Mad how bad our attack is. So far and away the worst in the division. Hope we keep getting clean sheets but just bizarre looking at the table and seeing how appalling our goalscoring record is.
Easy to say in hindsight, but I had fancy we'd win this one. That usually puts the mockers on it as we usually only win when I'm certain we'll lose - but not tonight!
Not sure how Obika managed to hit the post and in a way its a shame he did as a goal would be great for his confidence and heavens above how we need a striker with a bit of confidence. So nice to see an attacking move that involved an incisive pass and some purposeful movement though. Both Reza and Cousins lurking for the tap in too. Good to see. Well done Jordan for keeping your head, it wouldn't have been the first time a player snatched at a chance like that and skied it.
Just the merest hint of some momentum building now.
Nottingham Forest’s need to find the right man to replace Billy Davies took on added urgency after struggling Charlton stretched the home side’s run without a win to nine games. A goal from Jordan Cousins nine minutes from time earned Charlton a first away win since early November and leaves Forest two points outside the top six in the Championship, with eight matches to go.
On Tuesday night Glenn Hoddle has been installed as a short-priced favourite to succeed Davies at the City Ground, with Forest owner Fawaz Al-Hasawi insisting whoever is appointed will run the team with no interference from him. There had been suggestions that Neil Warnock, who met the Kuwaiti businessman on Monday only to turn the job down, walked away because he feared he would not have full control in transfer business and team selection. But Al-Hasawi said: “With all respect for Neil Warnock, I never interfere with the manager’s decision. I am chairman and owner full stop. Previous managers know me very well, I never interfered in their job. “I never told them what to do or who to play. Sometimes I shared things together with them but if you say an opinion, does that mean I am interfering? It’s not. If I say why we don’t play this player or that player, it’s just opinion. In the end, it’s his call. The manager will say yes or no.
He added that there had been no direct contact with Hoddle, or with Gianfranco Zola, who had been the front-runner with the bookmakers before a run of money for Hoddle yesterday. “Both are very good managers, we will have to see them,” he said. “I didn’t see Hoddle or Zola, maybe we spoke with their agents, I have to speak to them first. We will see their plans for the remaining games.”
Al-Hasawi said he was “hurt” by Forest’s 5-0 defeat at Derby last weekend, which proved to be the last chance for Davies to stay in the job. “It was as if we were playing Barcelona, not Derby,” he said. “We were really poor.” With academy manager Gary Brazil in charge on Tuesday night they were better, but still far from good enough. Although they enjoyed the bulk of possession and created chances to score, they looked short on confidence and were booed off at the final whistle.
The first half had ended on a high note for the hosts, with Simon Cox hitting a post and co-striker Darius Henderson seeing a header pushed over the bar by Ben Hamer after Jamie Mackie had been sharp enough to keep the ball in play, even as Cox kicked the post in frustration at his miss.
But Charlton, while largely content to defend, mounted a threat on the counter-attack when Astrit Ajdarevic broke clear down the left before finding Marvin Sordell, who struck the post. They were bolder in the second half, and it paid off after 81 minutes, with the home crowd airing their frustration at Forest’s weakening efforts, when Cousins followed in after a Jonathan Obika shot had cannoned off a post and calmly delivered the decisive blow. “You could see the lack of confidence and anxiety creeping into our play... but we still thought the worst-case scenario was 0-0,” Brazil said.
“It was a very important win for us,” Charlton manager Jose Riga said. His side still sit only one place above the bottom three but the victory gives them a three-point cushion, with three games in hand of two of the three below them.
I liked the new formation Riga was playing, Astrit looked to be playing in the top 3 which I was also fond of.
Only change I would of made in hindsight is Obika for Reza, Obika looked top-notch when he came on, that skill he done down the left in the second half was sublime.
