For all those who criticise Hamer, tonight he provided us with two magnificent saves. The one from Smith was up there with the best of Deanos. And on crosses, no flapping but good catching when under pressure. Our first half was fine but Franchise gifted us the first goal and Green's 30 yard shot set up the second. We all must have thought we would run up a couple more but we created very little in the way of good chances and our defence looked strangely suspect. The second half was awful. The defence passed themselves into trouble far too often and there seemed to be an air of complacency which led to us always being under pressure - and this against 10 men. I thought both BWP and Yann worked hard tonight and Hollands did sterling work in midfield. BWPs control still isn't as sharp as in the earlier part of the season but it's not for want of effort. With the Wendys, Udders and Franchise all losing, the gap to third increases and at the same time the number of games diminishes. Our record against the others in the playoff places reads P8 W5 D2 L1. That is why we are top. When it matters we get the result.
Dont anyone have the same views as me in that Hamer, in spite of his qualities, is rather slow in getting the ball out after catching it? Two or three times Green was in open space by halfway line and yet Hamer prefers to let the oppos get back behind the halfway line before releasing the ball! Vey frustrating indeed...
It's alright for all you lot who were there but spare a thought for us at home who couldn't be bothered or weren't allowed to go. We had Palace fan Dickie Davis on Sky from the Valley and they went to him 6 times after MKD scored and everytime he said there were 2 mins left! It was very painful. There were late goals going in everywhere. Both Palace and Millwall lost their leads late on. We must have been the last game to finish in the whole country. At least if you were there you knew when it was over!!
I think they were under orders to slow things down as much as possible hence Hamer holding on. No one should get too frustrated with the second half, Powell and the players knew what they wanted to do but came up against a very fit and very able side in MK Dons.
Beyond what went on the pitch, terrible turn out from ST holders and a terrible atmosphere again. Not sure what more this team can do to get people going.....
I've criticised Hamer before, but he was our best player tonight, as outfield we were poor in the second half, pedestrian pace, combined with aimless passing.
Waggy deserves another run in the side, as Green just isn't doing enough. Stephens has some nice touches, but is very slow, and never seems to run forward with the ball, making our midfield a bit undynamic. I can't remember what he was like before the injury?
the ball didn't cross the line from where I was sitting, I didn't see the headbutt, I'd love to know what Yann did though...
A win's a win although typical Charlton we made hard work of it against 10 men. Looking good now however with a nice gap between us and 3rd and with games in hand.
We started to get the better of the play in the last 15 minutes of the first half and the pressure started to show for MK. We could have had a pen when Kerms was floored earlier and they really did panic when we turned the screws towards the end of the half. In Kermorgant, I'm afraid to say we might have found our b****rd. The player who is not only good at football, but also at winding opposition players up so much they try to murder him. That's MacKenzie and Beattie who have been sent off for attempted murder now and they're not the first to try to end him. Good on you Kerms. In retrospect Green's shot was so good and unexpected MK lost their damn minds trying to deal with the aftermath and the penality didn't surprise me at all. I thought it was Hollands who got brought down but others have said it was JJ and I'm happy to be corrected if wrong. Anyone?
We clearly had a gameplan in the second half but we didn't carry it out with any style. Taylor and Morro decided to play some kind of lottery on backpasses where they would either be over or under-hit, Wiggy looked dazed and Stephens broke out the hospital passes at regular intervals. I feel the pressure of trying to spend an entire 45 mucking about was a little too much and Powell should have sent them out to stretch MK more but we still got the result and if not for a decent goal from Bowditch we wouldn't be looking back on this as anything other than a stroll. BWP looked quality, save one poor attempt where he wasn't expecting the ball and I perhaps found it a little too funny seeing Clarke sit back down after being about to come on. Poor lad.
Highlight of my evening though was during yet another round of abuse aimed at Alan Smith, a gentleman next to me who'd spent the entire half thus far reading the paper suddenly sprung awake as the chant ended and very politely called out 'yes, Alan Smith, you are a c**t.' Legend.
Best part of the game for me was Jacko pretending to be Kermorgant and going off the pitch instead of him, leaving Yann on the pitch for the cross from the free-kick.
Happened just after the first time their centre back clobbered Yann
I thought it was Hollands who got brought down but others have said it was JJ and I'm happy to be corrected if wrong. Anyone?
Definitely JJ also confirmed on SNN highlights Smith booked as a result and not Chaplow as reported.
