And thats the worst thing too....we have a decent striker in BWP and he gets piss poor service.How many times did Francis did opportunities to cross and couldn't even get it past the first defender? And when he did it sailed over everyone and out for a throw in.
[cite]Posted By: boogica[/cite]we need a leader like kinsella someone to bollock the life out of the players .
Spot on. And you ain't gonna get that from Semedo or Racon.In all my 30 odd years of going I Don't think I have seen so many gutless players on the pitch at one time.
totally agree i feel passionately about this club and yes i hate digging out players but most of them aint got the passion or pride to wear our famous shirt and that is what really pisses me off.
didnt take my son tonight cos he is only 4 but always comes on a saturday i get in after 2nites game he is waiting up to find find out how we got on and telling him we lost again
honestly it hurts just hope them players feel the same.
Absolutely terrible. Too many are just not good enough. Robbie Elliott had another shocker. Simon Francis is a VERY poor defender who VERY occasionally puts in a half decent cross.Why Chris Solly or Cal Jenkinson don't play at right back is beyond me. Doherty is far to slow and heads most clearances across his own penalty area. Poor Jon Fortune is way past his best before date
People on here slaughtered Miguel Llera for giving away a penalty at Exeter, he deserves another chance in the team, there is no way that he could do any worse than some of Doherty and I hate to say it Daillys performances of late
I have to say for the first time in 30 years I think I will pass on Saturday. It's not because I have something else in the diary, I just can't think of anything I would like to do less on Saturday afternoon than go back to The Valley.
We haven't played well at home for as long as I can remember, literally. Maybe MK-Dons, the 5-1 win, and that was over twelve months ago, I mean it's not as though we are playing the likes of Man Utd and Arsenal and looking rubbish.
It's not about a breaking point for me, I just don't enjoy it anymore, and even though I have a season ticket I've still got to pay for the petrol and give up an afternoon, and I just don't want to.
There I've said it. You can buy as many big screens as you like, and you can make the season tickets as cheap as you like, but if the football is going to be this cack I'd rather stay home thanks.
A few seasons back , I'd have been crying after a performance/defeat like this but as someone else posted, I'm just feeling a kind of numbness. Bit like having a bad dream and hoping you'll soon wake up ....
For a time, I thought we could score a hatfull and gloried in the confidence a win of that nature would give the team going forward into the next match, and the next....Carlisle looked there for the taking.
And then I DID wake up.....
Apart from Jenks, no-one came away from that game with any credit IMHO. I can't believe how woeful the rest really were. I'm guessing that confidence is seriously lacking following 3 straight defeats and with Joe & JJ injured plus Pawel departing, options were limited for SCP. However, once again, IMHO the team was SO unbalanced and even my untutored eye can see that we have real problems in midfield. Nothing new there then.
Unsure what the Boss can do before Saturday apart from try to bring in a couple of new faces ...Is it a lack of "old" heads on the pitch - one less now that Doc's crocked ..? Are Racon & Semedo the right type of players for this division where it appears that a workmanlike side of grafters is worth its weight in gold ? Answers on a postcard,please and better make it a large one.
I'm not losing the faith, believe me but it was a sad night for our Club and some of those present tonight will not be as committed as I am. As Curbs was fond of saying, we need to get back to winning ways , and fast or this season which was so promising could turn into a disaster.
[cite]Posted By: kings hill addick[/cite]I have to say for the first time in 30 years I think I will pass on Saturday. It's not because I have something else in the diary, I just can't think of anything I would like to do less on Saturday afternoon than go back to The Valley.
We haven't played well at home for as long as I can remember, literally. Maybe MK-Dons, the 5-1 win, and that was over twelve months ago, I mean it's not as though we are playing the likes of Man Utd and Arsenal and looking rubbish.
It's not about a breaking point for me, I just don't enjoy it anymore, and even though I have a season ticket I've still got to pay for the petrol and give up an afternoon, and I just don't want to.
There I've said it. You can buy as many big screens as you like, and you can make the season tickets as cheap as you like, but if the football is going to be this cack I'd rather stay home thanks.
to be honest i feel the same but dont want to let my son down just hope im gonna feel better saturday night.
