Charlton Athletic review of the week: Charlie Kelman self-critical prior to winner against Birmingham City, Micah Mbick stretchered off and Conor Coventry blames hip problem on overloading
It’s the latest review of the week. If there is any major Charlton Athletic news, it can be found here.
Charlie Kelman watches his shot beat Birmingham goalkeeper Ryan Allsop/Picture: Keith Gillard
KELMAN CRITICAL OF HIS OWN DISPLAYS PRIOR TO WINNER AGAINST BIRMINGHAM CITY
Charlie Kelman popped up as Charlton Athletic’s match-winner on Saturday but admitted afterwards that he had not been happy with his contribution in recent weeks.
The striker’s fifth goal of the campaign earned a big three points for the Addicks as they moved nine points clear of the Championship bottom three with a 1-0 victory over Birmingham City.
“I’m a very instinctive finisher but sometimes when I have the time to think I can snatch at it - that is just an age thing,” said Kelman, 24. “I like the finishes where they happen so quickly.
“I want to finish the season strongly and then really kick on in the next one. I feel like I haven’t given a proper account of myself this year. On a personal level the last couple of weeks I haven’t been at the races. I didn’t hit the standards and that is down to myself, sometimes you have to take accountability.
“I feel like I’ve let the gaffer and staff down the last few weeks with how I’ve trained. I haven’t been at it - your finishing is not clean and things aren’t going your way. Sometimes you are not playing and you get frustrated. That’s the life of a footballer. Everyone sees the Saturdays and the Tuesdays but it is the constant battle with yourself- trying to fight off critics and fight off yourself. Once you get through that then you get that little bit of a high. Today I got that. I’m buzzing.”
Picture: Keith Gillard
Kelman’s target after arriving from QPR in the summer was to hit double figures in his first season in SE7.
“The gaffer and the team have been very supportive, working with me every day,” he said. “It’s been a bit of a disrupted season with my pre-season and getting injured but there are no excuses in football - no-one looks at that. I need to keep my head down, keep working and do the things I did today.
“It is the reason the gaffer is what he is and the career he has had. He makes the decisions. He said to me before [the match]: ‘It was a tough decision - I wanted to start you. We need TC’s speed on the counter. I’m going to bring you and Joe [Rankin-Costello] off the bench’. That’s what happened.
“I guess that is why he gets paid to do what he does and I get paid to do what I do.”
If you want more reaction to Saturday’s vital victory then check out the post-match pod and the thoughts of boss Nathan Jones.
COVENTRY: INJURY WAS A LEARNING CURVE
Conor Coventry has put the hip issues he experienced earlier this season down to an intense workload.
The Charlton Athletic midfielder was playing with the issue during January. The loan arrival of Conor Coady handed an opportunity for the Republic of Ireland international to dial down his minutes.
Coventry has started the last two Championship matches and put in a strong display against Birmingham on Saturday.
Talking about his injury, the former West Ham United player told South London Sport: Charlton Athletic Edition: “I had some problems over Christmas. How did I get it? It was probably just the piled-up fixtures then. It was kind of an overuse problem. Some days felt better than others.
“It was something I had to manage. I’m someone who loves doing their extras after training and I had to knock that on the head as well as maybe missing a few sessions. It was frustrating for me.
“There were a couple of games where I didn’t feel great. There were little movements that didn’t feel natural and were more laboured. I’m always the type that wants to play and feels they can help the team.
“It was a bit of a learning curve for me and making different decisions, knowing your body a little bit better.”
Coady had started six matches in a row before being ineligible to face Wrexham at the end of February.
Coventry needs to hold down a first-team spot as he hopes to be involved in Ireland’s World Cup play-off against the Czech Republic on March 26.
Coventry made his debut for his country in a 2-0 victory over Portugal in November.
“Of course I want to play every minute I can,” he told this website. “I’ve said publicly before that it is my goal to be in that [Ireland] squad but, at the same time, I want the team to do well.
“I’m disappointed if I’m not playing but I’m not the type to kick up a fuss or not train properly. Sometimes you have to take a step back and realise the bigger goal is the team.
Picture: Kyle Andrews
“All I can do is what is here now, in front of me. I want to get better every day and put things in place that help for club and country.
“I always want to play but bringing in an England international (in Coady) it is someone I can learn from - on the pitch and off the pitch. I’ve seen his standards since he came in and what he demands. We can all take on some of his strengths.”
Coventry recently went past 100 matches for the Addicks.
“I wanted to be somewhere I could stay for a while, rack up the games and build experience as a player but also build something in a team. That has all happened. I feel a lot more mature than when I joined. I’m probably one of the longest-serving. We can see things we can still improve as a team. I’ve loved the whole process. I’m excited to see what we can continue to grow into.”
