Valley of Despair

Charlton  were left one point above the drop zone after their latest defeat at The Valley, 0-1 to Bolton Wanderers.

Nathan Jones made six changes from the side which lost 3-0 at Middlesbrough on Saturday, with goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo among those left out.

Chalobah was making his first start since he was injured in the win over Preston on 29 August, which was the last time Charlton picked up three points, but he had an inauspicious return.

With little threat on halfway, he played an aimless ball back towards his own goal and Dalby had enough pace to escape the defence before expertly planting his shot past Will Mannion in goal.

The midfielder was taken off at half-time, but the damage was done as Charlton huffed and puffed in their attempts to get back in the game, after Danny McNamara and Harvey Knibbs had come closest to scoring for them in the first half.

Bolton sat back after the break as Charlie Kelman's header and Conor Coventry's flashing shot were both inches away from levelling, but full debutant Max Lott almost doubled the lead as Bolton menaced on the counter.

The visitors had a tricky moment to survive when goalkeeper Jack Bonham inexplicably picked up Josh Sheehan's back pass, giving the home side an indirect free-kick on the edge of the six-yard box.

Knibbs went for power and Sheehan injured an ankle by bravely hurling himself in front of it, and was forced off a few minutes later, but he had done his job, although Tyreece Campbell curled a shot narrowly side in added time.

Stunned supremo Nathan Jones said: "In terms of endeavour, in terms of work-rate, in terms of passing the football there was zero problem. We've had more possession, more touches in the opposition box, and so many opportunities in and around their box, but we've gifted them a goal - they haven't had to work for it in any way.

"We had no problem all night and then gifted them a goal. Then we just didn't demonstrate enough quality in the final third, with the amount of opportunities we've had to cross it, to put it in areas, corners and free kicks.

"It wasn't any individual. We've probably made more positive substitutions tonight than is humanly possible, but we just didn't demonstrate enough quality. We aren't doing the out-of-possession stuff well enough because we are gifting goals."

 

Parker to West Ham

Scott Parker has been on the fantasy wish list for some Charlton fans, but the former Addick is going to West Ham.

The New York Times reports: 'A deal is in place for Scott Parker to take charge of West Ham United and replace Nuno Espirito Santo, who was sacked on Tuesday. There is hope the former Burnley and Fulham head coach will be in the dugout for West Ham's trip to Cardiff City on Wednesday. Parker’s former West Ham team-mate Mark Noble could be part of his backroom team.'

Will Charlton get the trots?

Shell shocked supremo Nathan Jones has no doubt about the importance of the task against Bolton Wanderers tonight at The Valley.

He told Richard Cawley: 'We have to get a quick reaction. It’s not hope we get a reaction....we have to get a reaction Tuesday and we have to get a reaction Saturday. We can't go another week without winning a game - that is the reality of Championship football.'

'What we need is we need a win. And we need a win quickly. If we get a win then we are able to build on that and slowly turn stuff around. But we need a win.'

'We don’t look the same team defensively as we have done. We press, work hard and organise but then, in the moments, something like the centre-half has to go with the forward, see the run out and defend well. We aren’t doing that at the minute.'

I would certainly endorse that last remark.  The sight of three Charlton defenders retreating in the face of a single advancing Boro forward did not inspire confidence.

The scores for Charlton players against Boro from the FLP varied between 2 and 4.  Usually the range for a team is 6 ro 8.

The Trotters lost 2-3 at home to Bristol City on Saturday.  Supremo Steven Schumacher made eight changes to the side last lost 5-1 to Boro and it didn't seem to work.   However, Bolton's record at home is worse than that away, losing five matches against two.

For what it's worth, at the beginning of the season I forecast a 4-1 loss at Boro and a 2-3 defeat at home to Bolton.

Steven Schumacher insists Wanderers' best chance of Championship success this season is to stay on the attack.  Despite seeing a 2-1 lead evaporate against Bristol City on Saturday, the Bolton boss saw plenty in the performance to feel optimistic as his side head to Charlton Athletic tonight.

The Bolton boss came in for some criticism at the weekend after a positive result slipped the net, with some feeling the Whites should not have gambled so many players forward in the latter stages.

But Schumacher remains adamant that his team can play the fearless football we have seen in the first few months of the season and still meet their objective of staying in the division.