KHA, I know how you feel. Had to work late last night and went straight to the game tonight. Will be wed teatime the 1st time I properly see my kids from Sunday. Love this club so much and to see it so limply continue to slide is so painful. The only real bit of downtime I'll get this week was wasted on that. So frustrating
[quote][cite]Posted By: SE9[/cite]Never should have had a rookie boss. There it's been said. Only appointed to make the fans happy.[/quote]
THIS
I think its now time the new management take a hard look at themselves. Maybe it wasn't working under Parky & he had to go............but appointing Chris Powell was a gimick just to please the fans. Go knows how many people applied for the job & who they interviewd, but we need an experienced man in NOW to help out but NOT TO REPLACE.........maybe a plate thrower, or a hairdryer, but not a Mr Nice Guy. Maybe Curbs until the end of the season with Powell under his wing.
I simply don't think we are good enough. Either that or the blend is wrong. We got a good start then the midfield went on holiday allowing Carlisle to win all the loose stuff for the rest of the game. The first goal took a deflection of Dailly which is one of those things but I've no idea what we were doing for the other two. Hard to tell from Covered End Upper but, much as I hate to say it, it looked like Robbie was at fault for one if not both of the goals.
The second half was awful. We looked like the away side and how sad to see how far Fortune has fallen.
THe only two good things about tonight were Jenkinson and getting a Charlton Life badge!
1. We haven't played a good 90 minutes all season. Last such performance was norwich at home where we dominated them and lost. the team lacks courage on the pitch, no doubt. Get paul mckenna in to sort them out.
2. The manager can only work with the players he's got, and this team lacks ability. this house was built with sand because we couldn't afford anything else at the time. Give SCP time to work on morale and then getting reinforcements in.
3. chris powell is not a stupid man. he wouldn't have taken the job on unless he believed he had some ability. Now he needs time and support from all around him.
My post match view is that we played very well for the first half hour, then we bottled it. We gave Carlisle too much space and time with the ball and they too the advantage and scored. The rest of the first half was poor. The begining of the second half was ok up to 60 minutes. Carlisle United were up for the game more than us and they deserved to take the lead and go on to win the game. On my way out of the stadium and on my way back to the car i could hear many conversations about people thinking of not renewing their season tickets for the 2011/12 season, who could blame them?? Charlton Athletic really need to wake up and change a lot of things, the club is making us too depressed these days!
Lots of emotion, understandably. But here's the football thing:
We lost tonight because, yet again, we were out-bossed in midfield. I love Semedo as a player and, in the right combination, he could play and perform at higher level. But the one consistent feature in our demise over the last few years is the Semedo/Racon partnership ... and it just isn't good enough.
Yet again tonight a bunch of workhorse League 1 midfielders dominate our so-called cultured foreign stars. Look at the possessions stats week-in, week-out. We rarely get the majority of possession (although BBC Football claims that we did tonight - yeah, right), usually fail to get more attempts on goal than our opponents, and fall well behind on corners.
Carlisle played a narrow midfield and out-battled us in central midfield. When that happens, you have to get your wingers and full backs in possession, feed the ball to them and make the opposition play your game. Powell and his coaching team were severely lacking tonight in recognising that. That's why we lost.
Oh ... and before Off_it starts ... Yes, I do have all the relevant coaching badges and experience, although admittedly only at semi-professional level.
My main point ... it ain't rocket science, but the much-heralded new manager and his red-hot coaching team seem to be a little light on bright ideas when things don't go according to plan.
If Forch isn't up to it any longer and Doc is crap then either give Llera another chance or play Fry in his natural position. Replace the hapless Francis with Solly. We don't unfortunately have a single midfielder worth their salt and I include Jose in that. You can't fault his effort but he's really not up to it IMO. Reidy blows cold a lot more often than he blows hot and there is never an end product. Can nearly write this season off. CP needs to start looking at whom he is going to replace and with whom and start slowly blooding some of the youngsters.
Nice to see Eccles sprinting off when he was subbed, even he couldn't stomach much more.
Started brightly but once they realised we are shit when pressured it was all over!
My main comments are
Francis did ok - doing 2 jobs down the right but crossing was poo again
Ecclestone needs to toughen up and stop falling over. League 1 is a mans game. Cost us first goal again
Jenkinson was excellent again.
