Wiggins showed exactly why I called him our worst player in terms of realising potential with a run that made the goal, quite why he doesn't do it more often is beyond me as he's very effective going forwards.
If we start games the way we finish them we'd probably be top 2 right now.
He has said himself BP has told his full backs to stay back and not bomb forward
Fair result in the end, couldn't believe that Wiggins let the scorer inside when he scored. Igor looked good when he came on, Ben Haim motm, ref didn't bring his cards with him, not sure how JJ didn't get booked for a tackle that had he got the bloke he was off.
Think that's a bit harsh on Wiggins as he had Mcguire outside him, was Bikey's fault for jumping in and not even taking the man out.
Igor made the difference between a defeat and almost a win. Our midfield of Buyens, Cousins and Jacko were magnificent in the second half the way they turned the game round. The thing I disagree with many people on here is our central defence. A silly lunge by Bikey on the goal as well as almost giving a penalty away near the end. TBH often out of position and gives the ball away in silly situations. We have just 2 clean sheets all season and in my mind neither are good enough defensively. Morrison although not great on the ball certainly knew how to defend
TBH was superb today - obviously you see things very differently.
Ben Haim was superb all over the pitch. At times he was our strongest player going forward.
Wiggins proved he still has the great potential with his run and assist. We all know he hasn't been the player he once was before his injury but it was good to see him make that kind of run.
Fair result in the end, couldn't believe that Wiggins let the scorer inside when he scored. Igor looked good when he came on, Ben Haim motm, ref didn't bring his cards with him, not sure how JJ didn't get booked for a tackle that had he got the bloke he was off.
Think that's a bit harsh on Wiggins as he had Mcguire outside him, was Bikey's fault for jumping in and not even taking the man out.
Bikey made his challenge on the half way line, Wiggin shouldn't have let him inside, Drenthe would have probably passed to McGuire, had he be shown the outside.
A silly lunge by Bikey on the goal as well as almost giving a penalty away near the end. TBH often out of position and gives the ball away in silly situations. We have just 2 clean sheets all season and in my mind neither are good enough defensively. Morrison although not great on the ball certainly knew how to defend
Really, our 2 CBS this season V our 2 CBS last season I know which two I would prefer had it not been for TBH and The Beast we woud've lost a lot more games
Fair result in the end, couldn't believe that Wiggins let the scorer inside when he scored. Igor looked good when he came on, Ben Haim motm, ref didn't bring his cards with him, not sure how JJ didn't get booked for a tackle that had he got the bloke he was off.
Think that's a bit harsh on Wiggins as he had Mcguire outside him, was Bikey's fault for jumping in and not even taking the man out.
Bikey made his challenge on the half way line, Wiggin shouldn't have let him inside, Drenthe would have probably passed to McGuire, had he be shown the outside.
Yeah but still should have taken everything, because he didn't were a centre half down, Mcguire was a lot more infield than you may have thought and would have been presented with an easy chance TBH and Solly should have shuffled over and got block in rahter than leave Wiggins 2 on 1.
First half was a shambles. We were slow and too casual at the back. Moussa, KAG, and Tucudean are not Championship players at the moment so Wendies were on top. When KAG and Moussa went off we started to buzz and might have won at the end. Their big guy Nuhu won a lot of balls in the air and laid off well so he was a big difference between the teams. Semedo was only average but Drenth was outstanding for them. TBH MOM for me with Cousins running him close for effort. Good to see Buyens palying well again after a few lacklustre games and hats off to Wiggy for his magical run to set up the goal..
We have just 2 clean sheets all season and in my mind neither are good enough defensively. Morrison although not great on the ball certainly knew how to defend
We have 12 points more than we did at the same stage last season. How does that equate to our defense not being good enough?
We have just 2 clean sheets all season and in my mind neither are good enough defensively. Morrison although not great on the ball certainly knew how to defend
We have 12 points more than we did at the same stage last season. How does that equate to our defense not being good enough?
