DRAMA! If you like dramatic games, Charlton are the team to watch

In the past year I’ve been to watch Charlton three times, and maybe the word ‘rollercoaster’ is overused, but that’s what it feels like to witness their matches, even as a neutral.

To gauge their chances in the WSL, I spoke exclusively to both head coach Karen Hills and new acquisition Ashleigh Neville – as well as Jodie Hutton and Gillian Kenney – and the mix of excited optimism and solid pragmatism is palpable.

On the very last kick on the very last day of last season – after extra time and a nerve-wracking penalty shoot-out in their winner-take-all playoff match against Leicester City – Charlton were finally promoted into the WSL. And head coach Karen Hills was finally able to crack a smile – and shed the odd tear too – while taking in all the chaos, seemingly frozen in utter disbelief (above, centre).

In fact, last season in WSL2 was the ultimate rollercoaster for the Addicks, as they spent almost all of it undefeated, perched atop the league, looking down at the likes of Birmingham City and near-neighbours Crystal Palace. They looked dead certs for promotion; nailed-on champions. Then a slight stutter turned into a bad run, and both Palace and Birmingham leapfrogged them, pushing them into third place.

Luckily Charlton have one of the best keepers in the entire pyramid in Sophie Whitehouse and she saved all of Leicester’s penalties bar one in the playoff shootout, to secure promotion in dramatic style. Now they are into the top flight for the first time in 18 years. Cue: immense relief followed by a vacuum of zero transfer action, until they suddenly sprang into action.

Perhaps their most eye-catching acquisitions are two loan signings – both forwards – in Paula Partido (below, right) from London City Lionesses, and Lorena Azzaro (below, left) from Paris FC. Plus the club’s record signing of Icelandic international striker Linda Lif Boama from Swedish side Kristianstads DFF (below, centre), which looks like smart business.  

Ironically, perhaps, the two biggest names to join Charlton have both come from the team they consigned to WSL2 in the playoff, Leicester City. Wingback Ash Neville links up with Hills for a second time, having previously starred for her when she got Spurs promoted to the WSL. And midfielder Emily van Egmond seems to have also brought two fellow Aussies along for the adventure – young Grace Johnston and Leah Davidson from Perth Glory and Melbourne City respectively. Young midfielder Keira Flannery joins from West Ham, and lastly, goalkeeper Anna Koivunen has come from Djurgårdens IF as backup for Whitehouse.

I spoke to both Karen Hills and Ash Neville straight after their game-of-two-halves friendly against Arsenal at Meadow Park, where they went ahead in the first half, but eventually lost 5-1, with their hosts scoring three worldies in the second half.

But both Hills and Neville were buoyant, and here are our conversations:

KAREN HILLS

Can you tell me what your hopes are for this season?

You’ve now taken Spurs and then Charlton up, which might be unique. How do you feel?

Karen Hills (below, centre): Yeah, I’m energised, I’m excited.

The plan was to get Charlton back into the top division and by hook or crook we managed to do it in that playoff game.

I know that the league looks very different to when I brought Spurs up.

It’s probably unrecognisable. The talent, the teams, the way that the players that are quality players, World Cup players, international players. Every team is so strong and every week for us it’s going to be a cup final.

I’m so proud and so pleased to be here – and we’re not here just to make up the numbers.

We want to try and make a statement and try and create the next chapter for Charlton.

Can you tell me a little bit about some of the new players that you’ve got – ironically two come from the team you beat in the playoffs. Tell me about them and some of the others, including the Australian youngsters.

Yeah, we knew we had a very strong squad last season, which we needed to strengthen though, especially going up into the next league.

The new players that we brought in have been fantastic.

We brought in a mix of experienced players who have played in the WSL and know what it is and what it looks and feels like week in week out.

But then we also brought some players into the league that haven’t played in the WSL.

So it’s going to take them a little bit of time and we probably need to be a bit patient with them.

They’ve come from different leagues and the WSL is very different to any league in the world.

So we need to be patient and give them opportunities like we did tonight.

We played one of the top teams in Europe and stayed in the game for a long period of time, and so pleased to get a goal.

I’ve been a manager a long time and played Arsenal a lot of times and I finally got to score a goal with my team!

So I’m really pleased for that.

I think if you look at the game as a whole tonight, we’ve learnt so much. And I’ve learnt so much and given these new players the opportunity, and we created a bit of an identity tonight.

We’ve got a solid foundation, a solid base and the togetherness, the willingness to work – and I thought the discipline was tremendous today.

And you’ve kept a really good core as well with Sophie Whitehouse (above, left), Elisha N’Dow (above, right), and the likes of Jodie Hutton as well.

Yeah, absolutely. They all deserve it.

They earned the right to give themselves the chance to play in the best league in the world.

I’m just so happy that they stuck with us at Charlton and they’re here to represent and it’s an opportunity for them.

I want them to thrive on it.

We don’t fear anyone, we respect them, but you saw today that we had a very, very good game plan in terms of trying to nullify Arsenal’s strengths, where they’ve got strengths all over the pitch.

