You can't live on past glories in football unfortunately. Everything you say is correct, but you have to make the most of what you have. IMO Powell has had a very bad season in this respect. He could have, should have, done some things very differently. From the outset his football has been too negative and one dimensional. We should not have found ourselves flirting with the relegation places with the squad we had in the first half of the season. Our squad was no worse than mid table teams like Bournmouth or Brighton, yet because of our lowly position, they have snapped up two of our best players. Yann scored only 8 all season with us, yet scores 3 in his first full game for Bournmouth. Our poor style of football has meant that we haven't created nearly enough chances. Harriot has been involved in most of our forward action recently, yet Powell has refused to play him for most of the season. Cousins positive impact on the midfield has been negated by playing him wide. Wilson's good form on the right midfield was negated by pushing him back (should have got in a loan RB). Everything has been geared to not loosing rather than playing good football and trying to score goals. The strategy has been, first contain, then try to nick a goal, then defend it. It's a very negative strategy that has permeated the players and the supporters. It sends out the message that we are not good enough to compete. Our players are far better than that and it's no wonder that their spirits seem to be very low ATM.
I've liked this and also emphatically quoted it. Totally agree. The Sheff Utd game epitomized this perfectly.
You could like it 100 times, and put it all in bold, and the glaring inconsistencies and lazy assertions would still be just the same. Take this:
Our squad was no worse than mid table teams like Bournmouth or Brighton, yet because of our lowly position, they have snapped up two of our best players.
Did QA carefully consider the starting squads of those two clubs compared with ours when he wrote that? If he did I would be very interested to hear how he comes to this conclusion. For anyone else who can't be arsed, here's a quick link to Brighton's squad list. I really wonder how anyone can look at that and take QA's assertion seriously. And then do you know why that squad is so much stronger? because their wage bill is about three times more than ours, that's why!!! As for Bournemouth of course in most people's minds they seem like a 'small' club but the fact is that they have some Russian oligarch, for reasons best known to himself, pumping money into the club. Richard Murray keeps reminding everyone who will listen of that fact, but no, people prefer to say that Bournemouth snapped Yann up "because of our lowly position" WTF???.
Dear oh dear, we are all hurting, but it would be nice if people faced up to a few facts rather than just looking for easy scapegoats.
I personally thought QA's post was very good. I find it strange that the points that he raised regarding the Sheff Utd performance and how that relates to performances in general this season were ignored but what was picked up on was his comparison to us and bournemouth and Brighton earlier on in the season. This is subjective and obviously is his opinion. I don't think that should detract from the other comments he made which I feel are very valid, in my opinion.
Cousins was a right back for much of his youth career - so maybe playing him behind Wilson makes more sense than the other way round!
Been saying that for a few weeks now. Wilson is a better RM by far than Cousins and Cousins might not be as good at RB as Wilson but in the grand scheme of things we are in the shit and Wilson ahead of Cousins is stronger than the other way round. We are losing anyway so what have we to lose by giving it a go.
It's all about expectations for me. A manager should be judged on what's reasonably attainable.
Personally I was expecting a relegation fight and we've got one. Does anyone really believe that you can take Fuller, Haynes, Kermorgant and Stephens from last year's squad, fail to even adequately replace them and rationally and reasonably expect anyone to keep us out of a relegation battle?
I didn't expect an FA Quarter Final. Keeps Powell ahead of the expectations game for me. Now to keep us up with this ramshackle collection of players.
Just like to quote this and add to it... we don't miss Stephens because we have Cousins, Poyet and Ajdarevic who we didn't have last year. Up until the international break in September I didn't think we would have too many problems but that was when Kermorgant got injured and the news about Solly started seeping out. The last owners did not get loan cover for these two and the current owner hasn't and then sold Kermorgant.
Can Reza do it? Can we get loan cover? not long to find out!
You can't live on past glories in football unfortunately. Everything you say is correct, but you have to make the most of what you have. IMO Powell has had a very bad season in this respect. He could have, should have, done some things very differently. From the outset his football has been too negative and one dimensional. We should not have found ourselves flirting with the relegation places with the squad we had in the first half of the season. Our squad was no worse than mid table teams like Bournmouth or Brighton, yet because of our lowly position, they have snapped up two of our best players. Yann scored only 8 all season with us, yet scores 3 in his first full game for Bournmouth. Our poor style of football has meant that we haven't created nearly enough chances. Harriot has been involved in most of our forward action recently, yet Powell has refused to play him for most of the season. Cousins positive impact on the midfield has been negated by playing him wide. Wilson's good form on the right midfield was negated by pushing him back (should have got in a loan RB). Everything has been geared to not loosing rather than playing good football and trying to score goals. The strategy has been, first contain, then try to nick a goal, then defend it. It's a very negative strategy that has permeated the players and the supporters. It sends out the message that we are not good enough to compete. Our players are far better than that and it's no wonder that their spirits seem to be very low ATM.
