Charlton Athletic's September opposition under the microscope - including fixture difficulty ratings

Expert insight into the upcoming clashes against Millwall, Sheffield United, Blackburn Rovers and Derby County

Championship football is back this weekend for Charlton Athletic - starting with a south London derby against Millwall. Tasty.

Missed domestic football? Well, we’ve got the perfect way to get clued up on the opposition that the Addicks will face in September.

Here we take a look in more depth at the teams that Charlton Athletic take on this month. That includes speaking to the reporters or podcasters covering those teams to get the lowdown on their biggest attacking threat, the player tipped to be the next top talent as well as providing an assessment on their club’s transfer window and start to the season.

Mihailo Ivanovic top-scored for Millwall last season in the Championship

Picture: Keith Gillard

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SEPTEMBER 13TH

MILLWALL H (12.30pm)

Last season’s league position: Eighth

Current league position: 12th

Last season’s top scorer: Mihailo Ivanovic (13 goals all competitions)

This season’s top scorer: Luke Cundle, Macaulay Langstaff and Camiel Neghli (all one goal)

Significant transfers in (£ denotes fee paid): Josh Coburn (Middlesbrough, £), Caleb Taylor (West Brom, £), Derek Mazou-Sacko (Rodez AF, £), Massimo Luongo (Ipswich Town, free), Max Crocombe (Burton Albion, free), Joel Coleman (Bolton Wanderers, free), Alfie Doughty (Luton Town, £), Zak Sturge (Chelsea, £), Will Smallbone (Southampton, loan), Thierno Ballo (Wolfsberger AC, loan), Steven Benda (Fulham, loan)

Significant transfers out: Zian Flemming (Burnley, £), Aaron Connelly (Leyton Orient, free), George Saville (Luton Town, free), George Honeyman (Blackpool, free), Murray Wallace (Huddersfield Town, free), Liam Roberts (Mansfield Town, free), Japhet Tanganga (Sheffield United, £), Adam Mayor (Cambridge United, loan), Duncan Watmore (free), Shaun Hutchinson (free)

The boss:

Alex Neil.

The Scot is already the ninth longest-serving manager in the Championship despite only succeeding Neil Harris at the end of December.

Neil signed a bumper new contract in June as reward for steering the Lions to eighth in the table last season, just two points outside of the play-off places.

The 44-year-old is an experienced operator who is approaching the milestone of 500 matches as a boss.

Neil won promotion in England with Norwich City, into the Premier League in 2015, and Sunderland, into the Championship in 2022. Both times via the play-offs.

CHRIS CHAPMAN - CHAT WITH CHAPZ (MILLWALL PODCAST)

Style of play:

It’s predominantly been a 4-4-2. But that could change because of the recruitment we’ve done at the back end of the transfer window and our limited options up front - we’ve only got three recognised strikers and one of them, Macaulay Langstaff, is injured.

It has worked away from home where we’ve had two up top to press teams that want the ball, like Norwich and Sheffield United. But at home, when we played Wrexham and Middlesbrough, who both sat in, we weren’t able to break the lines.

That is where you’ve got that divergence in form between home and away.