The Red Army

The Red Army (Charlton Athletic F.C)

Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area, including East Street Mission and Blundell Mission, combined to form Charlton Athletic. The club play at The Valley in Charlton, where they've played since 1919, apart from one year in Catford, during 1923–24, and seven years at Crystal Palace and West Ham United between 1985–1992. Charlton share local London rivalries with Millwall, Crystal Palace and West Ham.

The club's traditional kit consists of red shirts, white shorts and red socks and their most commonly used nickname is The Addicks. Charlton turned professional in 1920 and first entered the Football League in 1921. Since then they have had four separate periods in the top flight of English football: between 1936–1957, 1986–1990, 1998–1999 and 2000–2007. Historically, Charlton's most successful period was the 1930s, when the club's highest league finishes were recorded, including runners-up of the First Division in 1937. After World War II, the club reached the FA Cup Final twice, losing in 1946 and winning in 1947.

As a young manager having a past experience of playing Sunday League Football, my aim is to make Charlton Athletic one of the best clubs, not only in England but also in the world. Its going to be a very tough challenge as they are currently playing in League 1 and its going to take a lot of time but I am up for it. So wish me some luck.

Leagues Loaded

England (nPower League 2 and above)

France (Ligue 2 and above)

Germany (Second Division and above)

Italy (Serie B and above)

Spain (Liga Adelante and above)

Club History

2011/12 - nPower League 1 - Champions

2012/13 - nPower Championship -

Trophies Won

nPower League 1 - 2011/12

Carling Cup - 2012

Club Information

Kits

Stadium

The Valley was build in 1919 and re-opened in December 1992 and since Charlton's return, the ground has been majorly redeveloped. Only the South Stand remains almost untouched from opening day with the north, east and west sides of the ground being completely rebuilt. All the changes have taken the grounds capacity up to over 27,000. The South Stand is the only one of the 4 with any supporting pillars. It's a hugely impressive stadium for a club at this level and it's a shame to see it only half full for league games at the moment.

Pre-Season 2011

Transfers

In

Aaron Townsend (Tottenham) - Loan

Eric Lichaj (Aston Villa) - Loan

Arsenio Halfhuid - Free

Zeki Fryers (Man Utd) - Loan

Stephen Jordan - Free

Ben Amos (Man Utd) - Loan

Out

None

Friendlies

Charlton 1-1 Charlton Res.

Kermorgant 24 ; Mambo 68

Rotherham 1-1 Charlton

Williams 62 ; Solly 79

Charlton 2-0 Leicester

Wright-Phillips 43, Wagstaff 86

Charlton 0-1 Bolton

Klasnic 30

Charlton 0-1 Coventry

Clingan 29

Charlton 0-1 Aston Villa

Bannan 11

Welling 0-3 Charlton

Kermorgant 18, Haynes 20, Jackson 82

Injuries

Scott Wagstaff - Torn Calf Muscle (4 to 5 months)

Rhoys Wiggins - Broken Foot (3 to 4 months)

Mikel Alonso - Sprained Ankle (2 to 3 weeks)

Manager Notes

Not the best preparation at all for the new season during the pre-season friendlies. We played eight games but managed to win just three, lost three and drew two. We were able to score just seven goals in the eight matches with Yann Kermorgant scoring two goals. The pre-season also saw some bad injuries to our key players with Wagstaff and Wiggins out till the end of the year and our experience midfielder Mikel Alonso out for a month.

Pretty pleased with the players coming in during the transfer window as we were able to bring in a player for almost every key position and I guess I won't be bringing in any new players this year until its badly needed. At the same time we are very happy that the club has join hands with Manchester United and I am very sure that this partnership will help us reach our objectives in the near future. Now looking forward for the start of the new season and I hope we can please our loyal fans by winning promotion to the Championship and also have a decent run in the domestic cups.

Squad Overview

Ben Amos (Loan from Manchester United), Ben Hamer, John Sullivan

We have three keepers in the first team in Amos, Hamer and Sullivan. These are three young keepers with no one more than 23 years of age but each have great potential in them to play for a top Championship club. Ben Amos will be my number one keeper just because he has some great talent and skills in him. At the same time he is quite experienced having played a lot for Manchester United reserves and also had some loan stints with Oldham, Molder and Peterborough.

Eric Lichaj (DR/L) (Loan from Aston Villa), Arsenio Hailfhuid (DR/C, ST), Zeki Fryers (DL/C) (Loan from Manchester United), Leon Cort (DC) (Loan from Burnley), Michael Morrison (DC), Matt Taylor (DC), Chris Solly (D/WB R), Stephen Jordan (D/WB L), Rhoys Wiggins (D/WB L), Cedric Evina (D/WB/M L)

Our defence is very balance as we have a nice blend of youth and experience in it. There is a lot of experience in the form of Matt Taylor who has played a lot of League 1 football with Exter before joining us this summer, at the same time the likes of Leon Cort and Stephen Jordon - former Burnley and Manchester City left back who joined us on a free transfer - will play an pivotal role this season. Eric Lichaj, Michael Morrison and Chris Solly are in their early twenties but all have some good experience in this league which will be very important for us. Zeki Fryers, Cedric Evina and Arsenio Hailfhuid have some great potential in them but won't feature a lot in the first team and will get their chance in domestic cup matches.

Mikel Alonso (DM, MC), Scott Wagstaff (MR, AMR/C, ST), Johnnie Jackson © (ML/C), Danny Hollands (MC), Dale Stephens (MC), Danny Green (M/AM R), Andros Twonsend (Loan from Tottenham) (M/AM L)

I must admit our midfield is not our strongest area. We lack width in it and with the injury to our winger Scott Wagstaff it doesn't make things any good. But in centre of midfield we have got some quality and experience players in Mikel Alono - former Bolton, Real Sociedad and Tenerife player - our skipper Johnnie Jackson, Danny Hollands and Danny Green. Andros Townsend is another youngster who has great pace and flair in him and also some good experience in the Championship and I am sure he will come handy as the season progresses.

Jason Euell (AML, ST), Yann Kermorgant (AMC, ST), paul Haynes (ST), Bradley Wright-Phillips (ST).

At the top of the pitch is where all the important things happen, that of course is goals. I feel we have great striking options in Bradley Wright=Phillips, Paul Hayes and Yann Kermorgant. These three are going to be to be my top guns and they have to score goals if we have to win matches. We also have huge experience in our fans favourite Jason Euell but he at 34 years old he is not getting any younger.

