It's good to be the underdog - Jones

Charlton Athletic defender Lloyd Jones has a simple response to those who predicted the Addicks to struggle in the Championship this season - "Stuff them". Jones scored the equaliser in an opening day comeback victory against Derby County at The Valley on Saturday. Many pundits expect the south-east London club to be battling relegation in the 2026-27 campaign but the 30-year-old says they do not pay attention to those predictions. "It's good to be the underdog sometimes. You haven't got as much pressure going into games," Jones told BBC Radio London. "But it's just outside noise. We're a confident bunch. There are going to be some tough times this season as well as good ones. "And it's just about how quickly we can recover from that." Charlton's 2-1 win over the Rams was the first time they have come from behind to win a league game since May 2025, when they beat Burton Albion in League One. "Obviously I would have liked a clean sheet but to come from behind, especially in the first Championship game, and to get three points is a great feeling," said Jones, who recently signed a new two-year deal at the club. "We're just together really. We've signed a lot of new lads but I think they've fitted in really well." When asked what is possible this season, Jones added: "I think for us, we've just got to keep building. "We had our targets set last week and I think if we can improve our points tally, goal difference and scoring, it will stand us in good stead." Listen to the full interview with Lloyd Jones above or on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed. Explore more Charlton Athletic content on BBC Sounds