‘If Charlton fans want to pick team, I’ll move’ – That’s what Nathan Jones had to say as he hits back at receiving abuse.
The Addicks boss didn’t hold back after his side’s victory over league leaders Birmingham City at the weekend, revealing to BBC Radio London that he had been abused by his own fans during his team’s preceding three-game losing run.
Matty Godden’s second-half strike got Charlton back to winning ways with the only goal of the game on Saturday which leaves them outside the League One play-off places on goal difference.
A stark warning from the Charlton boss! #BBCFootball #efl pic.twitter.com/Jzr2yCnm0S
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) October 7, 2024
That’s what it means 🤩#cafc pic.twitter.com/5pKv90sZs6
— Charlton Athletic FC (@CAFCofficial) October 5, 2024
He said: “There’s been a lot of noise this week. I got abused by my own fans the other day, absolutely abused by my own fans, who questioned our selections.
“I’m really proud of the coaching staff because we had to make bold decisions and we did because no-one’s gone after Birmingham like we did.
“I’m experienced enough to know you can’t panic, you can’t listen to noise.
“There’s a message for the fans: if you want to get behind something, get behind something.
“We’re going to have some bad performances but hey, we’ve given them more good times than bad at the moment so we’re in good credit.”
Jones took charge of the club in February and guided them to a 16th-place finish, time was needed to try and turn them into promotion contenders.
“People don’t know what happens through the week, people say ‘he should be playing’,” he goes on to say.
“He might be carrying an injury, something might have happened in training.
“If people want to trust us and trust me to manage the football club then fine, if they [the fans] want to pick teams themselves, then come in, I’ll have my money and I’ll move somewhere else if that’s what needs to be done.
“I see them [the players] every single day and we pick a side we believe can win the game.
“Sometimes players let us down and players let us down [on] Tuesday, absolutely let us down.
“I took responsibility for that but we bounced back today with a wonderful performance and I’m really proud of the football club.”
He also said, per London News Online: “I’m really proud of the group today,.
“There has been a lot of noise this week – I got abused by my own fans the other day. Absolutely abused by my own fans. Questioned about things – our selection and that he should be playing and they should be playing.
“We had to make big, bold and sane decisions.
“I’m proud of the group and the coaching staff – because we didn’t panic. We made bold decisions – because no-one has gone after Birmingham like we did there.
“I’m experienced enough to know you can’t panic and listen to noise.
“It’s a message for the fans – if you want to get behind something then get behind something. We’ve had some bad performances but we’ve given them more good times than bad. We’re in credit.
“People don’t know what happens during the week. So when they say: ‘He should be playing’. Why? Because he might be carrying an injury or something might’ve happened in training.
“If people want to trust us – trust me to manage the football club – then fine. If they want to pick teams themselves then come in, have my money and I’ll move somewhere else. If that is what needs to be done.
“I see the players every single day and we pick a side we feel can win the game. Yeah, sometimes we get let down. Sometimes players let us down. The players absolutely let us down on Tuesday. I took responsibility for that but we bounced back with an absolutely wonderful performance.
“Bristol Rovers scored two from outside the box – two worldies – and that’s what it takes to beat us at the minute. We don’t get carved open. It takes a really unbelievable strike to go into our net at the minute. That sometimes happens. On the whole we have been fairly consistent.
“Are we at the level we want to be? Not all the time. But we are building. Let’s not forget we were 19th when I came in, so to turn around such a juggernaut that is Charlton Athletic and take it forward with momentum – takes a lot.”
You can read plenty more of his thoughts HERE.
Speaking to BluesTV, Birmingham’s Chris Davies said: “I thought the performance was well below our normal level. It was our worst performance of the season I would say. We couldn’t create enough chances to score goals and then you leave yourself open to the opposition nicking a goal, and they did it from a long throw.
“If you can’t create enough and be dangerous enough with the possession you have – I think it was a high possession score again, we needed to be more dangerous with what we had – then there is that chance that they can nick a goal.
“It is as poor a goal conceded as you will see at any level of football. It is a long throw, [we] let it bounce, we let a player turn and swivel and score from the middle of the goal.”
Here’s how fans reacted as Nathan Jones hits back at receiving abuse…
@holmsey1983: Not bad for someone who could have been a pe teacher in a small Welsh mining community. This is how it all started to go wrong at Saints. I give him 4 games.
@Gre9orypeck09: David Brent’s on one again. And he wonders why literally no one can take him seriously.
@slipper_luke: Weirdly I’m a fan of this, we’ve never had a manager with big enough balls to rip into the fans who think they know better. He sees what goes on in training everyday, he’ll get it wrong sometimes yes but even the best of the best get it wrong sometimes. This I like a lot #cafc
@uptheaddicks9: 50/50 with this. Fans are allowed there opinion but some of their opinion was a disgrace and an embarrassment. Must be tough listening to people telling you how to do your job when they don’t have a clue and barley kicked a ball themselves let alone studied the game #cafc
@DannyPatterson7: Talks a very good game for a manager what hasn’t really done anything for years. Only as good as your last season lad.
@Liamcafc1991: He’s fucking spot on like. And has the bollox to tell us I respect it
@KieranRufus: 😂😂 gotta rate it
@haz64958597: Oh no Nathan jones has told everyone to calm down and get a grip ten games into the season, especially after beating a squad x3 the value of his 😱 very naughty #cafc
@a11en222: Ignoring any sort of on the pitch stuff how did the board genuinely speak to him and come to the conclusion he was the man to keep us up? Blokes a massive weirdo most unlikeable manager in the country #SaintsFC
@CoventryKing: Wish Robins would do this and tell every stupid cunt to shut the fuck up and let him do his job 🤣#PUSB
@HashtagOliverK: He’s spot on. Our fans are morons
@BerrySzn__: He’s right
@buncey07: He may as well just come out in a @CardiffCityFC shirt at his next press conference.. man wants the move
@JPMillwall2: Last season I thought we missed a trick not appointing him. Now I’m so thankful we didn’t. Proper strange bloke
@MFC_Steve: I think he is a good manager, but I don’t think he could have handled the criticism he would have got from our fans – he would have had a proper meltdown
@JaseMfc: Bloke is an absolute basket case – wouldn’t have lasted 5 mins at our place with our fickle lot.
@LewisStubbs1302: I can’t lie I make him right. Fans can voice their opinions, me being one of them but he is the manager at the end of the day. #cafc
@FlynnJonas2: To think this man was actually chosen to try keep us up in the Premier League… Il never till the day I die understand this appointment in any way, shape or form… #SaintsFC
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