Where you been?!. . . it's all been on the downturn for at least 4/5 years now.
It is becoming increasingly evident though that it is firmly rooting its feet now though.
People just seem to be losing interest at an alarming rate. Our club seems to have little going for it on the pitch, and little off the pitch to lend attention to. Over the last 25 years, we had the fight for The Valley, the return and rebirth, the Premiership years.....
Now, there appears neither the enjoyment of the football, or any periphery movement / event to maintain appetite, enjoyment and interest. As i said earlier, i'm really worried.
[cite]Posted By: Telnotinoz[/cite]Im as loyal as loyal can be, but to be honest the dross wears you down eventually.....its the dashed hopes that just do you in....I honestly sat there in the first half wondering why Id given up a perfectly good Saturday afternoon, and that, after 46 years of watching Charlton. I dont recall ever feeling like it in the past. Im turning up out of loyalty these days rather than going to enjoy the game...even the social side seems a bit flat nowadays. Maybe football has gone full circle and we are heading for a decline? I see anything to do with the Premier league and I just shut down, Im that disinterested.
agree entirely. At one point when the sun was out I nearly nodded off. Winning is good but I want entertainment too. Saturday was a borefest and not for the first time either. If I were a casual fan on Saturday I can't see why I'd be tempted to spend £25 next time round. If I were RM I'd read this thread and worry.
on the playing side we are as low as we have been in my lifetime but the crowd levels and quality of our ground now means i feel a lot more optimistic than say in the seventies and eighties. i enjoy it still but more because of the banter with my mates - the worse it gets, the funnier it can be. Somehow in the eighties i used to worry we could go bust etc but as you get older you've seen it all before and you just laugh it off. Enjoy the good times, laugh through the bad ones. Take it too seriously or expect to be entertained and your on to a loser.
Smudge thats why i thought i was going mad when you said it wasnt that bad, i honestly sat there thinking maybe it is me maybe i turned up here not wanting it to be good
But then i thought about it
no i wanted it to be good i wanted it to be so good that i could justify to myself that fighting my way through the West ham Chelsea traffic, throwing my u10's goal poasts in to the bags and into the lock up without really checking them
Finding the cash when things are tightening
spending a Saturday Afternoon away from my wife and kids putting things on the back burner until tomorrow (sunday)
to see what
To see the team i love try and do something to try and save themselves
I know i wanted it to be good by the moment of pure Joy i got when we scored and it was enough to get me back there agin at the next home game but it aint enough to get me to away games it aint enough to make me just keep doing it anymore i want something back
I want to go there and say Yes that was what i am looking for thats why i go
to all those who said it wasnt that bad open your eyes have a look and face reality, it was shocking we should av got beat easily by a team promoted from the league below us ,we need to sort it out because we will not get promoted playing this way that is for certain.
Football wise when has it been worse ? We are in the third level of football league and we are struggling along. When was the last time that happened? about 1973 ? and before that in the 1930z. So lets not have "it aint that bad"---- Yes it f**kin is.
None of my lot went on Saturday for a variety of reasons ,all good ones----except me. I thought of going there watching another bucket of kak and no beer--f**k that went shopping instead.
14,500 lucky to have that many. Its not about going --thinking we are gona see a blinding game, after all we are at a pony level. Its going KNOWING we are not going to pan anyone, knowing it will be a STRUGGLE. Its so god dam boring and predictable.
Said for along while its about having a beer with mates and not the footie, Saturday proved it for me.
As for worry, how about this, there is NOWHERE that is Charlton ------------nowhere that you could go and ask the general public what they thought of their local team. NOWHERE where the "local" support will come from-------------thats my big worry-----------we are a dying football club.
[cite]Posted By: Goonerhater[/cite]As for worry, how about this, there is NOWHERE that is Charlton
nowhere that you could go and ask the general public what they thought of their local team.
Interesting point. That really riles with me. Me and my brother decided to go out and watch Millwall Scunthorpe play off final last year, and cheer on Scunthorpe. Went in the Bugle Horn and The White Swan in Charlton Village and there were Millwall fans in both!
