Two years of 'the Welshman'

Nathan Jones has completed two years as Charlton manager and has talked to Richard Cawley.

Asked if there was one part of the job that had given him most satisfaction during his Addicks reign, he replied: “There isn’t one particular aspect. When you come in as a manager and not as a head coach, what we wanted to do was drive the club forward. Not one man can do that - maybe they needed a catalyst and maybe I was the catalyst for that.

“We’ve got a lot of good people. We’ve got owners that are sane and make sane decisions - not kneejerk and back you to a relative level that we’re all comfortable with.”

There is more on Cawley’s Substack page.   For some fans the fact that Jones is still in the job will be a matter for regret, others think it is the sensible decision in the circumstances.

What intrigues me is that Cawley always refers to Jones as ‘the Welshman’.   My nephew’s partner always refers to him as ‘the Welshman’, ‘when I met the Welshman’ etc.

Of course when Curbs was manager some fans were suspicious of the fact that he came from ‘north of the river’.  In fact when my father was born in Lord Street, North Woolwich in 1908 it was part of Kent and the borough of Woolwich.

Are Welshmen that exotic?   One of my granddaughters recently applied for a backroom job with Swansea City, having never previously experienced any interest in sport of any kind.   In fact she had discovered her inner Welsh woman and soon landed a position as financial controller with an Abertawe firm of solicitors.

This was all in spite of her not speaking a word of Cymraeg.   It is a difficult language and one you have to learn while you are young.  My soon to be three great-grand daughter is taught in Valencios (Catalan) in school; speaks passable Dutch acquired from the local expat community, but reverts to English with a Spanish sentence structure at home.

Meanwhile my granddaughter is bidding on a modernised detached double fronted cottage with garden at £170k while her cousin is faced with paying £360k for a shoebox in Oxfordshire.  Actually their Spanish-based cousin has outpaced them as she got her first mortgage in England at 19 and has bought a three bedroom apartment for 125,000 euros.

But to return to my main theme, how useful is a knowledge of Welsh?   A couple of years back I did some consultancy for a client in Swansea.  They were happy with what I did and wanted me to do more, but no money was forthcoming.   I then had the idea of getting one of my nephews whose first language is Welsh to write an email and I got paid in 24 hours.

I have been summoned to give evidence to Senedd committees on a couple of occasions and the first time there was a great deal of tut tutting when it was discovered that I didn’t speak Welsh and an urgent call was put out for a translator.   In fact on both occasions all the questions I was asked were in English, but my fellow witness, a rural solicitor, insisted on speaking Welsh.

To revert to our manager, his mercurial qualities are a marked contrast with the cooler style of Cutbs.   Some fans like the manager to be passionate; others prefer a more analytical approach. How much it has to do with nationality is a moot point.

Cawley reckons we could stay up

Gloomsters were stating last month that we were 'already relegated' which puzzled me as we were not in a relegation position and never have been.

Richard Cawley has got his calculator out and notes: 'Charlton have averaged 1.2 points per game from their last 10 matches. If they are able to maintain that for the remaining 16 fixtures this season then they will collect another 19 points.'

He notes that every season is different and this is one where financial penalties have come into play.  The average required for 21st place in the Championship over the last 15 seasons is 45 points.

If 51 points is the safety margin, that is 'eminently doable' for Charlton. 

'What offers encouragement is that Charlton are beginning to compete again. There had been a passivity in some of their losses, particularly at Millwall.   But since the squad has been strengthened at the back end of the transfer window, Harry Clarke and Luke Chambers strengthening their wing-back options, and players have returned from injury, the intensity of their play has improved.'

This will please some Charlton supporters, but annoy the more pessimistic and negative.

Addicks survive late scare to secure point

Charlton remained 17th after tonight;s 0-0 draw with Queens Park Rangers at The Valley, but edged four points above the relegation positions.

Both keepers made vital saves and 'last ditch' Dykes lived up to his name when he cleared a potential Super Hoops stoppage time winner off the line.

QPR did not manage a shot on target in the first half, but were stronger towards the end of the game.

The hosts went closest early on and Walsh did well to save Luke Chambers' free-kick at his near post before he made a fantastic point-blank stop with his trailing left leg to deny Coady on the former England man's second Addicks appearance.

Dykes and Sonny Carey each also had a couple of efforts and it was all Charlton.

But Walsh frustrated them almost single-handedly and he touched over a right-foot shot from ex-Ranger Charlie Kelman before foiling another Chambers effort.

Walsh denied Dykes again after the interval, parrying his right-foot volley and Dunne knocked the loose ball behind as the striker tried to pounce on the rebound.

Rangers badly missed their injured 10-goal top scorer Rumarn Burrell but still almost nicked the three points during a rousing finale in stoppage time.

Thomas Kaminski made a fine stop to keep out a Rayan Kolli effort, while Steve Cook and Richard Kone went close with headers before Dykes hacked a Dunne header, deflected off Carey, off the line.

Narhan Jones said: "In the last eight minutes I'm happy with a point, in the previous 90 minutes I'm really disappointed we haven't won the game.

"I thought we were really good first half, just without having that cutting edge quality to have scored one or two - that can happen.    In the second half we had some really good chances, their keeper made some good saves, and then we stopped doing the things we were good at and allowed them to come into the game.

"I thought their subs had a greater effect than ours, they had a couple of chances, cleared one off the line, that would have been a travesty."

The Covered End regaled the visiting fans with a chant of 'You're just a bus stop in Fulham.'

I had thought that Lord Toby Young might use his Spectator column today to have a pop at Charlton.  After all his fellow columnist and Millwall supporter Rod Liddle drags out his tired old tropes about anoraks and train spotters from time to time.

However, Rick Everitt's adversary had other matters to comment on having been named in the Epstein files   Others must judge whether his defence was as watertight as that of his team tonight: as various sources called for him to be investigated, he claimed that the person he knew was Maxwell and she got him into Epstein's contact book.

Lord Young emphatically denies that has ever met Epstein, travelled on the so-called 'Lolita Express' aeroplane or visited what he terms 'Paedo Island.'