He told the Bolton News: "We haven't got individuals where we can sit back, soak up pressure and counter-attack and rely on a Jarrod Bowen or a Will Lankshear or an Amario Cozier-Duberry to pull something out of the bag.

"We have to do it with numbers because, as I say, we haven't got those individual 1v1 types of players who are match-winners. We have to do it with numbers and bodies forward and pressure.

"Now, with that pressure, obviously, it takes energy for your team to be doing that up and down the pitch for a whole 90 minutes, 100 minutes, whatever it takes.  And then sometimes when you get it wrong, you haven't got as many bodies back. That's just how it is.”

On Charlton he said: “I know they've had a bit of a long time without a win, but again, the games are close,” said Schumacher, who watched the recent home defeat to Norwich. “They are not in games where they're getting blown away. And as I said, they've got a really experienced manager with good players who will find a way to get out of it, I'm sure.”

 

Fans start to smell the coffee

There seems to be an increasing realisation among fans that the problems facing Charlton are more fundamental than the manager and that replacing him will not solve them.

Some fans have interpreted the latest remarks by Nathan Jones as implying that he might leave of his own accord if he doesn't get something out of the next two home games.  We would still be left with the question of a replacement and this is an area where many fans have shown a lack of realism.  Thomas Frank has been mentioned.  A great manager, but he has been in charge of two Premier League clubs and is hardly likely to want to come to a struggling Championship club with no money.

Recruitment was not well handled over the summer.  I don't know how these decisions are taken, but there are surely more people than the manager involved, at the very least the chairman and the chief scout (aka, 'Chapple of rest')   Admittedly, Jones does seem to have quite an influence on the disastrous Skipp decision which has been rightly criticised by Peter Varney.

Varney has pointed out that in the Curbishley/Murray era players were meticulously researched before an approach was made.   The trick was to find good players at clubs who were desperate for the cash, e.g., Dale Stephers (Oldham); Dean Kiely (Bury); Darren Bent (Ipswich).

The budget provided for players over the summer was inadequate.  I am always reluctant to criticise owners for not 'investing' more.  After all, I am not putting any in myself, even though my tax advisers have told me to spend.  However, there is a rational case for the owners being more generous in January to protect their investment.   It is not easy to get value in the January window and the owners might think that good money was chasing bad.

If there is a new manager, he will face a squad largely made up of one fan described as 'has beens' and 'wanna bees'.   Good luck with that.

Player recruitment on the hoof: but who is responsible for the mess?

Former Charlton chief executive Peter Varney, speaking to Richard Cawley, has contrasted the professionalism and meticulous care taken over signings in the Curbishley/Murray era with current practice.

‘If I had gone on the Leicester forums, my argument would be that I think I would not have found a friend for Oliver Skipp.  It feels to me like it is a conversation that starts with: "Who is available?"  It feels like the recruitment is on the hoof. It was the way it worked under Dowie and Pardew - and they ended up out of work.

So how do I assess the value of the current squad?  When it comes to answering my own question, you need to look at what you’ve paid, the length of the deal and wage per week.

Let’s say, for the purposes of explaining this, that we decided we don’t want one of our players that is earning £10k a week. It then becomes about whether you want a fee for the player or do you want to get the £10k off the books?

My contention is that at some point we will want to get a lot of the players that have been signed off the books. So the answer to my question on value is that they don’t have a value. They actually have a cost - because of their wages.

If someone is going to take a punt on Apter or Olaofe, you can forget about getting money. You are probably going to have to subsidise any move. Greg Docherty would have been the same. I imagine his attitude would have been ‘if you want me to go then it will be this figure’.  If £12m has been spent since promotion, would you get £12m back? No.  History will tell if I’m right or wrong.’

There is a very interesting comment by veteran fan Richard Hunt writing from his Czech fastness: ‘Well. Peter didn't mince his words on the current signings. He is clearly critical of the way the money provided has been spent. He admits that he is speaking as a fan, and his views align with most fans about the players he singles out.

I certainly find it hard to believe that we were "watching Ouma for a long time" because as Peter implies, if we had been we'd have known about his questionable behaviour. Don't we take references on players from foreign clubs and leagues? Slavia would not 'fess up about it, but Lech Poznan would. Just takes a phone call.

