Yes I know, I thought it was Sheffield Utd all over again!!
So general conception is, weak at the back as usual, had a bit of a mardy after 1-1 but ultimately three points which were much needed?!
The usual has been us being fairly tight at the back, 5 CS in the last 8 games, but not posing any threat up front, so tonight was the complete opposite of our usual performances!
Certainly not the sort of game I expected but a vital win none the less. Didn't understand the decision to play Morrison at right back as it undoubtably unsettled the defence and contributed to one of our poorest defensive performances for some time. I would have also started Obika up front instead of Sordell but at least he got a goal and Obika didn't do a lot when he came on. Not very happy about Wigan making so many changes which obviously helped Millwall out but by and large the results went for us and we have now dragged Blackpool, Birmingham & Donny into the mix.
Great win. A fit Solly and an in form striker who can win the ball in the air and hold it up would make this side comfortable in the Championship.
The pitch in front of the north stand continues to not play well. Hamer looked to slip over just before their first goal. Their keeper ballsed up too at that end. A few players also slipped over again. Really hope they can sort it over the summer.
Needless to say it's 3 vital points, but my God we made heavy weather of it. Playing AA in front of Morrison at RB was a recipe for disaster. Then, when we had them on toast after the 3rd goal, we sit back and fail to commit men forward in attack. The ref also does his bit by giving them a throw when their player had kicked it straight out in front of our dugout and 20 seconds later it is 3-2. That aside there were some excellent performances. Reza showed us why he is a demigod in Iran, notwithstanding his absolute bottling of a tackle in the 2nd half. AA is a fantastically gifted player, but can lose some of the showboating. Sordell vindicated Riga's faith in him with his best game for the club and Wiggins looked back to his best. Jacko, Cousins and Poyet all put in great shifts for the cause. There can be no doubt, Poyet is destined for better things. His positional sense and reading of the game is a joy to watch. I would not begrudge him a move, but please God we get our due for developing a player of his quality. As an aside, Wigan have gone from being my 2nd favourite team (honest) to 92nd, after fielding their reserves against Millwall. I sincerely hope they get stuffed in the semi and screw up the play-offs too.
6 more points to stay up for me. 41 points right now. infact if we beat barnsley we need less than 47 points. we just keep winning the games that we can and that is what it is all about. who cares if we cant beat reading or burnley but if we can do it against yeovil, forest and leeds then that is what counts
How much more would we enjoy a game if we knew,100% , that we'd win it !
On reflection, it was a cracking game - a real Cup Final - with thrills,spills & skills galore ...not to mention the chills ( Mr F felt & looked awful tonight) and my pills ( needed a double dose !)
But how much more would we have enjoyed it if we knew the result beforehand ?
Of course, some of the excitement would disappear but maybe we'd appreciate the finer points of the game when we weren't stressing so much about a misplaced pass or a defensive error.
For 95 minutes tonight I was a total wreck...apart from 3 glorious intervals when relief & sheer joy took over. SO glad I'm already grey !!!
But, for the non purists, like me, what a great game that was ! And no-one would dream of under stating the importance of the 3 points tonight. A fighting performance from the lads with some good passages of play & some decent attacks at long last. Well done to all concerned , although I thought Wiggy had his best game for some time & Dervite is growing into one of my favourite players. Sordell too showed that there is more to him than we've previously witnessed, whilst the Young Guns in midfield did just what they do best.
A much needed win indeed and a welcome rest day tomorrow for our lads, I guess. Onwards then to the Sussex coast & a game we probably expect little from. But confidence will have grown tonight so who will have the bravado to predict the result ?
So, when did we know Wilson couldn't play? If it was only today then Nego playing yesterday is understandable. If we knew before that game then why did Nego play? If we are saying Nego isn't good enough to step in then why has he even been on the bench? I fail to see how he could have been a worse option than Morro at right back.
