I am not too worried about Mannion to be honest. The team were chasing the game a bit and that rushes things.
So far he's still in credit for me, three games where he looked decent if not very busy don't just get wiped away instantly by one single performance. Plus whilst it is a bit worrying that the defence did seem to revert to headless chicken mode briefly he's hardly the only or even the main perpetrator there - L Jones really didn't cover himself in much glory either, for example.
What I am very confident about is that certain accounts on this forum are just trolls. They're winding people on this forum up at every opportunity. There are clear candidates, some of whom have been on here for years. Some of whom may even be genuine Charlton fans that just want a laugh. It's weird how many of you choose to bite.
There's a moderately famous saying known as Hanlon's Razor which goes something like "never ascribe to malice that which can reasonably be explained by incompetence." I suspect the forum equivalent may be "never ascribe to trolling that which can reasonably be explained by people just being weird/stubborn".
What I am very confident about is that certain accounts on this forum are just trolls. They're winding people on this forum up at every opportunity. There are clear candidates, some of whom have been on here for years. Some of whom may even be genuine Charlton fans that just want a laugh. It's weird how many of you choose to bite.
There's a moderately famous saying known as Hanlon's Razor which goes something like "never ascribe to malice that which can reasonably be explained by incompetence." I suspect the forum equivalent may be "never ascribe to trolling that which can reasonably be explained by people just being weird/stubborn".
There's another saying Ali..."There's nowt so strange as folk"...🙄
Enough has been written about the departure of May. However I'm sure I'm not the only one who felt concern that he was not adequately replaced. From what I've seen our forward line is not going to strike fear into opposing defences. Maybe when Leaburn and Godden are fully fit it will give Jones more options.
We need to be careful about pinning all our hopes on the return of Leaburn. While a talented player, his hold-up play from long balls and heading isn't great for a 6'5" striker. Perhaps he will improve this after bulking up with so much time out. Will he be up to quick press after a serious hamstring injury? His skill set lies elsewhere, but he is still young.
I really like Ruben Selles, how he continues to get as much as he does battling against as much as he has to is very impressive.
The Reading that got opened up by Wrexham and the one we faced were two different personalities! They were so passive against Wrexham and it was exploited. Reading did us on us and it looked like the boys had a bit of a shock early doors.
Pre game analysis highlighted what to expose, what to guard against (e.g. every game this season Elliott and Savage have squeezed forward), they would also warn against being drawn in by Reading’s passive nature the previous week.
Tactically, initially Doc did a good job of keeping Savage deeper, Ahadme looked as if he was meant to occupy Wing to compliment Doc’s positioning, Thierry was to pick up the Reading wide player. Gillesphy would then pick up the advancing midfielder, creating a 3v2 centrally, to start a possession phase when we turned the ball over.
That changed because Thierry wasn’t really picking the wide man up effectively, so Coventry came across to pick up Ben Elliott and Gillesphy picked up the wider player. This meant Thierry was now the free man and outlet. For a sustained period in that first half, Thierry was often in possession and did nothing with it. He wasn’t getting out and was getting stuck in between being the outlet and tracking the wide player, when he did advance nothing came of it. I do have questions over his footballing IQ but when he’s in full flow he’s very effective and good value. Unfortunately he wasn’t in full flow and he really needed his IQ for this particular game.
A lot of what would nullify Reading was in place, what was missing was what had to happen after turnover to then create overloads, free men and opportunities to advance. It was undone by the initial free man being compromised because Coventry had to cover. Once adjusted the now free man (Thierry) was having one (tactically) and just to make it even harder, add poor distribution throughout the side into the mix.
To finish it off and really light the fire beneath NJ, let both goals originate from the left side too!
Mannion is a big improvement on what went on before. Against Bolton he looked like he was bossing the 6 yard box and came out and caught a few corners etc, something i hadnt seen a Charlton keeper do for quite a while.
Personally think Mannion is being underrated by many. I do think we could have done better, but we'll see as the season goes on.
It was frustrating to lose this one, but at the same time the score line flattered Reading, it was one of those that should have probably finished 1-0.
I do think we need to sort out our front line as right now, that's where we appear weakest. I'd even consider Kanu and Campbell up front for the next game, as at least Kanu has pace. It's nice to have gone from defensive fragility to being mostly solid to needing to find a finisher.