It is difficult for non-Premiership London clubs because changing demographics have pushed people out of the city. In a time of economic hardship and indifferent form on the pitch one has to seriously consider whether a 70 mile round trip is justifiable.
The casual fan will always choose "proper" top level football if he can afford it. Why bother to travel for anything inferior?
Banter apart Crystal Palace struggle to attract as many fans as us and they are an established Championship or second tier club. Millwall have made an excellent start to their Championship season yet they will be doing well if 14,000 turn up to their next home match and, no disrespect, these are the best times in their history bar two seasons in the late eighties.
What does puzzle me is how the Orients and Brentfords and to a lesser extent Dagenham survive. I guess they must budget for a couple of thousand fans a match and anymore than that is bunce.
Clubs outside London have it easier because they are "on their own" to some extent.
I guess Manchester is comparable as the likes of Oldham, Stockport, Rochdale and Bury try and survive in the shadows of Man U, Man City and, not too far away, the Liverpool clubs.
I think it is the case now that as fans we are running on empty and it gets to a point when the well runs dry.
There was a real good thread where there was a charlton soccer school and not 1 charlton shirt to be seen.
It reminded me of being a kid again not many addicks anywhere to be seen
The supporters that we have are old school and some newbies from the premier league days who have got the bug.
But
For us we had terracing, we had football at a few quid.
We were just starting the love affair. we now know what is at stake and the worry is and it is a real worry that failure this year
Will be catastrophic. Parky is under pressure Richard Murray is under pressure
The feeling we have is helplessness all we can do is watch and support but to be fair that's all we have dine in the last 4 seasons and got nothing in return.
We should have gone up last year with the squad we had we failed
We have watched the best players go whilst teams like hull blackpool , burnley , stoke have dwarfed us in achievements
That has for me been very hard to take.
So now I want to see improvements and I want to start seeing the basis if what parky is trying to do and all I see is the youth being tossed a side for players no better than them.
We see a team screaming out for creativity since Oldham at Home
Yet we took to the field with a Negative team and failed to make any real threat on a team newly promoted to our division. For 45 mins I think we had a header right the end of the half.
Parky put on racon which was a benefit but we still struggled to look like a cohesive team.
We need this to work and that's why we are now worried and devoid of optimism all that I have left is hope where I should be turning up with more than hope.
TBH i enjoyed Saturday!caught up with some mates i have not seen for a long time and to me was was like the old days!Notts County at home was great and we got the 3 points!No moans from me the result is what counts.
PS we were terrible!
[cite]Posted By: Tavern[/cite]TBH i enjoyed Saturday!caught up with some mates i have not seen for a long time and to me was was like the old days!Notts County at home was great and we got the 3 points!No moans from me the result is what counts.
PS we were terrible!
I really enjoyed Saturday too, having the expectation of us ending up no better then mid table, I was relieved that some how we hung on against Notts County who did look like a good team coming forwards. I watched some real utter crap last year against the likes of Carlisle, Walsall, Northwich, Hereford, and Bristol Rovers. This was better then that at least. People predict we are going to be mid table at best then are still are full of scorn when we lose or even when we win ugly. Yes ive never quite drove home after a win feeling quite so worried about the make up of the team as a whole but I did draw heart form good performances by Fry, Reid and Martin and also feel that Asinyah may well be the man to get us back into the goals.
if i had the money i would go the vallley week in week out and to away games too ,because I LOVE CHARLTON !!!! since i started surporting the addicks in 1985 weve had good times and bad times and this squad is not the worst weve had!!!! last season i didnt like the squad we had or the season before that! this is the first time ive like the squad since curbs left! last season we were without a left winger for most of the season still reidy came on loan ! we had bailey playing out of position! this season some people on here think we should be playing like brazil ! 6 games in a complete new squad apart from the odd player and benson only here for 2 weeks its been a good start! do think we play better with waggy in the team so ok put martin in with semedo and let him do the play maker roll that would work but does parky think the same!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! like sat lets get behind the boys! come on you redsssssssss
I don't find it boring as such, just find it incredibly frustrating. The complete lack of imagination and creation I just find infuriating to sit through the same old **** for the last few years. I still consider us to have one of the better squads in the league but get even more annoyed when you watch teams of a similar level or worse (Bournemouth for example) on the football league show create chance after chance. You can only blame one factor for this.
