

I have normally had a good record against Charlton in terms of goals but on Saturday it didn't happen.

I didn't have any efforts on goal and I think my strike partner Nicolas Anelka only had three and they were all from distance.

Part of the reason for our ineffectiveness was that we did not receive the kind of service that we normally get as Charlton did well to restrict balls into the area.

Although we both prefer the midfield to supply us, Nicolas does have a powerful shot and is willing to try his luck from outside the box. I, on the other hand, do not and prefer through balls and crosses.

Our next game is against Middlesbrough at the weekend and I am as confident as I can be that Nic and I will be starting again.

We are developing a good understanding and in fact he has told me that out of me and Darren Huckerby he prefers me alongside him.

The main reason for that, I think, is that it allows him to run this way and that, go from left to right which is the way he prefers to play.

Against Middlesbrough we are going to be up against two tough competitors in defenders Gareth Southgate and Ugo Ehiogu.

Obviously the manager, Kevin Keegan, will have his own ideas of how to handle them but I imagine he might ask me to play on Ugo and leave Gareth to Nic.

Gareth does not have Ugo's physical presence and I imagine the gaffer will be confident that given the chance Nic can outpace him. That said Nic is probably quicker than both of them!

Against Ugo you have to be a lot stronger than if you were playing Gareth who is more of a thinking defender. It's not so much a case of being physical with him, more where you position yourself. You have to be able to read the third or fourth pass and make sure you are in front him.

Ugo, meanwhile, will probably stand right alongside you, physically batter you and when the ball comes in try and outmuscle you.

It remains to be seen who will come out on top but I can promise you one thing, it will be a tough battle.