Charlton Athletic lauded amid 'astronomically different' Birmingham City finances | OneFootball

Charlton Athletic could finish above Birmingham City in the Championship despite the gulf in resources between Blues and the Addicks

Charlton Athletic and Birmingham City were both promoted from League One to the Championship last season, but began the second-tier campaign with very different expectations.

Blues held aspirations of returning to the Premier League for the first time since suffering top-flight relegation back in 2011, whereas the Addicks' primary goal was to avoid an immediate third-tier return.

However, with just five Championship fixtures remaining, Charlton sit a mere four points behind Birmingham, with Nathan Jones' men and Chris Davies' side sitting 18th and 16th, respectively.

The South London outfit are closing in on securing their second-tier status, and sit 10 points clear of the relegation zone, which is occupied by Leicester City, Oxford United, and Sheffield Wednesday.

Charlton Athletic told they have overachieved as 'fantastic' Birmingham City admission made

Charlton bounced back from a 2-1 defeat to Bristol City on Good Friday with a 1-1 draw at Watford on Easter Monday, and will be keen to earn their first win of the month when they host Preston North End on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Football League World asked our Addicks fan pundit, Chris Woodward, how remarkable it would be if Jones' side finished above Birmingham this term, given the difference in resources, aspirations, and expectations.

Woodward said: "If we were to finish above Birmingham, it would be a fantastic achievement. The goal for us was always to finish 21st, with the third-smallest budget in the league, ahead of Pompey and Sheffield Wednesday, and there were definitely a few other Championship fans who had us to go down as well.

"On the flip side, Birmingham were getting top six, and even the occasional top-two shouts when they came up. It was thought they could follow in Ipswich's steps of getting back-to-back promotions.

"The fact we are only four points off them shows how well we've done in terms of club expectations. Just to give some insight, since Nathan Jones stepped through the door, just over two years ago, we've spent roughly £13-£14million in transfer fees in the three windows that he's had.

"In comparison, Birmingham have spent more on one player in that time, in Jay Stansfield, which was also in the division below. The finances between both clubs are astronomically different, especially when you consider our current first-choice striker in (Lyndon) Dykes was Birmingham's fourth (or) fifth-choice striker a few months ago.

"Whether you put the league performances down to us overachieving, or Birmingham underperforming, or a bit of both, it highlights what an incredible job Nathan Jones has done to get us to this point in our first season in the Championship, and he doesn't get enough recognition, even among Charlton fans for how quickly he's changed us as a club."

Charlton Athletic scenario could heap pressure on Birmingham City boss Chris Davies

If Charlton successfully finish above Birmingham in the Championship table, there is no doubt that Jones deserves an enormous amount of credit and respect.

Addicks chairman Gavin Carter recently told South London Sport that he was 'fairly confident' his side had the second or third-lowest wage budget in the second tier.

In contrast, Birmingham have players such as Carlos Vicente and Marvin Ducksch among their ranks, who can command high wages, having joined Blues from top-flight clubs elsewhere in Europe.

If Charlton, with their significantly lower resources, finish above the St Andrew's Stadium outfit, Davies' future in the dugout may be in significant doubt.