Lord Young's match report is here: https://tobyyoung.substack.com/p/charlton-0-0-qpr

Why we need the 12th man tonight

The initial reaction to our win at Leicester was so negative from some supporters that it confirmed my suspicion that what they really enjoy is slagging off the manager or individual players.

My concern is that tonight is that after the first mistake, or even worse a conceded goal, the crowd will start to get on the players' backs.   We need the 12th man tonight.

The importance of the crowd is brought home by this except from a recent article in The Athletic: 

'Home crowds airing their frustration is nothing new, and the tension, especially for those teams chasing the title or trying to avoid relegation, will only increase as the season races towards crunch time.

Whether it is Arsenal fans lamenting a defeat to United or Tottenham supporters calling for Frank to go, disgruntlement from the stands in your own stadium can trickle down to the players.

Dan Abrahams, a global sports psychologist who has worked with some of the biggest names in football, is all too familiar with how tension among the spectators can impact what is happening on the pitch.

Speaking generally and not specifically about one club, Abrahams tells The Athletic: “Numerous case studies demonstrate that crowd behaviour can absolutely influence the players.

“When you spend time with players and you talk to them about this, there are some who will say that they can’t hear anything (from the stands), they’re focused on the game, or they can hear it and it doesn’t impact them, or they can hear it and it does impact them.

“We are designed to pick up on cues, so we look around us, and we judge what other people think about us. In a football scenario, that could be a crowd, so tension in the crowd can absolutely impact tension on the pitch. Feelings on the pitch can distract players, and they can evoke anxiety and a stress response. They can impact technical coordination, tactical awareness, anticipation, decision making, all the aspects that are so important.”

In a dream world, Abrahams notes, fans would only be positive towards their club’s players, which, in turn, could lead to better performances and results — but that will never be the reality.

“If you can wave a magic wand and have everybody in the stadium supporting the team from the first minute to the last minute, irrespective of what goes on on the pitch, that would be your ideal scenario,” he says. “But people will say they pay their money and that the players are paid well and living out their dream. People will say they are entitled to their opinion, so that would be a fantasy world.'

Opinions, yes, but also hope and belief. 

Supremo excited about Sichenge signing

Nathan Jones seems as excited as some Kenyans about new signing Collins Sichenge who may make his debut against the Super Hoops tonight.    CAS Trust has even extended a welcome to new Kenyan members.

Jones says he is athletic and has good technical ability.    He has settled in well with the other players.  Getting a centre bank with Championship experience could cost 35 to 40 million pounds.   The club had hoped to sign the Kenyan last May.

Jones said that Sichenge was hungry for success, but all his all round game needed polishing.

Charlton have a good record at home against QPR so at least a draw should be possible tonight.   We have lost just one of our last ten home league games against the Super Hoops and have won the last three without conceding.  Away from home QPR have won four, drawn five and lost six.

Leicester have been complaining that their six point deduction was disproportionate but many pundits were forecasting nine points,

CAS Trust point out that QPR are an incredibly attacking side, but also solid at the back: https://www.castrust.org/2026/02/every-minute-matters-on-friday-night/

Transfer window went better than hoped for

For me, Collins Sichenge is one of the most interesting signings Charlton have made so far.  For once they have looked outside the box and signed someone from Europe who hails from Africa.

Richard Cawley has commented: 'Sichenje had been the subject of interest from Luton Town and MLS side Colorado Rapids.   One experienced recruitment source told us that the player is “one of the most athletic centre-backs in Europe” but added he could be “very erratic”. It is a case of backing the judgement of Jones and head of recruitment Phil Chapple.'

And, of course, many fans are reluctant to give any credit to Jones or 'Chapple of Rest'.

I think signing Conor Coady was a smart move.  He brings commitment, steel and energy to a faltering defence.  He may have slowed down a bit, but he has a football brain.  He is prepared to tell other players what to do.

I have not heard of any reports of supporters in despair at the departure of Karoy Anderson on loan.

The move of Ademola Lookman to Atlético should give us some money, although I have no idea how much.

The January transfer window is a tricky one to operate in and this is one of Charlton's better performances in my opinion, but no doubt many will disagree.

With the third smallest budget in a very competitive division, anything better than relegation is a considerable achievement.

Crossbar challenge or fans squaring up on the pitch?

Should the crossbar challenge be suspended for Friday’s game against QPR so that Hoops top fan Lord Toby Young of Acton and VOTV fanzine editor Rick Everitt can square up on the pitch?   Young challenged Everitt to a confrontation on Margate beach earlier in the season.

Toby Young is a genuine QPR fan.  He lives in West London and goes to away matches in places like Hull accompanied by his 17-year old son who has to write up their adventures in a blog.   The travails of QPR are a regular theme of his column in the Spectator.   If the Super Hoops do win, the noble lord opens a £80 bottle of wine: no cheap plonk for him.  Fortunately for his budget, they don’t win too often.

To give some context, those of you have been watching the banking bonkathon Industry will recall that a recent episode involved a team of financial services predators heading off from Canary Wharf to persuade an Austrian aristo to surrender control of his private bank.  He lived in a weird castle with paintings by A Hitler on the walls.

The verdict was that if some of his neo Nazi views could be given a platform in Britain he might look more favourably on the takeover.   Someone mentioned the Spectator, but the quick response was that a magazine that carried articles on ‘Why I love the Wehrmacht’ would not fit the bill.  (Eventually, he got published in a Daily Mail/Telegraph type newspaper).

The Speccie certainly has some eccentric writers, particularly favouring Catholic reactionaries who want to question whether the Pope is a Catholic.  No articles have yet appeared on the toilet habits of bears who live in the woods.

Young is the head of the Free Speech Union which many believe exists primarily to give him a platform.   (His father, Lord Young of Dartington, was a really smart guy).

Anyway, Young decided to attack Everitt in his column as a ‘town hall tyrant’.   I’m not sure that being leader of a district council gives you that much power and while even some Addicks dislike the Rickster, he is hardly a threat to western civilisation as we know it.

Young challenged Everitt to meet him on Margate beach at 10.30 on a Tuesday morning.   The idea of two men in their early 60s having handbags at six paces on a windswept beach seems a little ludicrous to me.   Everitt sensibly refused to have anything to do with this bizarre publicity stunt and Young returned to London fulminating about a wasted day.

