Tag: Charlton

Charlton Athletic’s next move is obvious after Lloyd Jones, Wycombe Wanderers links

Charlton Athletic must take action amid rumours linking Lloyd Jones with a move to league-leaders Wycombe Wanderers.

The Chairboys, who are currently top of the table in League One, have reportedly made the defender a target ahead of the upcoming January transfer window, according to journalist Alan Nixon via his Patreon.

Wycombe were previously linked with a move for the 29-year-old in the summer of 2023, prior to his move to The Valley on a free transfer from Cambridge United, so it should perhaps not come as a huge surprise that they have renewed their interest in the centre-back.

Jones has been a standout player for Charlton this season, and with less than a year remaining on his contract, the Addicks must take immediate action to ensure that they do not lose one of their most important players.

Charlton must offer Jones a new contract

After recently being ruled out of six league games through injury, Jones reminded Charlton supporters what they had been missing with an assured performance in the middle of a back three during the Addicks’ 0-0 draw away at Lincoln City on Saturday.

Lloyd Jones’ League One stats for Charlton (Transfermarkt)

Appearances

Goals

Yellow cards

Red cards

Minutes played

44

3

12

0

3,666

The powerful defender has made more blocks and interceptions than any other Charlton player in League One so far this term, while the rating system on FotMob suggests that he has been the Addicks’ best player when fit.

Jones, who is vice-captain at The Valley, has played in five of the six victories that Nathan Jones’ side have picked up in League One this season. Each of the Addicks’ league wins have been accompanied by a clean sheet, showing the importance of their defenders when things go to plan.

Therefore, Charlton’s next step must be to offer the defender a new contract to keep him at The Valley for the foreseeable future.

However, it is clear to see why Matt Bloomfield would like to bring Jones to Wycombe, as they look to keep up their momentum at the top of the table.

The Chairboys have conceded the most goals out of the top five teams in the third tier, with their success having primarily been built on an outstanding attacking record, so signing a player like Jones could be just what they need if they are going to maintain their promotion push for the remainder of the season.

It may be a tough decision for Jones if Wycombe make an offer

It could prove to be a difficult decision for Jones if both Charlton offer him a new deal and Wycombe make an approach to sign him in January.

Earlier this season, he implied that he would be keen on agreeing fresh terms in SE7 during an interview via London News Online.

“I’ve got to keep putting in performances – that is my main focus,” he stated.

“Hopefully if I keep putting in good performances and focus on my football then a new contract will be here. I’ll have to wait and see.

“Football changes so quickly but Charlton is a big club with a great fan base, a great stadium and a top manager. Everything seems to be falling in place.”

It is very true that football changes quickly, and with those quotes having been made in October, it will be interesting to see whether Jones feels the same way now that Charlton are languishing in mid-table.

Jones, who once appeared on the bench in the Premier League for Liverpool in 2013, has only ever made four appearances at a level higher than League One, with all of those coming in the Championship during his time at Luton Town.

At this stage of his career, he may see a move to Wycombe as a good opportunity to return to the second tier as soon as possible, with the Chairboys’ chances of promotion being far better than Charlton’s as things stand.

Charlton will be reluctant to accept any offers for Jones, but if Wycombe come in for him in January, the Addicks will have a tough decision to make on whether to sell him and weaken their starting lineup, or reject the bid and risk losing him for free at the end of the season.

For now, it is clear that the Addicks’ next move must be to make Lloyd Jones a contract offer that could convince him to stay at the club, but if he does not sign it, then it will be very interesting to see what happens.

Related

Charlton Athletic massively hit the jackpot with £3m star and these five others

FLW takes a look at six signings that turned a profit for Charlton Athletic.

Source link

December 10, 2024

Lloyd Jones’ League One stats for Charlton (Transfermarkt)
44	3	12	0	3,666

Charlton Athletic, QPR must look at Iain Dowie’s Crystal Palace tenure with envy

Iain Dowie’s managerial career was relatively short-lived and he’s been out of work since 2010 but he certainly impressed during his early years.

The former Northern Ireland international managed six different clubs between 2002 and 2010, and it’s clear that his best days came as Crystal Palace boss between 2003 and 2006 when he led the Eagles to Premier League promotion.

However, his relative success at Selhurst Park meant that he didn’t live up to those same expectations elsewhere, and Palace’s London rivals, Charlton Athletic and QPR, will look back at the former striker’s spell at the Eagles with envy after disappointing spells at the respective clubs.

