Time for me to put a bit of realism into the mix........
Great game & we played well against a top 6 side who have some top players. However, I wouldn't get carried away as we could easily have been 3-1 down at half time & couldn't have complained if we had been. Think we need to clear our lines quicker & soon we will get caught out with all the back passes. Lockyer is most at fault & must had taken lessons from a certain Mr Kashi for all the underhit passes he made.
However, I am being picky. The midfield showed what great players we have, although I'm still a bit unsure of what Gallagher brings to the team & he seemed a bit lost out there at times. Cullen picked up from where he left off at Wembley & Leko confuses defenders as he doesn't know himself what he is going to do next. Williams was my MOTM as he didnt stop running & made the all important 2nd goal with his persistence, having narrowly failed just a minute before with a mazy run & cross.
Scenes in the Covered End after the 3rd goal.....looking from the East it was literally rocking for 5 mins afterwards !!
Not looking at tables or thinking about ifs & maybes......20th place will do me just fine come May. I predicted 4 points for Aug so we are already in credit.
Really do wonder what people see at times. How on earth you can think Gallagher brings nothing to the team.
Not a dig. Just shocked. Thought he worked his socks off
I'm not saying he didnt work his socks of but more because I'm used to players having a job & a position in a team. However, having read a few more posts on here I agree that the midfield 4 of Cullen, Gallagher, Leko (and to a lesser extent ) Williams were interchanging positions & so were popping up all over the place.
Dont know who is going to get dropped when Kayal & Field are fully fit though.....
Really good atmosphere today. Despite a lot of people probably away on hols i thought the fans were good today and i hardly heard any negativity. Im gonna give Phillips the benefit of the doubt with the equaliser and say the wind must of played a part in movement of the ball, it was pretty blowy at times. After they missed that sitter at the start of the 2nd half i did fear they were starting to get on top and would take the lead but we dug in well and took our chances. Our midfield is looking very strong and the good thing is we will not struggle in that area when we get the inevetable injuries/suspensions. Bowyer likes to give players a chance and its up to them to then stake a place and keep it. Going on todays performance i would not like to have to drop any of that midfield for the next game but u could argue we have 2 others in the squad that on paper could be our strongest. Very nice problem for Bowyer to have. I still worry if Taylor would be out injured for a month or more how we would cope and Solly needs more help still but hopefully we get good news next week regarding that. Cullen MOM for me but i would score the whole midfield 8s and Cullen just pipping Williams to a 9.
Thought they were, for the most part, the better team, but they just could not finish their chances. You could see they had quality. Thought we played well though and were much better second half, seemed to have some nerves first half, especially at the back. They pressed us very well when we were constantly trying to play it out from the back. Lockyer was a little shaky at times but also put in some good blocks/challenges, Pearce lead very well. Midfield was superb, Lyle I thought was a little isolated at times but got his goal and tried hard. Gallagher I thought was a little Naive at times first half, but he seemed to grow into the game and did not hide in any way, throwing himself into challenges as well. All round well done everyone! Lets not get carried away though, but try and keep the momentum going!
What a game, what a result. Not to get carried away with myself but Bowyer is truly building something special here.
I have absolutely no idea where we’re going to finish this season, could be 1st or 20th (yes I know it’s not going to be 1st).
The only thing I can guarantee right now is that this team will not be anywhere near the relegation battle this season - far too much quality and passion in the dressing room.
The most exciting thing about today is that we’re only going to get better as the season gets on. Up the addicks!!
Bearing in mind the players not in the starting 11 like Aneke, Field and Kayal, we are now looking very strong in the middle of the park, some real quality there
Bowyer mixed things up very well today, we had the silky skills of Williams and Gallagher, the pace and directness of Leko, the classic No 9 in Taylor, the busyness and ball rotation of Cullen and the water carrier in Pratley doing the unsung work.
Slight concerns about the defence, when pressed they looked quite vulnerable as Dillon, Pearce and Lockyer aren't the greatest at that sort of building from the back game. Maybe we need to be slightly more pragmatic rather than building literally from our own penalty box every time.
Loved being back at The Valley for Championship football. We rode our luck at times but we were positive throughout. Teams will underestimate us but Bowyer has the players and the fans believing. Two wins from two is a brilliant start to the season. Let’s keep going and who knows what could happen.