If Charlton stay up, something that looks very likely after opening a bigger gap over the bottom three at the weekend, then they could be facing West Ham next season.
Tottenham, Nottingham Forest and the east Londoners are the clubs in most danger of being relegated along with Wolves and Burnley.
“It looks like they (West Ham) have found a bit of a formula and picked up some form,” said Coventry. “Of course I don’t want them to come down.
“It is a really big club that is going to come down. Hopefully we are still in the Championship to test ourselves against one of them.”
Lloyd Jones winning a header - it’s a very familiar sight/Picture: Keith Gillard
LLOYD JONES - CHAMPIONSHIP LEADER
Lloyd Jones is leading the way when it comes to most clearances and aerial duels won in the Championship this season.
The Charlton Athletic centre-back has completed 374 clearances.
The chart above shows just how far clear Jones is at the top of that particular table.
But Jones is also in first spot when it comes to aerial duels won as well.
Jones made 24 defensive contributions in Saturday’s 1-0 victory over Birmingham City. The next nearest were Kayne Ramsay (12) and Jonathan Panzo (11).
Jones has won the last four Player of the Month awards at Charlton and looks the red-hot favourite to be their Player of the Year, an accolade he also collected last season.
Jordan Cousins was the last to win the award in successive campaigns - 2015 and 2016.
MBICK STRETCHERED OFF
There are fears that Micah Mbick suffered a serious injury in Colchester United’s 2-1 win at Newport County.
The Charlton Athletic striker, who had only just returned from a spell on the sidelines, was on the receiving end of an awful challenge by Cameron Evans that did not even see referee Steve Copeland stop play.
Mbick was stretchered off and replaced by Jack Payne in the 35th minute.
The England U20 international had an MRI scan on Sunday.
Colchester boss Danny Cowley said: “It looks like a really nasty one. We’re so sad for Micah. I don’t think I’ve been as disappointed as this after winning a game of football. I feel pretty angry. It’s a terrible tackle.
“The boy blocks with his first foot and the second one is knee high. The ref doesn’t even give a foul. I’m so sick and tired of the officiating at this level. Their job is player safety. He’s a brilliant player, one of the best - if not the best - in the league. You have to protect and look after them.
“There is no way that people can tackle like that now. Maybe in the 1980s that tackle was okay - but not now.”
Alex Mitchell was voted Plymouth’s star performer in their 2-1 home win against Doncaster Rovers on Saturday
MITCHELL OPEN TO PLYMOUTH STAY
Alex Mitchell has told Plymouth Argyle’s local media that he would be open to a permanent move.
Of course you would not expect the 24-year-old to say anything else when he is on loan with the League One club.
Mitchell joined the Pilgrims in mid-August and has got regular football that would not have been so forthcoming if he had stayed in SE7.
The former Millwall defender will have another 12 months to run on his Charlton terms at the end of this season.
Mitchell told Plymouth Live: “It’s a hard one when you are under contract, you want to be respectful. I think the lads know I do enjoy it here, everyone can tell.
“The people are top, I don’t think there is a bad egg in the building.
“Next year, obviously, there is stuff you can’t control. I know coming here this season happened late because of stuff you can’t control. It’s definitely something I would be looking at, but there are other factors. I live far from home, I don’t see my family as much as I would like to, so it’s a hard one.
“Obviously, all the lads are the same, and that’s just football in general. So it’s something I will look at. Charlton kind of hold all the cards at the moment with what they want to do, but if they were to let me go, I would definitely really consider it.”
Picture: Keith Gillard
METHVEN EYES SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY DEAL
Former Charlton Athletic chief executive Charlie Methven is reportedly part of a consortium interested in acquiring Sheffield Wednesday.
Methven’s group showed early interest in the ailing Owls when they entered administration but were not one of the three parties that proceeded to the final bidding process.
A consortium fronted by poker player James Bord withdrew their bid at the end of December.
The Star said: “A source within the Methven-linked bid team has suggested that while his investors are taking a strong interest in the potential acquisition, it is felt time is against them in terms of being able to play catch-up on those who were involved long into the initial process - and that with so much information still to digest, it is possible they won’t be able to do the appropriate level of due diligence required to put forward a properly priced-up bid.”
Methven joined Hampton & Richmond Borough as a non-executive director in late January.
He stepped down from his CEO role at Charlton in March 2025.
SEASON TICKETS ON SALE
Charlton Athletic have released their season ticket prices for the 2026-27 campaign.
They are on sale now. More details can be found here.
Good update Rich. Interesting he is happy to see how they go and battle it out. Can’t argue with that. Wish he would do that with other players
As always great read and well informed Rich