Micheal Appleton confronts upset Charlton Athletic fans as footage emerges | OneFootball

Charlton Athletic boss Michael Appleton was seen confronting his own fans after a penalty shoot-out defeat to Reading saw his side exit the EFL Trophy in the second round on Wednesday night.

The 25-second-long clip, released by Louis Mendez on X, shows Appleton standing in front of the away end at the Select Car Leasing Stadium as one particular Charlton fan seems to be complaining about the side's performance.

To his credit, Appleton remains calm and tries to reason with the supporter before walking away with a member of Charlton's backroom staff.

It seemed a slight overreaction from the Charlton supporter after being knocked out of the EFL Trophy on penalties by a team in the same league, but as we all know, emotions can sometimes get the better of us in football.

Charlton Athletic's performance vs Reading

The South London side took the lead through Alfie May's 18th goal of the season in the 42nd minute, before Charlie Savage equalised for the Royals with just eight minutes remaining.

The game went straight to penalties at full-time and the hosts came out on top, winning 4-2.

Alfie May and Louie Watson missed penalties for the Addicks, which sent the Royals through to the Round of 16 of the tournament.

While the EFL Trophy probably isn't very high on Appleton's list of priorities, it allows supporters the chance to dream of a cup final at Wembley. With this in mind, it's understandable why supporters were frustrated, especially being knocked-out by a Reading side struggling on and off the field this season.

The Addicks' defeat to Gillingham in the FA Cup certainty hasn't helped matters and the fan reaction on Wednesday night could well have been a delayed reaction from their defeat on the weekend.

However, fans arguing with managers is never a good look and Appleton will be hoping he can restore some faith in him with a win over Neil Harris' Cambridge United side on Saturday at The Valley.

Michael Appleton's reign as Charlton Athletic boss

Appleton was appointed as boss at The Valley on the 8th September following the departure of Dean Holden.

The club are currently 10th in the League One table, having played 18 games, and find themselves seven points off the play-off places.

Despite what seems like a decent start to his reign as boss, there have been some low points, particularly in the FA Cup. Appleton's side were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Isthmian League South East side Cray Valley Paper Mills in the first round of the FA Cup, much to the club's embarrassment.

The Addicks made amends in the replay, winning 6-1 away from home before being knocked out by League Two Gillingham in the following round.

The FA Cup performances have understandably angered supporters, and the EFL Trophy exit has compounded matters.

However, the club are still in a decent position in the league, so Appleton can still salvage Charlton's season yet.