A tedious 0-0 stalemate masquerading as a 2-2 thriller. Charlton are bottom of the Championship table for shots per game and Blackpool twenty second. You could see why this afternoon. The most remarkable thing about today's game was that two sides which carry no goal threat managed to score four goals between them.
It's no surprise that Bob Peeters wants to play Joe Gomez. Other players in the squad must look at him and think life simply isn't fair. I didn't think he played that well today, but at seventeen it simply shouldn't be possible to have his athleticism, pace, power, technical ability, time on the ball and football brain. He has the potential to be a truly exceptional player.
On the other hand, it was a surprise to see Chris Solly line up in central midfield. Some full backs can make that transition, but Solly has never struck me as likely to be one of them. Based on this afternoon's performance, I haven't revised my opinion. Not his fault. Strange selection.
Peeters can't think much of Bulot.
Solly lined up on the right side of a 4-4-2 Midfield diamond, with Buyens at the base, Cousins on the left and Gudmundsson at the tip, behind Vetokele and Harriott.
Congratulations for working that out because it certainly didn't look like any recognisable formation from where i was sitting.
10 seasons of working as an opposition scout. from previous experience, the system is usually in place at the kick off and we played how we lined up. It took Lee Clark 20 minutes to match up, then Blackpool switched to the same system and went man for man in midfield. we missed the opportunity to give them problems before then, with too much tippy-tappy passing in the midfield third. The midfield diamond only works when the player at the tip of the diamond is a genuine number 10, not a converted wide player, and also when both full backs get down the outside to provide the width. fox and Gomez were probably too in-experienced to do the job effectively enough in this match.
This is pretty spot on. This makes the set up with Solly in midfield and Gomez even more mystifying. I like Bob Peeters generally but he got it wrong yesterday with formation and personnel picked to play it. Hope it is just a one off aberration from BP.
I am sure Bob doesn't tell the players to become negative and sit back. It just seems to be their default position. I was saying to my Brother that all we need to do is keep hold of the ball, in a positive way, and try and work an opening. But nobody up top was capable of retaining the ball. The ball just doesn't stick upfront so we invite pressure on ourselves, in the latter stages of a match.
I think the question of Henderson or Pope has now been settled. Pope was at fault for both of their goals yesterday. Other players may have been culpable as well but Pope's was the most serious failing. On both occasions he left his line but failed to do with the situation. On the first he weakly mistimed his punch. He did the same in the first half against Millwall and was lucky to get away with it. For the second he was left exposed but he came storming out his goal but failed to get to the ball, presenting their scorer with an empty goal. All professional goalkeepers make great saves at times but it is the one position where confidence is king and what separates the truly good keepers from the poor is decision making and dominating their box. Pope is failing on these points. You can see that he has potential and time is on his side but he is some way behind Henderson.
I have real problems with Fox. He doesn't seem to have a footballers brain: he is incredibly slow of thought. He gets the ball and then stands about having a think. Time and time the options open to him are closed down while he wonders what to do. He was truly appalling in the second half yesterday when even an ability to trap a ball deserted him. I don't like running done a young player who has come through our ranks but I can't see him cutting it at this level. The difference between him and Gomez is stark.
Harriot was poor yesterday but I think he is played mainly out of position. He is very left footed and you can see that he struggles out wide right: defenders know he is going to cut inside onto his left and don't have to worry about him going on the outside. His best spell for us came when he was played on the left by Powell towards the end of the 12-13 season when he was a big factor in our unbeaten run which took us up to ninth.