Anyway, enough of the defence. Thought all the midfield had good games although Poyet was immense. We may yet regret him being not allowed to play earlier this season. Sordell had a good game as did Reza. He may be lightweight and shirked one 50/50 but when he has the ball he at least wants to get forward and run at their players drawing fouls etc. we need him to operate further forward as then he will be in and around the box getting free kicks in more important areas and even winning some penalties. Great work for Sordells goal. Thought Obika looked unfit when he came on, disappointed with his performance.
A tense night but enjoyable. Think we will stay up but still a few twists and turns to come.
Lol very good guys. I've just got back from a NY Yankees game. It says at the top that we won 3-2? This can't be right as it means we've scored 3 goals! Anyone care to tell me the actual score?
How much more would we enjoy a game if we knew,100% , that we'd win it !
On reflection, it was a cracking game - a real Cup Final - with thrills,spills & skills galore ...not to mention the chills ( Mr F felt & looked awful tonight) and my pills ( needed a double dose !)
But how much more would we have enjoyed it if we knew the result beforehand ?
Of course, some of the excitement would disappear but maybe we'd appreciate the finer points of the game when we weren't stressing so much about a misplaced pass or a defensive error.
For 95 minutes tonight I was a total wreck...apart from 3 glorious intervals when relief & sheer joy took over. SO glad I'm already grey !!!
But, for the non purists, like me, what a great game that was ! And no-one would dream of under stating the importance of the 3 points tonight. A fighting performance from the lads with some good passages of play & some decent attacks at long last. Well done to all concerned , although I thought Wiggy had his best game for some time & Dervite is growing into one of my favourite players. Sordell too showed that there is more to him than we've previously witnessed, whilst the Young Guns in midfield did just what they do best.
A much needed win indeed and a welcome rest day tomorrow for our lads, I guess. Onwards then to the Sussex coast & a game we probably expect little from. But confidence will have grown tonight so who will have the bravado to predict the result ?
Bring on the Tesco carrier bags !
Can't predict a Charlton win after going 1-0 up - far too simple! Lol... Keep the faith as I'm sure you will...This was our cup semi final...far more important than beating Sheff Utd. 2nd leg next Tuesday where we can close out the angles or go for the melodrama last day of the season Blackpool away?! When I look at the quality on display I have to wonder what we are doing messing about in the bottom six... We have quality and we play football...good feeling for next season!
Blimey. 3 charlton goals in one match, feels like christmas has come around again. A great start with an early goal, hopes dashed a minute later by sloppy defending and (yet again) a deflected goal conceeded. Their equaliser seemed to take away our momentum, making it a tense game. We eventually got hold of the game again and finished the half the stronger team.
Came out strong and 2 quick goals put us firmly in control. Being Charlton, we naturally made it harder for ourselves than it should've been by letting them back in it with a soft goal.
Morrison is no RB and this showed everytime their left winger had the ball, being given far to much space, but won't be too harsh on him. The usual superlatives going to Poyet for another great performance, but tonight I was very impressed with Wiggins, especially when going forward. He was constantly looking to drive on, the highlight being a fantastic run in the first half beating 2 or 3 players before getting to the byline and putting a dangerous ball into the area.
One thing I noticed in the first half was when someone was bringing the ball forward from deep, he would have 4-5 players in front of him, yet every single one of them had their back to goal, as if to get the ball to feet, but no-one was taking a gamble on making a run to get behind their defence. This makes build-up play slow, giving the opposition time to get behind the ball. However, this seemed to change in the second period, with players making those runs we've been lacking this season. Coincidence? I think not.
I'd happily take a drab 0-0 on saturday, followed by another win on Tuesday.................
Absolutely massive win, but a performance that was far from convincing. Decent start and then an early, individual goal from Ajdarevic. You might say he was pleased to score!! Then a messy equaliser from Yeovil and they began to pass and move and create openings with alarming ease. We rallied immediately before half-time and Wood almost put us in front, but when the whiste went it was a relief to get to the break on level terms.