7 hours ahead of you here in Koh Samui, so I've just woke up to see the score! They'll wonder what the big grin is for at breakfast! COYR! #happybunny
Not 7 hours ahead of me, though I did follow the first half hour on the match thread from the comfort of my toilet at 4a.m. A mild dose of food poisoning which just happened to be at the right time. Never taken my tablet to the bog before. Needed to sleep after that so woke up to a great result a couple of hours ago.
A point a game looks like it'll be enough, as long as we don't lose to Yeovil and Barnsley.
Typical Charlton away performance. Kept organised in the first half before getting a little more adventurous in the second.
We deserved the win in the end. Forest should have possibly scored a couple in the first half, including hitting the post, while Reza and Sordell gave the ball away in our own half too much with little touches and flicks. We got in a few dangerous areas but struggled to really turn them into decent opportunities.
We grew into it in as the second half progressed and Adjarevic became more influential. We started to win more and more second balls and looked like we wanted it more. The Forest fans were so restless and impatient and got on their players back at any opportunity, something that helped us. Take note Charlton fans.
Cousins missed a sitter before his goal which is why he took his second chance in such concentrated fashion. Great to see him breaking into the box. That little bit of invention from AA helped to create something. Obika looked stronger than Sordell up front and made a difference. Good to see Reza looked better as the game went on, and the back five and Poyet as good as we've come to expect. Jacko dependable as ever.
We are not easy to score against, something that is vital when we don't score many ourselves. Forest didn't look like scoring after we did and I actually thought we might score again.
Huge and deserved win. Takes the pressure off Derby in Saturday.
Just home after a tortuous journey with junctions 25-27 closed on the M25 and more cones along the journey that Mr Whippy has served up in a lifetime !!!!
But, it was SO worth it & well done to Mr F who was our chauffeur tonight ( even allowed us to have 2 Motown Magic CDs to sing along to )
Tricky's report is spot on. We looked much more of an attacking unit from the start even though the build ups were like watching paint dry at times and often ended in us giving the ball away.....BUT we persevered and I thought the first half was pretty even. Hate to say it, but Marvin really was very poor & Reza not much better IMHO. Both sides had their chances and blew them,
Second half we seemed to grow in confidence- not massively but bit by bit. Woody continued as Dorian had started( hopefully a precautionary sub at half time ?) both very sound & secure in their role. Rhoys looked a different player tonight , which was another positive. As Tricky said, Obika made a huge difference & young Jordan was a constant thorn in the Reds' side all night - demonstrated by the amount of times he was left in a heap on the pitch. Unfortunately his skyer right in front of us looked as though it might have been our best chance of a goal but Lady Luck was on our side tonight for once & he was destined to score the winner in the end. It was great to see all our lads run across the pitch to celebrate madly with Jose & the rest of his management staff - another positive sign that the camp is united after the upheavals over the past couple of weeks.
A fantastic victory against a Forest team who appear to have not only lost a manager, but also the plot. Their fans were singing "You're not fit to wear the shirt" after we scored and they almost handed us a second on a plate. Greening was outstanding for them, I thought.
So, we travel onwards ( & upnorthwards again) to Derby on Saturday with renewed hope in our hearts & a more confident team to cheer on. Jose is definitely doing something right & should be congratulated for the starting line up tonight and his substitutions. Hand on heart, he'll never be "the gaffer" but he's growing on me slowly but surely. Just wish he didn't look so much like Pards from a distance!
Well done to all our lad and to my fellow travellers tonight. Everyone one of us deserves a pat on the back. You can keep your " Operation **" games - tonight with a small but perfectly formed away following is what it's really all about .
was in a pub 'watching' the manchester derby with my uni flatmates tonight but couldnt keep my eyes off the match thread. Never appreciated it as much as I do tonight and really wish I had been there at the game along with my cousin. Great result and thanks RM and seth!
Wow, what a night! I was there tonight and it really is amazing how Charlton have the ability to put you in such a good mood. Made the trip down from Leeds and as usual I was optimistic.
