Congratulations to the EFL for devising this ingenious competition. Fans will flock to see this cornucopia of goals, brilliant emerging youngsters, different opponents and grounds. It is onward and upward now for English football. The next World Cup is in the bag. Knighthoods for everyone in EFL management.
In other news Manchester City are racing to beat Real Madrid to Toby Stephenson's signature.
Don’t get this obsession with playing Marshall fullback. Seems to me it all springs from the Blackburn game where he came on and ran around a bit.
I’m with @SDAddick on this. It’s one thing being a winger with a sense of defensive responsibility, it’s very different being a full back in a 4 man defence, holding the line, defending crosses at the far post etc.
Wing back maybe. Fullback, he’ll be just as make shift as someone like Djiksteel.
Good result - apologies for being a miserable bastard but I would of rather had the 5 dropped points in the last 2 games instead of a win over Stevenage - annoying thing is we will stay in this comp, leagues 1 & 2 have enough games without extra against prem player farms.
10 minutes down the road so I shall be there . Couldn’t give a stuff about the actual competition but when Charlton are playing on your own back yard you have to go.
I was once part of a crowd of six in the away end for a pre-season friendly at Stevenage. It's 20 minutes from me, but I'm going to stay in and watch Bake Off. (I'm actually blaming myself for this, rather than Roland. I just can't be bothered.)
Don’t get this obsession with playing Marshall fullback. Seems to me it all springs from the Blackburn game where he came on and ran around a bit.
I’m with @SDAddick on this. It’s one thing being a winger with a sense of defensive responsibility, it’s very different being a full back in a 4 man defence, holding the line, defending crosses at the far post etc.
Wing back maybe. Fullback, he’ll be just as make shift as someone like Djiksteel.
That’s all you’ve got to say? We just won 8 bloody 0 for goodness sake!
I don’t think I even realised we were playing until Flash Scores told me we were 1-0 but that’s some scoreline regardless of opposition and competition. Hopefully it helps build some confidence and it’s a shame we don’t have a game to go into on Saturday now.
I don't claim to know more than Bowyer but I suspect he has a problem with Marshall that is effecting his judgement on the player. He should have been our right back on Saturday without a doubt.
Or even LB seeing as he is decent with both feet.
So he's naturally left-footed but a very two footed player. On the couple of occasions he played on the left last year I thought he looked better as his crossing is better on his left and playing on the left meant he could just take a touch and put in a cross.
That said, the formation, opposition, and type of game tonight were drastically different to Saturday or even last Tuesday. He had very little defending to do tonight, and what he did was largely done in the opposition half where he'll be more comfortable doing a job as he's naturally a winger. Defending in your own box in a back four is a different proposition. When we play with five at the back I think he's a decent option, but when it comes to playing as a normal fullback I think he'd look far more exposed.
Blackburn were no mugs last season though! Bowyer may have an issue with Marshall and if so he needs to get over it as it doesn't help the team. It isn't an obsession with Marshall, and it may not be he should be first choice, but in the midst of an injury crisis, it seems weird that option is being ignored.
I dare say that @ForeverAddickted is working on his usual masterpiece as I type .. so just a few observations ..
We have no game on the weekend .. recently our defence has been near shambolic .. this is no time to throw in the towel before the game, it's a time to try a viable back four and defensive midfield with a view towards the next few league games .. we won't have Bauer or Page for while .. full back is currently a disaster area .. put Solly back where he belongs and experiment with the left back role .. Ben Reeves ? .. give Ajose a run out else he'll get stiff and immobile on the bench .. I'm not a fan but put Phillips back in goal to see if he's improved for a rest and (hopefully) some creative coaching.
I won't be at the game, I know a few who will .. they deserve better than to travel and pay to watch a team that is not especially interested in winning and just goes through the motions or a team of kids which will be outmuscled and outkicked .. Come on you Addicks !!
Whoops!
On a serious note, how did Pratley do in the centre of a back 3? Imaginative call by Bows and I can see his thinking. He is fairly tall, a good tackler, and can obviously play a bit as well.
