Disappointed to only come away with a point after the first half performance. However, Gillingham adapted quickly, nullified our threats and, on balance, did enough to deserve the point, based upon how turgid we were in the second half.
The football we played in the second half here and in the two games prior is f***ing awful. I'll keep banging on about it - Watson and Morgan should not be a thing. Yes, Watson can tackle a bit and play a sideways pass under pressure, but his movement is regularly lethargic. Morgan (who I agree let the game pass him by in the second half) plays with, imo, the fear of costing us points by giving the ball away and is not the tackling, ball-winning midfielder NA wants him to be. Combine this and you have zero options for our central defenders to pass to - Watson runs on energy saving eco-mode and Morgan looks like he's hesitant to make a mistake + looks pressured. They both go deeper and deeper as games go on, then we're left with the no mans land to our forwards. They cause the hoofball that irks people so much.
Our success in the first half was due to Lee dropping deeper to make more of a midfield 3 and playing with his head up. CBT was excellent, but naturally tired. Washington did normal Washington things, plus Davison led the line well - with better technique, he'd have got our second. Leko didn't look as good as the Cheltenham game, but he's still getting there fitness-wise. Pleased to see Purrington back. Right now, it doesn't look like we can sustain first half performances like that to go 2+ up.
It's stops the rot a bit, but we can't keep playing like we have been. Boos will quite rightly continue come. Can Arter/Gilbey fix this? Maybe. Dobson + Gilbey/Arter is what I'd like to see, but NA will keep picking Watson. Morgan would probably benefit from a few games out, and as much as I want him to succeed, I share concerns he doesn't currently look like the player we want/need him to be.
The star of the 1st half CBT, aided by Morgan and Lee with some good passing, all became nullified as the chubby panto villain made some tactical changes at HT.
Leko for Washington appeared to be a decent switch by Nads but we lost shape despite a couple of individual runs by leko. Despite the view obviously being poor from the away end both Purrington and Mathews spent more time supporting the attack than having to defend in the 1st half ! Really not sure why that couldn't be seen from behind the goal because it was clear on Charlton TV ?
Tucker's tackle on Washington was critical as he was about to pull the trigger in the 1st half. We dominated this half and should have had the cushion of at least a 2 goal lead at HT.
Other than Plymouth away when have we dominated play for longer in the last two seasons away from home ?
I know it was a long time ago but many positives first half. Unfortunately and it was really no surprise, Dempsey decided to show what Cafc had missed out on and with the Sub Lloyd giving the Kent side energy and guile they gained the initiative.
It still took Cummings the on loan Chelsea keeper to pull off two good saves from Davison and Lavelle to stop Cafc gaining all 3 points.
This is going to be a long season of heartache IF we can't score more goals when on top and continue to make basic errors to concede goals when under pressure.
Both Watson and Pearce had decent games last night but the game has moved on with fitter quicker players. Even in the lower divisions that Cafc inhabit.
Your gig Nigel Adkins, your decisions. We are no League 1 Southampton with all those England players in waiting but we were hoping we might emulate Scunthorpe when you were there.
For me the worry is the inability of our players to cope with a high press. In second half they resorted to long aimless balls forward as soon as a player was closed down. Also less movement off the ball because of this. The lack of movement off the ball also meant when a ball was cleared forward from defense in a rush it nearly always ended up with a Gillingham player. All a n opposing team needs to do is start with a high press and they will be 2 up or more by half time as our players have no answer.
Go there Gilbs! Great to see some form of leadership. In today's world of social media, all of our players seem to have gone missing from interacting with fans.
That 1on1 that Washington had was exactly the clearcut chance we hope one of our five forward/left wingers would get and make count.
Just to clarify, I'd start the same team next game in the same formation.
We should focus on continuity from here on out.
So you wouldn't drop Morgan then?
I wouldn't drop any of the starters. We need to learn to play our game, not chop and change formation based on opponents.
Got to be honest Daz but I agree ref Morgan. We need brave players and the second half wasnt great for him. The biggest plus point for him was that got stuck in more than I have seen before but other than that, he doesnt pass forward, he doesnt show for the ball and he switches off too often.
If Watson is going to play and be the one who wants the ball etc then we need a box to box midfielder to support him. Dobson, Arter, Clare and Gilbey all get in ahead of Albie at this point.
Keep most of the team in that played against Gills but gotta look for improvement in positions to help us push on.
Slept on it. Appreciate the players effort and commitment especially in the first half and there is potentially something there to build on.