A very disciplined performance from the boys and our defense really is becoming a force to be reckoned with. Morrison was absolutely solid today as was Hamer. Poyet had another cracker putting in some great tackles. For me the MOTM was AA, he provides the spark that the team needs going forward and when he has the ball the other players seem confident he will find them, the two full backs begin looking for space and it always seemed likely he was going to play the right pass when he had it, VERY impressed with him tonight. Forrest looked OK and were unlucky to not be in front, hitting the post and having the better of the first half, with some great saves from Hamer. Also feel that bringing on Obika with 20 or so minutes to go was a really positive change and Riga deserves enormous credit for it - we're away from home, 0-0, against a side meant to be contending for play offs - how easy would it have been to shut up shot and play out a nil nil? But no, Obika gave their defenders a torrid time and I believe it was he who hit the initial shot before Cousin's goal. The goal was a fantastic move, created by AA and on account of our resilience and determination, by the end, it was nothing short of what we deserved.
Only about 250 of us there tonight and although we were quiet for the first twenty, a few of us realized that it couldn't stay this way and all the songs got going, barely had a voice to start with and I certainly don't have one now, not one to boast but never have I started so many songs at a Charlton game! Bloody loved it. As I said, incredible what a win can do to you, I've begun to cherish away games up in t'north of late and this one did not disappoint, determined and gritty performance from the boys.
It's games like these which are invaluable and are going to contribute heavily to our survival.
8 points in his first five games in charge. A rough extrapolation from that would indicate if we did that every 5 games under this manager, given that in those 5 games we have played a decent mix of both top, middle and bottom of the table opponents and with a severely weaker squad than the one we had at the beginning of the season, we'd be 9th in the table with still 2 or 3 games in hand over those in the play-off spots.
Survival this year is still the main worry, but it's both an indication of what could have been this season, what we could achieve next season, and that this really is the toughest league in England, as it only takes slight movements in form to make you either a promotion contender or a relegation candidate. Come on RD, give us some players/money in July!
There is obviously a confidence issue in front of goal and results like this will help improve. It feels sometimes like our players try to make the wrong decisions and miss when they should score - but when confidence grows choices will improve I'm sure. Defence really are doing the business.
No confidence issue in front of goal for Kermogant /Bournemouth it seems : another two goals for him last night .We really want to do this the hard way don't we with a goal minutes from time. Looks like we need another striker if we are to capitalize on this excellent result .
Typical Charlton away performance. Kept organised in the first half before getting a little more adventurous in the second.
We deserved the win in the end. Forest should have possibly scored a couple in the first half, including hitting the post, while Reza and Sordell gave the ball away in our own half too much with little touches and flicks. We got in a few dangerous areas but struggled to really turn them into decent opportunities.
We grew into it in as the second half progressed and Adjarevic became more influential. We started to win more and more second balls and looked like we wanted it more. The Forest fans were so restless and impatient and got on their players back at any opportunity, something that helped us. Take note Charlton fans.
Cousins missed a sitter before his goal which is why he took his second chance in such concentrated fashion. Great to see him breaking into the box. That little bit of invention from AA helped to create something. Obika looked stronger than Sordell up front and made a difference. Good to see Reza looked better as the game went on, and the back five and Poyet as good as we've come to expect. Jacko dependable as ever.
We are not easy to score against, something that is vital when we don't score many ourselves. Forest didn't look like scoring after we did and I actually thought we might score again.
Huge and deserved win. Takes the pressure off Derby in Saturday.
Just home after a tortuous journey with junctions 25-27 closed on the M25 and more cones along the journey that Mr Whippy has served up in a lifetime !!!!
