‘I don’t think we will take any game lightly’ – Charlton taking nothing for granted says Humphrey | OneFootball

Charlton Athletic midfielder Carla Humphrey says that the club won’t be taking anything for granted going into the new Barclays Women’s Championship season.

The Addicks finished just a point behind champions Crystal Palace last season and Karen Hills’ side could challenge for promotion again this term.

The early-season fixtures have been relatively kind to Charlton Athletic with home games against Portsmouth and Durham, along with trips to Sheffield United and Blackburn Rovers. The South East Londoners will be expected to collect plenty of points from those games but midfielder Humphrey says that Charlton Athletic will take nothing for granted in the Barclays Women’s Championship.

“We’ve got a good start but as we all know, in the Championship, everyone beats everyone and it’s a really hard league to get out of,” Humphrey said when speaking in a Barclays Women’s Championship media event.

“You can’t underestimate the less fancied teams, there were surprises last year as there always is. Last year, we dropped points against some of the teams that weren’t in the title race. We beat Crystal Palace twice, we beat Birmingham, it was against the teams at the bottom where we didn’t pick up as many points as we would have liked to.

“I don’t think we will take any game lightly to be honest.”

There have been some high-profile departures at Charlton Athletic over the summer with the likes of Rebecca McKenna, Kate Longhurst, Tegan McGowan and Melissa Johnson all moving on. Eight new faces have been brought in so far and Humphrey believes that those players have more than enough quality to help push the team on.

She said “I think it’s exciting. The new ones that have come in have settled really quickly. They’re great characters to have but it’s also made easier because the team environment is very good, very strong. It’s easy to come into it I would say.

“The girls have been great. We know we have lost big characters but the new ones have come in and made a difference on and off the pitch.

“I find it exciting. They’ve come in with energy and I think it’s just an exciting time to be at Charlton.”

Charlton Athletic go into the new season with long-serving head coach Hills still at the helm, something which Humphrey believes can be a real positive.

She said “There have been a lot of managerial changes in the Championship this summer, so some other clubs are maybe a little more unsettled.

“We’ve kept the majority of the squad together, Karen [Hills] is still here and she has been in and amongst it for a long time. She knows the players, knows their personalities and knows what it takes to win, so she’s key for us.

“She said about bringing in the right people and that does make a big difference. When you’re a team pushing on trying to win the league, you need good people and a good team spirit. I think she’s done that again with the people that she’s brought in; they’re all people that fit in the environment and will improve the environment.”

Charlton Athletic’s opening fixture of the new Barclays Women’s Championship season is against Portsmouth at The Valley on Sunday afternoon. Tickets are on-sale now and can be purchased by clicking here.