I've liked this and also emphatically quoted it. Totally agree. The Sheff Utd game epitomized this perfectly.
You could like it 100 times, and put it all in bold, and the glaring inconsistencies and lazy assertions would still be just the same. Take this:
Our squad was no worse than mid table teams like Bournmouth or Brighton, yet because of our lowly position, they have snapped up two of our best players.
Did QA carefully consider the starting squads of those two clubs compared with ours when he wrote that? If he did I would be very interested to hear how he comes to this conclusion. For anyone else who can't be arsed, here's a quick link to Brighton's squad list. I really wonder how anyone can look at that and take QA's assertion seriously. And then do you know why that squad is so much stronger? because their wage bill is about three times more than ours, that's why!!! As for Bournemouth of course in most people's minds they seem like a 'small' club but the fact is that they have some Russian oligarch, for reasons best known to himself, pumping money into the club. Richard Murray keeps reminding everyone who will listen of that fact, but no, people prefer to say that Bournemouth snapped Yann up "because of our lowly position" WTF???.
Dear oh dear, we are all hurting, but it would be nice if people faced up to a few facts rather than just looking for easy scapegoats.
I personally thought QA's post was very good. I find it strange that the points that he raised regarding the Sheff Utd performance and how that relates to performances in general this season were ignored but what was picked up on was his comparison to us and bournemouth and Brighton earlier on in the season. This is subjective and obviously is his opinion. I don't think that should detract from the other comments he made which I feel are very valid, in my opinion.
Thank you Rob. It is a game of opinions. But Praque seems to think that only his is valid and correct. I really don't get all the "wtf" rudeness, but there you go! I still maintain that a lot of our players are far better than they are currently showing, and compare favourably with the Brighton squad. Was Obika even there in the first half of the season? Upson must surely be well over the top by now. Hoskins is decent, as is that Stephens chap! As for Bournemouth, one of their best performers of late has been a certain Simon Francis, regarded by many on here as one of the worst Charlton players ever! I also contend that had we been in the top half of the table, Yann would not have moved to Bournemouth. So despite Prague's "wtf" I think our league position and the fact that we weren't performing even WITH Yann in the team, was a factor in RD deciding to sell him.
Powells awful for playing cousins RM, so let's bring Pritchard back!
He has nothing to work with. He loses his best players for peanuts but to be fair we did spend £800k on a new star signing so how come we aren't winning the league yet?!
Our team is worse than the league one winning team by a significant margin and we have nothing. We could all have a whip round to get Mourinho in but with the squad we have I doubt we could do much.
Powell needs players to put in the squad. Until then players will play out of position.
It's Roland's turn to bring some decent players in rather than red herrings of poor players who haven't scored 1 goal between them yet, or even managed to break into a team with a significant number of games (bar ajdarevic)
Powell is basically in exactly the same position he was in when he took over. This is not his squad, let him build a squad and keep his bloody players and we might get somewhere.
Yes, when you look at it - From last season, we have lost effective players in Fuller and Haynes - then Pritchard (who was a big player for us has lost form). Then Solly has been injured and Wiggins doesn't look like he is back to his best after injury, we have lost Cort and recently Yann and Stephens. People critical of Chrissy ought to think about this - these are not just any players, but were amongst our best players last season and in the case of Stephens, our best player this season!
if your opinions on the merits of Brighton's squad are more 'valid' than mine you might care to explain me WHY Brighton, not a parachute team, have a salary bill three times higher than ours?
Do you think the directors and management of Brighton are complete idiots, who don't have any idea about the value of a pound?
Well never mind, you'll get your wish, and then heaven help us all.
Praque, YOU were the one who tried to assert that YOU were the font of knowledge regarding the strength of the Brighton squad. You also tried to assert that I knew nothing and was talking out of my backside in saying that our squads at the start of the season were of similar quality. Quite why you have to go in with all guns blazing in trying to discredit a fellow poster's view, I do not understand, but I have noticed that I am not the first to have experienced this. A simple "I disagree" or "IMO" would have been far more civilised. For what it's worth, just because Brighton have a large expensive squad full of foreign unknowns, doesn't necessarily make them that much better than us. Before Yann and Stephens were sold, I considered Brighton, Bournemouth and Charlton to be mid table championship quality. In fact CP himself agreed with that, because if you look back at one of his press conferences around Oct/Nov he said we should be doing better, and should be about four places higher in the table. By the time RD arrived we were in a very poor bargaining position. Bad for CP, bad for Yann and bad for Slater/Jiminez. IMO we should not have been 3rd from bottom at that stage. That was down to the players, and CP also has to share some of the blame. Yann said the same in his interview when he left. To illustrate the point, we still have our most potent right sided midfielder playing at right back, when the last time he played in his favoured position he played superbly scoring two precious goals in a very good team performance. It would have made far more sense to bring in a loan right back or play Nego or Hughes at RB and leave Wilson in right midfield. As for your last comment. What the hell are you talking about? I have stated on numerous occasions on this forum that I do NOT want CP to go. I just want him to start being more positive in his team selection and tactics. I want only the best for Charlton and CP.