But, it was SO worth it & well done to Mr F who was our chauffeur tonight ( even allowed us to have 2 Motown Magic CDs to sing along to )
Tricky's report is spot on. We looked much more of an attacking unit from the start even though the build ups were like watching paint dry at times and often ended in us giving the ball away.....BUT we persevered and I thought the first half was pretty even. Hate to say it, but Marvin really was very poor & Reza not much better IMHO. Both sides had their chances and blew them,
Second half we seemed to grow in confidence- not massively but bit by bit. Woody continued as Dorian had started( hopefully a precautionary sub at half time ?) both very sound & secure in their role. Rhoys looked a different player tonight , which was another positive. As Tricky said, Obika made a huge difference & young Jordan was a constant thorn in the Reds' side all night - demonstrated by the amount of times he was left in a heap on the pitch. Unfortunately his skyer right in front of us looked as though it might have been our best chance of a goal but Lady Luck was on our side tonight for once & he was destined to score the winner in the end. It was great to see all our lads run across the pitch to celebrate madly with Jose & the rest of his management staff - another positive sign that the camp is united after the upheavals over the past couple of weeks.
A fantastic victory against a Forest team who appear to have not only lost a manager, but also the plot. Their fans were singing "You're not fit to wear the shirt" after we scored and they almost handed us a second on a plate. Greening was outstanding for them, I thought.
So, we travel onwards ( & upnorthwards again) to Derby on Saturday with renewed hope in our hearts & a more confident team to cheer on. Jose is definitely doing something right & should be congratulated for the starting line up tonight and his substitutions. Hand on heart, he'll never be "the gaffer" but he's growing on me slowly but surely. Just wish he didn't look so much like Pards from a distance!
Well done to all our lad and to my fellow travellers tonight. Everyone one of us deserves a pat on the back. You can keep your " Operation **" games - tonight with a small but perfectly formed away following is what it's really all about .
Onwards & definitely upwards !!!!
Jose looks like a perfect gentleman to me Fanny unlike a certain not so SAP! ;-)
Marvellous unexpected result, well done Jose and the lads.
I will start to get my hopes up when we are in the same position and having beat Yeovil, still concerned about them.
Millwall, LOL...
Agree. The worrying thing about Yeovil is that they have goals in them, against any team.
Any more views on Reza from those who were there last night? (re Sordell i heard quite enough from messrs Parry and Scowcroft. Not heard them so hard on a Charlton player since that infamous Bristol City capitulation, when they fingered Mootoo in particular)
Marvellous unexpected result, well done Jose and the lads.
I will start to get my hopes up when we are in the same position and having beat Yeovil, still concerned about them.
Millwall, LOL...
Agree. The worrying thing about Yeovil is that they have goals in them, against any team.
Any more views on Reza from those who were there last night? (re Sordell i heard quite enough from messrs Parry and Scowcroft. Not heard them so hard on a Charlton player since that infamous Bristol City capitulation, when they fingered Mootoo in particular)
The commentator on BBC LONDON DAB and the ex pro summariser Froggatt were just as critical of Marv with Froggatt unable to understand why he was shaking his head when being subbed to which his observation was 'I could give him 20 good reasons'.............oh dear!
Looks like a straight between us and Yeovil, who Gary Johnson has got playing well. Our target should be Doncaster, 5 points behind them with 3 games in hand. No doubt that Jose likes to go for the win, he had Joe Piggott ready to come on when we scored and changed it to Fox. I would definitely like to see Jose sign a contract, the players like him, and when he welcomed Joe back, Joe said that he is a real gentleman.
A deserved win & my first game post CP's departure and you can see the difference. It was very noticeable from quite early on that the team has been set up to pass more & not resort to hopeful punts upfield.
1st half - Forest were low on confidence but shaded it - we rode our luck a couple of times - Dervite played well but did lose his runner which led to their good chance that hit the post. Our passing was good but lacking penetration. Reza was struggling positionally in the 1st half and Wilson was having to work very hard (physically and verbally) to get Reza through this 45.