The really odd thing about all this is that I don’t think Young has realised that his adversary is an Addick.   Friday would give him a chance to put that right.   The winner could receive a bottle of Chateau Charlton Athletic.

Maynard-Brewer impresses on debut

Ashley Maynard-Brewer made his debut for Dundee United today, having only just been measured for his kilt and had his first meal of haggis and chips.

Maynard-Brewer saw his side go down 0-3 to league leaders Hearts having been reduced to nine men.

He failed to save a penalty, but BBC Radio Scotland was positive above him: 'The one positive to come from the game was the performance of Maynard-Brewer, who made eight saves in total and looked capable of solving what has been a problem position this season.'

Why the moanfest?

Perhaps I should have expected it, but I was taken aback by the wave of negativity from keyboard warriors after the win at Leicester.   Only one game, we only won because we were up against ten men etc.

It seems that many fans enjoy their football most when the club is failing.   One fan characterised it as a ‘moanfest’.  But perhaps it isn’t just a Charlton phenomenon?   The following extract is from today’s Sunday Times article written by Martin Samuel.   He starts with booing at the Royal Opera House when the lead singer had to withdraw during the performance because of illness.

‘There is anger surrounding almost every club this season, but how many are in genuine crisis? Very few. There is an ocean of difference between a club battling for existence, such as Sheffield Wednesday or Morecambe, and one having a rotten season. Yet reactions are very similar: sack the manager, sack the board, protest, boycott.

Fans stayed away from Blackburn Rovers’ match with Watford last weekend, with the 11,640 crowd a 16.7 per cent fall on the season’s average. Think that helped?

“League Two football with proper owners would be better than this,” said Jamie Hoyles, of the Rovers Trust. Better than what? Blackburn aren’t going out of business. They’re having a bad year. Last May, they were in the play-off places with 30 minutes of the season to go, until conceding at Sheffield United.

 They sold players in the summer and recruited unwisely on the cheap with the technical department in disarray. Big mistakes were made. But to wish for League Two? Why catastrophise?

Even trailing at half-time is now deemed unacceptable. The boos drown any other noise. When did it come to this? ‘

I was reading an article recently about someone who had emigrated to Western Australia (admittedly a great place) and said that one reason was that people in the UK seemed so miserable and always looking for someone to blame.  ‘Broken Britain’ doesn’t seem such a bad place to live to me, although the constant rain recently is a drag.

Moaners confounded as Leicester are outfoxed

Andy King made a losing start as Leicester City interim boss after Charlton capitalised on Caleb Okoli's red card to ease their Championship relegation fears.    It was a difficult afternoon for the club’s many moaners,

Okoli was dismissed after just 15 minutes for pulling back Miles Leaburn, and Charlton took full advantage through Sonny Carey and Lyndon Dykes goals to climb further away from the drop zone.

The 2-0 defeat added to the sense of misery at Leicester after Marti Cifuentes was sacked on Sunday following their shock home loss to Oxford.

Jordan Ayew hit the post from a second-half penalty to compound the Foxes' woes when they threatened a comeback.

Conor Coady, written off as useless by  armchair managers, impressed on his Charlton debut as a holding midfielder against his former side following his loan move from Wrexham, and Nathan Jones will be delighted with his side's response after he accused them of treating last weekend's defaat by Millwall "as a day in the sun".

The game's decisive moment came when Okoli was rightly shown a straight red card for pulling back Leaburn when the Foxes defender was the last man.

And after Harry Clarke had a header controversially disallowed for a foul by Leaburn, Charlton's top scorer Carey gave them the lead in the 36th minute with his seventh goal of the season.

Clarke swung in a cross from the right and Carey lifted the ball over Ricardo Pereira with his first touch before volleying home left-footed with his second.

Leicester were a mess, and in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time, 'last ditch' Dykes steered home Luke Chambers' cross right-footed to register his first Addicks goal since joining from Birmingham just over two weeks ago.

Leicester rallied in the second half, but spurned a glorious chance to haul themselves back into the game on 56 minutes when Ayew hit the post from a penalty after Abdul Fatawu was pulled back by Amari'i Bell.

Thomas Kaminski saved a 20-yard drive from Pereira, and many unhappy Leicester fans left the King Power Stadium before full-time.

Avatar Desmond from Deal said: ‘I was looking forward to Charlton getting thumped and Jones getting the sack.   In my view he still hasn’t a clue, but he always manages to get lucky results when he needs them.;

Relieved supremo Nathan Jones told BBC Radio London: '“That's a massive win, the result was everything today.  Last week [losing 4-0 to Millwall] was damning, it was really hurtful to the football club. One, because of who we played, two, because of the manner of it, and three, because we care.

"I'm immersed in this football club, so it hurts me because I live and breathe this club, so I wanted to have a reaction today.

"Miles [Leaburn] was clean in and got pulled back, a definite red. That kind of changed the complexion of the game, but I'm really pleased because we wanted to be aggressive against them and put it on them."

“That's a massive win, the result was everything today.  Last week [losing 4-0 to Millwall] was damning, it was really hurtful to the football club. One, because of who we played, two, because of the manner of it, and three, because we care.

"I'm immersed in this football club, so it hurts me because I live and breathe this club, so I wanted to have a reaction today.

"Miles [Leaburn] was clean in and got pulled back, a definite red. That kind of changed the complexion of the game, but I'm really pleased because we wanted to be aggressive against them and put it on them."

Conor Coady wants to make a difference

Conor Coady was quickly written off by many Charlton fans before he has kicked a ball as is so often the case with new recuits who are suffocated by the miasma of negativity that rolls in from the Thames.   Too slow, too old etc.

However, at least he has a passion for the game and a wish to make a difference at Charlton as is evident from his interview with Richard Cawley.

“I’m not getting any younger but I can give a lot in different aspects.    I  want to play as many games as I possibly can but that won’t affect what I do in that dressing room, how I talk, how I try to help the lads and bring people together. That is just my personality.

“You will never catch me having a cob on. I will always try and drive and push people as far as I can.  I want to get the club further up the table.  If I can make even one per cent difference it will be worth it.”

