Charlton Athletic

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Charlton manager Nathan Jones was left disappointed by his side in possession during their 2-1 defeat to Middlesbrough.

The Addicks were beaten after goals from Riley McGree and Morgan Whittaker in the first half.

George Edundson's own goal wasn't enough for Charlton and Jones said they couldn't recover.

"I'm really disappointed with elements of the first half, we kept giving the ball away," Jones told BBC Radio London.

"These are a good side, we were aggressive against them, we knew it would be tough, especially with what we have missing.

"Overall, when we are us and we keep the ball better, we can compete with anyone in this league. Second half, I thought we were really good."

Jones believes Charlton can compete against the best but were undone by Whittaker's strike.

"They had to change to curtail us; we scored, we had other opportunities, we should have had a penalty first half. We are in a tough moment, but we need to come through it.

"The second goal was the killer. If it is only a one goal lead and we equalise, I fancy us to go on and win the game. As it was they made changes and saw it out, we probably didn't show enough quality in the final third to punish them."

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The FA Cup third round draw was made on Monday evening, with all 24 Championship clubs entering at this stage of the competition.

Ties will take place between Thursday, 8 January and Monday, 12 January.

These are the ties involving Championship clubs:

• Cambridge United v Birmingham City

• Hull City v Blackburn Rovers

• Bristol City v Watford

• Charlton Athletic v Chelsea

• Stoke City v Coventry

• Derby County v Leeds United

• Ipswich Town v Blackpool

• Cheltenham Town v Leicester City

• Fulham v Middlesbrough

• Burnley v Millwall

• Norwich City v Walsall

• MK Dons v Oxford United

• Portsmouth v Arsenal

• Preston North End v Wigan Athletic

• West Ham United v Queens Park Rangers

• Sheffield United v Mansfield Town

• Sheffield Wednesday v Brentford

• Doncaster Rovers v Southampton

• Swansea City v West Bromwich Albion

• Wrexham v Nottingham Forest

You can see the full draw here.

Image source, Opta

Middlesbrough will seek to close the seven-point gap to leaders Coventry when they visit Charlton on Tuesday (19:45 GMT).

Kim Hellberg's side lie second, two points ahead of third-placed Millwall, following their 4-1 romp at Hull City on Friday night.

The Addicks have slipped to 17th, just six points clear of the relegation zone, off the back of four straight Championship defeats while Saturday's game against Portsmouth at The Valley was abandoned after just 12 minutes after a medical emergency in the crowd.

It later emerged the club's Supporter of the Year, Norman Barker, had sadly passed away after being taken ill, with tributes to 'Headphones Norm' expected to be made before the Boro game.

• Charlton have won just one of their past 12 league games against Middlesbrough (D2 L9), beating them 2-0 at the Valley in March 2016.

• Middlesbrough have won four of their past six away league games against Charlton (D1 L1), including a 1-0 win on their most recent visit in March 2020.

• Middlesbrough have won just one of their past eight away league games against promoted sides (D3 L4), beating Oxford United 6-2 in November 2024.

• Charlton have won their past five midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) home league games, including a 1-0 win over West Brom in their only such Championship game this season.

• Middlesbrough have won just one of their past five midweek (Tues, Weds, Thurs) Championship games (D2 L2), beating Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 in October.

These two sides meet in the Championship (12:30 GMT) for the first time in 25 years with both looking to end poor runs.

Charlton have lost their past four league games while Pompey arrive in South London with back-to-back losses without scoring a goal on either of those outings.

• Charlton have lost just one of their past 11 league games against Portsmouth (W7 D3) and are unbeaten in six since a 3-1 home loss in February 2021.

• Portsmouth have lost just two of their past seven away league games against Charlton (W3 D2), though they've failed to score on either of their past two visits to The Valley.

• Each of the last 20 league meetings between Charlton and Portsmouth have been in either League One (12) or the Premier League (8). This is the first second-tier meeting between the sides since a 1-1 draw at The Valley in April 2000.

• Charlton have lost each of their past four league games, having lost just three of their first 14 this season. The Addicks haven't lost five in a row since February 2022 in League One.