Overall I am pretty happy with my squad and I don't plan to add any new players during August. We have some decent players in the reserves, which also include some four-five players which I want sell but no one wants to buy them and I hope the time doesn't come when I will have to use those players. I have set the season expectations to promote to the Championship but personally I expect us to win the League.

Formation

Amos

Lichaj -- Taylor -- Morrison -- Jordan

Wagstaff -- Hollands -- Alonso -- Jackson ©

Hayes -- Wright-Phillips

Our formation for this season will be the games most used or the most common formation in the world of football that is the 4-4-2. The above is likely to be my strongest side when everyone is fit. Amos becomes my first choice keeper with Lichaj, Taylor, Morrison and Jordan ahead of him in the defence to protect him. Wagstaff and skipper Jackson will play out wide on the right and left side of midfield respectively with Hollands and Aloson controlling the midfield in the centre. Finally upfront Hayes will play in a deeper role filling the gaps between the midfield and his strike partner Wright-Phillips.

When needed to attack, we will be changing into an attacking 4-4-2 formation which is also known as a 4-2-4 formation. Full-backs Lichaj and Jordan will be playing as wing-backs while our wide midfielders Wagstaff and Jackson will plays right and left wingers respectively. So overall, I think we can change our game plan and formation according to the situation, which is a great thing in my opinion.

August 2011

League 1

Walsall 0-1 Charlton

Hollands 40

Carling Cup (1st Round)

Southampton 3-3(1-4)p Charlton

Lambert 25, Connolly 36, Cork 85 ; Hayes 11, Jackson 45(p), 55(p)

League 1

Charlton 2-0 Hartlepool

Green 51, Taylor 64

Bournemouth 0-2 Charlton

Wright-Phillips 58, Taylor 66

Charlton 3-2 Huddersfield

Wright-Phillips 10, 55, Taylor 25 ; Wood 7(p), Gobern 32

Carling Cup (2nd Round)

Charlton 4-0 Newcastle

Lichaj 2, Wright-Phillips 34, Green 39, Jackson 84(p)

League 1

Wycombe 1-2 Charlton

Rendell 72 ; Jackson 16, Wright-Phillips 69, Taylor s/o 85

Johnstone's Paint Trophy South (1st Round)

Charlton 4-0 Dag & Red

Evina 18, Ilesanmi 45+1(og), Townsend 59, Halfhuid 90

Injuries

Ross Wiggins - Broken Foot (3 to 4 months)

Scott Wagstaff - Torn Calf Muscle (3 to 4 months)

Monthly Awards

Table

Manager Notes

It's been a great start to the new season and a great month overall for us. In the league we are going strong having won all our five games so far and are in 2nd place. We are now in the 3rd Round of the Carling Cup against West Ham after defeating Southampton on penalties in the 1st Round and then creating a huge upset of the tournament so far, by hammering Newcastle 4-0 at home. Surely that has to be our best game of the season as we completely outplayed the Premier League side. In the Johnstone's Paint Trophy South 1st Round match we played with our second string side against Dag & Red but won the game quite comfortabley. Overall delighted with the start and hoping we can continue this same form in the next month after the international break.

September 2011

League 1

Sheff Wed 0-1 Charlton

Hayes 16

Charlton 2-1 Colchester

Taylor 36, Jackson 54 ; Eastman 82

Tranmere 1-1 Charlton

Akins 88 ; Halfhuid 74

Carling Cup (3rd Round)

West Ham 1-3 Charlton

Sears 39 ; Fry 43(og), Wright=Phillips 81, 90+2

League 1

Charlton 4-1 Exeter

Wright-Phillips 35, Green 38, Hayes 69, 90 ; Logan 83

Charlton 3-1 Oldham

Cort 11, Morrison 55, Wright=Phillips 90+2 ; Kuqi 73

Injuries

Rhoys Wiggins - Broken Foot (5 weeks to 2 months)

Scott Wagstaff - Torn Calf Muscle (4 to 7 weeks)

Zeki Fryers - Broken Ribs (2 to 3 weeks)

Monthly Awards

Table

Manager Notes

We have carried our form from the previous month to this month. Still unbeaten in the league and now at the top of the league ahead of Sheffield United by just point. We won four out of the five games in the league and drew the remaining one against Tranmere. Was very unhappy with the draw as we scored late in the game and conceded the equaliser in the last two minutes of normal time. We should concentrate a bit more towards the end of the game or else we would end up losing some more point like that which might haunt us at the end. In the Carling Cup, another huge victory for us as we came from behind to beat West Ham and earned ourself a 4th round trip to The Madjeski to face another Championship side in Reading.

October 2011

League 1

Charlton 1-0 MK Dons

Jordan 47

Johnstone's Paint Trophy South (2nd Round)

Charlton 2-1 Crawley

Euell 39, Townsend 78 ; Tubbs 63

League 1

Scunthorpe 1-1 Charlton

Duffy 6 ; Hollands 21, Lichaj (s/o) 62

Chalrton 3-1 Chesterfield

Wright-Phillips 21, Taylor 43, Green 90 ; Lester 63, Bromby (s/o) 84

Charlton 3-0 Yeovil

Morrison 8, 29, Jackson 14

Stevenage 0-1 Charlton

Green 17

Carling Cup (4th Round)

Reading 3-4(et) Charlton

Kebe 18, Armenteros 63, Harte (p) 88 ; Alonso 23, Kermorgant 44, 65, Green 94, Morrison (s/o) 86

League 1

Preston 2-4 Charlton

Daley 43, Hume 90+1 ; Hayes 12, 60, 72, Barton (og) 78

Injuries

Bradley Wright-Phillips - Twisted Ankle (3 to 4 weeks)

Rhoys Wiggins - Broken Foot (10 days to 3 weeks)

Scott Wagstaff - Torn Calf Muscle (4 to 8 days)

Monthly Awards

Table

Manager Notes

Another great month for us in all competitions. In the League we sitting comfortably at the top of the table, 8 points ahead of our next opposition Sheffield United. Like last month, we won five of our six games in October and drew the remaining one game, away to Scunthorpe. In the Johnstone's Paint Trophy South, we are now in the quarter finals against League 2 side Aldershot, after we defeat Crawley in the second round, again with our second string team. Our dream run in the Carling Cup continues as we defeated Championship leaders Reading 4-3 in extra time. We dominated the game at the Madjeski but went down to ten men in the 86th minute and then they equalised a minute later but we played really well in the extra time and we deserved the win. The win means we face another Championship side in Barnsley in the quarter finals. Overall I am very happy with the first three months of the season. We have played some very good football and we have got the results for it. We just need keep playing in the same way and the League 1 title we be ours very soon.

