These 2 Charlton Athletic players have just a month to prove they are worth keeping around in January | OneFootball

Highlights

There are several Charlton Athletic players who haven't had the most impressive of campaigns so far and will need to up their game before the January transfer window comes around.

Charlton have had a bit of a chaotic season so far as they sacked Dean Holden at the back end of August, after a 2-1 loss to Oxford United was a fourth defeat on the bounce.

Jason Pearce took over as a caretaker manager for one game, which was a victory over Fleetwood Town, before Michael Appleton was hired near the start of September.

There has been an upturn in form since Appleton's appointment as he has only lost two league matches with the club in 10th position.

He will be hoping they keep that good form up so they can mount a play-off charge, but what he will need is consistent performances from his whole squad, otherwise he may consider offloading some in January.

Charlie Kirk

It was a busy transfer window for Holden, who brought in a handful of players but it was someone already at the club who flattered to deceive for him at the start of the season.

Charlie Kirk was brought on for the first two games for less than ten minutes and then dropped to the bench so when Holden was sacked it appeared that he may have a fresh start.

Since then though Kirk has barely featured under Appleton with his only appearance in League One being a seven-minute cameo against Wigan Athletic.

The winger was given an hour in the FA Cup home tie against non-league Cray Valley Paper Mills before he was taken off.

After that game, Appleton described how he was disappointed with the performances of some of his players and he gave an honest analysis of Kirk's situation at Charlton.

He said: "I’ve had an honest conversation with Charlie – Charlie needs to play football and with a smile on his face again,

“I think that is probably going to be difficult at Charlton.

“I think the honest conversation that Charlie and myself had is that he probably needs a fresh start."

So it looks like Appleton has already made his mind up on Kirk's future but if he does get a rare opportunity he may have a slight chance to rescue his Charlton career.

Conor McGrandles

Conor McGrandles only joined Charlton in 2022 but he hasn't had the best of times since he signed, with a loan out to Cambridge United at the start of 2023, emphasising that.

He only managed to get a place on the bench in the first four league games under Holden, and then he wasn't in the squad at all.

That was until recently though, as after getting a chance in the FA Cup, Appleton played him in the league briefly against Portsmouth before starting him in the next two matches.

So he has come back into the reckoning, but two league starts won't be enough to confirm his future.