Bit harsh! We could of played identically and scored the JFC and Marshall chances for a win and we would all be saying what a good performance it was, even if the quality still dropped after 60 mins.
We are playing far better then anytime last season even in our poorer games so far.
Bit harsh! We could of played identically and scored the JFC and Marshall chances for a win and we would all be saying what a good performance it was, even if the quality still dropped after 60 mins.
We are playing far better then anytime last season even in our poorer games so far.
I thought we were excellent at times in the first half apart from Kashi and nearly all our players looked composed on the ball. The players were moving well and the passing was sharp.
The second half we lost momentum and the mistakes crept in across the side. A bit of pressure and you could see the players wilt.
Amos: barely troubled Solly: coped well with the little threat posed by MK Konsa: adequate first half, dismal 2nd half Sarr: excellent first half, catastrophic 2nd eventually setting up MK goal, his much vaunted finishing absent too Kashi: lost possession seemed underpowered DaSilva: excellent throughout Marshall: quiet game apparently uncomfortable on the right and spurned a go(a)lden chance Forster-Caskey: quiet game unlucky not to score Reeves: off the pace throughout, shoulda been subbed much much earlier Holmes: decent and industrious Magennis: tireless
Fosu-Henry: was he remotely fit? Gave the ball away immediately after coming on and sulked throughout Ahearne-Grant: in the briefest of cameos showed his combination of enthusiasm and inadequacy - his risible blunder at the end a perfect example.
Seems KR really doesn't rate Joe Aribo if 34 minutes from an unfit Fosu is preferable as the replacement for the misfiring Reeves.
The debate around one striker versus two is an interesting one.
Robinson would not doubt argue that five men in midfield - with two good attacking full-backs in Solly and Silva - allows us to dominate possession and come at teams from more threatening positions.
If, for example, you had Ajose hanging around up front with Maginnis then he really wouldn't add much to the overall team pattern of play.
Ideally, you may actually switch Maginnis for a more prolific goal scorer like Darren Bent or Clive Mendonca given Josh is never going to get you 25 goals.
Sorry. Bent and super Clive were exceptional players and very good at what they did. But neither of then brought the all round play that Josh brings to this system. They weren't exactly known for holding the ball up and bringing others into play nor for winning arial battles.
Whilst Josh isn't a 1 in 2 striker he brings so much more to the side and that's essential in this system.
Neither Bent nor Mendonca would thrive in this system and the team would suffer too.
A slightly baffling game and one that we should have won, despite our level dipping significantly in the last half hour.
An excellent first half, with some of the best passing and overall control of a game that I’ve seen from a Charlton side for a long time. We were literally first to every second ball and MK really struggled to get a foothold in the game. For all that and our obvious superiority over a relatively limited opposition, one goal is never enough and the the fear persisted (articulated by a number of regulars) that we would pay for failing to score a second. JFC was unlucky with his deflected shot against the post but he missed a header six yards out when it looked easier to score.
Thus it proved, albeit after a decent enough start to the second half. Marshall failed with his one-on-one chance and once MK got their equaliser, we seemed to fall apart for a period and, but for an appalling miss by Aneke, we'd have found ourselves behind. Spurred on by the equaliser, the opposition started to dominate us in midfield and, whilst we had a few threatening moments, I didn't feel confident that we were going to push on and win the game, especially as we didn't look secure at the back. The own goal in the closing minutes was a real slice of luck but, rather like at Walsall, we managed to concede at the death and cast another two points to the wind.
It sounds like Bauer will be back on Tuesday to add a bit of solidity, although the recurrence of the injury to Fosu is a blow, as I thought he made a difference when he came on, especially as Reeves was largely ineffective. Hopefully we can put things right and get three points on the board against Rochdale on Tuesday, although they'll be no pushovers.
I always think Blucher's write ups are on the money.
That was appalling. Utterly dreadful, again. We started well enough, quick and fluent, bright and sharp, sweeping forward. Good goal after six minutes: accurate corner, and header from Magennis: One-nil.
Yet, after 20 minutes our players fell flat. Their energy drained away, brains evaporated to ectoplasm. Dull and dreary. Unopposed by MK Dons, who mustered no threat at all and had no shots in 45 minutes.
