Quarter of the season gone, how are we doing ?

se9addick

In some ways it feels as though the season's only just started, in others that Bournemouth game played in the sunshine when we were still so full of hope seems like an age ago such has been the roller coaster nature of this season.

I've compiled a quick report card on each of the 14 players who've Mage six or more appearances this term - who do you think has done well and who has let you down?

Spoiler, I only gave out one F !

http://www.castrust.org/2013/10/14-season-report-card/

Stig

Letter to be sent to Mr & Mrs Kermorgant, Mr & Mrs Solly and Mr & Mrs Jackson:

Dear Parent/Carer,
We are writing to you because your player's attendance so far this season is below the minimum 90% that is expected.

We would like to discuss this matter with you and an appointment has been made to do this. At the meeting we would like to agree a plan to work together to improve your player’s attendance.

Failure to attend the meeting or contact us will be considered as you failing to work with us to improve your player’s attendance. This could involve us asking for the Footballer Attendance Officer to become involved.

We look forward to meeting with you.


Yours sincerely,

stonewallpenalty

Fair, balanced and a good read.

I think this team can improve. A bit of luck with injuries and a consistent line we will start to pick up wins.

I agree lawrie wilson Has been player of the season so far. We love a right back at Charlton.

JOKaneCAFC

Great review in my opinion.

I actually didn't like Wilson at all and I didn't think he would do a good job. However, I am glad I was proven wrong as I echo what the person above me said. He is the player of the season so far in my opinion.

se9addick

Lawrie's done really well, no doubt. It will be interesting to see how he does when Solly comes back when he's presumably shifted to right mid.

I felt a bit harsh with the Sordell grading, but hopefully I was fair.

Kap10

se9addick said:

Lawrie's done really well, no doubt. It will be interesting to see how he does when Solly comes back when he's presumably shifted to right mid.

I felt a bit harsh with the Sordell grading, but hopefully I was fair.

I think the Sordell rating is a bit harsh and I would have gone with D / E, but whatever the rating he is a major disappointment, given the talent that he has at his disposal. Equally, I would drop Lawrie down a tad. but thats just margins.

LenGlover

Good piece.

I'd give Pritch a C.

Bradley tries very hard in class but sometimes makes some very basic mistakes for a boy studying at this level.

He has adjusted very well to a pressured academic institution such as this when you consider where he was studying just two and a half years ago and it is easy to overlook this fact sometimes.

We have arranged some extra lessons after school with Mr Peacock and with his excellent attitude to his work Bradley should go on to fulfil his undoubted potential.

se9addick

Haha, very good Len !

I really want Pritchard to do well because of the effort he puts in and equally for his story, but I tried to be objective and I think objectively he hasn't had a good season and he, rather than Wilson will be the real casualty when Solly's back.

@Kap10 - interesting points and it's defiantly a game of opinions out of interest what have you seen in Sordell that makes you think he's possibly deserving of a D ?

se9addick

Haha, very good Len !

I really want Pritchard to do well because of the effort he puts in and equally for his story, but I tried to be objective and I think objectively he hasn't had a good season and he, rather than Wilson will be the real casualty when Solly's back.

@Kap10 - interesting points and it's defiantly a game of opinions out of interest what have you seen in Sordell that makes you think he's possibly deserving of a D ?

Elthamaddick

good article and I pretty much agree with all of it, be interesting to see their half year reports

DickVanDykesDiscoDog

Good article

I think from a team perspective our position is about right (within the bottom third of the league) ... last years position made us look far better than we were which was a lower mid table team.

Oggy Red

Enjoyed reading that, Craig.

razil

after the disruption of having to build a new strategy with players departed and many injured Powell seems to be holding his own defensively now against some top sides, does seem to point to the striker area needing strengthening and not sure where that puts is in the table, nearer middle than bottom in my view but those earlier games may drag us lower

DickVanDykesDiscoDog

razil said:

after the disruption of having to build a new strategy with players departed and many injured Powell seems to be holding his own defensively now against some top sides, does seem to point to the striker area needing strengthening and not sure where that puts is in the table, nearer middle than bottom in my view but those earlier games may drag us lower

Thats the one frustrasting thing ... we play well against anyone half decent but are pony versus the weaker teams ?!?

