We have a defence that is weak and prone to making mistakes: today Pearce, last week Sarr. Plus our fullbacks are small which makes us vulnerable in the air. Midfield tends to overplay the passing game or loses the ball too cheaply. Been unlucky with injuries. Attack is truly dire with an off form Magennis usually isolated from the midfield. I thought Novak was poor but will Best be any better than him? Subs: saddled with Dodoo and Jackson. Djiksteel/Aribo should always be in the 18. Team overall: Now seems to be easy to beat, especially as we find it so hard to score a goal. Compare with Millwall, who have fairly crap players (I think) for their league but are very hard to beat. Manager: Nice optimism which is welcome but probably over reliant on 4231 system, plus unlucky that Reeves has yet to really make a difference. Plus Marshall has been ineffective so far. Fans: mainly supportive this season despite ongoing negative undertones re RD & Meire but beginning to lose faith in the team - which is not good. Another couple of defeats and the atmosphere could be bad again. Owner: Now indicates he wants to sell the club so highly unlikely to buy new players. Will probably sell our best players if he gets a half decent offer. Expect loans at best come January.
There is not one area which you look at and say 'there, that's where we're going wrong'. It's a combination of the following;
- Robinson's refusal to try a new formation. The rigidity of the 4231 means we're easy to suss out and, if we don't get an early goal, easy to play against.
- Lack of striking options. It's obvious now, was obvious in the summer and will still be bleedin' obvious on February 1st. Magennis is a good player - you don't represent your country if you're not - but the poor bloke is absolutely knackered. He's played pretty much 90 minutes every weekend since August and that fatigue is showing in his general play. In this situation he needs to be taken out the firing line, given a rest and a chance to rediscover his confidence, but we can't do that because when you look to the bench there's no one to come on. Blackburn were able to bring on an experienced goalscorer in Danny Graham today; that's the difference between us and them/Wigan.
- No one really knows our best centre back pairing. Pearce needs to play to organise the defence, but he cannot pass out the back the way Robinson needs him to. Sarr, Bauer and Konsa all can, but I don't think they can play together, and certainly not if Solly is also out.
- Over reliance on Holmes.
- Lack of 'marquee' signings making the desired impact, namely Reeves and Marshall. We're lucky Fosu and Clarke have performed above expectations.
Robinson is very lucky he got Kashi back. To play this formation you need a defensive shield which he performs extremely well, and we miss him massively right now. I struggle to believe we would have got anyone in anywhere near his quality. We've had injuries as well, obviously, but I neglect to include them on the basis everyone gets 'em and there should be a contingency plan in place.
Yet despite all this, we're still in the playoffs, game in hand on the chasing pack and with players in our squad capable of performing magic. The league is absolutely awful, but if we don't fix up soon it'll be a golden opportunity missed to get out of it.
Scunthorpe, Peterboro, Portsmouth, Blackburn. 1 point from a possible 12. To be honest we should have picked up another 4 points, but I honestly believe this is our blip and I will kick on from now over the next 4 games.
Blackpool, Gillingham and Oldham at home. Southend and Wigan away. 10 points for me and then we go again.
However if Robinson honesty believes that 2 shits will give him adequate funds to strengthen the squad in January, then he is crazier than a coconut!
Before the season started I said play offs at best we have a thin thin squad and imo some players that don’t give there all there quite happy to pick up a pay packet or use us a stepping stone - maybe the way modern football has gone.
It's down to Robinson he brought the players in or let them go. If Robinson says in the end he wasn't backed its like what little legs said when Robbo 1st came about he knows what his getting into with the Belgians. However all is not lost Im looking at maybe 4 points from the next 9. And fully expected us to drop some points from Scunthorpe on. A question for AFKA if we go unbeaten in 5 from January will you be doing an upturn thread.
There is not one area which you look at and say 'there, that's where we're going wrong'. It's a combination of the following;
- Robinson's refusal to try a new formation. The rigidity of the 4231 means we're easy to suss out and, if we don't get an early goal, easy to play against.
- Lack of striking options. It's obvious now, was obvious in the summer and will still be bleedin' obvious on February 1st. Magennis is a good player - you don't represent your country if you're not - but the poor bloke is absolutely knackered. He's played pretty much 90 minutes every weekend since August and that fatigue is showing in his general play. In this situation he needs to be taken out the firing line, given a rest and a chance to rediscover his confidence, but we can't do that because when you look to the bench there's no one to come on. Blackburn were able to bring on an experienced goalscorer in Danny Graham today; that's the difference between us and them/Wigan.
- No one really knows our best centre back pairing. Pearce needs to play to organise the defence, but he cannot pass out the back the way Robinson needs him to. Sarr, Bauer and Konsa all can, but I don't think they can play together, and certainly not if Solly is also out.
- Over reliance on Holmes.
- Lack of 'marquee' signings making the desired impact, namely Reeves and Marshall. We're lucky Fosu and Clarke have performed above expectations.