Has anyone thought that even tho for 89 minutes were guff we were passing it back to robbie from inside the oppo's half, hardly any shots on goal, should have been 2 down with the penailty and long range shot robbie did well to keep out WE WON!!!!! How many times last season did norwich,leeds millwall play badly and still record 3 points... its a sign we have some luck on our side at the moment, who wouldn't take another 35 plus results the same as Saturday, I would. Yes a good 4 or 5 nil at home is amazing but I don't care how we get our wins this season. We needed to get 3 points on Saturday after 2 defeats and we did it all be it ugly and fustrating we did it!! How many times over the last 2 or 3 seasons would we have lost that game on Saturday, loads. To have a team to keep going and grind out the win we should be bloody happy, we ain't newcastle of 96 were never gona bang in more than 4 in a game at the mo were charlton 2010 and we have a squad that dosnt give up keeps there heads up and keeps going to till the end.
Just goes to show that some people are easily pleased really doesnt it....Im not wounded when we lose as long as we tried...work rate, endeavour intermingled with some skill....we arent necessarily getting any of that at the moment or if indeed we do its in fits and starts. Im hoping Saturday was a blip as it was crap.....maybe I needed to have a few beers to numb the pain eh.
Were 2 points from top, if lera hadn't had a mental block at exter we would be top 5, huddersfield we played better then the score line suggested if we had taken an early chance could have been a whole different story, we beat bournemouth who are 3rd with 10 men and an amazing performance at the orient again with 10 men then followed a battle against oldham which we didn't lose. Why is everyone so down? The atmosphere around me on sat was positive and quite good so don't get were all the negativity is comming from.
I think some people are missing the point that is being said here, we all think the 3 points were great and to get them when you are not playing well is always well recieved,
The last time we looked this poor we went on a winless run for 18 games ultimately ending our time in the chumpionship and placing us in the situation that we find ourselves in now.
People are now fearful that for all the talk all the changes there is no signs of this " new Squad" looking like they are trying to play their way into games.
Parkies post match confrence he clearly stated that had we lost Saturday we would have been looking at a poor start to the season.
To win when you are not playing well is good but it is lucky and you cant tell me that Millwall,Norwich,Leeds were lucky to get the points they did,
Yes they proberly picked up 6-8 lucky poimts through the season, Norwich did at us got the 3 points but their work had been done by then they had earned their luck.
We need to see endeavour, we need to see opportunity in front of goal, we need to see creativity all of which we are failing to see.
Apart from Ansiyah and Benson all of our squad has been with the team since the 2nd week of the season.
Abbott is used to this league and scored 13 last season does he look like a player who will score 13 this?
Francis signed whilst injured and disploaced a player made in charlton after his best game for us and 1 of only a couple in his rightful position, i said at the time that it put pressure on Francis to perform straight away and makes Solly lose confidence and ultimately form.
Johnnie Jackson not playing in postion but doing ok but is that his best position I hope not because at times looks poor in there
Mac I think is ok but as a cover for Semedo not played with him
Doherty good centre half and a good signing but paired with Daily (signing of the season for me) means we are slow in a key postion.
Martin and Reid will get frustrated and form will drop if we contiue to not utilise them correctly
Waggy Why the hell was he dropped?? We need to play Waggy and Reid and find a place for Martin
Benson Signed on the back of scoring regularly in league 2 but Dagenham play in a different way to us and he is being asked to play in a different way to a different style,
so we should be playing to his strengths that means getting wide and putting balls in and using a bit of creativity to find him in the middle
I have yet to see the creativity nor the crossing i am not saying that it wont come i am saying that the style we play currently is not showing that,
we are playing negativly we are setting out with 2 holding midfielders at home.