• Portsmouth won 1-0 at Oxford on the opening weekend this season, but are since winless in seven away league games (D3 L4), losing each of the last three in a row.

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Charlton Athletic's return to the Championship has been "a baptism of fire" but is going as they expected, according to director of football Jim Rodwell.

The Addicks are 17th in the table having won promotion back to the second tier at the end of last season after five years in League One.

"It's gone pretty much as we hoped and expected," Rodwell told BBC Radio London.

"We knew it was going to be a baptism of fire, we knew it was going to be tough. We got off to a great start and we've encountered a few difficult games of late but that was only to be expected."

After a five-match unbeaten run, including three wins, Charlton have lost their past four league games while conceding 12 goals.

It leaves them six points clear of the relegation zone heading into Saturday's game at home to struggling Portsmouth (12:30 GMT).

"Nobody internally was getting excited when we won a few games at the start of the season," said Rodwell.

"We set high standards for ourselves - the cliche is the race for 50 points and then see where you get to and that hasn't changed.

"We had a strategy and plan in the close season and that hasn't changed - results will dip, we'll get injuries, things will happen positively and negatively but the job of myself, Nathan (Jones - head coach) and the coaching staff is we just don't panic."

You can hear the full Jim Rodwell interview and more Charlton Athletic coverage on BBC Sounds.

Freya Sweet
BBC Sport Journalist

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Legendary defender, Marvin Hinton - who won the FA Cup and European Cup Winners Cup with Chelsea - has died at the age of 85.

Hinton started his football career at Charlton Athletic, playing over 150 games for the club before a move to Stanford Bridge.

He made 344 appearances for Chelsea in the 1960s and 70s and was also apart of the initial 1966 40-man England squad.

"It is with tremendous sadness that Chelsea Football Club announces the passing yesterday of Marvin Hinton, a cultured defender and trophy-winner for the club in the 1960s and 1970s," the club said.

The Blues said "'Suave Marv' was a progressive player ahead of his time" and send their deepest condolences to his family and friends.

Paul Sullivan
Fan writer

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Coventry City condemned Charlton Athletic to a fourth straight Championship defeat, running out 3-1 winners in a result that only deepens the Addicks' growing sense of crisis.

A month removed from play-off dreams, Nathan Jones' side now find themselves glancing nervously over their shoulders at the drop zone.

There was cautious hope pre-match with news of Jerome Roussillon's arrival, the experienced Guadeloupe international adding much-needed depth on the left.

The return of Amari'i Bell gave Charlton a rare sense of balance at the back and, buoyed by a sold-out away end, the Addicks started on the front foot.

Their pressing was precise, the intensity refreshing, and Harvey Knibbs made the early pressure count with a poacher's finish to put the visitors ahead.

Yet the optimism faded all too quickly. Bell's injury on the half-hour was a hammer blow, forcing Jones into a reshuffle that destabilised Charlton's makeshift backline.

Coventry seized their chance mercilessly, scoring twice in rapid succession before the break to flip the contest. Familiar defensive lapses and a lack of composure again cost the Addicks dear.

As the half-time whistle blew, the away end's boisterous mood had transformed into rueful unease.

Charlton rallied briefly after the interval, with flashes of resilience evident and Sonny Carey spurning a chance.

However, a third goal from Coventry made the points safe for the hosts, and the closing stages had the grim feel of a training drill.

As results elsewhere filtered through, the Charlton contingent began to contemplate an unwelcome relegation battle that is no longer just the stuff of nightmares.

This defeat, played on the first anniversary of revered Charlton reporter Kevin Nolan's passing, had an added poignancy.

Nolan chronicled the club's triumphs and traumas for nearly 40 years in the Mercury and beyond, often capturing the hopes and heartbreaks of afternoons just like this one - with honesty, wit, and a fan's unwavering eye for the truth.

On days such as these, his words and wisdom are missed more than ever.

