STATBANK: Carabao Cup Ist R.South: Charlton 0-0 Forest Green (3-5 pens)

Fantastic to see how the stats played out, personally just felt we were lacking an attacking threat more than anything else... But these stats seem to show that we only had 7 players on the pitch that know what a football is.

JamesSeed said:

 Another fine performance by our leader, Naby Sarr, as I’m sure you’ll agree @Henry Irving

I was at the game, you weren't.

Bowyer is picking Pearce and Lockyer ahead of him and his poor performances at Wembley and Blackburn show why. In both cases he was subbed off and we improved massively.

Hard for his acolytes to accept but he's a reserve now, at best.  No shame in not being good enough.

Oh, and what improved Charlton both times was the change in formation, but you can keep holding onto this ridiculous grudge while the rest of us go by what we saw throughout the second half of last season, which was a colossal defender doing his thing in style 

Was at the game and thought Sarr was poor in the first half - still switches off at times. Improved in the second.

Leuth said:

He's found it a little tricky to adapt to 3 at the back, but it's not like he can't learn. As part of a back 4 he still looks imperious every time. No shame in being completely, laughably wrong though

Totally agree. Henry’s partly right, it’s a problem that he struggles in a back three.
But in a back four, when he’s on his game, he’s excellent, and his ability to play out from the back and spray the diagonal passes around is something you don’t get from the honest, but more limited Pearce. 

I’m hoping Bowyer can get the best out of him this season, as he did last. In truth, his lack of mobility might be exposed, at this level. But he was runner up in last season’s PotY for a reason H.