Fortune - where do I start!? The substitution was cringeworthy. He stood up and looked like he'd been napping! He wasn't prepared at all. Then, when he came on, he produces the worst performance ibe witnessed in a cafc shirt. Looked disinterested and was wandering about like a lost sheep. Genuinely looked like he was pissed! He is finished
Elliott - never rated him, still don't. Far too many soft goals creep in and the third was laughably bad keeping
Reidy was pants again
BWP needs to learn that he is expected to contribute more than a goal. Lazy bastard
Racon is a bottler and often costs us with his loose passing. Again I'm not a fan but agree he's better than mccormack
Chris Powell - silk purse pigs ear situation maybe but substitutions need to come earlier - however the formation in first half worked well and caused them trouble. Ecclestone was just the weak link in it for me
It just gets worse and worse. Our club has been on a downward spiral ever since we lost Scott Parker to Chelsea and had our traditional February decline that year. I'm absolutely fed up with being let down by inadequate performances and results and can't remember the last time that there was prolonged and real optimism around the club. The most worrying problem is that every change that we have made since Parker left has seen the club fall even further down in the proverbial bottomless pit.
One fundamental problem seems clear, that is that we keep replacing our players with players that are of a lower standard, and yes this may be inevitable due to the financial difficulties that come from being relegated but the drop in standard seems to be so large in all areas of the team and the style of football gets worse and worse, not only that but players seem to be a lot better off where they go or where they came from. There are countless examples - Luke Varney, Darren Ambrose, Mark Hudson, Madjid Bougherra to name a few... at the moment we seem to turn good players into bad players almost overnight. Simply put, our players struggle to find their best form when at the club.
So Surely this has to be something to do with the management? but I am not convinced, can it really be true that we appoint four truly awful managers in a row who seem to make all the same mistakes as their predecessors? every manager seems to get transfers wrong and even when a good transfer is made, the football is still bad, tactics and general decision making seems to negatively effect our performances. I think its fair to say that good performances have been few and far between for a long time and the football style is getting worse and worse, the long ball drivel drives me up the wall and is simply not effective, surely we need to actually try and play on the ground and utilize the ability that we have on the ground in wagstaff, racon and jackson, attributes that are bypassed in games where we consistently see the ball arrive at either right or left back and pumped towards the strikers, almost robotically our players seem to be trained to play long ball with no freedom to express themselves its just aimless lumping up the pitch, the benefits of better footballing style I think would be huge at least if we lose this way it might be entertaining. And some may say that football is a results business, and I completely agree, but long ball is only necessary when it is playing to your strengths, evidently long ball is not our strength. this leads back to the managers...I think they have all made mistakes, in some cases, far too many, but I don't think they are fully to blame... there just seems to be something unmanageable at our club at the moment. whether its the players, the board or the atmosphere, there seems to be a glass ceiling on how we can perform.
If it is the managers that are causing our recent decline, then responsibility has to lie with the board... but again I don't think this is fair as Richard Murray was considered to be one of the greatest chairman in football when we were sitting 7th at the end of the 2003/2004 season, you surely can't go from a brilliant chairman to an awful one over night, having said that I do believe that the board has made 'rash' appointments and one's that are not necessarily in the best interests of our club... Dowie was to get one over on Jordan, Parkinson was financially motivated and Powell was one for the people... I do think it is too early to judge Powell right now, although we have done some nice work in the transfer window in my opinion, with Eccleston and BWP being great signings as their ability is at the top end of all the players in league one, it seems that nothing has changed since we got hammered against Swindon, 8 games later, not 1 good performance, yes 4 wins, but the performances weren't great.
OUR CLUB NEEDS TO SORT ITSELF OUT, we need to all pull in the right direction together, now we have some financial backing the board, staff, players and supporters all need to back each other. I think we as fans need to be more patient and vocally supportive, the boo boys are always out too quickly putting pressure on our players in a negative environment and I feel as if we need to step up the volume with our home support and really get behind the team, wash away all the negativity and be patient, giving the players and staff freedom to express themselves. we also need to get rid of this dull, unsuccessful long ball shite and try to play football the 'right' way. the squad needs improving, quite simply our goalkeeper, back four and central midfield is not good enough to get into the championship. as much as I love Semedo and what he does for the team, playing him in central midfield in a 4-4-2 will not get us promoted. he only has one dimension to his game, breaking up play and yes he is brilliant at it, but we need to have two box to box midfielders who play football with each other and complement each other. playing Semedo in a 4-4-2 does not allow this. either put him in the back 4 or in a 3 man central midfield. our back 4 is pants, we need pace there and more passion, defenders that are good on the ground as well to allow us to play as well as battle. and our goalkeeper is not good enough. I really like Elliot as a person and he is a real charlton player, wearing his heart on his sleeve, but I don't think he cuts it at this level as he costs us 5-10 goals per year IMHO. A footballing decision has to be made and I believe that a new goalkeeper should be a top priority.