A goal from Dervite, who I felt was magnificent throughout, a couple of minutes after the restart was a major boost and when Sordell increased the lead just a few minutes later we ought to have been out of sight. It didn't feel like that though and I said to my neighbour 'this isn't over yet". Indeed it wasn't and when a misjudgement by Wood allowed Yeovil in for another disappointing goal it set up a tense final twenty minutes. We kept our shape and hung on without any real scares, but weren't able to retain quality possession and that doesn't auger well for the rest of the season. Still, the points are all that matter at this stage.
It's all about opinions obviously and for me Sordell looked good tonight and I'd have thought he's our best option as central striker. Ghoochanejhad had his best game so far this evening, but neither he or Obika are doing enough to demand an automatic start. Not quite sure what to make of either of them.
Interesting that in the absence of Wilson, Riga chose to play Morrison at right back rather than risk Nego. All one can say about the back four is that it will be a relief when Wilson returns, at RB, enabling Morrison to return to the centre alongside Dervite.
One final observation. Does anybody else think that Diego Poyet must have forged his birth certificate? It's hard to believe he can be so mature at just eighteen. In some ways tonight wasn't one of his better games (he's setting very high standards), but he was again critical to our shape and game plan. He's beginning to remind me a little of Graeme Souness. Calm and assured in possession. A Rolls Royce of a player on the ball, but a different animal altogether off it. Very competitive, not afraid to put a foot in, times a tackle well with his opponent often appearing to come off worse after contact. Just for good measure he appears to read the game well, again both with the ball and without. The Boy really is some player.
I agree that Morro was uncomfortable at right back but he stuck with it. The coaching staff clearly don't think Nego is ready so there wasn't much choice, other than play Cousins there and lose his presence in midfield. So I can see why it was done.
As a Powell supporter, I do not think we should assume that he wouldn't have kept us up under the right conditions but in response to an earlier post, I do agree that Riga changes things more quickly. And I have to admit this was something I often moaned about Powell- He had that give it another 10minutes tendancy, but Ihave been watching football long enough to see that if something isn't working, it rarely fixes itself.
Still, a vital 3 points and it is great to be one of 7 clubs, rather than 1 of 4. That takes a lot of pressure off as fr some reason, it is better to chase down the clubs in front of you than keep clubs behind you.
A much needed 3 points with all the results going our way bar the Scum. Defence was all over the shop last night, but we got through it ok.
Games of the season in a red shirt from Reza, Poyet and Sordell last night. Astrit is something different in the side, but he's so unfit. He makes Andy Reid look like Mo Farah.
That was way harder than it should have been. Thought Riga made a big mistake playing Morrison right back. Taking him away from the central position but more seriously, he is simply not able to play right back. You need somebody who is mobile, can turn quickly and can pass the ball in the full back positions. This is really important both defensively but also because full backs see a lot of the ball in possession. A right midfield player (not that we've got one of those) is better suited to right back than a centre half in my opinion. Alternatively one of the young full backs or Hughes, and leave the centre halves the same. Could well have cost us - we were all over the shop first half and then ended up having to switch everything in front of the defence to help protect him. Calamitous two goals conceded. Some of the Powell beraters would have had a field day if he'd made that tactical decision. And on that note, bringing Cort on at the end for Sordell to leave us with 5 defenders to hang on to the game... that sort of decision cost CP a few times too... it's a fine line between being a tactical genius and a clueless out of your depth sunday league manager..
Anyway, worked out just about in the end, hated seeing Cousins back on the right but to be fair to him he had one of his better games out there.
Obika looked like a right carthorse when he came on couldn't control the ball at all.
Result is a very very big one and we really should stay up now given our run in and the teams above us that our now potentially catchable.... but I'm not holding my breathe - a winnable home game for the suddenly in form scum and a defeat at Brighton and we're back in the drop zone...