Image source, Opta

Runaway leaders Coventry will seek to increase their advantage in the promotion race as they welcome wobbling Charlton on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

The free-scoring Sky Blues go into the weekend with a 10-point lead after Tuesday's 4-2 win at Middlesbrough, remain unbeaten at home and have won 10 of their past 11 Championship games.

Though they remain just four points behind the play-off places, the Addicks have slipped to 16th off the back of three straight defeats in which they have scored only once and allowed nine goals at the other end - the most recent a 3-0 reverse at Stoke on Tuesday night.

• Coventry have lost just one of their past 15 home league games against Charlton Athletic (W9 D5), with this their first meeting with the Addicks since a 2-1 victory on Boxing Day 2018.

• Charlton Athletic lost both league meetings with Coventry City when they last met in 2018/19 – they've never lost three in a row against the Sky Blues before.

• Coventry have won 10 of their past 11 league games (L1), while at home they've won each of their past five; it's their longest since a run of seven in October 2021.

• Charlton have lost each of their past three league games, conceding more goals in that time (9) than in their prior 10 games combined (7).

• Coventry's Ellis Simms has scored more goals in his past two games (3) than in his previous 25 Championship appearances (2).

Paul Sullivan
Fan writer

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Charlton's trip to the Potteries promised a flicker of renewed belief but ended in another night to forget.

A 3-0 defeat at Stoke City told its own story, though the script felt painfully familiar - defensive implosions, a couple of half-chances at best and that sinking certainty by half-time that it was all over again.

When the teamsheet dropped an hour before kick-off, optimism briefly returned. The reappearance of James Bree brought comfort, Lloyd Jones' recovery reassured and the experience of Luke Berry added belief.

Yet all those flickers of promise were snuffed out swiftly, undone by two goals in the first five minutes (why did I leave that nice, warm, cosy pub?) and a third that goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski really should have dealt with.

Captain Greg Docherty had spoken passionately after Saturday's 5-1 home humiliation by Southampton, promising the team would put things right at Stoke.

Those rallying cries rang hollow by the interval as Charlton again found themselves beaten in all the key moments.

Macaulay Gillesphey looked uncomfortable at this level, Docherty himself and Tyreece Campbell struggled to impose themselves and, as a side, Charlton offered very little offensively.

Two matches in a row have now slipped beyond reach before the break.

The challenge of a cold Tuesday night in Stoke was taken on by 919 of us. We sang and backed the team until the end - the one redeeming feature of a grim evening.

Nathan Jones has plenty of credit in the bank and deserved and received our appreciation at full-time, despite this latest horror show against one of his former clubs.

Football is supposed to be simple: focus, compete, show the basics. Right now Charlton look more than a little unwell and realistically the recovery can only probably begin after the might of Coventry City has been faced.

The need to start accruing points in December is obvious, because survival - staying up, pure and simple - is now the only aim I'm afraid.

"Coventry look like a team that are ready to go the season - but every team has a wobble."

Have the Sky Blues already got the Championship title in the bag? Is new Middlesbrough boss Kim Hellberg the right man for the job at Riverside Stadium? Is it time for Southampton and Tonda Eckert to make their partnership official?

The 72+ team are joined once again by Chelmsford City striker Lyle Taylor to discuss all of the latest news in the Championship - from Coventry's dominant 10-point lead to Charlton's defensive woes.

Listen to the full episode of 72+ and more on BBC Sounds.

Charlton Athletic boss Nathan Jones says that his side "wasn't good enough" following their 3-0 defeat to Stoke City on Tuesday.

The Addicks were 2-0 down by the opening five minutes and were unable to pose any real threat to the hosts.

"We've come here looking to bounce back and that start has killed us because goals change games," Jones told BBC Radio London.

"It's very difficult to say I'm pleased about anything tonight because we have just lost 3-0 away from home.

"We were really open. We weren't at the levels we needed to be.

"The first was a stroke of good fortune and the second we feel is a foul and the third is a big error again. You have to defend it better.

"We have been stretched in recent weeks, injury-wise, but it wasn't good enough."

This is a first league meeting between and Stoke and Charlton for five years and Addicks' boss Nathan Jones will hope it goes better than his last encounter against another of his former clubs.