Half time. Fat guy waddles on to the pitch, shouting at the Covered End as if we are deaf: the Crossbar Challenge. Note that even the bird in heels with clipboard has deserted him. Barry from Bexleyheath steps up and hoofs it wide. There is a ripple of applause. More entertaining, the ref yesterday resembled the legendary Roger Kirkpatrick in the 1970s: knees up high, running backwards diagonally across the turf. Ex-Army. Cold showers. Spoofed by Fulton Mackay in 'Porridge'.
We fell apart in the second half. Holmes is our best player, seizing the ball and running at the opponents: aggressive, disruptive and incisive. Yet, alone with a dead ball, he makes the most basic errors: shanked a corner to the ball-boy behind the goal – shades of Danny Green – then sent a free-kick on the edge of the box straight out of play. Piss-poor.
In the entire second half, the Dons' keeper did not have a proper save to make. What on earth were we doing? We went to pieces, all ragged and clumsy, like pavement buskers without a song. We had a free-kick in their half, thought about the dead ball for a long time, then passed it back to our keeper. That is simply pathetic. Amos – as usual – hoofed it directly to Row Z.
There is a vast constituency on Charlton Life that swoons over Kashi: a 'great player', a 'master of the game'. What a lovely idea. He received four easy passes in defensive positions yesterday and made a suicidal mess of each of them: MK Dons were in on goal.
And the vapid midfield that has failed us for years: Forster-Caskey, Clarke, Aribo: perm any three from a register of dozens: all anonymous men, a regiment of shuffling shadows. None of them ever gets forward and pushes the crucial ten-yard ball to a capable striker, in on goal. Magennis is a talented player: sprints over to the corner, muscles the defender off the ball – yet there is no-one in the box, eager to receive. Our second was an own goal: a favour, a gift from the gods. We should watch and learn from Wigan, who ripped us apart 3-0 at The Valley two months ago. They are planets beyond our ability and imagination.
Reeves played 60 minutes yesterday and barely touched the ball. Marshall is peripheral and seems frightened by the game going on around him. He was free in the second half, one-on-one against the keeper – and muffed it. Sarr is a big tough guy – yet five yards out, unchallenged, he was a little girl, tapping the ball to the keeper's palms. In the last minute of added time, ball flies over to Ahearne-Grant, three yards from goal – and he hoofed it to the upper tier.
No, no, no. My neighbour in the Covered End has been watching us since the days of Stuart Leary and Johnny Summers in 1958; he is a forgiving and optimistic soul. His verdict on yesterday's mess: “There is no leadership in this team. We can't score. Carry on like this, and we'll miss the play-offs by a mile.”
You really are a tiresome blowhard. For most of that game we terrorised them. It was for sixty minutes probably out best performance of the season. We only lacked for options off the bench - that aside, it was a wonder we weren't three up before they scored
Also, this Sarr backlash is ludicrous. Their first goal was a pinpoint cross and a great finish. You can't expect Sarr to clear everything. Why did Golbourne have so much time to pick his man out? And to say Sarr 'assisted' their second goal is outright larceny. He also misplaced one pass and ended up atoning for it. He won almost every header, made almost every tackle and passed like a dream. Now you're all pining for Pearce like you've forgotten how good Sarr has been. Ridiculous. You want a scapegoat? There are no scapegoats in this team. I despair with Charlton fans, I really do.
Also, this Sarr backlash is ludicrous. Their first goal was a pinpoint cross and a great finish. You can't expect Sarr to clear everything. Why did Golbourne have so much time to pick his man out? And to say Sarr 'assisted' their second goal is outright larceny. He also misplaced one pass and ended up atoning for it. He won almost every header, made almost every tackle and passed like a dream. Now you're all pining for Pearce like you've forgotten how good Sarr has been. Ridiculous. You want a scapegoat? There are no scapegoats in this team. I despair with Charlton fans, I really do.
Agree with you mate.
I do think that both Sarr and Konsa benefit from the leadership and experience or Pearce or Bauer alongside them.
I think we're a better team with Bauer. I think Bauer and Sarr is probably our best CB pairing right now. Konsa is a potentially incredible player but he has shown aerial weaknesses and might be a better bet as our DM reserve. Although really he's probably fine to start in this league. We've not been conceding many of late.
Apart perhaps from the penalty I thought the refs actually did a good job today. Sorry lads/lasses but it's a poor show if you blame the refs for us not winning it. It was us who didn't win it, not the refs who caused it. The game should have been dead and buried long before the penalty decision.
