Will Michael Appleton’s Appointment Steer Charlton Athletic Back to Stability?
It’s been a full decade since Michael Appleton received his famous “hairdryer” talk from Sir Alex Ferguson, as the legendary coach told his former youth player that he needed to be more careful about choosing the clubs he opted to manage. That came after Appleton managed Blackburn and Blackpool for a combined 132 days, neither with success.
It seemed Appleton had learned from that talk, but it’s a little less certain now. Last year, he tried again at Blackpool and again went down in flames, lasting seven months before getting the sack. To his credit, he didn’t jump back in at the first opportunity, sitting out all of the rest of 2023 as well as the summer. To his possible discredit, he’s chosen to come back with Charlton Athletic, which has not exactly been a bastion of stability.
Since Lee Bowyer left The Valley in March 2021 to take over Birmingham City, Appleton is now Charlton’s fifth full-time manager. If you do the math, you know that means not one of the other four has made it through even one calendar year in charge. None has even come particularly close, as recently axed Dean Holden is the only one who made it from one transfer window to the next. Holden lasted just over eight months, which is still better than Nigel Adkins (seven), Johnnie Jackson (six) and Ben Garner (six).
Things might be different now that Thomas Sandgaard’s itchy trigger finger isn’t deciding Appleton’s future. Sandgaard sold to SE7 Partners, so the Addicks might be willing to give Appleton some time. But will this succeed? Here’s a look.
Appleton’s An Experienced Voice: Is He What Charlton Needs?
Despite speculation that Charlton would go for a younger voice, such as Manchester United assistant Eric Ramsay or Barrow boss Pete Wild, the Addicks opted for the man who’s been around a while. That says Andy Scott believes that he already has the pieces in place to make a run to the top of League One, and the Addicks simply need a different voice running the show.
Scott’s comments to his locker room that their performance is unacceptable underscores this view. It’s also why you make a move like this now. Under Holden, Charlton had a tendency to give up the late goal and cost themselves a result. Out of four defeats in League One, the Addicks lost by giving up an 85th minute goal to Oxford, an 87th minute winner to Port Vale and, most agonizingly, a goal eight minutes into injury time at home to Bristol Rovers. To add insult to injury, that’s Bristol Rovers’ only win of the season.
Each time, Charlton had fought back from behind to level the match. If they’d managed to hold those matches at a stalemate, they’d be sitting on nine points, in the top half of the league. They’d also still have Holden employed at The Valley. Giving up late goals repeatedly to lose says something’s wrong with the mentality. An experienced voice like Appleton can help Charlton discover something inside themselves that helps them hold draws and even turn a few into wins, which can help keep them in League One next season.
Maintaining The Style: The Game Plan Under Appleton
Appleton’s words further underscore the idea that this is about a new voice instead of a new direction. When he took the job, he said that he expects the Addicks to boss the possession while playing his style. Charlton was already getting the lion’ share of possession in most of its matches, so that won’t be a big change. The biggest issue for this team has been its mentality late in matches.
That doesn’t require a full reset; it only requires a shot of toughness in the late game. It also requires an adept touch from the manager on which substitutions to make, and Appleton understands this league and match flow well enough to make those decisions.
Scott and Appleton both seem to be on the same page for what this team needs. If they’re right, this partnership should pay off and keep Charlton from dropping to League Two. Of course, if they’re wrong about that, it’s going to be a one-way ticket to relegation.
Knowing His Place: Appleton’s Risk and Reward at The Valley
At this point in his career and his life, Appleton is probably secure in who he is as a manager. He doesn’t appear to be cut out for the grind of the Championship, but he’s shown he knows what he’s doing in League One and League Two. Few people are as adept at analyzing the lower levels of the English football pyramid than him, and by bringing him in now, Charlton can get a jump on who it might need in order to avoid the drop zone. Alternatively, if Appleton proves a wild success, it’s still early enough that he could lead the Addicks toward the top half of the table and target a player who could get them into the playoff race.
On the other side of the coin, if things aren’t any different at Charlton than they were under the previous chairmen, this is going to be another post-Blackpool mistake for Appleton. Last time, his follow-up to departing Bloomfield Road proved disastrous, and he certainly hasn’t made things easy for himself with this move. There’s a chance it could work if he can install a tougher mentality, but he’ll likely need time and patience to make that happen.
1 thought on “Will Michael Appleton’s Appointment Steer Charlton Athletic Back to Stability?”
Comments are closed.