Defeat in the Welsh capital sees Charlton slip down the table

Cardiff City secured their first league win back in the Championship, as Jack Moylan scored twice on the way to a 3-1 victory over Charlton Athletic.   The Addicks fell to 8^th in the table pending this afternoon’s results.   Richard Cawley commented that Charlton were clearly second best.

However, they are still ahead of Millwall.  After going 2-0 ahead at the Toolbox, an improved performance by West Ham in the second half saw them score two goals.  ‘Last Ditch’ Dykes had an opportunity to make it 3-2 at the death but sent the ball way over the goal.   The whole occasion was degraded by commentary from Ian Dowie, proving that there is life after football death.

The commentators in the preamble to the televised WSL match at The Valley noted that Charlton were a club and team used to adversity on and off the pitch.  And so it proved with the Addicks going down 1-4 to the well-funded London City Lionesses.   At least they scored their first WSL goal and it was a stunner from distance.

The attendance was sparse at The Valley and many Addicks departed at dawn to make the trek to Cardiff.  Fortunately, the national border is free of controls for now.

In the Welsh capital, the Bluebirds took the lead after eight minutes, as Alex Robertson found Yousef Salech on the edge of the Charlton box, and the Cardiff striker's deft touch played through Moylan, who in turn found the bottom corner.

The hosts had their second midway through the first half, when Moylan turned provider for Salech, who shrugged off Tyler Bindon before beating Okonkwo from close range.

Charlton found a route back into the game before the half-hour mark, as Bindon's through ball played in Tyreece Campbell, and the Jamaica international slid the ball under Nathan Trott to halve the deficit.

Cardiff almost had their third two minutes later in an increasingly end-to-end first half, but Moylan was denied a clean sight of goal by an excellent last-ditch block from Charlton skipper Lloyd Jones.

The Bluebirds should have restored their two-goal cushion on 38 minutes as Moylan's header at the back post was clawed off the line by Okonkwo, only for Joel Colwill to get the rebound all wrong and miss the target from six yards out.

And the visitors once again had Okonkwo to thank for keeping the score 2-1 with half-time approaching, as the on-loan Wrexham goalkeeper scrambled across his line to stop what looked destined to be Salech's second of the game.

Having seen his side struggle as the first half wore on, Charlton boss Nathan Jones made two changes at the break as Amari'i Bell and Timothy Ouma replaced Milenic Ali and Bindon.

And it was the visitors who had the first big chance of the second half, as former Cardiff man Karlan Grant was played through on goal but could only find the side-netting.

The Bluebirds responded with a good chance of their own, Joel Bagan's cross finding Colwill at the back post, but Okonkwo was equal to the effort once again.

After seeing countless chances come and go, Cardiff eventually restored their two-goal lead on the hour mark, as summer-signing Moylan smashed an effort in off the post from the edge of the 18-yard box.

Bagan came close to adding a fourth for the Bluebirds, but his effort curled away from the far post and behind for a goal-kick.  Ollie Tanner was next to threaten, as he drove into the Charlton box and beat Bell but was denied by the outstretched leg of Okonkwo.

Charlton rarely threatened in the second half but should have pulled one back when substitute Charlie Kelman found himself one-on-one with Trott; however, he was denied what would have been a goal with his first touch by the Cardiff keeper.

Moylan almost added a spectacular fourth, but his curling effort from distance drifted just wide before he was replaced to a standing ovation by the home supporters, Calum Scanlon coming on in his place.

Victory for the Bluebirds ends what has been a tough return to the second flight, but they go into the international break having broken their winless streak at the eighth time of asking.

For Charlton, it is now five games without a win, having previously sat top of the Championship after three successive victories to start the campaign.

AI avatar Desmond from Deal says: ‘At least the three week international break will give the board the time to sack Jones and find a quality replacement.’

 

 

Another draw at Cardiff?

Nathan Jones goes to his native heath tomorrow for the match at Cardiff.   Charlton fans may want to read the result off the table, but it is too early in the season for that, indeed I always think it is a bad idea.   I suspect that it may confirm Charlton's status as draw specialists.

Perhaps not a bad time to be away from South-East London as 400 police are being deployed to the dockers' derby at the Toolbox.