Charlton Athletic and QPR will look at Iain Dowie’s spell at Crystal Palace with envy

After a spell at Oldham Athletic, Dowie took over at Crystal Palace in December 2003, taking over a side struggling in the lower echelons of the Division One table, with morale clearly low.

However, the Northern Irishman’s arrival saw the Eagles embark on an inspired run of form which saw them win 17 of his first 23 games in charge, taking a side that had been struggling in the lower echelons of the table to sixth place, sneaking into the play-off places.

The fairtytale didn’t end there either, with Dowie’s side defeating Sunderland in the play-off semi-final before beating West Ham in the final at the Millennium Stadium, leading them to a surprise promotion to the Premier League.

Given where Palace were prior to Dowie’s arrival, their resurgence and subsequent promotion to the Premier League was nothing short of remarkable, and he proved his credentials as a manager.

Things didn’t go quite to plan in the top flight and his side were relegated after finishing 18th on the final day of the season, but his Palace side performed well in the Championship the following season, reaching the play-offs yet again before being defeated by eventual play-off winners Watford in the semi-final.

That was to be his final game in charge, and he left by mutual consent in May 2006, joining South London rivals Charlton Athletic ten days later.

The Addicks were a Premier League side at the time and, after a successful spell at Crystal Palace, it looked like a shrewd appointment, but it proved to be anything but.

He took charge of just 15 games before being sacked in November 2006 with the club struggling in the Premier League and having been knocked out of the EFL Cup by Wycombe Wanderers at the quarter-final stage, and that wasn’t to be his last disappointing spell as manager of a London club.

Bradley Wright-Phillips celebrates scoring the winner against Carlisle United

Charlton Athletic should be hunting for rerun of Plymouth Argyle raid in January

Charlton Athletic could do with signing a player that can have the same impact as Bradley Wright-Phillips in January.

After a spell at Coventry City, Dowie took over at QPR ahead of their 2008/09 Championship campaign, but he lasted just 15 games, being sacked in October 2008.

This was a harsher sacking than the one at Charlton, with QPR in ninth position at the time of his sacking, so certainly not struggling, but the Hoops’ hierarchy weren’t impressed, and that brought down the curtain on his time at the club.

Given his success at Palace, his time at Charlton and QPR failed to live up to expectations and supporters of the two clubs will surely look back with envy at what he did elsewhere.

Iain Dowie’s managerial career came to an end soon after QPR spell

Dowie had a brief spell as Alan Shearer’s assistant manager towards the end of the 2008/09 campaign as Newcastle United were relegated from the Premier League, and he suffered yet another relegation from the top-flight the following season.

He joined Hull City as the club’s Football Management Consultant in March 2010 after Phil Brown was placed on gardening leave, but Dowie was unable to help keep them in the Premier League, finishing 19th in the top flight, and that proved his final job in management.

Iain Dowie’s management career
Club	Years
QPR (Caretaker)	1998
Oldham Athletic	2002-03
Crystal Palace	2003-06
Charlton Athletic	2006
Coventry City	2007-08
QPR	2008
Newcastle Untied (Assistant)	2009
Hull City (Football Management Consultant)	2010

Considering Dowie made such a promising start to life as a manager and thrived at Crystal Palace, it was a surprise to see his managerial career come to an end after just eight years, and he instead became a regular feature on Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday programme.

While the ex-Northern Ireland striker may not have had too much success elsewhere, he certainly did well at Palace, and it may have left supporters of other sides envious that he couldn’t quite replicate that at their clubs.

Source link

December 8, 2024

“Nathan Jones strikes me” – Charlton Athletic expected to have quiet January

This article is part of Football League World’s ‘Terrace Talk’ series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

After a strong start to the campaign, it has been a disappointing last month for Nathan Jones’ Charlton Athletic side in League One, who may now be eyeing deals to strengthen the side in next month’s transfer window.

The appointment of Jones was seen as a coup for the Addicks, and after the impact he made at The Valley last season and strong summer recruitment, many believed his side would be among the promotion contenders in the third tier this time around.

However, after losing ground on the play-off picture, the pressure has been increasing on Jones to turn things around. They may well look to January to strengthen the squad in a push for the top-six during the second-half of the campaign.

League One table (as it stands, 3rd December)
	Team	P	GD	Pts
8	Bolton Wanderers	16	-1	27
9	Lincoln City	17	+2	26
10	Mansfield Town	15	+3	24
11	Exeter City	16	-1	23
12	Charlton Athletic	16	0	22
13	Peterborough United	16	+3	21
14	Bristol Rovers	17	-6	21
15	Wigan Athletic	16	+2	20

Charlton Athletic’s January transfer window plans

FLW’s Charlton fan pundit Ben Fleming was asked for his thoughts on how much he believes his side will be looking to spend in January, with the winter window opening in under a month’s time.