Good points are Tal ben haim is a star; a few faults among back four but generally very good (yes Andre should have scored but he is no striker and yes Fox lacks confidence going forward but he is very young) ; Solly worked well as did buyens in midfield, Harriot and veotokele and gudmundson all played well and Harriot should have stayed on. I will be surprised if Tucudean gets another game for Charlton which may well mean we get someone to replace him in January (which is a good thing). Bad points is Vetokele needs to change his thing he does trying to play it through people as the four times he did it are the four times it did not work. He is a very good player but he could re-think some of the stuff he does perhaps. I thought him and Harriot are the best we have and no need to bring on any subs up front unless you are going to add to the strike force. I thought the only person who chould have been subbed is Fox and bring Wilson on as another attacking threat as he does like to run forward and make crosses where Fox bottled it a few times. Pope is our sub goalkeeper and he can only be part-blamed for the goals as the defence were not marking these forwards and should have been.. Again you could not make up the last ten minutes with their goal and our miss but hey ho onwards and upwards. Oviously needed is another striker who is half decent who can head the ball and hold the ball and hit the target and Katrien must have her negotiating skills in top gear for whoever they have marked out and get the deal done.
Hanging Pope out to dry is just ridiculous and leave off with that nonsense should never play again . He was not at fault for 2nd goal the 10 clowns In front of him leaving a player totally unmarked were . He gets something on ball hailed s hero fine margins as a keeper .
I'm not going to be too critical of Bob's set up as he had Coquelin and Jackson both missing through no fault of their own (or of Bob's) and losing both meant that we are without midfielders who really press forward aggressively (except for Cousins, but he's done better out wide of late.) Buyens is not and never was the kind of player who'd bomb forward to get into the box, Solly was a defender playing in midfield, Harriott was played up front to try and give Igor a bit of support.
He was playing with a weak hand frankly. I would have liked to have seen George come on earlier, or even bring on Oneyewu and send either him or Bikey up front (with hindsight it would surely be Onyewu!) but as it stands I can't honestly say Bob was really to blame - he cannot legislate for Pope making a complete hash of two catches in one game and apart from the goals, Blackpool didn't look overly dangerous for most of the game - they came to spoil the game and stop us playing, and they did it well. Yes, he could have done better, but laying the fault for what should have been an easy win without two keeper blunders and a great chance spurned on the manager seems harsh in this instance.
I know what you're saying but Bob has sent us out religiously this season to defend a single goal lead regardless of when that lead has come along. It's ridiculous and will empty the place if he keeps it up. Yesterday's game was there for the taking. Once we took the lead we should have scored four or five. Blackpool are a pub team. Depressing tactics regardless of the resources available.
Big missed chance for three points. Pope had a mare with two awful flaps, I love Bikey but no professional footballer should miss an open goal from 5 yards don't matter where he plays. The worse bit was we could/should have buried them but once again sat back after taking the lead. Gutting
I actually think ben haim has to take some of the blame. I would have to see it again but at the time I felt that he did not need to dive in and give the free kick away that lead to the equaliser.
Nobody will know better than pope ,how must he feel today. , those who slag him off should remember playing In goal u r on a hiding to nothing if u play well urn the hero if u play bad ie the villain most people who give it to keepers ain't never played in goal it's the hardest position because u can't hide , let's also remember he is a young lad still, so get off his back try a bit of encouragement it always helps .
Three things are certain 1/ Pope had a shocker but he's young and will bounce back. 2/ George is a dud. 3/ Yoni is one cool penalty taker.
Pope did not have a shocker. Cocked up for the first but the second he is trying to cover the striker who is left unmarked to score. If George is a dud then he must have miskicked that pass for Bikey to bounce over the bar.
Pope is a C, he must be because the twats in the upper west were shouting that to him. George is a dud because he should have known that an experienced pro, albeit defender, would blast over and he should have passed to someone in a less obvious position!
I actually think ben haim has to take some of the blame. I would have to see it again but at the time I felt that he did not need to dive in and give the free kick away that lead to the equaliser.
Said at the time it was a ridiculous tackle to make and free kick to concede. Further to that, having now seen the goal on replay I admit my first instinct to blame Pope completely was wrong as TBH then exacerbated his initial mistake by ball watching and not picking up the player. Unfortunately a couple of costly errors by him in recent games by TBH.
