Yes, the ref was poor bit not the reason we drew.
Too many good chances missed, Watt too deep or too wide (why go 433 first half), soft goal.
Saved by a fantastic Pope save and a Bauer tap in. I had the BFG at 20s for last goal too.
Could have won but didn't.
Last season we also drew with Rotherham at home 1 all and you'd have thought the sky had caved in.
Now we're 10th but we need the spark. Henry, Elliot or someone else maybe and for JBG and Cousins to find their scoring boots.
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Comments
Rotherham are really poor and I expect them to go down. Their goal was poor from our perspective. Will have to see it again but looked like Pope was at fault as well as at least one outfield player for not tracking his man who had a simple tap in at the back post. Popey did pull off a couple of absolute worldies in the second half.
Big Mak made a difference when he came on.
We had by far the superior players on the pitch but I think that our play is sometimes a bit laboured. We should have won quite comfortably.
What did people think of the banner?
By my calculation we need to continue to win at home and win TWO away games to compensate points wise for losing at Wolves and drawing today.
No matter how pretty a lot of our football was, no matter what sort of rubbish refereeing we endured, no matter how much better than Rotherham we were, the result for them was a good one and for us it was a poor one, and I would much rather have won ugly (as Rotherham drew uglyish), than draw the game no matter how much footballing high moral ground we stand on. Being unlucky and such like you can save for cup games against higher opposition, this game should have been won despite any setbacks, and the players and management have to accept responsibility for what was relative failure today.
You could dispute the attacking options chosen, you could argue that Cousins (who played very well anyway) ought to have played centrally, and possibly we discovered that a game like today does not suit the muck and bullets style of Kashi when we were so much on top.
We started well, passing around and through them, Watt mercurial and a tad frustrating by turn, and then Lee Camp pulling off a particularly great save from Cousins. That save galvanised Rotherham, and to an extent it was as if they had drawn our sting, and then we had the farcical series of events that led to them taking the lead five minutes before half time. All going to plan for the away side.
It is worth remembering that in our much improved second half performance, it still took two outstanding saves from Pope, one Gordan Banksesque in its quality, and in the fact that we all thought it was a certain goal and 2-0 to them. Simon came on for a pretty (and sadly) ineffective Igor, and had an immediate impact, setting up Bauer for a simple goal which he delighted in. We (and Rotherham) had opportunities after that, when JBG in particular came close and had his best spell of the game, but grudgingly Rotherham just about deserved their point, not for matching us in quality, but for matching us at significant points in the game.
As for our players, well Pope was MoM easily (as Lee Camp was for them…both keepers earned their side a point today), Diarra was very good, as was Cousins. Fox and Solly were Fox and Solly, Bauer was his usual authoritative and decisive self…and the goal was a nice bonus. In central midfield it was not the kind of backs to the wall game suited to Kashi (I would never drop him for an away game mind), and Ba was fits and starts, as was Watt, as was JBG. Simon helped a lot coming on, and Bergditch not on long enough to make a big difference.
I have come away disappointed with the draw, yet glad we didn’t lose, and I expect a clear improvement all round on Tuesday, against probably a better team than Rotherham in Huddersfield.
If we win those two away games it will make up for recent slippage following our very good start.
I didn't see the free kick/corner incident properly but whether it was right or wrong, you can't have an opposition player just sidefoot the ball in at the far post. Really poor defending.
Thought Big Mak did really well when he came on. Great dummy for Watt, held the ball up well and we probably would have won if he had started.
Igor looked poor. Kashi had one of his weaker games (but it's hard to look good when the team's tempo is down). Ba had a poor game
Chris Solly had a good game and looked exhausted at the end. Diarra was excellent.
We move on. Good to try and get back to winning ways on Tuesday. Hopefully Town don't sack Powelly for our sake (sorry Chris).
Are they trying to get rid of RRR by stealth?