Basically what we're getting as Charlton Fans isn't good enough at the moment, and people may not agree with a word I have said and it may all be jumbled goobledegook, but I bloody love this club and feel so passionately about it and am so sick and tired of being served up the same old rubbish week in week out at the moment. so this is a heat of the moment rant to get it off my chest.
Finally, I want nothing more than to see better football at the valley and away with our fans fully behind the team and getting the 'charlton feeling' back at the club. I think given enough time and patience things will improve, if not this season then definitely next, so lets all get behind Sir Chris and the boys and turn things around and get climbing back up that league table... I hope come may I will have a different outlook on our current state as a football club.... COYR
In defence of Elliott maybe if we had shot at their keeper he too may have made a similar balls up but until we start doing so they may as well not bother with a keeper.
For once I didn't bother getting up at 5.30am to listen to this one. But from reading this thread it sounds like the weaknesses that have been highlighted on here for many weeks came back to haunt us yet again. We will not get anywhere with this midfield. Try Francis in midfield, try Solly, try anything , but we have to improve the midfield. Robbie needs to be dropped as well, give Worner a run and play Fry at centre half. One player can make a huge difference especially in such a key area as midfield. That is the engine of the team and our engine is like that of 50cc moped under the bonnet of a five seater sedan. I watched Blackpool on the box at the weekend and without one player (Charlie Adam) they were useless. We need to find our Charlie Adam or Scott Parker.
I like many others wonder why I bother spending my hard earned money to go and sit and watch that crap week after week.
It's not just tonight but for years, we seem to have no idea on how to defend set pieces, no idea on how to attack set pieces, no ability to pass to a man more than 5 yards away and the constant ability to just whack it forward. Doesn't matter who the players are the same thing happens time and time again.
Felt a little sorry for Elliot, everyone wanted him to roll it out quick but theres little point when no-one can be arsed to move into space. No-one had a good game tonight, Dailly is getting worse every game and Doherty I've never been impressed by this season, Racon and Semedo non exsistant, desperatley need a CM who can create and pass and we had a bunch of striker who apart from BWP goal didn't make their keeper work at all. God knows what Powells team talk was as we was worse 2nd half.
Just don't understand how time and time again we look like a bunch of strangers playing together and yet the opposition despite being limited actually know how to play football and have some sort of game plan and move the ball into positions instead of aimlessly hoofing it forward like we do.
[cite]Posted By: queensland_addick[/cite]For once I didn't bother getting up at 5.30am to listen to this one. But from reading this thread it sounds like the weaknesses that have been highlighted on here for many weeks came back to haunt us yet again. We will not get anywhere with this midfield. Try Francis in midfield, try Solly, try anything , but we have to improve the midfield. Robbie needs to be dropped as well, give Worner a run and play Fry at centre half. One player can make a huge difference especially in such a key area as midfield. That is the engine of the team and our engine is like that of 50cc moped under the bonnet of a five seater sedan.
I watched Blackpool on the box at the weekend and without one player (Charlie Adam) they were useless. We need to find our Charlie Adam or Scott Parker.
Yup .. top of the shopping list ... a midfield 'Guv'nor'. Someone who can boss it like Marshall did for Carlisle tonight.
Pace, power and an eye for a pass. A biting tackle and a bit of arrogance would help too.
cafc18.. spot on. You sound exactly as perplexed and frustrated as me.
It's hard now to know exactly who/what is responsible for the general apathy/lack of fight/no charlton spirit at the club etc etc, as it's gone on for 5 years now and now on its 5th manager, and a new board.
I still don't understand it, all we can do is hope and try and get behind Chris Powell.
Just not enough speed of thought or movement. Did our midfield win a header all night? They seemed to be looking around waiting for Carlisle to win it every time.
It's just the same story when we were in possession: a bunch of useless ditherers. It looked like they were standing there, cogitating about what to do. They are professionals they should be honed to the point where these decisions come automatically. By the time our lot decide to pass or shoot, either the ball has been taken off of them or the opposition are in place to block. It's just so frustrating to watch.
For me, the one player who came out of it with any credit was Bradley Wright-Phillips. Just how many times tonight did he have to spin 270+ degrees to get the ball and then do something with it? He's probably the best striker in the league, but he's not going to get a fraction of the goals he should if the other idiots keep playing the ball behind him.
