All our eternal sideways passing across midfield! From left to centre, shovelled off to the right. Received, then returned laterally. Midfield is static. Passed left, and returned to the midfield – still on the half-way line.
It's a cautious default. Hang on to possession: we have gone back to basics, afraid to make a mistake. Playing one single striker is a fatal strategy at home – Tony Watt needs help. His accurate shot after 36 minutes was the first flash of danger in our game. He scooped over in the second half – flagged offside.
Where are the wingers for this lone striker? None of our players accelerated, skinned his opponent, and sent a lethal cross for Aribo, Crofts or any decent player who might rush in to the box.
Nothing. Absolutely nothing. There were vast periods today when The Valley was so silent as to be other-worldly, stunned by a bland mediocrity. Our play is pedestrian, like carpet bowls watched on TV in an old-folks' home in Mablethorpe.
Red means danger. Guts, fire, blood – ravenous for the jugular. Yet, our players are the husbands of the Stepford Wives – men stripped of Y-chromosomes, drained of all testosterone.
Paddy Powell did it, Killer had fire, Walshy swivelled and darted, Mike Flanagan muscled and scored, Martin Robinson fed, pushed and probed.
Twelve years ago we were in the Prem and Fleetwood were in the the North West Counties League.
Isn't it about bloody time we stamped our authority on this game?
Wow. Saturday 28th at 5pm Robinson is a hero, Saturday 4th 5pm he is useless because the form side of the division score a 94th minute equaliser. People need to get real.
A stinking hangover and the inevitable "stay at home" shout from my kids when offered a rare choice between going to Charlton or not meant I didn't even know Fleetwood had equalised till I took a sneaky look on my phone in Wildwood at 5.30 . The sad thing is the annoyance level of that equaliser is minimal to what it would have been in years gone by , my Charlton life has been drained away by this Belgium circus . The league is pony and I still do believe the play offs are a possibility .
0% Top two ......... 17% 3rd-6th ......... 65% 7th-12th ......... 18% 13th-20th ......0% relegation
I think there was something missing yesterday, but that something was clearly big Josh. Of course we can make the play offs still - but we do need to turn draws into wins and have a bit of luck with injuries.
We are currently averaging just under 1.5 points per game in 28 games and have averaged 1.5 points in our last six matches. Statistically in the long haul we haven't been good enough and neither in our famous, current unbeaten run.
There is just one play off place left up for grabs as the gap to fifth is ten more points.
We are currently averaging just under 1.5 points per game in 28 games and have averaged 1.5 points in our last six matches. Statistically in the long haul we haven't been good enough and neither in our famous, current unbeaten run.
There is just one play off place left up for grabs as the gap to fifth is ten more points.
We've averaged 2 points a game in the last 6. The introduction of 3 points for a win obviously passed you by.
We are currently averaging just under 1.5 points per game in 28 games and have averaged 1.5 points in our last six matches. Statistically in the long haul we haven't been good enough and neither in our famous, current unbeaten run.
There is just one play off place left up for grabs as the gap to fifth is ten more points.
We've averaged 2 points a game in the last 6. The introduction of 3 points for a win obviously passed you by.
We are currently averaging just under 1.5 points per game in 28 games and have averaged 1.5 points in our last six matches. Statistically in the long haul we haven't been good enough and neither in our famous, current unbeaten run.
There is just one play off place left up for grabs as the gap to fifth is ten more points.
We've averaged 2 points a game in the last 6. The introduction of 3 points for a win obviously passed you by.
My bad! Hangover.
Easily done. I remember building a school biology essay around the fact that human blood was close to boiling point at 98.6 degrees!
There was every chance that I had a hangover that day too.
Of course we can still make the play-offs. Will we? Probably not. For all the people that keep saying that things are much better (good English manager, English players, Daisy wearing a muzzle) they seem to be missing the main point that Roland still owns the club and, as such, the club has no ambition. The evidence of another transfer window proves that. If he really wanted promotion he could have spent a little bit more of the money that came in for Lookman and Fox. Instead, as usual, we are left with a thin squad bolstered by inadequate loan signings. I think that being in League 1 suits Roland fine. Wages are lower for the senior players that come in and there's plenty of opportunity to put the kids in the shop window. I can't see that things are getting any better but maybe things aren't getting any worse.
you don't believe the PR any more than I do. But I have said all along that the continuing and obsessive but puny hostility of some fans is a complete waste of time. A man like Roland is just egged on by this to keep to any plan, misconceived or not, that he has.
