Squad is not big enough or good enough

Red_Pete_in_Dubai

After watching the game today I think that we are in for a tough old season. We just don't have enough quality players in some critical areas (midfield, defence or attack) and it only takes a few injuries to critical players and we are struggling, like today. Curbs really did leave us in the sh*t and Dowie has done well to get in as many players as he has. Unfortunately, the squad we are left with is neither big enough nor good enough.

I though Kish played OK today. He had one 2 minute spell in the first half when he gave the ball away 3 or 4 times, but apart from that his passing was good. Compare that to the number of times that Jimmy, Ambrose & Romm all gave the ball away - particularly from a string of useless corners!! Why does Kish get picked out for criticism when others are much, much worse.

I also though that Super Kev looked good in his 10 minute cameo.

I am already trying to find the 3 teams that are worse than us, and it can only be Watford, Sheffield Utd & Blackburn. If any one of these teams finds some form then we could be in serious trouble.

AFKABartram

[cite]Posted By: Red_Pete[/cite]it only takes a few injuries to critical players

that's a bit harsh i think Pete. We've got unavailable:

Sorrondo
HH
Traore
Reid
Hughes
Thomas
Diawara
Walton

Plus Fortune and Pouso are not fully match fit. At least 3 or 4 out of that lot would of played today.

Though we are not playing at the top of our game, i can't help but feel were simply getting little luck at the moment. If Darren Bent got injured, then we would really be in it.

Red_Pete_in_Dubai

Yes, AFKA, I know that it is a long injury list but that list is not going to get any shorter in the next few weeks. Traore is out for 2 months, Sorondo, Thomas, Gibbs, Reid and Diawara are all probably going to miss at least a month and Walton is out on loan until the New Year. In addition, it is going to take Fortune & Pouso a few weeks to get match fit. That just leaves HH and Hughes to come back for next Saturday.

If we are not careful, by the time we actually get our first choice team onto the pitch it is all going to be too late!!

AFKABartram

but i can't blame anyone for that though. We've already overspent, we couldn't of brought in any more players.

I just think we've got to dig in, try and grind out results for the next couple of months, and hope the return of players along the way provides us with a bit of a springboard.

BlackForestReds

You can't say that the size of the squad is too small when we've got so many out injured. Looking at that list it looks like a season's worth of injuries all at once, and AFKA forgot Gibbs...

Red_Pete_in_Dubai

But the squad IS too small to cope with the current level of injuries. You have to be able to cope with this sort of situation or you are going to find yourself in serious trouble when you do get such disaster day scenarios.

jimmymelrose

Nice argument 'Red_Pete'. Only problem with it I think is that there are only three or four clubs in The Premiership who could cope. As 'AFKA' insinuated: what would you like us to do about it? What gets to me is all the idiots on the BBC Message Board who can't recognise this problem. ID is getting undue flak. Thank God for Charlton Life and for the sane people on it.

AFKABartram

I will add, i'm not going to be a 'blind' supporter of Dowie, but i don't see too much yet that he has got wrong.

What will be the test will be in 3 or 4 games, when we hopefully have a 'near full-squad'. If the results stay testing, it will be interesting to see if he can get his 'first-team' playing how he wants, if confidence is already low.

Sounding like Uncle Harry, we're a bit backs to the wall, and bare bones at the moment. An unsupportive crowd will just make things worse.

BlackForestReds

Now isn't the time to panic, Dowie has had a tough start to his career, with injuries and a less than kind fixture list, but I can see what he wants to achieve, if he has the time we are going to go for a solid defence, and packed midfield with Faya and Pouso doing the graft while Romm and Reid apply the creativity and then get D Bent or a.n.other to sneak a goal or two. Portsmouth were better in the first half but Dowie made the changes necessary and after that Charlton looked stronger and that was with just about the last fit 11 regular first teamers in the squad playing against a team that was top of the league. The goal was a bit soft and I have to fault Carson's positioning and reactions, not to mention his anticipation.