The signs for optimisum are not good and thats all people want something tangible to hang on to not just blind hope or loyalty
Sorry nla, with the rest of mylife going tits up at the mo I'm just focusing on charlton and just hoping they don't let me down like everything else.. I still belive... as the song goes. Ill just keep watching the orient game over and over on sky plus and keep smiling.
[quote][cite]Posted By: nth london addick[/cite]I think some people are missing the point that is being said here, we all think the 3 points were great and to get them when you are not playing well is always well recieved,
The last time we looked this poor we went on a winless run for 18 games ultimately ending our time in the chumpionship and placing us in the situation that we find ourselves in now.
People are now fearful that for all the talk all the changes there is no signs of this " new Squad" looking like they are trying to play their way into games.
Parkies post match confrence he clearly stated that had we lost Saturday we would have been looking at a poor start to the season.
To win when you are not playing well is good but it is lucky and you cant tell me that Millwall,Norwich,Leeds were lucky to get the points they did,
Yes they proberly picked up 6-8 lucky poimts through the season, Norwich did at us got the 3 points but their work had been done by then they had earned their luck.
We need to see endeavour, we need to see opportunity in front of goal, we need to see creativity all of which we are failing to see.
Apart from Ansiyah and Benson all of our squad has been with the team since the 2nd week of the season.
Abbott is used to this league and scored 13 last season does he look like a player who will score 13 this?
Francis signed whilst injured and disploaced a player made in charlton after his best game for us and 1 of only a couple in his rightful position, i said at the time that it put pressure on Francis to perform straight away and makes Solly lose confidence and ultimately form.
Johnnie Jackson not playing in postion but doing ok but is that his best position I hope not because at times looks poor in there
Mac I think is ok but as a cover for Semedo not played with him
Doherty good centre half and a good signing but paired with Daily (signing of the season for me) means we are slow in a key postion.
Martin and Reid will get frustrated and form will drop if we contiue to not utilise them correctly
Waggy Why the hell was he dropped?? We need to play Waggy and Reid and find a place for Martin
Benson Signed on the back of scoring regularly in league 2 but Dagenham play in a different way to us and he is being asked to play in a different way to a different style,
so we should be playing to his strengths that means getting wide and putting balls in and using a bit of creativity to find him in the middle
I have yet to see the creativity nor the crossing i am not saying that it wont come i am saying that the style we play currently is not showing that,
we are playing negativly we are setting out with 2 holding midfielders at home.
The signs for optimisum are not good and thats all people want something tangible to hang on to not just blind hope or loyalty[/quote]
[cite]Posted By: nth london addick[/cite]
Waggy Why the hell was he dropped?? We need to play Waggy and Reid and find a place for Martin
For me, McCormack should be dropped, Wagstaff and Reid on the wings with Semedo holding and Martin in the middle. Or Jackson in the middle perhaps with Fry / Youga at left back. Solly back in for Francis and Fortune in for Doherty and go from there.
I can not blame our strikeforce for anything when they receive no service at all. It's not as if they are missing buckets of chances. That's when I can blame them.
I can not blame our strikeforce for anything when they receive no service at all. It's not as if they are missing buckets of chances. That's when I can blame them.
My point exactly mate we have signed a player who scored 13 last season in this league and a player who scored 20+ in the league below us
yet we are not creating chances and they are collecting the ball 5 or 10 yards in the attacking half of the field with their backs to goal.
not good enough build up play for me not poor attackers
I am split on this, but all must be seen in the context of this summers exodus
Yes we struggled to beat a team promoted from the lower leagues - although at least for a time they had pretty decent investment, and all know each other.
Contrast that with are squad who are pretty new to each other.
The slow death however must be a turn off to fans, lack of investment and such an outflux of players must have a negative effect.
How can the fanbase related to 'heroes' on the pitch when most have left that summer, including the future starlets who were local talent.