It may be a "complete waste of time" to you - thankfully there are many out there committed to opposing this regime & actively doing something about it.
Unless you enjoy being patronised, manipulated & lied to by a group of paid sycophants hanging grimly on to an arrogant, stay-away owner - while the club wallows in L1 mediocrity - you will thank the obsessive, puny & hostile fans that finally one day drive them out of our club.
That's where you're completely self-deceived. I want him to sell but you will not effect him or the timing of when he does. It will be his decision or the result of other factors. You and your well intentioned group may then claim credit but you will not have earned it. Meanwhile .................
Hmm, not necessarily. Duchatelet is a very proud man, and I'm fairly sure he's not enjoying the damage to his reputation, particularly in Belgium. Imagine if the attendances were much higher, and the crowd got unrelentingly behind the team, game after game, no matter what he did. Do you think he'd sell the club then?
Results are everything and it felt like a loss but we played well for all but 10 minutes. Hopefully Novak wont be used again because his substitution meant we were down to 10 men. I understand that jackson was the only possible left back to replace an injured chicksen and he did ok there but the substitutions turned the game and robinson will have to learn the reducing the capacity of our team to get and keep possession by substituting the players he did give the opponent the ball. It shows how good chicksen and holmes are that we fell apart without them. Next time bring on someone other than novak as i fear he is another ajose without the arrogance. Tony Watt was my man of the match for the sheer effort and ability he showed especially in defence and it would be good to see magennis and him together. Lots of positives from a game where we deserved to win.
We played very well in first half and Konsa is one of the very best youngplayers we have ever had.
How did Watt mis that open goal. 2 nil up, game over.
I thought JJ was very poor at LB and was lucky a couple of times when well beaten. Why oh why did we not put DeSilva on? Was that not why he was on the bench?
I would have put the guy on up front. We needed someone to hold it up a bit, but Ido not think it wouldhave mademuch ddifference.
I think we played really well in the first half, but Watt is not good enough to lead the line.
Ref letalot go. 5 handballs for instance and not one given. He seemed a bit confused throughout.
Good game, shame we could not hang on.
Flag was up for offside. He should have still hit the target though!
I thought he flagged for a goal kick?
I thought he looked well offside, so wasn't too bothered when he missed. But I agree with you, the lino didn't flag till the ball went over and he appeared to signal a goal kick. When the keeper tried to place the ball where Watt had been standing, the ref made him move it back to the six yard box. Conclusion: horrendous miss that cost us 3 points!
What are these signs of improvement you are seeing @KINSELLA7? Genuine Q as I am struggling to look beyond:
- mid table in League One - squad too thin and over reliant on loans - poor disciplinary record - dwindling crowds - growing debt
Don't understand why you're concerned with the growing debt? That's the owner's problem and from what I understand it is loose change to him. Why are we concerned with his private financial arrangements?
But it's not his debt, it's Charlton's debt. RD has loaned the club money, not given it. All needs to be paid up when Roly sails into the sunset.
This is a total misunderstanding. A shareholder's loan is always treated as equity by any purchaser & does NOT have to be repaid.
I know it is all about opinions but aside from the goal I thought they had the better chances in the first half and were the better team over 55 minutes in the second half.
The problem with the argument that we just need to convert draws into wins is that most of the drawn games I've seen have been closer to defeats than to wins.
We have a higher proportion of talented players than most teams in the division, including Fleetwood, but we are a collection of parts and will remain so until He Who Must Be Obeyed decides to leave a manager in charge for at least a couple of seasons.
That was a clear sending off offence and Holmes could have gone too, so discipline is something else for the manager to sort out.
Taken from the East Stand a couple of minutes before kick off.
I truly believe this could be the beginning of the end of RD's reign. I don't have any inside info, I'm not spreading a rumour, just my opinion. As I said earlier, we're not built to go up as a club. I truly believe he'll take a look at it come May and put us up for sale at a reasonable price. If he doesn't it's another season funding a loss making club and he's definitely not going to give KR any real funds.
