First game since the opener against Bristol Rovers.
Day didn't start too well. Meeting my son in the shop - he was sheltering from the rain honest - I realised we were standing next to Daisy Meire. I so wanted to ask her to autograph my new voice of the valley but my British reserve got the better of me. Sorry!
Into the ground and so dispiriting to see an ocean of empty seats. That is the true legacy Douchbag and Daisy will leave behind. Still spirits revived watching the hapless staff trying to space out equally the kids carrying flags along the front of the east stand!
As for the game most things already said. But some thoughts after a few months away from the Valley :-
1)Not too impressed by what I saw of Reeves. Looked very lightweight.
2)Not something you could say about Sarr. Blimey he's huge. Never one of his greatest fans previously but looked a different player today.
3)Very disappointed with Kashi. Played so deep and kept playing his teammates into trouble. Not sure if it was a penalty but it was a bloody stupid tackle he put in.
4)This really is a pub league. We need to get out of it urgently. And provided Holmes stays fit I think we are nailed on for the play - offs despite today's result. I just worry we will not be good enough for an automatic spot.
The highlight for me was taking two of my grandkids to their first game. That made it special.
As for the match itself, we knocked it about well in the first half without having a real cutting edge to our final ball and attempts on goal. In the second half I thought we were poor both defensively and offensively. This resulted in a very scrappy game where we upped our foul count in response to MKD's nasty, niggly tactics the whole game. On balance i thought that a draw was probably a fair result, but most certainly two points dropped. I just hope we don't fall two points short at the end of the season and look back on this one as the match that made all the difference between success and failure.
Sarr’s miss was actually a trickier chance than it looked - those floaty passes that come in at an angle on the volley are awkward. Should have finished it though. He’ll certainly think so.
Marshall’s was a classic one-on-one with an advancing keeper, and you see those missed all the time at a much higher level than ours.
The real problem today was the final ball into the box. Plenty of them, but quantity over quality. On another day we could have scored four with possession like that.
A defeat would have been a killer.
[Just watched the highlights. I'd forgotten the JF-C missed header. Poor miss that really should have put us two up.]
Robinson: "You can only control what you do today and we did. I thought we were very good today. We started very well, they had a phase in the second half but we finished the game fit and looked strong and I’m pleased with the players’ mentality today.
"It’s a point, it’s not enough. Our performance deserved more but I can say our performances haven’t been good enough in other games and we got three points, so it balances out. It is what it is, the fans were excellent once again, they stick with the team through thick and thin. We’re just going to go home very frustrated.
"Today, we were the better team. I don’t think anybody can argue that. We should have scored more than them, we didn’t score more.
"We were strong, we were quick, we got around the pitch and we made their afternoon very difficult."
Are his comments in bold type because he was there.
Gutted after 94 mins but at 1-1 we should have gone behind when their player missed a sitter (if that had been KAG he would have been booed off). Def not a pen and how come we didn't get a pen for the handball in the 2nd half ? On reflection a draw was probably a fair result but now need to win sat & then not lose away at Scunthorpe. Makes the following weeks "catch-up" game even more important.
Josh played better than he has done for the past month or so - maybe losing the WC Qualifying play-offs has re-focused his mind & that he now has only one job & that is to get us promoted.
Although in the first 30 mins we were the better team the midfield weren't energetic enough & on at least 2 occasions Josh nodded / chested a ball down into space & there was no-one there. The big problem playing just 1 up-front is that you don't have that other striker to pick up the knock-downs - this is then where Holmes, Reeves, Marshall etc need to be pushing up & supporting Josh.
Sometimes putting your laces through the ball when you're a defender & clearing it into row Z is the best & most sensible option. Too many times we were caught or nearly caught playing it across the back when a punt upfield would have got us out of trouble & released some pressure.
I don't blame Sarr for his sidefoot effort at goal. If he tried leathering it, it would have probably landed in row Z (see above). It does, however, put the mockers on KR's assertion about playing him upfront.........no thanks. Leave him at the back & find another f****g striker. (which leads me to my final point)
Their substitutions changed the game. They brought on a striker who scored both their goals. We didn't have that option. Yes, we had 2 "strikers" on the bench, but neither are going to threaten to score this side of next xmas. I know I've said it before but until we get a decent 2nd striker and/or an different option to bring on to change the game we will not get automatic promotion. January can't come soon enough but I fear by then we will be behind the 8-ball. Give Leon Best a short term contract & put him on bench on Tuesday night - surely he can do 20 mins if needed.
