Charlton Athletic

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Charlton Athletic manager Nathan Jones has said he feels "let down" by the officials at Deepdale following his side's 2-0 away loss to Preston.

Efforts from Thierry Small and Daniel Jebbison ended Charlton's four game unbeaten run but Jones felt aggrieved especially by Small's goal to which he felt there was a foul in the build up.

The former Southampton manager was booked at full time for confronting referee James Linington.

"They scored the first goal—forget the second, because we were trying to chase the game, changed shape, tried to go after it - but it's always going to be about the first goal.

"I got let down by a decision of the officials. They then went up the other side and scored, and that's my real disappointment.

On what he said to the referee at full time, Jones said: "Literally didn't say anything to him, but apparently, I'll get clarity on why I've been booked, because I don't know—I didn't say anything.

"I said, I'm going to come in and see you, [with] my arms at my side, no dissent, nothing at all about being booked. It's easy for them to do pretty much what they want.

"They can cost us a game or make decisions that contribute heavily to us losing, but I'm the one that gets punished—and double punished. So I'll go in and get clarity, because I have no idea why I've been booked."

These two sides have made bright starts to the Championship campaign with Preston unbeaten at home and Charlton having not lost in their past four matches.

• Preston North End have won each of their past four league games against Charlton Athletic, with this their first meeting with the London side since a 2-1 victory in January 2020.

• Charlton Athletic have won just one of their past 20 away league games against Preston North End since 1955 (D5 L14).

• Preston North End have kept two clean sheets in their past three Championship matches, as many as they kept in their previous 19 league games.

• Charlton Athletic have won just two of their past seven league matches (D3 L2), this after winning five of their six league matches prior to this run (L1).

• James Bree has been involved in 50% of Charlton Athletic's goals in the Championship this season (4/8), providing two assists and scoring two goals for the Addicks.

Charlton Athletic managing director Jim Rodwell says he is delighted with how the newly-promoted Championship side's summer player recruitment panned out.

The Addicks brought in 11 new faces after promotion from League One through the play-offs - and sit ninth in the table with a 12-point haul from eight games.

"It's been an immensely rewarding summer, but it's been incredibly hectic, incredibly busy," Rodwell told BBC Radio London.

"Clearly, we start off behind the eight ball [after the play-off final] but it's been good, we're incredibly privileged to be in this position and we wouldn't change it for anything.

"A lot of people worked incredibly hard last season to make this happen and this summer was testing, it was trying, but ultimately rewarding.

"We absolutely had two plans, a plan to play in League One and a plan to be in the Championship. We knew the players we wanted to sign, we had two budgets so we'd done the work, doing the work is the reasonably easy bit.

"We had a fixed plan, but you've got to execute it in less time you ordinarily might have done if you had won automatic promotion.

"I think we got promoted on a Sunday and I met [head coach] Nathan Jones on the Monday morning afterwards, with slightly sore heads in a cafe in Greenwich and that's when we started."

Listen to the full interview and more on BBC Sounds.

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, Rex Features

Cast your mind back to February 2024 when Charlton Athletic last visited Pride Park.

Nathan Jones had only recently joined us and the club were in a precarious position. There were real fears about relegation to League Two, but we chalked up an excellent 2-1 win after initially trailing, with goals from Alfie May and Karoy Anderson.

It kick-started our fortunes under Jones and here we were, back in Derby some 19 months later, competing in the upper echelons of the Championship.

So, after this 1-1 draw against the Rams, we are four matches unbeaten in this unforgiving league - a marvellous early autumnal run in September.

Our goal was a wonderful fusion of team play, allied with James Bree's superb composure, technique and execution.

By the way, where has he been hiding? He's just literally come into the building. We don't play 4-4-2 but he's all over it with 4-2-2. Four matches - two goals, two assists. What an impact!

However, Derby County have already demonstrated on a few occasions this season they can recover from being a goal behind and so it proved to Charlton's cost.

It was encouraging to see our new goalkeeper, Thomas Kaminski, forced into action, making two fine saves on the night.

It was also good to see Luke Berry back amongst our ranks, albeit as an unused substitute.

To counter this, Josh Edwards is to see a specialist concerning the ankle injury he sustained in the home win over Blackburn Rovers, which is a worrying sign.

To augment his consistent midfield performances, captain Greg Docherty is fast becoming Bree's personal goal assistant as the two combined in consecutive matches.

One concern is the extent to which we were on the back foot as Derby poured forward. We could face more of the same up at Preston on Saturday, so we need to find ways of wrestling the initiative off teams, particularly on our travels.

Despite this, we still had a couple of chances towards the end of the contest.

Us fans share Nathan Jones' "mixed emotions" as psychologically, it's always disappointing to relinquish a lead, especially as you start to reach the latter stages of the match.

