happy with a point - although we may have had the better chances & played some nice stuff Bolton are in form & only lost 1 in the last 10 so it could have been worse. Subs getting stranger & stranger but I reckon Riga thought with 10 mins to go that 0-0 was the best it was going to be and I agree with him - the players looked dead on their feet & there was ever going to be one winner from then on.
Big talking point - the pen. If as suggested by many on here that Church slipped then please stop watering the ruddy pitch !!!! Anyone would think we've been through a drought over the past few months instead of having games called off & I'm sure the players can cope with a bit of a dry pitch instead of slipping over all over the place.
I thought the team was set up well & think Reza & Church up front may be the way to go for the last few games. Church will run & cause the odd problem & Reza is the only player who wants to shoot & I feel it wont be long until they start going in for him.
special mention to Morgan Fox. He looked calm & assured and have no worries with him filling him for Wiggins for the next 4 games.
Think we need another 4 or 5 points to avoid the drop - Think we will get walloped on Monday but will grab a win against Watford and a draw against Blackburn..........meaning we go to Blackpool with a draw to keep us up.
I thought we played well. Made a few chances and took them but not strongly enough. Church played well shock. Cousins had a few wayward passes when a good one would have created another chance but hey ho - a touch of the Harriots there. Clearly Riga was not prepared to see us lose to a lucky late ball. People have commented on how tired our players look these days and you could see that in the last 25 minutes. So substitutions. He's doing what he can with what we have available. First 25 minutes were the best chance to score, after that it was diminishing returns and in the end I fully expected us to concede.
Don't know how anyone can not see that as a penalty, the keeper swings and kicks Church's leg. If you need further evidence, look how far the ball moves after the keeper's kick. It doesn't.
Really struggling to see where our goals are going to come from, set pieces are our only hope!
The ball just doesn't stick upfront and the wingers we have playing rarely attack their full backs. Just want this season to finish now, haven't enjoyed it one bit apart from the fa cup run.
Don't agree, sure he's a good hold up player but he did nothing in front of goal.
Reza actually had attempts on goal and tried to make runs behind the defence to create something.
Don't agree with that either, think church looked the likeliest to score on the pitch. Always making runs behind the defence, held the ball up well, tirelessly chased down the oppo, fluffed a chance but he's a CAFC striker what can you expect
Fuckin hell smudge he misses the bloody ball and just kicks Church it's a stonewall penalty, I'm fuckin livid.
Only seen on my phone to be honest. Couldn't tell how much on the connection, but def looked on what I saw like Church went down through slipping rather than from being kicked. Could be wrong though
- Thought Church slipped, typically, but will have to look again on the box. - Each game I am more and more impressed about how pitifully impotent we are. It really is quite something. - Like Powell before him, Riga's hands have been tied by the appalling attacking options before him. - Like Powell before him, he has made several tactical errors. 1 point from the two games this week is a dreadful return as they were both there for the taking, and personally I think Riga got his tactics massively wrong. Morrison should not have been rested for Tuesday, if he hadn't been I don't think we would have lost. Church should not have played today as he is more shit than Obika and from memory the few goals he has scored this season have been fortuitous mis-hits. I don't think he can make it as a striker in the football league. Playing Cousins on the right, something Powell was vilified for. He looks so unnatural out there and the vast swathes of space on the wings today were wasted because we had nobody there to exploit it. Wiggins was sorely missed but Riga should have given Fox better instruction to be more offensive. Everytime he got the ball with huge space to run into he turned backwards. Not blaming him at all as a youngster he clearly wanted to retain possession and play it safe - somebody should have told him to drive a bit more as he looked competent enough to do so. - People say the Championship is a great division and clearly there are some very good sides up the top, but from what I've seen the last couple of weeks there are also some proper dross outfits in the bottom 7 or 8, any of who would fit in very nicely in the dog-ugly cesspit that League One football is. - Can't see where the goal, even just one goal, is going to come from to win us one or two of the last 4 games. The players look shattered and because we don't have a single player capable of shooting, we essentially need to rely on the workrate of the players to hustle and harry and somehow drag the ball into the goal. We just have to hope the crapness of others will somehow see us miraculously splutter over the survival line.
I 100% disagreed with and still 100% disagree with the decision to remove Powell, but regardless if he had stayed I think what has happened since would probably have been pretty much the same. Riga's done okay, not well but not badly. I don't think anybody could get much more out of the personnel available.
If we had not sold Kermogant, we would be in a different position. I'm convinced we would have won at least one of the games this week, especially today with his heading ability and the wide space we had today. It's a broken record but I fear that decision is one that we'll still be talking about in years time - like the Parker sale - as a costly turning point for the club.
