Charlton Athletic have struggled for a couple of months now and there is growing talk that the Addicks should part company with manager Nathan Jones.

Charlton gained promotion back to the Championship by winning the 2024-25 League One play-offs and they managed to survive in their first season back at the level last year.

Having won their opening three matches of the campaign, including a 2-1 victory at the London Stadium against West Ham United, many Charlton supporters may have been forgiven for looking at the expanded play-off places, to eight, and fancying themselves to be unlikely challengers.

However, they have since gone on a nine-match winless run of form across all competitions since then, extended by a 3-1 defeat at home to Norwich City at the weekend.

As Charlton look set for a sustained relegation battle once again in the second-tier, there are now growing calls for Charlton to search for a new manager to turn things around.

Nathan Jones receives some backing at Charlton

Nathan Jones has experienced a mixed managerial career with an impressive couple of stints in charge of Luton Town both being followed by failed moves to Southampton and Stoke City.

He has rebuilt his reputation in charge of Charlton with his naturally conservative and direct style getting The Addicks back into second-tier, where they are seeking to once again become part of the furtniture.

However, that conservative style and its limitations is becoming a bigger and bigger problem for many; albeit FLW’s Charlton Fan Pundit Chris Woodward remains in his corner for now.

Chris says: “The Jones debate is one that will divide a lot of the fanbase but, at the moment, I am very much of the ‘Jones in’ camp.

“In normal circumstances; nine without a win, playing in the manner we have, with almost a fully available squad – it would be very justifiable sacking the manager.

“However, the way I see it, we are six points off the bottom three, we have a bottom six budget. The squad isn’t exactly filled with quality, there aren’t many attractive managers going.

“Jones is a manager who is known for getting the best out of weaker teams and he is also been in this situation before. Crawley in his first full season and at Millwall last year – and he has managed to turn around results.

“Not to mention, Jones has also got a lot of credit in the bank for his work up to this point.

“Something does need to change because it has not been good enough but I am backing Jones to get us out of this difficult patch.

“Almost every fan wants to see better football but I am wary after looking at (David) Moyes at West Ham and (John) Eustace at Birmingham; I don’t want us falling into the same trap to I am willing to back Jones.”

Charlton are struggling in attack in the Championship

Charlton spent reasonably heavily upon promotion from League One with their marquee addition last summer being that of Charlie Kelman from Queens Park Rangers.

Kelman scored at the weekend and has had his moments at The Valley but injuries haven’t helped him necessarily reach prolific heights, while other attacking signings such as Tanto Olaofe or Rob Apter were outright failures with both loaned out in January and the former loaned out again this summer.

This summer saw the signings of Millenic Alli, Karlan Grant and Junior Nkeng in the final third but none are yet to make much of an impression, albeit Grant has scored on a couple of occasions since returning to South London.

There are reasonable reservations about whether that is down to the quality of player or more because of the style of football preferred by Jones, where defensive rigidity is prioritised above all else.

Three teams have scored fewer than Charlton in the Championship this season but they are three of the bottom four – and five of the 11 goals that The Addicks did score came in those three victories at the start of the campaign.

Clawing their way away from the bottom three and the relegation places may need continued grit and determination but a little more going forward – and Jones has his work cut out to prove that he can indeed turn things around.