Second-season syndrome biting hard at Charlton

It is looking pretty bleak at The Valley right now, with the very real and worrying prospect for most Addicks fans that a return to League One is distinctly plausible.

The uplift Nathan Jones has given this club since his arrival in February 2024 has been immense.

Genuine worries of relegation to League Two were what faced him when he first walked through the doors.

He dispelled those fears pretty swiftly, with only two defeats in the remainder of the season steering us well clear of the dreaded drop.

In the 2024-25 season, he led us to glory, triumphing at Wembley in the play-off final to return us to the Championship. The club were ahead of schedule with their evolving plan.

The remit for last season was simple - survive. And we did, and so did he.

Now, here is the potential catch.

It is second-season syndrome, and it is biting Charlton right now. Fans have been exasperated by the owners' choice to limit spending in the summer, resulting in what appears to have been a limited upgrade to the squad.

At first, Jones fought against the tide admirably, taking us to the summit of the Championship at the end of August.

Now however, we appear to be in our rightful place, 21st given that we reportedly have the fourth-lowest budget in the league.

In this modern football era, 11 matches without a win usually spells the end for any manager. However, given what I have outlined, he has credit in the bank.

As a family club, we are all desperate to continue on the journey Nathan has laid out which is one of continued evolution.

However, he has been stopped in his tracks by the brakes put on recruitment, and arguably by his brand of football which does incense a lot of our fans.

He appears to me to be quite jaded. Anything short of a home win over Sheffield United on Saturday could spell the end of him which would be sad if it is to come to pass.