2nd half - I expected Forest to 'come out the blocks' given the way they finished the 1st but it never really happened. We continued to pass and, as the half wore on, looked more threatening. They key differences, for me, that turned the game in our favour were a) Reza had a good 2nd half. He seemed to work out a role which was not static right mid but showing much more movement to gaps centrally and linking well between midfielders. b) Cousins got forward more - was pleased for him that he scored after missing a good chance earlier. c) Bringing on Obika for Sordell - unlike others at the game I didn't think Sordell was awful but he was the weaker link - immediately Obika came on he was able to hold the ball and provide movement that the Forest defence couldn't cope with.
All in all a very good performance - by the end their team and crowd were completely shot - as someone who's had to endure Forest fans for a number of years up here that gave the win a particular resonance for me. If we can play this type of football with the right players (Eagles would fit in a treat) then there are good things ahead.
Finally, a mention for AA he was immense all night - a quality player. Hope the spat between him and Wilson is nothing serious which would be a shame as they both played very well.
Looks like a straight between us and Yeovil, who Gary Johnson has got playing well. Our target should be Doncaster, 5 points behind them with 3 games in hand. No doubt that Jose likes to go for the win, he had Joe Piggott ready to come on when we scored and changed it to Fox. I would definitely like to see Jose sign a contract, the players like him, and when he welcomed Joe back, Joe said that he is a real gentleman.
My source reckons Jose is lined up for the Academy at season end but only time will tell!
Looks like a straight between us and Yeovil, who Gary Johnson has got playing well. Our target should be Doncaster, 5 points behind them with 3 games in hand. No doubt that Jose likes to go for the win, he had Joe Piggott ready to come on when we scored and changed it to Fox. I would definitely like to see Jose sign a contract, the players like him, and when he welcomed Joe back, Joe said that he is a real gentleman.
My source reckons Jose is lined up for the Academy at season end but only time will tell!
Paul Hart has done an excellent job with the academy, just as he did at Leeds and Forest. Leave Riga to manage the first team.
I’ve seen about 15 games over the last three seasons, but have never seen Charlton play like this. Hoof-ball was almost completely banished and to facilitate this there was much more movement off the ball.
This is a really bold move by JR to make such a fundamental change of style so quickly and right in the midst of a relegation battle. It’s not without its risks and we saw these last night. We no longer had the disciplined first line of four when out of possession. Instead we had our two holding midfielders (Poyet, Jackson) and had to keep our fingers crossed that two or three of the 3-1 (of the 4-2-3-1) would somehow get themselves into roughly the right defensive positions. (It might cost us against better opposition.) Also we sometimes lost possession in dangerous positions through being a little too intricate. However, overall we had much more possession than we used to have and this took a lot of pressure off the defence.
The other thing that struck me about the system was that a decent team performance emerged even though there were no outstanding individual performances.
Some will be concerned that we’re still playing some players out of their best positions, but I can see no better alternatives. We don’t have an answer to RM (Green, no; Wilson, yes, but there’s no replacement RB (not Nego)) and so end up with someone out of position (Reza, last night). Also, I can’t see how you can play all of Poyet, Jackson, Cousins and AA in their best positions, so last night we had Cousins further forward than is ideal. Without anyone new coming through the door, it’s hard to see how we can do better than nine in their strongest positions.
Overall, I felt more confident watching the team play with more fluidity, rather than adopt the backs-to-the-wall approach. More importantly, the team looked more confident too. Will it deliver the result we want? Some good signs, but still a long way to go.
Would have been happy with three points from the three away games ... Forest Derby Leeds ... so anything we get now at Derby and Leeds will be a bonus.
The clean sheets we have obtained both under Chris and Jose will prove to be very important this season.
Agree with pretty much everything Charente and KHA say. There were very few long balls yesterday though despite riga's reference to going more direct the other day.
In the second half we seemed to play higher up so that when we won the ball back we we were already in their half. The movement in midfield was better too, helped by Reza and Adjarevic coming inside more with Jackson, Cousins and Poyet. There was always someone to pass to and offered a way round their defence by getting into the gaps.