Church a striker comes off for Hughes a defender/holding midfielder, such a negative substitution. Translated as holding for a draw...................dreadful decision. A bit like last Saturday at Brighton, off came Godchanajad(excuse the spelling!) and on came Solly!!!!!
As I said on the match thread on Tuesday, I don't trust the new owner, or the bit of fluff he's installed, as his eyes and ears at the Valley, as far as I can throw them. The man is interested in money first and money last. He has absolutely no interest in Charlton Athletic FC other than to sell it on at a profit at some stage in the future. If he had he would have given CP some money to buy a couple of players CP wanted in January, not the short term barrow load of crap he sent over the Channel to SE7.
Administration under the previous two buffoons would have been, possibly, a better option. After all Palace haven't done too bad out of it have they?
Looks like it's going to be a Long Good Friday night judging by the comments so far...
Two extra points would have made a huge difference but I still maintain there's going to be 5/6 of us in the shake up on the last day so not a total disaster.
Good to see Fox slot in so well and a generally sound performance. Plenty of shots on goal from outside the box but only those from Ajdarevic looked threatening. It would have been good to see Harriot and Pigott coming on later as no real goal threat. Watching Blackpool Burnley right now and that gives me hope!
Having lost at Barnsley I think Riga did right to bolster defence when he could see players getting tired and slowing down. That point is what is currently putting us above Blackpool and 2 points above the relegation zone. It's a narrow margin, but that, to me, is tactically un-naive.
By the time Riga made his subs his priority was to save legs and reduce the risk of injury ahead of Monday.
Poyet's interview in the programme is interesting and makes it very clear that coming off early has a disproportionate effect on recovery time. He's also complementary about Riga and after reading what he had to say I'd be more optimistic that he might stay - provided we stay up of course.
Church a striker comes off for Hughes a defender/holding midfielder, such a negative substitution. Translated as holding for a draw...................dreadful decision. A bit like last Saturday at Brighton, off came Godchanajad(excuse the spelling!) and on came Solly!!!!!
Church is not a striker. Surely, by definition, you cannot have a "striker" who literally cannot strike the ball.
OK have had a squint through some of the comments on this thread before posting.
Interesting how other people's views can sometimes differ so greatly as I thought we played really well this afternoon, with the obvious exception of the fact that we can't finish in the box to get a goal in the back of the net.
From my spot in the Lower North (Block Church looked like he was putting a good old shift in, Morrison did an excellent job defending, Cousins was going for it and Poyet was his usual class act. Morgan Fox was outstanding for a debut in the First XI and was there on the wing where we needed him.
Ref was cack, but nowhere as bad as the one we had on Tuesday, although he seemed to manage to get in the way of play a few times. Thought Church should have had a penalty.
Watching the Blackpool v Burnley game live whilst typing this. Final whistle just gone and delighted with a Burnley win. Funny how the end of the season means you're spurring some of your rivals on to win a game......
Bolton had the better chances without doubt. Poyet cleared one off the line which could even have been over.
On Church - give me him over Sordell any day. He didn't stop working in the second half and chased every ball. It doesn't help by playing long balls up to him. He's never going to win those. He should have won us a penalty by creating that chance out of nothing and putting pressure on the opposition when they had possession, which is something only Wilson did today. I'm not a Church fan but if we are playing two up front then maybe he should play. He's never going to score bundles of goals but with the right partner he has the ability to stretch defences to create space for his partner. I've yet to see Reza, Sordell or Obika do this.
Couldn't go today so my post is without real substance.
My view is that a point is worth having and what happens now is as much about other results as our own. Poor results for Millwall and Barnsley will make the point seem worth more and that scenario is what we must endure between now and the end of the season. It's going to go very close. Glad I got tickets for Blackpool. Will be either a mega celebration or a very very long trip home.
As said played some decent football without being too much of a threat. Like Tuesday created half chances that we just don't tend to take.
Fox did well enough, should do a decent job for the rest of the season. The one thing I've noticed about him, and it was the same when I saw him in an u21 game l last year, was that he doesn't seem comfortable running with the ball. Not every full back will take on players like Wiggins, but sometimes when space opens up he's reluctant to take the ball forward. Got plenty of crosses in, some decent, a few poor, but he's not got a great to aim for.
We started playing a 4-4-2 diamond with everyone in their correct positions. Unlike earlier in the season when we played Harriott behind the strikers, AA is definitely suited to that position. Cousins often found himself out wide where he's not comfortable. Thought he was probably tiring towards the end when he started giving the ball away with poor touches and passes.
