Yesterday was the type of performance we have seen all too often from this team but I agree that it is unfair to blame any one particular player.
I left yesterday as soon as the 4th official put the board up for the 4 additional minutes. It would have been hypocritical to applaud any player who may have come over to ‘thank’ the travelling support on this occasion, but I also did not want to deride the players for that performance. I actually think they tried their best, but their best is inadequate at the present time.
The game yesterday was the perfect example of why this team will go down, and to me relegation has been the obvious consequence for several months.
We miss Solly desperately, and Wiggins no longer appears to be the player he has been for the previous two seasons.We lack width in general, and Solly’s absence has meant Wilson not playing in his best position which I see as a right sided midfielder.
We have lacked creativity in midfield for the last year or so. Stephens was not the answer. Neither is Jackson playing in the centre of midfield. His legs have gone and this is why he committed the tackle that got him booked yesterday. On another day, he would have seen red and not yellow. His lack of pace lead to the tackle being mistimed.
Poyet and/or Cousins are not the answer and playing them together in the middle of the midfield is also not the answer. They both seem more comfortable playing the holding role rather than an offensive one.
We have had a very weak attack for some considerable time and losing Kermogant has only exacerbated that weakness. Most supporters were hoping that the attack was to be enhanced by a couple of decent signings during the transfer window. Players with experience of the Championship at least.
Sadly, we acquired a young Polish striker who we are told is one for next season and not this one, and a fairly experienced striker from Iran who appears fairly lightweight – and because of this is proving to be not up to the job of playing against the physical and ‘savvy’ defenders that most teams appear to have in the Championship.
Sordell came with a reputation which appears misplaced and whilst Church tries his best, he has a very poor career striker rate, and does not pose any aerial threat. I have read that some see a likeness with Gary Nelson. That is an insult to Nelson who made the very most of what he had. He ran his heart out every game, and scored more frequently than Church. I also remember Nelson as being reasonable in the air.
The squad also lacks depth, and this dearth will only be accentuated over the next couple of months when injuries will take their toll on players having to turn out for three games each week.
So there you have it. I’m sure we will huff and puff over the next eight weeks, but we have to be realistic. We are not good enough, and are certainly one of the three poorest teams in the league.
As a post script, I read on another thread that there was criticism of the support being insufficiently vocal at Bramall Lane. Perhaps some posters would do well to remember that not everyone feels inclined to chant or sing at every available opportunity. That does not mean our support of Charlton is any less fervent as a result. I, for one, now in my 61st year (and 55th year of being a committed Addick) have done my fair share of singing and shouting – mainly in the seventies and eighties when I managed every match played home and away over a five year period. At this point in my life, I prefer a more passive support at matches, whilst my love of all things CAFC remains completely undiminished.
I am sure there were plenty more like me at Bramall Lane yesterday.
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However, if that was them trying their best, then we're even more in the brown stuff than I thought.
There is no way some of our players tried their best yesterday. I include standing up and being counted as part of trying your best. We had so many players under-par and bottle it that i can't agree with your statement. As someone said in another thread, it makes it hard to take because Sheff Utd were fairly shite as well.
Poyet and/or Cousins are not the answer and playing them together in the middle of the midfield is also not the answer. They both seem more comfortable playing the holding role rather than an offensive one.
It is if AA is played in front of them
I’m sure we will huff and puff over the next eight weeks, but we have to be realistic. We are not good enough, and are certainly one of the three poorest teams in the league.
agree with this though.
I have you right, we are down.
Down already.
We were barely good enough last season & Fuller's & Haynes' goals were probably worth at least 10 points to us.
We let them go without a decent replacement.
Solly is probably worth at least 6 points a season at a guess (probably more).
I know we ended up about 9th, but that was due, to a great end of season run, beating teams, that had already, packed it in for the season.
Knock, say 16 points off last season's total & you are serious relegation candidates.
You're teetering on the brink.
Then in January you sell your one decent striker & a midfielder who has been your best player this season.
It should only lead to one conclusion - relegation.
It's not over and I doubt people here really think that or I doubt we'd have 2000+ at Milwall. The cup was a nice distraction and hopefully has earned us a few extra quid. The players should not have been under any illusion that it was more important than staying in the league because it wasn't, it was a chance for a day out at Wembley that's all.
Yesterday hasn't effected our chances of staying in this league unless we have the defeated attitude I have witnessed on here today.
Down already? Well keep your negativity away and give your ticket to someone who believes. Win Wednesday and we'd be 1 point from safety with 3 games in hand.
Yesterday was disappointing, we've all lost out on that great day out at Wembley, that's all. We continue on Wednesday with the key prize all to play for.
I am confident our season will turn around on Wednesday when we beat Huddersfield. Law of averages says we have to beat Millwall sometime so why not Saturday.
Then we could be 2 points clear of the bottom 3 with 4 (FOUR) games in hand. Wouln't look quite so grim then.
We now have a guy in charge who has no idea how tough this league is and you cannot just chuck a few fringe players over from teams in his portfolio to make up the numbers and hopefully will keep us afloat.
With three players turning us down in the last two weeks for loan moves after clubs had agreed with Charlton would ring alarm bells.
Facts are players talk to each other and they know how bad it is down here and will hang around for another option.
That team showed no passion, hunger or desire to win that game yesterday. There was no Plan B or C and is a day that i will never forget for the wrong reasons. They have let alot of people down and there is no way in a million years that Powell will be able to pick that team up and get them going again for Wednesday and then for the match Saturday in which are both must win games.
What also will be interesting is how the fans will react on Wednesday, i think the players were shaken by the reaction of the fans after the game although i never experienced it myself as for the first time in the years i have been taken my 8 year old he wanted to leave the game early as he was so upset.
To cap it all i dont think we will bounce straight back up when we relegated this season, and we are in for a long few hard years.
I know i will be slagged off for this post for being negative blah,blah,blah but the facts are we need to live in the real world and what is evident we are a very poor team, whose confidence is at rock bottom and in terms of the future we have players whose contracts will run out at the end of the season.
But yes, our 'catch up games' I feel will decide our fate. We have to win all, just to catch up.
If we survive, changes will have to be made as I think this is one of the worst season's we ever have had.
Wouldn't even be able to predict the Huddersfield score...not sure what team will turn up!!1
I'm all for optimism but where charlton's league season is concerned there isn't a cell of adequacy from which to clone the ability to get probably 25 points from 16 matches - that's a 74% improvement on what's been achieved so far - with an ever weakening squad
0.8 goals per game.
So if we keep that up, our fans will have cheered a total of 37 times in the league over 9 months.
Is it any wonder we are so f*cking miserable.
the bookies still fancy us to stay up