Then we needed to pick our moments and I thought we did that well, with Skeelsy (Kiera Skeels) and N’Dow and Jodie playing against one of the best teams in Europe.

I thought they were remarkable tonight.

You must be really excited.

So excited! What’s there not to be excited about?

We’ll go and play in the Emirates, at Stamford Bridge, at all the other top stadiums in front of fans that are so passionate about the women’s game and it’s so nice to see.

It’s something that Charlton wanted to be a part of, so I’m so glad that we’re here and now it’s about trying to keep that momentum.

We’ve had a good pre-season, we’ve one game left, then the real work starts when we play Liverpool.

ASH NEVILLE

Tell me how you feel to be back in the WSL again. You keep bouncing back!

Yeah, it’s great.

I mean, playing obviously in, I believe, the best league in the world.

And it’s great to be back with Karen.

So, really excited to get the season started.

What made you come back to the WSL?

I just love the challenge that the league presents.

It’s evolving so quickly and the players from all over the world are coming in and it’s the best league to be playing in, so it’s only going to keep me on my toes and pushing me and my ability at the age that I’m at to keep going and yeah, just super excited to be back.

And I think I know the answer, but who are you looking forward to playing against most?

Obviously, Tottenham… being my old team and I’ve a few friends there.

But I think any of the big teams is always a good one, like coming out here tonight and playing against Arsenal, one of the best teams in this league and in Europe, so they’re the games that I thrive to play in.

Yeah, super excited.

Having played against Charlton and now with them, where do you think their strengths lie?

I think the togetherness that the team has is incredible and I’m hoping the fans saw that tonight. We showed our identity and how we want to turn up to games – and we’re not going to be rolled over.

There were a few goals that went in tonight that are easy tweaks for us, but the togetherness this team has is incredible and I’m really looking forward to seeing what we can do this season.

SOLID AS A ROCK

Speaking virtually to Charlton’s 25-year-old midfielders, American Gillian Kenney and ‘our own’ Jodie Hutton (below), you feel their pride and passion coming through the computer screen.

I knew how vital they’d both been in the promotion push, and first wanted to know how they were approaching their first season for Charlton in the WSL.

If you’re being pragmatic, but also optimistic, you were solid as a rock in WSL2, but what is your target for this first WSL season?

Jodie Hutton: I think if we’re being honest, it’s just to stay in the league.

We’re not going to sit here and say we want to fight for the top end of the table, because everyone knows that’s unrealistic.

We know that it’s going to be hard, and our main aim is just to stay in the league and compete, and hopefully we will do that.

What about you, Gillian?

Gillian Kenney: I would definitely agree with that.

Just compete, and see where we’re at within the WSL.

Last year we had a season with a good couple of tests.

I mean, we played Liverpool, we played Brighton, we played West Ham… so already playing a couple of those teams and being able to compete.

I think we’re off to a good start.

It’s now just finding where we’re at within that league.

Tell me about your head coach, Karen Hills. What do you think makes her so effective and what’s her ambition for the team?

GK: This was my first year playing under her, and I think she’s a very good manager.

She’s taken me in and she also cares a lot about the players off and on the pitch. That means the most and it’s very important.

You can be so good and solid on the pitch, but I think there’s also so many things that happen off.

And she takes you under her wing… and not only that, but going into games, tactically she knows what she’s talking about.

She’s very positive.

There’s not one game – whether we win or lose or tie – where she’s not positive, and she always believes in growth and moving forward.

What about you, Jodie? What do you think of her and her ambition for the team?

JH: Karen’s very different to a lot of managers.

She’s very much the environment first; making sure she gets the best environment and… we kind of go with no egos.

It’s all about creating the right environment, which last season we had and it’s shown on the pitch.

Her ambitions are obviously to stay in the league, just as ours are.

We’re all on the same wavelength and we know what outcomes we want this season.

And she’s very much at drilling it into us that we want to stay in the league.

You’ve got a lot of new players coming in, including a couple of exciting loan signings, forwards who look really good.

I wonder what you think this new energy might bring to the club.

JH: It’s going to be exciting.

Like you say, we’ve got a lot of new players in that bring a lot of different things and a lot of skills and flair to the team, and it just adds that extra.

So yeah, it will be good season.

What about you, Gillian, there’s loads of Australians joining! I think three?

GK: Yeah, there’s three.

It’s pretty neat having some other foreigners and not just myself on the team coming from far away!

Everybody has some good strengths.

It’s going to be exciting.

We have some good forwards, as you said, and midfielders.

There’s definitely competition within the squad.

It just brings the level a little bit more up.

Did Emily van Egmond bring the Aussies with her as two extras?

She must have! But it’s nice, it’s fun.

Finally, if some people who live in your area haven’t been along to the Valley yet, how would you persuade them to come?

GK: I would say it’s a very community-based club.

Everyone’s very close within the Charlton area.

I’s very family-oriented, which is really nice.

And they’re bringing kids and just showing what women’s football is all about.

Jodie, how would you sell it?

JH: We like to make things difficult, so there’s always going to be drama in the games… always a close score.

So if you like dramatic games, then Charlton is the place to be.

Photos: Helen M Jerome, Charlton