The subs for Rotherham were unintelligibly announced, as was all the half time stuff, and the desire to have players listed on the screen (which would have helped after the mumble mumble Rotherham subs) is simply not going to happen when that can bombard us with advertisements.
There was some kind of something at half time, there was some kind of kids parade at half time, but goodness knows what.
Sort out the PA Charlton please, goodness knows what it would be like in an emergency.
The decision for the Rotherham corner was bad, but out defending for it was even worse as the man was left completely free at the back post to tap in. Rotherham couldn't believe their luck, which tells you all you need to know about their limitations.
We had started positively enough and a couple of good moves led to chances for Cousins, both of which were well saved. But the creativity dried up. Whilst it's clear we're trying to play the right way by building from the back we are often very slow and can be reliant on a moment of magic from Watt or JBG, or a lucky ricochet, to break through the opposition midfield. Ba and Kashi are both technically skilful and very handy defensively but neither is attack-minded enough to drive us forward.
The corner aside we were again solid defensively, albeit that Rotherham possessed little goal threat. Pope made two splendid saves in the second half, one from a powerful downward header and the other from a fierce long-range effort. Diarra gets my MOTM award for another assured display, though he got himself needlessly booked in a spat with the Rotherham defenders after the equaliser.
Igor struggled to make an impact and Watt saw more go wrong for him than right. Makienok replaced Igor and almost instantly set up the equaliser for Bauer by squaring across the 6-yard box. He caused further problems for the Rotherham defence, including an ingenious dummy that put Watt in the clear, but couldn't quite repeat his heroics against Hull. JBG hit a couple of efforts off-target and perhaps that contributed to his deciding not to shoot first time when the ball broke to him on the edge of the box and it looked perfectly set up for him to curl in a beauty. He has had, and will have, better games than this.
With a better ref we may well have got all 3 points today, but we still have problems translating the technical skill we have in abundance into a fluid attacking unit. And without that, mid-table is realistically the best we can hope for.
We started the second half on the front foot and JBG missed a very good chance to put us on terms after he brilliantly brought the ball down and created space for himself. Our level seemed to dip about 10 minutes in and only an excellent save from Popey kept it at 1-0. A pivotal moment, as if that had gone in, I don't think we'd have got a result. Makienok made an impact immediately and skilfully and intelligently laid on Patrick Bauer's equaliser. This man is not just about heading the ball.
We looked the more likely winners after that and Bergdych gave us some useful width and speed on the left. However, we weren't good enough in the final third and Rotherham still carried a threat, forcing another good save from Popey from a long range shot.
On another day we could have won this but you can't give the opposition a goal start in this very competitive division. We also really, really need to work on our corners.
For me, Diarra was our man of the match, showing all his intelligence at the back and generally driving the team on. Some brilliant moments from Tony Watt, mixed with others of over-elaboration and self-indulgence.
Let's hope that Simon can play a bigger role on Tuesday and that JBG's class comes to the fore.
We only seem to play well against a team that wants to take the play to us. I've said all week "Charlton always play well against the bigger teams". This was always a banana skin.
I think a point is fair, although the draw cost me £100 on my footy accumulator.
Those two saves from Pope were absolute top draw. Well done the kid.
Playing JC on the left does not work. GL needs to make his mind up and choose a first two in the middle. We needed a left winger all game.
BigMac needs to start on Tuesday.
Overall still a nice day out and was proud of the club and Rotherham fans on the applause '11
We dominated without ever looking like we were firing. First half we lacked tempo and we missed Makienok big time. Igor doesn't look ready to be starting games yet and Watt had an off day. Their goal was a farce. I really want to see the lead up to the corner again as I am utterly convinced that CoCo Stroud asked Frecklington (Rotherham 8) if it hit him before making his "decision". The guy at the near post who jumped and swung his arm at the ball clearly distracted the rest of the defence as they all stopped and watched a really soft goal go in.
Picked it up second half and with our shooting boots on and a little bit of luck we'd have won it. Another assist for Makienok who played well when he came on. He is going to be pivotal for us this season. We look so much better with him in the team.
