There's absolutely plenty to be very pleased about.
I've watched every game this season and always felt like we've been in with a shout of properly contesting the result. Even at our worst result vs QPR, it's not unreasonable to say that, after Apter scored, there is a world where we could have got maximum points from that game. We've broadly performed well across the board and the performances have generally all been there. We look very solid defensively and without the ball, continuing what wider fans would expect to see from a Nathan Jones side. We've performed and got results home and away, and in our result on Saturday, added scoring more goals to our repertoire. As so many have said, it genuinely is a really enjoyable time to be a Charlton fan.
However, I still feel like we have to remain (relatively) grounded in our aspirations for the season. It would only take a couple of injuries to say, LJones and Coventry, for our defensive solidity to be challenged. Not to say we don't have some level of depth, but there's a decent number of some of our younger players that haven't played more than a handful of Championship games. We've done really well with what feels like an largely, fully fit squad but as the games rack up, we're almost certainly going to get a few injuries and you just hope that it doesn't come to anyone who'd be in the first couple of names on any NJ team sheet.
We're still in September, so there's an awful lot of football to be played yet. Last season, Coventry were in 21st on 5 points after 7 games and finished in the playoffs - Hull had 9 points and in 12th, and ended up scraping staying up in 21st. Add into this season in particular that no-one is really pulling away at the top, which means the volatility (both up and down) is going to be greater. It adds obvious opportunity to scrap away, get sneaky points and get that outside chance of sneaking into a playoff place - but if the bottom half remains close and anyone beats anyone, suddenly a few losses together can put you right back in trouble. It's going to be that kind of season in the Championship.
I am a lot more hopeful for a middle of the table finish than I was at the start of the season. Anything more than 21st, genuinely, would be huge for this club - after the heartbreak I had in that 2019/20 season of seeing Gallagher come in, see that 4-0 demolition of (ironically, our next opponents) Derby and then deal with everything after that, I just want us to, as a starting point, stay in this league, more than anything else. I don't ever want to see more trips to tinpot League One sides. If we can keep stringing results together, anything is possible. I bet plenty of managers would rather not play NJ in a playoff game.
However, for now, keep going, take it a game at a time and get Xmas out of the way. We are going to lose some more games, but results like Blackburn show we can comfortably compete.
Way too early to call but start has shown we will be fine this season. Considering we were favourites to finish 23rd this season anything above relegation and we’ve had a fantastic year
Comfortable survival is all I expect this season, as it's such a brutal slog the Championship. But then in 12/13, after a couple of rocky moments we finished the season brilliantly, and ended up 9th.
We're currently 6 points ahead of Oxford, and 5 ahead of Derby, that's a good start.
If we stayed up and finished ahead of Wrexham, that would be amazing
I truly find it utterly GLORIOUS that we're ahead of both them and Birmingham - both of whom spent a lot more money than we did. It may not stay that way (particularly for the latter), but I just love how they both thought they were so much better than everyone last season and they are getting a solid dose of reality.
Whoever we play I’d now expect, win lose or draw to have given them a good game. Jones has set us up to primarily be tough to beat, fit as anyone else and fitter than most. Press, chase and counter. If we have an Achilles heel I think it might be our lack of a top striker. No reflection of who we currently have available but we just don’t.
Comments
I've watched every game this season and always felt like we've been in with a shout of properly contesting the result. Even at our worst result vs QPR, it's not unreasonable to say that, after Apter scored, there is a world where we could have got maximum points from that game. We've broadly performed well across the board and the performances have generally all been there. We look very solid defensively and without the ball, continuing what wider fans would expect to see from a Nathan Jones side. We've performed and got results home and away, and in our result on Saturday, added scoring more goals to our repertoire. As so many have said, it genuinely is a really enjoyable time to be a Charlton fan.
However, I still feel like we have to remain (relatively) grounded in our aspirations for the season. It would only take a couple of injuries to say, LJones and Coventry, for our defensive solidity to be challenged. Not to say we don't have some level of depth, but there's a decent number of some of our younger players that haven't played more than a handful of Championship games. We've done really well with what feels like an largely, fully fit squad but as the games rack up, we're almost certainly going to get a few injuries and you just hope that it doesn't come to anyone who'd be in the first couple of names on any NJ team sheet.
We're still in September, so there's an awful lot of football to be played yet. Last season, Coventry were in 21st on 5 points after 7 games and finished in the playoffs - Hull had 9 points and in 12th, and ended up scraping staying up in 21st. Add into this season in particular that no-one is really pulling away at the top, which means the volatility (both up and down) is going to be greater. It adds obvious opportunity to scrap away, get sneaky points and get that outside chance of sneaking into a playoff place - but if the bottom half remains close and anyone beats anyone, suddenly a few losses together can put you right back in trouble. It's going to be that kind of season in the Championship.
I am a lot more hopeful for a middle of the table finish than I was at the start of the season. Anything more than 21st, genuinely, would be huge for this club - after the heartbreak I had in that 2019/20 season of seeing Gallagher come in, see that 4-0 demolition of (ironically, our next opponents) Derby and then deal with everything after that, I just want us to, as a starting point, stay in this league, more than anything else. I don't ever want to see more trips to tinpot League One sides. If we can keep stringing results together, anything is possible. I bet plenty of managers would rather not play NJ in a playoff game.
However, for now, keep going, take it a game at a time and get Xmas out of the way. We are going to lose some more games, but results like Blackburn show we can comfortably compete.
We're currently 6 points ahead of Oxford, and 5 ahead of Derby, that's a good start.
Keep a pretty clean bill of health and get at least 2 of the 5 strikers firing and we could be aiming top half, yes