The Sheffield Wednesday factor that Charlton Athletic, Nathan Jones may not like | OneFootball

Nathan Jones will hope to avoid following this trend when Charlton Athletic meet Sheffield Wednesday

Charlton Athletic have put up a decent account of themselves following their promotion to the Championship last season.

Nathan Jones’ side spent considerably less than fellow promoted clubs Birmingham City and Wrexham during the summer window, but still managed to recruit effectively, signing the likes of Charlie Kelman, Joe Rankin-Costello and James Bree.

The Addicks’ campaign got off to a perfect start, as Harvey Knibbs’ last-gasp strike saw them defeat Watford and take all three points on the opening weekend.

A promising draw away at Bristol City reaffirmed Charlton’s competitiveness, before defeats against Leicester City and QPR threatened to halt their momentum.

That didn’t prove to be the case however, with Jones’ side taking eight points from their next four matches, a run that included victories over Sheffield United and Blackburn.

One of Charlton’s biggest strengths this season has been their ability to perform at home, with the South East London outfit picking up seven points from their first four clashes at the Valley.

Therefore, the Addicks couldn’t be faulted for feeling confident about their upcoming home test against Sheffield Wednesday, who currently sit 23rd in the Championship standings.

However, when studied further, there could be a good reason as to why Jones and Co. may feel slightly less optimistic about the contest.

Charlton Athletic must be wary of Sheffield Wednesday away form

On paper, Charlton should be capable of beating Wednesday at home. The Addicks have the better squad and have picked up points on a more consistent basis this season, placing them as the key favourites heading into the clash.

However, for all their off-field troubles, the Owls have still proven to be a competitive second-tier outfit thus far this season.

Henrik Pedersen’s side have picked up six points from their opening nine matches, leaving them 23rd in the table with just Steel City rivals Sheffield United behind them.

That doesn’t tell the full story of their season, though. Wednesday have had to compete with one arm behind their back, due to owner Dejphon Chansiri’s financial wrongdoings.

The Thai businessman has failed to pay players on time for five of the last seven months, leading to key operators such as Michael Smith and Josh Windass leaving for free.

Wednesday have been placed under six different embargoes due to Chansiri’s antics, leading to them signing just Harry Amass and Ethan Horvath during the summer window.

Despite all of these complications, the Owls have proven to be tough competition at times this season, especially when playing away from Hillsborough.

The Steel City side’s sole victory this season came on the road at Portsmouth, whilst they have also held Wrexham and Birmingham to draws.

This means that Wednesday have scored a large majority of their points as the away side, which bodes well for their trip to Charlton.

After managing to achieve draws with the two other promoted sides, Pedersen and Co. must feel confident of doing the same at the Valley.

Charlton Athletic will still feel confident about their Sheffield Wednesday chances

Although Wednesday’s away record is far from ideal for Charlton, they mustn’t let it affect their psyche heading into the game.

The Addicks’ squad knows that they possess more quality than their opponents and should therefore be patient in their approach to the contest.

Jones’ defence has been one of the Championship’s tightest backlines so far this campaign, with just three teams conceding less than them at this moment in time.

Therefore, they will feel comfortable dealing with Wednesday’s attack, which has scored just eight goals in their opening nine matches, a tally that only Sheffield United and Blackburn Rovers have failed to achieve.

Much of the Owls’ positivity this campaign has come from committed displays, where their players have fought for the badge and worked tirelessly despite being outmatched on the pitch.

This will no doubt be the story of the game against Charlton, but Jones and Co. will know their best chance of coming out on top requires them to keep a calm head and not play to Wednesday’s strengths.

The Steel City side’s last match before the October international break saw them hammered 5-0 by league leaders Coventry City, which highlights how vulnerable they are when fully exposed.