Lincsaddick

a bit below my expectations .. but now that Powell has hopefully settled on a set pattern and personnel, 'fings will only get berrer'

razil

settling on Wood and Moro seems to have been inspirational, even I have to admit Wilson has improved, he's a decent enough crosser, but not enough of an attacker or defender for me to like him

Oggy Red

DickVanDykesDiscoDog said:

razil said:

after the disruption of having to build a new strategy with players departed and many injured Powell seems to be holding his own defensively now against some top sides, does seem to point to the striker area needing strengthening and not sure where that puts is in the table, nearer middle than bottom in my view but those earlier games may drag us lower

Thats the one frustrasting thing ... we play well against anyone half decent but are pony versus the weaker teams ?!?

IMO that's because the stronger teams take the game to us and we're set up defensively to deal with that.
And if we can nick a goal, we close up shop.

Where that strategy falls down against the lower table teams, is when we don't seem to have the nous or strategy to unlock packed defences ourselves.

Sillybilly

Good article. I'd shade Wilson down a tad (he's been great but not phenomenal) and Stephens and Wood up a bit (both have been much better than expected). Otherwise I agree, as I do with the assertion that last year's finishing position blinded us to our obvious weaknesses.

se9addick

Oggy Red said:

DickVanDykesDiscoDog said:

razil said:

after the disruption of having to build a new strategy with players departed and many injured Powell seems to be holding his own defensively now against some top sides, does seem to point to the striker area needing strengthening and not sure where that puts is in the table, nearer middle than bottom in my view but those earlier games may drag us lower

Thats the one frustrasting thing ... we play well against anyone half decent but are pony versus the weaker teams ?!?

IMO that's because the stronger teams take the game to us and we're set up defensively to deal with that.
And if we can nick a goal, we close up shop.

Where that strategy falls down against the lower table teams, is when we don't seem to have the nous or strategy to unlock packed defences ourselves.

I agree Oggy, I think it's also the reason our away form is so good in comparison to home. At home there is a natural inclination to attack which doesn't particularly suit us, whilst away from home and/or against stronger opposition the opposition will take the initiative and come at us, which provided we're well organised at the back suits us just fine.

se9addick

razil said:

settling on Wood and Moro seems to have been inspirational, even I have to admit Wilson has improved, he's a decent enough crosser, but not enough of an attacker or defender for me to like him

Didnt realise you weren't a Wilson fan, not sure your fit to lead the Trust anymore !

nth_london_addick

not good enough, if we are being honest but I am just happy to stay in this league with the last kick of the last second of the last game so the fact we are not bottom and cut a drift is good

DickVanDykesDiscoDog

nth london addick said:

not good enough, if we are being honest but I am just happy to stay in this league with the last kick of the last second of the last game so the fact we are not bottom and cut a drift is good

It's not even November and we're already aiming for 21st this season
.... it's funny cos it's true !!

Granpa

Getting back to the original question, I would say that if CP had been able to invest more in the Summer, I would be extremely disappointed with the last two seasons. Without investment anything better than relegation is very pleasing.

Jarman

Read the whole thing and thought that the comments were fair enough baring the last two for Gower and Sordell.

You've got two players, one who was heavily involved and another who scored against forest in one of our more uplifiting performances thus far.
You simply cannot begin to write of Marvin as "one of the worst charlton signings" unless he ups his game before january...because as it stands there have been a lot worse to wear that shirt than Sordell, let's give him a chance eh?!

se9addick

Jarman said:

Read the whole thing and thought that the comments were fair enough baring the last two for Gower and Sordell.