November 2011

League 1

Sheff Utd 2-2 Charlton

Mackie 7, Montgomery 18 ; Hayes 8, Cort 56

Johnstone's Paint Trophy South (Qtr Final)

Charlton 1-1(4-3)p Aldershot

Cort 81 ; Hylton 8

FA Cup (1st Round)

Rotherham 1-2 Charlton

Foster 67 ; Kermorgant 24, 37

League 1

Charlton 5-0 Rochdale

Kermorgant 15, 32, 84, Green 34, Holness (og) 77

Johnstone's Paint Trophy South (Semi Final)

Charlton 0-0(3-2)p Stevenage

Townsend (s/o) 84

League 1

Charlton 2-0 Notts County

Wright-Phillips 20, Hollands 51

Carling Cup (Qtr Final)

Barnsley 1-3 Charlton

Gray 12 ; Wright-Phillips 54, Wagstaff 73, 75.

Injuries

Mikel Alonso - Thigh Strain (6 to 11 days)

Paul Hayes - Gashed Leg (2 to 6 days)

Chris Solly - Twisted Ankle (4 to 5 weeks)

Dale Stephens - Strained Knee Ligaments (7 weeks to 2 months)

Arsenio Halfhuid - Twisted Ankle (4 to 8 days)

Table

Manager Notes

Our great form in all competitions continue as we had another great month winning almost all our matches. In the league, we are still unbeaten in our 19 games and 12 points clear at the top of the table. We have performed at our best in all matches and I am completely delighted with our performance. We are the top goal scores in the league with 43 goals and have the second meanest defence having conceded just 13 goals so far. With this form I hope to win the League 1 in April. We kicked off our FA Cup campaign with a nervy 1st round win over Rotherham and now face Burton Albion in the 2nd round. I am hoping we can upset some few big names and have a good run in the FA Cup as we did in the Carling Cup, where we defeated another Championship side Barnsley in the quarter finals. Talking about the St. Johnstone's Paint Trophy, we are in finals of the South Division after defeating Aldershot and Stevenage on penalties using our second team. Now we will be playing our own League 1 rivals MK Dons in the final. Overall it has been another great month for the team as we are in a great position in the league and also in all the domestic cup tournaments. Hoping we don't be lose our concentration and keep playing as we are doing so far, in next month.

December 2011

FA Cup (2nd Round)

Burton 0-1 Charlton

Wright-Phillips 30

League 1

Brentford 1-1 Charlton

Alexander 90+2 ; Jackson (s/o) 6, Wright-Phillips 67

Charlton 4-0 Bury

Wright Phillips 36, Cort 39, Hayes 64, Wagstaff 69

Carlisle 1-5 Charlton

McKenna 49 ; Wagstaff 4, 82, Wright-Phillips 14, Hayes 67, Green 68

Charlton 3-2 Leyton Orient

Hayes 73, Cort 78, Wright-Phillips 89 ; Tehoue 63, Spring 90+1

Injuries

Matt Taylor - Fractured Ribs (4 to 6 weeks)

Dale Stephens - Strained Knee Ligaments (8 days 3 weeks)

Monthly Awards

Table

Manager Notes

Yes!! We have ended the year on top, with a 15 points lead over Sheffield United. I must say now, the League 1 title is ours to lose and honestly speaking I don't expect us to lose it. This month has been no different for us. Our good run in all the competitions has continued like the previous 5 months so far. We defeated Burton Albion 1-0 in the FA Cup 2nd Round and now will face our fellow league rivals Huddersfield in the 3rd Round. In the league, like the last couple of months, we have won all our matches but one and this time we drew against Brentford. The only difference this month was we have scored some more goals, I guess its because our team has got use to play in my style of football and formation and have also blended well with each other. In the Carling Cup if we have to reach the finals we will have to beat Arsenal over two legs. Honestly, I doubt we will make it to the finals as Arsenal are way stronger than us and over two legs they are huge favourites but again you never know about football we might just cause yet another huge upset. Can't wait for the season to progress next year and hoping that we take the same form in the new year. Happy New Year to all and thanks for the support!!

January 2012

Transfers

In

Apostolos Vellios (Everton) - Loan

Out

Ben Davisson - Free

Yann Kermorgant (Cittadella) - £110,000

Zeki Fryers (Man Utd) - Loan Finish

Andros Townsend (Tottenham) - Loan Finish

League 1

Charlton 4-1 Walsall

Wright-Phillips 2, Hayes 76, Alonso 83, Kermorgant 87 ; Grigg 38

FA Cup (3rd Round)

Huddersfield 1-1 Charlton

Simpson 39 ; Jackson 1

Carling Cup (Semi Final 1st Leg)

Charlton 1-1 Arsenal

Euell 58 ; Gervinho 50

League 1

Charlton 2-0 Bournemouth

Green 8, Gregory (og) 90 ; Cleaver (s/o) 2

Johnstone's Paint Trophy South (Final 1st Leg)

Charlton 1-1 MK Dons

Green 52 ; MacKenzie 62

FA Cup (3rd Round Replay)

Charlton 1-1(4-3)p Huddersfield

Wagstaff 63 ; Arfield 20, Kotev (s/o) 73

Carling Cup (Semi Final 2nd Leg)

Arsenal 1-2(2-3)agg Charlton

Bunjaku 7 ; Chamberlain (og) 53, Alonso 90+1

FA Cup (4th Round)

Tottenham 3-3 Charlton

Kranjcar 54, 83, Sandro 72 ; Green 33, Euell 39, Hayes 88

Injuries

Bradley Wright-Phillips - Twisted Ankle (1 to 2 days)

Table

Manager Notes

Wow!! What a month!! We just played two league matches and won both of them and now are at the top of the table with a lead of 15 points and three games in hand. We are sitting way to comfortably in the league and the title is almost in bag now. About the domestic competitions we are still going good in all the competitions. In the FA Cup we needed a replay and penalties to defeat Huddersfield in the 3rd Round and now again we have to win in a replay of the 4th Round to get past Tottenham and face West Brom in 5th Round. Our Carling Cup run has been a dream this season. Reaching the semi finals was a huge huge achievement and now we are in the finals having beaten Arsenal over two legs in the semis. Beating our fellow London club was a dream and the win has set us a final against Swansea City at the Wembley Stadium. In the Johnstone's Paint Trophy, we will have to beat MK Dons in the 2nd Leg, having drawn in the 1st leg, to win the South Division and qualify for the main finals. Overall this month has to be the month of the season so far as we have achieved some shocking results over our London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham and have also reached the Carling Cup final. Next month is going to be the make-or-break for us as we will be playing loads of league and cup matches and I hope we could end the month by winning the Carling Cup.