The management team have assembled a fantastic midfield. I can’t wait to see when all of the new players are slotted in and we start purring. We might just surprise a few this season.
Stoke are a decent side and some of their play was very easy on the eye. Allen and Ince were very tidy so we suppressed them rather well aside from the goal. There was a noticeable step up in intensity from L1 but we battled and fought EXACTLY how I want a Charlton team to. That’s all down to the coaching and management.
A long way way to go and there will be bumps along the way but this team is really quite an exciting proposition at the moment.
Bearing in mind the players not in the starting 11 like Aneke, Field and Kayal, we are now looking very strong in the middle of the park, some real quality there
Bowyer mixed things up very well today, we had the silky skills of Williams and Gallagher, the pace and directness of Leko, the classic No 9 in Taylor, the busyness and ball rotation of Cullen and the water carrier in Pratley doing the unsung work.
Slight concerns about the defence, when pressed they looked quite vulnerable as Dillon, Pearce and Lockyer aren't the greatest at that sort of building from the back game. Maybe we need to be slightly more pragmatic rather than building literally from our own penalty box every time.
100% about the defence. Eventually after a few passes too many we started to go long. Hopefully it's lesson learned and we change things up sooner next time a team presses like Stoke did.
This was Gallagher's first full debut in true high level mens' football an astonishing display, matched by the guile, tenacity and skill of Cullen. Williams and Leko providing pace and cover for the full backs, generally solid at the back and three goals scored. Make no mistake Stoke had us chasing shadows in the first 10 mins, we got a foothold, got over our nerves and grew into the game. Rode our luck, but took our chances.
Time for me to put a bit of realism into the mix........
Great game & we played well against a top 6 side who have some top players. However, I wouldn't get carried away as we could easily have been 3-1 down at half time & couldn't have complained if we had been. Think we need to clear our lines quicker & soon we will get caught out with all the back passes. Lockyer is most at fault & must had taken lessons from a certain Mr Kashi for all the underhit passes he made.
However, I am being picky. The midfield showed what great players we have, although I'm still a bit unsure of what Gallagher brings to the team & he seemed a bit lost out there at times. Cullen picked up from where he left off at Wembley & Leko confuses defenders as he doesn't know himself what he is going to do next. Williams was my MOTM as he didnt stop running & made the all important 2nd goal with his persistence, having narrowly failed just a minute before with a mazy run & cross.
Scenes in the Covered End after the 3rd goal.....looking from the East it was literally rocking for 5 mins afterwards !!
Not looking at tables or thinking about ifs & maybes......20th place will do me just fine come May. I predicted 4 points for Aug so we are already in credit.
"unsure of what Gallagher brings to the team" I'm sure you're just looking for a reaction now.
He was top quality, not sure what anyone expects us to bring in if hes not good enough for our team.
I’m just glad I’m not Bowyer. Going to be very difficult to decide who goes into our best eleven.
it's a long season (stating the bleedin obvious) they will all get a right good crack of the whip .. Bowyer has a method and no matter who plays in the middle, we will almost certainly play the same way .. and have success doing it
Time for me to put a bit of realism into the mix........
Great game & we played well against a top 6 side who have some top players. However, I wouldn't get carried away as we could easily have been 3-1 down at half time & couldn't have complained if we had been. Think we need to clear our lines quicker & soon we will get caught out with all the back passes. Lockyer is most at fault & must had taken lessons from a certain Mr Kashi for all the underhit passes he made.
However, I am being picky. The midfield showed what great players we have, although I'm still a bit unsure of what Gallagher brings to the team & he seemed a bit lost out there at times. Cullen picked up from where he left off at Wembley & Leko confuses defenders as he doesn't know himself what he is going to do next. Williams was my MOTM as he didnt stop running & made the all important 2nd goal with his persistence, having narrowly failed just a minute before with a mazy run & cross.
Scenes in the Covered End after the 3rd goal.....looking from the East it was literally rocking for 5 mins afterwards !!
Not looking at tables or thinking about ifs & maybes......20th place will do me just fine come May. I predicted 4 points for Aug so we are already in credit.
"unsure of what Gallagher brings to the team" I'm sure you're just looking for a reaction now.
He was top quality, not sure what anyone expects us to bring in if hes not good enough for our team.
This with bells on. Kids 19 and it’s his first senior debut. Ffs hahaha
Predicted the 3-1 win (although predicted a 3-1 defeat last week). Complete fluke of course.
