One is Enough

Gassan Ahadme’s goal guided Charlton to an away win against Shrewsbury, which saw the Addicks break into the top two in League One.   It wasn't a vintage performance, but sometimes it is necessary to grind out results and it was another clean sheet.

The visitors had an early opportunity to break the deadlock when Conor Coventry received the ball just outside the box, but his thunderous strike went inches wide.

Shrewsbury came close to the opener just past the 20-minute mark. Mal Benning floated a cross to the back post for Leo Castledine to arrive onto before cutting in and getting a shot off, but the effort went wide.

Charlton found the opener five minutes into the second half from a corner. Ahadme rose highest in the heart of the box to meet the corner, and his headed effort looped over the Shrewsbury back line and rippled into the back of the net.

A corner ball reached Morgan Feeney at the back post for the Shrews with just over 20 minutes remaining, but the centre-back’s effort was blocked by Will Mannion’s leg, an excellent save.

The hosts kept searching for an elusive goal but to no avail – and drop to second bottom in the table.

Louis Mendez reports on an 'untidy victory': https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/sport/the-lowdown-on-shrewsbury-town-0-charlton-athletic-1-gassan-ahadme-breaks-duck-as-addicks-continue-fine-start-with-untidy-victory/

Nathan Jones was pleased that Charlton took three points despite being below their best: https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/sport/nathan-jones-pleased-as-charlton-take-three-points-despite-being-below-their-best-at-shrewsbury/

Jones highligted the importance of much criticised striker Gassan Ahadme getting off the mark with his first goal: https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/sport/that-will-have-been-playing-on-him-charlton-boss-nathan-jones-after-gassan-ahadme-gets-first-addicks-goal/

It's Chuks away!

Chuks Aneke discusses his role as a super sub: https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/sport/chuks-aneke-is-simply-sub-lime-charlton-athletic-striker-on-being-the-ultimate-bench-boost-with-goal-contribution/

Charlton face Shrewsbury Town away tomorrow.   There's a bit of upheaval there at the moment as the club is up for sale with no buyers in prospect.   Losses were £3m in the last set of annual accounts.

Shrewsbury are currently 21st in League One.  Four Four Two forecasts relegation in 23rd place.  However, I am not too optimistic as they have been a bit of a bogey club (or ground) for us.

As CAS Trust notes we should be really be collecting three points off Shropshire's finest: https://www.castrust.org/2024/09/shrewsbury-pressure-on-both-sides/

Adahme's search for goal will end soon

Chuks Aneke is confident that Gassan Ahadme will soon find the back of the net: https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/sport/charlton-athletic-supersub-aneke-backing-summer-striker-signing-to-hit-goal-trail/

He is also looking forward to the return of Miles Leaburn whom he praises.   Leaburn will feature for the under 21s at The Valley tomorrow night, reports Richard Cawley.

There is no basis in rumours that Ahadme is undertaking barn door training in Kent.

Jones nominated for player of month

Lloyd Jones has been nominated for League One player of the month for August.  Among the other nominees is Alfie May: https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/sport/charlton-defender-nominated-for-august-league-one-player-of-the-month-and-is-up-against-birmingham-striker-alfie-may/

Steve Avory has stepped down as academy director at Charlton after nearly 25 years of service. He will remain in an advisory role. Joe Gomez, Ezri Konsa (playing for England yesterday) and Ademola Lookman just some of the recent success stories. Academy boss Tom Pell will lead the academy moving forward.

Sincere thanks to Steve for all he has achieved.

Residents object to family fan zone

Many years ago when we were playing at Palace I was talking to someone at a conference and she said that with her husband she had move into a house near The Valley in anticipation that Charlton would not return.   Needless to say, I was not very sympathetic with her concerns about match day disruption and a possible effect on house prices (probably none).

Now it appears that 79 local residents and a Labour councillor have objectedto a family fan zone at The Valley: https://greenwichwire.co.uk/2024/09/10/local-residents-object-to-family-fan-zone-at-charlton-athletics-valley/

If you don't like living near a football ground (and the disruption isn't that often), don't move there.

