It wasn’t so long ago that Charlton Athletic had a reputation for hiring and firing managers quicker than you can say ‘Watford wannabes’, but this week’s dismissal of club legend Johnnie Jackson has left a far more bitter taste in the mouth than most P45s in SE7.
Charlton finished firmly in League One mid-table, closing the season with a poor 4-0 defeat to fellow underachievers Ipswich Town on the final day with a result which meant the Addicks ended the campaign closer in points to the relegation zone than the top six. It wouldn’t make great reading for any manager employed by a club who employed eight permanent managers between 2014 and 2016.
With the regular third-tier season now over, a week before League Two and the Championship come to a close, managerial departures are already taking place while the rest of the EFL and much of the national football pyramid continues at pace towards the business end of the season.
Michael Appleton left Lincoln City at what felt like the natural conclusion of his time with the Imps in their first season of struggle since the pre-Danny Cowley days. But it seemed Charlton and Jackson were only just getting started.
We have become accustomed to Charlton doing stupid things, but usually to compensate for mistakes made previously. Giving Jackson – who had spent over 10 years of his playing, coaching and managerial career at The Valley – the latter of those roles in December 2021 felt like anything but an error.
If anything, it was a surprise that it took so long for Jackson to get the permanent keys to the car which the former midfielder was driving so confidently during his second temporary tenure of the hot seat in south London.
Jackson replaced Nigel Adkins earlier this season with the Addicks looking in genuine relegation danger. Nine wins from 13 games staved off fears of relegation to the fourth tier of English football, but that was about as good as it got for Jackson and co.
It would be too simple and far…
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