But then I'm left wondering whom Peter holds responsible for these duff signings. Most people will put the blame on NJ. It usually happens that way. But personally I'd like to know a bit more about our recruitment process before I concluded that, and before NJ becomes another victim of the managerial merry-go-round.

I know sod all professionally about player recruitment but a lot about managerial recruitment, and there is one maxim that has always held true (and from which I made a nice living for 26 years as a management recruiter) : It's easy to fire somebody. Any idiot can do that. The difficult bit is finding a replacement who is better.’

Boro's supremo confident but not complacent

Middlesbrough boss Kim Hellberg says he is "looking forward" to the challenge Charlton will provide them after going to the top of the Championship last weekend.  The 150 year old league leaders return to action eight days after their thumping 5-1 win at Bolton last Friday, in which striker Will Lankshear took his Championship goal tally to 11, while the club have now racked up 27 goals in their first 12 league games.

"You could see on the training pitch there was a lot of positive energy from the players because of the performance [against Bolton]," Hellberg told BBC Radio Tees.

"It gives you a good platform to go out and do a good training, which we have done. Again, there were things that we want to improve from the game, and there were things that we did very, very good.  We go through everything as normal and try to put the right foot in front of the left one and keep walking forward.”

"They [Charlton] are a good side and have a very good coach. I am really looking forward to the challenge on Saturday and to keep improving".

Hellberg also confirmed fit-again striker David Strelec is in contention to face Charlton on Saturday.  Slovakian international Strelec has played just 10 minutes of Championship football this season and has been missing from Boro's matchday squad since their draw with Birmingham last month.

"I think David is a top striker. He has so much quality, and I am very happy having him back now," Helberg said.

Middlesbrough have won 10 of their past 14 league games against Charlton Athletic (D2 L2), keeping six clean sheets across the past 10.   The Addicks won this exact fixture 1-0 last season and will be looking for successive away league wins over Middlesbrough for the first time since April 1965.

Middlesbrough are unbeaten in their past 10 league games (W6 D4). They last had a longer run between March and August 2016 (13), and last did so within the same season in 2011-12 (unbeaten in first 11).

Having won their first three league games this season, Charlton are now winless in nine (D5 L4). The only team in English Football League history to win their opening three games and then have a 10-game winless run are Blackburn Rovers in 1986-87.

Middlesbrough have scored 27 goals across their opening 12 league games this season, last netting more at this stage of a campaign in 1959-60 (30).

We have been told that Charlton have trained well this week, but we have heard that before.

CAFTrust clutch at straws in their preview: https://www.castrust.org/2026/10/charlton-unbeaten-in-3pm-kick-offs/

 

 

Our under 21 coach was a fire fighter for 20 years

Chris Lock, aged 42, is head coach of Charlton Under-21s and part of the England Under-18s setup as assistant coach to Will Antwi, alongside Troy Archibald-Henville.  Lock joined the Fire Service after a pelvic issue ended his dream of playing professionally. He had been at Crystal Palace until he was 16 and switched to Fulham, where he played in the youth ranks in the early 2000s.

Lock experienced some horrific moments during his time with the London Fire Service, regularly responding to house fires and road traffic accidents. He admits that the memories would have started to haunt him if he hadn’t stepped away — back into the world of football.

But the experiences he had as an incident commander, making life-or-death decisions, mean that the highs and lows of football, and being seen as a part of a pioneering group of Black England youth coaches, feel a little less daunting.

It is his upbringing in a mixed-race family in London that Lock believes helps him relate to his young players who come from similar backgrounds and he believes that more diversity in coaching setups would help young players manage their own life pressures.

“I come from a lot of the places where some of the boys come from, whether it be Charlton or England,” Lock told the New York Times for a feature article.

“I was brought up in a council estate in Camberwell. I moved to a terraced house in Thornton Heath. I then went and I lived in a nicer house in Kent in Westerham. Those experiences help me understand where a lot of the boys are coming from and the backgrounds that they have, and how it’s best to deal with them.

“The benefit of diverse experiences is that one coach may look at a player and think he has a bad attitude, or he’s this or that, and I might look at it and say: ‘No, he hasn’t got a bad attitude, that’s actually a protection thing’. He’s used to having to put on that facade because when he walks out of his front door, he doesn’t know whether he’s going to get into a fight or whether he’s going to have a problem with someone around the corner.”