All Elliot did wrong tonight was the last goal. Is long throws were immense as usual. Carlisle were closing down, if he took his time he was right.. BWP offers little but scores, well worth his value. Quality signing. Not a single good CB at the club. No presence in the midfield apart from Semedo. We get dominated because there is no one good to play infront of Semedo and chase. Fran is absolute dog.
And top it all off, some twat in the west stand booing Jenkinson when starting 11 was announced.
It isnt Powells fault the players cant play football, bar 3/4.
When we came out you could see Powells effect on the team. No big kicks. They were trying to play it on the floor. But because there all so bad it never got further than the centre backs passing to each other and back to Elliot. No movement. Good on Powell, hes got the right idea, just wait till he gets players in that can do it.
Listening to Bradley Allen on the commentary last night, he was saying that our biggest problem was that we were trying to play too much football on the floor, but the players just weren't good enough to do it. Maybe that's the reason Parky played in a much more direct style; he knew that with the players he had it was simply the best way.
[cite]Posted By: Dave Rudd[/cite]Lots of emotion, understandably. But here's the football thing:
We lost tonight because, yet again, we were out-bossed in midfield. I love Semedo as a player and, in the right combination, he could play and perform at higher level. But the one consistent feature in our demise over the last few years is the Semedo/Racon partnership ... and it just isn't good enough.
Yet again tonight a bunch of workhorse League 1 midfielders dominate our so-called cultured foreign stars. Look at the possessions stats week-in, week-out. We rarely get the majority of possession (although BBC Football claims that we did tonight - yeah, right), usually fail to get more attempts on goal than our opponents, and fall well behind on corners.
Carlisle played a narrow midfield and out-battled us in central midfield. When that happens, you have to get your wingers and full backs in possession, feed the ball to them and make the opposition play your game. Powell and his coaching team were severely lacking tonight in recognising that. That's why we lost.
Agree with the above. Semedo and Racon as a partnership were hopeless last night. The number of times they seemed to end up the wrong side of 1 or 2 Carlisle midfielders was ridiculous, and Racon continued his habit of laying the ball off to Semedo, then running down a blind alley leaving poor Jose to get closed down by about 3 players.
I also didn't understand why we persisted with Eccleston on the right and Waggy up front for so long. I think it would've been worth switching this far more frequently than waiting til around the hour mark when Carlisle got their second goal.
Jon Fortune is past it. Was Miguel Llera really that bad last season? He had his moments, but I certainly remember some decent performances from him alongside Dailly. Certainly better than Doherty and Fortune are putting in at the moment.
only the 2nd time ive left early since our return to the valley. the other time we were actually winning but needed to leave sharpish.
eliot - see oohaah is right thread.
francis - if crossing is his 'plus' then his defending is an almighty minus.
dailly - being slowly dragged down by the crap around him.
docherty/fortune - omg what has happened/omfg what has happened.
jenkinson - shows how crap the rest are when an 18 y/o player shines playing out of position.
ecclestone - where has the player that come on as sub to score gone?
semedo - the only virtual everpresent in a too often overrun midfield.
racon - thinks he is still at marseille.
ried - should make more of the positions he gets in.
waggy - cant knock his effort and goal return.
wright-phillips - looks very static if things go against us, but seems to be a natural scorer.
Watching Charlton is a bit like Groundhog day at the moment. We have put up with watching this depressing stuff for too long now. I know it's tough as supporters but things will turn eventually. Keep the Faith everyone.
Comments
totally agree i feel passionately about this club and yes i hate digging out players but most of them aint got the passion or pride to wear our famous shirt and that is what really pisses me off.
didnt take my son tonight cos he is only 4 but always comes on a saturday i get in after 2nites game he is waiting up to find find out how we got on and telling him we lost again
honestly it hurts just hope them players feel the same.
Robbie Elliott had another shocker.
Simon Francis is a VERY poor defender who VERY occasionally puts in a half decent cross.Why Chris Solly or Cal Jenkinson don't play at right back is beyond me.
Doherty is far to slow and heads most clearances across his own penalty area.
Poor Jon Fortune is way past his best before date
People on here slaughtered Miguel Llera for giving away a penalty at Exeter, he deserves another chance in the team, there is no way that he could do any worse than some of Doherty and I hate to say it Daillys performances of late
We haven't played well at home for as long as I can remember, literally. Maybe MK-Dons, the 5-1 win, and that was over twelve months ago, I mean it's not as though we are playing the likes of Man Utd and Arsenal and looking rubbish.
