Struber rues 'ping-pong fight' with Addicks, Carey on battling back from rejection and Dixon loan deal doubts
The latest review of the week - a round-up of Charlton Athletic news
Yep, it’s that time again - review of the week.
And there is plenty to reflect on over the course of the past week.
Charlton Athletic have progressed to the second round of the EFL Cup and underlined their defensive steel with a 0-0 draw at Bristol City in their second Championship match.
There has also been transfer window activity with two loan exits.
Let’s dive into it.
Kayne Ramsay was a strong defensive presence at Bristol City
Picture: Kyle Andrews
CHAMPIONSHIP CHALLENGE IS BEING MET - STRUBER CALLS ASHTON GATE MATCH A ‘PING-PONG FIGHT’
Charlton Athletic drew 0-0 at Bristol City on Saturday.
Want to know more about the Addicks’ shutting out opposition who had hit four past Sheffield United the previous weekend? Head over to the post-match pod - where you can get the reaction of manager Nathan Jones and defender Amari’i Bell - or the talking points.
So what did the opposition have to say about the encounter at Ashton Gate?
Unlike Watford boss Paulo Pezzolano, who did his post-match press conference via an interpreter, City’s Austrian head coach Gerhard Struber opted to speak himself. Although some of his expressions left room for interpretation (* denotes example).
“The expectation to have a difficult opponent in the house - it went in exactly the direction that I knew,” said Struber. “We show many games from them and we know they are super men-orientated (*). They have the drive and momentum from the promotion and we could feel the energy from them.
“In the first half we broke them down until the last third and then our decision-making was not always great.
“We did not always have the patience to switch again, so a little bit switches would help us today. In the first half, in the decision-making, we were not always ready. And in the second half we played too much the game from them - it was only long balls, second balls and five to 10 balls. In this direction you find no control and you have a 50-50 game. This is something, with our quality and standard, against a team with high aggression, we have to find a better staggering that we can find better connections.
“They (his team) step into the world of Charlton football and then it was a ping-pong fight. Sometimes we get counter moments there and in the end we needed Radek (Vitek) and the backline showed how strong they are. One time the crossbar was in between but I would say it was a very difficult game. We are a little bit disappointed. We expect a win and I can feel a little bit of frustration.
“Some minutes today we tried with the hammer but also you have to be patient, to drive them a little bit from one side to the other to work the space, then you go with the knife between the teeth (*).”
CAREY: I HAD TO BLOCK OUT THE NOISE AFTER NORWICH EXIT
Sonny Carey has talked about working his way back into the professional game after his release by Norwich City at the age of 16.
Charlton Athletic made the 24-year-old their first signing of the summer on a free transfer after his Blackpool contract expired.
Carey scored 11 goals in 37 appearances for the Seasiders last season.
He dropped into non-league football after the Canaries let him go in 2017. Initially he joined Wroxham before two campaigns with King’s Lynn.
“I got the same as quite a lot of players have had - that you’re too small for men’s football or U18s and U21s football,” Carey told South London Sport: Charlton Athletic Edition when asked about not making the grade at his hometown club. “You hear more and more players get told that.
Sonny Carey competes for the ball on his Charlton debut
Picture: Kyle Andrews
“It was just one of them where I had to block out the noise. That was their opinion and I was quite a small lad at the time. I had to work on myself, get in the gym to get myself a bit bigger, and it has turned out alright so far.
“My dad played a big part as well (in guiding him down the non-league route). I was 16 and I’d been at the club for eight or nine years, so all I knew was Norwich and academy football.
“I saw some of my mates going for trials all over the country, getting turned away, and it wasn’t something I wanted to do at that time.
“I just wanted to go and play football, or start enjoying it again. That was why I dropped down to non-league, played a bit there and scored a few goals to work my way up to King’s Lynn.
“The only club I went to was Cambridge for a few weeks, but that was when I was 17. I heard about clubs being interested but there weren’t any concrete trials.”
Luton Town, then under the management of Addicks boss Nathan Jones and with Phil Chapple as head of recruitment, were one of the clubs interested in signing Carey before he landed a transfer to Blackpool.
King’s Lynn reported it as a record fee although the figure was never disclosed.
“I was delighted to be back in the professional game,” said Carey. "It is all that I’d wanted to do since I was a little kid - be a footballer and play football every day. I was over the moon to make my breakthrough and we were in the Championship at the time.
“It was quite a big step up, to go from non-league to that, but I felt I dealt with the step up well.”