Nobody can deny May has not been replaced and we are missing him, but I feel we will do better this season overall than last.
Personally think Mannion is being underrated by many. I do think we could have done better, but we'll see as the season goes on.
It was frustrating to lose this one, but at the same time the score line flattered Reading, it was one of those that should have probably finished 1-0.
I do think we need to sort out our front line as right now, that's where we appear weakest. I'd even consider Kanu and Campbell up front for the next game, as at least Kanu has pace. It's nice to have gone from defensive fragility to being mostly solid to needing to find a finisher.
Nobody can deny May has not been replaced and we are missing him, but I feel we will do better this season overall than last.
Mannion is a big improvement on what went on before. Against Bolton he looked like he was bossing the 6 yard box and came out and caught a few corners etc, something i hadnt seen a Charlton keeper do for quite a while.
Thats good! And I trust your observation as much as I trust my own from Saturday, and I didnt hear Mannions voice at all. Of course I cant actually see Lloyd Jones eyerolling, even from row AA. But he was questioning Mannions judgement. And he kept shouting where to play out when Mannion was looking for alternative options.
Having watched this at close range, I wasnt surprised when Akande nicked the ball of Mannion in the second half. Or even later, when Jones made a bad judgement.
Maybe its just a thing between those two, having played together at Cambridge 22/23, Jones being the elder and a stand out player, I believe. I hope so, because things just didnt look right.
From someone being at a game just about once a season: I really believe Mannion needs to toughen up to be our No 1 goalie.
Watched the Reading game from row A and saw how Lloyd Jones was bullying him around: rolling his eyes when he asked for a 3 man wall, and kept shouting him to play Ramsey, even though we had just lost the ball two times on the right doing the same. I really like Jones showing personality, but there seemed to be a lack of trust between the goalie and the back line.
My last trip over was Wycombe at home last season. In that game Dobbo (and Hec) was in Abankwahs ear constantly, leaving him turning his back and shaking his head. They had no trust in him as a right back. Yes, rightly so. But I just hope these things are adressed. The opposition will pick up on it and exploit the uncertainty.
Jones should concentrate on his own game rather than digging out his keeper tbh. He was hardly MOTM material on Saturday, although Mannion didn't exactly cover himself in glory either!
Maybe Mannion lost confidence in his fullbacks as twice in the first half Ramsay and Small completely ballsed up when he played them the ball in space. Gillesphey was guilty of a few misplaced headers too which would hardly inspire confidence all round.
Let's hope Reading was a one off and we'll be back at it on Saturday. COYA
If missing Kanu we need Mbick on the bench, and or Leaburn perhaps.
We'll still have Aneke and Godden on the bench as backup if we start Adahme and Campbell again.
I suspect we'll see Watson and Edun, or even Zach Mitchell replacing Anderson and Kanu this weekend
I think you have forgotten A Campbell
He was on the bench on Saturday...?
So my post was saying that I reckon the bench against Rotherham will be the below, with the changes from Reading in bold, and so replacing Anderson / Kanu
If missing Kanu we need Mbick on the bench, and or Leaburn perhaps.
We'll still have Aneke and Godden on the bench as backup if we start Adahme and Campbell again.
I suspect we'll see Watson and Edun, or even Zach Mitchell replacing Anderson and Kanu this weekend
I think you have forgotten A Campbell
He was on the bench on Saturday...?
So my post was saying that I reckon the bench against Rotherham will be the below, with the changes from Reading in bold, and so replacing Anderson / Kanu
If missing Kanu we need Mbick on the bench, and or Leaburn perhaps.
We'll still have Aneke and Godden on the bench as backup if we start Adahme and Campbell again.
I suspect we'll see Watson and Edun, or even Zach Mitchell replacing Anderson and Kanu this weekend
I think you have forgotten A Campbell
He was on the bench on Saturday...?
So my post was saying that I reckon the bench against Rotherham will be the below, with the changes from Reading in bold, and so replacing Anderson / Kanu
If missing Kanu we need Mbick on the bench, and or Leaburn perhaps.
We'll still have Aneke and Godden on the bench as backup if we start Adahme and Campbell again.