What are these signs of improvement you are seeing @KINSELLA7? Genuine Q as I am struggling to look beyond:
- mid table in League One - squad too thin and over reliant on loans - poor disciplinary record - dwindling crowds - growing debt
Don't understand why you're concerned with the growing debt? That's the owner's problem and from what I understand it is loose change to him. Why are we concerned with his private financial arrangements?
But it's not his debt, it's Charlton's debt. RD has loaned the club money, not given it. All needs to be paid up when Roly sails into the sunset.
This is a total misunderstanding. A shareholder's loan is always treated as equity by any purchaser & does NOT have to be repaid.
It does if the seller is insistent on getting his money back - and the seller sets the price.
To put it another way, does anyone seriously think the debt won't be a factor in the eventual selling price? Indeed in 2014 it was almost the only factor.
RD could sell it tomorrow for what he paid for it and it's very hard to see how he has added value once you allow for relegation.
Even in the first half when we had plenty of possesion we lacked penetration. A man to take on the fullback and get a cross in, a playmaker that can spot a run and make a telling pass. Konsa and Aribo looked classy, Crofts worked tirelessly, but Byrne disappointed a little. But I think one more signing to give the midfield some punch was really what we lacked.
I also think we improved after half time. We looked far more energetic and had Fleetwood (whoever they are) on the back foot. And then the bloody linesman injured himself. What a farce. We never got going after that. The wind had been taken out of our sails.
I thought Fleetwood were very good at closing CAFC down. Took some good skill from JFC to open up the Cod army. Need big Josh back, as Tony Watt needs the support that he didn't get today. Thought magic feet did well as lone striker, even if he did an impression of Ajosie with that row Z Shot.
This will be the season of what if ?
The lack of a 24 goal striker will cost us dear at the end of this Campaign. Plus i think we will lose the least amount of games in this division.
Missed it today as under the weather with a heavy cold / flu.
The most important thing about the match today as far as I'm concerned was the tribute planned for young Liam Meadows. Hope it went well and both the applause and Valley Floyd Road were loud and proud.
Probably just a cold. Most people tend to exaggerate the flu thing. If you had the flu you would probably be in no position to want to post on here. Just treat yourself to a drop of Lemsip and Vicks Vapour Rub.
(This advice was courtesy of the Dr Baz Sunday morning surgery. Whilst financial reward is not sought, please feel free to donate some money to your favourite charity).
I thought the atmosphere at the valley yesterday was as flat as I've ever known it, with the exception of the minutes applause which was very good. The match itself was boring and the substitutions baffling, massive improvement is needed for us to have any chance of reaching the playoffs
What are these signs of improvement you are seeing @KINSELLA7? Genuine Q as I am struggling to look beyond:
- mid table in League One - squad too thin and over reliant on loans - poor disciplinary record - dwindling crowds - growing debt
Don't understand why you're concerned with the growing debt? That's the owner's problem and from what I understand it is loose change to him. Why are we concerned with his private financial arrangements?
But it's not his debt, it's Charlton's debt. RD has loaned the club money, not given it. All needs to be paid up when Roly sails into the sunset.
?? Don't think so. If the sale price is less than the o/s debt you don't think the owner is going to demand repayment from the new owner do you?
The sale contract will wipe out the personal debt to RD.
If RD called in the debt tomorrow in a fit of pique the club would go into Administration and dozens of interested parties would be all over the Administrator to purchase the club even with a points deduction. You may care to think back to Southampton and his thrur Phoenix rose from the ashes.
As I say it is debt that is 'as soft at shite' - quoting Plank in Lock Stock.
you don't believe the PR any more than I do. But I have said all along that the continuing and obsessive but puny hostility of some fans is a complete waste of time. A man like Roland is just egged on by this to keep to any plan, misconceived or not, that he has.
It may be a "complete waste of time" to you - thankfully there are many out there committed to opposing this regime & actively doing something about it.
Unless you enjoy being patronised, manipulated & lied to by a group of paid sycophants hanging grimly on to an arrogant, stay-away owner - while the club wallows in L1 mediocrity - you will thank the obsessive, puny & hostile fans that finally one day drive them out of our club.
That's where you're completely self-deceived. I want him to sell but you will not effect him or the timing of when he does. It will be his decision or the result of other factors. You and your well intentioned group may then claim credit but you will not have earned it. Meanwhile .................