The Bluebirds are yet to win a league game since returning to the second tier this season while Charlton's early form has deserted them with no victory from their past four outings

Each of the past three league matches between Cardiff City and Charlton Athletic have been drawn, with this the first since a 0-0 stalemate in June 2020.  Charlton have lost five of their past six away league games at Welsh clubs (D1), although their last win was at Cardiff in March 2015 (2-1).

Along with Burnley, Cardiff are one of two sides yet to win a game in the Championship this season (P7 W0 D4 L3). Only in 1964-65 (11), 1989-90 (8), and 2018-19 (8) have the Bluebirds ever failed to win their first 8+ games of a league campaign.

Charlton are winless in four league games (D3 L1), failing to score in their past three – the Addicks' longest scoreless streak since March 2023 (4 in a row).

Only Millwall (58.5%) have won a higher proportion of their aerial duels in the Championship so far this season than Charlton (54.8%), while only Lincoln (1,907) have attempted fewer passes than the Addicks (2,190).

Four Four Two predicted a 18th place finish for Cardiff at the beginning of the season, saying that their limitations may restrict progress.  The fan forecast mid-table.  He also named Nathan Jones as pantomime villain: 'He is a Cardiff fan and incredibly dramatic.'

Presumably he can reply to any insults in Cymraeg.

NYT looks at prospects for sale of Charlton franchise

Andrew Umbers, a partner at London-based Oakwell Sports Advisory, has talked to the New York Times about seeking investors in Charlton.

“The introduction of tighter financial rules and increased regulation has made English football more attractive to sophisticated, professional investors, not less attractive, as those investors value good governance and don’t like risk,” said Umbers, whose firm is running the process to sell Championship side Charlton Athletic.   [My understanding is that the search is for an additional investor, but a really good ownership offer would be considered].

He also believes the much-anticipated agreement on a new financial distribution deal between the Premier League and the EFL will make the latter’s clubs more desirable. And he was not the only expert to make this point.

However, another interviewee warned: “The Championship is the most expensive lottery ticket in world sport. A wage-bill built for a promotion push does not shrink when the promotion doesn’t arrive, and by year three you are running a Premier League cost base on Championship revenue.”

“It is very easy to make money in PowerPoint and Excel — the model always says yes. Then you own the club and find out how hard it is — your best striker has a hamstring strain, your manager has an agent, your supporters have an opinion, and none of those three things is in the spreadsheet. Everyone thought player-trading is easy and you can copy Moneyball.  I’ve lost count of people who got that part of their investment thesis wrong.”

Any prospective buyer of the Addicks would soon find out that the franchise only consisted of EFL membership and the players with the stadium and training ground leased.

Bowyer: 'The Den never fazed me.'

A wintry midweek night in Huddersfield, a thin scattering of Addicks in the away end. Suddenly Lee Bowyer, then at Leeds, appears in the row in front of me.   As he says in an interview with Richard Cawley, ‘I’m an ordinary sort of guy.’   (As I recall, we won).

The first of this fascinating two-part interview covers his career as a player, the second part will look at his time managing at Charlton.  As a taster, I am reproducing his remarks on playing at the rust bucket.

Bowyer was sent off at The Den – Kim Grant scored twice to secure maximum points - against Millwall. Bowyer produced an acrobatic finish in the return fixture, in March 1996, as Charlton once again prevailed 2-0. It is the last time Charlton have vanquished the Lions.

So did he feel intimidated playing at the Lions’ home ground?   [aka 'The Rust Bucket'] “I was fearless,” said Bowyer. “The Den never fazed me. My red card was down to my inexperience and being naive. I got sent off for two bookable offences and I never touched either player.

“I went to make a tackle, Alex Rae laid the ball off, jumped in the air and I got booked. If I had been further along in my career then I would never have made that mistake - I wouldn’t even have tried to make the second tackle (on Ricky Newman).

“It was a good goal at The Valley. Almost an overhead kick - with my left foot. I don’t even know how I did it, but it went in. The most important thing was that we beat them.