He said: “In terms of spending money, I don’t think I can see us spending too much money.

“I don’t think Nathan Jones strikes me as the kind of guy who likes to spend a lot in January.

“We’ve got a decent squad and we have molded it to him, and I think you have to give it the season to fit in.

“We have got a lot of players who are injured and, especially defensively, players who are coming back to full fitness over the Christmas period.

“So I don’t think we necessarily need to go out and buy players to replace them as they return to fitness.

“I don’t think January is ever a good time to be buying anyway. I imagine it will just be a time when clubs are inflating fees because it’s more difficult to replace someone mid-season.

“I don’t think there is any need for us to spend big unless there is a position that Jones really wants to strengthen, or if injuries are worse than we think.

“You know, if Jones is particularly coy about timelines for injuries and we virtually get no team news in that sense.

“I think unless some of those sidelined players that are currently unavailable are far worse? Then we might dip in, but I’d be surprised.”

Charlton Athletic should be hunting for rerun of Plymouth Argyle raid in January

Charlton Athletic could do with signing a player that can have the same impact as Bradley Wright-Phillips in January.

Charlton Athletic’s January transfer window 2025

Charlton have some capable forward players, but with their style of play making them fairly attritional under Jones, there could be argued that there is a need for some more creativity.

Answers to that problem could be found in the market, but also tactically if Jones wishes to take the shackles off his players in an attacking sense to sacrifice some defensive solidity.

Per FotMob, they have the 14th best attack, having generated 17.4 xG across their 16 league matches thus far. Charlton are in danger of fading away into mid-table once again unless they arrest that issue.

It’s no great surprise that the Addicks are yet to score more than two goals in any league fixture so far this season. Aside from that fact, the base level of the squad is strong and should mean they have a more successful campaign this year than last.

A signing or two may be what tips the balance in their favour in a play-off race, or perhaps even better with a strong latter half of the season.

Source link

December 3, 2024

Charlton Athletic predicted to release Chuks Aneke

Charlton Athletic’s league form has taken a downturn after a promising start to the season.

They began brightly, winning four of their first six matches, but that early season momentum has since faded, with just two wins in the following 10 games.

Albeit they saw off ten-man Burton Albion on Tuesday night, Addicks fans will still be expectant of improvements. So far, it is their goalscoring which has let them down, as they average just a goal a game with their top scorer being Matt Godden with five.

January will likely see them look to resurrect these problems, and it could spell the end for long-term servant Chuks Aneke, who has struggled to make an impact in recent years.

To get further insight on whether it could be Aneke’s last year at the club, Football League World spoke to their resident Charlton pundit, Ben Fleming.

Charlton Athletic: Nathan Jones provides update on Miles Leaburn situation

Miles Leaburn was substituted during Charlton Athletic’s 2-1 loss to Huddersfield Town last weekend

Time for Aneke to depart Charlton

Posed the question about the 31-year-olds future, Fleming was quick to admit he believes the striker’s second spell should come to an end in 2025.

“I think, in all likelihood, it will be his final season at the club.

“I was looking at the article from when we signed him, and this is his last year contracted with us. I can’t see a world in which we renew his contract.

“Nathan Jones isn’t one to give out injury news, but he (Aneke) started a few games on the bench, then wasn’t in the squad, and basically hasn’t been seen since—for four or five games.

“It makes no sense to have a player who cannot start games and is incapable of staying fit for long periods. That’s not a slight against him. I would love for him to stay fit, and I’m sure no one is more frustrated or disappointed than him.”

Speaking about the finances behind Aneke, Fleming added: “I would imagine he is one of the better-paid players in the squad, given that he came down from Birmingham. You can’t justify that financial outlay on a player who can’t start games.

“It would take an absolutely miraculous turnaround, where he gets fit in the New Year or the coming weeks, gets some substitute appearances under his belt, and starts at the end of the season. But I just don’t see that happening. Since he has returned to the club, he has not been a consistent starter at any point during this time.

“It is a real shame, as before he moved to Birmingham, he was the most prolific striker in the league by a country mile, looking at goals per 90. But if you can’t stay fit for a sustained period of time, then there’s just no way any club at this level will deem it a necessary risk, especially given the wages I assume he is on.”

Chuks Aneke isn’t the same player

From 2017 to 2021, Aneke proved his worth for Milton Keynes Dons and Charlton, as he persistently scored goals whenever given the opportunity.

