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NEW ARTICLE: Five Things We Learned From Blackburn Away...

  1. We can compete at this level. The longer that last season become a memory and the more the off field issues, budget and disappointing transfer activity have dominated, its escalated concerns that this will be a hugely difficult season. It may well still be, but an opening day victory away from home has given everyone an enormous lift. A poor start to the season would have ramped up the negative backdrop and increased the pressure to perform and succeed in the upcoming home games. That pressure has been lifted, for now, and cancelled out a lot of the growing fear for the season within just a few days.  

  2. The spirit in this squad is still there. Much was made of this last season, with experienced people like Bowyer saying ours was the best team spirit and togetherness in a dressing room they had encountered. With the loss of key players over the summer there was a question mark on whether the core spirit of the group was still there. Judging by the rallying, cohesive ethic displayed on Saturday, it still is, and will be a key feature if we are to outperform expectations this year.

  3. Ben Purrington is a great example of how a player can improve when playing with confidence. When Purrington joined on loan earlier this year he was a rigid full back, solid but playing percentages. The intercept, run, offload and continuation of his run into the box which led to our first goal on Saturday would simply not have occurred 7 months ago; he would have intercepted, offloaded, retained shape. Bowyer’s belief and attacking flexibility have given him (and Djiksteel on the right) the licence to get forward from deep, and the player now has the confidence in his ability to carry it through.

  4. Darren Pratley is a hugely underrated squad man. He has not the ability of a Bielik or a Cullen, but he is a workhorse with a tremendous attitude who will always give 100%. He had an excellent game at Wembley and he was impressive again on Saturday. Pratley stands up to be counted, is versatile in where he can play and his willingness to play. In a thin squad that may carry huge value this season.

  5. Dillon Philips is in need of a boring game. Neither the OG at Wembley nor his OG on Saturday were his fault, but goalkeepers thrive on confidence more than any other position on the pitch and I’m sure these couple of freak goals have marginally destabilised his mindset. There were a huge amount of goalkeeper errors seen in the Football League on the opening weekend, simply where small mistakes creep in where keepers have lost that regularly and groove in their game. Dillon has improved hugely in 12 months and hopefully a couple of stable games will help him settle down and feel confident and comfortable at this higher level.    

Comments

  • edited August 2019
    Good article.  To add, when Purrington scored Dijsteel was making a run beyond Williams into the box so both wing backs where up.  Three centre halves greatly assists this.

    Very true about Pratley being underrated and was the same last season.
  • Good piece, Purrinton comment is spot on
  • I think Dillon was at fault for the Wembley og. 




    1. Dillon Philips is in need of a boring game. Neither the OG at Wembley nor his OG on Saturday were his fault,


    I really rate Dillon and think he should definitely be our No1, No1 as it were.
    Saturdays own goal was definitely not his fault, it was a flukey unfortunate turn of events.
    Wembley though ?- yes Sarr should not have played it back in direction of goal, but Dillon did let it go straight through him into the goal.He has to have some portion of blame for that one surely.
    Made up for it very quickly with a great save, and is one of my favourite players at the moment.
  • A fantastic start and if we can can make some additions and keep everyone/keep them fit then we could be in for another season to remember. I would be very happy just to consolidate in the Championship given the owner, great away support again, lets hope the boys backed by the Covered End do cheer us onto three points against Stoke on Saturday!   
  • Nice piece enjoyed that. To say the OG at wembley wasn't Phillips fault is bizarre however.
  • Yeah, fair point about the Wembley one. I'm still not100%  convinced on where the blame should be there but i suppose when i think of a goalkeeping mistake i'm psychologically thinking of saves that should be made, crosses dropped or positional errors, as opposed ot a backpass going past his foot!

    Agree i didn't think that one through properly though.

  • We would have been behind within 30 mins without Pratley on Sat.
  • Let’s not start a blame culture.
    All for one and one for all!
  • Solidgone said:
    Let’s not start a blame culture.
    All for one and one for all!
    All for one ... and each man for himself!
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  • "We can compete at this level". Great result on Saturday and I dearly hope you are right, but feels a bit early to be drawing that conclusion just yet.
  • Davo55 said:
    "We can compete at this level". Great result on Saturday and I dearly hope you are right, but feels a bit early to be drawing that conclusion just yet.
    Exactly. Let’s see where we are after 5 then 10 games (and what the squad looks like then.
  • well I learnt im never going there again 
    one car, ten trains, three cabs and a bus. I love following Charlton.
  • I learnt that joy & hope ( and a definite tingle ) all felt on that day, can be reversed in the blink of an eye following the events & worrying rumours over the past 3 days since then. 

    Soul destroying times.
  • I learnt that joy & hope ( and a definite tingle ) all felt on that day, can be reversed in the blink of an eye following the events & worrying rumours over the past 3 days since then. 

    Soul destroying times.
    Still worth experiencing the tingle @fa@"Fanny Fanackapan"

    never regret a tingle :-)
  • Acab said:
    well I learnt im never going there again 
    one car, ten trains, three cabs and a bus. I love following Charlton.
    Ten trains @Acab  ? 

    Thats gotta be explained. That’s proper tingle material that :-)
  • Acab said:
    well I learnt im never going there again 
    one car, ten trains, three cabs and a bus. I love following Charlton.
    Ten trains @Acab  ? 

    Thats gotta be explained. That’s proper tingle material that :-)
    Lift to Bexleyheath,  train to Victoria, tube to Euston, train to Manchester Piccadilly, change train to Bolton, change train to Blackburn cab from spoons to Elwood. Then reverse the same until Euston the tube to Bank then DLR to Woolwich 422 to Welling. Home 11.10
  • Acab said:
    Acab said:
    well I learnt im never going there again 
    one car, ten trains, three cabs and a bus. I love following Charlton.
    Ten trains @Acab  ? 

    Thats gotta be explained. That’s proper tingle material that :-)
    Lift to Bexleyheath,  train to Victoria, tube to Euston, train to Manchester Piccadilly, change train to Bolton, change train to Blackburn cab from spoons to Elwood. Then reverse the same until Euston the tube to Bank then DLR to Woolwich 422 to Welling. Home 11.10
    You must have filled your notebook up with all those train numbers, it’s a win win going to Blackburn.

  • What an effort @Acab
  • Greenie said:
    Acab said:
    Acab said:
    well I learnt im never going there again 
    one car, ten trains, three cabs and a bus. I love following Charlton.
    Ten trains @Acab  ? 

    Thats gotta be explained. That’s proper tingle material that :-)
    Lift to Bexleyheath,  train to Victoria, tube to Euston, train to Manchester Piccadilly, change train to Bolton, change train to Blackburn cab from spoons to Elwood. Then reverse the same until Euston the tube to Bank then DLR to Woolwich 422 to Welling. Home 11.10
    You must have filled your notebook up with all those train numbers, it’s a win win going to Blackburn.

    It’s like a ledger 
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  • I shouldn’t Moan really that was my third win on trot at Blackburn.
  • Ben Purrington is a great example of how a player can improve when playing with confidence.
    An even greater example of this would be one of the worst players in a Charlton shirt I've ever seen: Simon Francis.

  • Learnt that Naby Sarr needs to speed up and get a better first and second  touch in the championship 
  • I learnt how happy I am when we get 3 points
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