May: I won't celebrate if I score

Alfie May says that he will not celebrate if he scores for Birmingham against Charlton on Saturday.   He says that Charlton is a fantastic club but the story of his departure is yet to come out: https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/birmingham-city-alfie-may-charlton-30052657

Table topping Birmingham have won all of their three away games.

Nathan Jones says he chose the wrong side against Bristol Rovers, but given that he has known many of the players at other clubs and are his persoal picks this is somewhat surprising.

'Timid' Addicks scrutinised

Passive, timid and uncertain are among the words the SLP's Richard Cawley uses to describe the performance by Charlton at Bristol Rovers on Tuesday.  He insists that it is not time to push the panic button, but a muh better performance will be required for the visit of Birmingham City on Saturday: https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/sport/talking-points-from-charltons-3-2-loss-at-bristol-rovers-addicks-looked-timid-and-lacking-confidence/

Down the Football League we go

Another poor performance saw Charlton lose 3-2 at Bristol Rovers and drop to 13th in League One.

Gas skipper Scott Sinclair, 35, rolled back the years to put the hosts in charge on the half-hour with a classy left-footed curler from the edge of the box that gave Will Mannion no chance.

Midfielder Jamie Lindsay doubled the lead in the 57th minute with his first goal in Rovers colours as his stylish right-footed 20-yard effort flew past Mannion and into the top right-hand corner after being teed up by Promise Omochere.

Centre-back Wilson strengthened the hosts’ grip 10 minutes later when he nodded in from close range after striker Omochere flicked on Clinton Mola’s cross.

Nathan Jones’ Addicks struggled to get going against a hard-working Rovers side but pulled a goal back when Alex Mitchell headed in Matt Godden’s goal-bound effort after 79 minutes.

Godden volleyed in to further reduce the arrears four minutes into stoppage time and set up an angst-ridden finale, but Rovers held firm to end a four-match losing streak and ease the pressure on boss Matt Taylor.

Charlton's owners are unlikely to take another spin on the managerial merry go round with no queue of quality managers wanting the poisoned chalice.

Rovers on losing streak

You would have to go back to the final five games of Bristol Rovers' relegation season of 2020/21 for the last time the Gas lost five league games in a row, a frightening omen for them ahead of Rovers' home game against Charlton this evening.

It's tough to call any footballing situation a 'crisis' with any real substance only eight games into a campaign but four consecutive defeats in League One has extinguished any of the optimism or positivity shared amongst Gasheads this time last month on the back of a bright start to the campaign.

After picking up seven points from their opening four league games in August, Rovers endured a brutal September with losses against Barnsley, Wigan Athletic, Peterborough and Wycombe Wanderers.  It was the Wycombe loss on Saturday in particular that hurt and angered supporters as Matt Taylor's side led for the majority of the contest.

Manager Matt Taylor says that fourth from bottom Rovers have a 'soft underbelly' but that could also apply to a faltering Charlton who have difficulty finding the back of the net even if the defence is tighter.

I'll stick to my original Badger League prediction of a 2-2 draw.

Charlton fall out of top six

1,363 Charlton fans in a sold out away end saw Charlton lose 1-0 to Stevenage to fall to 8^th in the League One table after a back to back defeat.   Despite 57 per cent possession it was an inept performance by the Addicks.

It was not as if Stevenage were that good.  The home side failed to enter the Charlton box until the 32nd minute.  Boro did finish the half stronger, forcing a couple of corners.

Charlton were finding joy down their left with Edwards and Tyreece Campbell getting space.

Bringing Aneke on after 57 minutes changed very little.

Roberts lashed low beyond Mannion halfway through the second half on 67 minutes.

Young forced Mannion to tip a narrow blaster over the top while Kemp was only denied a first Boro goal by a brave block by Karoy Anderson.

Louis Mendez laments the Addicks lack of cutting edge: https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/sport/the-lowdown-on-stevenage-1-charlton-athletic-0-addicks-lack-of-cutting-edge-punished-on-the-road/

Nathan Jones admits that Charlton have to improve in the final third: https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/sport/nathan-jones-after-1-0-defeat-at-stevenage-charlton-athletic-must-improve-in-the-final-third/

He also admits that set piece delivery has to get better: https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/sport/nathan-jones-admits-charltons-set-piece-delivery-has-to-get-better/

Gassan Adahme's mask has now arrived so he will be in contention for Tuesday's game at the Gas: https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/sport/charlton-athletic-forward-gassan-ahadme-back-in-contention-for-tuesdays-trip-to-bristol-rovers/

Mannion flies into action

Will Mannion would have been a pilot if he could not have built a career in football and is already working towards his private licence in a 'washing machine' of a plane: https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/sport/exclusive-charlton-athletic-goalkeeper-would-have-been-a-pilot-if-his-football-career-had-not-taken-off/

Perhaps he could buzz Selhurst Park!

At least he should do better than earlier excursions into a flying career at Charlton which ended in a rapid descent.

Jones confirms that he is staying

Nathan Jones says that he is flattered to be linked with the vacancy at Cardiff and would like to manage the club one day, but has a job to do at Charlton: https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/sport/charlton-athletic-manager-nathan-jones-responds-to-cardiff-city-job-link-and-bookies-odds/

Should he leave, substantial compensation would be required. 

Inevitably Jones has said it will be a 'real test' at Stevenage on Saturday.   They are currently 15th in the table and five places below Charlton in the form table.   Their home form is better than their away form. 

Four Four Two forecast a 19th place finish for them, saying that the loss of charm merchant manager Steve Evans was a 'monumental blow', although 'they still have a competitive squad.'   Centre back Carl Pergianni is a key player, giving them defensive strength.

Charlton fans have sold out the away end.   Stevenage seem to be suffering a bit from second season syndrome, but they are still capable of pulling off some surprises and it will be a tricky fixture in which three points must be the target: https://www.castrust.org/2024/09/can-the-addicks-get-back-on-track-at-stevenage/