Charlton Athletic should copy Portsmouth and Ipswich Town with shock managerial appointment: View | OneFootball

Highlights

Charlton Athletic are set to look for their sixth manager since the departure of Lee Bowyer in 2021.

Michael Appleton sacked by Charlton Athletic

Louise Appere's 97th-minute strike condemned Michael Appleton to his Charlton Athletic fate on Tuesday evening.

The 24-year-old's strike caused jubilant scenes in Jimmy Seed stand, as Jon Brady - a one-time Charlton target - hurtled down the touchline to celebrate a win that took his Cobblers side within nine points of the top-six.

Brady's side sit 10 points clear of Charlton - and when comparing the quality within the squads, the Addicks' position is beyond unacceptable.

Appleton wasn't the right fit for the club - but the players have to accept responsibility.

Johnnie Jackson, Ben Garner, Dean Holden, Nigel Adkins and now Appleton have all failed miserably since Lee Bowyer resigned to take the Birmingham City job.

Jackson aside, the board have made a habit of appointing managers who have failed in previous positions; Garner at Bristol Rovers, Adkins at Hull City and Holden at Bristol City

Now the time could be right for a change of tact.

Charlton Athletic should consider left-field appointment

Charlton fans will undoubtedly point at Michael Duff or Nathan Jones as the obvious candidates.

However, reverting from appointing managers who have failed elsewhere should be considered.

Modern-day football management is changing dramatically.

Clubs are now moving away from appointing a 'manager', with head coach positions more common.

Sporting and technical directors have more control, with the head coach's role primarily focused on developing the team, as opposed to all the off-the-field issues.

Andy Scott currently holds the technical role at The Valley, and the next appointment will make or break his reputation. Duff or Jones would be a safe play from Scott.

There's every chance of either getting short-term improvement out of the squad.

However, both are divisive figures. Jones fell out with the fan base at Southampton and Stoke City and Duff's relationship with Swansea City's supporters deteriorated before his sacking.

As we've seen with Appleton, Charlton fans won't accept a manager who fails to connect with the fans. It's something Scott and SE7 Partners have to consider before pursuing a move for either Jones or Duff.

Ipswich Town, Portsmouth and Burnley success from left-field appointments

Left-field appointments, taking a punt on a complete rookie, have become commonplace in the EFL.

Ipswich Town were one of the first clubs to give a member of Premier League backroom staff a chance.

Since his move from Manchester United, Kieran McKenna has racked up 65 wins, taking the Suffolk club from a mid-table League One side to genuine automatic promotion challengers in the Championship. His 65 per cent win rate has fully justified Town's initial gamble.

Ipswich were in a similar position to Charlton. A big-spending League One side struggling to find a long-term vision and success.

The same can be said for Portsmouth, who took an even bigger risk in appointing John Mousinho; an active Oxford United central defender.

It's a gamble that has paid off with Pompey top of League One, with the Fratton Park faithful completely on board with Mousinho's style of management and playing style.

Of course, it's about making the right appointment for Scott and SE7 Partners, but looking further afield and thinking out of the box could reap long-term rewards; avoiding a similar scenario from repeating itself for a sixth time.