Chuks Aneke 2017-2021
Season	Team	Appearances	Goals	Assists
2017-18	MK Dons	35	10	10
2018-19	MK Dons	41	19	3
2019-20	Charlton	20	1	2
2020-21	Charlton	39	15	2

While injuries meant that he could never play a starring role, his “super sub” persona often came in clutch for his sides. Unfortunately, since he returned to the Addicks, his hamstring issues have got even worse to the point where he can’t play persistent games.

This will surely see him depart in June, as he looks to restart his career elsewhere. At 31-years-old, you could argue that he still has some time in football left, and if he can stay injury-free, he could get back to his goalscoring ways.

Source link

November 29, 2024

Charlton Athletic must buck Huddersfield Town, Burton Albion trend

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.

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.

Related

Charlton Athletic: Chris Powell promised “key” role for AFC Bournemouth recruit – he was so accurate

The signing of left-back Rhoys Wiggins contributed to Charlton Athletic’s success during the 2011/12 campaign.

Source link

November 22, 2024

Charlton Athletic’s recent away form in League One (Transfermarkt)
Exeter City	1-1
Barnsley	2-2
Bristol Rovers	3-2
Stevenage	1-0

What Charlton Athletic’s perfect January transfer window looks like

Charlton Athletic have made an underwhelming start to the season in League One, so the January transfer window could be vital if they are going to be among the promotion contenders during the second half of the campaign.

Confidence was high at The Valley after Nathan Jones led the Addicks to three straight victories at the beginning of the season, but they have since dropped to 13th in the table and are without a win in four league games.

Jones will have wanted to replicate the success that he had the last time he was a manager in the third tier, when he assembled a squad that went on to take Luton Town to the Championship during the 2018/19 campaign, but there is a lot of work to be done if Charlton are going to achieve similar success this term.

The Addicks have been struggling with injuries in recent weeks, which has definitely contributed to their disappointing run of form, although they would have hoped to produce better results with the players that were available.

Given the way things have gone so far, and considering the number of absentees in the squad, the upcoming January transfer window could be vitally important if Charlton are going to climb back up the table and be successful during the second half of the season.

Let’s take a look at a few things that would make it a good January transfer window for the club.

Dan Crowley signs

One area of concern for Charlton is the lack of creativity in midfield, especially considering that they have played without wingers so far this term, with summer signing Luke Berry the only one who has contributed more than a single goal during the early months of the campaign.

2024/25 League One stats for Charlton Athletic’s midfielders (ESPN)
Player Name	Appearances	Goals	Assists
Luke Berry	14	4	0
Greg Docherty	13	1	0
Allan Campbell	8	0	1
Conor Coventry	13	0	0
Karoy Anderson	10	0	0
Terry Taylor	4	0	0

Only one of the teams above Charlton in the League One table has scored fewer goals than them this season, suggesting that they need to improve in that department, which is partially down to the impact of the players in the middle of the pitch.

Notts County midfielder Dan Crowley has been a standout player in League Two so far this term, with his performances having earned him the highest average rating on FotMob out of all players in the fourth tier, and he would be a good option for the Addicks to consider in January.

The 27-year-old scored 15 goals and assisted 10 for the Magpies last season, and has made six goal contributions so far during the new campaign, suggesting that he could provide the creative spark that is missing for Charlton at the moment.

Crowley has experience of playing in the Championship for Birmingham City, and helped Hull City gain promotion from the third tier in 2021, so a move to Charlton could be beneficial for both parties as they look to climb back up the divisions.

He is in the final year of his contract at Meadow Lane, so if he doesn’t agree a new deal before the January transfer window opens, Notts County may be willing to negotiate a deal that would represent good value for Charlton.

Lloyd Jones stays at the club

Charlton have really missed centre-back Lloyd Jones while he has been sidelined for the last few weeks, after his no-nonsense performances were key to the Addicks’ impressive defensive record earlier in the season.

The 29-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season, which could potentially attract the interest of other clubs if he does not sign a new deal.

Jones made it clear that he was keen on staying at The Valley in an interview with London News Online earlier this season, but he is yet to extend his stay, meaning that him staying at the club beyond January would currently be part of an ideal scenario ahead of the transfer window.

A right-back signs

Right-back Kayne Ramsay had arguably been Charlton’s best player this season prior to his injury against Stockport County in October.

The defender seemed to have hurt his knee at the time, and while Nathan Jones does not reveal the extent of any injuries that his players suffer, there is concern among supporters that he could be sidelined for quite a while.

