I hear what you are saying Muttley, but he announced shortly after arrival that the squad was okay and did'nt need adding to. Besides, according to all accounts, he has been a major player in bringing our players in.Some of the injuries are undoubtedly because the players lack match fitness, as we are buying cheap injury prone imports unused to the hustle and bustle of the championship. Also, KM stated after their first half-season in charge, that they had learnt that the championship was tougher tan anticipated. I'm not seeing any evidence that they have applied those lessons here. Fraeye can say what he likes. He took the job with players he chose. If he can't do it, he should walk away. If he chooses to stay, he deserves a lot of the abuse he recieves for helping to build such a rotten squad, and let's be clear, this was being suggested in late august, but nothing was done apart from the TW/Vas Te swap. No sympathy for KF from me.
I've had time to calm down and sleep on yesterdays defeat.....well all I can say is that sleep and calming down hasn't worked. I'm furious that our club is being run by a so-called businessman who has no idea about football. We have a CEO who is just taking the piss, a manager who wouldn't even be good enough to manage one of my old teams (The Beehive, New Eltham) and a squad that is so paper-thin, we are exposing talented youngsters far too early and far too often. I've gleaned from people that Peter Varney has tried and failed, so far, to offer big investment, yet this bunch wont even talk to him, that is quite unbelievable!! RD/KM/RM are watching this club nose dive and are doing nothing about it. KF is out of his depth, but has he been sacked, of course not, because he is 'chums' with RD, yet RD's CEO has the 'front' to say we are getting better with each manager, as she sacks backroom staff who do a bloody good job with consummate ease!!! This club is in turmoil, supporters are voting with their feet, the players are out on theirs and yet RD sits and fiddles while the club burns. These are sad days people, and its going to get worse before it gets better. We need someone to come along, PV hopefully, and get rid of this bunch of 'nomarks', before the decline becomes terminal. The worrying thing for me is with KF staying on, it will be him, if he is given a budget, who will be part of the RD selection committee (consists of RD/KM/KF) to bring in new players. Look at what he has recommended so far that have either come and gone, or are here stealing a living!!! The mind boggles as to where this will end, but one thing I'm sure of if RD stays and doesn't change his 'plan'.....we are screwed, well and truly screwed. I will do the match thread again this Saturday in the forlorn hope we can get a point, and because I wont let RD push me away from the club, I will still be here, god-willing, when he has gone. In a final plea to RD, WILL YOU PLEASE SELL UP AND GO, or in French- allez-vous s'il vous plaît et aller vendre!!!
What a shambles. The whole thing from top to bottom is an absolute mess.
You could say we've been unlucky with injuries - bollocks. Overworked too small squad full of injury prone players and were now reaping the rewards. Look man was knackered from the first minute today with Jacko encouranfing him several times to get back in position - and subsequently got injured. There is no way he should have been on the pitch today, but who else are we supposed to play??
Criminal mismanagement. Actually that implies there is some management going on. It's like fraeye is playing fifa - we need to score so lump 4 forwards on but unfortunately you need slightly more tactical awareness than that in a professional league!!
game was there for the taking today despite having all the injuries and the front 3 playing in the wrong positions but yet again, the half time break sees the opposition manager effect the game far better than ours and our substitutions reduce our chances further. vaz te and kag were not at it (the latter should never be playing centre forward for us in my opinion - bit part at best) yet reza gets taken off. surely reza had to be in the hole, vaz te up top and kag out wide? anyway - 2 good things - the united stand up and the varney news - also heard we have 2 signings done and 2 nearly done - lets hope they are tried and tested so we can get to end of season in championship, rd holds his hands up and sells up and takes the rest of his amateurs with him.