It still wouldn’t of helped Adkins know what is best 11 is tho. Let’s not kid ourselves that Gillingham with 5 players missing are anything like a good League one outfit.
First half was good because Watson and Morgan were winning the midfield battle and it was allowing us to get Lee the ball and CBT was left one v one with a shit scared left back.
Evans changed their shape and we then had nothing. They gained control of midfield and was preventing any passes into Lee/Gilbey. They simply let our centre backs have the ball, who despite excellent battlers just cannot play possession football. Neither Watson or Morgan wanted to turn with the ball and Purrington and Matthew’s couldn’t advance. Adkins was tactically outfought by a potato.
It’s definitely an ongoing theme each week that other managers can see what’s going on, adapt, and then control the game. Adkins is failing miserably with his game management.
He clearly knows fuck all about football to be celebrating that. Jesus wept.
Just what has he said wrong? What he said was exactly correct in every way. He didn’t say it was a good performance or that it was a bad performance, just remaining as positive as the situation allows. It was another point on the board….fact. Onward to the next game…..fact. There was unquestionably an overall improvement in our performance, nothing to shout home about particularly but an improvement none the less, that gives us something to work with. I enjoyed the game and took a few positives here and there, whilst realising there’s still much to be done.
He clearly knows fuck all about football to be celebrating that. Jesus wept.
Just what has he said wrong? What he said was exactly correct in every way. He didn’t say it was a good performance or that it was a bad performance, just remaining as positive as the situation allows. It was another point on the board….fact. Onward to the next game…..fact. There was unquestionably an overall improvement in our performance, nothing to shout home about particularly but an improvement none the less, that gives us something to work with. I enjoyed the game and took a few positives here and there, whilst realising there’s still much to be done.
Yeah, he's not exactly celebrating anything there. If anything, by his normal standards that's pretty subdued.
Not having a 20 goal a season striker is never getting you in the promotion race. We don’t have one. We’re looking for positives about scraping a 1 - 1 at a pretty poor Gillingham side. Another wasted season.
He clearly knows fuck all about football to be celebrating that. Jesus wept.
Just what has he said wrong? What he said was exactly correct in every way. He didn’t say it was a good performance or that it was a bad performance, just remaining as positive as the situation allows. It was another point on the board….fact. Onward to the next game…..fact. There was unquestionably an overall improvement in our performance, nothing to shout home about particularly but an improvement none the less, that gives us something to work with. I enjoyed the game and took a few positives here and there, whilst realising there’s still much to be done.
Probably a bit of a knee jerk reaction on my part to the tweet. I concede it was less than celebratory in retrospect.
And I suppose as has been pointed out he's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't re social media having set a (welcome) precedent of engaging with the fanbase on there.
Thought Dempsey for them was class and for 20 mins in the second half he pulled us apart. Wish we had added him to our squad, maybe we still might?
Dempsey was class especially in the second half, gillingham fans rate him as the closest thing to Hessenthaler since Hessenthaler and thats praise considering his son has come and gone at gillignham. He has the same energy and directness about him as a Kinsella for me and he was a similar player to Hessenthaler as well.
He was their no 8 right ? Ran the show & especially in the first half where he was constantly picking up the ball & surging forward with it. Just the player we need ......but we went for Dobson & Clare instead.
The transfer team ought to be ashamed of themselves.
Precisely - he's the sort of player you sign if you are serious about going up - its gonna cost more money than you may want to pay, in which case, you aint going to go up and you end up with what we have - a midfield that still isn't good enough - arter getting fully fit and turning it on with Lee is our only hope, with one of the water carriers (dobson or watson) sitting behind - we will keep losing control of games if we don't get this part of the pitch sorted. The likes of morgan, clare, gilby will flit in and out of games but we need some proper generals in there - to be fair to watson, he was likea magnet to the ball, alway there to receive it or pick up the second ball (whereas morgan was nowhere) but he's past it.
Think FatBoy been sniffing something if he thinks they deserved to win that .. think our keeper was only called into action once .. there made two super saves second half to save a point …. Much better performance and lots of positives to go forward
That was my first watch of the season and I
only tuned in to the stream because I have a ticket for Pompey on Saturday and I just needed
to acclimatize myself to the bottom end of League 1 and get my expectations well
below zero, before the week-end.
Very alienated from all things Charlton at
the moment. Have seen some bleak stuff over the years but I just can’t relate
to these players or this manager. Something profoundly wrong at the club is clearly
making the first team dysfunctional but pointless to speculate what.