Also had the same view from NW Upper right along the goal line as Shooters Hill Guru of 'the ball crossing the line incident' and NO it did not.
The reality is I clearly wasn't paying enough attention, but my argument is that they look too similar and I'll be petitioning the club to have one of them shave their heads. It's made a mockery of my post-match marks too. It's always something with this club..
1st half tonight was about even with us coming into it in the last 10 minutes or so. Didn't see the headbutt but if he did what a stupid thing to do.
2nd half we were all over the place, probably the worst 45 I've seen us play in the league this season. Our stand out players for me were Stephens and Hamer. Hamer actually had things to do tonight and he did them all very well, especially the 1st half save and the catch at the end. A wins a win but we aren't as free flowing as we were, Green seems to want to control it and ivite the defender onto him instead of hitting it first time and I'm still not sure Kerms and BWP work well together up front.
But a wins a win against one of the stronger sides in the division, a point tonight and I don' think we could've had too many complaints, but we extend our lead but we can't come out like we did 2nd half tonight thinking it's all over because it isn't
I thought it was Hollands who got brought down but others have said it was JJ and I'm happy to be corrected if wrong. Anyone?
Definitely JJ also confirmed on SNN highlights Smith booked as a result and not Chadwick as reported.
Also had the same view from NW Upper right along the goal line as Shooters Hill Guru of 'the ball crossing the line incident' and NO it did not.
The reality is I clearly wasn't paying enough attention, but my argument is that they look too similar and I'll be petitioning the club to have one of them shave their heads. It's made a mockery of my post-match marks too. It's always something with this club..
Not to worry you can edit those, if not ...............Just say sorry!
Best part of the game for me was Jacko pretending to be Kermorgant and going off the pitch instead of him, leaving Yann on the pitch for the cross from the free-kick.
Happened just after the first time their centre back clobbered Yann
Better side first half, would like to see if that ball did cross the line, 2nd half 2-0 and against 10 men there was no need for us to turn into the Harlem Globetrotters so I was quite happy playing the game out, predictable goal at the end to keep us in our seats, how long was that 3 minutes. We can moan all we like on here, we are a very hard team to beat, Fact! and that bodes well for the rest of the season. All in all great results tonight for us and I cant stop looking at that table
Posting before reading this thread. Kicking the wrong way, but getting the three points. We were not great, and in the second half sometimes we were very very casual and complacent. Our decision making was poor, our precision wayward, our attitude wrong. Rusty after a lay off we could have done with a routine game to remember the rhythm of our system, but MKD were a good footballing side, and the sending off plus the suprise two penalties just before half time stopped it being a routine game. Hamer made a great save in the first half to give us a platform, stupidity by the MKD bloke, plus a rare bit of magic from Green helped, and Jacko was excellent with the penalties. Saying that MKD had a lot of efforts, and certainly deserved at least one goal, we won unconvincingly, but got the three points, maybe it was the famous and long expected blip. We need to up our game from now on starting at a tricky Prenton Park.
one of the strangest games I've seen at the Valley. 2-0 at half time when no-one would have complained at being 0-0 after 45 +3 mins and then we spend the next 45 mins running backwards and giving their 10 men all the space & time they wanted as if we couldn't be bothered to cross the half way line. I can't believe its what the managemnet told them to do, but there were no conflicting instructions coming from the touchline, so...............
I firmly believe that we are going up & if we can get 4 points from our 2 games in hand then we can start celebrating come mid-March.
As for the players on show tonight...............usual solideness from the back 5 & finally Hamer has shown why he is our No.1 with a great save 1st half, Danny Green is now starting to frustrate me and is starting to resemble Waggy & Lloyd Sam by not moving up the pitch and creating space but standing still and waiting for the ball to come to him. I can only assume it something that is coached into them, which is the exact opposite to what I was coached...........let the ball do the work, pass it down the line and run onto it.
BWP just needed that deflected shot to have dropped in.............once one goes in the floodgates will oipen.
The only explanation for the abject second half performance is that we were playing to orders, ie keep possession, conserve energy, hold tight at 2-0. Fine for the team, I suppose, so long as it leads to victory, but for the spectator it was 45 minutes of shite. I'm sure anyway that the orders would not have included to misplace passes, play your team mates into trouble time and again, lump the ball anywhere out of defence so that it comes right back again, fail to close the opposition down and don't bother running into space (Green!) - but that's what we got. You'd have thought that we were the team with ten men, the way we played.