No surprise we're better with AA on the pitch, and I think that's the same for Reza as well. Hope they play as much of possible in the last 4 games.
After the subs we moved to 4-2-3-1 with Poyet and Hughes holding. Strange to see Cousins then played on the right wing with Green behind Obika and Jackson on the left. Subs were disappointing, made us more defensive. Riga's subs have generally been attacking and we might have found a way through with more attacking players on the pitch. On the other hand he clearly wants to give the midfielders a rest when he can, they've all been subbed off in recent games.
Church did ok, even won a few headers, but I'd still rather see Obika get a start up front (not on the right or left of a 4-5-1).
It's a clean sheet but it was one of those games we could have sneaked a 1-0 win.
Church had one his best games for us today (I know that's not saying much) he made some decent runs and yes he was probably touched for the penalty. Slightly strange substitutions, but then the bench was a bit unbalanced. Surprised Petruccci wasn't given a chance instead of Green, also surprised Cousins was kept on as he looks really tired, maybe Hughes should play instead of him at Wednesday. Fox was good, Poyet was excellent as usual.
How can we be happy with a bloody point. That's one point out of six from two home games we could have won with the ball we have had in those games. Frustrated, bloody right, what do we do with the ball? Move it around between our selves nice and slowly waiting for the opposition to get back into defence. If we get it in space, do we drive on? No we stop, look up and wait for the opposition to get back. My biggest mistake today, apart from going? I took the wife, on one of my free tickets, second time this season. I am now it all kinds of shit for wasting £300 on a season ticket for next year. She cannot understand how I could possible watch that rubbish week in week out
How can we be happy with a bloody point. That's one point out of six from two home games we could have won with the ball we have had in those games. Frustrated, bloody right, what do we do with the ball? Move it around between our selves nice and slowly waiting for the opposition to get back into defence. If we get it in space, do we drive on? No we stop, look up and wait for the opposition to get back. My biggest mistake today, apart from going? I took the wife, on one of my free tickets, second time this season. I am now it all kinds of shit for wasting £300 on a season ticket for next year. She cannot understand how I could possible watch that rubbish week in week out
Spot on. Apart from the bit about your wife. I've never met her. Honest.
Comments
Big talking point - the pen. If as suggested by many on here that Church slipped then please stop watering the ruddy pitch !!!! Anyone would think we've been through a drought over the past few months instead of having games called off & I'm sure the players can cope with a bit of a dry pitch instead of slipping over all over the place.
I thought the team was set up well & think Reza & Church up front may be the way to go for the last few games. Church will run & cause the odd problem & Reza is the only player who wants to shoot & I feel it wont be long until they start going in for him.
special mention to Morgan Fox. He looked calm & assured and have no worries with him filling him for Wiggins for the next 4 games.
Think we need another 4 or 5 points to avoid the drop - Think we will get walloped on Monday but will grab a win against Watford and a draw against Blackburn..........meaning we go to Blackpool with a draw to keep us up.
The ball just doesn't stick upfront and the wingers we have playing rarely attack their full backs. Just want this season to finish now, haven't enjoyed it one bit apart from the fa cup run.
Could be wrong though
- Thought Church slipped, typically, but will have to look again on the box.
- Each game I am more and more impressed about how pitifully impotent we are. It really is quite something.
- Like Powell before him, Riga's hands have been tied by the appalling attacking options before him.
- Like Powell before him, he has made several tactical errors. 1 point from the two games this week is a dreadful return as they were both there for the taking, and personally I think Riga got his tactics massively wrong. Morrison should not have been rested for Tuesday, if he hadn't been I don't think we would have lost. Church should not have played today as he is more shit than Obika and from memory the few goals he has scored this season have been fortuitous mis-hits. I don't think he can make it as a striker in the football league. Playing Cousins on the right, something Powell was vilified for. He looks so unnatural out there and the vast swathes of space on the wings today were wasted because we had nobody there to exploit it. Wiggins was sorely missed but Riga should have given Fox better instruction to be more offensive. Everytime he got the ball with huge space to run into he turned backwards. Not blaming him at all as a youngster he clearly wanted to retain possession and play it safe - somebody should have told him to drive a bit more as he looked competent enough to do so.
- People say the Championship is a great division and clearly there are some very good sides up the top, but from what I've seen the last couple of weeks there are also some proper dross outfits in the bottom 7 or 8, any of who would fit in very nicely in the dog-ugly cesspit that League One football is.