The best we can rationally hope for is top 6. Honestly, we are not good enough to get top 2. And with a sale looking more likely, I don't see how things will get better during a transition period. It will be a poor distraction.
Absolutely gutted, throwing away two leads and dominating for the first 60 minutes.
Own goal was pure class, I thought he knocked if out for a corner and originally didn't celebrate.
I didn't think it was a penalty at 5PM and I haven't changed my mind on that.
We've done really well holding on to 1-0 leads this season, however if you don't score a couple when your ahead then it always likely to happy.
Yet to be convinced by Reeves, after yesterday performance I am hoping Clark will be back sooner rather than later.
Overall, I hope this is the last time we have to play franchise at home for a while. Embarrassing fake club.
Anyone else notice the two stewards in the away end whereing franchise stewards jackets.
Never seen a time before when opposition bring their own personnel to an away match as stewards. I was hoping they would throw (Petey) out with the trumpet.
I enjoyed the match & it was great to be back at the Valley.
Charlton looked good & controlled the game for the first 30 mins. Charlton would have been good value for 2-0 but didn’t convert good positions & pressure into goals. The last 15 mins of the first half was a bit scrappy & disjointed & MK Dons came more into it.
Second half first 15 mins Charlton pushed forward should have been 2-0 up. Marshall could have played the ball round the keeper but opted to shoot & the goalkeeper saved.
MK Dons then made 2 good attacking subs, scored & looked more likely to win. They missed an absolute sitter. To Robinson’s credit, the Fosu sub steadied the ship. Sarr had a great chance at 1-1. It would have been excellent if he scored but he tried to place instead of blasting it. It partially answers the question whether Sarr should play upfront.
Holmes drove things on & Charlton got a slightly fortunate second. It was a great cross though. Then the MK Dons dive from an unnecessary Kashi challenge. Kashi made a few misplaced passes in the game that created danger.
The referee was very poor. MK Dons alongside some tidy passing were a dirty team. They had stronger attacking options on the bench than Charlton.
Charlton can pass the ball & have some quick players. Charlton’s squad is weak though as showed by the bench & lack of depth of quality. That definitely limits Robinson’s tactical options & his ability to respond to changing match situations. Clarke not playing probably didn’t help but if Charlton had stronger attacking options then Charlton would be a reasonable bet for the top 2. It’s a shame as the team is not far off. I enjoyed the game though all in all. It helps not having too much expectation.
Great drinking game, take a shot every time you read the world Charlton in vff's match review.
Watched on dodgy stream so I must have missed the tactics /Grand plan/pattern to our attacking play (every now and then Ricky feels like something's got to be done and squeezes a corner out of a desperate run). As for defense, line still way to low, giving defensive midfield hopeless chases and inviting troubles. Random...
Apart perhaps from the penalty I thought the refs actually did a good job today. Sorry lads/lasses but it's a poor show if you blame the refs for us not winning it. It was us who didn't win it, not the refs who caused it. The game should have been dead and buried long before the penalty decision.
20% Automatic promotion ........55% Play offs ........... 25% 7th-12th
100% Roland Out
Blackburn are coming up on the rails , see them , Wigan and Shrewsbury as the threats to us for automatic but I find it hard to get too excited whilst our nearest rivals are playing their trade in higher divisions, shameful
But at the end of the day Charlton have fallen back from 3rd to 5th. The Northamptonshire referee meanwhile got his lift back to Milton Keynes on the Dons team coach from where his wife could pick him up.
certainly two points dropped, been a few like that this season, but we're still in overall good shape but must make something of our game/s in hand which should see us reclaim 3rd.
The Shrews are the new Leicester, I don't see them fading away too far, Wigan & Blackburn will be our issue for top two then theres always a late runner flying up the table.
as per @oohaahmortimer i'd put us around the same 50% chance of playoffs probably 10% top two and 40% outside playoffs/7-12th. We don't just quite have that killer instinct to shut down/kill off a game.