43 years ago, almost to the very day, we played Blackpool at home and threw away a 2 - 0 half time lead to lose 2 - 3. And we were lucky Blackpool only scored 3..!! I remember this game well. It was my first experience of Charlton and got me hooked. I have been hooked ever since. The result yesterday was very disappointing but I am happy with 30 points at this stage.Building for the future is all that I request. Filling the ground keeping prices low and encouraging more youngsters into the ground will help keep Charlton strong and improve its supporter base in the future. I am confident the current owners have the the right idea, and hope they reach their desired goal of getting Charlton in the Premiership in the next 3 years. Bob Peeters I believe is doing an excellent job and hope he gets the credit he deserves. A mid table position this year will be a job well done in my view particularly with the squad and moneys provided to date
I've skim read through 8 pages and think everything has just about been covered already.
From the midfield upwards I could only work out where Buyens and Vetokele were playing and hadn't seen such an unorganised team so out of position since the Pardew days.
I am sure Bob doesn't tell the players to become negative and sit back. It just seems to be their default position. I was saying to my Brother that all we need to do is keep hold of the ball, in a positive way, and try and work an opening. But nobody up top was capable of retaining the ball. The ball just doesn't stick upfront so we invite pressure on ourselves, in the latter stages of a match.
So your saying the manager has no say in the way the team plays ????
Only been to one game this season (Wigan) due to living a long way from Charlton and having a young baby. But from reading the comments on here each week I don't feel I'm missing out at all. My next game is the Brighton one and at the moment struggling to get excited about it to be honest.
I know I've posted my thoughts already but after reading ALL others now, I really have to add something further.
I honestly don't understand where some of you are coming from on this thread.
Negativity abounds. The positives are being dismissed, forgotten ; what short memories some supporters have !
I KNOW that points are being lost. I KNOW that there is widespread frustration regarding the tactics being employed.
But we are not in the relegation zone. We are one of only two teams in the Championship to have lost just 3 games so far. We are only 5 points from the top six. And have the same number of points as a team relegated from the Prem League last season.
OK , I can't deny that we have some problems..the lack of a second proven striker being paramount in most people's minds. It seemed we had secured the services of a very special midfielder, only to have him snatched away at the eleventh hour. We have a full back who is unlikely to play every game over the Xmas period and another with an injury which will keep him sidelined for some time. And then, a week ago, we lost our influential ( according to some) skipper for at least a couple of weeks. The red team in Manchester has apparently had an abnormally high number of injuries this season and the whole world knows ....but the red team in SE London has no alternative than to soldier on with no allowances made by its own fans.
We DON'T have a squad of useless players ; neither do we have a useless manager. We do have a thin squad at present. But, bearing that in mind, we are still taking points from " better" teams in this league including three of the current top six. It remains to be seen how we shall fare over the next 2+ weeks before the January window opens but as Bob has stated, we are a team not easily beaten & I have no reason to believe that this will suddenly change.
Just give the lads a break....they're doing their best. And if that's not good enough, then go support Chelsea - if you can afford it. You'll no doubt witness some great football( and some diving !) but may have to take out a 2nd mortgage on your house !
Get behind the team & the manager and hone in on those positives.
I think we are getting behind the team. I also think there was a lot of frustration at conceding the lead in virtually the last minute. Understandable in my opinion. People are entitled to express how they feel without being told to go and support Chelsea.
Reasonable supporters (of which there are still quite a few thousand) don't worry too much about individual errors because they happen. It's the lack of drive against a vulnerable opponent that was very frustrating. Thing is we did have the players to take the game to Blackpool in the 2nd half. Wilson can come on for Gomez, Solly to right-back, Cousins to the middle, Harriot to the left wing and Tucudean/Ahearne-Grant on for Gudmonsson or Vetokele. Don't worry about what shape Blackpool are playing, let them worry about us and try to entertain the fans....that's all.
Overall it's been better this season but the entertainment at home has been poor for a while now.....and we can't even blame the pitch. Some shackles need to be taken off and some arses need to be kicked.
