Charlton chief executive Peter Varney has called on supporters to "consider the bigger picture" as the south-east London club look to continue their development.

Manager Alan Curbishley has come under fire from some supporters following a wretched return of just one win from the last 12 Barclays Premiership matches, which has seen Charlton drop back from contention for the European qualification down to mid-table.

Immediately after Sunday's 4-0 home defeat to Manchester United, Curbishley mused in a television interview "maybe I have been here too long, I don't know" as he reflected on 14 campaigns in charge of the Addicks.

However, the Charlton manager soon turned his attentions back to the job in hand of reshaping his side for next season when speaking at the post-match press conference, and earlier this week felt it necessary to again reiterate his commitment to the club.

Curbishley is keen to bring in some new faces during the summer, and with plans also in place to increase the capacity of The Valley up to some 40,000, and also revamp their training facilities, Varney maintains the overall outlook for the Addicks is a positive one.

"Alan Curbishley has done a fantastic job in transforming us into an established Premiership club, and he intends to further strengthen the first-team squad during the summer," Varney said on the club's official website,

"Now more than ever we need you (the supporters) all right behind us and whatever frustrations some of you may have currently, I would ask you to consider the bigger picture of what we are trying to achieve and give us your full backing."

Curbishley has admitted perhaps a first-team squad of around 20 players was not enough for his men to remain competitive throughout the 38-game season.

And midfielder Danny Murphy is confident a few new additions to the squad would help ensure Charlton stay the course next season.

Murphy - who joined Charlton for £2.5million from Liverpool in the summer and has been one of the plus points from an otherwise disappointing campaign - said: "I think tiredness has to be an issue.

"The freshness and momentum that characterised our mid-season performances doesn't seem to be there at the moment.

"I think purely and simply the size of the squad comes into it.

"Other clubs with bigger squads can afford to rotate and rest players, but we are not in a position to do that.

"The game is played at such a tempo these days that players need breaks - especially a side like us that needs to be on top of its workrate to get consistent results.

"That said, it's not something we are going to hide behind because we know we are capable of much better than we have shown in the last couple of months," Murphy added in Valley Review.

Securing the services of a proven goalscorer is likely to be Curbishley's main priority this summer.

Paris St Germain striker Pedro Pauleta is the latest name to be linked with a switch to The Valley, while Valencia forward Bernardo Corradi is another player Curbishley has been keeping tabs on.

"Like a lot of managers, I have been looking at as many players as I can," said the Charlton boss, who has been on plenty of scouting missions in recent months.

"If they still stamped passports every time you entered and left a country, I would probably be on my third one this season."

The Addicks face champions Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, and will be without defender Chris Perry, who was sent off for a professional foul towards the end of the defeat by United.