“It’s madness we haven’t done it again.   That still hurts me now, because I’ve been manager (at Charlton). Both times we lost against them by one goal. I remember the home game during Covid. We started the better side, had some half-chances before the match evened itself out. Late on their centre-half Jake Cooper smashed in after a ricochet. I was thinking: ‘Wow, you don’t deserve that’. That’s football though - it is the way it goes.”

On other matters, thanks to Charlton scourge Lord Young of Acton (‘Tobes’) reaching out and offering to host me at a home game at Loftus Road.   Thanks, but no thanks.  But I regard our little feud as being over.   He is an authentic football fan, even if he has the misfortune to support QPR.

 

Josh Edwards back on the pitch

Richard Cawley reports: 'Some excellent news on Sunday, with Josh Edwards making his playing return in Charlton U21s’ 2-2 draw against Sheffield Wednesday.The Scottish full-back, who has not featured at first-team level for pretty much a year due to an ankle injury, got 45 minutes under his belt at Hillsborough.'

I have now had time to check what Lord Young of Acton had to said about QPR's draw at The Valley (we were also honoured by the presence of Giles Coren and his son): 'with the treatment room filling up we need to be beating teams like Charlton. Tougher opposition will be coming our way after the break and we’re unlikely to replicate dominant displays like this. After a flying start, the R’s are reverting to type and another mid-table finish now looks more likely than the play-offs.'

I shall be looking out for any more attacks on Charlton or Rick Everitt in the Spectator, but it looks as if Lord Gove has given up his campaign.

Euell takes charge in the Championship

Following the sacking of Paul Heckingbottom, Jason Euell has been appointed interim first team coach at Preston North End.  His first challenge before the international break is a trip to QPR.

Jason has most recently had a coaching role at Cambridge United, before then he was at Bristol City.

The Lillywhites are currently second bottom of the Championship after six defeats in seven games.  A club statement said that 'Football is a results business.'

Game better than the score

Millenic Alli was guilty of a glaring miss against his former club Portsmouth to the delight of their fans as the Addicks failed to take their chances at The Valley.    However, moaners have been relatively quiet as it was felt that the performance was better than the score.    Campbell put in a number of good crosses but there was no red shirt to connect.

In any event Charlton are still 6th in the table and most fans would have taken that at the start of the season.   It was certainly not a bore draw despite the scoreline replicating that against QPR.

Alli was on loan at Portsmouth last season before his £1.5m summer move from Luton Town and he squandered a great opportunity to break the deadlock when he blazed over from close range.

Charlton have not lost a Championship game at home since 22 April and dropped a place to sixth, but they will feel they could have taken all three points to maintain their fine start to the season.

Conor Shaughnessy, Abu Kamara and Adrian Segecic went closest for Portsmouth and the draw continues to inch John Mousinho's side away from the bottom end of the table.

Charlton created the better chances, while Portsmouth shaded possession without doing much with the ball, and Pompey goalkeeper Daniel Bielica saved Miles Leaburn's shot low down.  Leaburn, Tyreece Campbell and Oliver Skipp missed chances before Bielica saved Karlan Grant's fierce drive.

Then came Alli's moment to forget. In the 32nd minute, Campbell crossed to the Irish winger, who ballooned his shot over from just six yards out to the delight of the away fans, who booed him mercilessly because of his disappointing loan spell with them during the second half of last season.

Alli was also denied by Bielica, while Charlton goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo kept out a Shaughnessy header from Portsmouth's first effort on target just before half-time.

Spurred on by that effort, Kamara forced a save from Okonkwo just 18 seconds into the second half with a shot from the edge of the area.

Portsmouth might have snatched it late on through Segecic, who should have done better when his shot from close range was saved by Okonkwo to earn another clean sheet.

There was some criticism of Charlton making only one substitution.

Nathan Jones told BBC Radio London:

"I thought the performance was really good. In the first half especially, I thought we were really fluid. I thought we created some excellent chances, some really good situations.

"We looked a threat and we controlled the game. I thought our midfield two were excellent, our wide players carried a threat, and we probably had the only absolute clear chance of the game, and it was a clear-cut chance.

"In terms of that, we're probably just a little bit frustrated we haven't won it because I think if we'd have scored the first goal, then we're very difficult to beat here."