Football Season Review

All eyes were on Chris Powell at the start of the season, as the Addicks' boss was under huge pressure to deliver, after changing most of the squad the club had when he took over midway through the previous season. The majority of fans expected a Play-Off place, the more optimistic ones expected direct promotion, but what Powell and his men displayed surpassed all expectations, as Charlton were in the top two from start to finish of the season, and never surrendered the pole position after taking it in September. The brilliant start to the season didn't catch Powell off guard, as he was always looking to further strengthen his side, striker Yann Kermorgant was signed only in September, but played an important role in promotion, while the loan signings such as Leon Clarke, Danny N'Guessan, Darel Russel and Danny Haynes all gave Powell's side some fresh blood whenever they needed it. What made the key difference between Charlton and their chasing pack was their ability to win ugly - they won many games in which they weren't at their best, but their fantastic back four and the quality of their strikers always meant that they needed less chances to score than their opponents did. Their only sticky patch of the season came between the 35th and the 39th round, as they collected just four points in five games during that period, but they responded with a run of three wins without conceding, and that was enough to move them clear of their followers for good. It's hard to pick just one Player of the Season among so many outstanding performers, but let's go for Chris Solly, as the full-back was nearly ever present in what was by far the best back four of the league.

Player of the Season: Chris Solly