February 2012

League 1

Hartlepool 0-2 Charlton

Jackson 51, Vellios 67

Oldham 1-1 Charlton

Amos (og) 16 ; Vellios 12

Johnstone's Paint Trophy South Final (2nd Leg)

MK Dons 0-2 Charlton

Evina 10, Halfhuid 63

FA Cup (4th Round Replay)

Charlton 0-1 Tottenham

Kranjcar 37, Corluka (s/o) 39

League 1

Colchester 0-2 Charlton

Wagstaff 73, Cort 85

Charlton 0-0 Tranmere

Huddersfield 2-2 Charlton

Wood 52, Novak 83 ; Jackson 15, 38, Lichaj (s/o) 88

Carling Cup (Final)

Swansea 2-2(2-4)p Charlton

Dyer 76, Graham 99 ; Morrison 31, 120+2

League 1

Charlton 3-1 Wycombe

Wright-Phillips 3, 8, Morrison 77 ; Benyon 62, Crowe (s/o) 73

Injuries

Mikel Alonso - Groin Strain (2 to 3 weeks)

Table

Manager Notes

I must say this has to be the best month of my career at Charlton so far because we have won the Carling Cup for the first time in our history. The Carling Cup final was a great game and we need a very very late equaliser in extra time to take the game to the penalty shootout and win it. Morrison who scored both goals for us in the final was given the Man of the Match award but for me Ben Hamer was the Player of the Match. Hamer because Swansea 22 shots on target and he just let 2 go past him and saved the rest and also saved two penalties in the shootout. In the FA Cup we lost to Spurs but we played really well and I am not at all disappointed about the defeat. We won the Johnstone's Paint Trophy South Final over MK Dons quite easily and will face Sheffield Wednesday in the main final. In the league, we are still unbeaten and on the top of the table with a lead of 19 points and two games in hand over Sheffield United. As I said earlier this was the month of the season so far not only for winning the Carling Cup but also for creating history by being first League 1 team to qualify for Europe. Oh yes!! we will be playing in Europa League next season..

March 2012

League 1

Exeter 1-3 Charlton

Nardiello 26 ; Wright-Phillios 6, 43, Morrison 71

Charlton 1-2 Scunthorpe

Taylor 45+2 ; Ryan 15, Nelson 60

Chesterfield 5-3 Charlton

Mendy 27, Westcarr 69, 75, Bowery 80, Mattis 87 ; Wright-Phillips 3, Halfhuid 34, Green 67

MK Dons 1-3 Charlton

Chadwick 61 ; Hollands 22, Morrison 59, Wright-Phillips 73

Charlton 2-0 Stevenage

Wright-Phillips (p) 8, (p) 12

Yeovil 4-4 Charlton

Webber 9, 12, Williams 83, Ayling 85 ; Wright-Phillips 4, 34, Vellios, 32, 36

Johnstone's Paint Trophy (Final)

Sheff Wed 1-0 Charlton

Johnson 118

League 1

Charlton 2-2 Sheff Wed

Taylor 16, Vellios 21 ; Madine 18, Jordan (og) 23

Rochdale 4-1 Charlton

Kennedy 32, Ahodikpe 41, Grimes 57, Akpa-Akpro 86 ; Wright-Phillips 61

Monthly Awards

Table

Manager Notes

This month has been a complete disaster for us. Our unbeaten run in the league came to an end after 33 matches against Scunthorpe at The Valley and since then we have lost two more matches by conceding 4 or more goals in each of those two matches. Our defence has been poor for some weeks now and I guess its because of the fatigue as we have played a lots of cup tournaments this season. We have conceded 19 goals out of the total 41 in the league this month itself. The good thing is that our poor form didnt affect us in the League, as we need just a win from our next 7 games to win League 1 title. In the Johnstone's Paint Trophy Final, we lost to Sheff Wed 1-0 in last few minutes of extra time. Again we had a poor game our opponents completely deserved the win. Hopefully we can end the season by playing some good football and by winning the League 1 title.

April - May 2012

League 1

Charlton 3-3 Preston

Wright-Phillips 46, Hayes 54, Taylor 90+2 ; Hume 59, Ranger 68, 89

Charlton 1-4 Sheff Utd

Alonso 29 ; Helguson 1, Morrison (og) 21, Townsend 33, Flynn 55

Notts County 1-2 Charlton

Hughes 67 ; Wagstaff 20, Morrison 78

Chartlon 3-1 Brentford

Wright-Phillips 16, 90, Vellios 28 ; Eccleston 78

Bury 2-3 Charlton

Bishop 43, Jones 59 ; Taylor 8, Hayes 18, Hollands 90+3

Charlton 0-3 Carlisle

Madden 66, Zoko 77, Loy 80

Leyton Orient 2-2 Charlton

Tehoue 24, Daud 62 ; Cestor (og) 48, Hayes 64, Halfhuid (s/o) 73

Table

Manager Notes

The season is over and we are the new nPower League 1 champions. We need just a point to the title and we got that point in our first game itself against Preston. Its a great achievement to have won the league title and get promoted to the Championship. About this month, our performance was surely better than the last month but not anywhere near the standars we have set this season. I guess the players need some rest as they had a very long season. Our defence was again not upto the mark this month, as we conceded atleast one goal in each game. We need to strengthen that defence next year if we have to perform well in both the Europa League and the Championship.

