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MATCH THREAD: Charlton Athletic vs Birmingham: Carabao Cup: Tues 13th Aug 2024 KO 19:45 +POST P21

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  • It's been a positive summer of transfer activity and probably been a bit easy to forget just how bad we were last year *. We're coming off the back of our worst season in a lifetime but imo we're looking a lot more solid and like we've got a base to build on as the season progresses. It's not going to be an overnight transformation but I think we'll be challenging at the right end of the table.

    * I say that as someone who put £50 on us to win the league after we signed Docherty.
  •  Chunes said:
    Thought Birmingham were much better at playing out from the back, but they produced little around the box (which we also defended very well). 

    They scored from 30 yards... and we missed a pen ... we missed the easier chance and they scored a worldie. What can you do? That was the material difference. 

    But not saying we were unlucky, think it's clear to everyone that we are severely lacking some quality in the final third. The fact we have six strikers yet only two of them are both senior and reliably fit... We know that will cost us. Kanu & TC are nowhere near the point of their careers where they will be regularly impacting games, Leaburn is coming back from a potentially career-changing injury, Chuks is... Chuks, and that leaves a 33-year old Godden, and Mr. Gassan Ahadme - who we have spent 1 million pounds on, and for which we're yet to really see any kind of justification for that kind of money. 

    It also looks like we mostly don't want the ball. We look like we'd rather win it high up the pitch and try and score from there. But to counter at that kind of pace, you need quality - which we don't have. And when we have possession deeper, we can't give it back to the opposition soon enough. I sincerely hope there is a lot more to come in this department, but I sat very close to NJ today and he was not objecting to some of the hopeless balls being played tonight.

    I'm not sure if we need a creative player per se, but we 100% need a lot more quality and composure. 

    People say it's early and you can't judge. But glaring issues are glaring issues, and they have been season after season. 
    Superb post and my thoughts exactly 
  • I actually enjoyed the game up until the point when my frustration at our toothlessness took over.
    Both sides made a lot of changes and neither are the well oiled machine they are striving to be yet.
    Overall I thought their passing and movement was slicker and individually the quality of their players was higher.
    Thought we were better organised if a tad one dimensional.
    Thought we defended well on the whole and our high press bothered them, except on the occasions they played through it and left us exposed and looking foolish.
    ( That said, I loved it when their goalie shat himself and spooned it into touch, a situation we seem to be forcing at least once a game now).
    I started to get frustrated at the lack of composure when in shooting positions.
    Berry could have had a hat trick, but ballooned two pathetically and missed the target with the third.
    By this time I was giving him imaginary punch in the mouth.
    The quality of Small and Watson's crossing was absolutely fcuking appalling and wrecked some promising situations.
    The penalty was pathetic and what's worse we could see it coming.
    All of these things I am sure we can and will improve on.
    I am resigned to having no game changers or players to get you off the edge of your seat.
    We must hope that Nathan's way proves to be a winning way though, because this style could become hugely frustrating and demoralising if we are not winning

  • The only positive for me was Zak Mitchell, we have to find a way of starting him, the boy is class.
  • edited August 14
    JamesSeed said:
    Oh ok. The ball sticks to Chuks pretty well, but it seems unlikely he’ll ever play more that twenty or thirty minutes sadly. 