I sat there on Saturday (my first game this season) trying to identify about 3/4 of the squad to my daughter, we couldn't even retain the heroic Lloyd Sam.. no honey all those players left, cos er we are on the brink of bankruptcy
Be sure that we are not yet off the bottom of this down curve, and until we go bust or get massive new investmet I suspect we won't be.
Parky seems a decent bloke, but I struggle to see that he is a talent, sure he's had a very difficult summer and brought in plenty of players, quite an achievement in some ways, but we are glaringly short of creative central midfield talent. And more worryingly seem sluggish and lacklustre, I hope this is just teething problems though.
I think we have a good keeper in Elliott, a promotion capable defence with the addition of a fit Fortune and Youga and a decent set of strikers albeit fairly untested as we don't use them. The midfield is the start, middle and end of our problems. Half the time they are bypassed anyway with the defence just hoofing the ball up to the strikers but we desperately need some imagination and creativity, a consistant playmaker or two who can feed the strikers.
I would like to see us try the following (subject to fitness), especially at home:
Comments
It is becoming increasingly evident though that it is firmly rooting its feet now though.
People just seem to be losing interest at an alarming rate. Our club seems to have little going for it on the pitch, and little off the pitch to lend attention to. Over the last 25 years, we had the fight for The Valley, the return and rebirth, the Premiership years.....
Now, there appears neither the enjoyment of the football, or any periphery movement / event to maintain appetite, enjoyment and interest. As i said earlier, i'm really worried.
Can see us going down to 10/11k if the lack of quality on show continues. If the *real* painfully hardcore are questioning if it's worthwhile. . . .
agree entirely. At one point when the sun was out I nearly nodded off. Winning is good but I want entertainment too. Saturday was a borefest and not for the first time either. If I were a casual fan on Saturday I can't see why I'd be tempted to spend £25 next time round. If I were RM I'd read this thread and worry.
But then i thought about it
no i wanted it to be good i wanted it to be so good that i could justify to myself that fighting my way through the West ham Chelsea traffic, throwing my u10's goal poasts in to the bags and into the lock up without really checking them
Finding the cash when things are tightening
spending a Saturday Afternoon away from my wife and kids putting things on the back burner until tomorrow (sunday)
to see what
To see the team i love try and do something to try and save themselves
I know i wanted it to be good by the moment of pure Joy i got when we scored and it was enough to get me back there agin at the next home game but it aint enough to get me to away games it aint enough to make me just keep doing it anymore i want something back
I want to go there and say Yes that was what i am looking for thats why i go
i aint had that since god knows when
None of my lot went on Saturday for a variety of reasons ,all good ones----except me. I thought of going there watching another bucket of kak and no beer--f**k that went shopping instead.
14,500 lucky to have that many. Its not about going --thinking we are gona see a blinding game, after all we are at a pony level. Its going KNOWING we are not going to pan anyone, knowing it will be a STRUGGLE. Its so god dam boring and predictable.
Said for along while its about having a beer with mates and not the footie, Saturday proved it for me.
As for worry, how about this, there is NOWHERE that is Charlton ------------nowhere that you could go and ask the general public what they thought of their local team. NOWHERE where the "local" support will come from-------------thats my big worry-----------we are a dying football club.
Interesting point. That really riles with me. Me and my brother decided to go out and watch Millwall Scunthorpe play off final last year, and cheer on Scunthorpe. Went in the Bugle Horn and The White Swan in Charlton Village and there were Millwall fans in both!
The casual fan will always choose "proper" top level football if he can afford it. Why bother to travel for anything inferior?
Banter apart Crystal Palace struggle to attract as many fans as us and they are an established Championship or second tier club. Millwall have made an excellent start to their Championship season yet they will be doing well if 14,000 turn up to their next home match and, no disrespect, these are the best times in their history bar two seasons in the late eighties.
What does puzzle me is how the Orients and Brentfords and to a lesser extent Dagenham survive. I guess they must budget for a couple of thousand fans a match and anymore than that is bunce.
