Our weak point is now defence. It looks slow and too easily turned. We were lucky today not to concede more. It will be difficult to properly strengthen that area now, sadly.
What a buzz for those two lads Gallagher and Aneke scoring in front of a packed Covered end.
My son noticed that Gallagher drifted off to the West stand after the game, no doubt looking for family members. I told my son I'd be proud of him ... not that I'm not proud of my own son - he's done very well getting those certificates to be a certified accountant ... but just the same, it would've been nice to see him score a winning goal at the Valley
Just out of interest how similar is Gallagher’s style of play to a certain Scotty Parker in his prime?
I would say less tenacious but maybe more silky. He certainly has a bite to his game and will put in a challenge but also can play with both feet and drift along the midfield so probably more flexible position wise. If he has the Parker vision is a question that can’t yet be answered but as debuts go it was pretty special. However, I think the role Pratley played today shouldn’t be underestimated and that will certainly have helped Gallacher and Cullen.
Time for me to put a bit of realism into the mix........
Great game & we played well against a top 6 side who have some top players. However, I wouldn't get carried away as we could easily have been 3-1 down at half time & couldn't have complained if we had been. Think we need to clear our lines quicker & soon we will get caught out with all the back passes. Lockyer is most at fault & must had taken lessons from a certain Mr Kashi for all the underhit passes he made.
However, I am being picky. The midfield showed what great players we have, although I'm still a bit unsure of what Gallagher brings to the team & he seemed a bit lost out there at times. Cullen picked up from where he left off at Wembley & Leko confuses defenders as he doesn't know himself what he is going to do next. Williams was my MOTM as he didnt stop running & made the all important 2nd goal with his persistence, having narrowly failed just a minute before with a mazy run & cross.
Scenes in the Covered End after the 3rd goal.....looking from the East it was literally rocking for 5 mins afterwards !!
Not looking at tables or thinking about ifs & maybes......20th place will do me just fine come May. I predicted 4 points for Aug so we are already in credit.
Back late. PWR but I imagine everything has been said already.
If Lyle Taylor's head has supposed to have gone you could've fooled me!
As Wendy Perfect said to me this evening, we are still a bit of a work in progress and will improve. Anticipation is lurking around the door and will soon enter the building at this rate.
I mean which player today would deserve to be dropped, which player today was less than a 7 out of 10?
And Bowyer, Bowyer?!
For a man who has had about 15 hours sleep this whole week what magic has he, and JJ (set piece and corner expert...did you see our third goal?) conjured up in putting those lads out there today, who gave absolutely everything mentally as well as physically?
For a manager who has simplified everything, is as arrow straight as he is, and gets the results he has been getting, surely he made a pact with the devil at the crossroads, Lee Bowyer is turning into something very special before our very eyes.
At this present time it is like witnessing Michelangelo half way through painting a masterpiece on the Sistine Chapel ceiling with old pots of Dulux, some of his kids crayons, and pencils nicked from Ikea. You tell me how he does it, I don't know, maybe he doesn't know either. I suspect his football instinct is steeped in so deep along with his experience in the game and his recognition of the core essentials of football that is doing it.
Either way Lee. Keep calm and carry on.
Stoke were unlucky hitting the woodwork twice, great goal from Ince past an out of position Phillips I thought, and it was nice to hear 'Delilah', but sport is also about competing. As well as quality, we out-competed them and were clear winners whatever any stats might say.
Our fans were pretty special throughout the match today I thought.
Phillips was good, still nerveless, although lads, LADS, are you going to make the dodgy back pass the feature of this season? C'mon, some of us are too old for that kind of stress.
Solly sweated experience but was challenged to step up early in the game, Lockyer has dodgy distribution still, but he has a Pearce like attitude to defending, which basically means 'stop the buggers', and Pearce was once again totally excellent. Purrington did his usual and held his head up with all the defence. Great determined dogged never say die defensive display from all of them.
Cullen and Pratley and Williams and arguably Conor and Leko competed with each other for man of the match. Then Aneke comes on and stakes a claim (he scored one of those 'I suppose somebody has got to put it away, OK, I'll do it then' goals), but you can all eff off if you don't like it this week but my Man of the Match was Lyle.
Lyle was totally Lyle, the player we have come to know and love and love. What was it? A goal, ahem the all important opening goal, and an assist from Cullens corner, for most of the time as a lone attacker. See that Brentford?
If Lyle Taylor never kicks another ball for us (god forbid) he is a welded-on total legend already.
Our weak point is now defence. It looks slow and too easily turned. We were lucky today not to concede more. It will be difficult to properly strengthen that area now, sadly.
We'll improve and Kayal in particular might help protect the defence. Bowyer also said he wants to sign a right back on a free.
Great day out. Pratley, Cullen and Gallagher I feel is a good blend of youth, tenacity and experience.
One word on Tom Ince. If you’re gna dive, dive in front of your own fans. Not in front of a sold out Covered End.
From my view Phillips shouldn’t have been beaten and there were a few occasions our passing along the back line made me nervous.
Leko had a solid debut. First player I’ve seen in a while that genuinely got me on the edge of my seat. Some of his runs in the first half were top quality.
