‘Decent progress’ – Nathan Jones delivers assessment on his first 12 months in charge of Charlton Athletic

Nathan Jones has reflected on recently clocking up his one-year anniversary as Charlton Athletic boss – describing the gains made as “very realistic”.

The Addicks were three points above the League One drop zone when the Welshman was appointed on February 4, 2024.

Now Charlton are fifth in the table after Tuesday’s 2-1 victory over Peterborough United.

“The progress has been very realistic – both for a club of our stature and size but also where we came from,” Jones told the South London Press.

“There have been a few times this year that we’ve let ourselves down but we have shown real consistency. I think we’ve only lost 10 games, which means we’re more difficult to beat. I don’t know the exact stats but I think in the previous 18 games before I came in they could have lost 10 in that period.

“The longer we are here and the more work we can do, I think the quicker we can make progress.

“The club and the team are in a really good position considering we’ve had a lot of new signings and that when we came in we were just outside the relegation zone.

“We are competing against sides that have huge budgets, have been together a long time and that have had that continuity – and we’re right in the mix. It has been decent progress. I wouldn’t call it meteoric. But I also think it has been really realistic and good progress.”

Charlton were on a 12-game winless spell when Jones picked up the managerial reins in SE7.

“I don’t think there are many managers that go into a role with it being hunky-dory,” said the 51-year-old. “I’m very proud of the way I left Luton, for example.

“The two people going in there went into environments that were juggernauts, really. It was on an upward trajectory and they did fantastically well – that doesn’t happen very often. Normally a manager leaves his role because there is a disconnect or they are having a tough spell. You have to arrest that.

“This is one of the most wonderful football clubs I’ve ever been involved in. There is an impatience and a history of success or mis-management. It was important we were calm, made sane decisions and got everyone onboard. The ownership group want to build something and they will give it time.

“When we were doing well we didn’t get too high and when we were poor, that hasn’t been on many occasions, we didn’t get too low and start throwing people out the front door.

“It was a tough baptism when we first came in but this is a good football club with good players and honest people.

“It wasn’t a bad football team under Michael Appleton – I watched a lot of the games – they just needed something different. It was just underperforming and my job was to probably bring it together a little bit.

“We’ve managed to do that and it’s a credit to everybody at the football club because no one human being can do that. Everyone has bought into everything. We don’t look backwards any more.”