2011/2012 End of the Season Report

Get ready the Europa League and the Championship, here we come!It's been an astronomical season for the club and qualifying for the Europa League and winning the nPower League 1 surpasses all expectations. With the media predicting us at the start of the season to finish 3rd in the league and promote via playoffs, but now I am one of the club legends.

Looking back, our form before the big Carling Cup final February was the reason why we won the League 1 title. We went on a 33-match unbeaten record from the first game of the season to the second game of March. The unbeaten run was key as it helped us gain an average 15-point lead over our second placed league rivals Sheffield United. Our form dipped after the Carling Cup and we were inconsistent in the last two months of the season where we lost 5 games in all but it didn't had any effect on the season as we just needed a point from the last seven league matches to bag the title.

We played with same old 4-4-2 formation through the season because our players blended well in the formation and it also brought out the best from each player. The credit must be given to all the players in the team as they contributed equally in all departments and that was the main reason why we achieved so much success this season. They boys gave more than 100% in each match and they completely deserve the success they got.

At the start of the season I mentioned that we had a great strikeforce and yes, they proved me right. We were not only the top goalscorers in our league but also in the whole country with 107 goals. All our five striker strikers scored this season and special praise must be given to Bradley Wright-Phillips as he ended up as our top goalscorer with 32 goals (27 in the league) in all competitions.

There have been, of course, some awards handed out at the end of the season.

Player of the Year

Danny Green (Charlton Athletic)

Manager of the Year

Shantanu Ambekar (Charlton Athletic)

Goalkeeper of the Year

Ben Amos (Charlton Athletic)

Top Goalscorer

Iain Hume (Preston North End, 28 goals)

Team of the Year

Amos (CHA)

Dumbuya (SW) -- Okuonghae (COL) -- Morrison (CHA) -- Naysmith (HUD)

Green (CHA) -- O'Connor (SCU) -- Grella (BRE) -- Quinn (SU)

Wright-Phillips (CHA) -- Hume (PNE)

FA Cup

Playing from the 1st Round, I expected us to play atleast in the 3rd Round and we exteeded it by playing the 4th Round. We had an easy start to the tournmament by defeating Rotherham and Burton in the first two rounds but we needed a replay and penalties to defeat our League 1 rivals Huddersfield in the 3rd Round. Playing Tottenham in the 4th Round was always going to be a huge ask but we played our hearts out in the 3-3 draw at the White Hart Lane to take the game to a replay at the Valley. In the replay, we played well but Spurs were more clinical with their chances and won the game 1-0. Losing out in the 4th Round was a good thing because it gave our players the much needed rest and kept them fresh for the other games.

Winner: Aston Villa

Carling Cup

We have created history as we won the tournament for the first time ever. At the start of the season I expected us to reach the quarter finals because I knew if we gave our best we could achieve success in this tournament and thats exactly what happened. Many Premier League clubs use this tournament to give a chance to their fringe players and thats what happened this season. We satrted of win a penalty shooutout win over Championship side Southampton and then we created the biggest shock of the tournament by winning over a strong Newcastle United by 4 goals to nil. Then, we won quite comfortably over Championship West Ham, Reading and Barnsley in the 3rd, 4th round and the quarter finals respectively. We faced a huge task to make it to finals as we had to go past Arsenal and we did it! We shocked our London rivals by beating them in the semi finals over two legs and most importantly winning 2-1 at the Emirates. In the finals, we face a weak Premier League side in Swansea and as we needed a penalty shootout to win our first round game, we needed it again to defeat Swansea and win the Carling Cup. Winning the Carling Cup was a huge achievement not only for the club or the players but also the fans as they supperted us throughtout and it also meant we become first ever League 1 side to qualify for Europe in the history.

Winner: Charlton Athletic

Johnstone's Paint Trophy

This tournament I used to give my youngsters and fringe players a chance to gain some vital experience and they didnt disappoint me at all. We started the tournmanet with easy wins over Dag & Red, Crawley, Aldershot and then we required a penalty shootout to defeat Stevenage. We won the South Region by defeating MK Dons 3-1 in two legs and faced Sheffield Wednesday in the main final. The final was a bit disappointing as we lost deep in extra time but overall I was pleased with my fringe players as they played really well and almost won us our third trophy of the season but then also they grasp the opportunity with both hands and gained some vital experience.

Winner: Sheffield Wednesday

What Next Season?

I would really love us to get promoted to the Premier League at the end of next season, like what Norwich City did a couple of years back but thats looks like a very huge task. The realistic expectation for next season would be a mid-table finish or a top-half finish. If I do add a couple of players then even playing the play-off might be a realistic goal to achieve.

In the Europa League, I guess us qualifing for the group stages will be a huge achievement. We start in the 3rd Round of the competition and I hope that we get an easy team in the draw because its going to be really really tough. I hope the players enjoy the occassion of playing in Europe and gain some huge experience from it.

2011/2012 - Results Around the World

Champions League

Winners: Manchester United

Runners-up: Bayern Munchen

Europa League

Winners: Paris Saint-Germain

Runners-up: Sevilla

Barclays Premier League

Champions

Manchester United

Europe

Manchester City (ECC)

Arsenal (ECC)

Chelsea (ECC)

Tottenham (EC)

Aston Villa (EC)

Relegated

Swansea

Newcastle

Q.P.R

Player of the Year: David Silva (Manchester City)

Manager of the Year: Sir Alex Ferguson (Manchester United)

Top Goalscorer: Wayne Rooney (Manchester United, 18 goals)

nPower Championship

Champions

Reading

Promoted

Birmingham City

Cardiff City

Relegated

Watford

Doncaster Rovers

Crystal Palace

Player of the Year: Paul Gallagher (Leicester City)

Manager of the Year: Malky Mackay (Cardiff City)

Top Goalscorer: Rob Earnshaw (Cardiff City, 25 goals)

Ligue 1

Champions

Olympique Lyonnais

Europe

Paris Saint-Germain (ECC)

Olympique de Marseille (ECC)

AS Saint-Etienne (EC)

LOSC Lille Metropole (EC)

Girondins Bordeaux (EC)

Relegated

Evian TG FC

Dijon FCO

AS Nancy Lorraine

Player of the Year: Dejan Lovren (Olympique Lyonnais)

Manager of the Year: Remi Garde (Olympique Lyonnais)

Top Goalscorer: Bafétimbi Gomis (Olympique Lyonnais, 22 goals)