I respect alternative views and I did see
some genuine effort on the pitch. On the whole though, I thought we looked like
a League 1 relegation side devoid of confidence, teamwork, grit or much in the way of
a plan. None of those players would get near the promotion sides put together
under Powell or Bowyer, except Purrington who was part of the play-off winning team
of course, but he is a shadow if his former self.
Sadly, none would even have been recruited
by Mowgli the X-Box boy wonder.
If anyone at the club thinks we will be
anywhere near promotion on the basis if that showing they are overdosing on delusion
pills or American heavy metal. The fact is Gillingham were without some of their better players and still looked superior to us and more threatening for most of the game. Dempsey and Lloyd in particular, were in a different class.
Yes, that's Gillingham and class mentioned in the same sentence. Worrying times indeed.
Not sure what Watson and Morgan could do in that second half. Leko and Blackett- Taylor were very ineffective defensively. Matthews had two players to deal with so many times. Matthews didn't play badly second half, but I was more disappointed that he didn't verbally murder Blackett-Taylor to sit deeper and block space. Leko was the wrong side defensively, and subsequently had most of his tackles broken.
Would have liked Lee to drop deeper, and play a closer triangle with Watson and Morgan. If you look at the second half we didn't lose the central midfield battle, they could just operate how they liked on our right. It was alarming how in a flat 4 midfield both Leko and Blackett-Taylor didn't even block space. Fortunately Purrington played well and little threat came down his side, apart from when he overloaded attacking wise. With both our wingers pacey, why not sit deep as there was acres of space behond the Gillingham midfield if a counter attack developed.
Very good first half. Good commitment from many players second half. Just alarming lack of simple game management second half. Now Gilbey's back I'd like to see Arter and Gilbey together with Morgan on the right. Hopefully Arter's back to how he was at Fulham, and if he is those three all have a positive energy both forward and running back. Blacket-Taylor or Washington on the left, with Washington or Lee behind Davison or Stockley. Dobson can be dropped in if we need a bit more physicality.
It was the 2nd half that Dempsey with the help of the sub Lloyd showed what we missed out on. ( Did we make a bid ?)
The first half we outplayed Gillingham on my TV screen with picking the ball up in the pockets, down the flanks and by playing long accurate passes by Lee, Morgan and Purrington mainly on the deck.
Adkins needs to frame yesterday's result as the start of the recovery. A defeat on Saturday and that might be difficult. I will give him some BASIC advice. If we take the lead or on top, the naughty opponents will try to change their tactics. It isn't fair, but they all seem to do it. Bastards!
Just seen the Gillingham goal again .. so unlucky hits the post cones out hits Purrington who know nothing about and goes in … that’s what happens when things not quite going your way …
Just seen the Gillingham goal again .. so unlucky hits the post cones out hits Purrington who know nothing about and goes in … that’s what happens when things not quite going your way …
I agree, but they hit the post later with the keeper beaten and that went our way.
Watched the first half and fell asleep and missed the whole second half. From what I saw it was a vast improvement but countered by the fact that a depleted Gillingham were absolutely atrocious. However, For all the hoo ha and money we have spent, we are still essentially shopping in Lidl and the local geriatric department/old people’s home. We have assembled a pretty vast squad but I just don’t buy the view that we are potential league winners. The exceptions are stockley, DJ and Kirk for whom we paid (for us) relatively good money. They have so far proved IMHO to be duds. Yes, even Stockley who for me is a league 1 standard one trick pony.
For what it’s worth, I didn’t think Albie was the worst last night but he isn’t going to shoot us to promotion.
I’m hopeful that with Gilbey back we will be able to have a more attacking outlook in midfield. My worries are that that Nige hasn’t got a clue tactically and we have at least 4 key players (Kirk, DJ, CBT and Leko) who are at best going to blow hot and cold. On paper we could piss this league but as I’ve said before we are not playing on paper. We play another team in a similar position on Saturday - new manager who is flattering to deceive, new players who are not gelling, expectant and entitled fan base. Could be describing us in blue. If we don’t tonk them even the tartan blanket brigade should turn toxic.
Just seen the Gillingham goal again .. so unlucky hits the post cones out hits Purrington who know nothing about and goes in … that’s what happens when things not quite going your way …
I agree, but they hit the post later with the keeper beaten and that went our way.
Exactly. Not to mention the blatant hand ball in our box.
