Greetings folks I've stripped back my season stats this year to the bare basics. This is primarily because they used to take a long time to do, and frankly I am not motivated anymore to put in a couple of hours every time the team plays a match. So this season there will just be two tables and a fixtures list that I will update by editing this post, not with a new post every time. Please feel free to comment or contribute, just as if this was any other thread. 1. League table (relevant half) 2. Comparison of this season with previous L1 seasons This table compares Charlton's performance this season with how they were getting on after the same number of games played in their previous ten League One seasons. Only the end-of-season stats are shown for past seasons. As the season matures this table will give an ever more accurate idea of how well the team is doing compared to previous L1 campaigns. The positions here will not mean very much until 7 or 8 games have been played. 3. Match results AUGUST ....... 9 points from 4 league games (2.25 ppg) scored 4 conceded 3 (league) 0-1 win Saturday Aug 10 ........ Wigan Athletic (A) League One 0-1 defeat Tuesday Aug 13 .... Birmingham City (H) EFL Cup 1-0 win Saturday Aug 17 ........ Leyton Orient (H) League One 2-0 win Saturday Aug 24 ........ Bolton Wanderers (H) League One 2-0 defeat Saturday Aug 31 ... Reading (A) League One SEPTEMBER ...... 4 points from 4 league games (1.00 ppg) scored 3 conceded 3 (league) 1-1 draw Saturday Sept 7 ....... Rotherham United (H) League One 0-1 win Saturday Sep 14 ........ Shrewsbury Town (A) League One 1-2 win Tuesday Sep 17 ......... Cambridge United (A) EFL Trophy 1-2 defeat Saturday Sep 21 ... Blackpool (H) League One 1-0 defeat Saturday Sep 28 ... Stevenage Borough (A) League One OCTOBER ...... 6 points from 5 league games (1.20 ppg) scored 8 conceded 8 (league) 3-2 defeat Tuesday Oct 1 ...... Bristol Rovers (A) League One 1-0 win Saturday Oct 5 .......... Birmingham City (H) League One 1-1 draw Saturday Oct 19 ..... Stockport County (H) League One 2-2 draw Tuesday Oct 22 ....... Barnsley (A) League One 2-2 draw Saturday Oct 26 ...... Wrexham (H) League One 3-0 win Tuesday Oct 29 .......... Chelsea U21 (H) EFL Trophy NOVEMBER ... 3 points from 3 league games (1.00 ppg) scored 3 conceded 3 (league) 3-4 win (aet) Saturday Nov 2 .... Southend United (A) FA Cup 1-0 defeat Saturday Nov 9 ........ Exeter City (A) League One 1-0 win Tuesday Nov 12 ............ Bromley (H) EFL Trophy 2-1 defeat Saturday Nov 23 ...... Huddersfield Town (A) League One 0-1 win Tuesday Nov 26 ............ Burton Albion (A) League One 0-4 win Saturday Nov 30 ........... Walsall (A) FA Cup DECEMBER ... 11 points from 6 league games (1.83 ppg) scored 10 conceded 6 (league) 1-2 defeat Tuesday Dec 3 ......... Crawley Town (H) League One 0-0 draw Saturday Dec 7 .......... Lincoln City (A) League One 0-2 defeat Tuesday Dec 10 ...... Leyton Orient (H) EFL Trophy 0-0 draw Saturday Dec 14 ........ Mansfield Town (H) League One 0-5 win Saturday Dec 21 ........... Northampton Town (A) League One 2-1 win Thursday Dec 26 .......... Cambridge United (H) League One 2-1 win Sunday Dec 29 ............. Wycombe Wanderers (H) League One JANUARY ... 10 points from 5 league games (2.00 ppg) scored 7 conceded 5 (league) 0-0 draw Saturday Jan 4 ........... Reading (H) League One 2-1 defeat Tuesday Jan 14 ....... Preston North End (A) FA Cup 4-2 defeat Saturday Jan 18 ...... Rotherham United (A) League One 1-2 win Tuesday Jan 21 ............ Bolton Wanderers (A) League One 1-0 win Saturday Jan 25 ........... Shrewsbury Town (H) League One 2-0 win Tuesday Jan 28 ............ Bristol Rovers (H) League One FEBRUARY ... 10 points from 5 league games (2.00 ppg) scored 9 conceded 4 2-2 draw Saturday Feb 1 .......... Blackpool (A) League One 2-0 win Saturday Feb 8 ............. Stevenage (H) League One 2-1 win Tuesday Feb 11 ............ Peterborough United (H) League One 1-0 defeat Saturday Feb 15 ...... Birmingham City (A) League One 3-0 win Saturday Feb 22 ........... Exeter City (H) League One MARCH ... 16 points from 7 league games (2.29 ppg) scored 10 conceded 5 1-2 win Saturday Mar 1 ............ Leyton Orient (A) League One 1-0 win Tuesday Mar 4 ............. Barnsley (H) League One 0-0 draw Saturday Mar 8 ......... Stockport County (A) League One 0-1 win Tuesday Mar 11............ Crawley Town (A) League One 2-1 win Saturday Mar 15 .......... Wigan Athletic (H) League One 3-0 defeat Saturday Mar 22 ..... Peterborough United (A) League One 4-0 win Saturday Mar 29 .......... Huddersfield Town (H) League One APRIL & MAY ... 16 points from 7 league games (2.29 ppg) scored 14 conceded 7 1-2 win Tuesday Apr 1 ............... Mansfield Town (A) League One 2-2 draw Saturday Apr 5 ........... Lincoln City (H) League One 0-1 win Saturday Apr 12 ............ Cambridge United (A) League One 2-1 win Friday Apr 18 ................. Northampton Town (H) League One 0-4 win Monday Apr 21 ............. Wycombe Wanderers (A) League One 3-0 defeat Saturday Apr 26 ...... Wrexham (A) League One 3-1 win Saturday May 3 ............. Burton Albion (H) League One
An extra word of explanation for the L1 comparison table; The current positions (11 Aug) are based on first match results for all the seasons shown; 01. 2011-12 ... first match 3-0 win (3pts and +3GD) 02. 2020-21 ... first match 2-0 win (3pts and +2GD) 03. 2009-10 ... first match 3-2 win (3pts and +1GD) 3rd on goals scored 04. 2024-25 ... first match 1-0 win (3pts and +1GD) really joint 4th with the three games below, due to minimal current stats data. 05. 2017-18 ... first match 1-0 win (3pts and +1GD) 5th on final league position of 6th 06. 2010-11 ... first match 1-0 win (3pts and +1GD) 6th on final league position of 13th 07. 2023-24 ... first match 1-0 win (3pts and +1GD) 7th on final league position of 16th 08. 2022-23 ... first match 2-2 draw (1pt and 0GD) 8th on goals scored 09. 2021-22 ... first match 0-0 draw (1pt and 0GD) 10. 2018-19 ... first match 2-1 defeat (0pts and -1GD) 11. 2016-17 ... first match 2-0 defeat (0pts and -2GD) I won't be posting a list like this after every league game, but I hope this helps to clarify how Charlton's current position in the table is calculated. It is always a comparison of performance after the same number of games played in previous seasons. I have not shown the stats for the same number of games played in previous seasons (only the end-of-season stats) because posting the same number of games stats after every game for all seasons would take a pretty long time.
Interesting - after two league matches Charlton are still 4th in the comparison table with previous L1 seasons, but the team has made the best start since the Parkinson / Powell era. All three of the previous seasons where the team started better (2009-2012) we also had 6 points after 2 games, but the Parkinson / Powell teams had a superior GD in all those seasons compared to 2024-25. None of Charlton's League One seasons since we were relegated in 2016 began with two straight league wins - until today.
Thanks to the good win over Bolton Wanderers Charlton's start to this season is now the second best in our League One history. Only the 2011-12 season under Chris Powell was better, by GD. In fact Charlton's start is joint second, with the same points and GD as 2009-10 under Phil Parkinson. Interestingly, all the previous season stats now fall into three groups; Our worst four starts being since we came down in 2020 The middle three starts being the Slade to Bowyer era (2016-17 to 2018-19) Our best four starts being this season plus the Parkinson / Powell era. A good omen for the future I hope.
After the Reading defeat Charlton's away record is now called into question. The opening day win at Wigan was a good one. But Wigan are now revealed as a poor team struggling, four games in. The Addicks' next two or three away matches will reveal much...
