Post-match Thread: Charlton Athletic v Portsmouth | Saturday 25th September 2021

Gribbo said:

What are people's thoughts on Watson? He just seems to be taking up a space in the side for me

Opinions are divided which I think is understandable.  He can do some things well, like make a good weighted pass and tackle a static opponent, but his limitations are there for all to see.  

Look at Cowley's comment about the midfield.  Watson is too slow to risk closing down an opponent before he receives the ball and took slow to make an effective tackle once the opponent is moving at pace.  He needs legs around him to help him and Arter isn't cutting it.

He marks space most of the time, and gets the odd interception and can make good pass if he has time on the ball.  

For the first goal Watson was in space cutting off a long pass through to Marquis as we made a "press".  Lee, Stockley and Gilbey between them cocked up the press and two passes later the ball was in the net.  Marquis ghosts into the penalty area leaving Watson in no mans land marking nobody and the second pass easily found a midfielder free.  Hard to blame Watson for getting exposed but he wasn't quick enough when he did see the danger to do anything about it.

I think its what he can't do rather than giving him pelters for what he does do, which is no more than any average midfielder should be doing.

EveshamAddick said:

Slightly longer highlights here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRfWFXGKMmY

Is it just me or did Davison almost miss that. Looked like he nearly tripped over the ball or had trouble sorting his feet out. I know he scored it but it didn't look like the more assured of finishes.

stevexreeve said:

Maccn05 said:

The best thing about yesterday was watching the Pompey keeper Bazanu.

My lad was with me and as an aspiring and good keeper, we been working on sweeping & distribution. So I told him to ignore the rubbish happening on the pitch and just watch him.

What a talented young man he is. Super feet, range of passing and bravery to play that way. He won’t be L1 for long… unlike us!

Completely and absolutely created an extra player for the his team. It was12 against 11 from the start. 

I realise that not every goallie has the same passing ability but there were lots of "simple" things he had been coached to do.

After a short pass out to a defender he ran into a good offensive position to take the ball back. It looked like he had practised this. Our goalkeepers just retreat slowly into the goal to offer a get out ball for the defender if needed.

This sort of thing is going on in third tier football these days but it goes way way over the heads of our coaching staff!

Both Cheltenham and MK Dons made excellent use of their goalkeeper as an "extra player" when playing the ball out of defence.

A couple of teams did that last year too. And we had no idea how to counter it. 

golfaddick said:

EveshamAddick said:

Slightly longer highlights here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRfWFXGKMmY

Is it just me or did Davison almost miss that. Looked like he nearly tripped over the ball or had trouble sorting his feet out. I know he scored it but it didn't look like the more assured of finishes.

Looked to me as though he was just taking the pace off the ball. 

golfaddick said:

EveshamAddick said:

Slightly longer highlights here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRfWFXGKMmY

Is it just me or did Davison almost miss that. Looked like he nearly tripped over the ball or had trouble sorting his feet out. I know he scored it but it didn't look like the more assured of finishes.

What we need is a decent centre forward like @ValleyGary to give us his considered opinion, full backs don’t have that experience 😉.

Cardinal Sin said:

golfaddick said:

Scoham said:

https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/i-wouldnt-like-to-be-nigel-picking-that-lot-portsmouth-boss-danny-cowley-burned-the-midnight-oil-with-charlton-prepwork/

Cowley is a visionary !  Go back to 18 man squads with only 3 on the bench. That way you can't tinker (sorry.....rotate) so much  - less choice = more stability.

This is the future.

Cloughie won two consecutive European Cups using only 17 players.....

Yeah, try doing that today.

The Leeds side that won the Championship had (NOT including keepers)

5 players who STARTED between 43 and 46 league games (White, Harrison, Dallas, Bamford, Klich)
1 more player who featured in 40 matches
5 more players who featured in over 30 matches

That shows that even in the modern day game, players can still play a lot of matches without being endlessly rotated, if you sign the right players, and they are trained and conditioned properly

mixed feelings about this game .. we were overrun in the first half, made a much better fist if it in the second, scored two good goals and conceded one to a terrific long range shot and the other to a bit of a defensive shambles. IF we'd'a played 4 4 2 from the start, it might have been a different result. 
With Pearce in the team, trying to play out from the back is nigh on suicidal, equally repetitive long balls straight down the middle lead nowhere when Stockley is up against a good and tall central defender like Raggett.
We all know what swung the game, Adkins's substitutions, better late than never .. Blackett-T was superb, BUT can he do that for the full 90 ? .. Davison needs more game time as does Clare .. Arter is well of the pace and I have serious doubts he'll ever be fully back on the pace. One paced Ben Watson is needed in the middle as at least he brings a semblance of order to a side that always looks disjointed whoever is selected. Gilbey will only get better, Lavelle has pace and ability, Matthews and Soare are ok, although someone on here reckons Soare's THE worst player to pull on the Addicks' shirt, lots of candidates for that unwanted label   .. be better though when Purrington is fully match fit.

The point gives Adkins a bit of breathing space with the fans, I suspect that Sandy is fully committed to him. Tonight's game (Notlob 28/9) will tell us a lot more about our potential and bottle, what team will Nige dream up for this one ? .. I'd still feel a lot happier if he were not in charge t b h
I am cheesed off that I left London today after a nice weekend in Greenwich. IF I had checked the fixture list more carefully, I would have booked an extra day in the hotel and delayed my train journey home until tomorrow. Always enjoy a game against Notlob ever since the days of Big Sam Allardyce when he had his sergeant major tache and kicked anything and anybody that moved

EDIT Forgot to mention :Leko .. he has been missed and is looking good

That thing about senselessly not wearing your 1st kit when there's no clash with the home team?
Pompey needlessly wearing white and tossed away 2 points as a result
Case closed.