It's not about a breaking point for me, I just don't enjoy it anymore, and even though I have a season ticket I've still got to pay for the petrol and give up an afternoon, and I just don't want to.
There I've said it. You can buy as many big screens as you like, and you can make the season tickets as cheap as you like, but if the football is going to be this cack I'd rather stay home thanks.
For a time, I thought we could score a hatfull and gloried in the confidence a win of that nature would give the team going forward into the next match, and the next....Carlisle looked there for the taking.
And then I DID wake up.....
Apart from Jenks, no-one came away from that game with any credit IMHO. I can't believe how woeful the rest really were. I'm guessing that confidence is seriously lacking following 3 straight defeats and with Joe & JJ injured plus Pawel departing, options were limited for SCP. However, once again, IMHO the team was SO unbalanced and even my untutored eye can see that we have real problems in midfield. Nothing new there then.
Unsure what the Boss can do before Saturday apart from try to bring in a couple of new faces ...Is it a lack of "old" heads on the pitch - one less now that Doc's crocked ..? Are Racon & Semedo the right type of players for this division where it appears that a workmanlike side of grafters is worth its weight in gold ? Answers on a postcard,please and better make it a large one.
I'm not losing the faith, believe me but it was a sad night for our Club and some of those present tonight will not be as committed as I am. As Curbs was fond of saying, we need to get back to winning ways , and fast or this season which was so promising could turn into a disaster.
COYA !!!!!!
to be honest i feel the same but dont want to let my son down just hope im gonna feel better saturday night.
KHA, I know how you feel. Had to work late last night and went straight to the game tonight. Will be wed teatime the 1st time I properly see my kids from Sunday. Love this club so much and to see it so limply continue to slide is so painful. The only real bit of downtime I'll get this week was wasted on that. So frustrating
There it's been said. Only appointed to make the fans happy.[/quote]
THIS
I think its now time the new management take a hard look at themselves. Maybe it wasn't working under Parky & he had to go............but appointing Chris Powell was a gimick just to please the fans. Go knows how many people applied for the job & who they interviewd, but we need an experienced man in NOW to help out but NOT TO REPLACE.........maybe a plate thrower, or a hairdryer, but not a Mr Nice Guy. Maybe Curbs until the end of the season with Powell under his wing.
The second half was awful. We looked like the away side and how sad to see how far Fortune has fallen.
THe only two good things about tonight were Jenkinson and getting a Charlton Life badge!
2. The manager can only work with the players he's got, and this team lacks ability. this house was built with sand because we couldn't afford anything else at the time. Give SCP time to work on morale and then getting reinforcements in.
3. chris powell is not a stupid man. he wouldn't have taken the job on unless he believed he had some ability. Now he needs time and support from all around him.
Sorry, rant over.
Now I AM crying !
We lost tonight because, yet again, we were out-bossed in midfield. I love Semedo as a player and, in the right combination, he could play and perform at higher level. But the one consistent feature in our demise over the last few years is the Semedo/Racon partnership ... and it just isn't good enough.
Yet again tonight a bunch of workhorse League 1 midfielders dominate our so-called cultured foreign stars. Look at the possessions stats week-in, week-out. We rarely get the majority of possession (although BBC Football claims that we did tonight - yeah, right), usually fail to get more attempts on goal than our opponents, and fall well behind on corners.
Carlisle played a narrow midfield and out-battled us in central midfield. When that happens, you have to get your wingers and full backs in possession, feed the ball to them and make the opposition play your game. Powell and his coaching team were severely lacking tonight in recognising that. That's why we lost.
Oh ... and before Off_it starts ... Yes, I do have all the relevant coaching badges and experience, although admittedly only at semi-professional level.
My main point ... it ain't rocket science, but the much-heralded new manager and his red-hot coaching team seem to be a little light on bright ideas when things don't go according to plan.
Nice to see Eccles sprinting off when he was subbed, even he couldn't stomach much more.
My main comments are
Francis did ok - doing 2 jobs down the right but crossing was poo again
Ecclestone needs to toughen up and stop falling over. League 1 is a mans game. Cost us first goal again
Jenkinson was excellent again.