He talked to a few players who had worked with Nathan Jones (fortunately not to any Charlton fans who would have told him he hasn't a clue).   "A few people rang me and told me how good he is to work with and how passionate and detailed he is when it comes to football. That’s something I’m all about - I love the detail. Football is my life."

There may be something in Kenyan player story

I was sceptcal yesterday, but it appears there may be something in stories suggesting that Charlton are on the verge of signing their first Kenyan player.

There have been reports that Charlton have agreed a deal with Serbian side Vojvodina for Kenyan centre-back Collins Sichenje.  That includes claims that he has passed a medical and will cost in the region of £2 million.

Last week Jones told Richard Cawley that a link to Junior Ligue, who moved this week from FC Zurich to Venezia, was wide of the mark.*  He was more guarded on Sichenje, only responding: “Anything happens on that we’ll let you know as soon as we can.”

The Kenyan defender has spoken about the move to The Star, a publication in his home country: “I want to challenge myself in the Championship. It’s a demanding league, and I believe I can make an impact here."

Cawley  has heard that Brighton are still trying to get a deal for Micah Mbick over the line.

 “That is between Brighton and the football club,” said Jones, when asked if the Premier League club were pushing for an agreement. “What it means is that our development structure for Micah Mbick and our progression for him has been excellent - because a top Premier League club is trying to buy our players. That is what we want to do.

“If we’d kept Micah here and played him in the U21s and used him sporadically, would we have been able to do that? There is the proof in the pudding of what we do - how we’re building a football club and assets. How we’re developing assets and keeping this football club moving forward.

In his interview with Cawley;s website Jones has denied falling out with Rob Apter or other signings. Well he would, wouldn't he?  

*I still think theee was at least some Charlton interest in Logue.  German language sites aren't going to run stories about Charlton, a club that perhaps twenty or thirty people in the German-speaking countries know about,

Charlton at risk of being outfoxed

In a weak league Leicester City were expected to be more competitive, and Cifuentes was identified as the man to help pull it all together. He’s the latest manager to have lost his job, after the club held boardroom talks over the weekend and came to the conclusion that it was time for a change.

Leicester’s owner, Aiyawatt “Top” Srivaddhanaprabha, attended the last game and witnessed the growing level of frustration inside King Power Stadium as supporters turned on those in positions of power at the club.

Leicester also face a points deduction this season for allegedly breaching profit and sustainability rules, and are restricted to signing loan players in this transfer window. If this bad run of form continues, they will also be nervously looking over their shoulder and with other clubs finding a way to pick up points, that’s quickly becoming a concern.

Leicester will be looking to achieve a league double over Charlton for the first time since 1981-82 (also in the second division), having won 1-0 at The Valley earlier this season.  Charlton have only won one of their past 10 away league matches against Leicester (D5 L4), with that lone victory coming in February 2013 under Chris Powell (a 2-1 win in the Championship).

Leicester haven't kept a clean sheet in the Championship since a 0-0 draw with league leaders Coventry in September 2025, going 23 matches without one. Since the start of last season, they have the lowest clean sheet percentage (9%) of any team in England's top four tiers (6/67).  They have conceded 17 goals at homem scoring 20.

Since the start of November, only West Brom have fewer points (1) in Championship away games than Charlton (2). The Addicks are one of only three sides without an away win in this period (D2 L6), along with West Brom and Sheffield Wednesday.

Abdul Fatawu has the most goal involvements and assists for Leicester in the Championship this season (13 - 6 goals, 7 assists), while his 74 completed dribbles are at least 22 more than any other player in the division (Mikey Johnston, 52).

CAS Trust sees both danger and opportunity in the visit to Leicester: https://www.castrust.org/2026/01/can-the-new-faces-beat-the-winter-blues/

Managerial search

Leicester’s search for a manager shows the challenges that even a club of their size face in finding a suitable replacement.  Numerous potential candidates have become immediately linked with the Leicester post, with Gary Rowett and Derek McInnes amongst the first of those to be reported.

The latter is currently overseeing a Scottish Premiership title charge with Hearts having penned a new long-term contract at the end of last season, whilst Rowett is now available on the managerial market after he was dismissed by Oxford on December 23^rd.

However, when asked about links to the managerial post at his former club, which he played for 57 times between 2000 and 2002, the 51-year-old kept his cards extremely close to his chest.

Russell Martin was identified as a potential replacement for Ruud Van Nistelrooy last summer before Leicester moved to hand Cifuentes an initial three-year contract at the King Power, and the former Southampton and Rangers boss has, once again, become linked with the role having been out of work for three months.

Oh, the quality!

It's the silly season!

That's the verdict of journo Richard Cawley.   He has been obliged to deny rumours that Lloyd Jones is leaving the club.

AI is making things worse: 'As of late January 2026, Kenyan defender Collins Sichenje is set to join English Championship side Charlton Athletic from Serbian club FK Vojvodina for approximately €1.9 million (approx. Sh291-293 million). The 22-year-old Harambee Stars centre-back, known for his physicality and versatility, is expected to become the first Kenyan player at the London club.'

Good clickbait, but there's nothing in it. 

Changing managers in the Championship has mixed results

The New York Times has run a feature on managerial turnover in the Championship.   Charlton are too unimportant a club for them to mention, but the ‘Jones out’ crowd will be heartened by their view that more changes are on the way.  However, the evidence of a new managerial bounce seems to be mixed to say the least.

'Of the 24 managers to start the season in charge of a Championship club, only 15 remain.

The relentless and ruthless nature of England’s second tier suggests there will probably be further casualties before the end of the season, too. Over a third of the total sackings (25) across the four divisions in England have been in the Championship, with Leicester City, West Bromwich Albion, Oxford United, Southampton, Swansea City, Norwich City, Watford, and Sheffield United all pulling the plug after experiencing struggles.

Of the eight clubs to move a manager on, seven make up the bottom 11 positions in the Championship, with Watford, who have a managerial recruitment policy as unpredictable as the league itself, the only exception.

