'Charlton evolving into proper Championship side'

[BBC] [Getty Images] This Charlton Athletic fan was pacing around his hotel room in Le Touquet, on France's northern coast, anxiously awaiting the outcome of our Championship opener against Derby County. The relief was palpable when I re-joined my wife and our West Ham-supporting friends at the beach bar to celebrate a fine victory. What pleased me most was Charlton's courage and resolve in recovering from a goal down to claim all three points - something we failed to achieve throughout last season. After Tyreece Campbell put us ahead in the 80th minute, we defended stoutly through eight nervy minutes of added time to see the job through. You could not help but feel delighted for Nathan Jones. These three points were the reward for tremendous work by him, his staff and players. Jones had certainly earned his glass of red wine. At 1-0 down, Charlton appeared to benefit from attacking the Covered End in the second half. Lloyd Jones' equaliser was a special moment for our talismanic defender, who has committed himself to the club for another two years. The two-time Player of the Year has developed a deep affinity with Charlton and is already potential Hall of Fame material. He played a key role in our promotion from League One and Championship survival last season. It was also encouraging to see the new additions settle in so quickly. With one or two more signings expected, this could prove a fruitful transfer window as we evolve into what we hope will become a proper Championship side - perhaps even rivalling some of the behemoths in this division. The switch from a back five to a back four worked well, while Charlton now have the flexibility to use either system. Derby arrived with obvious threats in Carlton Morris and Sammie Szmodics, having finished eighth last season. Yet, after their proposed takeover collapsed and a quiet summer in the transfer market, I sensed they might be there for the taking. So it proved. Next up is West Ham United. It could be a good time to play them so early as they adjust their squad and approach to life in the Championship following their relegation from the Premier League. I can thoroughly recommend Le Touquet by the way. But nowhere feels quite so great when you are sweating on your team's result. Don't forget to tap the 'follow' button at the top of this page to stay up to date with the latest Charlton news.