What Charlton Athletic are doing right now should scare Watford and Bristol City - opinion

Charlton Athletic begin their Championship campaign against Watford and then Bristol City next month and those second tier stalwarts should fear the newly promoted Addicks thanks to their summer dealings so far.

Nathan Jones superbly marshalled his Charlton Athletic side to promotion via the League One play-offs last season. It’s been a remarkable turnaround in the year and a half under the Welshman, with the manager bringing in a no-nonsense approach to the football club.

The former Southampton and Luton Town boss knows how he wants things done, being awarded the ‘manager’ title instead of ‘head coach’ when appointed at The Valley in February 2024 to reflect that. It’s very much his way or the highway, and that means the more proactive the club are in the window the better.

Charlton Athletic prioritise proactivity in summer window

Last summer, Gassan Ahadme, Luke Berry, Greg Docherty, Josh Edwards and Will Mannion were all recruited before the end of July. That allowed Jones an extended pre-season of preparation with the players and the chance to hit the ground running.

The Addicks won their first three of their third tier fixtures, losing just one of their first six. This season, the club seems to be going for the same tactic under Jones, which should be a warning for Watford and Bristol City.

Sonny Carey has already arrived on a free transfer from Blackpool with Thomas Kaminski coming in from Luton Town and Tanto Olaofe from Stockport County. Those are three important pieces of business for players who are likely to play a prominent part next season.

Watford and Bristol City should be scared of Charlton Athletic ahead of the start of the season. The London outfit may have just been promoted, but they will arrive well drilled and with new signings bedded in.

Nathan Jones on importance of pre-season

Speaking about the transfer work last season, Jones said: “It’s one of the most important weeks of pre-season. First and foremost, because we wanted to get a lot of our business done early, it gives the new players an opportunity to gel with players we’ve had here.

“The earlier you get them in, the more work you can do. Because we train and play a certain way, it’s really important that those messages are applied very early and to as many of the squad that we’re going to take forward as possible.

“It’s been a tireless summer, real hard work. Everyone on the recruitment side - the club, the Board, everyone - has worked so hard to get these signings over the line, and we’re in a really good position.

“I’m very, very pleased. The people who have come in have made us stronger. This is a stronger squad, it’s a more athletic squad, it’s a more experienced squad. We’ve added goals to the squad, we’ve added athleticism, we’ve added quality, experience, we’ve got pace. It’s a different group - the hunger here, the professionalism. We’re in a very good place.”

There will no doubt be more additions from Charlton Athletic this summer but, as it proved last year, getting the core pieces of business done early is a recipe for success.

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