Nathan Jones, the former Southampton manager infamous for his poor display as a Premier League manager, is joining Charlton Athletic. The Welsh 50-year-old started his coaching career at Charlton Athletic after a 21-year playing career throughout the English Football League. Following his retirement, Jones joined Charlton Athletic as an under-21 professional development coach. Eventually, he joined the coaching staff at Brighton, where he started his managerial career.
That eventually led to a job in the Premier League with Southampton. Jones thrived with Luton Town in two stints, helping the side climb into the Championship. The Saints saw Jones’s ability to have success with a club with a lower budget and brought him on as a permanent manager. However, it all went poorly.
Upon his hiring on Nov. 10, 2022, Southampton went on to win one game out of eight in the Premier League under Nathan Jones. The other seven games were all losses. Southampton reached the semifinals of the League Cup under Nathan Jones, including a victory over treble-winning Manchester City. However, he only lasted three months at St. Mary’s Stadium.
Charlton Athletic is in League One, and the opposition Nathan Jones will go up against is far beneath what he faced in the Premier League. Charlton provides Jones with a route to return to the circle of successful managers. He has already worked his first training session with The Addicks, and the Nathan Jones tenure begins on Saturday with a road game against Reading.
Nathan Jones must turn Charlton Athletic around
Charlton Athletic’s current run has plunged the side into the threat of relegation to League Two. The club has not won a game in 12 League One matches. The last time Charlton won a game was a comeback win over Cheltenham Town, which sits 22nd in the league table. Scoring has not been an issue for Charlton this season, as it has 43 goals. However, only two clubs, Fleetwood Town and Carlisle United, have conceded more goals than Charlton’s 46.
“I am extremely excited by the challenge in front of me at Charlton,” Jones said. “It is a club that I have fond memories of from my time here and I want to play my part in moving the club forward.”
Jones went on to add that other clubs had approached him for his services. However, the project at Charlton was the best for the former Southampton boss.
“I have been approached by a number of clubs to get back into management but I have been waiting for the right opportunity. From my conversations with the Board and given the long-term nature of the contract, I can see there is a real appetite to build something here which I am really looking forward to being a part of.”
Another Charlton manager
Charlton has not been able to rely on a consistent manager. Over the last decade, there were a dozen permanent managers to man the Charlton sideline on a permanent deal. The club has flirted with promotion to the Championship on several occasions. However, upon going up in the 2018/19 season, Charlton quickly retreated to the Championship after one season. Promotion may not be a prospect this season, but Jones has a record of leading teams to success in his resume.
