Glad to get along to that to see for myself - with thanks due to @BartramBlitz for securing me a ticket. I went to my old lower north seat as too many standing upstairs. Cagey first half with far too much sideways passing from us to make it a spectacle.
Surprised how quiet the crowd was when we were losing. It felt like one of those end of season games when you know you're down. Frightening. Had a real air of a relegation and that won't do if there's ever going to be a role for the '12th man'.
A big positive was we didn't conceded in injury time!!: We have a big squad and a lot of new players and perhaps a refreshed mental attitude to iron that out once and for all.
I still don’t think people realise how catastrophic relegation would likely be for Charlton Athletic.
All of this ‘Nathan can rebuild in league 2’.
Evaluate the commercials. Look at the maths.
We spent a decent sum of money over the last 13 months and have players and management on big wages for L1.
We have the running costs for a large stadium and other facilities and staff to fund.
We would incur a huge loss of revenue. Smaller crowds, much lower commercial revenue.
It’s sometime I am fully qualified to evaluate based on my professional background. My biggest worry isn’t down to disappointment or embarrassment of playing in league 2. It’s the impact on the health of our club.
It will not end well getting relegated, and it’s massively wishful thinking to presume we would bounce back with ease. The whole club would need to be recalibrated from playing staff, to management to support staff.
Does not matter who the manager is we lack pace on the wings and creativity through the middle. Need to get three points v Prtsmouth as I can't see us getting anything away to Bolton or Derby.
Charlton fans are so full of negativity and that is understandable but with no CBT and Alfie out of salts that was an encouraging 2nd half. Thankfully Nathan Jones won't quit like so many on CL who have thrown the towel in.
Great strike by Ladapo and the subs made a difference, including Edun who had a great cameo. I don't expect anyone else to notice. Any time Chuks Aneke is involved we have a chance.
It's been the season from hell but we have 14 games to play with that spirit but more skill.
Could have made all your football points there Sam without digging out fellow fans
bet the Lino was getting pelters from the East Stand failing to spot Ladapo trying to break from the defender holding him back, shaking his head as if to say it wasn’t a foul.
I believe Nathan Jones will keep us up. We deserved to win tonight; we just need a little bit of luck to go with the effort. Keeping Dobbo is massive; yes, his header led to their goal but what the hell was Bakinson doing? The defence looks much better already; shame that REG played so many bad balls when he tried to go forwards instead of sideways. Ramsey looked really good; just our luck that his injury doesn’t look great. Chuks does make such a difference and he needs to be used carefully. Whatever happens at the end of the season, Scott (judge me by results) has to go for us to make any progress; which we will under NJ. Let’s hope we can scrape enough points to start next season in league 1.
Charlton fans are so full of negativity and that is understandable but with no CBT and Alfie out of salts that was an encouraging 2nd half. Thankfully Nathan Jones won't quit like so many on CL who have thrown the towel in.
Great strike by Ladapo and the subs made a difference, including Edun who had a great cameo. I don't expect anyone else to notice. Any time Chuks Aneke is involved we have a chance.
It's been the season from hell but we have 14 games to play with that spirit but more skill.
Could have made all your football points there Sam without digging out fellow fans
So you have no problem with dog shit and dog muck being written by the usual suspects but a little dig is unacceptable ! Ok it's your ball.
First half was bleak in terms of quality but any other season we go in 0-0 there and the half time bollocking leads to us winning. They got half a chance and scored off a cracking strike though because it’s 23/24 and we are here to suffer. Second half was much better if still short on quality. Tennai looked very good and was unlucky not to score. Lloyd Jones was imperious and they weren’t getting past him today unless they put in a set piece he was nowhere near. REG needed to be a bit more confident in possession and Thomas needed to have a sit and a think. Bakinson was really poor but Anderson grew into the game as it went. Kanu worked while Alfie didn’t. Kanu and Bakinson are just placeholders until we can bring on Chuks and Camara now, which is a nice change from when they were all we had. I thought Dobson was a mess today. All limbs and mistiming his 60/40s that he’d normally win. As the game went on he had the space to quarterback the game and his delivery was so poor. So many dead balls too close to the keeper or passes misplaced. The irony is that as the game went on it was exactly the kind of thing we brought Coventry in to do but he wasn’t there. Was he injured?
We should have won that game really, and that alone is a massive improvement on recent weeks. Plus in those 10 minutes of injury time I was concerned about whether we’d score but not that we’d concede so that was also a nice change.
Highlights today were Chuks coming back, Thomas playing such a weak pass to Jones that Jones had time to shout abuse at him about it as it arrived, the ref being crap until he lost his temper with the Lincoln players and started going after them and Nathan Jones trying to tear himself in half when Lincoln scored.