Pratley my MOTM but could have gone to Gallagher or Cullen.
super performance against a side with a lot of recent Prem players, albeit some of them just a little bit over the hill Bowyer has developed another side with over my dead body attitude, superb discipline and no little skill .. Taylor's goal .. not many Champ strikers would have scored that .. Aneke was as cool as a cucumber to put us in front and an emphatic Gallagher finish from a well worked corner routine Cullen, so pleased to have him back, the little master .. the midfield was a perfect balance with Pratley tidying up and the other three working their collective socks off to great effect all over the field Defence worked well against quite a slick attack, Phillips was himself and Leko ? .. if WBA have any sense, he'll be back in Brum before September.. gives us pace and skill in the 10 role .. now just needs a goal or 10 to complete the portrait of the perfect striker
Good game, we will not lie down for anyone. I am WELL pleased
Time for me to put a bit of realism into the mix........
Great game & we played well against a top 6 side who have some top players. However, I wouldn't get carried away as we could easily have been 3-1 down at half time & couldn't have complained if we had been. Think we need to clear our lines quicker & soon we will get caught out with all the back passes. Lockyer is most at fault & must had taken lessons from a certain Mr Kashi for all the underhit passes he made.
However, I am being picky. The midfield showed what great players we have, although I'm still a bit unsure of what Gallagher brings to the team & he seemed a bit lost out there at times. Cullen picked up from where he left off at Wembley & Leko confuses defenders as he doesn't know himself what he is going to do next. Williams was my MOTM as he didnt stop running & made the all important 2nd goal with his persistence, having narrowly failed just a minute before with a mazy run & cross.
Scenes in the Covered End after the 3rd goal.....looking from the East it was literally rocking for 5 mins afterwards !!
Not looking at tables or thinking about ifs & maybes......20th place will do me just fine come May. I predicted 4 points for Aug so we are already in credit.
For me Gallacher brought a deft touch, guile, decent engine, awareness and the ability to receive and pass with both feet. And a goal.
I think it was his professional debut? If so, he and we couldn’t have asked for much better.
Time for me to put a bit of realism into the mix........
Great game & we played well against a top 6 side who have some top players. However, I wouldn't get carried away as we could easily have been 3-1 down at half time & couldn't have complained if we had been. Think we need to clear our lines quicker & soon we will get caught out with all the back passes. Lockyer is most at fault & must had taken lessons from a certain Mr Kashi for all the underhit passes he made.
However, I am being picky. The midfield showed what great players we have, although I'm still a bit unsure of what Gallagher brings to the team & he seemed a bit lost out there at times. Cullen picked up from where he left off at Wembley & Leko confuses defenders as he doesn't know himself what he is going to do next. Williams was my MOTM as he didnt stop running & made the all important 2nd goal with his persistence, having narrowly failed just a minute before with a mazy run & cross.
Scenes in the Covered End after the 3rd goal.....looking from the East it was literally rocking for 5 mins afterwards !!
Not looking at tables or thinking about ifs & maybes......20th place will do me just fine come May. I predicted 4 points for Aug so we are already in credit.
Really do wonder what people see at times. How on earth you can think Gallagher brings nothing to the team.
Not a dig. Just shocked. Thought he worked his socks off
Can only see this squad putting in better and better performances as players get to grips with the pace of the game in this division and our new loanees impose their quality.
Stoke set off at 100mph and for first 5 minutes some of our players seemed a bit mesmerised. Under-hit passing was hopefully just not being switched on to the new pace and can be sorted on the training ground.
Time for me to put a bit of realism into the mix........
Great game & we played well against a top 6 side who have some top players. However, I wouldn't get carried away as we could easily have been 3-1 down at half time & couldn't have complained if we had been. Think we need to clear our lines quicker & soon we will get caught out with all the back passes. Lockyer is most at fault & must had taken lessons from a certain Mr Kashi for all the underhit passes he made.
However, I am being picky. The midfield showed what great players we have, although I'm still a bit unsure of what Gallagher brings to the team & he seemed a bit lost out there at times. Cullen picked up from where he left off at Wembley & Leko confuses defenders as he doesn't know himself what he is going to do next. Williams was my MOTM as he didnt stop running & made the all important 2nd goal with his persistence, having narrowly failed just a minute before with a mazy run & cross.
Scenes in the Covered End after the 3rd goal.....looking from the East it was literally rocking for 5 mins afterwards !!
Not looking at tables or thinking about ifs & maybes......20th place will do me just fine come May. I predicted 4 points for Aug so we are already in credit.
"unsure of what Gallagher brings to the team" I'm sure you're just looking for a reaction now.
Comments
It will be difficult to properly strengthen that area now, sadly.
My son noticed that Gallagher drifted off to the West stand after the game, no doubt looking for family members. I told my son I'd be proud of him ... not that I'm not proud of my own son - he's done very well getting those certificates to be a certified accountant ... but just the same, it would've been nice to see him score a winning goal at the Valley
Great game & we played well against a top 6 side who have some top players. However, I wouldn't get carried away as we could easily have been 3-1 down at half time & couldn't have complained if we had been. Think we need to clear our lines quicker & soon we will get caught out with all the back passes. Lockyer is most at fault & must had taken lessons from a certain Mr Kashi for all the underhit passes he made.