Boy that was grim. I always enjoy reading the post match analysis of the more astute football watchers on here but for an ordinary joe punter like me and, I'm guessing, the majority who were there yesterday it boils down to a boring non-event with a depressing score line tagged on the end. If there is a ray of light it is that most of the teams we play are also pretty poor. Wolves were. A proper manager and some decent additions to the squad could still pull us clear of relegation despite this being the most disjointed, dispirited, injury-prone squad of players I can ever recall seeing.
Nearly completed the players marks thread, but reconsidered and decided not to post after my own lowly assessments.
Is it fair to rate the young players so critically when too many are put into a struggling team too early - a side that in any case is so unbalanced - and set up yesterday, like it was a 'jumpers for goalposts' kick about in the park.
The blame for the present debacle must remain at the top. The expression, ‘Young lions led by donkeys,’ springs to mind.
The thing that grates with me at the moment is I cannot for the life of me persuade my two kids to come, they said to me dad , what do I want to watch that Rubbish for?
You know things are bad when one wants to stay home to do his maths homework and the other wants to tidy his room!
Five of us met in a pub in Chislehurst after the game for our usual post match pints. Between us we buy 7 season tickets and have been doing so for donkey's years, through thick and (mostly) thin. We all agreed that we will not be renewing if it's League 1 next season.
It's a disgrace and a clear indication that the board dont care about the league position that KF was given the job in the first place, and the fact he's still in charge is testament to their arrogance. The club is being destroyed at record pace.
A complete overhaul is needed across the whole club. The sad thing is that it wont happen. I doubt we're even interviewing for managers or looking at any kind of decent player acquisition.
If they wont listen and wont change then (and I never thought I'd say) boycott is now the only answer.
Stand out moments of the game - Sarrs last ditch tackle in the box and then away with the ball at his feet and ended up toeing it out due to no outlet. Also a quick mention for the trickery of Cabellasos.....Cell.....Shpeb.....Cabsol......Shlebasos....the spanish fella.
We need a couple of players that can beat defenders - we had one but he is playing for Cardiff at the moment, Lookman is possibly another but he is young and raw and it is wrong to ask too much of him. We need a midfielder. We CAN'T play JJ in a midfield two, that was true a couple of seasons ago, and is even more true now, but BA and JJ were our only fit midfielders. Two inexperienced centre backs were our only two fit ones there. We need as a minimum, Watt back, another midfielder and an experienced defender. And we need a new manager who knows what he is doing. If we address this now, we still have a chance, but the window of opportunity is closing quickly.
Stand out moments of the game - Sarrs last ditch tackle in the box and then away with the ball at his feet and ended up toeing it out due to no outlet. Also a quick mention for the trickery of Cabellasos.....Cell.....Shpeb.....Cabsol......Shlebasos....the spanish fella.
Ceballos looked quite bright, sadly the other players didn't seem to be on his wavelength
No fight, no shape, no energy, clueless coach, a meaningless CEO and an owner who doesn't give a shit. Wolves were useless but beat us at a walk. It's all over this season we are down and I fear it is going to get worse because the reality is that RD doesn't care about results or supporters and our fear of asset stripping got one step closer again today.
I am all for protests BUT what form of protest will really count? Empty stadium? I am not sure but it would appear to be the only option.
These really are dark days the club is disintegrating in front of our eyes.
Don't go often to The Valley nowadays, but I managed to be present at yesterday's debacle ( a French word our owner, CEO and manager should understand). It was almost immediately obvious that our opponents are not going to set the world on fire. Wolves looked marginally more savy than our lot, but there wasn't much in it. An entirely unmemorable first half was enlightened by a good save from Henderson, when Afobe (?) somehow missed from six feet in front of goal. Often in the past six decades I have called for incompetent refs to leave the field, but when the said official was poleaxed just before half time, somehow the situation fell flat - both physically and metaphorically - but the incident did provide some seasonal entertainment for the crowd.
The Addicks' progress in the second half was been extensively chronicled in these columns. Over the years I have seen worse Charlton performances, but that gives me little comfort bearing in mind the veritable shambles that unfolded in front of us.