Everybody knows I was pro-Powell, however after we scored we looked a lot calmer than we have previously. If our players can keep faith with passing and having confidence on the ball then we will keep better possession, look more threatening and relieve pressure on the backline.
The final ball still needs some work but I think that will come with time. Having said that I think Forest suited our style of play and against other opposition we might find it tougher.
Comments
Not sure how Obika managed to hit the post and in a way its a shame he did as a goal would be great for his confidence and heavens above how we need a striker with a bit of confidence. So nice to see an attacking move that involved an incisive pass and some purposeful movement though. Both Reza and Cousins lurking for the tap in too. Good to see. Well done Jordan for keeping your head, it wouldn't have been the first time a player snatched at a chance like that and skied it.
Just the merest hint of some momentum building now.
By Jon Culley10:46PM GMT 25 Mar 2014
Nottingham Forest’s need to find the right man to replace Billy Davies took on added urgency after struggling Charlton stretched the home side’s run without a win to nine games.
A goal from Jordan Cousins nine minutes from time earned Charlton a first away win since early November and leaves Forest two points outside the top six in the Championship, with eight matches to go.
On Tuesday night Glenn Hoddle has been installed as a short-priced favourite to succeed Davies at the City Ground, with Forest owner Fawaz Al-Hasawi insisting whoever is appointed will run the team with no interference from him. There had been suggestions that Neil Warnock, who met the Kuwaiti businessman on Monday only to turn the job down, walked away because he feared he would not have full control in transfer business and team selection.
But Al-Hasawi said: “With all respect for Neil Warnock, I never interfere with the manager’s decision. I am chairman and owner full stop. Previous managers know me very well, I never interfered in their job.
“I never told them what to do or who to play. Sometimes I shared things together with them but if you say an opinion, does that mean I am interfering? It’s not. If I say why we don’t play this player or that player, it’s just opinion. In the end, it’s his call. The manager will say yes or no.
He added that there had been no direct contact with Hoddle, or with Gianfranco Zola, who had been the front-runner with the bookmakers before a run of money for Hoddle yesterday. “Both are very good managers, we will have to see them,” he said. “I didn’t see Hoddle or Zola, maybe we spoke with their agents, I have to speak to them first. We will see their plans for the remaining games.”
Al-Hasawi said he was “hurt” by Forest’s 5-0 defeat at Derby last weekend, which proved to be the last chance for Davies to stay in the job. “It was as if we were playing Barcelona, not Derby,” he said. “We were really poor.”
With academy manager Gary Brazil in charge on Tuesday night they were better, but still far from good enough. Although they enjoyed the bulk of possession and created chances to score, they looked short on confidence and were booed off at the final whistle.
The first half had ended on a high note for the hosts, with Simon Cox hitting a post and co-striker Darius Henderson seeing a header pushed over the bar by Ben Hamer after Jamie Mackie had been sharp enough to keep the ball in play, even as Cox kicked the post in frustration at his miss.
But Charlton, while largely content to defend, mounted a threat on the counter-attack when Astrit Ajdarevic broke clear down the left before finding Marvin Sordell, who struck the post.
They were bolder in the second half, and it paid off after 81 minutes, with the home crowd airing their frustration at Forest’s weakening efforts, when Cousins followed in after a Jonathan Obika shot had cannoned off a post and calmly delivered the decisive blow. “You could see the lack of confidence and anxiety creeping into our play... but we still thought the worst-case scenario was 0-0,” Brazil said.
“It was a very important win for us,” Charlton manager Jose Riga said. His side still sit only one place above the bottom three but the victory gives them a three-point cushion, with three games in hand of two of the three below them.
Forest (4-4-2): Darlow; Halford, Lascelles, Collins, Fox; Mackie, Greening, Jara, Abdoun; Cox, Henderson. Subs Harding, Djebbour, Paterson, Evtimov (gk), Derbyshire, Majewski, Gomis.