However, I am being picky. The midfield showed what great players we have, although I'm still a bit unsure of what Gallagher brings to the team & he seemed a bit lost out there at times. Cullen picked up from where he left off at Wembley & Leko confuses defenders as he doesn't know himself what he is going to do next. Williams was my MOTM as he didnt stop running & made the all important 2nd goal with his persistence, having narrowly failed just a minute before with a mazy run & cross.
Scenes in the Covered End after the 3rd goal.....looking from the East it was literally rocking for 5 mins afterwards !!
Not looking at tables or thinking about ifs & maybes......20th place will do me just fine come May. I predicted 4 points for Aug so we are already in credit.
If Lyle Taylor's head has supposed to have gone you could've fooled me!
As Wendy Perfect said to me this evening, we are still a bit of a work in progress and will improve. Anticipation is lurking around the door and will soon enter the building at this rate.
I mean which player today would deserve to be dropped, which player today was less than a 7 out of 10?
And Bowyer, Bowyer?!
For a man who has had about 15 hours sleep this whole week what magic has he, and JJ (set piece and corner expert...did you see our third goal?) conjured up in putting those lads out there today, who gave absolutely everything mentally as well as physically?
For a manager who has simplified everything, is as arrow straight as he is, and gets the results he has been getting, surely he made a pact with the devil at the crossroads, Lee Bowyer is turning into something very special before our very eyes.
At this present time it is like witnessing Michelangelo half way through painting a masterpiece on the Sistine Chapel ceiling with old pots of Dulux, some of his kids crayons, and pencils nicked from Ikea.
You tell me how he does it, I don't know, maybe he doesn't know either. I suspect his football instinct is steeped in so deep along with his experience in the game and his recognition of the core essentials of football that is doing it.
Either way Lee. Keep calm and carry on.
Stoke were unlucky hitting the woodwork twice, great goal from Ince past an out of position Phillips I thought, and it was nice to hear 'Delilah', but sport is also about competing. As well as quality, we out-competed them and were clear winners whatever any stats might say.
Our fans were pretty special throughout the match today I thought.
Phillips was good, still nerveless, although lads, LADS, are you going to make the dodgy back pass the feature of this season? C'mon, some of us are too old for that kind of stress.
Solly sweated experience but was challenged to step up early in the game, Lockyer has dodgy distribution still, but he has a Pearce like attitude to defending, which basically means 'stop the buggers', and Pearce was once again totally excellent. Purrington did his usual and held his head up with all the defence. Great determined dogged never say die defensive display from all of them.
Cullen and Pratley and Williams and arguably Conor and Leko competed with each other for man of the match. Then Aneke comes on and stakes a claim (he scored one of those 'I suppose somebody has got to put it away, OK, I'll do it then' goals), but you can all eff off if you don't like it this week but my Man of the Match was Lyle.
Lyle was totally Lyle, the player we have come to know and love and love. What was it? A goal, ahem the all important opening goal, and an assist from Cullens corner, for most of the time as a lone attacker. See that Brentford?
If Lyle Taylor never kicks another ball for us (god forbid) he is a welded-on total legend already.
One word on Tom Ince. If you’re gna dive, dive in front of your own fans. Not in front of a sold out Covered End.
From my view Phillips shouldn’t have been beaten and there were a few occasions our passing along the back line made me nervous.
Leko had a solid debut. First player I’ve seen in a while that genuinely got me on the edge of my seat. Some of his runs in the first half were top quality.
Pratley my MOTM but could have gone to Gallagher or Cullen.
Bowyer has developed another side with over my dead body attitude, superb discipline and no little skill .. Taylor's goal .. not many Champ strikers would have scored that .. Aneke was as cool as a cucumber to put us in front and an emphatic Gallagher finish from a well worked corner routine
Cullen, so pleased to have him back, the little master .. the midfield was a perfect balance with Pratley tidying up and the other three working their collective socks off to great effect all over the field
Defence worked well against quite a slick attack, Phillips was himself and Leko ? .. if WBA have any sense, he'll be back in Brum before September.. gives us pace and skill in the 10 role .. now just needs a goal or 10 to complete the portrait of the perfect striker
Good game, we will not lie down for anyone. I am WELL pleased
I think it was his professional debut? If so, he and we couldn’t have asked for much better.
Leko. Blimey that kid is raw and full of pace. Superb player.
Think I have a man crush on Gallagher after that goal
Not a dig. Just shocked. Thought he worked his socks off
Stoke set off at 100mph and for first 5 minutes some of our players seemed a bit mesmerised. Under-hit passing was hopefully just not being switched on to the new pace and can be sorted on the training ground.
https://www.skysports.com/football/charlton-vs-stoke/report/409362
Looked like a foul off the ball on Lockyer to set up Stoke's equaliser.
At least with the midfielders we've got there's the option of using Aneke up front and not loaning out Lapslie or Morgan.
https://www.skysports.com/football/charlton-vs-stoke/report/409362