So were the clubs who sacked managers right to make a change? Or has it backfired? The revolving door is once again swinging rapidly with as many manager exits in the Championship as both League One and League Two combined. The New York Times assesses what’s happened so far in another chaotic season.

The outcome of changing managers during the season varies across the league. There are a couple of clubs who have benefited from the change, others who remain largely the same, and in West Bromwich Albion’s case (although it’s very early days), the situation has deteriorated further, which goes against any theory of a new-manager ‘bounce’.'

Signings and departures don't go well

The latest signings and departures have not got down well with Charlton fans.  Apter's signing seems to have been a costly mistake.  Fans say he should have played more, but we don't see how players perform in training. 

Among incoming players, let's just consider the merits of Jayden Fevrier.   Richard Cawley has asked a local journo from 'oop north to give his views.  You can get the full sp on his Substack page, but here is an excerpt: '

'He is an athlete. When he is on it then he can be very impactful and explosive.

He is a bit chaotic - wildcard is a great description. I’ve seen him leave full-backs on their backside on the turf and then he’s stuck the ball in the net or crossed it for a goal. We have seen it happen. It just hasn’t happened enough.

But if he can go somewhere else, for a fresh start, and get a run of games - even if it is a consistent run of coming off the bench for 25-30 minutes - then I don’t doubt there is something there.

If someone can unlock it on a more regular basis then he can be such an exciting player. In the home game against Lincoln just before the end of the season he scored and got two assists as Stockport came back from 2-0 to win 3-2 and he also looked really good against Leyton Orient in the play-offs.'

The signing of Conor Coady has been confirmed by the club.  Critics think he is too slow.

The latest complaint from fans is that the owners 'lack ambition'.   It always amuses me when fans make this allegation.  I am not prepared to spend any money on transfers or the wages of new players and I think that goes for most fans.   So why should owners be expected to throw good money after bad?

The owners have tried to attract additional investment, but the prospect of hyper critical fans hardly helps.

Just think back on the owners we have had:

• A group who planned to sell The Valley and build a soulless stadium near North Greenwich tube.
• The barmy Belgian, still a weight round our neck.
• Opportunists whose conduct fell below the highest standards of probity.
• An American narcissist who has now been arrested on allegations of fraud and detained as a flight risk.   (Unfortunately not Trump).

'Journeyman' Garry did us proud

Richard Cawley has a great interview on his Substack page with Garry Nelson.  He says that he loved his five years at Charlton - and I think most of the fans loved him.   And to think we signed him for £50,000.

Nelson was thoroughly professional and always tried his hardest.   His book Left Foot Forward, albeit he now admits that it was ghost written, is one of my favourite football books.   The sequel on being player-manager at Torquay United is also worth reading.   I expect you can get copies on AbeBooks cheaply.

More innocent and more enjoyable times.

Has Jones lost the dressing room?

A resurgent Norwich have sent Charlton down to 19th.  Gloom and doom merchants are claiming that Jones has lost the dressing room.   What does this contemporary football cliché actually mean?

I doubt that those who make this claim have actually spoken to any players, but I suppose their point is that the performance on the pitch says it all.   Yet these players are paid good money to do something they presumably enjoy.  It seems a bit childish to go into a collective sulk.

It also reflects the modern obsession with the manager, although in fact his scope has been reduced in modern times, particularly in bigger clubs.   The fashion for sacking managers has become so widespread that the Financial Times had to write its lead editorial about it: https://footballeconomyv2.blogspot.com/2026/01/the-football-manager-as-human-sacrifice.html

BTW. the Pink Un's coverage of football is quite sparse (generally one story per issue) but is among the best there is,.

I think that the arrival of electronic football management games led many fans to think that the manager actually controls the players on the pitch.

Charlton's greatest successes have come when we have had managers in place for the long term: Seed;  Lawrence; Curbishley.  (I would add Chris Powell, but he was undermined by the barmy Belgian).

Even Curbs was not perfect: he tended to make substitutions too late in the game and didn't take competitions like the league cup, where we could have progressed, seriously enough.

The owners are not so daft that they are going to pay Jones a big compensation payment.  If we do get relegated, I think he may well then leave by mutual consent.

Jones make mistakes: all managers do.   Personally I prefer the cooler style of a Curbishley.   But it is very difficult for a League One+ outfit to survive in the Championship.

BTW, the New York Times has just listed what it regards as the three longest suffering fan bases in English football: Preston North End (or Preston Never Ever); Bristol Rovers; and Darlington.

Scottish club to sign keeper

It looks as if third choice Charlton keeper Ashley Maynard-Brewe is about to sign for Dundee United  A decent keeper, but lost his confidence after being kicked in the head.

Fans are more concerned about rumours that Rob Aoter may return on loan to Blackpool.  Unconfirmed reports suggest that Bolton Wanderers and Wigan Athletic may be interested.   He may be happier back in the north-west.

+ 

Leicester act to avoid curse of Charlton

Leicester City have taken preemptive action to sack their manager and avoid the curse of Charlton before Saturday's clash at the King Power.  Of course, many vociferous Charlton fans would like to see a double sacking.

Leicester City are in the hunt for another new manager after sacking Martí Cifuentes on Sunday. Cifuentes was barracked by supporters at the King Power Stadium as his club’s season plunged to a new low on Saturday. A limp and error-strewn 2-1 defeat by relegation-threatened Oxford left Leicester 14th in the Championship before Sunday’s results — almost as close to the drop zone as the promotion play-off spots.

The club’s hierarchy, led by owner Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha — known as “Top” — appreciate the challenges faced by Cifuentes since taking over in the summer after relegation from the Premier League

However, with a return to the top flight remaining a faint ambition this season, their feeling is that a squad still packed with international players, and those with Premier League experience, should be performing significantly better.

Fan sentiment was not lost on the hierarchy either. During the Oxford defeat, supporters chanted at their beleaguered manager, “Sacked in the morning” and “We want Martí out”.

He is their sixth manager in three years which hardly suggests that frequent changes of manager are a recipe for success.

Charlton remain 18th

Charlton remain 18th in the Championship after yesterday's results.   This is not a relegation position, although to listen to some Charlton fans you would think it is.   However, the teams around us are not necesarily invincible.

