So, What Will Be Our Strengths?

News that Karoy Anderson has signed for Blackpool doesn’t come as a surprise, but it is tinged with a little disappointment, rather like Albie Morgan’s departure to Blackpool. Sometimes a move suits both parties and this looks like one. Karoy has during his time with us endeared himself to everyone in and around the club and he leaves with all our best wishes. In an ideal world he’ll get lots of play-time, develop into the controlling midfield player we know he can become, and we are able to buy him back (or more cynically get a decent chunk of any sell-on fee). After all, players do return.

Karlan Grant returning after seven years away has promoted a more mixed reaction. As an additional forward option, one now with plenty of Championship (and top-flight) experience, it clearly has to be a plus, especially with Kelman picking up an injury against Gillingham that looks likely to sideline him for a few weeks. And on a free (although we are not privy to the financial details of the deal). On the negative side, it doesn’t feel like a signing that will make the real difference to the season ahead (or to put it bluntly/negatively the difference between staying up and not). We can’t expect loads of goals from him (same applies to Dykes if he still ends up accepting our offer over others; I assume it’s still on the table, it’s not as if he and Grant are interchangeable and it seems he hasn’t yet agreed a deal at Bristol City). Of course I very much hope I’m proved wrong, he bangs in 20+ and walks away with PotY.

There are still so many players, old and young, we are not sure will be with us when the transfer window closes – and no indication of who may be brought in. So still far too soon to be drawing any conclusions, as Jones the Boss keeps urging, even if any were possible before a ball is kicked in anger.

So far exiting are Ahadme, Mitchell(Z), both on loan, and Anderson (on loan), with Koumetio, Mesic and Grant joining us, with a decision awaited on trialist (ie Redman) as well as from Dykes. So yes the quality of the squad is being improved, just that we are waiting for more. The absence from pre-season friendlies so far of both Edwards and Sichenje is disappointing, as is the injury to Kelman at Gillingham, which is bound to disrupt his pre-season. Jones talked of the shoulder popping out and back in. I did that many moons ago, playing American Football in Greenwich Park on a works do. Didn’t hurt at first - and only realised I had a problem when someone threw me the ball and only one arm went up to catch it – but it sure did later. And although I’m sure Kelman will get more intensive treatment than I did, I’d assume a few weeks of not being able to play football.

Jones is understandably appealing for calm on the transfers front and for the three we’ve signed we didn’t get a lot of notice, so something can happen any time. Equally we are aware of the need to strengthen if we are to progress, which means avoiding a relegation scrap. It isn’t an accident that at the moment only Lincoln are considered by the bookies more likely to go down than us. We are on a par with promoted Bolton and Cardiff, suggesting that two from these three would join Lincoln going down. Doesn’t really mean much, but it doesn’t mean nothing.

What is rather surprising is that all the indications from the pre-season so far is that Jones is ditching the five at the back. That has some significant implications in all departments.

In defence, from looking at a combination of three from Jones, Burke, Bell, Sichenje, Ramsay and Koumetio, assuming Mitchell(A) is still on his way to Plymouth, we are now looking at Jones and one other. The relative absence of wing-back options – Asiimwe and Ramsay on the right, Edwards, Bell and Mesic on the left – becomes less of an issue if we are looking at full-backs instead of wing-backs.

Although it’s unclear whether we will favour 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 (or variations of either), I’d suggest that in midfield the formation change makes things more problematic for Carey and Knibbs, or Fullah, in that the more advanced role in a three no longer works. Now Carey’s goals sustained us last season while we’ve yet to see what Knibbs can offer in the Championship given his extended absence through injury. They don’t play wide and don’t stack up as holding midfielders. Presumably Jones has thought about this one, but whether or not Carey can be as effective in a new set-up remains to be seen.

It’s equally unclear if we are moving to a front three or a front two with wingers. Is Campbell going to be treated as a winger now (which he clearly is)? Does it mean that Apter has more of a role to play? Does Grant play as a second forward or one of a three? All of which still leaves us in doubt over which out of Leaburn, Dykes(?), Kelman, Godden, Kanu (if he stays) and Grant are considered first choice.

All of these issues will of course be worked out. But for me if there’s cause for concern at this stage it’s because, IMO, every successful team knows its strengths (and resulting weaknesses) and plays accordingly. I haven’t a clue right now what our strengths are/will be. Last season we were successful when we focused on defence and possibly nicking something at the other end. The number of clean sheets is the testimony for that. But we are it seems changing the defensive structure, as well as personnel, and adjusting the midfield in a way which may well compromise a major source of goals for us last season (Carey). So please forgive us Mr Jones, because we don’t yet see (or rather I don’t) just how we intend to play and why. Improving quality is of course a desirable objective, but it's a little vague unless you already know the structure and are looking for better options in defined roles. 

Welcome Ivan to The Wally

Great Q&A video on the club site with new signing Ivan Mesik. Even elicited a BBC article headlined that he is ‘living the dream’ playing for Charlton. It is the dream of all footballers, or should be. It marks an excellent start to what we hope will be a long and successful stint with us.

Just do have to add that the video gave me an unexpected good laugh. When asked the question “how can I convince my Slovakian girlfriend to come to The Valley to watch Charlton games?” Mesik revealed the quite common and forgivable inability to pronounce the English ‘v’, using a ‘w’ instead (I remember watching a DVD in Iceland about the Vikings which had a dramatic build-up full of blood and thunder followed by ‘they were called the Wikings’). So he talked of playing at The Walley (as in ‘walleee’). That was bad enough, but if you look at the script/translation it reads that as ‘The Wally’.