Exactly, would DD, Wood or Cort get anyone near the team this season IMO the answer is no
A great and moving start to the day with the War Centenary Ceremony on the pitch and good that the silence was immaculately observed. Clive Harris gave a fascinating speech. We on Charlton Life, and me in particular, are privileged to have had the benefit of Clive's knowledge and expertise on various threads.
To the match: first half we were decidedly second best in my view and their number 11, Drenthe, looked a real handful throughout and fully deserved his goal. The ease with which he opened us up we could easily have been more goals down by half time but fortunately his fellow players were profligate.
Young Ahearne - Grant had a stern test today taking a nasty knock in the face early on which, surprisingly, was completely ignored by the other players and referee alike. To his credit young Karlan dusted himself down and was the only Charlton player I can recollect actually working Westwood during the entire match. The lad is only just 17 so an entirely understandable decision to substitute him at half time.
At half time I and those around me all agreed that we couldn't see where a Charlton goal was coming from and it was a case of how many Sheffield Wednesday would get with "that number 11."
Second half we came out and exerted a lot of pressure yet still failed to work Westwood and still I could not see where a goal (for us) was coming from. Bob rolled the dice and gambled on Igor and for the only time in the entire match one of our players (Wiggins) got behind what, in reality, is a ponderous Owls defence. The result: a low whipped cross clinically despatched by Igor. Why didn't we run at them more? We could have won if we had but, after the first half, I'll take a point.
We all know our squad is wafer thin on quality, and with Yohann and Igor on the bench it showed big time.
I know some would have hoped/expected 3 points, but my son asked me before the game for a prediction and I said 1-1, following on from our 3-0 defeat against Fulham, we seem to be having a bit of a lull in form , results and performance.
I wish we could get back to starting a game strongly, rather than chasing it, Bournemouth , Fulham and today, were a similar vein, any reasons why?
Is Bikey beyond criticism? Out of position several times and slow to get back, especially for their goal and the non-penalty.
Easily his worst game for us. Didn't seem himself from kick off. Misplaced passes and wasn't the commanding presence he has been in the air. My favourite part of the game though (other than the equaliser) was in the first half when he had the ball with a Wednesday player facing him. He seemed to pause, eyeball the player and simply move him out of the way before making the pass. Had me in stitches.
After missing the last 3 games, I was seriously up for this one albeit somewhat nervous. Apart from the second half at The Cottage, it appears the lads had been missing me....yeah right !
My thoughts on the match are in the same vein as most on here.
Drenthe looked a world beater in the first half and I feared the worst after he scored with ease. But we held on, sometimes more by luck than judgement & lived to fight another 45 mins.
Not for the first time this season, Big Bob's half time talk & adjustments to the eleven did the trick & we were treated ( get it ?) to some fireworks from the Reds. And once Igor entered the fray, the scene was well & truly set for an exciting finish.
On reflection, a draw was probably a fair result but the manner in which we "won" the second half gives much optimism for the future....as long as we can keep our highest profile players fit.
We may differ on the question of who ARE our Special Ones. Today, as in previous matches our 2 Colossuses(Colossi?) in the centre of defence were stand out for me. The Beast Mark 2 may have slipped up a couple of times ( not that I'd be the one to tell him) but how many times did Wednesday players clearly make the sensible decision to NOT engage with him on the ball ? And TBH is pure class, in my rheumy old eyes .....Morro knew only too well where his immediate future lie.
The others ? All played their part, for me, although Moussa still disappoints and young Karlan clearly needs to be brought on slowly. I was heartened by a rejuvenated Yoni though & felt that George showed some good touches, whilst Jordan battled non stop throughout the game. A single point at The Valley sometimes feels like a defeat but not this time and the mood of those around me as we left the ground was one of positivity.