Doesn’t seem long ago we were watching Foley, Crofts and Ulvestadt playing to a three quarters empty Valley, and now we have Wiilams, Cullen, Gallagher, Leko, Aneke etc. with more to come.
We do need another striker, but I could see Aneke or Leko being a real handful up front with Lyle, if required.
Defence looked a bit ropy at times, and Sarr’s passing out from the back was missed perhaps.
Enjoyed that. Much been said already, love how Bowyer's team do not give up. Butland really should have done better with Lyle's shot but I'm not complaining. For their equaliser it looked like the wind caught it from where I was sat (lower north in line with the shot). And after they hit the post, Cullen came and robbed their player just as he was getting ready to fire in the rebound.
All of our players did well today. Special mentions to Jonny Williams, Cullen, Gallagher and Pratley who had another good game of getting stuck in and breaking up play.
PWV probably nothing I can add that hasn't already been said.
Only thing I would like to add is being 6 pts clear of the relegation zone already, it feels like we're a million miles from League One and how f'ing great it feels!
3-1 scoreline indicates a comfortable home victory or so you'd think.
Not quite the story of the match, especially the first half when Stoke hit the woodwork twice as well as scoring, but the defining factor for me that clinched it for Charlton is that we wanted it more. The eleven blokes on the pitch for us gave everything for the time they were there and absolutely refused to lie down or lose their spirit and determination. There have been an awful lot of Charlton teams since the Premiership days that have lacked, or appeared to lack, desire once the going got tough. Not an accusation that can be levelled against Lee Bowyer's teams and it might just be enough to keep us up despite all the well documented obstacles put in the way.
First half the midfield appeared non existent at times but despite that Stoke really didn't create too much. Against that Williams looked very up for it and Steady Eddie Purrington played two gorgeous weighted passes into his path that stuck in the mind. Lyle Taylor seemed to be having a quiet game, which I thought understandable given the week he'd had, but suddenly came alive when put through and hit a scorcher to the top left hand corner of the Jimmy Seed goal leaving England's Jack Butland grasping fresh air as the net bulged.
1-0 despite appearing second best for long periods but we couldn't hold it and Tom Ince was given the freedom of The Valley to stride through red shirts that parted like the Red Sea before unleashing his own riposte to Taylor,s shot which similarly beat Dillon Phillips. Dillon wasn't happy with himself rather than the team I felt and I wonder whether the wind might have caught the shot because momentarily he looked to have it covered.
We clung onto 1-1 until half time despite plenty of Stoke pressure.
Second half Connor Gallagher grasped the game by the scruff of the neck and covered every blade of grass. Williams was still buzzing, Lyle had woken up, Josh Cullen came into it more and we offered more of a threat going forward. Leko went off having showed plenty of encouraging signs that he can contribute and Aneke came on. Within a couple of minutes Chuks scored and we were 2-1 up! Stoke tried to get back into it but our blokes put their bodies on the line and we still offered a threat of our own going forward. Taylor won a corner and a low corner from Cullen was met by Gallagher who buried it! 3-1 and relative comfort.
Stoke were no mugs and seemed determined to put right their defeat from last week. At times it seemed inevitable that they would succeed but our sheer guts and endeavour kept us in it and eventually we prevailed.
Comments
Im gonna give Phillips the benefit of the doubt with the equaliser and say the wind must of played a part in movement of the ball, it was pretty blowy at times.
After they missed that sitter at the start of the 2nd half i did fear they were starting to get on top and would take the lead but we dug in well and took our chances. Our midfield is looking very strong and the good thing is we will not struggle in that area when we get the inevetable injuries/suspensions. Bowyer likes to give players a chance and its up to them to then stake a place and keep it. Going on todays performance i would not like to have to drop any of that midfield for the next game but u could argue we have 2 others in the squad that on paper could be our strongest. Very nice problem for Bowyer to have.
I still worry if Taylor would be out injured for a month or more how we would cope and Solly needs more help still but hopefully we get good news next week regarding that.
Cullen MOM for me but i would score the whole midfield 8s and Cullen just pipping Williams to a 9.
I have absolutely no idea where we’re going to finish this season, could be 1st or 20th (yes I know it’s not going to be 1st).
The only thing I can guarantee right now is that this team will not be anywhere near the relegation battle this season - far too much quality and passion in the dressing room.
