The Nathan Jones call at Charlton Athletic that could bring back Championship football to The Valley | OneFootball

Charlton Athletic's decision to stick with manager Nathan Jones could see the club achieve promotion back to the Championship.

Charlton Athletic have emerged as serious promotion contenders in League One after an excellent few months.

Charlton sat as low as 14th in the table in mid-December, but an outstanding run of form since then has seen Nathan Jones' side come back into play-off contention.

After being beaten 1-0 by league leaders Birmingham City the previous weekend, the Addicks returned to winning ways with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Exeter City at The Valley on Saturday, with Angus MacDonald's own goal and strikes from Tyreece Campbell and Miles Leaburn sealing a deserved three points.

Charlton currently sit seventh in the table, and they are level on points with sixth-placed Leyton Orient, who they face in a crucial game at the Gaughan Group Stadium on Saturday.

As they continue to climb the table, the Addicks will be optimistic that this season can finally be the year they secure a place in the top six, but the current situation could have been so different if the club had decided to part company with Jones earlier in the campaign.

Nathan Jones' position was under threat at Charlton Athletic

Since being relegated from the Championship in 2020, Charlton have been plagued by managerial instability, with Lee Bowyer, Nigel Adkins, Johnnie Jackson, Ben Garner, Dean Holden and Michael Appleton all departing the club over the past four-and-a-half years.

Jones became the latest man to assume the hot seat at The Valley when he replaced Appleton last February with the Addicks sitting just outside the relegation zone, and he led his side to a 16th-placed finish last season.

Charlton made an excellent start to the current campaign as they won their first three league games, but their form declined significantly after that, and a run of just three wins in 16 matches saw Jones come under serious pressure.

Jones' relationship with the Addicks fan base became strained during that difficult spell, and after a 1-0 win over Birmingham in October, the Welshman stated that he had been "absolutely abused by my own fans", while he warned that he warned that "I'll have my money and I'll move somewhere else if that's what needs to be done" if his supporters continued to question his team selection.

Given the trigger-happy nature of the club in recent years, it seemed increasingly likely that Jones would be heading out of the exit door, but the 51-year-old has inspired an impressive turnaround, and owners SE7 Partners will be relieved that they did not make a change.

Charlton Athletic's Nathan Jones patience has been rewarded

When Charlton drew 0-0 at home to out-of-form Mansfield Town in December, it looked as though they were set for another season of mid-table obscurity, and many assumed that Jones' days at The Valley were numbered.

However, the Addicks secured an emphatic 5-0 win at Northampton Town the following week, and not only did that victory potentially save Jones' job, but it has also proven to be turning point in their season.

Charlton have now lost just two of their last 15 league games - winning nine and drawing four during that time - and they are rapidly closing in on the play-off places.

A lack of home victories was one of the main frustrations with Jones earlier in the season, but The Valley has become a fortress in recent weeks, with the Addicks winning seven of their last eight games on their own patch.

With tough fixtures against fellow promotion hopefuls Leyton Orient, Barnsley, Stockport County and Huddersfield Town to come in March, Charlton's play-off credentials will be tested over the course of the next month, but they are now playing with an increased level of confidence and resilience under Jones, so there is no reason for them to fear any of those opponents.

It is a potentially make-or-break period coming up for the Addicks, but with the club currently flying high, the board should be praised for the patience and loyalty they showed Jones during a challenging spell.

The appointment of Jones was widely viewed as a coup for Charlton in League One, and as he continues to deliver results, the club's decision to stick with him could see Championship football return to The Valley for the first time in five years next season.