Robinson is very lucky he got Kashi back. To play this formation you need a defensive shield which he performs extremely well, and we miss him massively right now. I struggle to believe we would have got anyone in anywhere near his quality. We've had injuries as well, obviously, but I neglect to include them on the basis everyone gets 'em and there should be a contingency plan in place.
Yet despite all this, we're still in the playoffs, game in hand on the chasing pack and with players in our squad capable of performing magic. The league is absolutely awful, but if we don't fix up soon it'll be a golden opportunity missed to get out of it.
We are not as good as we think we are. We are basically a top half of the table League one side. Not good enough, in my eyes to finish in a promotion or play off place. I think we will stay that way with Duchatelet in charge.
I can't help thinking that if it gets any worse Roland will be thinking, 'I let you have your English manager, and your English players, and look what happened'. He'll see it as vindication. I can't seem him giving any real backing to a system he doesn't approve of, in January.
As others have said....No plan B. The obsession with one certain formation is all well and good, but it’s far too predictable. We have a serious lack of decent strikers - we don’t actually have one that is any good. Holmes has gone off the boil. We don’t score enough goals. Losing Fosu hasn’t helped. Marshall hasn’t added anything to the squad. Then again I think he is best suited to 4-4-2.
I don’t think we have any real leadership on the pitch when things are going wrong.
It’s all a bit shit really. We have lost to Plymouth and Gillingham and have drawn against some dross. Ultimately, we just aren’t very good..... And we will continue in the same vein whist we are being run buy those Belgian W8nkers.
Think the 'Sussed out' stuff is a bit too basic to be honest
One thing that has hit home. Letting Lee Novak go with no replacement lined up / through the door looks utterly ridiculous, amateurish at best
Agree with this. According to KR Novak said on the last day of the window that he was off! We must have been bloody confident to believe that we had a replacement lined up. It appears that said replacement deal broke down as the other party changed the terms of the deal.
So what anyway, Novak was contracted, "you can go when we say you can go!"
How amateurish is it to have completed the Novak deal before the other deal was signed sealed and delivered and it would not surprise me if the other party heard that we were down to one striker so changed their negotiating stance.
I just think we are performing exactly how Robinson's sides normally do. Apart from one season where he had two or three players who were far to good for this level, his MK sides, always flattered to deceive. One less first team midfielder and one more striker would have given us more balance and options. That was Robinson's choice.
I want Duche gone and I wouldn't shed any tears if Robinson followed shortly afterwards.
Most club's with a minted owner would be "Right let's spend in January and address" this and bolster the squad to give us the best chance of promotion.
Not us.
Have viewed this season in isolation and a good start now tailing off into inconsistency. Hopefully the new year will see a turnaround before we drift out of the play offs on recent form. Without spending or bringing in suitable players in other ways (notoriously difficult in January without spending big) can see us limping into the playoffs or falling out of them.
I think we've got some of the best players available in this League, when they're all fit, but getting them to play in a style and system that works in this League are 2 different things.
I just think we are performing exactly how Robinson's sides normally do. Apart from one season where he had two or three players who were far to good for this level, his MK sides, always flattered to deceive.
And if those 'two or three players who were far too good for this level' had been missing for periods through injury, maybe he wouldn't have had that promotion season at MK either?
He's been a bit unlucky losing so many key players at the same time this season, so it's not surprising that his way of playing has come unstuck. It's been said before, we've got some good players - but they all do need to be playing and performing for Robinson's system to work.
But at the moment he seems to be blindly believing his system will still work even with key players missing. Surely Rule One in football has to be to play to players' strengths - and find a system to get the best out of the players you do have.
I think we've got some of the best players available in this League, when they're all fit, but getting them to play in a style and system that works in this League are 2 different things.
I think that's the thing. I think Robinson is conscious of the fact that when he took MK up he struggled. I think he wants Charlton to play in a style that suits the championship so that when (if) they go up they can adapt more easily. The problem for me is that most of the teams in league 1 have no problem playing "spoiler" and "anti football" tactics and Charlton can't break them down, especially if a few 1st team players are missing. Couple this with an at times inexperienced defence due to key injuries then scrappy goals leak in. Get a striker (is the Arsenal lad playing at Preston?) and keep Pearce fit and I think all may not be lost.
4-2-3-1 is fine if it works. It isn't. We use a NI striker who plays the lone role regularly. KR wants 2 strikers but when will they play? Can we afford someone better than Josh. We have an expensive squad and four U23 players regularly in our 18. We are under-achieving. Should have gone with Nathan Jones.
Injuries to Fosu and Clarke along with a dip in form for Holmes has really impacted what was already a team struggling to score goals.
Think at the other end we have been caught out with drop in form of players like Solly and bad mistakes that mean we are chasing games.
Robinson is one dimensional and when we are chasing games he does little to alter it so if we concede first we are screwed. He needs to be more proactive in changing things around. Yes we are short of players but getting rid of Novak when we didn't have anyone lined up was ridiculous and not giving aribo a game earlier in season was too.