Two away trips now & I'm wondering how many points we'd hope to take from them. A repeat of Reza's winner at Elland Rd last season would be a great start, whoever puts it in the net and without wishing to be greedy, a point next Saturday would lead us nicely into another international break. Based on this afternoon's overall performance, and providing we don't leave all the scoring to Igor, I'm feeling quietly optimistic ( careful, Fanny...)
On a different note, I was impressed and touched by the words & accompanying Last Post before kick off. The Memorial plaque outside the West Stand is a permanent tribute to all of those who gave their lives for us and is an everlasting reminder, should we need it. The Club should be congratulated for this & the way in which the act of Remembrance was organised. As has been pointed out previously, Clive Harris played a huge part in this and it is fantastic to see the way in which Club & its supporters can work together to achieve something very unique and special. Long may it last.
I thought Bikey had his worst game for us today, but I find him so entertaining to watch even when he's having an off day. It's like having Terry Crews at the centre of defence, I could watch opponents bouncing off him all day.
Definitely my favourite player so far this season.
The second half performance was a definite improvement KAG needs to learn at a lower level, when using pace is good, when in tight situations dwells to long on ball. Moussa sorry can,t have him as championship player, George continues to look very average. Everybody else played their part, could and should have won. There will be better sides coming !
Moussa and KAG have both showed quality when they have come off the bench and they made a difference. It must be frustrating for Managers when they give players a start after good performances from the bench but they don't get the same effect when in the starting line up. To be fair to KAG and Moussa, this was a first for them and it would be unfair to slam them as they would never gel overnight - it always takes time. Every Manager needs to start these players to see if they can perform from the kick off - always been the same and at all levels. Peeters saw it wasn't working but had to give the starting line up as long a chance as possible with Igor and JBG probably not fully fit. My top three players today - Ben Haim - absolutely superb, Buyens - showed the quality we know he obviously has and Wiggins. This division is so tough with so many teams capable of performing on their day. Wednesday have conceded the least goals in the Championship and look a decent side. There will be better sides coming - we seem to get better results against the fancied teams. As for dwelling on the ball too long, agree but so many times he had no decent support or option.
Wednesday were a surprise - not the usual huge lugs but mobile, quick passing. As others have said, their number 11 was the stand out player of the first half. It was a matter of giving him the ball and watching him tear holes in our defence. Just how many red shirts did he go past for the goal? Cousins should have done better with his header but probably the first headed chance he's ever had in his professional career. Second half Cousins tracked the number 11 and he faded away. At the same time we really gave it a blast and deserved the equaliser. Should have gone on to win it but Wednesday sat back and soaked it up. Bikey lucky with that awful tackle in the box. Wiggins and Solly both very good second half. Yoni and Ben H are quality. Don't see the point of George. Igor did the business after marvellous work by Wiggins but couldn't quite finish off the second chance after coming in on the Killer channel into the box.
Later than I usually post, and yeah, without reading the thread so far.
Glad we didn't lose, thought any result was possible today so a draw is probably appropriate, but I know what the Americans mean when they say a draw is like kissing your sister, all well and nice, but somehow I wanted a more definitive result. A win would mean bouncing back and reacting, a defeat would have helped to focus on bits and pieces, but todays draw feels more like treading water. However a point is a point and we remain undefeated at home. The little goalscoring guy from Wednesday was exceptional in the first half, put us on the back foot and provided a great point of focus for Sheffield Wednesday to construct their first half performance around, and he scored with an accurate and well drilled shot. Whilst we worked hard enough we were very disjointed, and super ironically Cousins was not as good inside than wide left. There was very little first half harmony between Moussa Grant and Tucadean, although the young and inexperienced Grant still showed some nice stuff. The first half was redeemed by that great Bikey moment in front of the East Stand when his attitude to the opponent was 'don't bother me, get out of my way, I'll play the ball when it suits me in my own time', and then squeezed it down the line to open a door. It was however Ben Haim that kept us in it first half, he had a superb game, is clearly a class player, and gave everything he had, but was knackered in the last 15 minutes, but for me Tal was easily our best player. Mind you in the second half more of our players stepped up, Solly of course, Jacko, Rhoys and others and we gave it a big go, problem was we were chasing the game. Many thanks go to Wednesday who retreated and conceded the initiative up to our (slightly offside?) equaliser. The game might have gone either way after that but I was mainly hoping we wouldn't lose rather than thinking we could win. Today's game made me think that we are at a bit of a crossroads, and we need a surge or a development of some kind, Bob is exhausting his resources, and I think a bit of lateral thinking at all levels in the club might come in handy at the moment.
