Alan Pardew admitted Charlton deserved to be relegated after his side crashed

out of the Premiership.

The south London club's slender hopes of avoiding the drop were extinguished on Monday as Tottenham won 2-0 at the Valley thanks to goals from Dimitar Berbatov and Jermain Defoe.

Defeat confirmed Charlton's return to the Championship after seven years in English football's top division and Pardew conceded the club had only themselves to blame after a chaotic campaign.

Iain Dowie and then Les Reed presided over a dismal first half of the season. Pardew, their third boss of the season, inspired a mini-

revival after taking over at Christmas with the team deep in trouble.

But the south London team slipped back into trouble in the last month and a run of six matches without a win left them facing the unappetising prospect of trips to Scunthorpe and Colchester instead of Chelsea and Manchester United.

Pardew said: "I think in terms of where we are in the league and the politics off the pitch you end up where you deserve.

"There are a number of reasons why we have gone down, but I can't talk about the time when I wasn't here. Sometimes as a team you just don't have enough.

"Spurs' little bit of extra quality was the difference. That's been the case despite the great run we've had since I've been here."

But Pardew can take credit for

the way he galvanised a team that looked dead and buried and there is every chance they will challenge for promotion next season.

Darren Bent is likely to leave as there will be no shortage of offers for the England striker, but Pardew insisted there would be no fire sale.

"The board have been very supportive," he said. "Hopefully we can keep 90 percent of the squad and bounce back next year.

"I told the players they can walk out of here with their heads held high in terms of the time I've been here. For us it's not to be, but we have to prepare ourselves for what will be a difficult season.

"Our egos are not that big that we can't face up to the championship. The people here have been brilliant to me and I want to repay that."

Spurs move into sixth place and remain on course for a UEFA Cup

spot after winning the first of three games in six days that will determine whether a season that promised so much ends with a tangible reward.

A win over Blackburn on Thursday would clinch another European adventure for Martin Jol's side.

"We are on 56 points now and we are still in it," Jol said. "Blackburn are a good side, but we always had a game in hand and that puts us in a good position."

Their success has been due in large part to the superb form of Berbatov.

The Bulgarian has scored 22 goals in his first season in English football and with Chelsea and Manchester United both in need of

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a striker it may be hard to keep him at White Hart Lane.

Jol insists Berbatov is happy where he is and he said: "Berbatov is very happy at our club. I had a word with him yesterday and he said 'the supporters are always positive, so what more could I want?'. I told him he was right.

"Berbatov in training is capable of doing anything. For us he our bit of extra quality. He could be the signing of the season."

Charlton knew only two victories from their last two games would be enough to beat the drop. But with just 90 minutes to save their season, they inevitably looked nervous.

Spurs made them pay in the seventh minute. Berbatov's sublime flick wrong-footed Talal El Karkouri and he showed great strength to hold off the defender as he sprinted into the area before steering his shot into the far corner.

Charlton gradually began to find some momentum and Darren Bent jinked round Paul Robinson before crossing to Alexandre Song, but the on-loan Arsenal midfielder's diving header was wide of the target.

That was as close as they came and when former Addicks forward Defoe ran on to Berbatov's pass and beat Scott Carson with a clinical finish in stoppage time, Charlton's fate was sealed.