Clubs outside London have it easier because they are "on their own" to some extent.
I guess Manchester is comparable as the likes of Oldham, Stockport, Rochdale and Bury try and survive in the shadows of Man U, Man City and, not too far away, the Liverpool clubs.
There was a real good thread where there was a charlton soccer school and not 1 charlton shirt to be seen.
It reminded me of being a kid again not many addicks anywhere to be seen
The supporters that we have are old school and some newbies from the premier league days who have got the bug.
But
For us we had terracing, we had football at a few quid.
We were just starting the love affair. we now know what is at stake and the worry is and it is a real worry that failure this year
Will be catastrophic. Parky is under pressure Richard Murray is under pressure
The feeling we have is helplessness all we can do is watch and support but to be fair that's all we have dine in the last 4 seasons and got nothing in return.
We should have gone up last year with the squad we had we failed
We have watched the best players go whilst teams like hull blackpool , burnley , stoke have dwarfed us in achievements
That has for me been very hard to take.
So now I want to see improvements and I want to start seeing the basis if what parky is trying to do and all I see is the youth being tossed a side for players no better than them.
We see a team screaming out for creativity since Oldham at Home
Yet we took to the field with a Negative team and failed to make any real threat on a team newly promoted to our division. For 45 mins I think we had a header right the end of the half.
Parky put on racon which was a benefit but we still struggled to look like a cohesive team.
We need this to work and that's why we are now worried and devoid of optimism all that I have left is hope where I should be turning up with more than hope.
:(
PS we were terrible!
I really enjoyed Saturday too, having the expectation of us ending up no better then mid table, I was relieved that some how we hung on against Notts County who did look like a good team coming forwards. I watched some real utter crap last year against the likes of Carlisle, Walsall, Northwich, Hereford, and Bristol Rovers. This was better then that at least. People predict we are going to be mid table at best then are still are full of scorn when we lose or even when we win ugly. Yes ive never quite drove home after a win feeling quite so worried about the make up of the team as a whole but I did draw heart form good performances by Fry, Reid and Martin and also feel that Asinyah may well be the man to get us back into the goals.
The last time we looked this poor we went on a winless run for 18 games ultimately ending our time in the chumpionship and placing us in the situation that we find ourselves in now.
People are now fearful that for all the talk all the changes there is no signs of this " new Squad" looking like they are trying to play their way into games.
Parkies post match confrence he clearly stated that had we lost Saturday we would have been looking at a poor start to the season.
To win when you are not playing well is good but it is lucky and you cant tell me that Millwall,Norwich,Leeds were lucky to get the points they did,
Yes they proberly picked up 6-8 lucky poimts through the season, Norwich did at us got the 3 points but their work had been done by then they had earned their luck.
We need to see endeavour, we need to see opportunity in front of goal, we need to see creativity all of which we are failing to see.
Apart from Ansiyah and Benson all of our squad has been with the team since the 2nd week of the season.
Abbott is used to this league and scored 13 last season does he look like a player who will score 13 this?
Francis signed whilst injured and disploaced a player made in charlton after his best game for us and 1 of only a couple in his rightful position, i said at the time that it put pressure on Francis to perform straight away and makes Solly lose confidence and ultimately form.
Johnnie Jackson not playing in postion but doing ok but is that his best position I hope not because at times looks poor in there
Mac I think is ok but as a cover for Semedo not played with him
Doherty good centre half and a good signing but paired with Daily (signing of the season for me) means we are slow in a key postion.
Martin and Reid will get frustrated and form will drop if we contiue to not utilise them correctly
Waggy Why the hell was he dropped?? We need to play Waggy and Reid and find a place for Martin
Benson Signed on the back of scoring regularly in league 2 but Dagenham play in a different way to us and he is being asked to play in a different way to a different style,
so we should be playing to his strengths that means getting wide and putting balls in and using a bit of creativity to find him in the middle
I have yet to see the creativity nor the crossing i am not saying that it wont come i am saying that the style we play currently is not showing that,
we are playing negativly we are setting out with 2 holding midfielders at home.