I hate to criticise the team after a win but ffs that was the worst performance I've seen this season. And again the strikers did not look like they would ever score. Look at where our goals have come from lately - 3 wonder strikes by Jackson and Stephens (2 from deadball situations), one freak goal by Green and now two penalties. This is not how a team 8 points clear at the top of the table should be winning matches. I know we don't care so long as we get 3 points but why can't we beat teams just by playing well? Why do we have to rely on these kind of goals to win?
The only good thing about tonight's win (apart from the 3 points) was Hamer's performance. I've had serious doubts about him lately but he saved us tonight - that stop in the first half (was it from Smith?) was miraculous.
Seems that we drew at their place having been "battered" for 70 minutes, and we beat them at ours without getting out of third gear. Seems to me we must be doing something right?
ive read a few comments on here and for the most part i'm in agreement.
1st half evenly matched. 2nd half we were poor. Powell was far to cautious and the players seemed to be happy to hold on to the two nil. which for some seems like a fair tactic. but for me, when you are 2 nil up against ten men wouldn't you want to add to it. All players want to see the team scoring goals as do all fans. Meaning at half time, Powell should of said "look lets create more chances and punish this team to the point they wished the game like so many before it had been effected by weather and been called off. so instead of being spanked here they could of been spanked at home with their misses on valentines." It would of also helped wright phillips to get more chances to end the goal drought, but instead we pass along the back four. To sit back when we could of pushed on seemed a bit pointless and very risky. Pritchard should of came on sooner as well. Both penalty's were definite ones. their main threat was their wingers who were skillfull enough to get passed our fall backs. Overall we played average to crap against a pretty good side. Had their discipline been better they might of beaten our home record. anyway...top of the league. up the addicks.
I've criticised Hamer before, but he was our best player tonight, as outfield we were poor in the second half, pedestrian pace, combined with aimless passing.
Waggy deserves another run in the side, as Green just isn't doing enough. Stephens has some nice touches, but is very slow, and never seems to run forward with the ball, making our midfield a bit undynamic. I can't remember what he was like before the injury?
the ball didn't cross the line from where I was sitting, I didn't see the headbutt, I'd love to know what Yann did though...
yann stamped on him when he was on the ground , he got up and head butted yann then tried to strangle him thats when the ref showed him the red , how we got a pen for it i do not know as the ball had gone out for a goal kick
ive read a few comments on here and for the most part i'm in agreement.
1st half evenly matched. 2nd half we were poor. Powell was far to cautious and the players seemed to be happy to hold on to the two nil. which for some seems like a fair tactic. but for me, when you are 2 nil up against ten men wouldn't you want to add to it. All players want to see the team scoring goals as do all fans. Meaning at half time, Powell should of said "look lets create more chances and punish this team to the point they wished the game like so many before it had been effected by weather and been called off. so instead of being spanked here they could of been spanked at home with their misses on valentines." It would of also helped wright phillips to get more chances to end the goal drought, but instead we pass along the back four. To sit back when we could of pushed on seemed a bit pointless and very risky. Pritchard should of came on sooner as well. Both penalty's were definite ones. their main threat was their wingers who were skillfull enough to get passed our fall backs. Overall we played average to crap against a pretty good side. Had their discipline been better they might of beaten our home record. anyway...top of the league. up the addicks.
This style of play never stopped the Italians winning things. It's not necessarilly a bad thing.
Comments
Beyond what went on the pitch, terrible turn out from ST holders and a terrible atmosphere again. Not sure what more this team can do to get people going.....
Waggy deserves another run in the side, as Green just isn't doing enough. Stephens has some nice touches, but is very slow, and never seems to run forward with the ball, making our midfield a bit undynamic. I can't remember what he was like before the injury?
the ball didn't cross the line from where I was sitting, I didn't see the headbutt, I'd love to know what Yann did though...
Won 20.
Terrific, in 3rd gear or whatever.
No team has matched that.
We clearly had a gameplan in the second half but we didn't carry it out with any style. Taylor and Morro decided to play some kind of lottery on backpasses where they would either be over or under-hit, Wiggy looked dazed and Stephens broke out the hospital passes at regular intervals. I feel the pressure of trying to spend an entire 45 mucking about was a little too much and Powell should have sent them out to stretch MK more but we still got the result and if not for a decent goal from Bowditch we wouldn't be looking back on this as anything other than a stroll. BWP looked quality, save one poor attempt where he wasn't expecting the ball and I perhaps found it a little too funny seeing Clarke sit back down after being about to come on. Poor lad.
