That's got to be it, hasn't it? That was the most dire half of football I can remember seeing from an individual player. You know it's bad when a defender gets subbed at half time. Not a tactical change, not an injury, just an acknowledgement that here's a guy well out of his depth. I felt sorry for him when he was booed at the start. I half wanted to confront the booers, but decided to take the cowards way out and say nothing. Boy, am I glad I did. Imagine what a mug you could look sticking up for a player for him to put in a performance like that.
It wasn't just getting a few things wrong, he looked totally bewildered. His positioning poor, tackling poor and every time he kicked the ball it went to the opposition. Deep down I'm sure that he's a decent footballer; I don't see how he'd have become a professional unless he was. The trouble is his self belief has plummeted to the level where he looks like he hasn't the first clue what to do. I can't see him ever getting his confidence back all the time he's with us. Just how many decent games would he have to play now to shut the boo boys up? It's not going to happen, is it? For his sake and for ours he needs to move on as quickly as possible.
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And at the frightening rate of irrelevant and sidestepping "I pay good money for my blah blah seat/ticket, I have a right to my blah blah opinion" I constantly hear in response, the problem never will leave, either.
But the simple point being made is for a lot of us, he is definately one of the worst players we've seen play for the club, certainly when you consider it isn't just an unfit cameo like mike small or el khalej, but a run of 40-50 apps.
That's not blaming him for where we are now, or why we didn't make it last season, its just staying a simple point.
We debate our best players and we debate our worst, that's the sort of topics that crop up on message boards.
As Choice says: And the harder he tried, the worse he got.
Sooner or later, Francis will move on....... and good luck to him; he was a player who got off to a poor start and had the monkeys on his back after that.
But then the monkeys will pick a new victim. And so the circus continues.
Unfortunately, there is also such a thing as pinpointing one specific target to channel one's frustrations.
As has been pointed out, if someone is going to be booed before a game when their last performance was one as strong, confident and determined at the Reading game, why would he even care about trying to win fans over or fight for a place in the team?
And explaining the premise of debating best/worst players is ironic when it's being used as your argument against me joining in that debate, only in disagreement to the majority.
I'm not interested in 'shades of grey' that's a cover for players that are usually not mentally strong enough to play for Charlton.
If it's so hard playing at The Valley I point these players towards the Toolbox.
Wouldn't last two minutes. They'd suss em out by half time.
Amazing that we are top of the league and people are still trying to dig the supporters out.
It's never the players fault is it.
PS is it wrong to eat popcorn for breakfast?
It's pretty evident that there are pockets of both at this club that are more interested in pointing fingers and finding excuses than trying to improve their efforts.
Of course, fans don't have to make effort, I hear 100 times! They pay the players wages, not the other way around, right? But from some of the emotions I've seen on these forums and at the stadium. It appears to me that nonetheless these fans want the team to be a success.
And despite that, the reaction of many is the exact opposite of the definition of the world 'supporter'.
But yes, we're all entitled to opinions and we're all entitled to shoot ourselves in the foot if we're that addicted to the sight of our own blood.
There's not much more I can add to this, really, other than on the day Francis finds another club:
"Charlton's worst ever player is dead. Long live Charlton's worst ever player."
It's pretty evident to me that, at the moment, we are top of the league and rather than talk about that we get veiled digs at the supporters.
Maybe look at Chris Solly's attitude and application perhaps?
Funny how the game Francis had Vs. Reading seems to have gone off the radar.
Scapegoat much?!
Last season Francis stumbled from one bad performance to another. He gave Bristol Rovers their comeback goal at their place, and was involved in too many mishaps than not. A full back is a full back. If you don't see him he is doing his job.
There will always be scapegoats etc, this is football ... but for all concerned Francis needs to move on. For his own career. But on that performance would you take him on loan ?