It’s fucking madness, we just seem not to know what to do, with free kicks, throw ins and corners. We get our smarted by the opposition every game. I can’t see how we’re getting out of this.
The fact our top goal scorer is taking throw-in and free kicks says it all. Ball bounces loose in the box & he's 20 yards away. Madness
I actually enjoyed the second half, and I haven't been able to say that about a half of football involving CAFC for some time. NJ must have instilled the aggression and positivity in them at half time after a lacklustre first 45 minutes.
Still some defensive errors, still a lack of creativity and a lot of seemingly aimless balls but there was something there to give a bit of hope.
Essentially we are a one-man team, but the man can only play 30 minutes per game.
With Chuks on, we could play route one and still look threatening. Even the wingbacks became dangerous once they had Aneke to play off. I'm no tactical expert but in a 352 in League One, you see a lot of teams drop the ball into the channels and have the striker hold on to it. The ball needs to stick. If it doesn't, it's rather hopeless, as we saw first half.
Re: Karoy, he lacked quality on the ball today, but my word, he put himself into his duels. The kid was smashing into people - Header after header, tackle after tackle... I'll be surprised off he hasn't come if with a broken rib or two. That level of aggression is a good baseline to have as a young player.
I thought we deserved the win on balance, but we have no luck at the moment. But a point's a point and we'll need every one we can get.
I also thought Nathan Jones made a difference at the end of the game. He was constantly moving the players around. There were at least three occasions when the ball was out of play and we were susceptible to a counter attack, and he screamed at 2-3 players to reposition them. There was even one set piece that he seemed to orchestrate by himself. Being animated is not acting.
Charlton fans are so full of negativity and that is understandable but with no CBT and Alfie out of salts that was an encouraging 2nd half. Thankfully Nathan Jones won't quit like so many on CL who have thrown the towel in.
Great strike by Ladapo and the subs made a difference, including Edun who had a great cameo. I don't expect anyone else to notice. Any time Chuks Aneke is involved we have a chance.
It's been the season from hell but we have 14 games to play with that spirit but more skill.
Could have made all your football points there Sam without digging out fellow fans
So you have no problem with dog shit and dog muck being written by the usual suspects but a little dig is unacceptable ! Ok it's your ball.
It’s no one’s ball Sam, and it’s no drama. I didn’t say it was unacceptable. Just saying I wanna read you thoughts on things without the need for the digs at others. We’ve won 1 game in 18 (and that was awful) and we looking increasingly likely we’ll be in L2 next season for the first time in our history. A couple of fans being OTT negative with their views is the least of our problems
I still don’t think people realise how catastrophic relegation would likely be for Charlton Athletic.
All of this ‘Nathan can rebuild in league 2’.
Evaluate the commercials. Look at the maths.
We spent a decent sum of money over the last 13 months and have players and management on big wages for L1.
We have the running costs for a large stadium and other facilities and staff to fund.
We would incur a huge loss of revenue. Smaller crowds, much lower commercial revenue.
It’s sometime I am fully qualified to evaluate based on my professional background. My biggest worry isn’t down to disappointment or embarrassment of playing in league 2. It’s the impact on the health of our club.
It will not end well getting relegated, and it’s massively wishful thinking to presume we would bounce back with ease. The whole club would need to be recalibrated from playing staff, to management to support staff.
You keep saying this, along with getting an ex player back as manager, and maybe you're right with this doomsday stuff if we go down. But Jones has now joined, not Powell or Bowyer, and we have the players we have. Are you suggesting something else needs to be done now? Surely all we can do is go to games and support the manager and players in place and hope for it to turn around?
Essentially we are a one-man team, but the man can only play 30 minutes per game.
With Chuks on, we could play route one and still look threatening. Even the wingbacks became dangerous once they had Aneke to play off. I'm no tactical expert but in a 352 in League One, you see a lot of teams drop the ball into the channels and have the striker hold on to it. The ball needs to stick. If it doesn't, it's rather hopeless.
Re: Karoy, he lacked quality on the ball today, but my word, he put himself into his duels. The kid was smashing into people - Header after header, tackle after tackle... I'll be surprised if he hasn't come if with a broken rib or two. That's a good baseline to have as a young player.
I thought we deserved the win on balance, but we have no luck at the moment. But a point's a point and we'll need every one we can get.
We’re not a one man team but without CBT we have zero creativity or wide threat in the final third, nor are we getting midfield runners breaking the line. So we are reliant from strikers ‘making something happen’ and Chuks is going to be vital to that. No because he is brilliant but we literally have no other way to play.
i cannot believe how much we miss what CBT brings to the team and I can’t believe amongst all the numbers we sought to bring in. we didn’t look to replace that.