We were toothless in the first half. Their best player scored.
Second half we came out with real purpose and as soon as we had a goal scorer on the pitch we scored. The first time anyone had found space in their box. Great run and pass by Wiggins.
I thought Solly and Wiggins had far better second halfs and TBH and Bikey were solid (penalty or no penalty).
Frankly Jacko apart, the players subbed were replaced by stronger players. Shame that Igor couldn't quite get his foot around the shot when he burst through.
I didn't think we were awful in the first half, just no cutting edge.
My MOM was TBH and I was delighted to speak to him and shake his hand after the game. He really is a class defender.
Disappointing in the first half but Wednesday were good to be fair with Drenthe a real handful. We improved a lot after the break however, great to see Igor back and no surprise he was on the spot to get us a point. I felt we didn't press on so much after we scored and Wednesday probably finished the stronger but a draw was a fair result. Need to get something out of the 2 away games this week.
A vast, not to say Massive, improvement: our second-half show was the best we've played at home since against Wigan and Derby in August. The increased tempo makes all the difference: quick-passing pressure and shots on sight result in deflections, corners, and our opponents on the back foot. We should kick off every game with that level of intensity and aggression - and sustain it for the full 90 minutes.
I like Bikey....he's a good lad....but he trod a fine line today. If he had conceded a penalty and/or been red carded, he couldn't have complained too much.
Vetokele seems to have a touch of the BWPs when faced with a one on one. It's been his weak point so far. Otherwise, he's great and he was the only one moving when the Wiggins cross/shot came in.
The big lump up front for Weds tried his nuts off and did a good job for them but Ben Haim just about got the better of him. He's the best centre half we've had since Mark Fish.
Neither side did enough to win and neither side deserved to lose.
Two mid table sides, neither with the quality to press for a place in the top six, but both well organised, albeit with very different game plans. Probably a fair result in the end.
We don't have a target man, in contrast to Wednesday for whom Nuhiu was effective in that role, and knowing this Wednesday pressed, making it difficult for us to build from the back. Peeters started with a 4-3-1-2 today with Moussa in the hole behind Tucudean and KAG, presumably to help us keep the ball, but it didn't really work in the first half.
For Wednesday Drenthe was almost unplayable for the first 25 minutes and his goal, cutting in from the right, had an air of inevitably about it. Thankfully he then stopped threatening. When out of possession Peeters keeps the side very disciplined and narrow. I wonder if that's why wide players have done well against us?
We improved in the second half. The introduction of Gudmundsson at half-time and then Vetokele helped, but Wednesday sat much deeper and allowed us to control the game. Whether that was tactical or a result of their high press being unsustainable for a full ninety minutes is not clear.
We had several, consecutive corners, but they coped with them easily, helped by unimaginative delivery and the colossal Nuhiu, and we really didn't look like scoring.
The goal, when it came twenty minutes from the end, was a little out of the blue. Wiggins, who had been ineffective going forward up till that point, created the goal with a brilliant run and cross.
I thought we'd then go on to win and Igor went close, getting on the end of a through ball from Cousins. However, Wednesday seemed to up their game again and the match fizzled out.
Tal Ben Haim was simply outstanding today. Bikey-Amougou was more erratic, but these two have been our most important signings. Without them the league table would look very different. Buyens was back to his best.