I enjoyed the match & it was great to be back at the Valley.
...................
Charlton can pass the ball & have some quick players. Charlton’s squad is weak though as showed by the bench & lack of depth of quality. That definitely limits Robinson’s tactical options & his ability to respond to changing match situations. Clarke not playing probably didn’t help but if Charlton had stronger attacking options then Charlton would be a reasonable bet for the top 2. It’s a shame as the team is not far off. I enjoyed the game though all in all. It helps not having too much expectation.
Great drinking game, take a shot every time you read the world Charlton in vff's match review.
So you're on Charlton Life, reading a thoughtful post from a fellow supporter who was at the match and your response is to take the rise out of how many times VFF says Charlton? Weird.
Good first 30 minutes, we definitley lost it in the 2nd half after their subs and got drawn too much into the tit-for-tat. IMO they should have had 2 reds - one for the guy punching Ricky and one for the guy who shoved the ref in extra time. Ref was weak and made it clear they could do pretty much what they liked - which they did to Marshall effectively taking him out of the game. Again IMO a failing of Solly as a captain - he should have been a lot more vocal to the ref when our players were being clattered.
Why can't we beat this lot? Is it because of KR? Ended very tense, I thought we'd nicked it with the OG, but not to be. I'll need to see the pen again, and admittedly it was a long way, but just the dive looked over dramatic
But at the end of the day Charlton have fallen back from 3rd to 5th. The Northamptonshire referee meanwhile got his lift back to Milton Keynes on the Dons team coach from where his wife could pick him up.
I enjoyed the match & it was great to be back at the Valley.
...................
Charlton can pass the ball & have some quick players. Charlton’s squad is weak though as showed by the bench & lack of depth of quality. That definitely limits Robinson’s tactical options & his ability to respond to changing match situations. Clarke not playing probably didn’t help but if Charlton had stronger attacking options then Charlton would be a reasonable bet for the top 2. It’s a shame as the team is not far off. I enjoyed the game though all in all. It helps not having too much expectation.
Great drinking game, take a shot every time you read the world Charlton in vff's match review.
So you're on Charlton Life, reading a thoughtful post from a fellow supporter who was at the match and your response is to take the rise out of how many times VFF says Charlton? Weird.
Thanks for your post VFF.
Not a rise mate, just trying to be jovial and lighten the mood after an otherwise disappointing result. Why assume negative intent?
certainly two points dropped, been a few like that this season, but we're still in overall good shape but must make something of our game/s in hand which should see us reclaim 3rd.
The Shrews are the new Leicester, I don't see them fading away too far, Wigan & Blackburn will be our issue for top two then theres always a late runner flying up the table.
as per @oohaahmortimer i'd put us around the same 50% chance of playoffs probably 10% top two and 40% outside playoffs/7-12th. We don't just quite have that killer instinct to shut down/kill off a game.
No one gets to do the percentages round here other than oohaah rob. Everyone gets warned once, and if I/we have to say it twice we’ll be talking about you on the disappeared members thread a few years from now
Comments
Day didn't start too well. Meeting my son in the shop - he was sheltering from the rain honest - I realised we were standing next to Daisy Meire. I so wanted to ask her to autograph my new voice of the valley but my British reserve got the better of me. Sorry!
Into the ground and so dispiriting to see an ocean of empty seats. That is the true legacy Douchbag and Daisy will leave behind. Still spirits revived watching the hapless staff trying to space out equally the kids carrying flags along the front of the east stand!
As for the game most things already said. But some thoughts after a few months away from the Valley :-
1)Not too impressed by what I saw of Reeves. Looked very lightweight.
2)Not something you could say about Sarr. Blimey he's huge. Never one of his greatest fans previously but looked a different player today.
3)Very disappointed with Kashi. Played so deep and kept playing his teammates into trouble. Not sure if it was a penalty but it was
a bloody stupid tackle he put in.
4)This really is a pub league. We need to get out of it urgently. And provided Holmes stays fit I think we are nailed on for the play - offs despite today's result. I just worry we will not be good enough for an automatic spot.