Fortune - where do I start!? The substitution was cringeworthy. He stood up and looked like he'd been napping! He wasn't prepared at all. Then, when he came on, he produces the worst performance ibe witnessed in a cafc shirt. Looked disinterested and was wandering about like a lost sheep. Genuinely looked like he was pissed! He is finished
Elliott - never rated him, still don't. Far too many soft goals creep in and the third was laughably bad keeping
Reidy was pants again
BWP needs to learn that he is expected to contribute more than a goal. Lazy bastard
Racon is a bottler and often costs us with his loose passing. Again I'm not a fan but agree he's better than mccormack
Chris Powell - silk purse pigs ear situation maybe but substitutions need to come earlier - however the formation in first half worked well and caused them trouble. Ecclestone was just the weak link in it for me
One fundamental problem seems clear, that is that we keep replacing our players with players that are of a lower standard, and yes this may be inevitable due to the financial difficulties that come from being relegated but the drop in standard seems to be so large in all areas of the team and the style of football gets worse and worse, not only that but players seem to be a lot better off where they go or where they came from. There are countless examples - Luke Varney, Darren Ambrose, Mark Hudson, Madjid Bougherra to name a few... at the moment we seem to turn good players into bad players almost overnight. Simply put, our players struggle to find their best form when at the club.
So Surely this has to be something to do with the management? but I am not convinced, can it really be true that we appoint four truly awful managers in a row who seem to make all the same mistakes as their predecessors? every manager seems to get transfers wrong and even when a good transfer is made, the football is still bad, tactics and general decision making seems to negatively effect our performances. I think its fair to say that good performances have been few and far between for a long time and the football style is getting worse and worse, the long ball drivel drives me up the wall and is simply not effective, surely we need to actually try and play on the ground and utilize the ability that we have on the ground in wagstaff, racon and jackson, attributes that are bypassed in games where we consistently see the ball arrive at either right or left back and pumped towards the strikers, almost robotically our players seem to be trained to play long ball with no freedom to express themselves its just aimless lumping up the pitch, the benefits of better footballing style I think would be huge at least if we lose this way it might be entertaining. And some may say that football is a results business, and I completely agree, but long ball is only necessary when it is playing to your strengths, evidently long ball is not our strength. this leads back to the managers...I think they have all made mistakes, in some cases, far too many, but I don't think they are fully to blame... there just seems to be something unmanageable at our club at the moment. whether its the players, the board or the atmosphere, there seems to be a glass ceiling on how we can perform.
If it is the managers that are causing our recent decline, then responsibility has to lie with the board... but again I don't think this is fair as Richard Murray was considered to be one of the greatest chairman in football when we were sitting 7th at the end of the 2003/2004 season, you surely can't go from a brilliant chairman to an awful one over night, having said that I do believe that the board has made 'rash' appointments and one's that are not necessarily in the best interests of our club... Dowie was to get one over on Jordan, Parkinson was financially motivated and Powell was one for the people... I do think it is too early to judge Powell right now, although we have done some nice work in the transfer window in my opinion, with Eccleston and BWP being great signings as their ability is at the top end of all the players in league one, it seems that nothing has changed since we got hammered against Swindon, 8 games later, not 1 good performance, yes 4 wins, but the performances weren't great.
OUR CLUB NEEDS TO SORT ITSELF OUT, we need to all pull in the right direction together, now we have some financial backing the board, staff, players and supporters all need to back each other. I think we as fans need to be more patient and vocally supportive, the boo boys are always out too quickly putting pressure on our players in a negative environment and I feel as if we need to step up the volume with our home support and really get behind the team, wash away all the negativity and be patient, giving the players and staff freedom to express themselves. we also need to get rid of this dull, unsuccessful long ball shite and try to play football the 'right' way. the squad needs improving, quite simply our goalkeeper, back four and central midfield is not good enough to get into the championship. as much as I love Semedo and what he does for the team, playing him in central midfield in a 4-4-2 will not get us promoted. he only has one dimension to his game, breaking up play and yes he is brilliant at it, but we need to have two box to box midfielders who play football with each other and complement each other. playing Semedo in a 4-4-2 does not allow this. either put him in the back 4 or in a 3 man central midfield. our back 4 is pants, we need pace there and more passion, defenders that are good on the ground as well to allow us to play as well as battle. and our goalkeeper is not good enough. I really like Elliot as a person and he is a real charlton player, wearing his heart on his sleeve, but I don't think he cuts it at this level as he costs us 5-10 goals per year IMHO. A footballing decision has to be made and I believe that a new goalkeeper should be a top priority.
Basically what we're getting as Charlton Fans isn't good enough at the moment, and people may not agree with a word I have said and it may all be jumbled goobledegook, but I bloody love this club and feel so passionately about it and am so sick and tired of being served up the same old rubbish week in week out at the moment. so this is a heat of the moment rant to get it off my chest.