The signs for optimisum are not good and thats all people want something tangible to hang on to not just blind hope or loyalty
The last time we looked this poor we went on a winless run for 18 games ultimately ending our time in the chumpionship and placing us in the situation that we find ourselves in now.
People are now fearful that for all the talk all the changes there is no signs of this " new Squad" looking like they are trying to play their way into games.
Parkies post match confrence he clearly stated that had we lost Saturday we would have been looking at a poor start to the season.
To win when you are not playing well is good but it is lucky and you cant tell me that Millwall,Norwich,Leeds were lucky to get the points they did,
Yes they proberly picked up 6-8 lucky poimts through the season, Norwich did at us got the 3 points but their work had been done by then they had earned their luck.
We need to see endeavour, we need to see opportunity in front of goal, we need to see creativity all of which we are failing to see.
Apart from Ansiyah and Benson all of our squad has been with the team since the 2nd week of the season.
Abbott is used to this league and scored 13 last season does he look like a player who will score 13 this?
Francis signed whilst injured and disploaced a player made in charlton after his best game for us and 1 of only a couple in his rightful position, i said at the time that it put pressure on Francis to perform straight away and makes Solly lose confidence and ultimately form.
Johnnie Jackson not playing in postion but doing ok but is that his best position I hope not because at times looks poor in there
Mac I think is ok but as a cover for Semedo not played with him
Doherty good centre half and a good signing but paired with Daily (signing of the season for me) means we are slow in a key postion.
Martin and Reid will get frustrated and form will drop if we contiue to not utilise them correctly
Waggy Why the hell was he dropped?? We need to play Waggy and Reid and find a place for Martin
Benson Signed on the back of scoring regularly in league 2 but Dagenham play in a different way to us and he is being asked to play in a different way to a different style,
so we should be playing to his strengths that means getting wide and putting balls in and using a bit of creativity to find him in the middle
I have yet to see the creativity nor the crossing i am not saying that it wont come i am saying that the style we play currently is not showing that,
we are playing negativly we are setting out with 2 holding midfielders at home.
The signs for optimisum are not good and thats all people want something tangible to hang on to not just blind hope or loyalty[/quote]
Sums up my feelings as well.
For me, McCormack should be dropped, Wagstaff and Reid on the wings with Semedo holding and Martin in the middle. Or Jackson in the middle perhaps with Fry / Youga at left back. Solly back in for Francis and Fortune in for Doherty and go from there.
I can not blame our strikeforce for anything when they receive no service at all. It's not as if they are missing buckets of chances. That's when I can blame them.
Yes we struggled to beat a team promoted from the lower leagues - although at least for a time they had pretty decent investment, and all know each other.
Contrast that with are squad who are pretty new to each other.
The slow death however must be a turn off to fans, lack of investment and such an outflux of players must have a negative effect.
How can the fanbase related to 'heroes' on the pitch when most have left that summer, including the future starlets who were local talent.
I sat there on Saturday (my first game this season) trying to identify about 3/4 of the squad to my daughter, we couldn't even retain the heroic Lloyd Sam.. no honey all those players left, cos er we are on the brink of bankruptcy
Be sure that we are not yet off the bottom of this down curve, and until we go bust or get massive new investmet I suspect we won't be.
Parky seems a decent bloke, but I struggle to see that he is a talent, sure he's had a very difficult summer and brought in plenty of players, quite an achievement in some ways, but we are glaringly short of creative central midfield talent. And more worryingly seem sluggish and lacklustre, I hope this is just teething problems though.
I would like to see us try the following (subject to fitness), especially at home:
--------------Elliott--------------
Solly - Fortune - Dailly - Youga
-------------Semedo-------------
Reid-------------------Wagstaff
--------------Martin--------------
--------Benson - Abbott---------
Perhaps away from home, swap a striker for McCormack to tighten things up a bit. Just my opinion.