Hmm, not necessarily. Duchatelet is a very proud man, and I'm fairly sure he's not enjoying the damage to his reputation, particularly in Belgium. Imagine if the attendances were much higher, and the crowd got unrelentingly behind the team, game after game, no matter what he did. Do you think he'd sell the club then?
Good post but how much damage is actually being done to his reputation in Belgium? How do we actually measure or quantify that? I am not convinced that his parody ownership of CAFC will have any impact on his standing in Belgium from a businessman perspective. Said it before and will say it again, we are merely an inconsequential side show for him; a little play thing on a weekend when he's sitting at home dribbling over his pictures of the CEO whilst manically rocking in his chair (visualise that bad boy - yuk!!).
Let's hope that the continued excellent effort of the trips to Belgium can somehow change that and eventually get him to knock it on the head.
I would like to mention again Robinson's attitude to foul play, and to the officials.
He has described a Bauer dismissal as a 'good sending off', he applauded Byrne yesterday, he has previously described fouling as a positive thing which he wants to see more of. Robinson would like to switch dug outs to be closer to the lino to give him or her pressure, he has encouraged spectators to abuse officials otherwise he would get fined if he did it, he is critical of officials in interviews.
I think he is being remarkably misguided if he sees all that as part of the game, and a way of gaining an extra 1% edge.
In my view he will have a reputation amongst the officialdom community, and his attitude rubs off on otherwise 'get on with it' players. Yesterday he went on about the amount of extra time and time allowed for substitutions to be made. What does he really hope to achieve? I wonder if positioning officials as the enemy has ever made footballing circumstances fall his way? I doubt it, but of course blaming officials is a handy excuse and distraction.
Yes refs can be poor, but you could balance the Millwall disallowed goal decision, with the JFC handball at Bolton. The officials are what they are and railing against them is like railing against the weather.
When I was a motorcyclist I assumed everybody was mad, against me, and determined to kill me, so I drove defensively and took others poor driving into account, indeed expected it. If the weather is crap I dress accordingly and take an umbrella.
Robinson would do well to come to terms with the neutrality, yes neutrality of the officials and prepare accordingly. Indeed with less effort and angst it is possible to be mildly seductive to officials, and to achieve benevolence from them with a subtle charm offensive from the manager, players and staff at a club. Brian Clough knew this full well.
I wonder what percentage of players, managers and coaches, pundits and supporters have actually sat down and read the laws of football.
Don't come on CL then Robbo. Looking at a lot of the comments on this thread you won't see a lot of "The fans and the players – there’s a connection" here. Personally I think it's getting really old.
For me, encouraging signs - We have a Manager who knows the English league We are recruiting players that know the English league We are playing better - 6 unbeaten and, really, we should have won today Daisy is being kept quiet.
Let's get behind the team without the continual negative comments. Douche has made mistakes and I want him out as much as anyone but, he is improving so, while he's here, let's support the team.
Maybe there are people on here who don't want Charlton to do well just because it doesn't fit in with their cozy image of what they want Charlton to be. Shame if that's the case.
Like I said, all this negativity is getting old to me. And, yes, I do understand what has been happening to our club these last 3 years. But, it sure is a lot better now than when we were dealing with Peeters, Luzon and Fraeye and the likes of Naby Sarr, El-Hadji Ba, George Tucudean and Reza Ghoochannejhad every week. Not to mention Piotr Parzyszek, Yohann Thuram, Loic Nego and Christophe Lepoint to name a few.
And why do you think these things have changed? Certainly not because Roland gives a shit, if we all sat here and took whatever was served up nobby vinegar would be in charge - thank god for CARD
Comments
It's a cautious default. Hang on to possession: we have gone back to basics, afraid to make a mistake. Playing one single striker is a fatal strategy at home – Tony Watt needs help. His accurate shot after 36 minutes was the first flash of danger in our game. He scooped over in the second half – flagged offside.
Where are the wingers for this lone striker? None of our players accelerated, skinned his opponent, and sent a lethal cross for Aribo, Crofts or any decent player who might rush in to the box.
Nothing. Absolutely nothing. There were vast periods today when The Valley was so silent as to be other-worldly, stunned by a bland mediocrity. Our play is pedestrian, like carpet bowls watched on TV in an old-folks' home in Mablethorpe.