The Addicks’ back up option, Tennai Watson, was then forced off just minutes into Charlton’s 2-2 draw with Wrexham the following week, meaning that youngster Zach Mitchell has been covering in that position during the last couple of games despite being more natural at centre-back.

If Ramsay is set to be ruled out for a long time, an ideal transfer window for Charlton could include signing a replacement, perhaps on loan from a club in the Premier League or Championship.

Explained: The exact reason why Charlton Athletic are nicknamed the Addicks

Charlton Athletic have one of the more unique nicknames in the EFL.

Source link

November 16, 2024

“We need to try” – Charlton Athletic transfer demand made to aid Nathan Jones

This article is part of Football League World’s ‘Terrace Talk’ series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Charlton Athletic have enjoyed a mixed start to the 24/25 League One campaign, with the Addicks currently slap bang in the middle of the third tier table.

Nathan Jones’ side lost just one league game throughout October, but three draws out of five saw them lose even more ground on the leading pack, off the back of three successive defeats in September.

A 1-0 victory over Birmingham City has proven they have what it takes to rise to the occasion when it is needed, with the ample quality within the squad rising to the fore when required, and highlighting the talents that Jones has at his disposal.

With that in mind, we spoke to Football League World’s Charlton fan pundit Ben Fleming about his thoughts on the upcoming January transfer window, and just what he would be asking of his club’s board when 2025 gets underway.

Charlton Athletic told to keep hold of top talent to maintain solid start to League One campaign

Athletic boast a squad perfectly capable of challenging further up the League One table as the season progresses, with the London side boasting quality all over the pitch.

With the additions of Matt Godden and Gassan Ahadme joining academy graduates Miles Leaburn and Tyreece Campbell up top over the summer, there is plenty of firepower at the club, with the young stars proving themselves as top EFL talents for the future.

Related

Charlton Athletic face big decisions with the 5 players set to leave The Valley next year

FLW takes a look at the six Charlton Athletic players who are currently set to be out of contract in 2025.

Kayne Ramsay is another summer arrival who has proven his worth since making the move to the capital from Harrogate Town in the summer, with the defender thriving under Jones’ stewardship, with Charlton having one of the best defensive records in the division.

With slight tweaks needed at either end of the pitch to turn draws into victories, Fleming admits he is very happy with the situation the club finds itself in of late, and was keen to keep the current squad intact through January rather than showing a thirst for new arrivals.

When asked of his January demands, the Charlton fan said: “To be honest, I think the business over the summer was good, I think there is a balanced squad in there, and I don’t think there is necessarily a need to add to it too much.

“We could maybe look at sending some of the guys out on loan who aren’t getting as much game time, and maybe look at bringing players in on loan to plug a few injury-related gaps.

Charlton Athletic League One record since August 1st 2023 (TWTD)

Matches

59

Wins

16

Draws

24

Defeats

19

Win %

27.1%

Points per game

1.22

“But mainly I would say we need to try to hold on to our key assets; guys like Kayne Ramsay, Miles Leaburn, someone like Tyreece Campbell could be gathering transfer attention, as well as Thierry Small.

“We have just got to try and keep the squad together, and if the opportunity arises to bring in a player that will add to the quality we can do, but I think we have got a fairly sensible squad.

“Sometimes less is more, and this could be one of the windows where that is the case.”

Drawing games is costing Charlton Athletic once again

Finishing the 90 minutes with the points shared is something that Charlton fans must have become used to over the past 15 months, with no other side coming close to their record of recording draws since the start of the 23/24 League One campaign.

While the Addicks seem capable of pushing towards the top of the table, a lack of ability to put games to bed has seen them end up with 24 draws since August 2023, with plenty of points being dropped as a result.

Of the 20 clubs who have been in the division for the same amount of time, Barnsley and Lincoln City are the pair that come the closest to that record, with 17 spoils being shared when either of those two sides have been on the pitch.

While there is no question that Athletic have the quality to push towards the top of the table, it is a familiar story in terms of dropping points so far this season, as their recent results show.

But with more time to mould the team to his liking, Jones could finally find a consistent winning formula if he manages to keep his side intact for the second-half of the campaign, and live up to their early-season billing as contenders for promotion.

Source link

November 6, 2024
Charlton Athletic’s best and worst case transfer scenarios in January

The outcome of the January transfer window could be vitally important if Charlton Athletic are going to mount a successful promotion push this season.

The Addicks currently find themselves 12th in the League One table, four points adrift of the play-off places. Nathan Jones’ side have only won one of their last seven fixtures, although they are also unbeaten in four ahead of an important run of games against Exeter City, Peterborough United and Huddersfield Town.