I suspect we'll see Watson and Edun, or even Zach Mitchell replacing Anderson and Kanu this weekend
I think you have forgotten A Campbell
He was on the bench on Saturday...?
So my post was saying that I reckon the bench against Rotherham will be the below, with the changes from Reading in bold, and so replacing Anderson / Kanu
All depends of course if Watson and Berry have recovered from the illness that hampered them last week of course
If Berry is still unwell then A. Campbell presumably gets promoted straight into the 11 and Taylor might get an unexpected place on the bench.
I reckon that's where we'll see Edun and Zach on the bench, rather than Taylor - I'm only basing my theories on the League Cup game though
If Taylor can't even get onto the bench as fourth choice then he's definitely out of favour. Edun may get the nod for his versatility though, as he could also cover FB in a pinch.
We need to be careful about pinning all our hopes on the return of Leaburn. While a talented player, his hold-up play from long balls and heading isn't great for a 6'5" striker. Perhaps he will improve this after bulking up with so much time out. Will he be up to quick press after a serious hamstring injury? His skill set lies elsewhere, but he is still young.
I agree with not pinning our hopes on him. He is young and an injury like that will take a toll on him mentally, possibly. The club have done the right thing and seem to have sought the best rehab for him, including sending him to St Georges which i do not recall us doing for players previously (I recall both Curbs and Rufus having to pay to sort out long term injuries in the past and I know that was a long time ago, but I have heard similar stories in the not so distance past).
Whilst its fine to have high expectations of him when he comes back, we mustn't get on his back if things do not click straight away.
Nice video @Braziliance...love those two Reading guys, real old school supporters and characters...they could have had you there for the whole game...might have been a better afternoon for ya...🙄
Nice video @Braziliance...love those two Reading guys, real old school supporters and characters...they could have had you there for the whole game...might have been a better afternoon for ya...🙄
Yeah they were good characters, I like speaking to the older fans as they have more stories and a bit more insight.
Probably 😂 I will never sit front row again unless it's allocated, I couldn't tell you half the things that happened this game, might be for the best mind
Comments
There's another saying Ali..."There's nowt so strange as folk"...🙄
It was frustrating to lose this one, but at the same time the score line flattered Reading, it was one of those that should have probably finished 1-0.
I do think we need to sort out our front line as right now, that's where we appear weakest. I'd even consider Kanu and Campbell up front for the next game, as at least Kanu has pace. It's nice to have gone from defensive fragility to being mostly solid to needing to find a finisher.
Nobody can deny May has not been replaced and we are missing him, but I feel we will do better this season overall than last.
I suspect we'll see Watson and Edun, or even Zach Mitchell replacing Anderson and Kanu this weekend
Having watched this at close range, I wasnt surprised when Akande nicked the ball of Mannion in the second half. Or even later, when Jones made a bad judgement.
Maybe its just a thing between those two, having played together at Cambridge 22/23, Jones being the elder and a stand out player, I believe. I hope so, because things just didnt look right.
Maybe Mannion lost confidence in his fullbacks as twice in the first half Ramsay and Small completely ballsed up when he played them the ball in space. Gillesphey was guilty of a few misplaced headers too which would hardly inspire confidence all round.
Let's hope Reading was a one off and we'll be back at it on Saturday. COYA
So my post was saying that I reckon the bench against Rotherham will be the below, with the changes from Reading in bold, and so replacing Anderson / Kanu
Maynard-Brewer - Watson - Edmonds-Green - Z.Mitchell - A.Campbell - Aneke - Godden
All depends of course if Watson and Berry have recovered from the illness that hampered them last week of course
Whilst its fine to have high expectations of him when he comes back, we mustn't get on his back if things do not click straight away.
Really late upload, and not a great vlog, but I still wanted to upload as I spoke to people and didn't want to waste their time and not upload.
I didn't record cause of the view and a couple of people behind me saying they'd prefer not to be on camera.
Still stuck in two minds whether it's worth uploading when this happens, I.e. the vlog goes shoddy
Probably 😂 I will never sit front row again unless it's allocated, I couldn't tell you half the things that happened this game, might be for the best mind
*READING FC'S OWNER ENDS EXCLUSIVE TALKS WITH POTENTIAL BUYER.