Charlton Athletic boss Nathan Jones: 'It was more like the real us for the first time in about four or five games - that gives me good heart'
Welshman talks about goalscorer Tyreece Campbell, determination that Lloyd Jones stayed on and youngsters impressing in 1-1 draw at Birmingham
Charlton Athletic manager Nathan Jones was more than satisfied with today’s
1-1 draw at Birmingham City.
Christoph Klarer headed the Blues ahead shortly before the half-hour mark but Tyreece Campbell levelled in the 67th minute.
Here is pretty much everything he had to say to the written media after the Championship match, which halted a run of five straight league reverses.
On a first point in six matches
“It was important we stopped the bleed. We are a new side to the division and 18 months ago we were 19th in League One. We have been really competitive and top six most of the season - we’ve lost six big, big players [to injury]. I mean big players - not just squad players. They are starters for us.
“Then it has coincided with the toughest run you can have. We have played the top four and three of them away. We’ve come to Birmingham, who are a fantastic football club and have spent a bit of money.
“It’s been a really, really tough period. We’ve had to stick in there. In the second half against Middlesbrough we were much more like us - and today we were much more like us.
“That should set us up in the coming weeks.
“Any result in the Championship is a big one. If you’ve been in the Championship long enough, anything can happen. To come here and put in the level of performance we did, I’m proud of the group. I’m always proud of the group - they never let me down.
“If they fall short sometimes, they fall short because we are coming up against some monsters of football clubs with far better recent history than we have.”
On Tyreece Campbell scoring to end a 31-game goal drought for Charlton and Jamaica
“You have to realise with Tyreece, I said it in the press on Thursday (to this website), that this is a young kid in his first year in the Championship. He does everything we’ve asked of him.
“He is predominantly a left winger - we have converted him into a frontman and then into a number 10, in how we play. Then he has had to play left wing-back because of all our injuries.
“This kid is grafting for this football club, so when people get on to him and say he isn’t doing this or that…he is doing plenty for this football club.
“When we get everyone back that kid will play in the position he should and he is going to fly. He has pace, power, technique and he wants to do it. A south-east London kid, it is brilliant to see him on the scoresheet.
“We haven’t been able to give him a rest. We’ve had to put him at left wing-back and say: ‘Can you do 12k? Up and down with 1,000 metres of high-speed running?’ He does it. He has been the main presser.
“The last time we were able to give him a rest was Ipswich away. We won 3-0 and he was electric for half an hour after he came on. Today he was much better and got his goal. I’m really proud of him.
“His attacking outputs haven’t been what we would have liked. But there is context. If he was playing for Ipswich in Jaden Philogene’s position, for example, the outputs he gets is phenomenal but because he is with us, and because of the injuries we’ve had, we have asked him to do so many things (away from attacking).
“He was special for us last year. He transforms us, in terms of his pace, power and how he gets out of stuff. People fear him and we haven’t got many of those, because of our evolution. In three years’ time we should have six or seven of those players. At the moment we haven’t.
“There is always a big impetus for him to deliver and sometimes he doesn’t, because he is learning the game. Keep an eye on him.”
Creating scoring opportunities at St Andrews
“Birmingham have a lot of possession and a lovely way to play, they are well coached, but we had the big chances. [Miles] Leaburn has to score that goal - it is point-blank. That is the difference. Middlesbrough in midweek were bang, bang - clinical. If we had been that today then we win. They’ve had more possession but we’ve had the big chances.
“To be fair it has needed one hell of a header - also with an element of fortune - to break the deadlock.”
Lloyd Jones coming off in the first-half but then finishing the match
“We needed to find out if it was a concussion - it wasn’t.
“He got a bang and was feeling sick. I had to get clarity on it, because he is a mainstay for us. To take him off as a precaution, we ain’t in that position [to do that]. We’re in the trenches here.
“He didn’t want to come off, but we had to do the protocols. These are warriors and he proved that. If we had needed to tape his mouth shut, then we would have done.”
Starting Karoy Anderson
“Any time we need a ball-winner, aggression or know we’re going to have less possession then he’s a really good player to bring in.
“We didn’t let him go out on loan for his personal development because we know he is going to contribute to us. He was brilliant today. He has to learn. If he wants to get to the levels of some of the midfielders at this level then technically he has to improve.
“We were much more aggressive in the second half and stepped on to them, with no fear in terms of our press. It was more like us - totally us - for the first time in about four or five games. That gives me good heart.
“That feels like a little bit of a wind change. Next week we get one or two back, then in the coming weeks we get one or two more back and we become a totally different animal.”
On whether he could expand on which ‘one or two’ players could be back for Oxford
“No I can’t, because a week is a long time in football - anything could happen.
“We are a week further down the line so the likes of an Amari’i [Bell], a [Reece] Burke or [Charlie] Kelman are going to be considerably closer. Josh Edwards and [Matty] Godden are the ones who are a little bit away. The other three we are looking to get them back as soon as possible.”
On Ibby Fullah, 18, starting left wing-back
“That is a 10 playing there - because we have got nothing else. But you talk the kid through it Thursday and Friday - he didn’t get done. Is he going to make a living in that position? Probably not because he is too good a number 10.
“If we play him higher and have a full quota - Josh Edwards and Amari’i Bell behind him - and you play Ibby at number 10, he is a different animal. At the moment we are plugging gaps. The squad doesn’t moan and groan.
“We haven’t been able to give any of them any respite. [James] Bree, Jones, [Kayne] Ramsay and [Macaulay] Gillesphey have had to play every minute of every game because there is no-one to replace them. Then we brought on Josh Laqeretabua for his [Championship] debut. We played four or five players from the academy today - it is magnificent.
“These (Birmingham) have far bigger resources that they can buy ready-made. At the moment we are relying on that (academy products) and we’re very proud of that.”
Delighted that TC got his goal. Top player.
Great comments from Nathan. Really glad he has come out and defended TC from the nonsense.