Sheffield United’s miserable start to the season continued as a 90th-minute goal from substitute Isaac Olaofe gave Charlton a 1-0 victory to spoil Chris Wilder’s homecoming as Blades boss.
Wilder was warmly greeted when he was introduced to the Bramall Lane crowd before kick-off, having agreed to return for a third spell in charge earlier this week, replacing Ruben Selles.
But he could not inspire a change in his side’s fortunes on the pitch as they slumped to a sixth straight Championship defeat.
Charlton’s Charlie Kelman dragged an early shot wide, while at the other end Chiedozie Ogbene headed wide and Gustavo Hamer saw his effort deflected over.
Goalkeeper Michael Cooper came to the Blades’ rescue with a superb save in the closing stages of the first half, flinging himself to his left to keep out a header from Lloyd Jones.
United’s Tyrese Campbell threatened to capitalise on a defensive lapse soon after the restart, but his shot was blocked and Sydie Peck fired well over from the rebound.
Hamer then had a shot blocked as the home side looked to up the tempo.
Peck tried his luck from distance, but his effort was deflected wide of Thomas Kaminski’s left-hand post.
Tyrese Campbell was next to threaten for United with a header which went wide, while Charlton’s Tyreece Campbell brought a save out of Cooper with a glancing header.
The visitors then sent on Olaofe and Harvey Knobs in place of Tyreece Campbell and Sonny Carey.
Skipper Greg Docherty went close for Charlton, heading just over after meeting a fine cross from James Bree.
Charlton threatened again when Knibbs did well to win possession before playing the ball to Miles Leaburn, whose firm drive was beaten away by Cooper.
The visitors were in the ascendancy and grabbed the winner in the final minute of normal time.
Knibbs found Bree, whose low cross was side-footed into the net by Olaofe, sparking wild celebrations in front of the away supporters, some of whom spilled over the advertising boards.
There was little time for the home side to respond as another defeat left Wilder in no doubt over the size of the task facing him.
The managers
Sheffield United’s Chris Wilder:
“Not the homecoming [I wanted] from a results point of view and performance point of view.
“Maybe I underestimated the amount of work that we need to do as well. Just expect a lot more.
“There’s a little bit of a fragility about us at the moment. Maybe I shouldn’t have underestimated that. Chaotic at times, especially second half. No real control in the game.
“There’s some stuff that was okay as a period in the first half for 20-25 minutes that, if we would have produced that for 75 per cent of the game then I think we’d have been okay, but we sort of dropped off towards the back end of the first half.
“One of the things we did say at half-time was, you know, a clean sheet is an absolute must for us off the back of the results that we’ve had and the goal goes in with a catalogue of really poor goals that have been conceded so far.
“They want to do so well and they want to make it happen so much. There has to be that calmness to our play and there wasn’t.
“It felt very rushed. We got into good positions and then turned the ball over and allowed them to counter on us. We never really played with that fluidity or control that we needed.
“We’ve got to find a way to get out of this situation pretty quickly, because stats don’t lie. The league table doesn’t lie at the moment and we are that team that’s at the bottom of the division for a reason.”
Charlton’s Nathan Jones:
“It was an excellent win and I thought we deserved it. This is Sheffield United away, it’s a fantastic football club, a full house, a returning manager who’s been synonymous with success here.
“To put in that level of performance I thought was outstanding, it really was. First half I thought we were the better team, we had the better chances.
“We had a one or two on the counter, we had a really good opportunity, two good opportunities from second phase in terms of the keeper made a great save, then we could have scored.
“We can’t affect anything that any other club does. We have to be the best version of ourselves. And if we’re that, and someone is better than us, I’ll hold my hands up.
“If we are the best versions of ourselves, then someone beats us, then I’ll be the first to come here and congratulate them. But I thought we were good today. It was a perfect away performance.”