It was the 2nd half that Dempsey with the help of the sub Lloyd showed what we missed out on. ( Did we make a bid ?)
The first half we outplayed Gillingham on my TV screen with picking the ball up in the pockets, down the flanks and by playing long accurate passes by Lee, Morgan and Purrington mainly on the deck.
Gillingham were never going to sell Dempsey , Tucker and Oliver on deadline day even through they have an outstanding tax bill .. yes we made a bid for all three but Gillingham knew if they went they might as well book their relegation spot now .. they know they will have to sell in Jan for reduced price but they hope by keeping them till then they will help them get a safe position in the league
Watched the stream and thought the first half was the best I've seen us play this season, although that's obviously not saying much.
If the two halves had been switched round I'd probably be feeling more positive because it would have meant another poor, tired first 45 controlled by the opposition, followed by a high tempo, skilful and resilient second half. I'd have though the manager had seen the limitations, motivated the team and they'd gone out and dominated. As it is, with us fading in the second half and relying on the odd break-away and late flurry of attacks it feels again that we are still looking to find a way to control a game for most of both halves.
I still want Adkins to find a winning formula rather than get someone else in, but for me, the performance against Portsmouth is now key. We need to be aggressive again, keep them pushed back and make room for Lee and CBT to attack them. But we also need to find a way to avoid being burnt out by half-time.
Game management is part of the manager's job and with him saying that players have not done what he's asked of them in previous games, he may now be finding the ones that do listen. All we need is a good, dominant win to start the confidence flowing and then everything will start to feel a bit easier again, both for the players and for the manager. Until then, we are very much a work in progress and probably where we deserve to be in the table.
The thing that is most worrying is that once we force the opposition to make a tactical change, we just stay as is. A good tactician should pre-empt what change the opposition will have to make, and be ready to make their own change to exploit that. As I said yesterday, once we get pressed high and marked man-for-man, we just don't have an answer.
Comments
The football we played in the second half here and in the two games prior is f***ing awful. I'll keep banging on about it - Watson and Morgan should not be a thing. Yes, Watson can tackle a bit and play a sideways pass under pressure, but his movement is regularly lethargic. Morgan (who I agree let the game pass him by in the second half) plays with, imo, the fear of costing us points by giving the ball away and is not the tackling, ball-winning midfielder NA wants him to be. Combine this and you have zero options for our central defenders to pass to - Watson runs on energy saving eco-mode and Morgan looks like he's hesitant to make a mistake + looks pressured. They both go deeper and deeper as games go on, then we're left with the no mans land to our forwards. They cause the hoofball that irks people so much.
Our success in the first half was due to Lee dropping deeper to make more of a midfield 3 and playing with his head up. CBT was excellent, but naturally tired. Washington did normal Washington things, plus Davison led the line well - with better technique, he'd have got our second. Leko didn't look as good as the Cheltenham game, but he's still getting there fitness-wise. Pleased to see Purrington back. Right now, it doesn't look like we can sustain first half performances like that to go 2+ up.
It's stops the rot a bit, but we can't keep playing like we have been. Boos will quite rightly continue come. Can Arter/Gilbey fix this? Maybe. Dobson + Gilbey/Arter is what I'd like to see, but NA will keep picking Watson. Morgan would probably benefit from a few games out, and as much as I want him to succeed, I share concerns he doesn't currently look like the player we want/need him to be.
Leko for Washington appeared to be a decent switch by Nads but we lost shape despite a couple of individual runs by leko. Despite the view obviously being poor from the away end both Purrington and Mathews spent more time supporting the attack than having to defend in the 1st half ! Really not sure why that couldn't be seen from behind the goal because it was clear on Charlton TV ?
Tucker's tackle on Washington was critical as he was about to pull the trigger in the 1st half. We dominated this half and should have had the cushion of at least a 2 goal lead at HT.
Other than Plymouth away when have we dominated play for longer in the last two seasons away from home ?
I know it was a long time ago but many positives first half. Unfortunately and it was really no surprise, Dempsey decided to show what Cafc had missed out on and with the Sub Lloyd giving the Kent side energy and guile they gained the initiative.
It still took Cummings the on loan Chelsea keeper to pull off two good saves from Davison and Lavelle to stop Cafc gaining all 3 points.
This is going to be a long season of heartache IF we can't score more goals when on top and continue to make basic errors to concede goals when under pressure.