Normally agree whole heartedly with you Fanny but on this occasion I have to disagree. Despite all the progress that has undoubtedly been made in the last 12 months, there is a growing fear that we are shooting ourselves in the foot with ultra cautious tactics and square peg in round hole team selections. The worst thing about saturday is that it was utterly predictable. We are also very boring indeed to watch and there are plenty iof other demands on time for most of us so the product has to be worth the sacrifice. If we were playing our admittedly thin squad of players in their normal positions and trying to win games I'd be cutting bob a whole lot more slack, but Saturdays dissatisfaction from the masses is of his own making as much as it is due to the circumstances we find ourselves in with regard to injuries and squad size. Sure, in the overall run of things we are making progress. But we are a hard watch and I was mightily peed off on Saturday and reserve the right to say so.
The turn in results hasn't come as a surprise to those who didn't fall for the we're still fifth bollox , realistically you could tell there was a lot of luck involved in getting so many points on the board with that little % of ball and as time has progressed the results and our position have headed back to a more accurate level of where we're at.
As someone who championed young Pope for the keepers position , immediately after the game I thought drop him but having had time to think believe he should be given another chance against Blackburn , he will want to get that out of his system , it was soooooo bad
Vetokeles touch is beginning to really worry me , appalling compared to what he has previously offered
Anyway Fox was on the front of the "matchday magazine" against Ipswich Pope was on the front against Blackpool Who's next in the firing line ! Will look to see if George was on the front of the millwall one !
0 % top two ......... 0% 3rd-6th .........40% 7th-12th ......58.5% 13th-21st...... 1.5% Relegation
Took my eldest (8 year old) on Saturday and had to try a new approach (being positive) at the game because my nerves and worrying was putting him off going So after saying (lying) that I thought we'd win 3-0 before the game and throughout the match saying I thought we'd win, with ten mins to go he asked "do you think we'll hang on?" I looked him in the eye and said "yes I do" He looked me back in the eye ( he had a read on me) and said "you don't REALLY think that do you" I shook my head and said "nope , you're right I'm not confident we'll hang on" So my realistic/pessimistic (eventually honest) approach prepared him for the inevitable Charlton letdown that is part of our lives
And to my complete surprise just after the final whistle out of nowhere ,as I had to force him to the Blackpool game, he said "can we go to Blackburn " I responded with a "maybe if mum lets us go cos it's a long way" then he asked if they were good , to which I replied "they'll beat us" ....he hesitated and said I still want to go (what a farking weirdo)
Ummming and aaaahing about it because going to panto Friday and Charlton kids party Sunday morning so I'll be shattered never mind them but the 6 year old (a real weirdo) broke down in tears when he found out he'd missed the Charlton game on Saturday (he went to a friends party) has piped up that he wants to go Blackburn now and he's only been to 3 or 4 games in his life !
I'll probably go due to brainwashing but really don't want to , my eldest has been 10 away games and we've not won one so come 5pm next Saturday he may have chalked up number 11 on that list
Comments
I have real problems with Fox. He doesn't seem to have a footballers brain: he is incredibly slow of thought. He gets the ball and then stands about having a think. Time and time the options open to him are closed down while he wonders what to do. He was truly appalling in the second half yesterday when even an ability to trap a ball deserted him. I don't like running done a young player who has come through our ranks but I can't see him cutting it at this level. The difference between him and Gomez is stark.
Harriot was poor yesterday but I think he is played mainly out of position. He is very left footed and you can see that he struggles out wide right: defenders know he is going to cut inside onto his left and don't have to worry about him going on the outside. His best spell for us came when he was played on the left by Powell towards the end of the 12-13 season when he was a big factor in our unbeaten run which took us up to ninth.
Had we got the ball in the back of the net more often ourselves we'd have taken 3 points.
It's a team effort.
He is either older or around the same age as Fox, Cousins, Solly, Vetokele, Tucudean, Harriott and Gudmundsson at 22.
Certainly not a Championship level keeper in his decision making or his distribution.
Unfortunately a couple of costly errors by him in recent games by TBH.