Charlton's 5-1 drubbing at home by Southampton on Saturday leaves them looking to avoid three successive league defeats.

A victory for Stoke and defeat for Middlesbrough against leaders Coventry would move the Potters into second place in the Championship.

• The home side has won each of the past four league meetings between Stoke and Charlton, with this the first since a 3-1 victory for the Potters in February 2020.

• Charlton have won just one of their past 13 away league games against Stoke (D2 L10), with that coming in their first ever visit to the bet365 Stadium in February 1998 (2-1).

• Stoke lost 1-0 in their last home league game against Coventry, last losing consecutive home matches in September 2024.

• Charlton's first six away league games this season followed a pattern of draw, loss, victory, draw, loss, victory. Their seventh game was a draw at Hull and then they lost at Wrexham in their eighth.

• Since winning their first meeting in October 2017 with Coventry (3-0 vs Luton), Stoke boss Mark Robins is winless in his past seven against Charlton's Nathan Jones (D3 L4), most recently a 2-2 draw in September 2022.

Paul Sullivan
Fan writer

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It was all beautifully set up. When the fixtures were released in June, Nathan Jones must have circled this one - a home clash with the club that dismissed him after just three months in charge.

He's been open about how poorly he felt treated during his brief spell at St Mary's, and you sensed he'd have loved nothing more than to get one over on the Saints.

As it turned out, he was right to play down the narrative before kick-off. His patched-up defence took one almighty beating. The Southampton fans let him have it, taunting him relentlessly, but to his credit, Jones took it on the chin.

The signs were there early. A new interim manager bounce, two straight wins and, despite their wobbly start back in the Championship, Southampton's talent pool runs deep. In front of our biggest crowd of the season, they showed their class.

We, meanwhile, were threadbare at the back. James Bree, Amari'i Bell, Reece Burke and Josh Edwards — all out. Their replacements struggled badly against a side from the south coast brimming with confidence.

The only consolation? A cold Tuesday night away at Stoke — the perfect test of character.

Hard analysis is needed now. Lessons must be learned, but it's hard to shake the feeling that things may get worse before they get better.

We await the return of our first-choice defenders, yet the forward line is also suffering, hampered by the ongoing absence of Charlie Kelman and Matty Godden.

Addicks fans — brace yourselves. This could be a long winter as we limp through these injury troubles towards the January window, desperate for reinforcements.

The Championship table remains a game of snakes and ladders. You can climb or fall in an instant. For now, we just need to steady ourselves and wait for the climb to begin.

Charlton boss Nathan Jones said his side gave Southampton "too much respect" in Saturday's game where they were well beaten at the Valley.

The Addicks conceded five goals in the first half and managed to get a mere consolation back before the break as they fell to defeat.

After the day's results Charlton drop to 13th in the Championship table but are still just two points off the top six.

"Give credit to them, for 20 minutes they were as good a side as we have seen at this level," Jones told BBC Radio London.

"[but] could we have been a bit more aggressive? We did not do the things we normally do and that is basically what has cost us.

"We do not defend the box well enough for the first goal, we allow certain things to happen for the second which kind of kills it, and then they go up and level and make it three and four very quickly.

"We showed a lot of character in the second half, we tweaked it defensively – we were probably a little more reserved than we normally are. Credit to Southampton they were much better than us but that is a learning curve for us.

"We are stretched. We have four fit defenders and one could not play today because it is against his club; wingers in wing-back positions, so it's tough.

"We did not quite get things right, we gave them too much respect.

Charlton are back in Championship action when they travel away to Stoke City on Tuesday night.

Charlton Athletic boss Nathan Jones says that having his old club Southampton come to visit on Saturday (12:30 GMT) does not any provide extra motivation for a victory.

Jones managed the Saints in the Premier League for just three months before being sacked, joining up with the Addicks the following year.

However, Jones' mind is fully focused on his current club and what their fans can bring to the game, with Charlton currently enjoying a more fruitful season than the visitors.

"We are really looking forward to the game," Jones told BBC Radio London.

