Reflections on the first half of the season.

hoof_it_up_to_benty

We've hit the mid point of the season with 29 points and if we match that in the second half we should be safe which at present is all we can realistically aspire to.

The points total is about what I expected but our performances overall have been poorer than I anticipated. Our defence has coped with the step up to the Championship and whilst the jury is out on our attack our midfield has looked well out of its depth. I don't think I've seen a team this season with a worse midfield than ours and I can't see us pushing on until this is rectified. I thought our midfield was fairly weak in Div 1 and our inability to retain possession has become even more glaringly obvious.in the Championship.

Not sure if our poor midfield is down to our setup or merely the quality of our players but it worries me when teams like Peterborough and Barnsley look so much better in that area.

I'll be happy enough to stay up!!!

Dave2l

Agree with your points about the midfield. From what I have seen of Frimpong, he is the only player in the middle that can retain possession cleanly. Of course one reason why we brought him in. Our midfield is weak and we need to use January to do something about that because we will also loose frimpong around that time.

GretnaGreenAddick

We wont get promoted with the current squad but just like from game 1 of the season i still have no worries about relegation, we are a solid mid-table team/squad (18th - 10th) but hopefully Chrissy will have a few pennies to spend in January and we can look upwards from our current postion.

CafcWest

Dave2l said:

Agree with your points about the midfield. From what I have seen of Frimpong, he is the only player in the middle that can retain possession cleanly. Of course one reason why we brought him in. Our midfield is weak and we need to use January to do something about that because we will also loose frimpong around that time.

In his good games Stephens is class in the midfield - and can pick out some great passes - unfortunately he can be a bit sloppy at times.

Callumcafc

January needs to be used to make 100% sure we don't slip into the dog fight at the bottom, with 25 points from the last 23 games (giving us 54) surely being enough. Then fingers crossed we can properly push on in the summer (including a completely rebuilt midfield, with the exception of Pritchard, Jacko, Stephens and Wilson) like we should've done coming into this season.

Dave2l

cafc-west said:

Dave2l said:

Agree with your points about the midfield. From what I have seen of Frimpong, he is the only player in the middle that can retain possession cleanly. Of course one reason why we brought him in. Our midfield is weak and we need to use January to do something about that because we will also loose frimpong around that time.

In his good games Stephens is class in the midfield - and can pick out some great passes - unfortunately he can be a bit sloppy at times.

Played well vs Brighton. Would be good if he was consistent.

golfaddick

At the start of the season I thought we had enough to stay up and end up lower half of the table and I don't see that changing, apart from probably finishing too close to the bottom 3 for comfort.

As for our strenghts & weaknesses. I don't think anyone can knock our back 5, esp once Wiggy is back and think they are equal to anything else in the division. Sadly it ends there.We still do not have that creative midfielder that can unlock defences or a midfielder who can run & dribble with it - and we only have 1 decent wide player (Green) and even then we don't use him. We have been a bit unlucky with the forwards, with both Haynes & Fuller both getting minor injuries just when they looked like they may be hitting a bit of form and Kermy missing a dozen or so games as well. Saying that, those 3 with Hulse & BWP have not shown enough when on the pitch to make you think that they can get into double figures and I don't think any other Championship side has a worse front line apart from maybe Bristol City, Ipswich & Sheff W......which is why we may just stay up this season.

All in all the 1st half of the season has been a bit of a let down for me - only highlights have been the wins over Leciester & Cardiff and a spirited draw at Millwall. The football overal has been slow and ponderous and I don't think i've seen so many lacklustre and uninspiring matches.

Lincsaddick

The team has mostly got by on guts and graft. Given the lack of funds for new blood, Powell, his staff and the players have done as well as could be expected. It aint been pretty but ugly is better than a relegation position.

BaronPaolo

The lads have done well so far without playing very well. For me the standard of football in the championship this season hasn't been great which is good news for us. I still feel the squad we have is good enough to survive this season but a couple of players needed in the summer for next season to help us push on.

RodneyCharltonTrotta

Happy to stay up this year and push on next season. If we are in same position come May will be happy.

In fact I'll be delighted just to complete the season ;-)

Dave2l

We still want to treat this season as a relegation fight and not get too comfortable.

Unfortunately I think next season will be similar in a way. I think we will be in the championship for the next 4 years minimum, which sounds good really. After that we might get a close push for play offs etc.

Football is hard to predict nobody knows.

01322charlton

Let's be honest poor

Off_it

01322charlton said:

Let's be honest poor

What were your expectations then? And, with the benefit of hindsight, do you think those expectations were realistic?

shirty5

15 points in the last 9 games shows in my opinion we are getting there now. A couple of additions in January will see us comfortable in mid table with us getting 60 points for the season.

stonewallpenalty

7th of May 2011- 13th in league 1
24th of December 2012-18th in championship.

the first half of the season has proven we can compete but won't make an impact in the upper echelons of this league. i would say that was most peoples expectations. the last 18 months however have taken an almighty lot of hard work to get this club back into the championship and the hard work has continued into this season. we're not world beaters but i feel we're improving and we need to remember we are in a league with clubs with real financial backing.

I've really enjoyed the majority of this season especially the great away results that make me proud to be a charlton fan. i remain patient as i know getting charlton back challenging for a place in the premier league is going to be a process and not an event. Rome wasn't built in a day and CP (despite being a great one) is only human.

kings hill addick

Off_it said:

01322charlton said:

Let's be honest poor

What were your expectations then? And, with the benefit of hindsight, do you think those expectations were realistic?

I, really, thought we would be top six for most of the season and I also thought we would be a decent shout for a top two place.

Do I think that with the benefit of hindsight my expectations were realistic? No, of course not. We have looked weak compared to the opposition in games and at times I've been very worried about relegation.

The thing is we managed a record points total last season, and in the last two seasons a team has gone from League 1 to the Premier League in consecutive seasons. For that reason I am not being too hard on myself for having such unrealistic expectations, and I will be devastated if we go down, but forth from bottom and I will be a very happy boy.

I am, naturally, an optimistic chap at times, and last season led me to believe that we were better than we turned out to be, but when you manage 100 points you really can't know how far you can go before you hit he wall.

stonemuse

Covers my thoughts exactly KHA ...I was also fairly optimistic ...in fact, I still am and think we will have a reasonable season

Happy Xmas to all ...only one up in my house so popped on here till they get up