    I always thought he played his 20 or 30 minutes well, actually...🙄


  • JamesSeed said:
    Oh ok. The ball sticks to Chuks pretty well, but it seems unlikely he’ll ever play more that twenty or thirty minutes sadly. 
    Chuks was never quick, but he looks like he has lost whatever pace he had. Not surprising given all the injuries. He runs like Phil Chapple used to (God bless him).
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  • That wasn’t  a bad performance by Charlton as some are acting/implying. The away team Birmingham did to us what Charlton as the away team did to Wigan on Saturday. They shut up shop at the back, albeit in this case they didn’t have much choice about that because of the way we constantly pressed them; and they capitalised on a window of opportunity to to score. It happens, and will keep happening. In those circumstances the home team needs that bit extra that its fans can provide. We didn’t give it because of a typical Charlton decision to restrict food and drink. On a still warm evening getting something to eat and drink was only achievable if you joined a long, slow queue (in the covered end) which had to snake around to fit it in the space available. With the best will in the world, nobody sings and shouts much if they are dehydrating and/or hungry. We threw away the opportunity to boost the morale of of the Charlton players and intimidate the Birmingham ones. The best chants of the night were the Brummies getting onto our players by singing ‘you’re fucking shit’ if they did something that didn’t come off. We could have reciprocated on plenty of occasions but didn’t.  There’s a flaw in Nathan’s gameplan if everyone off the pitch isn’t buying into it and the catering side is the fly in the ointment.
  • I actually thought there were so many positives to take from last nights game. We look so much better in defense in terms of organisation, take the wonder strike out and they never really troubled us. The high press will cause total havoc to most teams in the league and they will not be able to deal with it. As others have said we did look toothless in attack but hopefully that will improve as players come back from injury, that isnt knocking Kanu & TC as they worked their socks off. The only thing I just cant see what NJ is trying is Anderson, he is just so wasteful with the ball and so far has added very little to the games, he has talent Im sure but Im not sure he should be starting ahead of some of the other players on the bench
  • edited August 14
    PWR Thinking back at the end of 90 mins, given the superior possession they had and how much more comfortably they dealt with pressing I was pleased we'd only conceded 1 goal......... during the game I was worried they'd score 1 or 2 more than they did.
    Albeit early season, Brum were well drilled, pressed and ran well on and off the ball and from that one look they seem to generally a better quality squad than us.
    What a lovely change from last season. we are so much better drilled, running and pressing as a unit (not perfectly but better) and from what I could see on Sky the guys were communicating with and encouraging each other so much better than a lot of last year.
    I think we rode our luck at times when defending but I'm liking how much harder we are to score against and I don't think we missed Dobson.
    We could have, should have, scored 1 or 2........ especially the penalty of course (woeful)........ but we made chances even though they weren't stone cold certs.
    I wish we could play the ball into our strikers in such a way that they can get and hold onto the ball........ why is it they can't do that? Is it physical, experiential, technical, innate ability......... can't the canteen give them a few spoonfuls of that on training days. We're not that great winning and flicking on long balls either.
    I thought Anderson came into the game in a more meaningful way towards the end but I'm hoping we can bring in one more quality forward-playing midfielder......... Brum had a couple of good ones didn't they.
    Up front I hope we don't have to rely too heavily on TC and DK too much this season, I don't think they're quite ready to give the impact we need on a regular and consistent 60+ minute per game basis........ I think they need more league games under their belts...... but I'd love to be wrong!
    The earlier we can get a couple more out and in the revolving door the better.
  • AndyG said:
    I actually thought there were so many positives to take from last nights game. We look so much better in defense in terms of organisation, take the wonder strike out and they never really troubled us. The high press will cause total havoc to most teams in the league and they will not be able to deal with it. As others have said we did look toothless in attack but hopefully that will improve as players come back from injury, that isnt knocking Kanu & TC as they worked their socks off. The only thing I just cant see what NJ is trying is Anderson, he is just so wasteful with the ball and so far has added very little to the games, he has talent Im sure but Im not sure he should be starting ahead of some of the other players on the bench
    TBF, Birmingham were largely restricted to shooting from distance and that chap who was the highest goal scorer in the EFL last season didn’t get much of a look in so our attack wasn’t that bad in comparison 
  • A lot of talk about where the goal threat will come from. I think we showed in the first 30 mins that we do have the ability to create chances, Small actually started the game very well on the attacking foot and so did TC. Berry had 3 or 4 half chances and we obviously missed a penalty. Although we didn't see it against Wigan, with Ramsay on the right over Watson, I think we also see a good chunk of chances coming down that side - which didn't happen yesterday and I felt that was part of the reason Kanu just wasn't in the game.