Charlton will have faith that they can still make a success of this season, especially considering that their latest league victory came against title-favourites Birmingham City, and the three consecutive draws that followed came against sides that will also be hoping to be in and around the top-six at the end of the 2024/25 campaign.

There is no doubt that the January transfer window could be decisive in terms of Charlton’s final position in League One, with a couple of key players currently due to be out of contract next summer, which could potentially attract the interest of other clubs.

Let’s take a look at a few best and worst case scenarios ahead of the January transfer window.

Worst case: Miles Leaburn leaves

Arguably the worst case scenario for Charlton in January would be Miles Leaburn leaving the club with less than a year remaining on his current deal.

The 20-year-old has recently returned from a long-term hamstring injury which had kept him out since last year, but his physicality and goalscoring ability could be crucial if the Addicks are going to be a threat to the rest of the teams vying for a play-off place during the remainder of the season.

He scored twice against Chelsea Under-21s in midweek as Charlton booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Bristol Street Motors Trophy.

Miles Leaburn’s League One stats for Charlton (Transfermarkt)

Appearances

Goals

Assists

52

15

3

The striker has previously attracted transfer interest from Premier League clubs including Chelsea and Brentford, so it would be no surprise to see a top-flight club make an offer to sign him if he does not sign a new contract before the January transfer window opens.

Best case: Lloyd Jones signs a new contract

A best case scenario for the Addicks would be if centre-back Lloyd Jones signs a new contract ahead of the January transfer window.

The 29-year-old, who is currently sidelined with an injury but should return before the end of the year, recently spoke about his desire to extend his stay at The Valley in an interview with London News Online.

“I’ve got to keep putting in performances – that is my main focus,” said Jones.

“Hopefully if I keep putting in good performances and focus on my football then a new contract will be here. I’ll have to wait and see.

“Football changes so quickly but Charlton is a big club with a great fanbase, a great stadium and a top manager. Everything seems to be falling in place.”

Best case: Tayo Edun leaves and Thierry Small pens a new deal

Another best case scenario for the Addicks would be Tayo Edun leaving the club in January.

If Charlton are going to strengthen their squad, it is highly likely that one or two players will need to move on, and the left-back could be one of them.

Jones already has Josh Edwards and Thierry Small to choose from in that area of the pitch, and Edun has yet to feature in the league so far this season.

Small is another player who is out of contract at the end of the season, and he has plenty of potential at the age of just 20, so him signing a new deal alongside Edun departing would probably be the best case scenario for Charlton.

Related

Charlton Athletic “firework” can become Nathan Jones surprise package

Charlton Athletic signed a player during the summer transfer window who will not be well known by other managers in League One.

Source link

November 3, 2024

Charlton Athletic League One record since August 1st 2023 (TWTD)
Matches	59
Wins	16
Draws	24
Defeats	19
Win %	27.1%
Points per game	1.22

Miles Leaburn’s League One stats for Charlton (Transfermarkt)
52	15	3

Charlton Athletic’s average attendance at The Valley now compared to 10 years ago

The average attendance at The Valley so far this season is the lowest since the COVID-affected 2020/21 campaign.

A lot has changed at Charlton Athletic over the last decade.

The Addicks are no longer owned by Roland Duchatelet, and they now play in League One rather than the Championship, but perhaps the biggest indication of how much they have regressed in the last 10 years is the average attendance at The Valley.

In November 2014, Charlton were inside the top ten in the Championship table under the management of Bob Peeters, with the form of new signings Igor Vetokele and Johann Berg Gudmundsson giving supporters a reason to believe that the 2014/15 season could turn out to be a memorable one.

Despite Peeters being sacked a few months later following a poor run of results, the Addicks managed to finish 12th in the second tier, after a respectable season in which players such as Frederic Bulot, Alou Diarra, and even Francis Coquelin had impressed for the South Londoners.

However, instead of pushing on and establishing themselves as a team that could finish in the top-half of the Championship on a regular basis, they were relegated the following year and have spent eight of the nine seasons since in League One.

The average attendance at The Valley during the 2014/15 season compared to now

Charlton‘s average attendance in the Championship during the 2014/15 season was 16,708, as per Transfermarkt.com, meaning that more than half of their 27,111 capacity stadium was filled on a consistent basis.

So far this season, the average attendance at The Valley for League One games is 12,453, showing that thousands of fans who regularly attended 10 years ago no longer show their support at home fixtures.