Highlight of my evening though was during yet another round of abuse aimed at Alan Smith, a gentleman next to me who'd spent the entire half thus far reading the paper suddenly sprung awake as the chant ended and very politely called out 'yes, Alan Smith, you are a c**t.' Legend.
Also had the same view from NW Upper right along the goal line as ShootersHillGuru of 'the ball crossing the line incident' and NO it did not.
Gleason looked decent too
Happened just after the first time their centre back clobbered Yann
2nd half we were all over the place, probably the worst 45 I've seen us play in the league this season. Our stand out players for me were Stephens and Hamer. Hamer actually had things to do tonight and he did them all very well, especially the 1st half save and the catch at the end. A wins a win but we aren't as free flowing as we were, Green seems to want to control it and ivite the defender onto him instead of hitting it first time and I'm still not sure Kerms and BWP work well together up front.
But a wins a win against one of the stronger sides in the division, a point tonight and I don' think we could've had too many complaints, but we extend our lead but we can't come out like we did 2nd half tonight thinking it's all over because it isn't
Meanwhile they can't see a way out of their own Blip, which just goes on and on.
Everyone is saying about how bad we were 2nd half, which we were, so just adding that 1st half we were very good.
Kicking the wrong way, but getting the three points.
We were not great, and in the second half sometimes we were very very casual and complacent. Our decision making was poor, our precision wayward, our attitude wrong. Rusty after a lay off we could have done with a routine game to remember the rhythm of our system, but MKD were a good footballing side, and the sending off plus the suprise two penalties just before half time stopped it being a routine game.
Hamer made a great save in the first half to give us a platform, stupidity by the MKD bloke, plus a rare bit of magic from Green helped, and Jacko was excellent with the penalties. Saying that MKD had a lot of efforts, and certainly deserved at least one goal, we won unconvincingly, but got the three points, maybe it was the famous and long expected blip. We need to up our game from now on starting at a tricky Prenton Park.
I firmly believe that we are going up & if we can get 4 points from our 2 games in hand then we can start celebrating come mid-March.
As for the players on show tonight...............usual solideness from the back 5 & finally Hamer has shown why he is our No.1 with a great save 1st half, Danny Green is now starting to frustrate me and is starting to resemble Waggy & Lloyd Sam by not moving up the pitch and creating space but standing still and waiting for the ball to come to him. I can only assume it something that is coached into them, which is the exact opposite to what I was coached...........let the ball do the work, pass it down the line and run onto it.
BWP just needed that deflected shot to have dropped in.............once one goes in the floodgates will oipen.
I hate to criticise the team after a win but ffs that was the worst performance I've seen this season. And again the strikers did not look like they would ever score. Look at where our goals have come from lately - 3 wonder strikes by Jackson and Stephens (2 from deadball situations), one freak goal by Green and now two penalties. This is not how a team 8 points clear at the top of the table should be winning matches. I know we don't care so long as we get 3 points but why can't we beat teams just by playing well? Why do we have to rely on these kind of goals to win?
The only good thing about tonight's win (apart from the 3 points) was Hamer's performance. I've had serious doubts about him lately but he saved us tonight - that stop in the first half (was it from Smith?) was miraculous.
1st half evenly matched.
2nd half we were poor. Powell was far to cautious and the players seemed to be happy to hold on to the two nil. which for some seems like a fair tactic. but for me, when you are 2 nil up against ten men wouldn't you want to add to it. All players want to see the team scoring goals as do all fans. Meaning at half time, Powell should of said "look lets create more chances and punish this team to the point they wished the game like so many before it had been effected by weather and been called off. so instead of being spanked here they could of been spanked at home with their misses on valentines."
It would of also helped wright phillips to get more chances to end the goal drought, but instead we pass along the back four. To sit back when we could of pushed on seemed a bit pointless and very risky.
Pritchard should of came on sooner as well.
Both penalty's were definite ones.
their main threat was their wingers who were skillfull enough to get passed our fall backs. Overall we played average to crap against a pretty good side. Had their discipline been better they might of beaten our home record.
anyway...top of the league. up the addicks.