Peeters appears to be clear what he's trying to do, but doesn't have the players. We have enough to avoid another relegation dogfight, but unless the cavalry arrives in January we'll be mid table at best. Progress is clearly being made though.
Good post Mundell. We had no end product in the 1st half and we were a bit sloppy in the final third, a loose pass, the wrong decision. Absolutely no fault of his own but it was a big ask for KAG. Compare coming off the bench when we're 2-0 away like last week, there's no pressure. Starting your first home game is a huge ask, especially a kid his age. I thought he did as well as he could. Always showed for the ball, never gave up. Tucudean himself is still finding his feet so it will be harder for him to work with someone of KAG's experience and age.
Their goal actually came from KAG not having the strength to hold the play up, Bikey slipped and Drenthe who looked a good threat with that Maghoma took his goal well.
2nd half, like Fulham fair play to them. They kept going. I honestly thought it was gonna be one of those days when we just weren't going to make the territory and pressure count. Then the difference. IGOR. The guy is a natural born forward. With him in the team we always have a chance. I didn't think we gonna see him because of BP saying he was only gonna play 15mins max, but needs must. I did worry that if we throw him back in it might do more damage than good, but he looks a fit lad. JBG still doesn't look match sharp, but with him, Vet, Buyens and the back 4, they're our basis for winning games.
When they don't play we'll fight hard but struggle. When they do I think we're comfortably mid to top ten.
The reason I think we didn't push on and win because it took a lot of sustained pressure to get us back in the game. It will take it out of you.
For me though, BP deserves huge credit today. He's constantly changing it and trying to get us to be positive. He recognised at half time the change needed to be made and made it. He's also passionate, frustrated as us when there's a misplaced pass and reads what's happening in the game. It was little things like spreading our full backs further up and wide. Wednesday tired. He put JBG in the centre when he came on, just behind Vet and Tuc. He has ideas and flexibility.
We are where we are, and now the rigours of the season have set in I think the team are doing well for the squad we have. Good performance for me. I want the 50pts as quickly as possible, let's see what happens after that
Great second half, although even with three up front we still looked like we only had one that would score. How many corners dod we have? Overall I think it was a fair result. Did we get lucky at the end though? From where I was sitting it looked like they had a good shout for a pen.
Comments
Heads up and on to the next, fought well though.
Thanks for the support today...top fans!
@CAFCofficial
Wiggins proved he still has the great potential with his run and assist. We all know he hasn't been the player he once was before his injury but it was good to see him make that kind of run.
had it not been for TBH and The Beast we woud've lost a lot more games
First half was a shambles. We were slow and too casual at the back. Moussa, KAG, and Tucudean are not Championship players at the moment so Wendies were on top. When KAG and Moussa went off we started to buzz and might have won at the end. Their big guy Nuhu won a lot of balls in the air and laid off well so he was a big difference between the teams. Semedo was only average but Drenth was outstanding for them. TBH MOM for me with Cousins running him close for effort. Good to see Buyens palying well again after a few lacklustre games and hats off to Wiggy for his magical run to set up the goal..
1-1
Wasn't surprised
A great and moving start to the day with the War Centenary Ceremony on the pitch and good that the silence was immaculately observed. Clive Harris gave a fascinating speech. We on Charlton Life, and me in particular, are privileged to have had the benefit of Clive's knowledge and expertise on various threads.
To the match: first half we were decidedly second best in my view and their number 11, Drenthe, looked a real handful throughout and fully deserved his goal. The ease with which he opened us up we could easily have been more goals down by half time but fortunately his fellow players were profligate.
Young Ahearne - Grant had a stern test today taking a nasty knock in the face early on which, surprisingly, was completely ignored by the other players and referee alike. To his credit young Karlan dusted himself down and was the only Charlton player I can recollect actually working Westwood during the entire match. The lad is only just 17 so an entirely understandable decision to substitute him at half time.
At half time I and those around me all agreed that we couldn't see where a Charlton goal was coming from and it was a case of how many Sheffield Wednesday would get with "that number 11."