    Kanu and TC are probably our 4th and 5th choice strikers so hopefully when the rest are fit more goals will come. I would love to see us bring in another number 10 but if not Berry should be able to play that role well when match sharp.

    Whilst, I don't think we can keep that first 30 mins intensity the whole game, if we play like that through periods of games and defend like we have been doing, we should hopefully be ok.

    People need to remember we came 16th last season. Top 6 in a now stronger division is a huge leap. We aren't going to win every game, especially against a team that has spent over £15m on players. Their left winger yesterday had a really good season in the eredivise last year and whislt he looked like real quality I felt overall we dealt with him well. Lets see how the Orient game goes.
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  • Oh but he did a shot over the bar you see. Dobbo never did that ever. My eyes are rolling out of my head 
  • edited August 14
    Coventry I thought had a good game. Receiving the ball, turning it over, moving us forward.
    I think he is starting to grow in stature
    I don't like comparing him with Dobbo, different players with for the most part different roles.
    Dobbo was more of a firefighter, though he did have much more tan that in his locker.
    I'll judge Coventry on his merits, not in comparison to Dobbo.
    Didn't do player marks, but I'd score Coventry a 7 or 8 for last night
  • I think its time to start Aneke in such matches, as we now have five fit strikers (Godden has a cut so likely to start vs Orient) plus Miles and KD to come in. If he breaks down, sobeit.
  • I think its time to start Aneke in such matches, as we now have five fit strikers (Godden has a cut so likely to start vs Orient) plus Miles and KD to come in. If he breaks down, sobeit.
    If?
  • Leuth said:
    People who see that game and award Coventry 4 in Player Marks because Dobbo would of made us won will be the fucking death of me 
    I thought Coventry played well. Got stuck in and was tidy on the ball. 

    Yeah his shot was cack but any long range effort we had seemed to balloon! Minus Campbells curled effort which was unlucky. 
  • edited August 14
    I’m sure people had a clue just didn’t realise it would be sooooo dull 
    people can take any crap whilst winning but not so easy when losing .
    the big glaring issue is so far there’s limited skill and creativity on show ,  a load of athletes running around a lot 
    what happened to this magical Jones formula when he ballsed it up at Stoke and Soton 

    This is how I feel. I had an exact idea on how Jones would set us up. 5 at the back, two strikers and a hard working midfield. I also however have a lot of expectations, and based on the back end of last season, and the start of this one, including pre-season, it hasn't been met. 

    What I was expecting to see, was a well drilled side, who close the ball down quick, run with intensity for the majority of the game, and when we get the ball, move it quick and get ourselves into scoring positions, and take advantage of it.

    Instead, we hold a defensive shape, close down fairly slow, and when we do get the ball, the players are either woeful at shooting, crossing or beating their man, take your pick. 

    I don't mind the style at all, if we have the right players who can create the moments when we have the chance, the big problem is, none of them look good enough on the ball to make it happen, and that was evident again in our poor shooting and crossing yesterday. 

    It might sound harsh, but I am of the opinion that the likes of TC, Anderson and Kanu should have been loaned out, rather than being mainstays of our first team. I don't particularly think any of them are ready yet. We are also still stuck with a bit of dross on our books we will really struggle to shift.

    Again early doors, but my gut instinct is that 20 minute joke of a power point presentation, was a complete waste of ours and their time. '8 players that anyone would want in this league and would be able to play championship football'? Have a word 😂
  • edited August 14
    Alfie May did also get a few comments/ boos and it doesn't make people stupid as implied, it's football banter and he probably expected it. 

    I'm sure the little shrimp will get over it 
  • May looked embarrassed more than anything. 

    There were a bunch of kids in front of me who booed him when he came on, and then begged for his autograph when he walked off. 
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