Not enough. Jones will be rebuilding from division 4 next season.
I thought his interview after the match seemed to suggest this. Talking about a young squad & having something to build on to me sounds like "we have a couple of years to mould them into a team ready for x number of promotions"
Wasn't happy with the first 45 but 2nd half gave some promise. Still a very long way to go but IF we can keep Chuks & Camara fit then we might take it to the last game if the season.
Positives -
Ramsay Dobbo (or course) Being able to bring on Canara, Chuks & Ladapo
Negatives -
Too many passes Not enough attacking threat Right back playing left back.
Who played well after his poor Reading performance.
And his crossing ?? How many crosses did Watson put in with his left ??
There is a reason why David Beckham played on the right.
Have to say, for all the positive comments during the season so far, but thought Camera was quite poor when he came on.
Looked a yard off the pace. Still better than Bakinson though.
He (Camara) was great at Reading, but was just ok today. But his is a quality player from what I've seen.
Ladapo seems to be better coming on after Kanu's tired their defenders out. Trouble is, if both he and Aneke can only manage half an hour we're going to have to take advantage of any opportunities we get in that short time.
It seems Bakinson has joined that long list of players who have joined us with decent reputations who start well enough, but after one poor game are written off. I think he was always going to be more of a Pratley than a Cullen, but I wouldn't write him off just yet.
Reeko (7) was excellent, and we should re-sign him.
Did I watch the same game as the guys who scored the players. Dobson was absolutely magnificent. Even though he misheaded for the goal, his defender mates should have then cleared it up for him. REG and Bakinson are useless. The rest of the players played pretty well.
Agreed about Jones, but thought Thomas played well in last couple of matches and was then terrible today. Barely anyone has been consistent throughout the season. Really need some consistency between now and the end of the season. Hoping Isted in goal will be the key factor in that.
Wasn't happy with the first 45 but 2nd half gave some promise. Still a very long way to go but IF we can keep Chuks & Camara fit then we might take it to the last game if the season.
Positives -
Ramsay Dobbo (or course) Being able to bring on Canara, Chuks & Ladapo
Negatives -
Too many passes Not enough attacking threat Right back playing left back.
Who played well after his poor Reading performance.
And his crossing ?? How many crosses did Watson put in with his left ??
There is a reason why David Beckham played on the right.
Charlton fans are so full of negativity and that is understandable but with no CBT and Alfie out of salts that was an encouraging 2nd half. Thankfully Nathan Jones won't quit like so many on CL who have thrown the towel in.
Great strike by Ladapo and the subs made a difference, including Edun who had a great cameo. I don't expect anyone else to notice. Any time Chuks Aneke is involved we have a chance.
It's been the season from hell but we have 14 games to play with that spirit but more skill.
Could have made all your football points there Sam without digging out fellow fans
So you have no problem with dog shit and dog muck being written by the usual suspects but a little dig is unacceptable ! Ok it's your ball.
It’s no one’s ball Sam, and it’s no drama. I didn’t say it was unacceptable. Just saying I wanna read you thoughts on things without the need for the digs at others. We’ve won 1 game in 18 (and that was awful) and we looking increasingly likely we’ll be in L2 next season for the first time in our history. A couple of fans being OTT negative with their views is the least of our problems
And I said it was the season from hell and it was understandable but many have thrown the towel in but look at Edun being told he was shit in his lively cameo tonight on the scores on the doors as he was still being judged from the Reading game which was why I said I doubt anyone will notice; TBF some did. You have many on here kicking lumps out of each other for the decade I have been on here probably for the entertainment value.
People who give it should take it. The exception being Oohaah as he is CL resident Jack Dee and is good value.
Did I watch the same game as the guys who scored the players. Dobson was absolutely magnificent. Even though he misheaded for the goal, his defender mates should have then cleared it up for him. REG and Bakinson are useless. The rest of the players played pretty well.
I wouldn’t say he was magnificent, on the edge at time and delivery wasn’t great but agree about the goal… surely someone should have thrown their body at it like Lincoln did on occasions.
Seen some low ratings/slaggings of Anderson. I thought he was good. He gave us presence and fight. We'll need that
I posted on the match thread that he looked frightened in the first half meaning he didn’t look to do anything with the ball when he got it just knocked it back to Jones but he grew into the game and had a decent 2nd half.
Camara could be a key player for us he brings the energy we have really lacked lately. We’ve a long way to go but there was a bit of fight about us 2nd half.