My post-match musings rest on it being a fair result.

Paul Sullivan provides commentary on Charlton Athletic games for the visually impaired.

Image source, Rex Features

Charlton Athletic head coach Nathan Jones spoke to BBC Radio London after his side's 1-1 draw with Derby County:

"Relatively pleased. Any point on the road in the Championship is a good point.

"Once we've taken the lead we would have liked to have gone on and probably had a bit more control of the game but full credit to Derby, Derby gave it everything.

"They were playing with a front four, [they] left four up at times and had runners.

"Both sides had chances. They had a chance before they scored and then we had three late on that maybe could have nicked it.

"So there's mixed emotions but I'm happy that we haven't got beaten and it's another point on the board."

Image source, Opta

Derby go in search of their first home win of the campaign as Charlton head to Pride Park on Tuesday (20:00 BST).

Saturday's 1-1 draw at Wrexham made it five points from their past three away games for the Rams, but they have begun the season with a single point from three home games, and went down 1-0 to Preston in their most recent fixture in front of their own fans to extend their winless streak at home to six games, dating back to last season.

County are fourth-bottom with six points from seven games, five fewer than the Addicks, who sit seventh after back-to-back wins, at Sheffield United and then 3-0 at home to Blackburn on Saturday.

Nathan Jones' men have kept four clean sheets in their opening seven matches, including two in their three away games.

• Derby lost their last league meeting with Charlton 2-1 in February 2024, but haven't lost back-to-back league games versus the Addicks since January 1984.

• After their 2-1 win in February 2024, Charlton could win back-to-back away league visits to Derby for the first time since December 1962 (4 in a row).

• Derby have alternated between drawing (3) and losing (3) their past six home league games; they had won three in a row on home soil prior to this.

• Charlton have won four of their past seven away league games (D1 L2), beating Sheffield United 1-0 in their most recent.

• Charlton's Nathan Jones has only lost one of his seven previous managerial league games against Derby (W3 D3), falling to a 0-2 defeat with Luton in April 2021.

Image source, BBC Sport

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One week on from singing in the rain while Blackburn were left seething in it, Charlton fans left The Valley with even broader smiles and even fewer doubts.

A second consecutive win, this time a commanding 3–0 victory over Rovers, has injected real belief into the Addicks faithful.

Nathan Jones' side were absolutely relentless, with and without the ball, and did justice to the Latin motto on Blackburn's badge, Arte et Labore which translates as skill and hard work.

Only, it was Charlton who lived up to that mantra against a club who finished seventh in the Championship last season.

Defensively, the Addicks were rock solid. Blackburn failed to register a single notable effort that troubled Thomas Kaminski, thanks in no small part to a disciplined and united back line.

The injury to Josh Edwards could have been a disruption, but Macauley Gillesphey - the Wembley hero who has had to bide his time - stepped in seamlessly. And not only did he do his defensive duties with class, he marked his return with a goal, too.

Much has been made about the influx of ex-Luton players at Charlton under Jones, but the truth is simple - they're here on merit.

Their experience, character, and understanding of the manager's demands are clear to see.

In midfield, Sonny Carey has slotted in superbly alongside last season's stalwarts Greg Docherty and Conor Coventry.

That trio has created a tidal wave of energy and invention, allowing the front players, Tyreece Campbell, Charlie Kelman, Tanto Olaofe and Miles Leaburn, to flourish despite their lack of goals.

Carey, in particular, is fast becoming a fan favourite. He's now scored in back-to-back home games and brings a fearless swagger to the middle of the park.

With competition from the likes of Harvey Knibbs and Luke Berry, his performances are showing real maturity and intent. When his chance came in front of goal, there was no hesitation, just a cool, clinical finish. Passing wasn't on his mind.

This was a performance that oozed confidence from back to front. Three goals, a clean sheet, and a Valley crowd that acted as the 12th man throughout.

Charlton are showing they're here to compete, not just survive, in the Championship. Home or away, this side is fearless.

Long may that continue.

Paul Sullivan provides commentary on Charlton Athletic games for the visually impaired.

Blackburn Rovers will look to end a disappointing week on a high when they make the trip to Charlton Athletic on Saturday (15:00 BST).

Having led a 10-man Ipswich Town 1-0 after 79 minutes, heavy rainfall saw the game abandoned and the English Football League settle on a replay.

It's left Blackburn feeling hard done by after dominating following the dismissal but they will need to get over their ordeal quickly when they visit a side who, while not prolific scorers themselves, make finding the net a troublesome task.

• Charlton have won just one of their last six home league games against Blackburn (D2 L3), with this their first since a 2-0 defeat in February 2020.

• Blackburn have won six of their last nine league games against Charlton (D1 L2), though those two defeats in that run have come in the last three meetings.

