Charlton supporters divided on new manager link despite Premier League history

Charlton Athletic supporters have welcomed the end of a 'miserable' era at The Valley after the League One club sacked head coach Michael Appleton on Tuesday night following a late loss to Northampton Town.

The Addicks conceded a 97th-minute goal after Tayo Edun saw red with just four minutes left on the clock. The loss made it six defeats in the last seven for Charlton, with the outfit winless since November.

The club confirmed Appleton's dismissal in the minutes that followed the full-time whistle after weeks of pressure from supporters to relieve the boss of his duties. In a short statement on the website, the club said: "Charlton Athletic can confirm that Michael Appleton has left the club with immediate effect after being relieved of his role as Head Coach. The club would like to thank Michael for his efforts during his time in charge."

Reacting to the news online, while some Addicks fans did share sympathy with the former Blackpool, Oxford United and Portsmouth boss, but were relieved to see the board take action to end a rotten run. The 48-year-old had agreed a two-year deal at the club in September, taking over from Dean Holden, but managed just two victories - Charlton now search for their sixth boss in less than three years.

Taking to X, one supporter wrote: "On a human level, I really did feel for MA. That must have felt awful. From a club perspective, I think they left it too late, but onward and hopefully upward. A challenging few months ahead."

Another added: "Hopefully the club finally realise that the most successful Charlton managers of the modern era (Bowyer, Powell, Curbishley) have all been Londoners who have played for the club. They're not journeymen with no connection to the area. They actually have some affinity with the club."

Others online labelled the Appleton era as 'miserable' and 'the least popular since Ian Dowie' while some said that Appleton's departure had 'felt inevitable' since Christmas.

Former Southampton and Luton Town manager Nathan Jones has emerged as an immediate frontrunner to replace Appleton, according to talkSPORT. The Welshman has been out of work since being sacked by the Saints last February, where he became the club's longest-serving non-caretaker manager in history having mustered one win in eight league matches.

Jones did have more success at Luton Town previously, taking the club from League Two to League One in his first spell before saving them from Championship relegation in a second period. He eventually led the Hatters to a play-off spot in 2022 before moving to Southampton.

News of Jones being linked to the now vacant Charlton role has split fans, many of whom speak of simply wanting a more 'sustainable' approach to manager appointments. One worried supporter said: "Nathan Jones is as charmless, soulless & un-personable as Michael Appleton."

Meanwhile, another added: "Nathan Jones already set Luton up for them to do well under Rob Edwards have a look at where they were before Jones took over and he did it on a shoestring budget."

Others pleaded that the club 'think outside the box' and one labelled the potential arrival as Jones as 'a great appointment'. Former Millwall man Gary Rowett and ex-Swansea City manager Michael Duff have also been named as potential candidates.