Noticeable how NJ absolutely rips in to the players. He went off on one with Alfie after Watson put in a rare decent cross and he didn’t get on the end of it.
Too much of the ball went through Thomas and he lacked composure today.
They were a very average side really, no-one stood out for them apart from maybe the 23 and 6 as the two biggest wet wipes I've ever seen on a pitch. Blimey they should take up badminton or something, football is definitely way too rough for them. Embarassing.
Where we miss CBT, is in his ability to conjure a goal out of nowhere. We are much more predictable in wide areas now.
The irony is that we played the first half of the season in a 433 formation that suited CBT but not May, forcing him into playing wide or as a No 10, yet May scored lots of goals, whereas when we put all our eggs in the "2 up front so that May has a strike partner" basket with a 352, May has stopped looking like scoring.
Comments
Surprised how quiet the crowd was when we were losing. It felt like one of those end of season games when you know you're down. Frightening. Had a real air of a relegation and that won't do if there's ever going to be a role for the '12th man'.
A big positive was we didn't conceded in injury time!!: We have a big squad and a lot of new players and perhaps a refreshed mental attitude to iron that out once and for all.
All of this ‘Nathan can rebuild in league 2’.
Evaluate the commercials. Look at the maths.
We spent a decent sum of money over the last 13 months and have players and management on big wages for L1.
We have the running costs for a large stadium and other facilities and staff to fund.
It’s sometime I am fully qualified to evaluate based on my professional background. My biggest worry isn’t down to disappointment or embarrassment of playing in league 2. It’s the impact on the health of our club.
It will not end well getting relegated, and it’s massively wishful thinking to presume we would bounce back with ease. The whole club would need to be recalibrated from playing staff, to management to support staff.
Need to get three points v Prtsmouth as I can't see us getting anything away to Bolton or Derby.
Please don't make a song and dance out of his performance, as least he was fired up.
Wigan (A), Blackpool (A), Lincoln (H).
All three games he played left back / left wing back. He’s a right footer but might be the best left back at the club.
Difficult to know what we were even trying to do first half. Second half we were just lumping it.
So you have no problem with dog shit and dog muck being written by the usual suspects but a little dig is unacceptable !
Ok it's your ball.
Still some defensive errors, still a lack of creativity and a lot of seemingly aimless balls but there was something there to give a bit of hope.
With Chuks on, we could play route one and still look threatening. Even the wingbacks became dangerous once they had Aneke to play off. I'm no tactical expert but in a 352 in League One, you see a lot of teams drop the ball into the channels and have the striker hold on to it. The ball needs to stick. If it doesn't, it's rather hopeless, as we saw first half.
Re: Karoy, he lacked quality on the ball today, but my word, he put himself into his duels. The kid was smashing into people - Header after header, tackle after tackle... I'll be surprised off he hasn't come if with a broken rib or two. That level of aggression is a good baseline to have as a young player.
I thought we deserved the win on balance, but we have no luck at the moment. But a point's a point and we'll need every one we can get.
I also thought Nathan Jones made a difference at the end of the game. He was constantly moving the players around. There were at least three occasions when the ball was out of play and we were susceptible to a counter attack, and he screamed at 2-3 players to reposition them. There was even one set piece that he seemed to orchestrate by himself. Being animated is not acting.
i cannot believe how much we miss what CBT brings to the team and I can’t believe amongst all the numbers we sought to bring in. we didn’t look to replace that.
There is a reason why David Beckham played on the right.
Ladapo seems to be better coming on after Kanu's tired their defenders out. Trouble is, if both he and Aneke can only manage half an hour we're going to have to take advantage of any opportunities we get in that short time.
It seems Bakinson has joined that long list of players who have joined us with decent reputations who start well enough, but after one poor game are written off. I think he was always going to be more of a Pratley than a Cullen, but I wouldn't write him off just yet.
Reeko (7) was excellent, and we should re-sign him.
REG and Bakinson are useless. The rest of the players played pretty well.
And I said it was the season from hell and it was understandable but many have thrown the towel in but look at Edun being told he was shit in his lively cameo tonight on the scores on the doors as he was still being judged from the Reading game which was why I said I doubt anyone will notice; TBF some did.
You have many on here kicking lumps out of each other for the decade I have been on here probably for the entertainment value.
People who give it should take it. The exception being Oohaah as he is CL resident Jack Dee and is good value.
The irony is that we played the first half of the season in a 433 formation that suited CBT but not May, forcing him into playing wide or as a No 10, yet May scored lots of goals, whereas when we put all our eggs in the "2 up front so that May has a strike partner" basket with a 352, May has stopped looking like scoring.