Charlton Athletic: Alex Mitchell comments indicate overdue improvement is coming - View | OneFootball

Charlton Athletic's new signing Alex Mitchell has highlighted potential areas of improvement ahead of next season.

Highlights

Charlton Athletic centre-back Alex Mitchell has been discussing a couple of areas in which the Addicks can improve next season.

Mitchell signed for Charlton for an undisclosed fee from Millwall this summer, following a successful loan spell in League One with Lincoln City last season.

The Imps had the second-best defence in the third tier during the 2023/24 campaign, and Mitchell was a key part of that, making 36 appearances and contributing to 15 clean sheets in the games he played.

His performances were enough to attract the interest of Charlton boss Nathan Jones, who brought the 22-year-old to The Valley as part of his summer re-build. The Addicks have made seven signings in total so far during this transfer window, as they look to improve on last season's disappointing 16th place finish during the upcoming campaign.

Mitchell has highlighted a couple of areas he feels that Charlton can improve on next season.

Charlton can improve their set-pieces

Charlton did not make the most of set-pieces last season at either end of the pitch, something that definitely played a part in their underwhelming season in League One.

According to WhoScored.com, the Addicks scored just six goals from set-pieces, making them the team that scored the fewest goals from such situations over the course of the campaign.

Charlton conceded 14 goals from set-pieces last term, which was around the average number in League One, meaning that there is plenty of room for improvement next season.

Mitchell scored the final goal in Charlton's 3-1 friendly victory over Turkish top flight side Goztepe to round off their training camp in Slovenia, heading the ball home from a superb Conor Coventry corner.

He spoke about the importance of set-pieces in an interview that was uploaded on the club's official X account after the game.

"I leaped like a salmon," Mitchell joked.

"It was a very good delivery, I've got to say. I tried to get above my opponent, done that, and even though it is pre-season, nice to get on the score-sheet, but I think the delivery was probably better than the goal, in my opinion.

"Yeah, I think we were chatting about it (scoring more goals from set-pieces) just there, we've just done gym after the game, and they are going to be massive for us this season, but not just attacking. I think defensively, if not, they are more important."

It appears as though the players have identified that set-pieces are something they can make the most of next season, and with the likes of Mitchell and Lloyd Jones in the side, there is no reason why they shouldn't be able to.

Mitchell prides himself on clean sheets

After picking up plenty of clean sheets during his time on loan at Lincoln, it seems like Mitchell has got the taste for them now.

During the post-match interview, the defender spoke about his desire to keep the ball out of the net.

He said: "I pride myself, obviously, on trying to keep clean sheets and not concede, so I am a bit frustrated with today, but we didn't concede a set-piece and we scored one, so got to look at the positives."

Only Carlisle United, who finished bottom of the table, kept fewer clean sheets than the five Charlton managed in League One last season, so it is something the Addicks must rectify next term if they are going to have any chance of being successful.

The signing of Mitchell should benefit Charlton with set-pieces at both ends of the pitch, as well as help solidify a defence that struggled to keep clean sheets last season.