Charlton (4-3-3) Hamer; Wilson, Morrison, Dervite, Wiggins; Cousins, Poyet, Jackson; Ghoochannejhad, Sordell, Ajdarevic. Subs Thuram-Ulien (gk), Wood, Fox, Nego, Green, Pigott, Obika.
Referee A Haines (Tyne & Wear).
Only change I would of made in hindsight is Obika for Reza, Obika looked top-notch when he came on, that skill he done down the left in the second half was sublime.
MOM for me was Wiggins or Jackson
COYR
COYR! #happybunny
A point a game looks like it'll be enough, as long as we don't lose to Yeovil and Barnsley.
But, it was SO worth it & well done to Mr F who was our chauffeur tonight ( even allowed us to have 2 Motown Magic CDs to sing along to )
Tricky's report is spot on. We looked much more of an attacking unit from the start even though the build ups were like watching paint dry at times and often ended in us giving the ball away.....BUT we persevered and I thought the first half was pretty even. Hate to say it, but Marvin really was very poor & Reza not much better IMHO. Both sides had their chances and blew them,
Second half we seemed to grow in confidence- not massively but bit by bit. Woody continued as Dorian had started( hopefully a precautionary sub at half time ?) both very sound & secure in their role. Rhoys looked a different player tonight , which was another positive. As Tricky said, Obika made a huge difference & young Jordan was a constant thorn in the Reds' side all night - demonstrated by the amount of times he was left in a heap on the pitch. Unfortunately his skyer right in front of us looked as though it might have been our best chance of a goal but Lady Luck was on our side tonight for once & he was destined to score the winner in the end. It was great to see all our lads run across the pitch to celebrate madly with Jose & the rest of his management staff - another positive sign that the camp is united after the upheavals over the past couple of weeks.
A fantastic victory against a Forest team who appear to have not only lost a manager, but also the plot. Their fans were singing "You're not fit to wear the shirt" after we scored and they almost handed us a second on a plate. Greening was outstanding for them, I thought.
So, we travel onwards ( & upnorthwards again) to Derby on Saturday with renewed hope in our hearts & a more confident team to cheer on. Jose is definitely doing something right & should be congratulated for the starting line up tonight and his substitutions. Hand on heart, he'll never be "the gaffer" but he's growing on me slowly but surely. Just wish he didn't look so much like Pards from a distance!
Well done to all our lad and to my fellow travellers tonight. Everyone one of us deserves a pat on the back. You can keep your " Operation **" games - tonight with a small but perfectly formed away following is what it's really all about .
Onwards & definitely upwards !!!!
A very disciplined performance from the boys and our defense really is becoming a force to be reckoned with. Morrison was absolutely solid today as was Hamer. Poyet had another cracker putting in some great tackles. For me the MOTM was AA, he provides the spark that the team needs going forward and when he has the ball the other players seem confident he will find them, the two full backs begin looking for space and it always seemed likely he was going to play the right pass when he had it, VERY impressed with him tonight. Forrest looked OK and were unlucky to not be in front, hitting the post and having the better of the first half, with some great saves from Hamer. Also feel that bringing on Obika with 20 or so minutes to go was a really positive change and Riga deserves enormous credit for it - we're away from home, 0-0, against a side meant to be contending for play offs - how easy would it have been to shut up shot and play out a nil nil? But no, Obika gave their defenders a torrid time and I believe it was he who hit the initial shot before Cousin's goal. The goal was a fantastic move, created by AA and on account of our resilience and determination, by the end, it was nothing short of what we deserved.
Only about 250 of us there tonight and although we were quiet for the first twenty, a few of us realized that it couldn't stay this way and all the songs got going, barely had a voice to start with and I certainly don't have one now, not one to boast but never have I started so many songs at a Charlton game!
It's games like these which are invaluable and are going to contribute heavily to our survival.
1-0 TO THE LONDONER'S!