I think one of the differences between Riga and Powell, you might argue, is that even in the first half Riga was switching things around to try and correct for problems caused by his initial selection and formation. It's conjecture, but I suspect Powell would have tried to tough it out until at least half time. Powell tended to trust his initial judgment more, believing it would work out in the end (which it sometimes did) where as Riga seems more willing to make proactive adjustments based on what he sees unfolding in front of him. There have been changes that Riga has made which have made no difference or that have maybe even lost us momentum and he's made a few weird starting team selections, you are certainly right that it often comes down to very fine margins, but I'm glad that Riga appears to be more proactive from the touchline. Even the most staunch Powell supporter can surely admit to being frustrated at the lack of action Powell sometimes displayed in games that were clearly not going our way.
I admitted this for the first time last night. Dropping Reza into central midfield almost was a bit of a masterstroke. Attacking substitutions when have a one goal lead as well. I think Powell cost us games at times with negative changes, I.e Birmingham at home last season and Wigan away this year.
Am I right that Wilson has a cracked eye socket? Wouldn't that rule him out for the rest of the season? His injury must have been known Monday which is a real indictment of Nego, that he was allowed to play in the U21's.
Morrison is not he answer, Cousins may have to be. Not only was Morrison a liability defending out of position but going forward he does not have the ability to play the ball forward effectively.
Watched the goals, Hamer did not fall over for the first goal, he was going one way and it was deflected, the second goal he was passed around, not sure if that is a goal keeping mistake or down to the player that flicked the ball on to him.
Going to have to be a lot better against Barnsley.
Posting without reading. The exhaustion of the game and the joys of cones, queues, road closures and diversions kept me off here last night.
My dominant emotion was one of relief that we actually came through with 3 points in the end. We were the better side but, in true Charlton fashion, made things harder than they needed to be possibly exacerbated by what I thought was a shaky defensive display, as exemplified by Yeovil's goals, with Morro predominantly out on the right. I hope Wilson was rested rather than injured because we missed him in my opinion.
All that said we showed a whole lot more attacking intent than against Reading and it was a welcome sight to see shots on goal even if misdirected on occasions. Astrid's early goal settled us for all of two minutes and then, typically, a comedy of errors, as that bloke from Stratford put it, allowed Yeovil to equalise. We were the better side but had nothing to show for our efforts and the thought that a Yeovil breakaway might mean a 2-1 defeat recurred regularly.
Second half and we got it together for 25 minutes or so. Two goals in quick succession and even time to admire Reza's close control and ability to trap a ball effectively. This is Charlton though so no footballing connoiseur experience here! Yeovil were gifted another soft goal to make it 3-2 and 15 minutes (plus 5) of stress, nail biting and silent prayer that we could hang on.
We did and I reckon 2 more wins and a draw could be enough.
A good team performance so I'm reluctant to select individuals but Poyet and Cousins impressed me as did Reza as already mentioned.
Reza's clever twisting and turning gains us a lot of free kicks as they can't deal with him He's getting better every game Are the goals on here anywhwere?
Also to put everyone's minds at rest - their second goal should never have happened. Their player just passed it off the pitch and they got the throw in, 10 seconds later they were up the pitch and had scored. So really it was 3-1
Just been doing that thing when you study the league table for ages after a crucial win. Our form is amongst the best in the league. Bournemouth's is unbelievable, with just one red dot in their last ten, amongst a mass of green. I wonder who that was?
Comments
Hamer back to his best with that second goal but hey ho
Shame about the spanners winning but I still think if we beat Barnsley we are almost there
Expect Riga to play the junior reds and simon church at Brighton
Blackpool have some tough looking fixtures left. 2 wins in 20 odd games is relegation form
Also won money on a 3-2 correct score!
The pitch in front of the north stand continues to not play well. Hamer looked to slip over just before their first goal. Their keeper ballsed up too at that end. A few players also slipped over again. Really hope they can sort it over the summer.