No excuse for the bottle that was lobbed at Frecklington when he went off (also a major cock up by the stewards who tried to nick a bloke in the front row for it) and equally as bad was the Rotherham physio who's response to said missile was to gob towards the Covered End.
Everything about Rotherham screams Steve Evans. Classless.
Hopefully Makienok starts in Tuesday and we can get that elusive wide man in, although I have to say that Bergdich looked ok in his cameo today.
Thought we started well. Pleased to see that Cousins wasn't playing as a wide left midfielder and was tucking in to allow Fox to be the outlet on the left.
Some decent efforts from Cousins suggested it would be a matter of time before we scored.
Then we went into our shell. For me we played through Ba and Kashi too often. Passes that could have found Solly or Fox wide were given via the central midfield.
Then the goal and we all know the catalogue of errors there and I must say it started Fox decided to head the ball into no mans land rather than bring it down on his chest.
Second half wa better but we are indebted to Pope for that save at one all.
Makienok replaced the ineffective and worryingly out of sorts Vetokele and did superbly for the goal and then a glorious dummy for Watt( who really needs to stop trying to do it all on his own, particularly around the halfway line.)
Their keeper was very good and it was one of those games where it just didn't happen.
Diarra man of the match by a country mile.
What a bloody good footballer he is.
I'm with you on that .
"Of course we should have won, we had 21 shots on the target, it's enough to win this game.
"The corner they scored from was controversial, I think it wasn't a corner, and it was a lack of concentration for us but we tried to play positive football and create something.
"Rotherham came here to waste time, to play only long ball, they didn't have any target to win the game and only wanted a maximum of one point."
Dreadful goal by Rotherham - their player attempted to punch the ball in leaving an unmarked player at the far post to side foot the ball in.
We were woeful round the 18 yard box,JBG was very indecisive.
Poor result for us against an annoying team....
Positives for me were Diarra who has to be one of the best footballing "centre backs" in the Championship, Bauer's no nonsense defending, Pope's "worldy" which was worth the entrance fee alone and Kashi's reading of the game which makes the job look ridiculously easy at times.
Watt's touch and ability to put the opposition on the back foot was a constant threat but that is sometimes offset by his inability at times take the easier decision to make.
Major negative was the "overplaying", especially in the first half, when a shooting option was there to take and the constant poor final delivery into the box with Fox being one of the chief culprits. Vetokele isn't really the ideal partner for Watt but, equally, he has to show more evidence than he is at the moment that he can cause problems for opposition centre backs.
Finally it was good to see all the bench, including GL, partaking in the applause. Some things really are more important than football.
Couple of great stops by Pope, even more from Lee Camp
All in all fairly entertaining if slightly disappointing afternoon
It got a bit hoofball to Mak at the end, I'm a bit surprised he didn't bring Jackson on, as of all our players he's the one who's likely to gamble and make runs into the box.
My first home game of the season and I thought our football was very impressive, we were far better than Rotherham and on most days would have won 2-0 with gas in the tank. All credit to them for making the most of their goal courtesy of Mr Keith Stroud who would be out of his depth refereeing tiddly-winks in an over 60s club. They were well organised, worked hard and their two best players 19 Clarke Harris and 25 Odijigja-Ofoe did well.
Diarra was awesome..far too good to be playing in the Championship. Skill, vision, anticipation- just a pleasure to watch him play football. Solly was immense. Both Watt and Igor looked fat and unfit. JBG on the right wing and then just drifting inside does not make best use of his skill and our midfield three are all competent but very similar in style.
The 11 minute tribute was a nice touch well respected and not at all cheesey.
We just seemed to be caught in a backward, sideways sort of game, and unfortunately our two most effective players with the ball at their feet, JBG and Watt couldn't quite get it into gear, certainly in the first half. I don't know if it was a foul by Kashi for the free kick and if it hit one of our players for the resulting corner that led to their goal, but we've got to be more alert as a team. Referees make errors all the time, we have to be ready as a team to respond and react. Today we didn't and got completely caught out.
