Nathan Jones must take Charlton Athletic action involving Charlie Kelman - Sheffield United evidence proves it | OneFootball

Charlie Kelman's place in the Charlton Athletic team must now surely be at risk after Sheffield United display.

Nathan Jones has to take the tough decision to drop Charlie Kelman from his Charlton Athletic side, as the ex-QPR striker continues to struggle following his summer move to The Valley.

The forward was a marquee signing last summer, with the Addicks reportedly agreeing a deal worth £3.5 million for the forward with QPR.

Kelman won the golden boot in League One in the previous campaign, scoring 21 times in the regular season for Leyton Orient while on loan from the Hoops.

He scored a further two times in the play-offs, and added four goals in cup competitions, with the O’s narrowly missing out on promotion with a loss in the final to Jones’ side.

Charlton made a number of signings in preparation for life back in the second tier, and have made a solid start to the term, but Kelman’s performances are starting to stand out for all the wrong reasons.

Nathan Jones must consider dropping Charlie Kelman from Charlton Atheltic starting XI

Kelman enjoyed a breakout year in League One, and was a standout player in the division even as Leyton Orient missed out on promotion.

It was hoped by Charlton that his performances in the third tier meant he was ready for the step up to the Championship.

The £3.5 million fee paid to sign him was their endorsement of that idea, as that was a lot of money for the London outfit to spend.

However, it has been a difficult start for the forward, who has failed to register a single goal or assist from the opening six games of the season.

While he was on the bench for defeats to Leicester City and his former club QPR, he started the other four fixtures, as well as both of their games in the EFL Cup.

From his just shy of 300 minutes of Championship football played so far this campaign, Kelman has managed a measly two shots, with only one of those even being on target.

Indeed, he was replaced just after the hour mark in the win over Sheffield United, on an afternoon in which he had just three touches of the ball inside the Blades box, and finished with an expected goals (xG) figure of 0.05 - per FotMob.

The 23-year-old is struggling to adapt to the second division, and Jones will surely have to make the difficult decision to take him out of the team sooner rather than later.

The money spent on him does add to the pressure of his current form, and maybe all he needs is that first goal to help settle any nerves.

But at the moment, he doesn’t look like finding the back of the net any time soon, as he simply doesn’t pose a big enough of a threat in the final third.

Tanto Olaofe and Miles Leaburn give Nathan Jones alternative Charlie Kelman, Charlton options

Tanto Olaofe was another summer signing for Charlton, and he made a significant impact when he came off the bench against Sheffield United last weekend.

The forward scored the goal that sealed a huge 1-0 win away to a struggling Sheffield United, which could prove an important result by the end of the season.

The Blades are bottom of the table at the moment, but with the appointment of Chris Wilder, you’d imagine they will turn things around soon and start climbing the Championship.

Being able to take advantage of their position by taking a victory at Bramall Lane is huge for Jones’ side, and it was Olaofe who provided the key moment, which justifies bringing him into the starting lineup in place of Kelman.

Miles Leaburn has had to rely on substitute appearances for the most part this season, but he is another option that looks a much greater threat than Kelman at the moment.

The 21-year-old may not have found the back of the net yet in the league either, but he has already managed 10 shots from 285 minutes of play, highlighting the danger he possesses in comparison to Kelman.

The American youth international may yet find his feet at Championship level, but Charlton cannot afford to wait around for that moment to come.

The Addicks need to be putting points up on the board so they can avoid any kind of relegation battle.

With that in mind, Jones has to now take the tough decision to drop Kelman and give him the chance to prove himself from the bench over the coming weeks.