At one point JJ received a note from the bench. One wonders what tactical insights were contained therein. Whatever it was, the contents of the missive had no discernable effect on our performance.
One bright spot in a day of gloom was the appearance of Cebellos. He came on too late to affect the result, but he showed some nice touches and was actually calling for the ball to be passed to him.
To sum up - unless all concerned with running the club pull their collective socks up pronto, we will be relegated. It is sadly that simple. I took no great pleasure in joining in the mass 'stand up' , but the gesture had to be made. I have never been disloyal to the club and have never booed the players. In fact, although I was disappointed, I did applaud them off yesterday.
We will be down if we have KF for another month, without a whimper at that.
Players look lost and like they are playing under a manager who doesn't have a clue.
Back four with a right back who is 24, cb's who are 22 and 21 and a 21 year old left back. I love we want to nurture youth into the first team, but we are throwing them to the lions. An experienced brute could help in that back 4 but we dont have one.
Such easy crap goals conceded and if Wolves fancied it could have scored more, but knew they didn't really have to work.
Where do we go from here, as the manager doesnt look like leaving any time soon.
Will be going to the Notts game, taking a Notts fan.....dreading it.
Wife got me & the boy a half season ticket for Christmas.... 'They even chucked in the Wolves tickets for free' she remarked. After just about containing my disbelief and after an Oscar winning performance of delight, hoped yesterday's first game for us would be far less crap than previous. Oh well.
Got worse for my son, on the way out the ground he walked smack bang plum centre forehead into a lamp post. After getting over that, he then realised when we got back to the car that he had left his signed (by Joe Gomez) Charlton drinks bottle in the ground under his seat. It was all too much at that point with tears all the way home.
Oh - and my son too.
Life lesson of supporting a crap team learnt early with extra special measures. At least things can only get better...
Wife got me & the boy a half season ticket for Christmas.... 'They even chucked in the Wolves tickets for free' she remarked. After just about containing my disbelief and after an Oscar winning performance of delight, hoped yesterday's first game for us would be far less crap than previous. Oh well.
Got worse for my son, on the way out the ground he walked smack bang plum centre forehead into a lamp post. After getting over that, he then realised when we got back to the car that he had left his signed (by Joe Gomez) Charlton drinks bottle in the ground under his seat. It was all too much at that point with tears all the way home.
Oh - and my son too.
Life lesson of supporting a crap team learnt early with extra special measures. At least things can only get better...
... Can't they??
Email Katrien, she'll nip in and find the drinks bottle for you...........oh
That's probably the youngest Charlton XI I've seen (maybe the team that played at Crystal Palace in the Simod Cup in the late 80's was younger?)
Viewfinder makes a point about Academy players and it's not without foundation. An ex-pro friend has a son at Middlesbrough's Academy and says he won't even go to watch his son play because each game resembles a training exercise and physical contact is minimal. We've got three pro-club Academy players currently playing for us at Hendon FC and all of them struggle with the physical side of the game (and none of them are tiny). Maybe the hope is that modern young players will go into their 1st XI's armed with decent technique and will learn the physical side from that point onwards. If that is the case, then our lads are getting a decent grounding.
The injury to Lookman is a shame. It remains to be seen whether it's a tear or just a strain or just severe cramp. We've had young players before who played every game....Paul Walsh, Robert Lee, Lee Bowyer....and they didn't pick up too many injuries. So Lookman may just be a bit injury-prone and if he's got hamstring trouble at his age, then this might put off some of the big clubs currently watching him. It might also mean we might be better of selling him for a good price if we can get it.
Did anyone witness Moussa warm up? I could have sworn I saw him driving away from the ground at 2:50.
In these day's of austerity, a sub has to do far more than sit on the bench and keep warm in case he's needed. With the new catering contract in place there's no facility in place for player refreshments. As the sub least likely to be needed, Moussa had a very important job to do in nipping down to Sainsbury's to get the half time oranges and a box of Ty-Phoo.
