Charlton Athletic 3 Bristol Rovers 2
Whatever happens in the future, near or far, I will forever love Johnnie Jackson ❤️.
If Johnnie only gets the one game, then he should know that he did the club and fans proud tonight. He is obviously acutely unaware of what his future entails, but it certainly sounds as if Thomas Sandgaard plans on making a quick decision.
The game was like so many this season – chaotic. Maatsen gave away a blatant penalty, then Rovers could easily have scored twice more with our back four all over the place. This against a team who hadn’t won away since early December and are the division’s third lowest scorers.
Then in familiar fashion a long range effort was thumped into the Covered End net with Amos diving comically in the wrong direction and 0-4 would not have been unrealistic. Half an hour gone.
Importantly with our first shot on goal, we score. Shinnie finished very impressively to bring us back into the game.
As the captivating Steve Brown pointed out at that point Rovers looked spent. They certainly had the look of a 5-year old who had picked up a £50 note from the pavement and then no idea what to do with it.
On the stroke of half-time we were level. JFC curling a left-footed free kick into the net. I don’t know about you, but the bit of home sofa I sit on was once again stunned into silence.
2nd half started slow and the game was quite open, but the introduction of Chuks turned the game our way. Washington was everywhere and DJ played the best I had seen him replacing a mis-firing Millar.
We were peppering their goal, although all the while looking susceptible to any sort of half-decent counter attack. Chuks was causing problems and a high challenge with a Rovers’ defender sent Washington away, his touch wasn’t perfect, but it was enough to take it past a stranded ‘keeper, and he continued his run to ram the ball over the line after it came off the post.
The comeback was complete and I could visualize Jacko making his way into the Covered End with his arms flailing around his head.
There was still time for more drama as Rovers’ keeper Day was sent off for a reckless challenge on Chuks. Loads of added time and then the final whistle.
“Even if we went in 2-1 down [at half-time], I’d have been calm. We tried to get into them and press high, it’s what I wanted and maybe that gave them some anxiety and I wanted them to be calm. We got the equaliser, a great goal from Jake and I knew we’d go on and win it.” – Johnnie Jackson
Photo credit: Kyle Andrews
Chicago Addick 
Great comeback- at last! Games like that seem to have added significance, turning the tide etc, and I think we could do worse than appoint JJ with Curbs as his mentor (I hate the title “Director of Football!)
I think we could well look back on Shinnie’s goal as a turning point this season. After going two down, had Charlton not bounced back quickly, then l could envisage Charlton heads going down and Rovers scoring a couple more resulting in loss of confidence and all that entails. The season could have been dead and buried and fans would not then be in such a rush for JJ to be named manager. From that fight back last night in contrast to the recent performance against Blackpool, you could clearly see a side that had not been working quite as hard previously under Bows. Players were going the extra yard. Sure enough the errors were still in evidence but the spirit and togetherness not seen since Christmas was very obvious. With 10 games to play against the top sides still remaining, Charlton are in a very similar position to where they were before they made the Play-Offs when Bows was first appointed manager. With that spirit who is to say the same outcome could not be achieved again? All the time the team is doing well then what’s the rush in appointing JJ? Let him show what he can do. I think he deserves a chance at the very least.
I’m certainly not getting over-excited about that result. But I’m very happy for Jacko, a true Charlton legend.
What a week of surprises,LB going,and last nights result,but let’s be honest the players owed us this one,why do they have to make it hard for themselves,but we must not get carried away this result keeps us in the mix but having played more matches,what do they say it’s better to have the points in the bag,,!,Hopefully by the weekend we can have some experience at the helm and go on a winning run because that’s what is needed to get anything out of this season
Good comeback by Charlton and glad to see the lads didn’t drop their heads after going two nil down. Reports coming through that Portsmouth have signed Danny Cowly as their manager , leaving Jonnie Jackson in pole postion for the vacant managers job at Charlton, He would make a good appointment for at least the remainder of the season.
Re manager vacancy – Skybet must have heard something. They are offering odds of 1/6 for Nigel Adkins and 10/1 for Johnnie Jackson.
Great result and you could see the difference the way the players were fighting for the ball and their heads didn’t go down! It appears Jacko has no favourites and had the courage to drop both the two senior old timers for the first time for ages, as at least one always plays and it showed, as our midfield moved constantly forward for once as they had the extra energy and didn’t spend more time in their own half with sideways and backwards passing!
For the first time since the first few games of this season I really enjoyed the game, more passion, more fight and more commitment and it showed at the end with players hugging Jackson, which we didn’t see any of this prior!!!
I don’t think many of us believe with this current squad we will gain promotion even if we manage to be in the playoffs at the end. So rather than rush to select another manager, I don’t think we can go far wrong with Jackson being appointed until the end of the season. At the very least we will see some more commited and hopefully enjoyable performances.
Sangaard will then be able to reaccess the situation, on how Jackson does or if he needs to appoint someone else. Its a win win really as not many games left and would be very hard for any other person, not knowing the team, to gain promotion in such a short space of time with few games left but with Jackson at the helm, already knowing the strengths and weaknesses, you never know, we just might scrape in make it!
I was impressed by JJs approach to the game the more creative midfield was welcome and Morgan got 90mins a under rare occurrence under LB. JJs post match interview was also impressive. Overall JJ has put a good case to manage until at least the end of the season. The squad is not strong enough for promotion but several players are out of contract in the summer and the set up under JJ will give them the opportunity to show their ability.