Claim made on Conor Coady as Charlton Athletic close in on Wrexham deal - it can fix issue that is 'massively lacking' | OneFootball

FLW’s Charlton Athletic fan pundit has issued his thoughts on the Addicks agreeing a loan deal for Wrexham defender Conor Coady.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Charlton Athletic find themselves in the midst of a relegation battle under Nathan Jones.

While it was to be expected the Addicks would be positioned near the bottom end of the standings following their promotion from League One, there will be hope for all connected with the Addicks that they can survive their first season back and build towards being an established second-tier side.

Charlton are currently 19th in the Championship table, taking 32 points from 28 games, while they are only three points clear of the relegation trapdoor.

It’s a crucial period of the season to start picking up results, but Charlton have been unable to muster any positive form together recently, tasting just two victories in their last 14 Championship games.

Charlton’s backline was severely breached last time out against Millwall as the Lions secured a 4-0 victory at The Den, so the club has decided to add a defensive reinforcement, agreeing a loan deal with Wrexham for Conor Coady, until the end of the season, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The ex-England international looks set to add some much-needed experience to galvanise the playing squad, but concerns have been raised over his performances on the pitch, with the former Wolves defender playing just five times for the Red Dragons and being fiercely criticised for his displays in North Wales.

With this in mind, FLW’s Charlton Athletic fan pundit has discussed the role Coady will play at The Valley, and whether he can be a regular in the Charlton backline under Nathan Jones.

Conor Coady expected to play a bigger role off the pitch for Charlton Athletic

Speaking to Football League World, Charlton Athletic fan pundit Chris Woodward has admitted he sees Conor Coady playing a leading role purely in the dressing room with his personable qualities, and would be surprised to see him oust Alfie Jones given he is on the decline in his career.

Chris told FLW: “Conor Coady is a signing that is going to offer us much more off the pitch than on it. He’ll be competing for that middle centre-back position with Lloyd Jones, given his profile, and considering Jones has been our best player this season, I don’t think Coady will be anything more than a squad player.

“Besides playing the odd games to shore up the defence when holding onto a tight lead or giving Lloyd Jones the occasional rest, I don’t think he’ll get too much game-time, especially when we’ve got Reece Burke, who can also fill that position when fit.

“However, off the pitch, Coady provides a lot of leadership, character and experience, all of which we are massively lacking at the moment.

“He’s not a signing I’m particularly excited about due to his poor performances at Wrexham at the start of the year and don’t think he adds tremendous amounts of quality at this stage of his career, but I can understand this move due to the extra cover and other personable qualities, which we definitely shouldn’t underestimate in our current situation.”

Charlton Athletic are taking a gamble with Conor Coady loan signing

It’s evident Nathan Jones has been keen to add experience to his Charlton Athletic side, with Conor Coady’s leadership viewed as a vital asset and a big reason why he is being brought to the club.

Of course, Coady will be a vocal presence in the changing room to try and lift spirits, but he has to do his talking on the pitch, and his performances have been far from encouraging in the Championship with Wrexham.

There are concerns that if Coady isn’t good enough to sustain a place in Wrexham’s team, then is he even good enough to be playing in the Championship at all? His best days are seemingly behind him, and Charlton fans won’t want to be seeing precious financial resources wasted on a journeyman.

However, Coady’s best performances of his career came under Nuno Espirito Santos at Wolves, who played a similar three-back setup like Jones operates at Charlton, with Coady utilised at the heart of it, so there is a chance that the 32-year-old could see an upturn in form when used in a system that gets the best out of him.

Charlton boss Jones has a big decision to make over whether to switch Lloyd Jones over into the left centre-back role to accommodate Coady, but then there is a risk Jones’ performances could suffer a dip when moving him out of a position he’s looked so assured in.

Charlton supporters are clearly not seeing the vision in the Coady signing given he is providing some selection headaches, so the pressure is on for the defender to slot in, get his performance levels back up and prove that he can play a vital role in keeping the Addicks in the Championship.