• Charlton have lost just one of their last 18 home league games (W13 D4), going down 1-0 against Leicester last month.

• Having won just one of a run of 10 away league games between December and March last season (D1 L8), Blackburn have now won four of their last six on the road (D1 L1).

• Only Sheffield United (1) have scored fewer goals than Charlton (4) in the Championship this season. However, only Stoke and Middlesbrough (4) have conceded fewer than the Addicks (5).

A potential move to take the Championship play-offs down to eighth place would damage the competition's credibility, according to former Huddersfield, Stoke and Middlesbrough defender Tommy Smith.

The EFL board is set to discuss proposals to increase the number of teams in the end-of-season play-offs from four to six but Smith, who was promoted to the Premier League with Huddersfield via the play-offs in 2017 is not a fan of the idea.

"It's not for me - I think it suits teams who don't really have a chance to get in the top six," he told the BBC's EFL podcast 72+.

"From a credibility point of view the top six is there to be aimed at and you have to earn your place in it."

The play-offs were first introduced for the 1986-87 season where sides finishing third down to fifth were involved along with the team third-from-bottom in the top flight.

After two seasons the format was changed to be played out between teams finishing third to sixth in the second tier.

"To finish eighth in the Championship and potentially get promoted to the Premier League it just doesn't sit right with me," added Smith.

"Notoriously over the past years getting into the top six is tough and when you get in there after a long hard season it feels brilliant, so to make it a top eight it dilutes it."

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Charlton Athletic midfielder Henry Rylah has signed a two-year contract extension at The Valley.

The 19-year-old academy prospect has made 10 appearances for the Addicks since his debut in November 2022.

Rylah has played twice for Nathan Jones' side this season and started in the 3-1 Carabao Cup first round win over Stevenage.

He has signed a deal until 2027 with the option of an extra year.

"It means a lot to extend my time here. It shows that the club has put real faith in me and I can really see myself developing my career further now," Rylah told the club's website., external

"I'm just glad to see what the future holds."

Paul Sullivan
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Charlton Athletic registered their first away win in the Championship at a rain-lashed Bramall Lane on Saturday afternoon.

The 1-0 win could have huge implications for our season, as it could be a launching pad for complete belief we belong at this level.

Isaac 'Tanto' Olaofe - the Summer signing from Stockport County - scored his first goal for The Addicks in the 90th minute with Southampton loanee James Bree providing an assist on his full Charlton debut.

Ever since the appointment of returning manager, Chris Wilder, the noises coming out of the Sheffield United camp indicated they were expecting a relatively easy three points to kickstart their season after a miserable start under the ousted Ruben Selles.

The bottom line though, following 'talk the talk', is to 'walk the walk' and this Blades side were still blunt from their opening five league defeats.

Conversely, Charlton produced the goods when it mattered on the day.

In front of a partisan, expectant crowd of 30,165 (1,954 Charlton fans), it was so important we started well. This first phase of the game was crucial as we nullified the euphoria of the perceived returning messiah. They quickly realised they had a battle on their hands.

As it turned out, Charlton were magnificent in defence as we saw Reece Burke and Bree seamlessly bed in. We were dangerous on the counter-attack, as we were happy to allow Sheffield United the lion's share of possession. We were dominant in shots both on and off target.

It was a truly wonderful win.

I believe this result sets the tone for what we are capable of achieving in this division.

There was a lot of hype leading into this game. Even in normal circumstances, Bramall Lane is an intimidating place to visit. As a group, we dealt with it all and put in a performance and a result. Neutral observers will sit up and take notice.

Paul Sullivan provides commentary on Charlton Athletic games for the visually impaired.

Image source, Rex Features

Charlton Athletic manager Nathan Jones has praised his side's 1-0 win at Sheffield United given the 'context' of the occasion at Bramall Lane.

Isaac Olaofe's late winner meant there was no fairy tale return for Blades boss Chris Wilder who is back in the Blades dugout for a third time.

"It was just an excellent win. I thought we deserved it. If you look at the context and the difficulty of the game; this is Sheffield United, away, full house, returning manager who's been synonymous with success here so to put in that level of performance I thought was outstanding," Jones told BBC London.

"First half, I thought we were the better team, we had the better chances, one or two on the counter.

"We had two really good opportunities from second phase, the keeper made great saves.

"We had similar opportunities to what Ipswich had the week before yet they ran out 5-0 and we had only one so that's a learning curve for us but the level of performance was fantastic."

Chris Wilder begins his third spell as Blades boss with the visit of Charlton to Bramall Lane on Saturday (15:00 BST).

Pointless basement boys Sheffield United are seeking to avoid making the worst start to a Championship season ever, while Wilder is hoping to avoid starting a spell in the dugout with a defeat for the third time at the club.