Finally, I want nothing more than to see better football at the valley and away with our fans fully behind the team and getting the 'charlton feeling' back at the club. I think given enough time and patience things will improve, if not this season then definitely next, so lets all get behind Sir Chris and the boys and turn things around and get climbing back up that league table... I hope come may I will have a different outlook on our current state as a football club.... COYR
I watched Blackpool on the box at the weekend and without one player (Charlie Adam) they were useless. We need to find our Charlie Adam or Scott Parker.
It's not just tonight but for years, we seem to have no idea on how to defend set pieces, no idea on how to attack set pieces, no ability to pass to a man more than 5 yards away and the constant ability to just whack it forward. Doesn't matter who the players are the same thing happens time and time again.
Felt a little sorry for Elliot, everyone wanted him to roll it out quick but theres little point when no-one can be arsed to move into space. No-one had a good game tonight, Dailly is getting worse every game and Doherty I've never been impressed by this season, Racon and Semedo non exsistant, desperatley need a CM who can create and pass and we had a bunch of striker who apart from BWP goal didn't make their keeper work at all. God knows what Powells team talk was as we was worse 2nd half.
Just don't understand how time and time again we look like a bunch of strangers playing together and yet the opposition despite being limited actually know how to play football and have some sort of game plan and move the ball into positions instead of aimlessly hoofing it forward like we do.
Yup .. top of the shopping list ... a midfield 'Guv'nor'. Someone who can boss it like Marshall did for Carlisle tonight.
Pace, power and an eye for a pass. A biting tackle and a bit of arrogance would help too.
A young Van Bommel will do for me.
It's hard now to know exactly who/what is responsible for the general apathy/lack of fight/no charlton spirit at the club etc etc, as it's gone on for 5 years now and now on its 5th manager, and a new board.
I still don't understand it, all we can do is hope and try and get behind Chris Powell.
It's just the same story when we were in possession: a bunch of useless ditherers. It looked like they were standing there, cogitating about what to do. They are professionals they should be honed to the point where these decisions come automatically. By the time our lot decide to pass or shoot, either the ball has been taken off of them or the opposition are in place to block. It's just so frustrating to watch.
For me, the one player who came out of it with any credit was Bradley Wright-Phillips. Just how many times tonight did he have to spin 270+ degrees to get the ball and then do something with it? He's probably the best striker in the league, but he's not going to get a fraction of the goals he should if the other idiots keep playing the ball behind him.
BWP offers little but scores, well worth his value. Quality signing.
Not a single good CB at the club.
No presence in the midfield apart from Semedo. We get dominated because there is no one good to play infront of Semedo and chase.
Fran is absolute dog.
And top it all off, some twat in the west stand booing Jenkinson when starting 11 was announced.
It isnt Powells fault the players cant play football, bar 3/4.
When we came out you could see Powells effect on the team. No big kicks. They were trying to play it on the floor. But because there all so bad it never got further than the centre backs passing to each other and back to Elliot. No movement. Good on Powell, hes got the right idea, just wait till he gets players in that can do it.
Agree with the above. Semedo and Racon as a partnership were hopeless last night. The number of times they seemed to end up the wrong side of 1 or 2 Carlisle midfielders was ridiculous, and Racon continued his habit of laying the ball off to Semedo, then running down a blind alley leaving poor Jose to get closed down by about 3 players.
I also didn't understand why we persisted with Eccleston on the right and Waggy up front for so long. I think it would've been worth switching this far more frequently than waiting til around the hour mark when Carlisle got their second goal.
Jon Fortune is past it. Was Miguel Llera really that bad last season? He had his moments, but I certainly remember some decent performances from him alongside Dailly. Certainly better than Doherty and Fortune are putting in at the moment.
eliot - see oohaah is right thread.
francis - if crossing is his 'plus' then his defending is an almighty minus.
dailly - being slowly dragged down by the crap around him.
docherty/fortune - omg what has happened/omfg what has happened.
jenkinson - shows how crap the rest are when an 18 y/o player shines playing out of position.
ecclestone - where has the player that come on as sub to score gone?
semedo - the only virtual everpresent in a too often overrun midfield.
racon - thinks he is still at marseille.
ried - should make more of the positions he gets in.
waggy - cant knock his effort and goal return.
wright-phillips - looks very static if things go against us, but seems to be a natural scorer.