The suggestion at Blackpool is that his career only really took off in the closing months of the 2024-25 season.
Eight of his 11 goals came after the middle of February. Carey claimed seven in the final eight fixture.
“Certainly my best run of form was towards the end of last season,” he said. “And Steve Bruce (Blackpool boss) definitely played a big part in that. He understood me as a player. I was on the left, which is a little bit unnatural for me. But he gave me that freedom to go inside, to play where I wanted.
“I didn’t make my mind up during the season (that he wanted a new challenge). My sole focus was on doing the best I could. When I became a free agent, I think any player would hear the other opportunities that are out there.
“I started listening to a few other offers.
“Some players like to try and wait a bit (further into the summer). But as soon as I had the call with the gaffer here it was set in my head - I wanted to come here. I was glad it got over the line quickly because it meant I could get in, get settled down. I like to have a full pre-season where I can hit the ground running. That was my preference.”
So were there nerves before his debut against Watford?
“For me it was just excitement,” said Carey. “I was just looking forward to getting out there. We’d had five weeks of good work in pre-season. I was buzzing to get out there. I’ve been saying to some of the staff and the lads that you can tell the place has got that good energy, I think that stems from last season.”
Carey was part of the same Blackpool side as Rob Apter, who also made the switch to SE7.
“The gaffer was talking about signing him and he asked for my opinion. I said that he is a great young player, with bags of potential. I think we saw glimpses of what he can do (against Watford). He likes to get at players. He will be a great addition, along with all the other signings he has brought in.”
GASS THE MAN FOR STEVENAGE
Gassan Ahadme wasted no time making an impact for Stevenage after scoring in Saturday’s 2-0 win over Northampton Town - just a minute after coming on as a substitute.
The 24-year-old striker has joined Alex Revell’s League One side for the remainder of the season.
Ahadme’s goal - from his first touch - extended Stevenage’s advantage and is the first time he has netted since November 2024 in a 4-0 FA Cup victory at Walsall.
Revell told BBC Three Counties Radio: “He has had a really tough year. When you get bought for big money there is a lot of expectation on you and it didn’t happen, for whatever reason.
Picture: Keith Gillard
“When you get someone like that in the building, you have to remove all the negatives that come around him and has been directed at him. We’ve seen what he can do. We really believe in Gass.
“We want to fill him with confidence because that is what we are as a staff.
“We have asked him to remove the last year. People here today will see a player that is really committed. There is no better way as a striker, to score on your debut with your first touch. Hopefully that really builds him and gives him confidence.”
DIXON TAKES CRAWLEY TOWN CHANCE
Kaheim Dixon was also on the move this week - to League Two side Crawley Town.
The Charlton Athletic winger made his debut on Saturday in a 1-0 loss at Crewe Alexandra, replacing Harry McKirdy in the 64th minute.
Jamaican international Dixon, 20, still has three years left to run on his Addicks terms after arriving last summer from Arnett Gardens.
Crawley Town boss Scott Lindsey revealed that at one stage the loan deal looked like it could be off - while the youngster was already travelling up north with the West Sussex club.
Picture: Kyle Andrews
“We only signed Kaheim on Friday,” he said. “There was a point when we were on the coach, believe it or not, we might have had to drop him off somewhere, because there was a problem with the deal.
“So we were not sure if he was going to be able to be part of the squad, even though he was actually on the coach. We were Googling what station we could drop him off at, because the deal wasn’t complete.
“We couldn’t prepare him to start. He was excellent when he came on, a real ball-carrier. He caused a lot of threats and probably could’ve scored. The subs made a real difference.”
HILLS EXTENDS DEAL
Charlton Athletic Women’s manager Karen Hills has signed a new contract.
The news was broken during the Addicks’ online fan meeting on YouTube on Thursday night.
Charlton chairman Gavin Carter said: “We have re-upped Karen’s contract. Just as we did with Nathan earlier in the summer.
“We spoke to Karen and we wanted her to stay here. She had another year left on her contract, but we have renewed her contract. I’m a big, big fan of Karen.
Picture: Keith Gillard
“We are very, very lucky to have her and we wanted to secure her services. She has put pen to paper.”
Hills was appointed as the Addicks boss in the summer of 2021.
“Coaching this team is a privilege, extending my contract means extending my commitment to the players, the supporters, and the vision we’re all working towards,” she said.
Charlton start their WSL 2 season at home against Crystal Palace on September 7.
ABBEY STADIUM ASSIGNMENT IN EFL CUP
Charlton’s reward for their EFL Cup win over Stevenage on Tuesday night is a trip to Cambridge United in the second round, with the tie taking place at the end of the month.