I agree; I maintain Pearce and Bauer are our best partnership. As talented as EK is, his casual nature sparked off our general malaise on Saturday. I'm afraid I can't join the "Nabby is great" bandwagon yet either . He looked great for
Also, this Sarr backlash is ludicrous. Their first goal was a pinpoint cross and a great finish. You can't expect Sarr to clear everything. Why did Golbourne have so much time to pick his man out? And to say Sarr 'assisted' their second goal is outright larceny. He also misplaced one pass and ended up atoning for it. He won almost every header, made almost every tackle and passed like a dream. Now you're all pining for Pearce like you've forgotten how good Sarr has been. Ridiculous. You want a scapegoat? There are no scapegoats in this team. I despair with Charlton fans, I really do.
Your appraisal of Sarr is too strong, however. The idea that he won almost every header, for example, simply isn't true.
He's done better than expected and he deserves some grace for that but I just fear he's still an accident waiting to happen. Hopefully not.
I think we're a better team with Bauer. I think Bauer and Sarr is probably our best CB pairing right now. Konsa is a potentially incredible player but he has shown aerial weaknesses and might be a better bet as our DM reserve. Although really he's probably fine to start in this league. We've not been conceding many of late.
I don't have a problem wit Bauer or Sarr I think they are both decent players at this level. But we lack leadership on the pitch and I think Pearce gives us That,So for that reason he would be my 1st choice.
But at the end of the day Charlton have fallen back from 3rd to 5th. The Northamptonshire referee meanwhile got his lift back to Milton Keynes on the Dons team coach from where his wife could pick him up.
I think we're a better team with Bauer. I think Bauer and Sarr is probably our best CB pairing right now. Konsa is a potentially incredible player but he has shown aerial weaknesses and might be a better bet as our DM reserve. Although really he's probably fine to start in this league. We've not been conceding many of late.
Konsa can't head (defensively). He's very good on the floor and seems to read it well but in the air he's not even as strong as say, Jackson. The game has changed so much (as discussed on the Alan Shearer head injury thread) and it seems that young players are generally pretty weak in the air. Konsa does need to improve this part of his game.
Robinson was contacted on Monday about some of Saturday’s refereeing decisions by the Professional Game Match Officials Board, who agreed with his post-match assessment.
He said: “People can sometimes talk about taking a poor result with a lack of dignity but I think our fans know me well enough now to know that if we are beaten properly then we’ll take it on the chin; I do, our fans do, we accept it and we move on.
“We’ve had a conversation with the PGMOL [about some of the decisions made on Saturday] and they are in agreement with what we said after the game.”
Comments
We are playing far better then anytime last season even in our poorer games so far.
The second half we lost momentum and the mistakes crept in across the side. A bit of pressure and you could see the players wilt.
Solly: coped well with the little threat posed by MK
Konsa: adequate first half, dismal 2nd half
Sarr: excellent first half, catastrophic 2nd eventually setting up MK goal, his much vaunted finishing absent too
Kashi: lost possession seemed underpowered
DaSilva: excellent throughout
Marshall: quiet game apparently uncomfortable on the right and spurned a go(a)lden chance
Forster-Caskey: quiet game unlucky not to score
Reeves: off the pace throughout, shoulda been subbed much much earlier
Holmes: decent and industrious
Magennis: tireless
Fosu-Henry: was he remotely fit? Gave the ball away immediately after coming on and sulked throughout
Ahearne-Grant: in the briefest of cameos showed his combination of enthusiasm and inadequacy - his risible blunder at the end
a perfect example.
Seems KR really doesn't rate Joe Aribo if 34 minutes from an unfit Fosu is preferable as the replacement for the misfiring Reeves.
I do think that both Sarr and Konsa benefit from the leadership and experience or Pearce or Bauer alongside them.
He's done better than expected and he deserves some grace for that but I just fear he's still an accident waiting to happen. Hopefully not.
But we lack leadership on the pitch and I think Pearce gives us That,So for that reason he would be my 1st choice.
Apparently hasn't got a father
He said: “People can sometimes talk about taking a poor result with a lack of dignity but I think our fans know me well enough now to know that if we are beaten properly then we’ll take it on the chin; I do, our fans do, we accept it and we move on.
“We’ve had a conversation with the PGMOL [about some of the decisions made on Saturday] and they are in agreement with what we said after the game.”