Wembley Stadium hosts Charlton Athletic and Leyton Orient on Sunday afternoon.Wembley Stadium hosts Charlton Athletic and Leyton Orient on Sunday afternoon.
Wembley Stadium hosts Charlton Athletic and Leyton Orient on Sunday afternoon. | AFP via Getty Images
A place in the Championship is the prize for either Charlton Athletic or Leyton Orient in the League One play-off final.
The Addicks go into the League One play-off final as favourites, having finished seven points above Richie Wellens’ side in the table this season and beaten their London rivals home and away in league fixtures.
However, as we have seen in the FA Cup final last weekend and the Championship play-off final yesterday, being the underdog on a big occasion can be a weapon. Neither Crystal Palace nor Sunderland were expected to beat Manchester City or Sheffield United, yet both managed on the big stage.
Charlton Athletic must be wary of underdog mentality
Those results will fuel Leyton Orient hopes of achieving a historic promotion to the second tier and it should be a warning sign for Charlton Athletic. Nathan Jones will no doubt have watched those matches and must encourage players to seek out moments of brilliance.
The Welshman will go into the League One play-off final seeking control. The Addicks dominated against Wycombe Wanderers in the semi-final, keeping two clean sheets and eking out a 1-0 win at The Valley after the 0-0 draw at Adams Park.
Speaking ahead of the final he said: “We don’t think that far ahead, we don’t get presumptuous in anything that we do. All we have to do is concentrate on the days leading up to it, the preparation and the final will take care of itself. Whatever happens, happens. It’s going to be an emotional day for every single person in the stadium.”
The former Luton Town and Southampton manager is an EFL results machine. Charlton Athletic will be drilled to military precision and look to control the game against Leyton Orient, but that might not be enough.
Nathan Jones should encourage moments of individual brilliance
Both Manchester City and Sheffield United controlled play and saw the better chances at Wembley Stadium over the last eight days but lost. Crystal Palace and Sunderland both stole those wins through moments of individual brilliance.
For the Eagles, it was a clinical Jean-Philippe Mateta and Eberechi Eze counter attack and two fantastic strikes from Eliezer Mayenda and Tom Watson booked Sunderland a place in the Premier League. Jones will want his whole team turning in match winning performances, but he must not be afraid to give single players the freedom to be unconventional if the moment arises.
Charlton Athletic do have those players. Tyreece Campbell is lightning quick and Chuks Aneke regularly makes an impact from the bench. In the second leg against Wycombe Wanderers, while the Addicks dominated in the statistics, it was a single moment that grabbed that 1-0 win.
Matty Godden’s goal wasn’t a screamer but it was his never-say-die attitude that had him in the right place at the right time with fewer than 10 minutes left to play. In defence, Kayne Ramsay also enjoyed a moment that fans are still talking about today, producing a huge double block to keep the Chairboys out. Now, who will find a moment to write history at Wembley Stadium?
In other news, Ex Charlton Athletic and Newcastle United star with 278 Premier League appearances made free agent.
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