Early assumptions are hardly ever accurate of course, but with 10 points from 5 games Charlton are (believe it or not) on course for promotion in theory. 2 points per game on average across the whole season would earn Charlton 92 points - our second highest League One haul ever, and almost certainly enough for a top 2 finish. But with only 11% of games played, plus the actual performances to consider, 92 points seems a seriously ridiculous total. Just goes to show how wild stats can be without much data to base them on. Let's see where we are after 15 games
It's going to help us stay well clear of 16th place, all other things being equal. Like getting through to May without a big injury crisis. But will it be enough to get Charlton into the play-offs, then to Wembley? There's a long way to go. And top 6 teams usually get there by going on impressive runs of form, stringing wins together and playing exciting football. I'm not sure at all that we can grind out a path to glory.
A seemingly avoidable defeat at the Valley against Blackpool. Charlton still having the 4th best start of our 11 seasons in League One. Curiously, the Addicks only won their 7th game twice in those 11 seasons. In 2018-19 and 2020-21. The comparison table is beginning to take shape as well. All of the seasons which concluded with Charlton's best finishes are now in the top six of the table.
The wheels are coming off. Dreadful performances are tolerable as long as wins are scraped one way or another. But those wins have now dried up. Charlton's performance this season has slipped to 6th place in comparison with all other recent League One seasons after 8 games. The lowest it has been all season so far. We are only 1 point behind the same stage of the 2018-19 season when Lee Bowyer got us to Wembley, but the way we are playing surely that gap will now grow. Note: I have added an extra column to the Comparison table (in dark red) showing how many points Charlton had after the same number of league games played in each season (8 at present). This extra information only takes a moment or two to add, and I think it gives a much clearer idea of how well we are doing compared to those other seasons.
Welcome to the bottom half of League One. This evening was the only 8th match of a 3rd tier season that Charlton have lost. In the 10 previous seasons we won our 8th game (5 times) and drawn our 8th game (5 times). And of course we are sliding down the previous season comparison table. The only two seasons where Charlton gained promotion we had 23 & 17 points by now. Hey ho. We just saved Bristol Rovers' season
A good spirit-lifting home win over Birmingham City pushes Charlton back into the top half of the table Still mid-table in our comparison with previous L1 seasons. But all we can do to improve that is keep winning. Irrelevant stat of this match; Charlton have not done well in their 10th game of previous 3rd tier seasons. Aside from Saturday just gone Charlton have only won a single other 10th game - Season 2020-21 We beat Fleetwood Town 3-2 at the Valley. Glass half empty stat; We only have 2 more points after 10 games than we had at the same stage last season - our worst in the 3rd tier for 98 years.
A draw against Stockport at the Valley, in a match most seem to agree we should have won. For want of a goal scorer. Worryingly, Charlton have only scored 11 league goals in the same number of matches. That extrapolates to a season total of 46 scored. Our lowest ever goal tally in a League One season was 55, in season 2021-22. Even last season we scored 64 - but of course over a third of those were bagged by Alfie May.
Two dropped points against Barnsley, albeit this was our first point of the season taken on a weekday evening. Scant consolation really. Particularly as this is supposed to be a promotion challenging team. The comparison table shows Charlton are now doing less well than we were after 12 games played last season. Our worst campaign in 98 years saw the Addicks on 18 points and a +7 GD after 12 games. This season we have 18 points and a GD of +1. EDIT: Oops, small error on the comparison table. Charlton showing 11 played when it should be 12. All other numbers on that line are correct. I will update this evening after work.
A very satisfying last-gasp penalty to avoid defeat in the Half & Half Wrexham game. But little change to Charlton's mid-table prospects.
Possibly the mentality of the players. Do they need the incentive of having to restore parity in order to add urgency to their play? Or maybe the quality of the opposition is a factor. Charlton have played quite a few of our promotion 'rivals' of late. Teams who appear to simply be better / stronger than we are. Bang average seems to sum us up right now, nearly one third of the season in. We're heading (just about) for a positive GD in single figures by May 2025 for instance. No team makes it into the top 6 with a GD that mediocre - though granted we sneaked 6th place in 2018 with +7.
Tables updated following the 1-0 defeat away at Exeter City. We've been in a better position after 14 games in 7 of our last 10 League One campaigns. Shameful.
