Charlton Athletic are currently in the bottom half of the League One table, so their next two games against Huddersfield Town and Burton Albion are vitally important to their season.
The Addicks have failed to keep up with the pace set by the current promotion contenders in recent weeks, and they now find themselves 13th in the table and seven points outside the play-off places, albeit with a game in hand on a few of the teams above them.
Nathan Jones’ side will know that they must produce good performances in their first two games after the international break in order to restore some belief and avoid falling further behind the teams above them in the third tier.
First, Charlton will visit West Yorkshire to take on Huddersfield Town at the John Smith’s Stadium on Saturday, before they travel to face Burton Albion at the Pirelli Stadium on Tuesday night.
If they are going to pick up some momentum with two positive results against the Terriers and the Brewers, Charlton will need to improve on their most recent results at the grounds of their upcoming opponents.
Charlton Athletic have struggled away from home against Huddersfield Town and Burton Albion
Charlton‘s last two visits to the John Smith’s Stadium have both ended in heavy defeats for the Addicks, while their two most recent trips to the Pirelli Stadium have seen them pick up just one point from a possible six.
In January 2016, Karel Fraeye’s disastrous spell as interim manager at The Valley was brought to an end following a comprehensive 5-0 defeat on a cold Tuesday night in Huddersfield.
Iranian forward Reza Ghoochannejhad was shown a red card that night for the Addicks, in what was one of the lowest points of a season that ended in relegation to League One.
The Londoners’ latest trip to Huddersfield was also in the Championship, during the 2019/20 season, and it ended in a similar outcome. The Terriers ran out 4-0 winners, with former Charlton striker Karlan Grant responding to criticism from the away end with two goals, which he duly celebrated in front of his former supporters.
Things could not have gone much worse for Charlton in their last two visits to the John Smith’s Stadium, and they haven’t had much more joy in their two most recent games against Burton at the Pirelli Stadium.
First, The Addicks let both a 2-0 and a 3-2 lead slip to draw 3-3 with the Brewers in November 2022, before they suffered a 2-0 defeat in the two sides’ most recent meeting at the beginning of this year.
Considering their latest results in the two fixtures that lie ahead of them, and their disappointing position in the League One table, it would be understandable if Charlton supporters were slightly pessimistic ahead of a hugely important week in their season.
Charlton Athletic have been in poor form in League One
Charlton are without a win in their last four League One fixtures, and they have picked up just one point from their previous four away games in the league.
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Charlton Athletic’s recent away form in League One (Transfermarkt) |
|
|---|---|
|
Opponent |
Result |
|
Exeter City |
1-1 |
|
Barnsley |
2-2 |
|
Bristol Rovers |
3-2 |
|
Stevenage |
1-0 |
The Addicks need something to change if they are going to stand a chance of achieving their target of promotion this season, and while it is still relatively early days, they need to start picking up points soon if they are going to stay within touching distance of the top six.
A couple of positive results on the road next week could prove to be the catalyst for Charlton to turn their campaign around, but they must buck their recent trend against Huddersfield and Burton away from home if that is going to be the case.
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