The most exciting thing about today is that we’re only going to get better as the season gets on. Up the addicks!!
Bowyer mixed things up very well today, we had the silky skills of Williams and Gallagher, the pace and directness of Leko, the classic No 9 in Taylor, the busyness and ball rotation of Cullen and the water carrier in Pratley doing the unsung work.
Slight concerns about the defence, when pressed they looked quite vulnerable as Dillon, Pearce and Lockyer aren't the greatest at that sort of building from the back game. Maybe we need to be slightly more pragmatic rather than building literally from our own penalty box every time.
Lee Bowyer is the chosen one.
Stoke are a decent side and some of their play was very easy on the eye. Allen and Ince were very tidy so we suppressed them rather well aside from the goal. There was a noticeable step up in intensity from L1 but we battled and fought EXACTLY how I want a Charlton team to. That’s all down to the coaching and management.
A long way way to go and there will be bumps along the way but this team is really quite an exciting proposition at the moment.
we weathered the storms well and took our chances brilliantly.
came away with a warm glowing feeling and for once it wasn't because I'd pissed myself.
Doesn’t seem long ago we were watching Foley, Crofts and Ulvestadt playing to a three quarters empty Valley, and now we have Wiilams, Cullen, Gallagher, Leko, Aneke etc. with more to come.
We do need another striker, but I could see Aneke or Leko being a real handful up front with Lyle, if required.
Defence looked a bit ropy at times, and Sarr’s passing out from the back was missed perhaps.
But it’s going to be an interesting season.
Butland really should have done better with Lyle's shot but I'm not complaining.
For their equaliser it looked like the wind caught it from where I was sat (lower north in line with the shot). And after they hit the post, Cullen came and robbed their player just as he was getting ready to fire in the rebound.
All of our players did well today. Special mentions to Jonny Williams, Cullen, Gallagher and Pratley who had another good game of getting stuck in and breaking up play.
Only thing I would like to add is being 6 pts clear of the relegation zone already, it feels like we're a million miles from League One and how f'ing great it feels!
3-1 scoreline indicates a comfortable home victory or so you'd think.
Not quite the story of the match, especially the first half when Stoke hit the woodwork twice as well as scoring, but the defining factor for me that clinched it for Charlton is that we wanted it more. The eleven blokes on the pitch for us gave everything for the time they were there and absolutely refused to lie down or lose their spirit and determination. There have been an awful lot of Charlton teams since the Premiership days that have lacked, or appeared to lack, desire once the going got tough. Not an accusation that can be levelled against Lee Bowyer's teams and it might just be enough to keep us up despite all the well documented obstacles put in the way.
First half the midfield appeared non existent at times but despite that Stoke really didn't create too much. Against that Williams looked very up for it and Steady Eddie Purrington played two gorgeous weighted passes into his path that stuck in the mind. Lyle Taylor seemed to be having a quiet game, which I thought understandable given the week he'd had, but suddenly came alive when put through and hit a scorcher to the top left hand corner of the Jimmy Seed goal leaving England's Jack Butland grasping fresh air as the net bulged.
1-0 despite appearing second best for long periods but we couldn't hold it and Tom Ince was given the freedom of The Valley to stride through red shirts that parted like the Red Sea before unleashing his own riposte to Taylor,s shot which similarly beat Dillon Phillips. Dillon wasn't happy with himself rather than the team I felt and I wonder whether the wind might have caught the shot because momentarily he looked to have it covered.
We clung onto 1-1 until half time despite plenty of Stoke pressure.
Second half Connor Gallagher grasped the game by the scruff of the neck and covered every blade of grass. Williams was still buzzing, Lyle had woken up, Josh Cullen came into it more and we offered more of a threat going forward. Leko went off having showed plenty of encouraging signs that he can contribute and Aneke came on. Within a couple of minutes Chuks scored and we were 2-1 up! Stoke tried to get back into it but our blokes put their bodies on the line and we still offered a threat of our own going forward. Taylor won a corner and a low corner from Cullen was met by Gallagher who buried it! 3-1 and relative comfort.
Stoke were no mugs and seemed determined to put right their defeat from last week. At times it seemed inevitable that they would succeed but our sheer guts and endeavour kept us in it and eventually we prevailed.
COYR!!!!!!!!!!!!!