Nathan Jones' Addicks haven't won since the opening day and have taken just a point from their two away games thus far.

• This will be the first league meeting between Sheffield United and Charlton since March 2017, a 2-1 home win for the Blades in League One, under Chris Wilder.

• Charlton are winless in their past six away league games against Yorkshire sides (D2 L4), with their last such victory coming in April 2022 at Rotherham (1-0).

• With zero points and a goal difference of -11, Sheffield United have made the joint-worst start after five games in Championship history (since 2004-05), level with Wycombe Wanderers in 2020-21. Only three sides have lost each of their opening six matches of a campaign: Sheffield Wednesday (2007-08), Peterborough United (2012-13) and the aforementioned Chairboys (2020-21).

• Charlton Athletic have netted just three league goals so far this season, their fewest at this stage of a season since 1986-87 in the top-flight (3) and fewest in the second tier since 1970-71 (2).

• This will be Chris Wilder's third spell in charge of Sheffield United – his previous two tenures both started with a defeat, vs Bolton in August 2016 (0-1) and vs Liverpool in December 2023 (0-2).

Paul Sullivan
Fan writer

Image source, Rex Features

The wait goes on after 29 years of no wins against Millwall, the only south-east London team not to win the FA Cup and appear in the Premier League.

OK, enough of the friendly ribbing.

Back in June, when the Championship fixtures were announced, it was so typical to see this match-up [Charlton v Millwall] clash with my planned break to Bologna, Italy (thoroughly recommend by the way).

This meant delicate negotiations for Mrs S to drive back home from Luton Airport so I could concentrate on proceedings in SE7.

I was delighted to see Sonny Carey flash up on my phone in the 40th minute as Charlton took the lead against our hoodoo neighbours.

Periodical checks ensued for the rest of the game (well, every minute) until a heart-sinking feeling, when I saw a red card symbol against Kayne Ramsay's name in the 74th minute.

A battle commenced within my brain.

The negative side said we've blown it. No way will we hold on with 16 minutes remaining plus a probable one-hour additional time.

The positive side told me we could hold on with 10 men, because these days, good organised sides are adaptable in these scenarios. Certainly with Nathan Jones' tactical prowess, we had every chance. We could pack our already renowned defence with the likes of [James] Bree, [Reece] Burke, etc.

It was not to be. Truth be told, after their 88th minute equaliser, I was very happy to hold on to a precious Championship point.

To highlight the positives:

We went toe to toe with an established Championship side who finished eighth last season.

Tyreece Campbell is looking to be an extremely dangerous frontman, Charlie Kelman just may have turned a corner and is almost ready to turn genuine promise into goals.

And Carey, perhaps the most unsung of our 10 summer signings, has surprised us all with his exceptional play and what would have been Charlton sainthood had his goal remained the difference on Saturday.

So onwards and upwards - off to Sheffield United, who are still to register a point, on Saturday. If we can be the best version of ourselves - why not?

Oh, just a minute. New manager bounce after sacking Ruben Selles.

There goes that negative side of the brain again!

Paul Sullivan provides commentary on Charlton Athletic games for the visually impaired.

Image source, Rex Features

Charlton Athletic boss Nathan Jones after his side's 1-1 draw with Millwall:

"I'm proud of the performance because it took a red card for us to draw the game. We were comfortable and I didn't see us conceding today.

"Once we got the goal I just wanted to get the next one, which we couldn't do. It was going to take something – like a set-play or a moment of madness to concede and we got a moment of madness.

"When you are on a booking and you lunge in then you know you are risking something.

"You have to be cleverer than that. Top defenders stay on their feet and make people work for something – when they go to ground, it is a last resort or they know they can win it.

"It is a learning curve for him. He's a young boy and he has so much ability, he has been outstanding for us. That was categorically the turning point.

"We should have had six points from our last two home games but we took one. We're comfortable at the level."

Charlton will be looking to break a winless run of nearly 30 years against London rivals Millwall on Saturday (12:30 BST).

The Addicks are winless in their last four in all competitions whereas their visitors have won three of their last five games but are arriving at The Valley off the back of a 2-0 defeat by Wrexham.

• Charlton are winless in their last 12 league meetings with Millwall (D5 L7) since doing the double over them in the second tier in 1995-96.

• Millwall are unbeaten in each of their last six league visits to Charlton (W3 D3), keeping a clean sheet on each of the last five occasions.

• Having lost each of their last two league games, Charlton could lose three in a row for the first time since October last season.

• Millwall have won both of their away league games so far this season; they last won their first three of a league campaign in 1995-96 in the second tier.

• Coming into this weekend's games, only bottom side Sheffield United (2%) have a lower shot conversion rate than both Charlton (3.8%) and Millwall (4.7%)