Total W**k
I remember this game well. It was my first experience of Charlton and got me hooked. I have been hooked ever since. The result yesterday was very disappointing but I am happy with 30 points at this stage.Building for the future is all that I request. Filling the ground keeping prices low and encouraging more youngsters into the ground will help keep Charlton strong and improve its supporter base in the future. I am confident the current owners have the the right idea, and hope they reach their desired goal of getting Charlton in the Premiership in the next 3 years. Bob Peeters I believe is doing an excellent job and hope he gets the credit he deserves. A mid table position this year will be a job well done in my view particularly with the squad and moneys provided to date
From the midfield upwards I could only work out where Buyens and Vetokele were playing and hadn't seen such an unorganised team so out of position since the Pardew days.
YEA RIGHT
I honestly don't understand where some of you are coming from on this thread.
Negativity abounds. The positives are being dismissed, forgotten ; what short memories some supporters have !
I KNOW that points are being lost. I KNOW that there is widespread frustration regarding the tactics being employed.
But we are not in the relegation zone. We are one of only two teams in the Championship to have lost just 3 games so far. We are only 5 points from the top six. And have the same number of points as a team relegated from the Prem League last season.
OK , I can't deny that we have some problems..the lack of a second proven striker being paramount in most people's minds. It seemed we had secured the services of a very special midfielder, only to have him snatched away at the eleventh hour. We have a full back who is unlikely to play every game over the Xmas period and another with an injury which will keep him sidelined for some time. And then, a week ago, we lost our influential ( according to some) skipper for at least a couple of weeks. The red team in Manchester has apparently had an abnormally high number of injuries this season and the whole world knows ....but the red team in SE London has no alternative than to soldier on with no allowances made by its own fans.
We DON'T have a squad of useless players ; neither do we have a useless manager. We do have a thin squad at present. But, bearing that in mind, we are still taking points from " better" teams in this league including three of the current top six. It remains to be seen how we shall fare over the next 2+ weeks before the January window opens but as Bob has stated, we are a team not easily beaten & I have no reason to believe that this will suddenly change.
Just give the lads a break....they're doing their best. And if that's not good enough, then go support Chelsea - if you can afford it. You'll no doubt witness some great football( and some diving !) but may have to take out a 2nd mortgage on your house !
Get behind the team & the manager and hone in on those positives.
Overall it's been better this season but the entertainment at home has been poor for a while now.....and we can't even blame the pitch. Some shackles need to be taken off and some arses need to be kicked.
As someone who championed young Pope for the keepers position , immediately after the game I thought drop him but having had time to think believe he should be given another chance against Blackburn , he will want to get that out of his system , it was soooooo bad
Vetokeles touch is beginning to really worry me , appalling compared to what he has previously offered
Anyway Fox was on the front of the "matchday magazine" against Ipswich
Pope was on the front against Blackpool
Who's next in the firing line !
Will look to see if George was on the front of the millwall one !
0 % top two ......... 0% 3rd-6th .........40% 7th-12th ......58.5% 13th-21st...... 1.5% Relegation
So after saying (lying) that I thought we'd win 3-0 before the game and throughout the match saying I thought we'd win,
with ten mins to go he asked "do you think we'll hang on?"
I looked him in the eye and said "yes I do"
He looked me back in the eye ( he had a read on me) and said "you don't REALLY think that do you"
I shook my head and said "nope , you're right I'm not confident we'll hang on"
So my realistic/pessimistic (eventually honest) approach prepared him for the inevitable Charlton letdown that is part of our lives
And to my complete surprise just after the final whistle out of nowhere ,as I had to force him to the Blackpool game, he said "can we go to Blackburn " I responded with a "maybe if mum lets us go cos it's a long way" then he asked if they were good , to which I replied "they'll beat us" ....he hesitated and said I still want to go (what a farking weirdo)
Ummming and aaaahing about it because going to panto Friday and Charlton kids party Sunday morning so I'll be shattered never mind them
but the 6 year old (a real weirdo) broke down in tears when he found out he'd missed the Charlton game on Saturday (he went to a friends party) has piped up that he wants to go Blackburn now and he's only been to 3 or 4 games in his life !
I'll probably go due to brainwashing but really don't want to , my eldest has been 10 away games and we've not won one so come 5pm next Saturday he may have chalked up number 11 on that list