Charlton Athletic Season Summary

Charlton Athletic have had a season of ups and downs, with a mixed bag of results in an action-packed campaign.

Addicks fans will certainly never forget the 2021-22 season for all of its drama and incidents. It is important to look at each month in particular, to understand just how much of a rollercoaster ride it was.

Rocky Start

Charlton started the season with Nigel Adkins at the helm, who brought in several new additions in the summer transfer window, including the signings of striker Jayden Stockley from Preston North End and Goalkeeper Craig MacGillivray from Portsmouth.

Despite these new additions, Adkins’ side started the season poorly in August, with an opening day home draw with Sheffield Wednesday being followed by two consecutive away defeats and a 0-2 home loss to Wigan. The Addicks would however win their first game of the season as at the end of August as they defeated Crewe Alexandra.

Despite this win, Nigel Adkins’ side failed to record a win in September, losing three of their five league matches, including a 1-4 battering at home to Bolton Wanderers. The Reds finally won their second game of the season against Fleetwood Town, but two more consecutive defeats meant that the club made the decision to sack Adkins in October.

The sacking was excepted as his side lost eight of 13 league games and his team failed to take any points in home games against Cheltenham and Accrington Stanley. The club were 23rd in League One which was their lowest ever league position and looked doomed to be relegated, however there was still a long way to go.

New Manager

First Team coach Johnnie Jackson replaced Adkins as caretaker manager, and his spell in charge would start in superb fashion as his team defeated 4th placed Sunderland 0-1 away from home. Jackson’s Charlton went on to maintain a six game unbeaten run, with a huge victory against top of the table Plymouth and a 4-0 battering of bottom side Doncaster Rovers with both games at The Valley.

Midway through December, Jackson was be given the manager job on a permanent basis until the end of the season after his strong start to life at The Valley. Charlton would go on to lose three games in a row over the Christmas period, but also secured a hat-trick of victories including an impressive 1-2 away scalp against Portsmouth at the end of January.

Jackson also made some additions to his squad during the January transfer window which included the signings of Scott Fraser from Ipswich and Chuks Aneke from Birmingham, with both signing permanently for the Reds.

Second Sacking Of The Season

The Addicks would have a difficult February, losing five of their six matches, but things picked up slightly in March as Jackson’s side gained ten points out of a possible 15.

In April, the final month of the season, Charlton gained three wins in their six games and a 0-1 away win at Rotherham saw Athletic knock the Millers off of the top spot.

Despite the upturn in form, the Reds were thumped 4-0 at Ipswich Town on the final day, and it was after this damaging result that Charlton Athletic parted ways with Johnnie Jackson.

The decision garnered mixed reactions with some fans disappointed by the move, feeling that Jackson had done enough to stay on as manager and that the decision was reactionary following such a big defeat.

However, many also felt that Jackson was not the man to take the club forward and that a fresh start was needed under a new boss with more experience. Charlton ended the season 13th in the League One table, with 17 wins, eight draws, and 21 losses.

In terms of cup competition, Charlton were knocked out of the Carabao Cup in August as they were defeated by fellow League One outfit AFC Wimbledon in the 1st round. Charlton gained FA Cup wins over Havant & Waterlooville and Gateshead but were beaten by Premier League club Norwich in the 3rd round of the competition.

Charlton also suffered an upset in the Papa Johns Trophy at the hands of League Two side Hartlepool as they were defeated on penalties in the quarter finals.

Key Players Of The Season

Jayden Stockley became a key player for Charlton throughout the season, with the Addick’s top scorer netting a whopping 13 goals in 28 league starts. Stockley’s partner up front in Conor Washington also contributed towards eleven goals in as many starts, with the duo combining for 24 of Charlton’s 55 league goals.

George Dobson stood out for Athletic, becoming a constant at the heart of Johnnie Jackson’s midfield and Craig MacGillivray was a revelation between the sticks, with 16 clean sheets in 43 appearances, the 3rd most of any keeper in League 1.

What’s To Come Next Season

With a new manager set to be announced soon ahead of next season, Charlton fans certainly have a lot to be excited out looking ahead after what was an eventful season, with the 2022-23 season set to start at the end of July.

The club will look to improve on their 13th place finish last season and the new manager will hope to get Charlton in the promotion picture.