2022/23 Season Preview: Charlton Athletic

Charlton Athletic will be seeking to improve upon their disappointing efforts last season and build towards a return to the Championship.

The previous campaign saw them finish 13th in League One, a decent standing considering how poorly they started. Nigel Adkins was sacked mid-October after they picked up just nine points in their opening 13 games of the season.

Johnnie Jackson, who is widely considered to be a club legend courtesy of his playing days at The Valley, was appointed as the interim manager before taking the role on a permanent basis after a solid run of results. However come the end of the season, he left the club.

Jackson made the trip across to south-west London to become the new manager of AFC Wimbledon, with former Swindon boss Ben Garner now taking the reins at Charlton.

The forthcoming campaign could the most crucial yet under the ownership of Thomas Sandgaard, who bought the club in 2020. While many of the teams who finished above the Addicks last term are much stronger than they are, fans will be keen for a return to the Championship, having come so close to doing so in the 2020/21 season when they finished just outside the play-offs.

Fresh summer signings

One of the biggest talking points amongst Charlton fans this summer has been Garner’s arrival from Swindon. The 42-year-old took the Robins to the League Two play-offs last season, meaning they were close to an instant return to the division above.

They finished sixth and were the league’s top scorers with 77 goals but they fell short of Port Vale in the semi-finals, with Swindon now set to launch a promotion push once again. Garner’s appointment is the third of his career, having first become a manager at Bristol Rovers in 2019.

His move from the Wiltshire outfit to Charlton was not the only piece of business between the two clubs this summer though. He was followed by three of Swindon’s players, all of whom have now made the step up to League One.

Attacking midfielder Jack Payne and right-back Mandela Egbo have both signed for the club, as well as goalkeeper Joe Wollacott. The latter’s arrival now provides more competition for the starting spot in between the sticks, with Craig MacGillivray keeping the third best clean sheet percentage in the league last season.

As well as the aforementioned additions, Charlton have welcomed Conor McGrandles from Lincoln and Eoghan O’Connell from Rochdale on free transfers. They have also signed Steven Sessegnon on loan from Premier League outfit Fulham.

They have seen 10 departures so far this summer too, with the likes of Conor Washington, Ben Purrington and Chris Gunter all moving onto pastures new. Josh Davison has also made the move to Wimbledon, thus sealing a reunion with Jackson.

Last season’s squad was by no means poor, but their recent transfer activity will surely put them in a better position ahead of the new campaign, especially if they are ambitious enough to test the waters for the play-offs.

Key players

Whilst the previous campaign was far from what Charlton fans would have hoped for, a couple of players were still able to end the season with a positive outlook.

MacGillivray’s numbers last term were impressive, especially considering where the team finished as a whole last season. His record of 16 clean sheets saw him finish behind only Wycombe’s David Stockdale on 19 and Plymouth’s Michael Cooper on 18.

The 29-year-old was level with Portsmouth’s Gavin Bazunu, who has now joined Southampton in the Premier League, and Ben Amos of eventual title winners Wigan, but MacGillivray played less games than both of them and therefore saw a higher clean sheet to game ratio.

Jayden Stockley also had a solid campaign for the Addicks. He netted 20 goals in 38 games across all competitions, and could have had even more had he not been injured at the start of 2022. He is highly likely to lead the line next season, especially after the departure of Washington to Rotherham.

Charlton’s creativity is spread out across most of the side. A total of 23 players assisted at least once last season, with Albie Morgan topping the charts with eight. Sean Clare, Elliot Lee and Corey Blackett-Taylor all followed with four each, with the rest of the squad contributing on occasions.

Throughout the course of pre-season, the Addicks have witnessed the rise of one of their academy products. Miles Leaburn, whose father Carl played for the club for over a decade during the eighties and nineties, signed his first professional contract early in July.

He featured in all but one of their friendly games, with the 18-year-old scoring three goals in five matches. Whilst it remains to be seen how much first team action he will get next season, Garner has hinted that Leaburn could be involved in the squad, especially given how impressed he has been with him throughout the summer.

“Every young player at this club has got a chance (of playing in the first team).

“If they are good enough and they have the right attitude they will get opportunities. He’s done very well so far – he’s still got a lot to learn and a lot to improve. But I’m excited about the potential he has got.”

Improvements have been made and Leaburn’s progress shows signs of promise for the club’s academy but Charlton are rebuilding this year, and this could limit their chances of a play-off spot, especially when you consider the sides above them.

Where will they finish?

As expected, the teams that failed to gain promotion last season have strengthened this summer in the hopes of trying once again. MK Dons and Sheffield Wednesday reached the play-offs, and have both recruited well.

Wycombe’s business has been slow so far, but they still pose a threat this year. As well as the sides who narrowly missed out on Championship football, clubs the size of Bolton, Portsmouth and Ipswich will all be keen to make a return to the second division sooner rather than later.

Amid their recent unpredictable and unfortunate campaign, Derby have now been thrown into the mix courtesy of their relegation. They have been joined by Barnsley and Peterborough, with the latter coming straight back down after one season in the tier above, but the Rams have arguably had one of the strongest windows in the entire division.

Charlton’s quest for the play-offs, or even the distant prospect of the automatic spots, is now a lot harder than first anticipated.

Garner’s arrival will spark the beginning of a new era for the club, with their dramatic League One play-off final win against Sunderland in 2019 now starting to become a distant memory. This time around, it’s the Black Cats who will play Championship football.

Fresh appointments and a squad overhaul will surely bring optimism back to The Valley, especially after last season’s showing. However, given the strength of those around them and the integration of new arrivals, there may be a call for patience.

League One is full of surprises and Charlton could certainly shock the division, but Garner will need to be given time to build his side, and an improvement on the previous campaign would be a great place to start and prove that the club are heading in the right direction.

Prediction – 10th

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