The 'Jones out' crowd have not come up with a single name as a replacement other than retread Lee Bowyer and there is no reason to suppose that he is available or would want the job if he was.

Perhaps we should advertise on the following lines: 'Relegation threatened club seesk quality manager.  Squad is thin and kow quality and funds available are insufficient.   Fans are hyper critical, negative and prone to pessimism.  Club does not own stadium or training ground.'

Millwall have benefitted from consistent and sensible ownership.   We have had the barmy Belgium and two sets of 'investors' who might be described in the immediate post-war period as 'spivs'.

I still think it's 50/50 whether we are relegated but we are a League One outfit competing in Premier Division 2.

Predictable and deserved defeat

Charlton went down to a predictable but deserved 4-0 defeat at The New Den this afternoon.   The Addicks were comprehensively outplayed.

The defence was not up to the job although the players in front did not help very much.  There was very little creativity going forward.

The home support chanted 'You're getting sacked in the morning' but no quality manager is going to want to come to a relegation threatened club.  It's difficult for a club the size of Charlton to survive in the modern Championship.

Usual talk from fans about 'losing the dressing room'.  How do they know?

By the time of the final whistle the away end had emptied out.  The 3,300 Addicks had had enough.

Stoppage-time goals from Luke Cundle and Aidomo Emakhu wrapped up a big Championship win for Millwall against London rivals Charlton Athletic at The Den.

An early own goal from Addicks defender Kayne Ramsay had put the Lions in front, with Femi Azeez and Josh Coburn missing golden chances to add to their lead before the break.

Azeez then had a headed finish ruled out for offside before defender Caleb Taylor nodded in a well-deserved second with nine minutes remaining.

The hosts won a penalty kick in the final minute of the game, with Thomas Kaminski saving from Camiel Neghli but Cundle converted the rebound, before Emakhu finished neatly in the corner one minute later to put extra gloss on the scoreline.

Nathan Jones has apologised to the fans, admitting 'Today we showed every deficiency we possibly could and even some we didn't know we had.  Every Millwall player was more aggressive than us.  We were out fought and out run.   We have gone backwards in recent weeks.'

BTW, for those of us who have to listen on audio Steve Brown does have a bit of an agenda, i.e. that no defence is as good as in his day.  The jaunty but banal music that was played at half time reminded me of the music that would be used by emergency broadcasting in the event of war.

Wake up and smell the coffee - it's Americano

The Chicago Addick recently commented 'As a fanbase we can be bloody negative and it’s starting to grate on me..'   I know how  he feels.  Charlton fans don't seem to grasp how much the modern game has changed to the disadvantage of clubs like Charlton.

First, consider parachute payments which have a big distorting effect on the Championship.   Analysis conducted by BDO found that the average number of points achieved by the three clubs promoted to the Premier League has been on a steady decline since 1996 – and for the past two successive seasons all three clubs promoted to the Premier League have gone straight back down in the following season.

However, the reverse is true for clubs relegated to the Championship where there has been a gradual increase in the points haul by relegated clubs. These trends reflect the disparity in the cost of competition (wages and transfer fees) between the two leagues, as well as the distorting impact that parachute payments make for clubs leaving the Premier League.

Then consider how American investors are pouring into English football.  For example, Hartlepool United has recently been acquired by an American investor.   An offer has been made for Tranmere Rovers.   Private equity is increasingly moving into football. These days you need to be a billionaire to revive a football club or at least create a global brand as Wrexham have done so successfully.   The New York Times can't get enough of them.

We are doing well to be 18th in the Championship.

A foregone conclusion

Needless to saym Millwall are the favourites to win tomorrow’s encounter at The Den at 5/6, giving them an implied win probability of 55%. Charlton are 18/5 to take the away win while a draw is 23/10.

Charlton have lost nine of their past 12 away league games against Millwall (W1 D2), losing their past three in succession. Their only victory during that time came with a 2-0 success in December 1995.

Having lost three of their first four home league games this season (W1), Millwall have now lost just one of their past 10 at The Den (W7 D2).

Charlton have won just one of their past 18 away London derbies in the Championship (D5 L12), conceding at least twice in each of their past six.

CAS Trust try to extract some hope from the fact that Millwall are expected to win: https://www.castrust.org/2026/01/to-be-or-not-to-be-our-day/

Matty Godden is hoping to be in his neighbours’ bad books this weekend - with the Charlton Athletic striker living on the same road as Millwall supporters.  The Kent-based striker recently returned from a knee injury which had sidelined him since the League One play-off final win over Leyton Orient.

Godden has scored for previous club Coventry City at The Den. He got the first in a 3-0 victory over the Lions in November 2023 and also struck in a 3-2 reverse in August 2022.

,”I’ve got Millwall fans either side of me at home so it’s important for me - I know what it means for the club and for the community,” he told Charlton’s official website. “We’ll be going out there and giving it everything we’ve got.

Richard Cawley reports that Lincoln City are bidding for Deji Elerewe.  Now at Bromley, there is a sell  on clause.

Rumoured increase in Brighton offer for Mbick

A report is claiming that Brighton are now prepared to offer £5m for Micah Mbick, but I would be cautious about its reliability: https://www.sportsboom.co.uk/football/transfer-news/exclusive-brighton-have-opened-up-a-5million-to-try-and-sign-charltons-micah-mbick

It is possible that Brighton might be willing to make a third offer, but the devil is in the detail.  How much would be up front?  How much would be conditional on first team appearances?   How much would be a share of any selling on fee?

For now the club is right to hold on to this promising player.

New left back is injury prone

New left back Luke Chambers looks like he will be keeping the infamous Sparrows Lane treatment table busy.  That's why I thought Swiss starlet Junior Logue was a better bet.

Luke Chambers arrives from Liverpool on loan for the remainder of the season. The 21-year-old from Preston has previously had spells with Wigan Athletic and Kilmarnock.  Chambers joined the Reds’ academy at the age of six and made his senior debut against Leicester in the EFL Cup in September 2023.

Capped by England at multiple age groups from U15 to U20, he also represented Liverpool in 2023 Europa League fixtures - wins over Toulouse (5-1) and LASK Linz (4-0) as well as a loss to Union St Gilloise.