So welcome Ivan, let’s get the Wally full and rocking!

Initial Comings And Goings

So, two in – one widely rumoured for a while, the other completely out of left field – and two out, or four to date if you add in those not retained. All of those departing go with best wishes and more. Gillesphey signed from Plymouth for an undisclosed fee in January 2024, the same day as Coventry joined us. Charlton, then with Appleton at the helm, were “thrilled” with the signing and he will for an obvious reason be added to the list of Charlton legends. Not many have scored for us at Wembley (Turner, Duffy, Mendonca, Rufus, everyone who took a penalty, Purrington, Bauer and Gillesphey if I’m right) and the list of those who scored the winner there is even shorter (Duffy, arguably Newton, Bauer and Gillesphey). 109 appearances and a decent centre-back return of eight goals, plus the fact that he was just about always available and put in a shift when called on.

Ahadme, signed in July 2024, might be at the other end of the scale in that we paid a bucketload for him (undisclosed of course) and had high hopes that he would be in tandem with Godden the spearhead of our attack. That didn’t happen, last season’s loan to Stevenage didn’t work out, and Jones’ comment as he left for Cambridge on loan that “we haven’t seen the best of Gassan yet” is something of an understatement. But he’s only 25 and even if away for all of next season would have another year left on his contract, so we hope he truly blossoms and fulfils the potential that would seem to be there, either to return to us in better shape or so that we can get some money back.

Taylor and Berry had contrasting experiences with us. We signed Taylor in July 2023 from Burton (undisclosed fee of course) and it just didn’t work out. Just 13 appearances for us and more time on loan at Northampton, he heads off to Stevenage with time still on his side. By contrast Berry was a seasoned campaigner when we picked him up after his contract with Luton expired in July 2024. With 57 games and eight goals his importance in the side which won promotion will not be forgotten. It seems that a number of youngsters have either been released or haven’t yet agreed new terms so are currently free agents, including Casey. Good luck to all of them too!

The agreement with Godden for another year is very welcome. He may shortly turn 35 but showed enough hunger, desire and ability at the end of last season to justify being retained. He is still by a distance our best operator inside the box and we all hope will be instrumental in the further development of Kelman, both for poaching skills and by showing him how to make a real pain of himself for defenders outside the box. We wait for news on whether or not Dykes will take our offer of a new deal – and nobody will blame us for feeling slightly relieved that his World Cup experience won’t have added zeroes to his price.

And welcome Mesik and Koumetio! The latter we assume will be a straight replacement for Gillesphey, the former either another option at left-side centre-back, along with Bell (assuming we stay with a back 3/5), or competition for the returning Edwards in the left-side wing-back role. Assuming we keep Jones and Ramsay, the only defensive position we are now light on is right-side wing-back. As things stand you’d assume Ramsay taking that spot with Asiimwe (if he stays) as back-up, leaving Sichenje and Burke to cover the right-side central position. I’d be happy to see Fevrier (brought back in – and please can we have no more talk that Apter might cover as wing-back. He is a real threat going forward and I hope we keep him as an impact sub, but defensively as a wing-back he was and would still be far too great a risk. Opponents are well aware of this.

That leaves no obvious spot for either of the Mitchells or, for now at least, Gough. We’ve been assuming that Mitchell(A) will be off to Plymouth or be sold to another League One outfit, and if he is he will be another going with best wishes for the future. He was supplanted by Jones as the lynchpin of the defence in the promotion season and seems the sort of player who needs to play regularly or gets rusty. He’s still only 24 and will be an asset to any League One side, with the potential to move higher. Mitchell(Z) and Gough would seem to be candidates to go out on loan.

If the defence is shaping up, the same cannot be said for the midfield, while up front it remains unclear whether we retain or replace Dykes, bring in a marque signing, or anticipate better returns than last season from those currently available to us. Returning loanees Anderson, Apter, Olaofe, Kanu and Mbick have swelled the numbers, but it’s not yet clear how we will shape up in midfield (either more of the same if it’s Docherty, Coventry and Rankin-Costello, plus Anderson, along with Carey, Knibbs and Fullah competing for the more advanced spot) or up front. Godden, Kelman, Dykes(?), Leaburn, Campbell, Olaofe, Kanu and Mbick is too many and too uncertain.

We’re all aware of the limitations and obstacles when it comes to new signings in these areas, and the higher risks involved. There’s no cause for impatience as yet, the club has credit in the bank and no doubt some rejigging will be done before we kick off against Derby on 15 August (and possibly after that date). We’re also aware that for good reasons as things stand we are ranked by most as among likely relegation candidates. They can be proved wrong just by collective efforts, as we did at the start of last season, by players with us last season improving, and by fresh signings, including loan options.

Mentally I think there’s a challenge in that the Championship next season is going to be much tougher and the chances of a surprise bid for the play-offs much reduced. Sheff Wed began last season effectively already relegated and Leicester imploded. West Ham, Burnley and Wolves are unlikely to repeat the trials and tribulations of those relegated to the Championship a year ago, while Cardiff and Bolton at least will fancy their chances of staying up. Nothing is written, everything is possible, but you have to believe everything is possible for it to perhaps become so. That’s of course for Jones and his staff to work on!