Survival this year is still the main worry, but it's both an indication of what could have been this season, what we could achieve next season, and that this really is the toughest league in England, as it only takes slight movements in form to make you either a promotion contender or a relegation candidate. Come on RD, give us some players/money in July!
I will start to get my hopes up when we are in the same position and having beat Yeovil, still concerned about them.
Millwall, LOL...
Any more views on Reza from those who were there last night? (re Sordell i heard quite enough from messrs Parry and Scowcroft. Not heard them so hard on a Charlton player since that infamous Bristol City capitulation, when they fingered Mootoo in particular)
1st half - Forest were low on confidence but shaded it - we rode our luck a couple of times - Dervite played well but did lose his runner which led to their good chance that hit the post. Our passing was good but lacking penetration. Reza was struggling positionally in the 1st half and Wilson was having to work very hard (physically and verbally) to get Reza through this 45.
2nd half - I expected Forest to 'come out the blocks' given the way they finished the 1st but it never really happened. We continued to pass and, as the half wore on, looked more threatening. They key differences, for me, that turned the game in our favour were a) Reza had a good 2nd half. He seemed to work out a role which was not static right mid but showing much more movement to gaps centrally and linking well between midfielders. b) Cousins got forward more - was pleased for him that he scored after missing a good chance earlier. c) Bringing on Obika for Sordell - unlike others at the game I didn't think Sordell was awful but he was the weaker link - immediately Obika came on he was able to hold the ball and provide movement that the Forest defence couldn't cope with.
All in all a very good performance - by the end their team and crowd were completely shot - as someone who's had to endure Forest fans for a number of years up here that gave the win a particular resonance for me. If we can play this type of football with the right players (Eagles would fit in a treat) then there are good things ahead.
Finally, a mention for AA he was immense all night - a quality player. Hope the spat between him and Wilson is nothing serious which would be a shame as they both played very well.
This is a really bold move by JR to make such a fundamental change of style so quickly and right in the midst of a relegation battle. It’s not without its risks and we saw these last night. We no longer had the disciplined first line of four when out of possession. Instead we had our two holding midfielders (Poyet, Jackson) and had to keep our fingers crossed that two or three of the 3-1 (of the 4-2-3-1) would somehow get themselves into roughly the right defensive positions. (It might cost us against better opposition.) Also we sometimes lost possession in dangerous positions through being a little too intricate. However, overall we had much more possession than we used to have and this took a lot of pressure off the defence.
The other thing that struck me about the system was that a decent team performance emerged even though there were no outstanding individual performances.
Some will be concerned that we’re still playing some players out of their best positions, but I can see no better alternatives. We don’t have an answer to RM (Green, no; Wilson, yes, but there’s no replacement RB (not Nego)) and so end up with someone out of position (Reza, last night). Also, I can’t see how you can play all of Poyet, Jackson, Cousins and AA in their best positions, so last night we had Cousins further forward than is ideal. Without anyone new coming through the door, it’s hard to see how we can do better than nine in their strongest positions.
Overall, I felt more confident watching the team play with more fluidity, rather than adopt the backs-to-the-wall approach. More importantly, the team looked more confident too. Will it deliver the result we want? Some good signs, but still a long way to go.
The clean sheets we have obtained both under Chris and Jose will prove to be very important this season.
very thoughtful review, if I may say so. Thanks.
In the second half we seemed to play higher up so that when we won the ball back we we were already in their half. The movement in midfield was better too, helped by Reza and Adjarevic coming inside more with Jackson, Cousins and Poyet. There was always someone to pass to and offered a way round their defence by getting into the gaps.
Everybody knows I was pro-Powell, however after we scored we looked a lot calmer than we have previously. If our players can keep faith with passing and having confidence on the ball then we will keep better possession, look more threatening and relieve pressure on the backline.
The final ball still needs some work but I think that will come with time. Having said that I think Forest suited our style of play and against other opposition we might find it tougher.