After a winless league run lasting nearly two months, Charlton Athletic are back on track and buoyed by a remarkable comeback against high-flying Ipswich Town.
That extraordinary 4-4 draw, coming from two-goals down in stoppage time, means the Addicks are just four points off the Play-Off places having lost only once in their past seven games.
A result of this magnitude would have been inconceivable less than a month ago but can be attributed to a combination of manager Ben Garner’s tactical adaptations, improved individual performances and greater defensive solidity.
Garner has shifted from Charlton’s 4-3-3 formation to a 4-4-2 with the new shape allowing the Addicks more attacking options, becoming far more threatening in transition and providing Jayden Stockley with another forward to play off.
Previously the side were over-reliant on their wingers for moments of quality while struggling to get adequate numbers in the box when these fleeting moments did eventually come.
In the attacking phase, the wingers now have the freedom to join the attack, essentially turning Charlton’s shape into a 4-2-4, with a two-man pivot consisting of George Dobson and Scott Fraser.
It has been a masterstroke moving the usually attack-minded Fraser into a deeper midfield role with the 27-year-old excelling at breaking up opposition play while using good footwork to beat a press.
On Fraser’s new-found positioning, fellow central midfielder George Dobson commented: “He’s been brilliant. I’ve actually been surprised at how much he’s invested into the other side of the game – the defensive part which I’m more into.
“Especially in a two-man midfield both lads have really got to work for the team as a lot of opposition teams tend to play three in midfield. But he’s been outstanding – it’s been a joy playing alongside him.”
Garner has also shown his man-management nous by dropping Charlie Kirk and Corey Blackett-Taylor for games against Forest Green and Oxford United respectively following dissatisfaction with their efforts on the training ground.
Since their omissions, both Blackett-Taylor and Kirk have played key roles in Charlton’s resurgence, even combining to score the second goal in Charlton’s emphatic 3-0 win over Portsmouth.
Charlton’s back four, particularly central defenders Eoghan O’Connell and Ryan Inniss, have also dramatically improved since a horror show away at Barnsley.
They have held their nerve against any array of attacking threats over the course of the last few weeks, impressing against a Portsmouth side strong in transition and dealing brilliantly with a number of the 3v3 situations that were created on the night.
Similarly, in the win away at Shrewsbury, O’Connell and Inniss faced a more direct and physical threat but kept them firmly at bay to help claim an excellent 1-0 win.
After a stop-start beginning to the campaign due to injury, the presence of first choice full-backs Mandela Egbo and Steven Sessegnon have also helped bring a more settled and assured feel to the back four as well as providing the wingers with an effective outlet.
With owner Thomas Sandgaard in attendance against Ipswich, he would have relished the spectacle that played out before his eyes – the free-flowing, exciting brand of football that he wants to become synonymous with The Valley.
And it starts with the manager – Garner’s passion spilling over to be dismissed from the touchline for protesting a dubious refereeing decision following Ipswich’s second goal, urging the crowd to crank up the volume and being applauded by the Covered End as he received his marching orders.
As the previous last few months would suggest, Charlton are nowhere near the finished article but Garner appears to be at one with the club, the players and fanbase and there is now renewed hope and promise on the horizon.
With both manager and owner set to speak about the club’s January transfer window plans, Garner is keen to know what sort of support he can expect to have.
“I want to know what pond we’re fishing in,” Garner said after the Ipswich game. “Whatever pond that is, no problem, as long as I know, then we go to work on that and strengthen key areas.”
With Garner proving himself to be a versatile tactician galvanising the club, it’s now up to Sandgaard to provide the resources to build on the exciting foundations.