I dare say that @ForeverAddickted is working on his usual masterpiece as I type .. so just a few observations ..
We have no game on the weekend .. recently our defence has been near shambolic .. this is no time to throw in the towel before the game, it's a time to try a viable back four and defensive midfield with a view towards the next few league games .. we won't have Bauer or Page for while .. full back is currently a disaster area .. put Solly back where he belongs and experiment with the left back role .. Ben Reeves ? .. give Ajose a run out else he'll get stiff and immobile on the bench .. I'm not a fan but put Phillips back in goal to see if he's improved for a rest and (hopefully) some creative coaching.
I won't be at the game, I know a few who will .. they deserve better than to travel and pay to watch a team that is not especially interested in winning and just goes through the motions or a team of kids which will be outmuscled and outkicked .. Come on you Addicks !!
Whoops!
On a serious note, how did Pratley do in the centre of a back 3? Imaginative call by Bows and I can see his thinking. He is fairly tall, a good tackler, and can obviously play a bit as well.
May extend his career a fair bit as well.
The whole back three looked like they had been playing together for years . Very calm and composed but you have to take the opposition into account.
The bigger picture is Ward got minutes, Igor scored, Ajosie scored, young Maloney and Stevenson got a game and a lucky few can say they were there.(this number will rise to 6k in years to come !) Surely it's better than a behind doors friendly.
For CAFC to be competitive this season we need 4 strikers to score goals and chip in coming off the bench, so if that helps Igor and Ajose's confidence then last night in the football hotbed of Stevenage, it was not a waste of time.
Slightly harsh on Ajose re the penalty. From the footage I saw he went over and congratulated Stevenson. No problem at all with a striker being disappointed at not being able to score a goal.
I don't claim to know more than Bowyer but I suspect he has a problem with Marshall that is effecting his judgement on the player. He should have been our right back on Saturday without a doubt.
Or even LB seeing as he is decent with both feet.
So he's naturally left-footed but a very two footed player. On the couple of occasions he played on the left last year I thought he looked better as his crossing is better on his left and playing on the left meant he could just take a touch and put in a cross.
That said, the formation, opposition, and type of game tonight were drastically different to Saturday or even last Tuesday. He had very little defending to do tonight, and what he did was largely done in the opposition half where he'll be more comfortable doing a job as he's naturally a winger. Defending in your own box in a back four is a different proposition. When we play with five at the back I think he's a decent option, but when it comes to playing as a normal fullback I think he'd look far more exposed.
He is actually predominantly right footed, but is pretty much as good with his left as he is with his right.
Comments
I also think that is Stevenage's record defeat.
In other news Manchester City are racing to beat Real Madrid to Toby Stephenson's signature.
I’m with @SDAddick on this. It’s one thing being a winger with a sense of defensive responsibility, it’s very different being a full back in a 4 man defence, holding the line, defending crosses at the far post etc.
Wing back maybe. Fullback, he’ll be just as make shift as someone like Djiksteel.
A friend’s sister is in Bake Off. Small world.
https://www.londonnewsonline.co.uk/charlton-boss-bowyer-asks-for-on-loan-forest-winger-to-pass-up-international-call/
“Anfernee did well for us at right-back at the end of last season and he [Marshall] doesn’t understand the defensive side of it.“
I don’t think I even realised we were playing until Flash Scores told me we were 1-0 but that’s some scoreline regardless of opposition and competition. Hopefully it helps build some confidence and it’s a shame we don’t have a game to go into on Saturday now.
On a serious note, how did Pratley do in the centre of a back 3? Imaginative call by Bows and I can see his thinking. He is fairly tall, a good tackler, and can obviously play a bit as well.
May extend his career a fair bit as well.
For CAFC to be competitive this season we need 4 strikers to score goals and chip in coming off the bench, so if that helps Igor and Ajose's confidence then last night in the football hotbed of Stevenage, it was not a waste of time.