Bundesliga

Champions

Bayern Munchen

Europe

Bayer Leverkusen (ECC)

Hertha Berlin (ECC)

VfB Stuttgart (ECC)

FC Koln (EC)

VfL Wolfsburg (EC)

Werder Bremen (EC)

Relegated

Nurnberg

Augsburg

Player of the Year: Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munchen)

Manager of the Year: Markus Babbel (Hertha Berlin)

Top Goalscorer: Lukas Podolski (FC Koln, 22 goals)

Serie A

Champions

A.C. Milan

Europe

Inter (ECC)

Juventus (ECC)

Lazio (EC)

Atalanta (EC)

Udinese (EC)

Relegated

Lecce

Siena

Novara

Player of the Year: Sergio Pellissier (Chievo)

Manager of the Year: Massimiliano Allergi (A.C. Milan)

Top Goalscorer: Sergio Pellissier (Chievo, 23 goals)

La Liga

Champions

Barcelona

Europa

Real Madrid (ECC)

Malaga (ECC)

Sevilla (ECC)

Valencia (EC)

Athletic Bilbao (EC)

Atletico Madrid (EC)

Relegated

Real Betis

Real Sporting

Rayo Vallecano

Player of the Year: Andreas Iniesta (Barcelona)

Manager of the Year: Pep Guardiola (Barcelona)

Top Goalscorer: David Villa (Barcelona, 29 goals)

Pre-Season 2012

Kits

Transfers

In

Nathaniel Clyne (Crystal Palace) - £550,000

Will Keane (Man Utd) - Loan

Fraser Forster (Newcastle) - £725,000

Tom Cairney (Hull) - £500,000 + Player Exchange

Brian Harmalainen (Q.P.R) - £230,000

Federic Veseli - Free

Mohammed Abu - Free

David Di Michele - Free

Michael Ngoo - Free

Out

Gary Doherty - Free

Jason Euell - Free

Paul Benson - Free

Simon Francis - Free

Bradley Pritchard - Free

Tosan Popo - Free

Yado Mambo - Free

Freddie Warren - Free

Conor Gough - Free

Rhoys Wiggins (Hull) - £250,000

John Sullivan (Bristol City) - £28k

Paul Hayes (Sheff Utd) - £130k

Dale Stephens (Hull) - Player Exchange

Jordan Cousins (Barnet) - Loan

Pre-Season Friendlies

Nottm Forest 0-0 Charlton

Welling 0-5 Charlton

Harriot 2, Bover 6, Derry 10, Osborne 80, Cadwallader 87

Charlton 2-2 Q.P.R

Cairney 25, 78 ; Taarabt 23, Ehmer 69

Raith 1-2 Charlton

Russel 43 ; Ngoo 31, Bunn 39

Charlton 0-1 Man Utd

Macheda 86

Europa League (3rd Qualifying Round, 1st Leg)

Charlton 4-2 M. Netanya

Keane 3, Cairney 41, Wright-Phillips 48, 75 ; Cohen (p) 38, Falach 45+1

Europa League (3rd Qualifying Round, 2nd Leg)

M. Netanya 3-3 Charlton

Jordan (og) 57, Cohen 78, Glam 86 ; Wright-Phillips 5, 51, Keane 30

Manager Notes

We have been quite active in the transfer market this season and I am happy with it, as we have got all our targets this season. Our new players have blended nicely with the rest of the squad and our preparation to the season in the Championship has been very good. We played some good football in the friendlies and I am happy with it. The main thing was that we came out of the pre-season without any injuries and a fit squad to choose for the 3rd Qualifying Round of the Europa League.

In Europe, we got drawn against Israel side Maccabi Netanya. To be honest I have never heard about this side but we werent going to take them lightly. Our first game in Europe was a great entertaining game and in the end we won 4-2 to at The Valley. In the 2nd leg, we had a great start but then some loss of concentration and Netanya were back in the game. It was also a entertaining game and it ended 3-3. Not so pleased with the draw but the main thing was we qualified for the next round and will face APOEL.

Squad Overview

Fraser Forster, Ben Hamer, Nick Pope

Like last season, we have three keepers in the squad in Forster, Hamer and Pope. Forster and Hamer will play for the first team while Pope will be in the reserves. All the three keepers are young and in their early twenties but have great experience in them. Forster who joined us this summer from Newcastle United will be my first choice keeper as he has huge experience playing at the highest level with Celtic and that will be the key for us this season in the Championship as well as in the Europa League. Hamer, who was the hero in the famous League Cup final win over Swansea, is a great backup to have and I am sure he will get many games this season.

Nathaniel Clyne (DR/L), Arsenio Halfhuid (DR/C, ST), Michael Morrison (DC), Matt Taylor (DC), Federic Veseli (DC), Chris Solly (D/WB R), Brian Hamalainen (D/WB L), Stephen Jordan (D/WB L), Cedric Evina (D/WB/M/AM L)

Again this season we have a nice blend of youth and experience in our defence. Michael Morrison and Matt Taylor were a solid partnership at the back last season and will be again this season. The duo not only have defended well but have also scored a combine number of 18 goals for us last season. That speaks a lot. Eric Lichaj and Leon Cort both have left the club after their respective loan spells expired but we have replaced them with young talented players in Nathaniel Clyne and Frederic Veseli. Former Q.P.R left back Brian Harmalainen also joins the club and replaces Rhoys Wiggins who left us for Hull City. Arsenio Halfhuid, Stephen Jordan and Cedric Evina are the remaining three defenders in the squad.

Mikel Alonso (DM, MC), Mohammed Abu (DM, MC), Danny Green (MR/L, AMR), Scott Wagstaff (MR, AMR/C, ST), Johnnie Jackson (ML/C), Danny Hollands (MC), Tom Cairney (MC)

I must say last season we didn't had the best midfield in the league but this season with the additions of Tom Cairney, Mohammed Abu and fully fit Scott Wagstaff we have a very strong midfield. Another big thing was to keep Danny Green at the club and tie him to a new contract. We also have some huge experience in the midfield in the form of skipper Johnnie Jackson, Mikel Alonso and Danny Hollands.

