‘We’ll be better next season’ Charlton boss Jackson has clear idea of where his side can improve

BY YANN TEAR
yann@slpmedia.co.uk

Johnnie Jackson has hailed the way his players are refusing to let the season simply drift, as he begins the process of planning for next season.

Charlton’s sorry season looked over after their run of six defeats in seven last month, but there is a determination not to simply limp over the line now there is nothing much to play for in terms of League One.

The Addicks boss says the planning for next season has very much begun but that a strong finish in the final fixtures can play a big part in that process of building for next season and they stunned promotion-seeking Rotherham last Saturday.

“I was really pleased with the result and the nature of the performance,” Jackson said of the 1-0 victory at the New York Stadium.

“We were excellent both in and out of possession.

“All the boys put in a good shift at what has been a difficult place for teams to go this season and what looked like a tap-in for them against a team with supposedly nothing to play for proved anything but.

“It’s what I want from my team.

“In the last two games, we were up against a team fighting for their lives in Wimbledon and a team fighting for promotion in Rotherham, but you wouldn’t have been able to tell we were the team with nothing at stake. It wasn’t evident and that really pleased me.

“We fought really hard in both games and it’s what I want to see again in our final four games. We want to finish the season as well as we possibly can to send the supporters off for the summer with some optimism about next season.”

Jackson continued: “I already have a clear idea about where we can improve and where we need reinforcements, and if we can get them, we should be much better next time.

“I have had ongoing conversations with the owner Thomas Sandgaard and [director of recruiting] Steve Gallen. We regularly talk about these things.

“But you still need luck to keep your players injury-free. Wigan and Rotherham have done very well this season but have not had injuries to key players, like us. We have had to cope with lengthy periods when our squad was depleted.

“The hard work isn’t going to just start after the last game, we are making plans already and the aim is to get a great pre-season under our belts and to start positively.

“The summer window is when the smart business is done and we need to get that right. Next season we aim to be in the promotion shake-up. It’s what the fans expect and demand and what the owner wants.”

Jackson added: “We want to give our great fans a season to remember next year. Too often we haven’t given them enough to shout about. It’s on me to help rebuild and give them the team and results they are after. Their support up and down the country has been great. They deserve it.”

Jackson had words of praise for Saturday’s match-winner George Dobson, who bagged his first goal for the club with a thunderbolt from outside the box.

“I’m really pleased for him,” he said. “It’s not what he’s known for, but it was a goal worthy of winning any game.

“He’s been a mainstay for us and one of our outstanding performers. He’s so reliable and never lets you down. He relishes his role as a deep-lying midfielder. He can read a game very well and has a fine understanding of the defensive side and offensive side of a game.”

The Addicks are at home to Morecambe today and travel to Cambridge on Monday. The season concludes with a home match against Shrewsbury and a visit to Ipswich Town.

PICTURE: KEITH GILLARD