A really interesting article by Philip Webster of Not The Top Twenty (NTT20.com) about how Portsmouth, Derby and Oxford survived in The Championship last season and how it might be relevant to Charlton's prospects.

"Since 2015/16, around one-third of promoted League One teams have gone straight back down — a far higher rate than in other EFL tiers."

"There's an obvious gap in quality between League One and The Championship, in a way you don't see elsewhere in the EFL. It's the ferocity of the game that makes the difference. The athleticism is almost incomparable - plus, athletes in League One can quickly look dreadfully outgunned in The Championship. A previously shifty, quick player will be made to look like they're wading through treacle."

"Low-margin football gave Portsmouth a platform in the Championship. A gradual evolution back toward a more dominant style may follow, but for now, they’ve shown that adapting to the division is as much about pragmatism as it is about philosophy."

"Unlike Portsmouth and Derby, Oxford already played a style suited to the Championship. While Derby leaned on talent and Portsmouth on possession, Oxford were built around pace, counter-attacks and punishing turnovers."

"As we’ve seen in the top flight, smaller clubs that try to echo the “big six” often end up as pale imitations. But by disrupting those styles with directness, physicality, and tactical discipline, you create mismatches that can yield real rewards. Looking ahead, this model may not apply to Birmingham and Wrexham, who are backed by budgets that will rival the top half of the Championship. But Charlton, under Nathan Jones, could follow a similar survival formula: defensively resilient, happy without the ball, and equipped with unorthodox threats."

The full article:

https://www.ntt20.com/p/bridging-the-gap-how-portsmouth-derby