Average attendances at The Valley (Transfermarkt)
Season	Competition	Average attendance
2024/25	League One	12,453
2023/24	League One	13,481
2022/23	League One	13,436
2021/22	League One	15,592
2020/21	League One	217
2019/20	Championship	14,884
2018/19	League One	11,827
2017/18	League One	11,846
2016/17	League One	11,162
2015/16	Championship	15,632
2014/15	Championship	16,708

The difference between ten years ago and now could be even bigger if some fans had not been staying away from The Valley in protest of Roland Duchatelet’s ownership during the 2014/15 campaign.

More than 24,500 fans were at The Valley last weekend for the visit of Wrexham, and the 2-2 draw may have enticed some of the new visitors to return for another game before the end of the season, but in every other game so far this season the attendances have been lower than they were on average a decade ago.

Charlton's George Dobson tackles Manchester United's Alejandro Garnacho

“Surprised me the most” – Wrexham AFC star living up to Charlton Athletic reviews

George Dobson is proving an excellent signing for Phil Parkinson’s side

The average attendance in SE7 has slowly decreased each season since it was 15,592 during the Addicks’ 2021/22 League One campaign, while it has not been as high as it was 10 years ago.

It sounds obvious, but Charlton need to improve their performances on the pitch if the average attendance at The Valley is going to increase in the near future.

Their average attendance in the Championship during the 2019/20 season was 14,884, and a number of home games that season were behind closed doors, so it is clear that fans could return if the team played in a higher division.

The Addicks attracted an average of 17,402 spectators during their 2011/12 League One title-winning campaign, in which they accumulated an impressive 101 points, further highlighting that a successful team on the pitch is likely to lure more supporters to The Valley consistently.

Charlton currently find themselves three points outside the play-offs in 11th place in the third tier, so they will need to pick up some good results in their upcoming games if they are going to mount a promotion push this term and bring higher attendances at The Valley.

All figures taken before the weekend of 1-3 November

Source link

November 2, 2024

Charlton Athletic, Birmingham City pride in Ademola Lookman, Jude Bellingham Ballon d’Or rank

The English Football League has enhanced its reputation as a healthy conveyor belt of talent on the world stage in recent years.

From burgeoning academy hotshots to Premier League loanees, a whole host of esteemed global names have spent shares of their formative years cutting their teeth throughout the EFL pyramid.

In particular, we’ve begun to see an increasing number of players emerge from the ranks of EFL clubs; John Stones started off with Barnsley, Ollie Watkins made a name for himself at Exeter City and then with Brentford, Jarrod Bowen launched his career at Hull City, and it all began for Eberechi Eze at QPR.

All four of those EFL graduates represented England at EURO2024, providing fresh reminders of the talent that exists beneath the Premier League.

At this moment in time, though, Charlton Athletic and Birmingham City will be filled with more pride than most following Monday evening’s prestigious Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris, as both Ademola Lookman and Jude Bellingham made the final 30-man list.

Charlton Athletic will be proud of Ademola Lookman following Ballon d’Or nomination

It’s somewhat easier to forget than Bellingham’s memorable one-season impact at Birmingham – but Lookman initially started off with Charlton nearly 10 years ago now.

A product of the Addicks’ academy system, Lookman elevated to the first-team frame and enjoyed a breakout season during the 2015/16 campaign by scoring five goals from 24 Championship appearances for Charlton.

They managed to keep him around in League One following relegation, but Lookman ended up leaving for Everton in January. The versatile forward never quite made the grade at Goodison Park and didn’t fare a lot better at Red Bull Leipzig, who loaned him out to both Fulham and Leicester City before cutting their losses by offloading him to Atalanta in the summer of 2022.

Over in Italy, Lookman has gone from strength-to-strength. He made more than 20 goal involvements across all competitions in each of his first two seasons with the club, and marked his crowning moment by scoring a stunning hat-trick in last term’s 3-0 UEFA Europa League victory over Bayer Leverkusen.

The former Charlton flyer has started this season in a rich vein of form, returning four goals and four assists apiece from just six Serie A matches. His talents were recognised in the game’s grandest ceremony, where he finished 14th in the Ballon d’Or rankings – scoring above the likes of Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, Cole Palmer and Antonio Rudiger.

Charlton, then, have every right to be extremely proud of the success which Lookman has somewhat-unexpectedly enjoyed in his career.

And, as the 27-year-old continues to check off more and more milestones in what’s been a stunning upwards trajectory over the last few years, Charlton will surely be hoping to strike gold with the emergence of another youngster capable of emulating Lookman.

Jude Bellingham’s Ballon d’Or ranking is the latest sign of Birmingham City success

Meanwhile, Blues may not have seen their former prodigy in attendance as Real Madrid boycotted the event after learning that Brazilian forward Vinicus Junior was to lose out on his first Ballon d’Or trophy to Manchester City’s Rodri, but they’ll nonetheless be glowing with pride.