Aneke equaliser secures a point

A rather scrappy and not particularly high quality game saw Charlton draw 1-1 with Rotherham at The Valley to go 5th in the table.

Kelly’s stunning 58th-minute strike raised the Millers’ hopes of ending a 669-day wait for an away win – a run dating back to November 2022.

But Charlton substitute Chuks Aneke struck a curling 25-yard equaliser to deny the visitors.

Both teams struggled to create a clear opening during the first 45 minutes with striker Gassan Ahadme guilty of spurning the best of the home side’s first-half opportunities when he fired over from 10 yards.

Rotherham took longer to threaten but grew into the game with Sam Nombe and Mallik Wilks both forcing Will Mannion into action.

The second half looked set to follow the pattern of the first before Kelly drilled a powerful low drive beyond Mannion.  Charlton have look vulnerable to long distance efforts this season.

Charlton manager Nathan Jones immediately introduced Aneke as part of a triple substitution and the move paid off when the forward levelled in the 72nd minute.

Neither side could find a winner and Rotherham charm merchant manager Evans was booked for dissent late on, the Millers thinking they had been denied a penalty..

Ramsay was probably the best player out there and made some important interventions.

Richard Cawley thinks that Charlton have failed to really click this season and made Lloyd Jones his man of the match: https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/sport/the-lowdown-on-charlton-1-rotherham-1-attacking-play-still-yet-to-click-for-addicks-as-ahadme-provides-graft-but-awaits-a-goal/

Charm offensive at The Valley

Charm merchant manager Steve Evans has previously brought Stevenage and Gillingham to The Valley and tomorrow he returns with his former club Rotherham United.

The Millers are currently 17th in League One.   They have lost both their away matches.

Four Four Two forecast a 4th place finish after summer recruitment and the Millers usually finish in the top six of League One or the bottom six of the Championship.

Charlton need to bounce back from the defeat at Reading: https://www.castrust.org/2024/09/no-time-like-the-present-to-face-rotherham/

Egg chasers heading for Valley?

An egg chasers blog is reporting that Wasps have secured a ground share arrangement with Charlton to compete in the Championship for 25/26 season.

Charlton fan Ben Hayes comments: ‘Talk a few months back of this Wasps actually exist as a team, which isn't by any means guaranteed. Council and local residents would have issues.’

‘Apart from fixture clashes with Charlton and Charlton Women fixtures and damage to the new Valley pitch, Was[s have also left a trail of chaos and debt everywhere they have been so maybe not the best tenants for Charlton.’

Decades ago we did ground share with rugby league outfit London Bronco and their different markings could be seen all over the pitch.

Enough of the darling buds of May

Fans keep droning on about Alfie May on the lines of one Twitter comment: 'I can’t believe that they got rid of May and brought in Ahadme. We have zero flair. If we go a goal down like Saturday we don’t have the wit or nous to score.'

Peter Varney commented: 'If you look at the wages Birmingham City are paying Alfie (more than 2.5 times what Charlton were paying him) that tells you everything as to why this transfer happened. Alfie also said his family were desperate to go back north and he was being substituted a bit or left out towards the end of last season. Footballers are not like the rest of us as they have short careers and in Alfie's case he came into the professional game late so has not earnt big bucks before.'

Fuelled by Tom Wagner’s investment, the Blues had the six highest transfers in League One this summer. In fact, they now have the three highest ever deals in England’s third tier, led by the staggering £15m paid to Fulham for young forward Jay Stansfield.

I would add that an unhappy Alfie kept at Charlton might not have scored as many goals.

 

Need to learn lessons from defeat

The skipper urges Charlton to learn lessons from the defeat at Reading, castigating the second goal: https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/sport/charlton-skipper-greg-docherty-urges-side-to-learn-from-first-league-one-defeat-of-the-campaign/