You've got two players, one who was heavily involved and another who scored against forest in one of our more uplifiting performances thus far.
You simply cannot begin to write of Marvin as "one of the worst charlton signings" unless he ups his game before january...because as it stands there have been a lot worse to wear that shirt than Sordell, let's give him a chance eh?!

In my own defence I never used the word "worst" at all, I said;

"if something dramatic does not happen between now and January, Sordell will go down as one of the most disappointing signings in recent Charlton history (and there have been quite a few of those !)".

Big difference between the "worst" player and one of "the most disappointing players" - which I think if your comparing reputation to actual product I think so far Sordell is.

razil

se9addick said:

razil said:

settling on Wood and Moro seems to have been inspirational, even I have to admit Wilson has improved, he's a decent enough crosser, but not enough of an attacker or defender for me to like him

Didnt realise you weren't a Wilson fan, not sure your fit to lead the Trust anymore !

Tsk... I never was/don't

Kap10

@SE9Addick I suppose its more the feeling that F is too harsh, I have at times seen good movement (IMHO) and effort, plus I have seen some pretty dire forwards it Charlton in my time - Barry Endean, Kenny Achampong and they were def F levels. I have only seen Marvelous twice despite being a season ticket holder. I also think we are swung by our emotions, I desperately want to see him succeed, so maybe I see more positives in him than those that have given up. I'm not saying I am right and D or F are both pretty condemning of a guy who has been valued at £4 million in recent seasons.

se9addick

Kap10 said:

@SE9Addick I suppose its more the feeling that F is too harsh, I have at times seen good movement (IMHO) and effort, plus I have seen some pretty dire forwards it Charlton in my time - Barry Endean, Kenny Achampong and they were def F levels. I have only seen Marvelous twice despite being a season ticket holder. I also think we are swung by our emotions, I desperately want to see him succeed, so maybe I see more positives in him than those that have given up. I'm not saying I am right and D or F are both pretty condemning of a guy who has been valued at £4 million in recent seasons.

All about opinions mate and I guess the overwhelming feeling regarding Sordell is one of disappointment. He could/should have been so, so much better although a lack of service hasn't helped.

Unless something drastically changes it will be better for both parties to go their separate ways in January, and that's a real shame.

Kap10

se9addick said:

Kap10 said:

@SE9Addick I suppose its more the feeling that F is too harsh, I have at times seen good movement (IMHO) and effort, plus I have seen some pretty dire forwards it Charlton in my time - Barry Endean, Kenny Achampong and they were def F levels. I have only seen Marvelous twice despite being a season ticket holder. I also think we are swung by our emotions, I desperately want to see him succeed, so maybe I see more positives in him than those that have given up. I'm not saying I am right and D or F are both pretty condemning of a guy who has been valued at £4 million in recent seasons.

All about opinions mate and I guess the overwhelming feeling regarding Sordell is one of disappointment. He could/should have been so, so much better although a lack of service hasn't helped.

Unless something drastically changes it will be better for both parties to go their separate ways in January, and that's a real shame.

Agreed

cafctom

I've had good things to say about 95% of the players we have had the past two and a half seasons, but Sordell is just one player who has really failed to impress.

Before coming to Charlton I had this idea that he had pace and could make the runs onto through balls, but he doesn't actually do anything. His touch is quite sloppy and he seems very clumsy in his all round game.

se9addick

cafctom said:

I've had good things to say about 95% of the players we have had the past two and a half seasons, but Sordell is just one player who has really failed to impress.

Before coming to Charlton I had this idea that he had pace and could make the runs onto through balls, but he doesn't actually do anything. His touch is quite sloppy and he seems very clumsy in his all round game.

I agree Tom, and I think that player is in there, somewhere. I think we saw flashes in the Forest game of what he could do and in those flashes we saw a player that could be the standout player in our squad and a threat to the divisions goal scoring charts. That Sordell possesses these abilities but is unable or unwilling to use them on anything approaching a consistent basis compounds his poor form and is a strong factor behind me giving him an "F".