Second half we came out and exerted a lot of pressure yet still failed to work Westwood and still I could not see where a goal (for us) was coming from. Bob rolled the dice and gambled on Igor and for the only time in the entire match one of our players (Wiggins) got behind what, in reality, is a ponderous Owls defence. The result: a low whipped cross clinically despatched by Igor. Why didn't we run at them more? We could have won if we had but, after the first half, I'll take a point.
COYR
I know some would have hoped/expected 3 points, but my son asked me before the game for a prediction and I said 1-1, following on from our 3-0 defeat against Fulham, we seem to be having a bit of a lull in form , results and performance.
I wish we could get back to starting a game strongly, rather than chasing it, Bournemouth , Fulham and today, were a similar vein, any reasons why?
My thoughts on the match are in the same vein as most on here.
Drenthe looked a world beater in the first half and I feared the worst after he scored with ease. But we held on, sometimes more by luck than judgement & lived to fight another 45 mins.
Not for the first time this season, Big Bob's half time talk & adjustments to the eleven did the trick & we were treated ( get it ?) to some fireworks from the Reds. And once Igor entered the fray, the scene was well & truly set for an exciting finish.
On reflection, a draw was probably a fair result but the manner in which we "won" the second half gives much optimism for the future....as long as we can keep our highest profile players fit.
We may differ on the question of who ARE our Special Ones. Today, as in previous matches our 2 Colossuses(Colossi?) in the centre of defence were stand out for me. The Beast Mark 2 may have slipped up a couple of times ( not that I'd be the one to tell him) but how many times did Wednesday players clearly make the sensible decision to NOT engage with him on the ball ? And TBH is pure class, in my rheumy old eyes .....Morro knew only too well where his immediate future lie.
The others ? All played their part, for me, although Moussa still disappoints and young Karlan clearly needs to be brought on slowly. I was heartened by a rejuvenated Yoni though & felt that George showed some good touches, whilst Jordan battled non stop throughout the game. A single point at The Valley sometimes feels like a defeat but not this time and the mood of those around me as we left the ground was one of positivity.
Two away trips now & I'm wondering how many points we'd hope to take from them. A repeat of Reza's winner at Elland Rd last season would be a great start, whoever puts it in the net and without wishing to be greedy, a point next Saturday would lead us nicely into another international break. Based on this afternoon's overall performance, and providing we don't leave all the scoring to Igor, I'm feeling quietly optimistic ( careful, Fanny...)
On a different note, I was impressed and touched by the words & accompanying Last Post before kick off. The Memorial plaque outside the West Stand is a permanent tribute to all of those who gave their lives for us and is an everlasting reminder, should we need it. The Club should be congratulated for this & the way in which the act of Remembrance was organised. As has been pointed out previously, Clive Harris played a huge part in this and it is fantastic to see the way in which Club & its supporters can work together to achieve something very unique and special. Long may it last.
Definitely my favourite player so far this season.
It must be frustrating for Managers when they give players a start after good performances from the bench but they don't get the same effect when in the starting line up. To be fair to KAG and Moussa, this was a first for them and it would be unfair to slam them as they would never gel overnight - it always takes time.
Every Manager needs to start these players to see if they can perform from the kick off - always been the same and at all levels.
Peeters saw it wasn't working but had to give the starting line up as long a chance as possible with Igor and JBG probably not fully fit.
My top three players today - Ben Haim - absolutely superb, Buyens - showed the quality we know he obviously has and Wiggins.
This division is so tough with so many teams capable of performing on their day.
Wednesday have conceded the least goals in the Championship and look a decent side.
There will be better sides coming - we seem to get better results against the fancied teams.
As for dwelling on the ball too long, agree but so many times he had no decent support or option.
