Football Season Guide

Charlton ultimately achieved the main objective of survival in their first season back in the Championship, but it was far from plain sailing in the end. The Addicks made a terrific start to the campaign which saw them hovering in and around the play-off spots all the way up until the winter, but the element of surprise as the new boys coming up from League One quickly faded. Teams began to figure them out and results suffered dramatically. Only a victory over Hull on the penultimate gameweek of the season saw them scrape over the line to survival. Head coach Nathan Jones divides opinion across the game and sometimes even amongst his club’s own fanbase. The Welshman’s pragmatic style of play was not the easiest on the eye at times, but Charlton kept an impressive 13 clean sheets last season – only five teams in the Championship had more. A solid defensive base is always ideal to have as a newly-promoted side. Charlton’s possession and attacking stats were among the lowest in the division. Jones continued insistence that he ultimately wants his teams to play “front-footed” football will come under more scrutiny this season. Bringing academy graduate Karlan Grant back to the club looks a shrewd signing, having established himself as a proven attacker in the Championship since leaving Southeast London in 2019. The Addicks still lack an out-and-out goalscorer, whilst creativity from midfield is also an issue that needs to be addressed. The positive aspect of ending the previous campaign so poorly is that Charlton won’t be lulled into a false sense of security and will be on guard to avoid the dreaded “second season syndrome” that many promoted clubs endure. One characteristic that manager Jones certainly doesn’t lack is self-confidence and if he can build on the foundations set last season, it could be a more comfortable ride for Addicks supporters this time around.