As for the match itself, we knocked it about well in the first half without having a real cutting edge to our final ball and attempts on goal. In the second half I thought we were poor both defensively and offensively. This resulted in a very scrappy game where we upped our foul count in response to MKD's nasty, niggly tactics the whole game. On balance i thought that a draw was probably a fair result, but most certainly two points dropped. I just hope we don't fall two points short at the end of the season and look back on this one as the match that made all the difference between success and failure.
Marshall’s was a classic one-on-one with an advancing keeper, and you see those missed all the time at a much higher level than ours.
The real problem today was the final ball into the box. Plenty of them, but quantity over quality. On another day we could have scored four with possession like that.
A defeat would have been a killer.
[Just watched the highlights. I'd forgotten the JF-C missed header. Poor miss that really should have put us two up.]
Gutted after 94 mins but at 1-1 we should have gone behind when their player missed a sitter (if that had been KAG he would have been booed off). Def not a pen and how come we didn't get a pen for the handball in the 2nd half ? On reflection a draw was probably a fair result but now need to win sat & then not lose away at Scunthorpe. Makes the following weeks "catch-up" game even more important.
Josh played better than he has done for the past month or so - maybe losing the WC Qualifying play-offs has re-focused his mind & that he now has only one job & that is to get us promoted.
Although in the first 30 mins we were the better team the midfield weren't energetic enough & on at least 2 occasions Josh nodded / chested a ball down into space & there was no-one there. The big problem playing just 1 up-front is that you don't have that other striker to pick up the knock-downs - this is then where Holmes, Reeves, Marshall etc need to be pushing up & supporting Josh.
Sometimes putting your laces through the ball when you're a defender & clearing it into row Z is the best & most sensible option. Too many times we were caught or nearly caught playing it across the back when a punt upfield would have got us out of trouble & released some pressure.
I don't blame Sarr for his sidefoot effort at goal. If he tried leathering it, it would have probably landed in row Z (see above). It does, however, put the mockers on KR's assertion about playing him upfront.........no thanks. Leave him at the back & find another f****g striker. (which leads me to my final point)
Their substitutions changed the game. They brought on a striker who scored both their goals. We didn't have that option. Yes, we had 2 "strikers" on the bench, but neither are going to threaten to score this side of next xmas. I know I've said it before but until we get a decent 2nd striker and/or an different option to bring on to change the game we will not get automatic promotion. January can't come soon enough but I fear by then we will be behind the 8-ball. Give Leon Best a short term contract & put him on bench on Tuesday night - surely he can do 20 mins if needed.
Own goal was pure class, I thought he knocked if out for a corner and originally didn't celebrate.
I didn't think it was a penalty at 5PM and I haven't changed my mind on that.
We've done really well holding on to 1-0 leads this season, however if you don't score a couple when your ahead then it always likely to happy.
Yet to be convinced by Reeves, after yesterday performance I am hoping Clark will be back sooner rather than later.
Overall, I hope this is the last time we have to play franchise at home for a while. Embarrassing fake club.
Anyone else notice the two stewards in the away end whereing franchise stewards jackets.
Never seen a time before when opposition bring their own personnel to an away match as stewards. I was hoping they would throw (Petey) out with the trumpet.
Random...
Can’t seem to find it anywhere. Was KR asked in his post match interview?
100% Roland Out
Blackburn are coming up on the rails , see them , Wigan and Shrewsbury as the threats to us for automatic but I find it hard to get too excited whilst our nearest rivals are playing their trade in higher divisions, shameful
The Shrews are the new Leicester, I don't see them fading away too far, Wigan & Blackburn will be our issue for top two then theres always a late runner flying up the table.
as per @oohaahmortimer i'd put us around the same 50% chance of playoffs probably 10% top two and 40% outside playoffs/7-12th. We don't just quite have that killer instinct to shut down/kill off a game.
Thanks for your post VFF.
Again IMO a failing of Solly as a captain - he should have been a lot more vocal to the ref when our players were being clattered.
Why can't we beat this lot? Is it because of KR?
Ended very tense, I thought we'd nicked it with the OG, but not to be. I'll need to see the pen again, and admittedly it was a long way, but just the dive looked over dramatic
Surprised he's got a wife.
My guess is he was annoyed at not starting Norn Irons key game.
Doesnt look as though Josh was the only one frustrated about Northern Ireland's failure to reach the World Cup thanks to that pen