Chambers returned to Wigan at the start of the following campaign but a back injury limited him to just 13 matches.  After playing the opening 10 league games he was ruled out in early October. Chambers made his return on March 8 but the comeback lasted two matches, ending after a 70-minute runout in a 2-1 loss at The Valley.

Wigan boss Ryan Lowe announced that Chambers had headed back to Liverpool at the start of April.  He added: “He’s had another recurrence of the injury and his season will be done.”He was just not quite right. I know he came back from his injury and he played under Glenn [Whelan].

“But after that, he wasn’t really right. We could see he wasn’t really right in training. He came to see me and said he didn’t feel right, we then spoke to Liverpool, and he obviously wasn’t right."

Charlton linked with Zurich left back

German language sites are linking Charlton with 20-year old left back Junior Ligue.   The FC Zurich player is a Swiss Under 21 international.  He would come in on a loan with a possible permanent role in the summer.

Charlton made a second offer for the player on Wednesday: 'Und der 20-Jährige nutzt die freie Zeit offenbar ziemlich gut. Nach Informationen von 4-4-2.ch gibt es aus England konkretes Interesse an Ligue. Charlton Athletic hat am Mittwoch bereits das zweite Angebot für Ligue abgegeben.'

It's 45 years now since I was playing Cold War games in Berlin, but I think I have the essence right!

In the event Charlton have signed Luke Chambers from Liverpool, I just hope he isn't injury prone: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c62rvyv6dlqo

Nathan Jones says he had never even heard the player's name.   All I would say is that it's a strange story for German sites to invent given that there is virtually zero interest in Charlton in Switzerland.

Injury worries grow

Lloyd Jones had to be taken off at half time yesterday as a precaution as he rolled his ankle at the weekend.   He is unlikely to be available for Saturday's derby at Millwall.

Shell shocked supremo Nathan Jones says that the Josh Edwards injury is far worse than feared, news he described as 'catastrophic'.

Harvey Knibbs has not broken anything, but he has damaged his ankle ligaments and will be out for some time.

The latest line by Jones critics is that he does not know his best team, but it is no easy task to pick a best team from a thin squad.

As for those who call for the owners to show 'ambition', I am not spending any of my money on new players and I doubt whether other supporters are.

One piece of good news is that the new football regulator is going to focus on parachute payments as his first target.   They have such a distorting effect on the Championship.

Valley despair

Charlton remain in 18tth place just four points about the relegation zone after a 1-2 defeat by Derby County at The Valley tonight.  An own goal from Macaulay Gillesphey handed the Rams a half-time lead before Bobby Clark doubled the advantage after an hour.  Charlton responded through Tyreece Campbell's long-range strike, but could not find an equaliser despite late pressure and a man advantage with Derby defender Matt Clarke receiving a second yellow card late on.

Derby striker Patrick Agyemang revealed after the Rams' 1-0 win at Preston North End on Saturday how upset he was missing an open goal despite eventually scoring the winner at Deepdale.

The USA international was crucial to the visitors' opener he drove into the six-yard box from the left and fizzed in a shot which forced the unfortunate Gillesphey to turn the ball into his own net.

Derby still remained the more threatening side before the interval, with Agyemang's fellow forwards Ben Brereton Diaz and Corey Blackett-Taylor both going close.

Charlton manager Nathan Jones made two changes at the break, but the Addicks were caught out again as this time Clark raced through to finish clinically past Thomas Kaminski from Brereton Diaz's through ball.

Campbell reignited home hopes however with a fierce effort from distance that flew in off the post and gave Richard O'Donnell no chance.

Derby were reduced to 10 men for the last few minutes as Clarke was given a second booking for a poor tackle on Kayne Ramsay.  It set up a nervy ending but the visitors defended resolutely to see out a valuable away win and close the gap to the top six.

The attendance was the lowest league gate at The Valley this season even with nearly 2,000 Rams present.

Interest in third choice keeper

Ashley Maynard-Brewer may be offered the kilt in this transfer window.  Richard Cawley reports that at least one Scottish club is interested in Charlton's third choice stopper.

Maynard-Brewer had an extended spell on loan at Ross County before their fall down to the Championship where the Staggies are struggling  However, his spell there was interrupted by a broken nose.  Returning to the Dingwall (population 6,000) club might not be an attractive proposition.

However, local sources suggest that some players are moving south of the border so there may be room for recruitment.

Australian Maynard-Brewer was originally with a club in Jondaloop which is a northern suburb of Perth WA.  I recall staying at a golf club there where the greens were populated by kangatoos.

Maynard-Brewer was recommended to then chief scout Chapple by former Australian Addicks keeper Andy Petterson, arriving in SE7 at the age of fifteen.

He has had six loans while at Charlton, but has made 87 appearances for the Addicks.  He ranks sixth for appearances in the current squad.

Nathan Jones has previously said that he wants to retain three senior keepers.

Seagulls swoop for Mbick

According to The Athletic Brighton have made an offer worth a total of £3.5m for 19-year old Addicks striker Micah Mbick.

He is on loan to Colchester United and Charlton's intention is that he should stay there for the rest of the season.

Brighton like to buy promising young players either to develop them for their own first team or to sell them on.

The Seagulls may make an enhanced offer.

Stand by for Ram raid

Derby County actually have a better away than home record, having won six games away and lost just four.  We have played a lot of games against the Rams (including one FA Cup final) and have won 32, losing 39 and drawing 21.   We have won just three of the last eight encounters at The Valley.

The two teams are actually next to each other in the form table, but Charlton will have to improve substantially on last Saturday's performance to get something from this game.   Derby won 1-0 at Preston.

Perhaps Matt Godden can come on as impact sub after his cameo on Saturday.

Mitchell hands in kilt

Zach Mitchell is heading home from Hibernian, having hardly played.  In an earlier post, our Scottish correspondent, Angus from Portobello who is a Hibernian fan, expressed surprise that more use had not been made of him.

Congratulations to Lloyd Jones on making the Football League Paper Championship team of the week.

