Nathan Jones believes the January transfer window was a 'really, really productive' one for the Addicks.
The Charlton Manager, who spoke throughout the month about streamlining the squad and adding quality, explained a key success of the window was keeping some of the club’s key contributors.
He said: "The big thing for us, which should never be understated, is how strong we’ve been in the window in terms of keeping hold of our own players because we’ve been tested on numerous occasions from teams higher up the pyramid that have wanted our players.
"I thank the Board and I thank the owners that we’ve been really strong on that, and we’ve fended off everyone because we’re trying to build something. It would be far easier and maybe in the past it would have been a lot easier to just cash in, but we see the long-term value and that's what building a squad and building the club is all about. That’s why it’s been a really, really productive window because it’s all very good bringing in a load of players, but if you’ve already got that quality in the club, and it's coveted, then the priority is to keep it."
The Addicks completed the loan signings of Alex Gilbert and Tom McIntyre on deadline day and Jones said he was delighted with the quality they’ll bring, adding that he’d have liked to have brought one more player in.
"The one negative thing is we’d have liked to have got one more top quality wideman to add competition - that wasn’t possible to do, so we didn’t just take a token," the gaffer explained.
"We’ve managed to streamline the squad which makes the environment better. We’ve also been able to let people go out on loan like Nathan Asiimwe and Zach Mitchell, and make real structured decisions around those, where we’ve said that if they aren’t going to get the regular game time here then let’s let them get good game time. We’ve picked the club, we’ve picked the option for them and then they're able to have that 15-20 game period where they're able to test themselves and we’ll have that greater knowledge at the end of May where they are, leading into the summer window."
Charlton are back in action at The Valley on Saturday, with the game one of the club’s assigned Kids For A Quid fixtures.
Jones said: "It's a pivotal time for us. We’ve had a really good January and December, and it’s pivotal leading into the end of the season. We’ve got ourselves in a really productive position and now we’ve got to cement and move on from there.
"We have some tough games coming up. Stevenage are in wonderful form and have beaten some big sides and lost narrowly to Birmingham in midweek. We know it's going to be a really tough game, as it always is, but we have to be the best versions of ourselves."
Charlton host Stevenage at The Valley on Saturday. Click here to purchase your tickets now!
