Did anyone else leave the game last night a little disappointed with the performance. Chris Powell praised the team but Leicester dominated for long periods and very few of the Charlton players looked like they are going to make it. Bad misses by Leicesters 7 and 8 cost them the game.
1. Keeper made a great pen save but sliced two kicks and flapped a lot of crossess. Think he is only 16 so may develop
2. Cousins looked good but not outstanding
3. Left back was terrible, couldnt kick, bottled challenges and didnt cross the half way line. Ignored by Charlton players every time he called for the ball
4. Poyet drifted in and out of the game, probably due to both teams kick and rush styles. Big and strong and has potential
5. Big quick and commanding but kept giving the ball away. Signed pro terms so could be the end of Mambo
6. looked decent until substituted (Osbourne??) Same Mambo comment as above
7. (Silva??)Quick and good in the air, great run for pen defo worth a year as a pro to look at further
8. (Mullholland???)Quick feet, looked good running with the ball but cant tackle or pass. Looked more like a winger to me
9. Pigott - Great finish for the first, cool pen but for a big guy he was beaten most times by a smaller centre back. Same comment as Silva
10. Both teams kept hitting long ball after long ball so didnt notice him
11.Harriott was the star player but looked a bit gready. Worth a 1st team bench spot if 7 subs
17.Won most headers
Some of the team may still be 16 so I may be harsh but they were playing a team of the same age group and were bullied and out strengthed.
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I'd say this was a bit of a harsh judgement overall but they're still young. They've done well this season and I personally think (having seen them a few times) this was just an off day.
That said our u18's played some decent counter attacking football and won the game, it wasn't pretty in the 2nd half but fa cup football is often like that. The midfield comprising of mainly 1st year scholars Muldoon, Poyet and Holmes - who is actually U16's, did well on the night against physically stronger players and I think your opinions of the defence are a bit harsh considering the way our midfield did get overrun and they then had to support / deal with this. Aerilly we could've been better, the Leicester target man number 9, in my humble opinion, is one of the most aerially dominant players I have seen this season, it is rare I have seen any all of our back 4 beaten in the air, that said, the cafc defence repeatedly stopped Leicester from scoring and for most of the time dealt proficiently with the opposition, I agree it wasn't pretty though. Cousins and Fox produced some good attacking runs down both flanks - repeatedly crossing the half way line! and delivering decent crosses from deep within the oppositions half and both players did this end to end for 1hr and 20 mins plus the additional 15minutes the referred somehow managed to add on...what was he using for time keeping an abacus?? also, it was a diagonal ball from Fox the left back which found Sho Silva in the opposition box- which then led to the pen -which led to Piggott scoring the wining goal.
Add to this the following facts, currently this squad -7 of which have now got pro deals with the club- competes week in and week out against mainly premiership academies in its league Chelsea, Arsenal, Spurs, Fulham, West Ham + a number of Championship clubs. They are currently 4th in the league, 2 points off of top place, 2 games in hand and firmly in contention for that top spot having secured seasonal wins against all of the aforementioned clubs...not too shabby for a side you have pretty much completely dismissed in your limited appraisal!... I recognise it is only your opinion you have expressed on here and you of course are entitled to it, but in contrast to your opinion this squad is probably one of the strongest, most technically proficient and tight squad - real team spirit- to have come through the academy in a while and are mirroring the successes of the first team and on reflection...( mirror / reflection..get it
Well done Charlton U18's through to the next round of the FA youth cup...Spurs at home, hopefully at The Valley
To be fair you have answered your own criticisms. The midfield consisted of 2 Yr 1 scholars (Poyet, Muldoon) and an U16 (Holmes) indeed 3 other Yr 1 scholars (Phillips, Lennon, Sho-Silva) contributed to the result - all I believe are eligible to compete at this age level next year.
I know little of the quality of the opposition apart from the very gifted Panayioyou but I believe Leicester (3rd in their league) focused on a robust style which is difficult to contend with at a senior let alone youth level. Last night was their 3rd defeat of the season.
In closing I would point out 8 (Cousins, Osborne, Ajayi, Poyet, Sho-Silva, Azeez, Piggot, Harriott) current scholars have been awarded professional contracts suggesting Messrs Hart, Avory and Powell are reading from a significantly different hymn sheet.
Grapevine49
A couple of players were a bit shy of challenging, as Avory was quite vocal in telling them, but overall, this is a good bunch of talent, and rather better, IMHO, than Todd's appraisal.
Having read all his posts to date it would appear he has nothing positive to say about any Addick player, why is it some people find it easier to criticise than make positive comment thinking it is constructive rather than destructive? Let's just consider...these kids, who by the way have taken a mature adult decision early on in their lives to leave further education and commit to football 6 days a week for 46 weeks of the year in the hope they make it as a footballer at some level. Some of these kids, have been doing this since they were an early age giving up a lot of the normal social activities their respective peers enjoy and in each successive year within the academy, in theory represent the top maybe 400 players across the UK of their respective age groups and they have got there by determination, commitment, hard work, talent and skill so I think we should respect
this is not a rant at you kentaddick
Have a great weekend everyone, c'mon you Addicks
There doesn't seem to be much between TRH and a TRoLL, really.
Not saying do it for every game, maybe 2 youth ties a season and possibly a ladies game - if they ahve a big one too.
If you had read my posts then you would have seen that I am generally positive, my last post was stating what a great midfield we have and how not everyone can play and who would people pick.....how is that negative.
The fact is out of that youth team, regardless of howvere many pros played, not all of them are going to make it. The youth team that contained, beckham, nevilles, butt etc, over half of that team would have been released. I was purly saying who i thought on the basis of the leicester game would amke it.
I sais the keeper made some good saves....a compliment. He did howeve slice clearances and look poor at crosses. With Gough and Pope ahead of him he does need to improve.
I said Cousins look ok, how is that negative?
The left back was poor and on that performance wont make it. Sorry if that offends you but the fact is that not everyone deserves or will be offered a pro deal and my opinion that this guy isnt good enough. I love it when a youth product makes it intot he 1st team but not all of them will and we have to be realistic.
I said the two centre backs deserve pro deals to see how they progress....how was that negative. The fact is that if thee guys are pros' realistically that will be the end of Mambo.
The game passed the midfield by due to both teams launching long balls, i stand by my comment that no 8 looks like he would be better out wide. Didint jon Fortune change position at that age and go on and play 100 premiership games.??? Again, how is that a negative comment.
Harriott deserving a place on the bench if 7 sub rule......if thats a negative comment then i would like to know what a positive comment is??
I also said Pigott took his goals well but was poor in the air, if he works on this aspect he could be a player, if he doesnt then league 2 at best.
Just because some are pro's, they certainly haven't made it and need to continue to work hard. They might do well against other footballing teams but they need to wise up when playing against teams like Leicester, that was my point and I dont see how that was negative.
If Leicesters 7 and 8's had taken theirn chances we would have lost heavily, that isnt being negative its staing a fact. I am assuning that you were at the game and remember the Leicester misses???
Why did Charlton only make one substitution? the game went to extra time and fresh legs were not brought on? Did we have injuries with a bench full of 16 year olds?
(VG who are also S/T holders free.)