Both Watson and Pearce had decent games last night but the game has moved on with fitter quicker players. Even in the lower divisions that Cafc inhabit.
Your gig Nigel Adkins, your decisions. We are no League 1 Southampton with all those England players in waiting but we were hoping we might emulate Scunthorpe when you were there.
That 1on1 that Washington had was exactly the clearcut chance we hope one of our five forward/left wingers would get and make count.
If Watson is going to play and be the one who wants the ball etc then we need a box to box midfielder to support him. Dobson, Arter, Clare and Gilbey all get in ahead of Albie at this point.
Keep most of the team in that played against Gills but gotta look for improvement in positions to help us push on.
First half was good because Watson and Morgan were winning the midfield battle and it was allowing us to get Lee the ball and CBT was left one v one with a shit scared left back.
What he said was exactly correct in every way.
He didn’t say it was a good performance or that it was a bad performance, just remaining as positive as the situation allows.
It was another point on the board….fact.
Onward to the next game…..fact.
There was unquestionably an overall improvement in our performance, nothing to shout home about particularly but an improvement none the less, that gives us something to work with.
I enjoyed the game and took a few positives here and there, whilst realising there’s still much to be done.
And I suppose as has been pointed out he's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't re social media having set a (welcome) precedent of engaging with the fanbase on there.
That was my first watch of the season and I only tuned in to the stream because I have a ticket for Pompey on Saturday and I just needed to acclimatize myself to the bottom end of League 1 and get my expectations well below zero, before the week-end.
Very alienated from all things Charlton at the moment. Have seen some bleak stuff over the years but I just can’t relate to these players or this manager. Something profoundly wrong at the club is clearly making the first team dysfunctional but pointless to speculate what.
I respect alternative views and I did see some genuine effort on the pitch. On the whole though, I thought we looked like a League 1 relegation side devoid of confidence, teamwork, grit or much in the way of a plan. None of those players would get near the promotion sides put together under Powell or Bowyer, except Purrington who was part of the play-off winning team of course, but he is a shadow if his former self.
Sadly, none would even have been recruited by Mowgli the X-Box boy wonder.
If anyone at the club thinks we will be anywhere near promotion on the basis if that showing they are overdosing on delusion pills or American heavy metal. The fact is Gillingham were without some of their better players and still looked superior to us and more threatening for most of the game. Dempsey and Lloyd in particular, were in a different class.
Yes, that's Gillingham and class mentioned in the same sentence. Worrying times indeed.
It's the middle of bloody September!!!
Would have liked Lee to drop deeper, and play a closer triangle with Watson and Morgan. If you look at the second half we didn't lose the central midfield battle, they could just operate how they liked on our right. It was alarming how in a flat 4 midfield both Leko and Blackett-Taylor didn't even block space. Fortunately Purrington played well and little threat came down his side, apart from when he overloaded attacking wise. With both our wingers pacey, why not sit deep as there was acres of space behond the Gillingham midfield if a counter attack developed.
Very good first half. Good commitment from many players second half. Just alarming lack of simple game management second half. Now Gilbey's back I'd like to see Arter and Gilbey together with Morgan on the right. Hopefully Arter's back to how he was at Fulham, and if he is those three all have a positive energy both forward and running back. Blacket-Taylor or Washington on the left, with Washington or Lee behind Davison or Stockley. Dobson can be dropped in if we need a bit more physicality.
The first half we outplayed Gillingham on my TV screen with picking the ball up in the pockets, down the flanks and by playing long accurate passes by Lee, Morgan and Purrington mainly on the deck.
If the two halves had been switched round I'd probably be feeling more positive because it would have meant another poor, tired first 45 controlled by the opposition, followed by a high tempo, skilful and resilient second half. I'd have though the manager had seen the limitations, motivated the team and they'd gone out and dominated. As it is, with us fading in the second half and relying on the odd break-away and late flurry of attacks it feels again that we are still looking to find a way to control a game for most of both halves.
I still want Adkins to find a winning formula rather than get someone else in, but for me, the performance against Portsmouth is now key. We need to be aggressive again, keep them pushed back and make room for Lee and CBT to attack them. But we also need to find a way to avoid being burnt out by half-time.
Game management is part of the manager's job and with him saying that players have not done what he's asked of them in previous games, he may now be finding the ones that do listen. All we need is a good, dominant win to start the confidence flowing and then everything will start to feel a bit easier again, both for the players and for the manager. Until then, we are very much a work in progress and probably where we deserve to be in the table.