Bellingham, who enjoyed a stunning year at club level with Los Blancos, finished third in the final rankings and had actually been predicted to win the Ballon d’Or by many. His time will come, though. Make no mistake about it.

For the meantime, his status as one of the very best players in world football at 21-years-old has been underlined even further. Birmingham will be extremely proud to see an academy graduate enjoying such storied success at the highest echelons of the game, and they also deserve credit for kick-starting his career.

Jude Bellingham’s career stats across all competitions, as per FotMob
Season	Division	Club	Appearances	Goals	Assists
2019/20	Championship	Birmingham City	44	4	2
2020/21	Bundesliga	Borussia Dortmund	46	4	4
2021/22	Bundesliga	Borussia Dortmund	44	6	13
2022/23	Bundesliga	Borussia Dortmund	42	14	6
2023/24	LaLiga	Real Madrid	42	23	13
2024/25 [as of November 1]	LaLiga	Real Madrid	11	0	3

That’s because many clubs beneath the Category One academy threshold, and particularly those within the EFL, are often susceptible to losing their finest prospects before their graduation to first-team level, but Birmingham were able to retain Bellingham and ended up getting one memorable campaign out of him.

Bellingham, of course, made the step-up to the club’s first-team fold at the tender age of 16 and became the youngest player in Blues history when he debuted against Portsmouth in the EFL Cup aged just 16 years and 38 days before going on to make 44 appearances across all competitions during the 2019/20 campaign.

Jude Bellingham playing for Birmingham City

The midfielder played with both confidence and composure far beyond his youthful years and was duly crowned as the EFL’s Young Player of the Season.

Bellingham, who famously saw his shirt number retired by Birmingham, soon became the most expensive 17-year-old of all time by earning a £25 million move to Borussia Dortmund that summer after reportedly snubbing advances from Manchester United.

Tom Wagner and Tom Brady at St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park

How Birmingham City’s minority owner Tom Brady created a net worth of £350m

The future of Birmingham has been revolutionised by the American takeover.

The rest is history as far as Bellingham’s career is concerned, with the five-star midfielder going on to play a leading role on all fronts for both club and country. It all started at Birmingham, though, and they’ll doubtless accompany Charlton in taking away real pride from Monday.

Source link

November 1, 2024

Lloyd Jones’ League One stats for Charlton (Transfermarkt)
Appearances	Goals	Yellow cards	Red cards	Minutes played
44	3	12	0	3,666

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

Tag: Charlton

Charlton must offer Jones a new contract

It may be a tough decision for Jones if Wycombe make an offer

Charlton Athletic massively hit the jackpot with £3m star and these five others

Charlton Athletic and QPR will look at Iain Dowie’s spell at Crystal Palace with envy

Charlton Athletic should be hunting for rerun of Plymouth Argyle raid in January

Iain Dowie’s managerial career came to an end soon after QPR spell

Charlton Athletic’s January transfer window plans

Charlton Athletic should be hunting for rerun of Plymouth Argyle raid in January

Charlton Athletic’s January transfer window 2025

Charlton Athletic: Nathan Jones provides update on Miles Leaburn situation

Time for Aneke to depart Charlton

Chuks Aneke isn’t the same player

Charlton Athletic have struggled away from home against Huddersfield Town and Burton Albion

Charlton Athletic have been in poor form in League One

Charlton Athletic: Chris Powell promised “key” role for AFC Bournemouth recruit – he was so accurate

Dan Crowley signs

Lloyd Jones stays at the club

A right-back signs

Explained: The exact reason why Charlton Athletic are nicknamed the Addicks

Charlton Athletic told to keep hold of top talent to maintain solid start to League One campaign

Charlton Athletic face big decisions with the 5 players set to leave The Valley next year

Drawing games is costing Charlton Athletic once again

Worst case: Miles Leaburn leaves

Best case: Lloyd Jones signs a new contract

Best case: Tayo Edun leaves and Thierry Small pens a new deal

Charlton Athletic “firework” can become Nathan Jones surprise package

The average attendance at The Valley during the 2014/15 season compared to now

“Surprised me the most” – Wrexham AFC star living up to Charlton Athletic reviews

Charlton Athletic will be proud of Ademola Lookman following Ballon d’Or nomination

Jude Bellingham’s Ballon d’Or ranking is the latest sign of Birmingham City success

How Birmingham City’s minority owner Tom Brady created a net worth of £350m