What in heaven's name are you doing? We didn't fire one single accurate shot in the full 90 minutes.
In the second half, we are 1-0 down, and have four strikers: Reza, Vaz Te, Makienok, and Ahearne-Grant.
Not a single one of them made the keeper dive.
Meanwhile, Henderson is leaping left and right. Our midfield is utterly vapid.
Tony Watt shoulders the last defender with his upper body, swivels and hammers: One-nil. Paul Walsh does it. And Killer. And Martin Robinson, close by.
That's probably the youngest Charlton XI I've seen (maybe the team that played at Crystal Palace in the Simod Cup in the late 80's was younger?)
Viewfinder makes a point about Academy players and it's not without foundation. An ex-pro friend has a son at Middlesbrough's Academy and says he won't even go to watch his son play because each game resembles a training exercise and physical contact is minimal. We've got three pro-club Academy players currently playing for us at Hendon FC and all of them struggle with the physical side of the game (and none of them are tiny). Maybe the hope is that modern young players will go into their 1st XI's armed with decent technique and will learn the physical side from that point onwards. If that is the case, then our lads are getting a decent grounding.
The injury to Lookman is a shame. It remains to be seen whether it's a tear or just a strain or just severe cramp. We've had young players before who played every game....Paul Walsh, Robert Lee, Lee Bowyer....and they didn't pick up too many injuries. So Lookman may just be a bit injury-prone and if he's got hamstring trouble at his age, then this might put off some of the big clubs currently watching him. It might also mean we might be better of selling him for a good price if we can get it.
That's beautifully put, Simonsen. Yet I disagree. You cosset and love these frightful players as if they are actually any good.
We are second from bottom of the table. When our manager says he is "going to Colchester to look at Callum Harriott", you know it's unspeakable.
Am I the only one who thinks digging out Aherne-Grant is a crying shame? I am not saying he is the next big thing, but he is less than 18 years and 3 months, and he was being pitched into his mess even before he turned 18. Afobe of Wolves is 22 and as got 134 league gams under his belt and 41 goals.
Comments
This club is in turmoil, supporters are voting with their feet, the players are out on theirs and yet RD sits and fiddles while the club burns. These are sad days people, and its going to get worse before it gets better. We need someone to come along, PV hopefully, and get rid of this bunch of 'nomarks', before the decline becomes terminal. The worrying thing for me is with KF staying on, it will be him, if he is given a budget, who will be part of the RD selection committee (consists of RD/KM/KF) to bring in new players. Look at what he has recommended so far that have either come and gone, or are here stealing a living!!! The mind boggles as to where this will end, but one thing I'm sure of if RD stays and doesn't change his 'plan'.....we are screwed, well and truly screwed.
I will do the match thread again this Saturday in the forlorn hope we can get a point, and because I wont let RD push me away from the club, I will still be here, god-willing, when he has gone. In a final plea to RD, WILL YOU PLEASE SELL UP AND GO, or in French-
allez-vous s'il vous plaît et aller vendre!!!
You could say we've been unlucky with injuries - bollocks. Overworked too small squad full of injury prone players and were now reaping the rewards. Look man was knackered from the first minute today with Jacko encouranfing him several times to get back in position - and subsequently got injured. There is no way he should have been on the pitch today, but who else are we supposed to play??
Criminal mismanagement. Actually that implies there is some management going on. It's like fraeye is playing fifa - we need to score so lump 4 forwards on but unfortunately you need slightly more tactical awareness than that in a professional league!!
Is it fair to rate the young players so critically when too many are put into a struggling team too early - a side that in any case is so unbalanced - and set up yesterday, like it was a 'jumpers for goalposts' kick about in the park.
The blame for the present debacle must remain at the top. The expression, ‘Young lions led by donkeys,’ springs to mind.