Playing AA in front of Morrison at RB was a recipe for disaster. Then, when we had them on toast after the 3rd goal, we sit back and fail to commit men forward in attack. The ref also does his bit by giving them a throw when their player had kicked it straight out in front of our dugout and 20 seconds later it is 3-2.
That aside there were some excellent performances. Reza showed us why he is a demigod in Iran, notwithstanding his absolute bottling of a tackle in the 2nd half. AA is a fantastically gifted player, but can lose some of the showboating. Sordell vindicated Riga's faith in him with his best game for the club and Wiggins looked back to his best.
Jacko, Cousins and Poyet all put in great shifts for the cause. There can be no doubt, Poyet is destined for better things. His positional sense and reading of the game is a joy to watch. I would not begrudge him a move, but please God we get our due for developing a player of his quality.
As an aside, Wigan have gone from being my 2nd favourite team (honest) to 92nd, after fielding their reserves against Millwall.
I sincerely hope they get stuffed in the semi and screw up the play-offs too.
On reflection, it was a cracking game - a real Cup Final - with thrills,spills & skills galore ...not to mention the chills ( Mr F felt & looked awful tonight) and my pills ( needed a double dose !)
But how much more would we have enjoyed it if we knew the result beforehand ?
Of course, some of the excitement would disappear but maybe we'd appreciate the finer points of the game when we weren't stressing so much about a misplaced pass or a defensive error.
For 95 minutes tonight I was a total wreck...apart from 3 glorious intervals when relief & sheer joy took over. SO glad I'm already grey !!!
But, for the non purists, like me, what a great game that was ! And no-one would dream of under stating the importance of the 3 points tonight. A fighting performance from the lads with some good passages of play & some decent attacks at long last. Well done to all concerned , although I thought Wiggy had his best game for some time & Dervite is growing into one of my favourite players. Sordell too showed that there is more to him than we've previously witnessed, whilst the Young Guns in midfield did just what they do best.
A much needed win indeed and a welcome rest day tomorrow for our lads, I guess. Onwards then to the Sussex coast & a game we probably expect little from. But confidence will have grown tonight so who will have the bravado to predict the result ?
Bring on the Tesco carrier bags !
Anyway, enough of the defence. Thought all the midfield had good games although Poyet was immense. We may yet regret him being not allowed to play earlier this season. Sordell had a good game as did Reza. He may be lightweight and shirked one 50/50 but when he has the ball he at least wants to get forward and run at their players drawing fouls etc. we need him to operate further forward as then he will be in and around the box getting free kicks in more important areas and even winning some penalties. Great work for Sordells goal. Thought Obika looked unfit when he came on, disappointed with his performance.
A tense night but enjoyable. Think we will stay up but still a few twists and turns to come.
When I look at the quality on display I have to wonder what we are doing messing about in the bottom six... We have quality and we play football...good feeling for next season!
A great start with an early goal, hopes dashed a minute later by sloppy defending and (yet again) a deflected goal conceeded. Their equaliser seemed to take away our momentum, making it a tense game. We eventually got hold of the game again and finished the half the stronger team.
Came out strong and 2 quick goals put us firmly in control. Being Charlton, we naturally made it harder for ourselves than it should've been by letting them back in it with a soft goal.
Morrison is no RB and this showed everytime their left winger had the ball, being given far to much space, but won't be too harsh on him. The usual superlatives going to Poyet for another great performance, but tonight I was very impressed with Wiggins, especially when going forward. He was constantly looking to drive on, the highlight being a fantastic run in the first half beating 2 or 3 players before getting to the byline and putting a dangerous ball into the area.
One thing I noticed in the first half was when someone was bringing the ball forward from deep, he would have 4-5 players in front of him, yet every single one of them had their back to goal, as if to get the ball to feet, but no-one was taking a gamble on making a run to get behind their defence. This makes build-up play slow, giving the opposition time to get behind the ball. However, this seemed to change in the second period, with players making those runs we've been lacking this season. Coincidence? I think not.