"Not because it's Southampton, not because it's an ex-Premier League side, but because it's the next league game where we play at The Valley with an excellent crowd.

"There is an ambience in there that is conducive to win games and that's what we have at The Valley.

"It was a tough place to come, a tough place for home players to play but we've harnessed it well. We've got players who can handle the atmosphere, that the fans can relate to."

Listen to the full interview with Jones and more Charlton Athletic content on BBC Sounds.

If you're wondering where your team is going to finish in the Championship this season, you no longer need to worry.

Well, kind of.

Opta's supercomputer has worked its magic to figure out the most likely final league position of every team - and the chances each has of being promoted, making the play-offs or getting relegated.

Who is most likely to win automatic promotion?

It will come as no surprise that leaders Coventry are heavy favourites for the title (69.3%) and also have the highest chance of automatic promotion (84.2%) to the Premier League.

The next most likely to go straight up, with a 30.8% chance, are Middlesbrough. Despite currently sitting seventh and six points behind Boro in second, Ipswich are expected to be the third favourites for a top two finish (18.9%) followed by Stoke (14.1%).

Even though they've each enjoyed a strong start to the campaign, Preston (10.3%), Hull (6.1%) and Millwall (8.3%) have slimmer chances of finishing in an automatic promotion spot.

Who will make the play-offs?

Image source, Rex Features

Even if Coventry don't win automatic promotion, Opta's supercomputer has given the Sky Blues a 97.9% chance of a top-six finish, suggesting it's almost guaranteed.

Each of Middlesbrough, Ipswich, Preston and Stoke are expected to finish in a minimum of a play-off position at least one in two times.

Hull might feel the hardest done by as they sit fifth currently, but are said to have less chance (32.3%) than Millwall (38.8%) and Charton (32.4%), who are below them in the table.

The most likely of the chasing pack to make a surge up the table are 12th-placed Leicester City, who have been given a 31.8% chance of finishing in the top six and are more likely than Bristol City (28.9%), Derby (22.9%) and Birmingham (19.9%).

Last season's beaten play-off finalists Sheffield United have just a 1.8% chance of recovering their season to make the play-offs again, while relegated Premier League side Southampton (12.5%) aren't likely to either... if you trust the supercomputer!

Who is going down?

Image source, Rex Features

It's probably not hard to work out who is most likely to finish bottom and be relegated to League One.

Sheffield Wednesday's 12-point deduction, which has left them 17 points adrift of safety on -4 points, means they're pretty much nailed on to finish bottom (84.8%) - and failing that, are almost certain to go down (98.2%).

Second from bottom Norwich are the next most likely candidates to fall through the trap door (58.5%) but Sheffield United, who currently occupy the final relegation spot, have just a 22.4% chance of going down and are considered more likely to stay up than Oxford (37.8%) and Portsmouth (31.3%).

The Championship action resumes after the international break as Charlton Athletic welcome Southampton to The Valley on Saturday (12:30 GMT).

The Addicks are ninth after going down 1-0 at Wrexham in their final game before the break to end a run of five games unbeaten, from which they took 11 points, but Nathan Jones' men remain within two points of the play-off places.

Saints won back-to-back games under interim boss Tonda Eckert before the break to jump up to 17th, now eight points clear of the drop zone, and another win here would close the gap to their hosts to just two points in a congested mid-table.

• This is the first league meeting between Charlton and Southampton since April 2011 in League One, a game won 2-0 by the Saints.

• Southampton are winless in their past 10 away league matches against Charlton Athletic (D7 L3), with each of the last five ending in draws between September 2004 and March 2011.

• In all competitions, Charlton have won 18 of their past 23 home matches (D4 L1), winning 16 on home soil in 2025. It's their most home wins in a year since 1983 (also 16), last winning more back in 1938 (18).

• Southampton have won their past two league games, as many as they'd won in their previous 27 encounters (W2 D9 L16). Saints last won three in a row back in April 2024.

• Southampton have had 72.5% possession on average when losing in Championship games this season, the most of any side. However, when winning they average just 38.8% of the possession, a drop of 33.7% which is the largest difference between any side's possession average when winning and losing.