Danny Mills has detailed how Nathan Jones can transform Charlton Athletic into a League One promotion contender next season.
Danny Mills has pinpointed how Charlton Athletic may become League One promotion hopefuls under Nathan Jones next season.
An vital 2-1 win at Pride Park on Tuesday night earned the Addicks three points away to Derby County.
Goals from Alfie May and Karoy Anderson secured the team’s first victory under Nathan Jones, who had previously lost one and drawn three since taking over earlier this month.
Prior to Tuesday’s victory, the club had not won in their previous 16 league games.
But the result has raised optimism that Charlton can remain in League One beyond this campaign, amid fears of relegation to League Two.
Mills makes Charlton promotion claim
Speaking exclusively to Football League World, via 888sport, Mills suggested that if Jones can get the Charlton squad to buy into his ideas and approach then he can turn them into League One promotion candidates next term – assuming they stay up in 2023/24.
“It’s all about that buy-in because suddenly the players go, ‘ok, we believe in him’,” said Mills
“I’d go back to when I think it was [Antonio] Conte that came in [at Chelsea] first couple of games of the season, they didn’t play particularly well and he allowed the team to do what they’d done previously and then he changed the system.
“I believe it was against Arsenal three or four games into the season.
“They had a fortunate win because he altered the system.
“It was a sloppy goal, but all of those factors played into it.
“When you tweak the system and pick a win, the players go, ‘Oh, yeah, this works’.
“If you lose that game, gamers will say, ‘meh, doesn’t work,’ which demonstrates how delicate [a] line may be at times. There’s no real rhyme or reason behind it.
“A lot of it is about the mental side of things and how the players react to it.
“So, without a doubt, if he can bring them through this season, it will give them a sense of accomplishment. They will believe in both him and the project.
“They have some good players down there.” “They need to keep them, obviously, by staying in League One, and then there’s no reason why they can’t push on next season,” he said. “Without being disrespectful, League One at the moment isn’t the strongest in the world.”
“I believe we’ve seen that in prior seasons when it’s been quite powerful, with clubs running away with it.
“When you include places where they played an extra game, the top eight is pretty tight.
“There is no truly fantastic team in that division, and Oxford, which I am quite familiar with, hasn’t been great since the new manager took over; they’ve drawn way too many games, but they’re still in the playoffs.
“In a good season, suddenly you’re down to 10th and you don’t get away with that.”So, yes, I believe so.
“If they can survive this season, there’s no reason not to be optimistic for next.”
Charlton Athletic’s league position
Charlton moved up to 19th in the rankings with a 2-1 victory over Derby on Tuesday night.
With 11 games remaining, the Addicks’ lead over the bottom four is currently four points, despite the fact that they have played more games than some of their relegation rivals.
Next up for Jones’ side is a trip to play 11th-place Northampton Town on March 2.
A significant occasion in Jones’ stint at Charlton.
The 2-1 victory over Derby marks a watershed moment for Jones as Charlton boss, as another game without a win would have made it five straight.
This would have put the squad in a perilous position in the table, and failing to win any of his first five games as manager will sap everyone’s confidence.
However, going out to a promotion contender like Derby and winning all three points shows that Jones has what it takes to turn things around at the Valley.
Of course, it is still too early to consider a promotion challenge for next year, but if they can get through this season without being relegated, the club may be able to work toward returning to the right side of the table shortly.
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