I'd happily take a drab 0-0 on saturday, followed by another win on Tuesday.................
Great result but a defensive performance that guaranteed nerves right to the end. Poyet brilliant and at last we sing "he's better than Gus".
As a Powell supporter, I do not think we should assume that he wouldn't have kept us up under the right conditions but in response to an earlier post, I do agree that Riga changes things more quickly. And I have to admit this was something I often moaned about Powell- He had that give it another 10minutes tendancy, but Ihave been watching football long enough to see that if something isn't working, it rarely fixes itself.
Still, a vital 3 points and it is great to be one of 7 clubs, rather than 1 of 4. That takes a lot of pressure off as fr some reason, it is better to chase down the clubs in front of you than keep clubs behind you.
Games of the season in a red shirt from Reza, Poyet and Sordell last night. Astrit is something different in the side, but he's so unfit. He makes Andy Reid look like Mo Farah.
I admitted this for the first time last night. Dropping Reza into central midfield almost was a bit of a masterstroke. Attacking substitutions when have a one goal lead as well. I think Powell cost us games at times with negative changes, I.e Birmingham at home last season and Wigan away this year.
Morro at RB is lost, doesn't have either the speed of foot or brain to do it and it looks like he's enjoying it as much as we are.
Wiggins and Wood have done alright.
Cousins has had to come to the right to help the RB out and so JJ into the middle and AA out left.
Reza dropping for the ball and Sordell playing on his arse so not getting through for anything.
Too many 3 yard passes with no outlet up front.
No channels at all.
Yeovil shirts so bright it looks like an extra player.
Wifi all good.
-----------------------------
First half comments above.
In the 2nd half it seemed thay Morro came under a lot less pressure.
Hamer's distribution got better when he went long rather than wide.
Sordell put a lot more effort in and even sprinted at one point.
Reza's first touch brilliant at times but still not sure what role he really plays.
Cort fell over first time the ball came his way.
Great corner for the 2nd, it wasn't a corner though........
Morrison is not he answer, Cousins may have to be. Not only was Morrison a liability defending out of position but going forward he does not have the ability to play the ball forward effectively.
Watched the goals, Hamer did not fall over for the first goal, he was going one way and it was deflected, the second goal he was passed around, not sure if that is a goal keeping mistake or down to the player that flicked the ball on to him.
Going to have to be a lot better against Barnsley.
On to Brighton, I predict that we will be back in the poo, by 4.50 Saturday afternoon, and on cloud nine again by 9.40 Tuesday evening.
Please Charlton lets not do this, win Saturday and Tuesday, please.
My dominant emotion was one of relief that we actually came through with 3 points in the end. We were the better side but, in true Charlton fashion, made things harder than they needed to be possibly exacerbated by what I thought was a shaky defensive display, as exemplified by Yeovil's goals, with Morro predominantly out on the right. I hope Wilson was rested rather than injured because we missed him in my opinion.
All that said we showed a whole lot more attacking intent than against Reading and it was a welcome sight to see shots on goal even if misdirected on occasions. Astrid's early goal settled us for all of two minutes and then, typically, a comedy of errors, as that bloke from Stratford put it, allowed Yeovil to equalise. We were the better side but had nothing to show for our efforts and the thought that a Yeovil breakaway might mean a 2-1 defeat recurred regularly.
Second half and we got it together for 25 minutes or so. Two goals in quick succession and even time to admire Reza's close control and ability to trap a ball effectively. This is Charlton though so no footballing connoiseur experience here! Yeovil were gifted another soft goal to make it 3-2 and 15 minutes (plus 5) of stress, nail biting and silent prayer that we could hang on.
We did and I reckon 2 more wins and a draw could be enough.
A good team performance so I'm reluctant to select individuals but Poyet and Cousins impressed me as did Reza as already mentioned.
He's getting better every game
Are the goals on here anywhwere?