The big slice of wages in reeves hasn't paid off yet either
They have already been pre blamed for a lack of January spend so I second this. Funny I always thought Roland could not care less about the 'ex supporters'
Was told this yesterday and have just gone back to check. In 18 attempts we have only won 1 game in December with Roland as owner. Happy Christmas everyone.
Comments
Midfield tends to overplay the passing game or loses the ball too cheaply. Been unlucky with injuries.
Attack is truly dire with an off form Magennis usually isolated from the midfield. I thought Novak was poor but will Best be any better than him?
Subs: saddled with Dodoo and Jackson. Djiksteel/Aribo should always be in the 18.
Team overall: Now seems to be easy to beat, especially as we find it so hard to score a goal. Compare with Millwall, who have fairly crap players (I think) for their league but are very hard to beat.
Manager: Nice optimism which is welcome but probably over reliant on 4231 system, plus unlucky that Reeves has yet to really make a difference. Plus Marshall has been ineffective so far.
Fans: mainly supportive this season despite ongoing negative undertones re RD & Meire but beginning to lose faith in the team - which is not good. Another couple of defeats and the atmosphere could be bad again.
Owner: Now indicates he wants to sell the club so highly unlikely to buy new players. Will probably sell our best players if he gets a half decent offer. Expect loans at best come January.
- Robinson's refusal to try a new formation. The rigidity of the 4231 means we're easy to suss out and, if we don't get an early goal, easy to play against.
- Lack of striking options. It's obvious now, was obvious in the summer and will still be bleedin' obvious on February 1st. Magennis is a good player - you don't represent your country if you're not - but the poor bloke is absolutely knackered. He's played pretty much 90 minutes every weekend since August and that fatigue is showing in his general play. In this situation he needs to be taken out the firing line, given a rest and a chance to rediscover his confidence, but we can't do that because when you look to the bench there's no one to come on. Blackburn were able to bring on an experienced goalscorer in Danny Graham today; that's the difference between us and them/Wigan.
- No one really knows our best centre back pairing. Pearce needs to play to organise the defence, but he cannot pass out the back the way Robinson needs him to. Sarr, Bauer and Konsa all can, but I don't think they can play together, and certainly not if Solly is also out.
- Over reliance on Holmes.
- Lack of 'marquee' signings making the desired impact, namely Reeves and Marshall. We're lucky Fosu and Clarke have performed above expectations.
Robinson is very lucky he got Kashi back. To play this formation you need a defensive shield which he performs extremely well, and we miss him massively right now. I struggle to believe we would have got anyone in anywhere near his quality. We've had injuries as well, obviously, but I neglect to include them on the basis everyone gets 'em and there should be a contingency plan in place.
Yet despite all this, we're still in the playoffs, game in hand on the chasing pack and with players in our squad capable of performing magic. The league is absolutely awful, but if we don't fix up soon it'll be a golden opportunity missed to get out of it.
Blackpool, Gillingham and Oldham at home. Southend and Wigan away. 10 points for me and then we go again.
However if Robinson honesty believes that 2 shits will give him adequate funds to strengthen the squad in January, then he is crazier than a coconut!
If Robinson says in the end he wasn't backed its like what little legs said when Robbo 1st came about he knows what his getting into with the Belgians.
However all is not lost Im looking at maybe 4 points from the next 9.
And fully expected us to drop some points from Scunthorpe on.
A question for AFKA if we go unbeaten in 5 from January will you be doing an upturn thread.
Plus checkatrade fever.
I don’t think we have any real leadership on the pitch when things are going wrong.
It’s all a bit shit really. We have lost to Plymouth and Gillingham and have drawn against some dross. Ultimately, we just aren’t very good..... And we will continue in the same vein whist we are being run buy those Belgian W8nkers.
Or just lack of strength in depth.
So what anyway, Novak was contracted, "you can go when we say you can go!"
How amateurish is it to have completed the Novak deal before the other deal was signed sealed and delivered and it would not surprise me if the other party heard that we were down to one striker so changed their negotiating stance.
I want Duche gone and I wouldn't shed any tears if Robinson followed shortly afterwards.
Not us.
Have viewed this season in isolation and a good start now tailing off into inconsistency. Hopefully the new year will see a turnaround before we drift out of the play offs on recent form. Without spending or bringing in suitable players in other ways (notoriously difficult in January without spending big) can see us limping into the playoffs or falling out of them.
He's been a bit unlucky losing so many key players at the same time this season, so it's not surprising that his way of playing has come unstuck. It's been said before, we've got some good players - but they all do need to be playing and performing for Robinson's system to work.
But at the moment he seems to be blindly believing his system will still work even with key players missing.
Surely Rule One in football has to be to play to players' strengths - and find a system to get the best out of the players you do have.
Duchatelet.
Everything poor, lacking or indeed criminally insane ultimately points back to one man, either directly or indirectly.
End of.
Robinson's brought a few players in this season and I'm sure we would of improved Ricky s wages a little bit