Glad we didn't lose, thought any result was possible today so a draw is probably appropriate, but I know what the Americans mean when they say a draw is like kissing your sister, all well and nice, but somehow I wanted a more definitive result. A win would mean bouncing back and reacting, a defeat would have helped to focus on bits and pieces, but todays draw feels more like treading water.
However a point is a point and we remain undefeated at home.
The little goalscoring guy from Wednesday was exceptional in the first half, put us on the back foot and provided a great point of focus for Sheffield Wednesday to construct their first half performance around, and he scored with an accurate and well drilled shot. Whilst we worked hard enough we were very disjointed, and super ironically Cousins was not as good inside than wide left.
There was very little first half harmony between Moussa Grant and Tucadean, although the young and inexperienced Grant still showed some nice stuff. The first half was redeemed by that great Bikey moment in front of the East Stand when his attitude to the opponent was 'don't bother me, get out of my way, I'll play the ball when it suits me in my own time', and then squeezed it down the line to open a door. It was however Ben Haim that kept us in it first half, he had a superb game, is clearly a class player, and gave everything he had, but was knackered in the last 15 minutes, but for me Tal was easily our best player.
Mind you in the second half more of our players stepped up, Solly of course, Jacko, Rhoys and others and we gave it a big go, problem was we were chasing the game. Many thanks go to Wednesday who retreated and conceded the initiative up to our (slightly offside?) equaliser. The game might have gone either way after that but I was mainly hoping we wouldn't lose rather than thinking we could win.
Today's game made me think that we are at a bit of a crossroads, and we need a surge or a development of some kind, Bob is exhausting his resources, and I think a bit of lateral thinking at all levels in the club might come in handy at the moment.
We were toothless in the first half. Their best player scored.
Second half we came out with real purpose and as soon as we had a goal scorer on the pitch we scored. The first time anyone had found space in their box. Great run and pass by Wiggins.
I thought Solly and Wiggins had far better second halfs and TBH and Bikey were solid (penalty or no penalty).
Frankly Jacko apart, the players subbed were replaced by stronger players. Shame that Igor couldn't quite get his foot around the shot when he burst through.
I didn't think we were awful in the first half, just no cutting edge.
My MOM was TBH and I was delighted to speak to him and shake his hand after the game. He really is a class defender.
Vetokele seems to have a touch of the BWPs when faced with a one on one. It's been his weak point so far. Otherwise, he's great and he was the only one moving when the Wiggins cross/shot came in.
The big lump up front for Weds tried his nuts off and did a good job for them but Ben Haim just about got the better of him. He's the best centre half we've had since Mark Fish.
Neither side did enough to win and neither side deserved to lose.
Their goal actually came from KAG not having the strength to hold the play up, Bikey slipped and Drenthe who looked a good threat with that Maghoma took his goal well.
2nd half, like Fulham fair play to them. They kept going. I honestly thought it was gonna be one of those days when we just weren't going to make the territory and pressure count. Then the difference. IGOR. The guy is a natural born forward. With him in the team we always have a chance. I didn't think we gonna see him because of BP saying he was only gonna play 15mins max, but needs must. I did worry that if we throw him back in it might do more damage than good, but he looks a fit lad. JBG still doesn't look match sharp, but with him, Vet, Buyens and the back 4, they're our basis for winning games.
When they don't play we'll fight hard but struggle. When they do I think we're comfortably mid to top ten.
The reason I think we didn't push on and win because it took a lot of sustained pressure to get us back in the game. It will take it out of you.
For me though, BP deserves huge credit today. He's constantly changing it and trying to get us to be positive. He recognised at half time the change needed to be made and made it. He's also passionate, frustrated as us when there's a misplaced pass and reads what's happening in the game. It was little things like spreading our full backs further up and wide. Wednesday tired. He put JBG in the centre when he came on, just behind Vet and Tuc. He has ideas and flexibility.
We are where we are, and now the rigours of the season have set in I think the team are doing well for the squad we have. Good performance for me. I want the 50pts as quickly as possible, let's see what happens after that