You know things are bad when one wants to stay home to do his maths homework and the other wants to tidy his room!
A complete overhaul is needed across the whole club. The sad thing is that it wont happen. I doubt we're even interviewing for managers or looking at any kind of decent player acquisition.
If they wont listen and wont change then (and I never thought I'd say) boycott is now the only answer.
I am all for protests BUT what form of protest will really count? Empty stadium? I am not sure but it would appear to be the only option.
These really are dark days the club is disintegrating in front of our eyes.
The Addicks' progress in the second half was been extensively chronicled in these columns. Over the years I have seen worse Charlton performances, but that gives me little comfort bearing in mind the veritable shambles that unfolded in front of us.
At one point JJ received a note from the bench. One wonders what tactical insights were contained therein. Whatever it was, the contents of the missive had no discernable effect on our performance.
One bright spot in a day of gloom was the appearance of Cebellos. He came on too late to affect the result, but he showed some nice touches and was actually calling for the ball to be passed to him.
To sum up - unless all concerned with running the club pull their collective socks up pronto, we will be relegated. It is sadly that simple. I took no great pleasure in joining in the mass 'stand up' , but the gesture had to be made. I have never been disloyal to the club and have never booed the players. In fact, although I was disappointed, I did applaud them off yesterday.
'Dum spiro, spero!'
Players look lost and like they are playing under a manager who doesn't have a clue.
Back four with a right back who is 24, cb's who are 22 and 21 and a 21 year old left back. I love we want to nurture youth into the first team, but we are throwing them to the lions. An experienced brute could help in that back 4 but we dont have one.
Such easy crap goals conceded and if Wolves fancied it could have scored more, but knew they didn't really have to work.
Where do we go from here, as the manager doesnt look like leaving any time soon.
Will be going to the Notts game, taking a Notts fan.....dreading it.
Got worse for my son, on the way out the ground he walked smack bang plum centre forehead into a lamp post. After getting over that, he then realised when we got back to the car that he had left his signed (by Joe Gomez) Charlton drinks bottle in the ground under his seat. It was all too much at that point with tears all the way home.
Oh - and my son too.
Life lesson of supporting a crap team learnt early with extra special measures. At least things can only get better...
... Can't they??
Viewfinder makes a point about Academy players and it's not without foundation. An ex-pro friend has a son at Middlesbrough's Academy and says he won't even go to watch his son play because each game resembles a training exercise and physical contact is minimal. We've got three pro-club Academy players currently playing for us at Hendon FC and all of them struggle with the physical side of the game (and none of them are tiny). Maybe the hope is that modern young players will go into their 1st XI's armed with decent technique and will learn the physical side from that point onwards. If that is the case, then our lads are getting a decent grounding.
The injury to Lookman is a shame. It remains to be seen whether it's a tear or just a strain or just severe cramp. We've had young players before who played every game....Paul Walsh, Robert Lee, Lee Bowyer....and they didn't pick up too many injuries. So Lookman may just be a bit injury-prone and if he's got hamstring trouble at his age, then this might put off some of the big clubs currently watching him. It might also mean we might be better of selling him for a good price if we can get it.
Only joking. Or am I?
In the second half, we are 1-0 down, and have four strikers: Reza, Vaz Te, Makienok, and Ahearne-Grant.
Not a single one of them made the keeper dive.
Meanwhile, Henderson is leaping left and right. Our midfield is utterly vapid.
Tony Watt shoulders the last defender with his upper body, swivels and hammers: One-nil.
Paul Walsh does it. And Killer. And Martin Robinson, close by.
Igor Vetokele is scratching his pubis.
We are second from bottom of the table. When our manager says he is "going to Colchester to look at Callum Harriott", you know it's unspeakable.
I am not saying he is the next big thing, but he is less than 18 years and 3 months, and he was being pitched into his mess even before he turned 18.
Afobe of Wolves is 22 and as got 134 league gams under his belt and 41 goals.