Charlton Athletic: Luton Town links continue with Nathan Jones "100-minute" team claim - View | OneFootball

Charlton Athletic will hope they can replicate the achievements of Nathan Jones' Luton Town team.

Key Takeaways

Charlton Athletic have made an excellent start to the 2024/25 League One season and Nathan Jones will hope his side can replicate the achievements of his Luton Town team.

The last time Jones managed in the third tier, his Luton Town team lifted the League One title at the end of the season, despite the Welshman leaving for Stoke City midway through the campaign.

While the 51-year-old was not in charge for the duration of the campaign, he laid the foundations for the Hatters' success, and he seems to be following a similar blueprint at Charlton Athletic.

The Addicks' boss prides himself on putting out a team that is relentless, hard-working, and well-drilled. His successful teams are defensively solid, press with intensity, and put faith in the quality at the top end of the pitch to win games.

Nathan Jones has instilled his identity into Charlton Athletic's squad

Jones' Luton team won the League One title at the end of the 2018/19 season, having conceded the third-fewest number of goals in the division, so he is aware of how important a resolute defence is if a team is going to be successful in the third tier.

After keeping just five clean sheets in League One over the course of the 2023/24 season, Charlton are yet to concede a goal in their opening two league games of the new campaign, suggesting that the manager has worked hard on the defence during the summer.

The 2018/19 title-winning Luton side also built momentum throughout the season and went on a 28-game unbeaten run which started under the management of Jones in October and continued until it was ended by Charlton at The Valley in April.

The Addicks enjoyed a 14-game unbeaten run under Jones towards the end of last season and will hope they can produce another one this term as they look to mount a promotion challenge.

After scoring the winner against Leyton Orient last week, Luke Berry, who was part of the Luton team that won the title in the third tier, spoke to London News Online about Jones' impact.

"The main thing we've been working on is getting those clean sheets. I wasn't here last season but the gaffer was drilling it into us that you don't get promoted if you don't get clean sheets," said Berry.

"The gaffer's teams always seem to get stronger as the seasons go on and momentum comes."

Charlton Athletic's fitness levels have improved

From what we have seen so far, Charlton's work rate and fitness levels have greatly improved since last season.

The Addicks flew out to a training camp in Slovenia during the early weeks of pre-season, and they were put through their paces in order to build up the fitness levels that are required to be successful in Jones' system.

Jones' Luton team went to the same training camp in Slovenia during pre-season in 2018 before going on to win the league, so it seems to be something that works for the former Southampton boss.

The Charlton manager spoke in an interview that was posted on the club's official X account after the win against Leyton Orient, discussing his team's intensity and the benefits of their pre-season schedule.

"We're a 100-minute team, and that's what we've got to do," said Jones.

"You have to make sure that one, you don't concede, and two, you keep going.

"We've been aggressive, we've worked them hard, they've been in a good place.

"We felt we were ready going into the league, and that's a credit to everyone at the football club.

"We believe we're going to get better."

If Charlton can continue to be solid at the back, work hard for the duration of games, and put together an extended good run of results, there is no reason why they cannot replicate the achievements of Jones' Luton team this season.