Johnnie Jackson says his side will learn plenty of lessons from the 2021/22 season after the Addicks concluded the campaign with a 4-0 reverse at Ipswich Town.
Tyreeq Bakinson's unstoppable opener was followed by Wes Burns' double, with substitute James Norwood adding a fourth for the hosts late on.
“They started the game really well and were much, much better than us with their intensity,” Jackson told CharltonTV. “Unfortunately, we didn’t match that and it cost us in that opening period with two goals early on. It meant that we were always chasing the game after a really poor start.
“It was a great strike for their first one. We were trying to get after them high up the pitch and obviously that does leave you vulnerable to the spaces in behind, which they exploited really well. We didn’t quite get to grips with that throughout the game, so credit to them. I thought they played really well on the day and ourselves obviously not so much. They deserved the win.”
The boss paid tribute to the 1,972 travelling Addicks for their unwavering support in Suffolk.
“I thought the support was absolutely incredible throughout," he said. "The game was lost way sooner than the 90 minutes but they didn’t stop for the whole game - cheering the boys and supporting like they have done all season. It’s incredible passion, incredible support and obviously it’s disappointing that we haven’t been able to match that on the football pitch today. They deserved more for the support that they have given us.”
Looking ahead to the summer, Jackson added: “It’s a timely reminder that there is a lot of work to be done. We need to be really, really smart with the business that we do this summer because we are short. The table after 46 games doesn’t lie and we are where we are.
"There’s a lot of catching up to do. I think we need to make big improvements in the squad and we’re going to need that support from above. We’ve got a great core coming back with us next season and if we add right to it, we’ll be up the other end of the table. I’ve got no doubt about that. There will be a lot of lessons learnt from this season. We’ll make the adjustments and improvements for next season that we’ll need to.”
“There is lots of work to do. Obviously it’s important that you have a break, you refresh and you come back with that energy and vigour that you need as a manager, as a coach and certainly what the players will do. We’ll be pushing them really, really hard in pre-season. It’s the foundation of your season where you get all your best work done and you really lay the groundwork of what you want for the coming season.
"Obviously I didn’t have that opportunity at the helm this season and I think later down the line you pay the price for that. It’s a really important summer and the work will continue. We have a little break but you’re always on call because there is lots of stuff to do.”