Troy Deeney is unconvinced by Nathan Jones’ emotional reaction at the end of Charlton’s play-off semi-final win, labelling his antics ‘staged’.
The Addicks booked their spot in the League One play-off final after Matty Godden’s 81st-minute strike secured a 1-0 aggregate win over Wycombe Wanderers at the Valley.
GettyMatty Godden’s 22nd goal of the season was the difference in Charlton’s League[/caption]
There were wild scenes of celebration afterwards, with the home fans flooding onto the pitch to mob their players and manager.
The result means the south Londoners will now face Leyton Orient at Wembley, who overcame Stockport County on Wednesday night.
But it was the Charlton boss’ behaviour moments before the final whistle which stole the show, who dropped to his knees and prayed as the match neared its conclusion.
Jones took charge of the club in February 2024, having previously managed at Luton, Stoke and Southampton.
The latter spell ended after just 95 days in charge, and the Welshman admitted after the play-off win that he had been overcome with emotion as he reflected on his managerial journey.
He said: “I was at a Premier League club where people thought I didn’t deserve to be there, regardless of how much I had earned the right and gone through three divisions and coached at the highest level, it didn’t make a difference.
“So all those things you remember because they’re all on your CV, they’re all your body of work, they’re all the memories and the experiences that you have.
“So it was a bit of emotion to come out, and I thought we were excellent tonight.”
And while Jones insisted his behaviour had been a purely natural reaction, others have been less convinced, including Watford great Troy Deeney.
The former striker scored one of the most iconic goals in play-off history when he volleyed home a dramatic winner for the Hornets against Leicester in the Championship play-off semi-final second leg in 2013.
Credit: Sky SportsJones dropped to his knees and raised his arms towards the sky as Charlton’s game neared its conclusion[/caption]
Credit: Sky SportsThe Welshman then brought his hands together in a praying gesture[/caption]
Credit: Sky SportsJones was overcome with emotion at full-time[/caption]
Deeney’s goal sparked crazy scenes, with Watford manager Gianfranco Zola slipping over after charging onto the pitch to celebrate.
But the 36-year-old revealed he did not believe Jones reaction was the same as Zola’s, who he insisted had glanced at the television camera before dropping to his knees.
Discussing the Charlton manager’s antics with Alex Crook on talkSPORT, he said: “I thought the second part of his emotion was a little bit staged, personally.
“I thought the first bit was obviously [natural], when the goal goes in and Matty Godden [scores].
“But you see when people react and again, take people back to my goal [for Watford] because a lot of people see that, when you see Gianfranco Zola losing all composure, running down the line and falling over. That’s not staged emotion.”
Deeney continued: “And I thought the same with Nathan Jones, when he’s getting up and he’s getting the fans involved, I thought, ‘Oh that’s a bit of him’.
“But that bit at the end, he’s on his knees and all of that and a few little looks to camera I thought, ‘Yeah, that’s a little bit too much’.”
Despite being sceptical over Jones’ actions, Deeney did not begrudge him for taking in his achievement after enduring difficult managerial stints in the past at Southampton and Stoke.
When asked if Jones had celebrated too soon, with the play-off final still to come, he replied: “You’ve got to live in the moment and enjoy it.”
