“I’ve had no conversations, but I’m not stupid,” said the Welshman, who took charge in February 2024 and led the Addicks back to the Championship after a five-year absence 15 months later.

“I understand the complexities of managing a football club and this form can’t continue,” he added.

The often highly animated Jones was calm and dignified when he spoke to the media after the game, having made a point of clapping all sides of the sparse home crowd before disappearing down the tunnel despite the boos ringing out around The Valley.

Charlton face Sheffield United there this weekend, but with 11 winless games behind them since August and now just one place outside the relegation zone, Jones now has a massive challenge to turn to their fortunes around. He appears out of ideas, but there must also be questions about the level of quality in the squad.

“Until the Watford game the margins were so small,” said Jones. “We had drawn five out of seven. But now it’s tough.”

The experienced Nathaniel Chalobah was one of six changes for Bolton’s visit, having not started since the team’s last win, over Preston North End more than two months ago.

His return had been long anticipated but the game turned on his catastrophic 18th-minute error when he needlessly surrendered possession on the halfway line, allowing the ball to run across his body and then poking it weakly towards his own goal.

Sam Dalby raced away with Conor Coventry in vain pursuit before beating keeper Will Mannion from the edge of the penalty area.

The goal continued the recent pattern of the Addicks gifting the opposition an advantage, although it would be harsh to single out Chalobah for the defeat on a night when few of his teammates distinguished themselves against their newly promoted opposition.

To compound his team’s misfortune, the midfielder was unable to continue after the break after appearing to suffer a recurrence of the same injury that had previously kept him out.

Charlton's best chance of scoring before the break had come 11 minutes before the goal, when Tyreece Campbell’s deep cross from the left was met at the far post by Danny McNamara, who was denied by visiting keeper Jack Bonham.

Charlie Kelman then did have the ball in the net after rounding Bonham but was clearly offside.

Miles Leaburn tussles with former Charlton loanee Akin Famewo (Image: Paul Edwards)

After the break Kelman headed wide of one post from another decent Campbell cross and Coventry fired just wide of the other, but the crowd’s frustration grew as Kelman and half-time substitute Miles Leaburn were unable to turn good opportunities into efforts on goal.

There was a glimmer of hope for home fans when talismanic striker Matty Godden replaced Kelman just after the hour following an even longer injury absence than Chalobah, but he was unable to work any magic.

A free-kick on the six-yard line after Bonham had handled a backpass ended in frustration as the Addicks’ effort to capitalise was charged down.

At the other end Atsuki Ito was twice denied and substitute Thierry Gale drew a save as Charlton threw bodies forward in search of an equaliser.

The hard-working Campbell came closest to finding it when he cut in and curled an effort just wide of the right post in stoppage time.

Tyreece Campbell tries to secure a late equaliser (Image: Paul Edwards)

The final whistle was met with an inevitable chorus of discontent from home fans, but the mood still lacked the toxicity which has preceded many previous managerial casualties over the last dozen years in SE7.

Supporters recognise the success that Jones had in lifting the side from the lower reaches of League One and many remain reluctant to turn on him, as well as unconvinced that a successor would be able to find better solutions within the current squad.

As the manager tacitly acknowledged, however, the temptation for whoever is in charge behind the scenes at Charlton to roll the dice will only grow, unless there is what now seems an unlikely early improvement in results.  

“We gifted them a goal and then we just did not demonstrate enough quality in the final third. We have won games here with a lot less possession and a lot less opportunities," said Jones.

“We didn’t test the keeper once tonight. They worked hard and gave me everything, but I can’t coach them to not make mistakes.”