David Di Michele (AML/C, ST), Bradley Wright-Phillips (ST), Will Keane (ST) (Loan from Manchester United), Michael Ngoo

We had the best strike-force in the league last season but we lack a bit of experience. We have an experienced veteran in David Di Michele and League 1's second top goalscorer Bradley Wright-Phillips but our backups are two 19 year old teenagers - Will Keane and Michael Ngoo. But taking nothing away from them, they are two highly talented players with huge potential in them and I hope they perform their best for us this season.

Overall, I am pleased with my squad but at the same time I am looking to sign a striker maybe on loan because we are going to play in a total of five competitions this season and so we need to have the depth in our squad. There are some good young players in our reserves and I will be also be using them, mostly in the cup matches. I have set the season expectations to a mid-table finish but personally I am hoping to atleast make it to the playoffs.

Formation

Forster

Clyne -- Taylor -- Morrison -- Hamalainen

Green -- Cairney -- Abu -- Jackson ©

Di Michele -- Wright-Phillips

We are going to stick with the same 4-4-2 formation that won the us the League One title and the Carling Cup last season. Forster who joined us from Newcastle in the summer will be my first choice keeper. Clyne, the strong partnership of Taylor and Morrison and another new signing Hamalainen will be our four at the back. League One's player of the year Green and skipper Jackson will play out on the right and left wing respectively while new signings Tom Cairney and Mohammed Abu will dominate the midfield from the center. Di Michele will play the role of Hayes and fill in the between the midfield and our striker Wright-Phillips. We also have a very strong bench in Hamer, Halfhuid, Jordan, Alonso, Hollands, Wagstaff and Keane. All players capable of changing the game on their own.

August 2012

Championship

Leeds 1-4 Charlton

Zengin 65 ; Wright-Phillips 2, 29, Morrison 41, 88

Charlton 5-0 Sheff Utd

Green 8, 32, Wright-Phillips 19, 90, Simonsen (og) 57

Europa League (4th Qualifying Round, 1st Leg)

APOEL 1-1 Charlton

Trickovski 13 ; Jackson (p) 61

Europa League (4th Qualifying Round, 2nd Leg)

Charlton 2-1 APOEL

Georgiou (og) 62, Wagstaff 88 ; Cairney (og) 72

Table

Manager Notes

Wow!! We have started the new season with a bang in the nPower Championship with two huge wins over Leeds United and Sheffield United. We performed brilliantly in both the games as the scoreline suggest. Wright-Phillips who was our top goalscorer last season has carried on his form into this season by scoring 4 goals in the 2 matches and I hope he continues it. Yess!! We have qualified for the group stages of the Europa League by defeating APOEL 3-2 on aggregate. APOEL were always going to be a tough opponents for us and they showed that and we needed a late Scott Wagstaff winner to book our places in the group stages. Now we face Werder Bremen, Besiktas and Lech in a tough group H.

September 2012

Transfers

In

Tomas Repka - Free

Championship

Charlton 3-1 Brighton

Jackson 27, Keane 42, (p) 78 ; Greer 14

Coventry 4-2 Charlton

Zlatinski 12, Platini 48, McPake 51, Baker 81 ; Wright-Phillips 5, 27

Charlton 1-1 Barnsley

Green 71 ; Niedzielan 23

Q.P.R 3-1 Charlton

Bothroyd 25, Smith 32, Vangioni 53 ; Wright-Phillips 22

Europa League (Group H)

Charlton 5-2 Besiktas

Wright-Phillips 5, 71 Morrison 10, 62, (p) 90+1 ; Morrison (og) 45+2, Toraman 81

Championship

Charlton 3-0 Hull

Wright-Phillips 59, 90+1, Jackson 78

League Cup (3rd Round)

Nottm Forest 0-2 Charlton

Wright-Phillips 48, Jackson (p) 58

Championship

Nottm Forest 2-2 Charlton

Miller 43, Blackstock 90+3 ; Keane 34, Cairney 58

Injuries

Nathaniel Clyne - Bruised Rib (6 to 9 days)

Monthly Awards

Table

Manager Notes

After a brilliant start to the season in August, September has been full of mixed results. We won 2 matches, lost 2 matches and drew 2 matches in the league this month. Our wins came against Brighton and Hull both at The Valley, while we drew against Barnsley and Nottingham and lost to Queens Park Rangers and Coventry City all away from home. Our home form is great but our away form is worry as we have won just two(one in the Carling Cup) matches on our travels in all competitions this season. We are 6th in the league table and happy with it but need to improve because I know we can play much better football than what we are playing. We kicked off our Europa League group stage campaign with a huge 5-2 win over Turkish giants Beskitas. I was completely over the moon with the huge win and it certainly proved that we mean business. Finally, our defence of our Carling Cup trophy started quite well with an easy 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest and now we face Premier League side Fulham in the 4th round. So as I said at the start this month has been full of mixed results and I hope we improve our performance in the coming months.

October 2012

Europa League (Group H)

Lech 1-5 Charlton

Stillic 64 ; Jackson 4, Wright-Phillips 19, 52, Alonso 23, Di Michele 79

Championship

Ipswich 0-2 Charlton

Green 61, Wright-Phillips 86

Charlton 0-1 Derby

Maguire 61

Charlton 1-0 Portsmouth

Keane 41

Europa League (Group H)

Charlton 3-3 Werder Bremen

Wright-Phillips 66, Abu 72, Cairney 84 ; Pizarro 39, 64, Marin 55.

Carling Cup (4th Round)

Charlton 2-1 Fulham

Morrison 64, 103 ; Sidwell 90+2

Injuries

Mohammaded Abu - Strained Wrist (6 to 9 days)

Table

Manager Notes

This has certainly been a good month for us compared to the last one. We won four out of the six matches we played in the month with drawing and losing one game respectively. In the league we are in 8th placed and 15 points below Newcastle United who are at the top but we still have our two games in hand. We haven't played the best football at all in the last two months but in this month we have got the right result without playing at our best. Europa League this season has been a dream for us so far. We started it with a huge win over Besiktas and this month we had another huge win away from home at Lech followed by a brilliant comeback from 3-0 down against Werder Bremen at The Valley. Our performance has been top class in Europe and now I hope we can qualify for the knockout stages. Our quest to defence our Carling Cup trophy continues as we defeated Fulham in extra time in the 4th Round. Overall, I am happy with our performances in Europe and the domestic cup but we need to improve it in the League.