The match is a 7.30pm kick off on August 26.
It will be the second time that the south Londoners have made that journey in recent weeks as they faced Neil Harris’ side as part of their pre-season preparations. That match finished 1-1 with Miles Leaburn opening the scoring, only for George Hoddle to level in the second half.
Charlton have a strong record in away fixtures against the U’s with their last defeat on away soil coming in the old Division Two in February 1992. The Addicks are unbeaten in their last six visits, winning five of those. That includes a League One victory (1-0) last season as well as defeating Cambridge in the EFL Trophy.
The talking points from the 3-1 win over Stevenage in the first round can be found here.
BRAYNE DRAIN - HYLTON PROMOTED
James Brayne has left Charlton Athletic’s coaching staff to take on a role at Sunderland.
Brayne had spent seven years at Birmingham City before joining the Addicks in March 2024, initially as individual development coach.
He was promoted to first-team coach - also in charge of set-pieces - 12 months ago.
Danny Hylton has replaced Brayne. Hylton had been player-coach last season for Charlton but retired in the summer to just focus on coaching.
Danny Hylton passes on instructions to Charlie Kelman and Dan Kanu during Tuesday’s EFL Cup tie
Picture: Keith Gillard
“James Brayne came to us as individual development coach, from Birmingham,” said Jones, speaking about the backroom reshuffle after Charlton’s EFL Cup win over Stevenage. “No first-team experience whatsoever. I saw something in him and promoted him, which is a gamble.
“He stepped up, did fantastically well and was a big part of our coaching philosophy and what we did. But we had to educate him because he had no experience in what he did.
“Dan is in a similar place.
“I’ve done that throughout my career. I’ve promoted people like Joaquin Gomez, who is a manager now and has done that in six countries. I promoted Alan Sheehan, who was my set-play coach and is now a head coach of a Championship side (Swansea City). So any scepticism about that (appointing Hylton), look at the track record of staff that I’ve worked with and have gone on to do things.”
ABBOTT CHECKS OUT
Next month will also see the departure of Dr Will Abbott, who has been director of performance services for nearly two years.
He arrived from Brighton in November 2023 tasked with the role of improving the Addicks’ performance department.
Charlton managing director Jim Rodwell said: “We’d like to thank Will for his contributions to Charlton since his arrival. He has played a significant role in driving the club forward, and supporters will have seen the dramatic improvement in men’s first-team player availability and overall fitness.
“While we reluctantly accept his decision to take on a new challenge, he leaves behind a strong foundation - an excellent performance team and robust systems that will continue to benefit the club for years to come.”
Abbott said: “It has been a very tough decision to take to leave the club, but I felt it was the right time to take on the next challenge in my career.”
TAYLOR MADE MOVE
Terry Taylor sealed his Charlton Athletic departure on Monday as he returned for a second loan stint with Northampton Town.
The 24-year-old is out of contract with the Addicks next summer.
Charlton were happy to move on Taylor 12 months ago - either permanently or on a loan - but struggled to find a taker.
The former Burton Albion midfielder spent the closing months of last season with Northampton and, by all accounts, performed well.
Cobblers boss Kevin Nolan said: “He was really keen to come back here and that not only says a lot about Terry, but it is a pat on the back for Northampton Town and what we do as a club that a player of Terry's quality was so keen to return.”
BIELIK ON HIS BIKE
Former Charlton Athletic loanee Krystian Bielik has signed for West Bromwich Albion for an undisclosed fee.
The 27-year-old, who was on Arsenal’s books when he had his temporary spell with the Addicks in the 2018-19 League One play-off winning campaign, has penned terms until 2028.
Bielik was part of the Birmingham City side which cruised to the title in England’s third tier last season.
“Albion are a massive club,” the Poland-born player told the Baggies’ official website. “When I found out I could play for this team, I was really happy.
"The Championship is one of the hardest leagues, you have to be ready for everything that's coming. You have to be prepared, you have to be fit, you have to be strong physically and mentally.”
Picture: Keith Gillard
Struber’s turns of phrase made me laugh including his use of tenses. I think he meant Superman oriented referring to our very own Super Man(ager) of Steel, Nathan Jones. Great update, as always, Rich, a lot happened last week!
Great update Rich but mate some of your headlines are a bit …. Let’s be polite and say corny 😉🤣🤷♂️interview by Steiner was interesting. Good to hear in English and fair play to him. We will cause teams issues this year.