- Can't see where the goal, even just one goal, is going to come from to win us one or two of the last 4 games. The players look shattered and because we don't have a single player capable of shooting, we essentially need to rely on the workrate of the players to hustle and harry and somehow drag the ball into the goal. We just have to hope the crapness of others will somehow see us miraculously splutter over the survival line.
I 100% disagreed with and still 100% disagree with the decision to remove Powell, but regardless if he had stayed I think what has happened since would probably have been pretty much the same. Riga's done okay, not well but not badly. I don't think anybody could get much more out of the personnel available.
If we had not sold Kermogant, we would be in a different position. I'm convinced we would have won at least one of the games this week, especially today with his heading ability and the wide space we had today. It's a broken record but I fear that decision is one that we'll still be talking about in years time - like the Parker sale - as a costly turning point for the club.
Translated as holding for a draw...................dreadful decision.
A bit like last Saturday at Brighton, off came Godchanajad(excuse the spelling!) and on came Solly!!!!!
Administration under the previous two buffoons would have been, possibly, a better option. After all Palace haven't done too bad out of it have they?
Two extra points would have made a huge difference but I still maintain there's going to be 5/6 of us in the shake up on the last day so not a total disaster.
Watching Blackpool Burnley right now and that gives me hope!
Poyet's interview in the programme is interesting and makes it very clear that coming off early has a disproportionate effect on recovery time. He's also complementary about Riga and after reading what he had to say I'd be more optimistic that he might stay - provided we stay up of course.
Played okay but don't look like scoring.
Interesting how other people's views can sometimes differ so greatly as I thought we played really well this afternoon, with the obvious exception of the fact that we can't finish in the box to get a goal in the back of the net.
From my spot in the Lower North (Block
Morgan Fox was outstanding for a debut in the First XI and was there on the wing where we needed him.
Ref was cack, but nowhere as bad as the one we had on Tuesday, although he seemed to manage to get in the way of play a few times. Thought Church should have had a penalty.
Watching the Blackpool v Burnley game live whilst typing this. Final whistle just gone and delighted with a Burnley win. Funny how the end of the season means you're spurring some of your rivals on to win a game......
On Church - give me him over Sordell any day. He didn't stop working in the second half and chased every ball. It doesn't help by playing long balls up to him. He's never going to win those. He should have won us a penalty by creating that chance out of nothing and putting pressure on the opposition when they had possession, which is something only Wilson did today. I'm not a Church fan but if we are playing two up front then maybe he should play. He's never going to score bundles of goals but with the right partner he has the ability to stretch defences to create space for his partner. I've yet to see Reza, Sordell or Obika do this.
My view is that a point is worth having and what happens now is as much about other results as our own. Poor results for Millwall and Barnsley will make the point seem worth more and that scenario is what we must endure between now and the end of the season. It's going to go very close. Glad I got tickets for Blackpool. Will be either a mega celebration or a very very long trip home.
Fox did well enough, should do a decent job for the rest of the season. The one thing I've noticed about him, and it was the same when I saw him in an u21 game l last year, was that he doesn't seem comfortable running with the ball. Not every full back will take on players like Wiggins, but sometimes when space opens up he's reluctant to take the ball forward. Got plenty of crosses in, some decent, a few poor, but he's not got a great to aim for.
We started playing a 4-4-2 diamond with everyone in their correct positions. Unlike earlier in the season when we played Harriott behind the strikers, AA is definitely suited to that position. Cousins often found himself out wide where he's not comfortable. Thought he was probably tiring towards the end when he started giving the ball away with poor touches and passes.
No surprise we're better with AA on the pitch, and I think that's the same for Reza as well. Hope they play as much of possible in the last 4 games.
After the subs we moved to 4-2-3-1 with Poyet and Hughes holding. Strange to see Cousins then played on the right wing with Green behind Obika and Jackson on the left. Subs were disappointing, made us more defensive. Riga's subs have generally been attacking and we might have found a way through with more attacking players on the pitch. On the other hand he clearly wants to give the midfielders a rest when he can, they've all been subbed off in recent games.
Church did ok, even won a few headers, but I'd still rather see Obika get a start up front (not on the right or left of a 4-5-1).
It's a clean sheet but it was one of those games we could have sneaked a 1-0 win.
Fox was good, Poyet was excellent as usual.
Frustrated, bloody right, what do we do with the ball? Move it around between our selves nice and slowly waiting for the opposition to get back into defence. If we get it in space, do we drive on? No we stop, look up and wait for the opposition to get back.
My biggest mistake today, apart from going? I took the wife, on one of my free tickets, second time this season. I am now it all kinds of shit for wasting £300 on a season ticket for next year. She cannot understand how I could possible watch that rubbish week in week out