November 2012

Championship

Millwall 2-3 Charlton

Marquis 5, Smith 45+1 ; Morrison 22, Wright-Phillips 53, Cairney 84

Europa League (Group H)

Werder Bremen 2-4 Charlton

Wesley 39, dos Santos 41 ; Jackson 17, Taylor 33, Wright-Phillips 46, Keane 88

Championship

Blackpool 2-2 Charlton

Bebe 10, 89 ; Halfhuid 16, Wright-Phillips 54

Charlton 2-1 Leicester

Wright-Phillips 10, 28 ; Beckford 77

Charlton 1-1 West Ham

Bartley (og) 68 ; Forren 43, Demel (s/o) 75

Charlton 1-0 Peterborough

Wagstaff 88

Injuries

Danny Green - Torn Hamstring (3 months)

Chris Solly - Thigh Strain (2 to 6 days)

Mohammed Abu - Twisted Ankle (3 to 4 weeks)

Monthly Awards

Table

Manager Notes

We are improving and playing better and better football each month. We had a great November as we were unbeaten throughout the month. We won four games out of the six and drew the remaining two. In the league, we moved up to 6th position with some good wins over Millwall, Leicester and Peterborough but we drew against Blackpool and arch rivals West Ham. Our performance this month in the league has been way better than the last few months and we have got the right results. We are like 12 points behind the leaders Newcastle United but we still have two games in hand so maybe by the end of this year we can reach the top 4. About the Europa League, I don't have anything to say. Winning the first two matches and drawing from 3-0 down against Werder Bremen was a dream then beating the German giants 4-2 in their own backyard is something unbelievable. We were absolutely stunning in that game and that was surely the game of my career so far. With that win we need just a point from the next two games to qualify for the knockout stages and it will be a huge huge disappointment if we fail to do so.

December 2012

Carling Cup (Quater Final)

Charlton 2-0 Arsenal

Wright-Phillips 31, Di Michele 86

Europa League (Group H)

Besiktas 3-0 Charlton

Kweuke 9, Almeida 27, Holosko 75

Championship

Southampton 0-1 Charlton

Keane 83

Burnley 3-3 Charlton

Hines 60, Morrison (og) 72, Stanislas 85 ; Solly 37, Taylor 46, Alonso 79

Charlton 2-1 Bristol City

Alonso 17, Wright-Phillips (p) 90+5 ; Trippier 78

Europa League (Group H)

Charlton 2-1 Lech

Wright-Phillips 6, Wagstaff 47 ; Cebula 90+2

Championship

Newcastle 1-2 Charlton

Cavenaghi 4 ; Wright-Phillips 49, Keane 85

Charlton 3-1 Middlesbrough

Alonso 28, Hamalainen 36, 81 ; Harewood 7

Charlton 1-1 Leeds

Halfhuid 75 ; Forssell 34

Injuries

Johnnie Jackson - Broken Ribs (2 to 3 weeks)

Danny Green - Torn Hamstring (6 weeks to 2 months)

Cedric Evina - Gashed Arm (2 to 3 days)

David Di Michele - Back Strain (11 days to 3 weeks)

Monthly Awards

Table

Manager Notes

It has been the best month of the season so far for us. We are doing well in the League, we are in the knockout stages of the Europa League and in the semi finals of the Carling Cup. Starting with the nPower Championship, our performance this month has been brilliant. We have won four out of the six matches in the league and are now in 5th place just four points behind leaders Q.P.R with two games in hand. I hope we continue this same form and maybe go on and win automatic promotion to the Premier League. Thats a big ask but this month we proved we are a strong contender for the title with some big victories over leaders Newcastle United, Southampton etc. In Europa League, we won the group and Besiktas finished second behind us. We know play Celtic in the knockout stages with the first leg being played at Celtic Park. Having qualified for the knockout stages all the progress in this competition is going to be like a bonus for us as we never ever had thought of making it this far in our debut season but at the same time we deserved it as we played some brilliant football. Finally talking about the Carling Cup, we are on course to defend our title and will face Sunderland in the semi finals after beating a fairly strong Arsenal side 2-0 at home. Overall this month was a true success as we have made tremendous progress in all competition and I hope the new years brings us more success.

January 2013

Championship

Sheff Utd 1-0 Charlton

Evans 57

FA Cup (3rd Round)

Charlton 2-1 Birmingham

Keane 5, 59 ; Redmond 28

Championship

Charlton 4-1 Sheff Wed

Keane 40, Jordan 54, Wright-Phillips 74, 90+2 ; Mackie 17

Barnsley 1-2 Charlton

Ayling 90+2 ; Wagstaff 63, Morrison 82

Carling Cup (Semi-Final, 1st Leg)

Sunderland 2-1 Charlton

Wickham 6, 68 ; Ngoo 54

Championship

Charlton 3-1 Coventry

Keane 8, Wright-Phillips 15, 28, Hamalainen (s/o) 71 ; Craine 34

Swansea 4-0 Charlton

Vaseli (og) 26, Rangel 61, Stracqualursi 66, Kisliak 87

Brighton 0-1 Charlton

Solly 90+3

Carling Cup (Semi-Final, 2nd Leg)

Charlton 1-1 (2-3)agg Sunderland

Jackson 9 ; Riveros (p) 71

Injuries

Matt Taylor - Bruised Rib (3 to 6 days)

Danny Green - Torn Hamstring (8 days to 2 weeks)

Jamie Ness - Pulled Hamstring (2 to 3 weeks)

Monthly Awards

Table

Manager Notes

A good start to the new year as we moved up to 2nd place in table at the end of the month. We are going really well in league and this month was no different. We won against Sheffield Wednesday, Brighton, Coventry and Barnsey but were thrashed 4-0 by Swansea and defeated 1-0 by Sheffield United. But still we climbed the table and now are one of the favourites to promote for the Premier League next season. We kicked off the FA Cup with a good 3rd Round win over Birmingham City and now will face Swansea City in the 4th Round. Talking about the Carling, well, our dream to win it for the second time in row has come to an end as Sunderland knocked us out in semi-finals. We lost the 1st leg at the Stadium of Light but we could manage just a 1-1 draw at The Valley making it to a 3-2 defeat on aggregate. Overall this month has been good for the club. We are in 2nd position in the league and well place to promote to the Premier League and at the same time are in the 4th Round of the FA Cup. Hoping the next month is even better than this one with the Europa League fixtures coming back.