Yes, when you look at it - From last season, we have lost effective players in Fuller and Haynes - then Pritchard (who was a big player for us has lost form). Then Solly has been injured and Wiggins doesn't look like he is back to his best after injury, we have lost Cort and recently Yann and Stephens. People critical of Chrissy ought to think about this - these are not just any players, but were amongst our best players last season and in the case of Stephens, our best player this season!
No one would argue that Powell has had many things transpire against him this season, including injuries, bad refereeing and pure bad luck. However, as I said in my first post, you have to make the most of the hand you're dealt. I seem to recall Powell saying at the beginning of the season that he was happy with his squad, despite us fans insisting that we needed another striker and midfielder. Fuller and Haynes were influential at times but were not regulars, and were replaced with Church and Sordell (Powell signings I believe). Wood has been quite a competent replacement for Cort. A loan right back should have been bought in to cover Solly. We have weakend the whole of the right side by moving Wilson back. The Pritchard demise is baffling and has been a huge loss. I simply cannot understand such a drastic and prolonged drop in form. Personally I'd have kept him involved in the first team for longer in the hope that he would play his way out of it. As it is, it's looks like his confidence is completely shot to pieces, that doesn't reflect well on the coaching team who should know how to pick him up.
Comments
Can Reza do it? Can we get loan cover? not long to find out!
I still maintain that a lot of our players are far better than they are currently showing, and compare favourably with the Brighton squad. Was Obika even there in the first half of the season? Upson must surely be well over the top by now. Hoskins is decent, as is that Stephens chap! As for Bournemouth, one of their best performers of late has been a certain Simon Francis, regarded by many on here as one of the worst Charlton players ever! I also contend that had we been in the top half of the table, Yann would not have moved to Bournemouth. So despite Prague's "wtf" I think our league position and the fact that we weren't performing even WITH Yann in the team, was a factor in RD deciding to sell him.
He has nothing to work with. He loses his best players for peanuts but to be fair we did spend £800k on a new star signing so how come we aren't winning the league yet?!
Our team is worse than the league one winning team by a significant margin and we have nothing. We could all have a whip round to get Mourinho in but with the squad we have I doubt we could do much.
Powell needs players to put in the squad. Until then players will play out of position.
It's Roland's turn to bring some decent players in rather than red herrings of poor players who haven't scored 1 goal between them yet, or even managed to break into a team with a significant number of games (bar ajdarevic)
Powell is basically in exactly the same position he was in when he took over. This is not his squad, let him build a squad and keep his bloody players and we might get somewhere.
if your opinions on the merits of Brighton's squad are more 'valid' than mine you might care to explain me WHY Brighton, not a parachute team, have a salary bill three times higher than ours?
Do you think the directors and management of Brighton are complete idiots, who don't have any idea about the value of a pound?
Well never mind, you'll get your wish, and then heaven help us all.
Quite why you have to go in with all guns blazing in trying to discredit a fellow poster's view, I do not understand, but I have noticed that I am not the first to have experienced this. A simple "I disagree" or "IMO" would have been far more civilised.
For what it's worth, just because Brighton have a large expensive squad full of foreign unknowns, doesn't necessarily make them that much better than us. Before Yann and Stephens were sold, I considered Brighton, Bournemouth and Charlton to be mid table championship quality. In fact CP himself agreed with that, because if you look back at one of his press conferences around Oct/Nov he said we should be doing better, and should be about four places higher in the table. By the time RD arrived we were in a very poor bargaining position. Bad for CP, bad for Yann and bad for Slater/Jiminez. IMO we should not have been 3rd from bottom at that stage. That was down to the players, and CP also has to share some of the blame. Yann said the same in his interview when he left.
To illustrate the point, we still have our most potent right sided midfielder playing at right back, when the last time he played in his favoured position he played superbly scoring two precious goals in a very good team performance. It would have made far more sense to bring in a loan right back or play Nego or Hughes at RB and leave Wilson in right midfield.
As for your last comment. What the hell are you talking about? I have stated on numerous occasions on this forum that I do NOT want CP to go. I just want him to start being more positive in his team selection and tactics. I want only the best for Charlton and CP.