Red means danger. Guts, fire, blood – ravenous for the jugular. Yet, our players are the husbands of the Stepford Wives – men stripped of Y-chromosomes, drained of all testosterone.
Paddy Powell did it, Killer had fire, Walshy swivelled and darted, Mike Flanagan muscled and scored, Martin Robinson fed, pushed and probed.
Twelve years ago we were in the Prem and Fleetwood were in the the North West Counties League.
Isn't it about bloody time we stamped our authority on this game?
The sad thing is the annoyance level of that equaliser is minimal to what it would have been in years gone by , my Charlton life has been drained away by this Belgium circus .
The league is pony and I still do believe the play offs are a possibility .
0% Top two ......... 17% 3rd-6th ......... 65% 7th-12th ......... 18% 13th-20th ......0% relegation
100% Roland Out
There is just one play off place left up for grabs as the gap to fifth is ten more points.
There was every chance that I had a hangover that day too.
For all the people that keep saying that things are much better (good English manager, English players, Daisy wearing a muzzle) they seem to be missing the main point that Roland still owns the club and, as such, the club has no ambition. The evidence of another transfer window proves that. If he really wanted promotion he could have spent a little bit more of the money that came in for Lookman and Fox. Instead, as usual, we are left with a thin squad bolstered by inadequate loan signings.
I think that being in League 1 suits Roland fine. Wages are lower for the senior players that come in and there's plenty of opportunity to put the kids in the shop window.
I can't see that things are getting any better but maybe things aren't getting any worse.
The problem with the argument that we just need to convert draws into wins is that most of the drawn games I've seen have been closer to defeats than to wins.
We have a higher proportion of talented players than most teams in the division, including Fleetwood, but we are a collection of parts and will remain so until He Who Must Be Obeyed decides to leave a manager in charge for at least a couple of seasons.
That was a clear sending off offence and Holmes could have gone too, so discipline is something else for the manager to sort out.
To put it another way, does anyone seriously think the debt won't be a factor in the eventual selling price? Indeed in 2014 it was almost the only factor.
RD could sell it tomorrow for what he paid for it and it's very hard to see how he has added value once you allow for relegation.
But I think one more signing to give the midfield some punch was really what we lacked.
I also think we improved after half time. We looked far more energetic and had Fleetwood (whoever they are) on the back foot.
And then the bloody linesman injured himself. What a farce. We never got going after that. The wind had been taken out of our sails.
(This advice was courtesy of the Dr Baz Sunday morning surgery. Whilst financial reward is not sought, please feel free to donate some money to your favourite charity).
The match itself was boring and the substitutions baffling, massive improvement is needed for us to have any chance of reaching the playoffs
Let's hope that the continued excellent effort of the trips to Belgium can somehow change that and eventually get him to knock it on the head.
He has described a Bauer dismissal as a 'good sending off', he applauded Byrne yesterday, he has previously described fouling as a positive thing which he wants to see more of. Robinson would like to switch dug outs to be closer to the lino to give him or her pressure, he has encouraged spectators to abuse officials otherwise he would get fined if he did it, he is critical of officials in interviews.
I think he is being remarkably misguided if he sees all that as part of the game, and a way of gaining an extra 1% edge.
In my view he will have a reputation amongst the officialdom community, and his attitude rubs off on otherwise 'get on with it' players. Yesterday he went on about the amount of extra time and time allowed for substitutions to be made.
What does he really hope to achieve? I wonder if positioning officials as the enemy has ever made footballing circumstances fall his way? I doubt it, but of course blaming officials is a handy excuse and distraction.
Yes refs can be poor, but you could balance the Millwall disallowed goal decision, with the JFC handball at Bolton. The officials are what they are and railing against them is like railing against the weather.
When I was a motorcyclist I assumed everybody was mad, against me, and determined to kill me, so I drove defensively and took others poor driving into account, indeed expected it. If the weather is crap I dress accordingly and take an umbrella.
Robinson would do well to come to terms with the neutrality, yes neutrality of the officials and prepare accordingly. Indeed with less effort and angst it is possible to be mildly seductive to officials, and to achieve benevolence from them with a subtle charm offensive from the manager, players and staff at a club. Brian Clough knew this full well.
I wonder what percentage of players, managers and coaches, pundits and supporters have actually sat down and read the laws of football.