"Has to make way" - Nathan Jones urged to axe Charlton Athletic man v Lincoln City | OneFootball

"Has to make way" - Nathan Jones urged to axe Charlton Athletic man v Lincoln City | OneFootball

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·6 December 2024

"Has to make way" - Nathan Jones urged to axe Charlton Athletic man v Lincoln City

Article image:"Has to make way" - Nathan Jones urged to axe Charlton Athletic man v Lincoln City

FLW's Charlton Athletic fan pundit has given his view on what changes manager Nathan Jones should make against Lincoln City on Saturday.

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…


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Charlton Athletic take on Lincoln City in League One at Sincil Bank on Saturday afternoon in what looks set to be a crucial game for under-pressure manager Nathan Jones.

Jones led Charlton to safety last season after his arrival in February, and his side made an excellent start to this campaign as they won their first three league games, with many tipping them to be among the promotion contenders.

However, the Addicks' form has declined significantly since then, and they suffered their third defeat in four league games as they were beaten 2-1 by relegation-threatened Crawley Town at The Valley on Tuesday night, with goals from Tola Showunmi and Max Anderson either side of Daniel Kanu's equaliser sealing all three points for the Red Devils.

After their latest loss, Charlton sit 13th in the table, eight points from the play-off places, and alarmingly, they are only four points clear of the relegation zone.

There is no doubt that scrutiny on Jones is increasing, with some supporters calling for him to be sacked after the loss to Crawley, so the Welshman needs a result against a Lincoln side who have lost their last three league games.

Nathan Jones told to make Allan Campbell call against Lincoln City

Article image:"Has to make way" - Nathan Jones urged to axe Charlton Athletic man v Lincoln City

When asked what changes Jones should make for the trip to Lincoln, FLW's Charlton Athletic fan pundit Ben Fleming urged him to bring Karoy Anderson in for Allan Campbell in midfield, and he predicted there could be a host of alterations after the demoralising defeat to Crawley.

"After the defeat against Crawley and the manner of the performance, I wouldn't be surprised if Nathan Jones rings the changes," Ben said.

"He tried to play Godden, Ahadme and Leaburn in a narrow 4-3-3, with Godden dropping deeper, but it didn't really work, so I don't think he'll stick with that.

"We saw Lloyd Jones come off the bench for a few minutes at the end, I doubt he'll be risked from the start given that he's just coming back to full fitness, but if there is a way he could start and play 60 minutes, I'd like to see that.

"We looked a lot more solid at the start of the season with him at the back.

"Karoy Anderson missed the game with a hamstring concern, but I think he should be fine.

"Allan Campbell has caught most of the ire of the Charlton fans after his display in midweek for his lack of closing down that led to the shot for Crawley's second goal, so I think he has to make way, with Anderson coming back in for him.

"Maybe Dan Kanu could come into the team, similar to Jones, he's been out injured for quite a while, so we might not want to rush him back, but he looked good and lively off the bench when he came on and got the goal.

"He did well for us at the back end of last season alongside Alfie May, so he could be one that he looks to throw back in, but I wonder if it's a case similar to Jones where he might give him a few appearances off the bench before throwing him in from the start.

"Thierry Small is another one you could potentially bring in at left-back, I think Josh Edwards is solid, but Small gives us a bit more creativity going down the flank.

"Especially as we're playing this narrow formation, which we're clearly sticking to as we have no wingers, Small should be given another run in the team due to his increased creativity compared to Edwards to see if he can inspire a bit of change down that flank.

"He could even shift Edwards over to the right side given that Rarmani Edmonds-Green has been stuck there for the last few weeks and he's a centre-back naturally.

"I wouldn't be surprised if there were four, five or six changes."

Nathan Jones facing defining Charlton Athletic period as pressure builds

Article image:"Has to make way" - Nathan Jones urged to axe Charlton Athletic man v Lincoln City

With Charlton supporters starting to turn on him, there is no doubt Jones needs to turn his side's fortunes around quickly.

The Addicks have lost three of their last four games, but the poor run goes back much further than that, with Jones' men winning just three of their previous 14 league matches, so there is plenty of cause for concern.

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