Three key points

Charlton have gone ahead of the Baggies in the table after their 1-0 win over nine man Sheffield United at The Valley this afternoon.   They are on the same number of points as today's opponents and Swansea City and are just one point behind Southampton.   Pundits had confidently forecast a Blades win.

Sonny Carey scored the only goal as Charlton Athletic beat Sheffield United after the Blades had two players sent off in the first half at the Valley.

El Hadji Djibril Soumare was shown a straight red card for a late challenge that resulted in Harvey Knibbs leaving the pitch on a stretcher.

Captain Japhet Tanganga was then shown a straight red in first-half injury-time as he went into an aerial challenge with Carey leading with his elbow.

The Addicks needed less than a minute after the break to take advantage of the extra players, with Carey smashing in his seventh goal of the season.

Despite never really taking a full grip of the game and facing a late rally from the visitors, Nathan Jones' side earned a valuable three points.   The fact Charlton ended the first half against a team with nine players with zero shots shows just how one-sided the opening period of this match was.

Until the 35th minute, Sheffield United were in total control. Addicks keeper Thomas Kaminski was called into early action to save efforts from Patrick Bamford and Tom Cannon before Tyler Bindon headed wide.

But the game changed when Soumare caught Knibbs on the ankle with a late challenge that resulted in referee Oliver Langford brandishing what would we be his first red card of the day.

The Addicks will have to wait to find out the full damage extent of the injury suffered by their 26-year-old midfielder but the sight of him leaving the pitch on a stretcher will gave dismayed home fans.

Twelve minutes later, in first-half stoppage time, United were down to nine as it was Tanganga's turn to leave the field.

It was the first time since March 2011 against Watford they have had two players sent off in the first half of a match.

New signing Lyndon Dykes was sent on for the hosts at the break and was soon celebrating an assist with his first touch the club, nodding down Macaulay Gillesphey's ball in for Carey to thump it into the net in front of the Covered End.

Miles Leaburn and Tyreece Campbell both had multiple chances as the Addicks looked to secure the points but the longer it remained 1-0, the more uncomfortable it became for the home side.

However, Jones' side were able to see out the final minutes and have now gone three games without defeat, moving level with the Blades on 32 points.

Jones frankly admitted: 'We could’ve been better today. There was an anxiousness every time we had the ball - we had to go central, we had to score, we had to go long and we had to put it in the box. That is not how you win games. I’m proud we won the game. Could we all have made better choices? Absolutely.'

Let's take tje three points and move on to another key challenge against Derby.   There were some positives.  'Last Ditch' Dykes showed that he can contribute and Godden had a cameo.

Dowie admits: it wasn't rocket science

Iain Dowie was interviewed on You Tube recently as part of The Managers series and Richard Cawley notes the replies of the rocket scientist:

‘I was putting the Christmas tree up at my house and the chairman rang me (to sack him). To be fair, it was justified. We had signed some decent players. In the end I didn't win enough league games and do well enough.’

‘Simon [Jordan] served an order (writ) in the press conference, so you're already behind the eight ball. "I probably didn't realise the Palace-Charlton rivalry, it got brought up in a big way.’

 ‘Curbs did a very good job and Nathan [Jones] is there now. They are still a very big football club and hopefully it will bounce back.’

 ‘You take it on the chin. I didn't do enough things right. I got embroiled and concentrated on the wrong things. The club was brilliant with me. It just didn't work out and most of it is my fault.’

Blades sharpen up for three points

Most pundits are forecasting a win for Sheffield United at The Valley tomorrow, the consensus being a 1-2 scoreline.

The Sheffield Star sees it as a golden chance to reboot the Blades' promotion bid:

'Ahead of Saturday’s trip to The Valley to face Charlton Athletic, the Blades find themselves nine points shy of sixth-placed Watford with 21 games to go. With 63 points to play for, their promotion dream is still very much alive.

As manager Chris Wilder would no doubt say himself, there is no such thing as an easy game in the Championship, meaning the Blades will have to be at 100 per cent each and every week if they are to extend their season come May.

Of course, though, there are some fixtures on the calendar that look easier than others, and this weekend’s trip to Charlton, with respect, is a contest that United really ought to be taking three points from if they are serious about storming their way through the pack and securing a top six berth.

The Addicks, who won 1-0 at Bramall Lane in Wilder’s first game back in charge of the Blades in September, have been on a downward spiral since the beginning of November, winning just two of their last 13 league matches, losing seven. Winning just ten points during that period, only Sheffield Wednesday (five) have won fewer.

Since their September meeting in horrendous conditions at Bramall Lane, both sides have moved in opposite directions, with United currently three places and three points above the Addicks in the standings. Charlton moved 12 places and eight points above the Blades after winning 1-0 in S2.

With United now tracking in the right direction, enjoying a solid run of form since the November international break, the Blades will travel to the capital on Saturday afternoon as favourites to scoop all three points.

However, when it has come to facing newly promoted teams on the road since the beginning of last season, United have not had an awful lot of success, winning just one of their last five games against Championship newcomers.

Last season, when coming up against the newly promoted teams on the road, the Blades only managed to get the better of Derby County, winning 1-0 at Pride Park in February, while they drew 0-0 with Portsmouth and lost 1-0 at Oxford United.

So far this campaign, the Blades have been beaten 2-1 by Birmingham City on the road, albeit in the Carabao Cup, and were on the wrong end of a 5-3 scoreline against Wrexham at the Racecourse Ground on Boxing Day.

Charlton, as highlighted with their win at Bramall Lane on the sixth weekend of the campaign, started this season in positive fashion, feeding off the surge in momentum generated by beating Leyton Orient in last season’s League One play-off final. However, they have been on a downward spiral since the October international break.

On the flip side, they did earn a point in their recent clash with Coventry City at The Valley, drawing 1-1 on New Year’s Day, highlighting their ability to match the division’s big hitters.

Nevertheless, United should look at Saturday’s trip to The Valley as an opportunity to try and close the gap on the top six.'

Let's hope pride comes before a fall.

CAS Trust point out that the Blades aee prone to condeding goals, no fewer than four against mighty Mansfield in the FA Cup last weekend, although no doubt they will be looking to compensate for that defeat: https://www.castrust.org/2026/01/sheffield-united/