The second half was much better, and this is why I'm slightly more philosophical as I say. If I can see want, trying, effort and positivity which I did, then I can accept the end result. We created and fashioned some decent chances in the 2nd half, just a poor decision, or a mistimed pass or a weak final effort, again going back to not having the ever reliable Watt and JBG firing meant it wasn't to be.
Interestingly they also had chances and we are indebted to Pope, 2 great saves, but the positive thing for me was how much we were going for that win. So much so we could've got done on the break. Is that a good attitude, I think it is. Luzon wanted that ball in their half as much as possible, he wants to win games. With that approach, with our talent, I think we will win more than we lose.
I heard Wenger talking after the Stoke game today. His Arsenal side often enjoy a lot of possession against teams, sometimes they don't win. I'm not saying we're Arsenal, nor would I want us to be, I just think it didn't go our way today, especially in the 2nd half. We're 6 games in, I'm pleased with our additions and I think we can have a decent season. Just a bit of patience I'm advocating tonight, I think we can make up for it on Tuesday.
As a side note, Mak was great again today when he came on. Such a good alternative. Another assist, I'd def have him over Vetokele at the moment. Diarra was very commanding with Bauer. The only thing I would question is whether or not Solly is captain material. When we lost our way in the 1st half we needed someone to galvanise the unit. I couldn't see it from him. Maybe Bauer or Diarra are better choices, they look like they could do a good job
Evans especially. If I'm being offensive to people of a certain size I apologise, but does the man have no pride? His trousers are just about being held round his waste, his face looks like he's got the 365 day a year sun burnt look down to a tee, and he could collapse at any moment.
It's just a personal gripe, and one I have because I believe he should be a better role model physically for the profession he works in
Started off spraying it around the back, Rotherham seemed happy enough to sit off. Diarra looking like Bobby Beckenbauer in the first half, time after time he came out with the ball unchallenged but with no moving targets to find.
In games like this you need the full backs to bomb on and overload the team sitting deep. Fox doesn't have that in him at the moment, not comfortable enough on the ball and no right foot whatsoever. Still, he defends adequately. Solly showed how this should be done in the 2nd half.
We seem to Want to play triangles and wall balls into feet, trying to make space for a snapshot. Cousins had two great efforts well saved playing this method. Successful teams play strikers in behind, didn't see a decent through ball all game but cement runs the channels faster than our top two did today.
Vetokele is overweight and was absolutely hopeless. Worst performance I've seen from a professional in a long time. Watched him closely 2nd half, couple of times Watt was free and Igor must make a run. He was running in treacle. Absolutely blowing out his ass after a 20M "sprint" as well. Nowhere near the first team level, he needs to get fit because he is out of shape.
I thought El Hadji Ba was very good but again he has all the skills in the boots but tactically a bit of a doughnut. Young players, new team, these things are to be expected I guess.
Nicky Pope made one of the best saves I've seen live and two other good ones. For the header, he was on his way before the striker connected and good Job too because it went bottom corner. Superb anticipation.
Rotherham no.19? Double barrelled surname, barrell chested player. Superb game from him, on his own for much of it. Swap him for Vetokele today we would have been out of sight by time.
Tony watt watt watt was at his mercurial best. From sublime to ridiculous and back again. Some player tone, pisses his teamates off no end, big Barney between him and JBG at the end
"fuck off Tony fuck off Tony" in a lovely Icelandic English.
A work in progress.
Oh and ps, I can see why makeienok got crucified in Italy, where positioning is an art. He needs to learn, quickly, what an 11 a side game patterns of play are all about. Fish out of water, commendable attitude but he looks like he has never played as a striker in his life, always ran to the wrong position.
We will get better, we are skillful but exceptionally naive
Positioning comment sounds like a load of bullshit from someone who isn't a professional footballer
He needs to work on his positioning and where he should be depending on where the play is at.