Unbeaten and 14 points accrued in August...outstanding.
It's brilliant, isn't it?
I was just looking at the results and table - and see Derby languishing in the lower bottom half.
Couldn't help but thinking, I wonder if Krystian Beilik ever wishes that he could've come back to Charlton and rejoined Lee Bowyer's 'journey'?
Mate I bet Bauer, Aribo, Dijksteel and Grant are also looking at the results tonight and thinking whilst my bank balance is looking a bit better, I wish I was back with the gang.
Still I'm sure they will be enjoying their Saturday nights out tonight in Preston, Middlesbrough and Huddersfield!
Joe not going out tonight then? Can't blame him. I expect he is looking forward to the Europa League group stage to be fair, but when they get battered out of sight he will wonder what's left to look forward to, such as a cold dark night in effing Inverness.
Trouble is, much as I loved him last season, I don't know whom he'd replace now if we got him back.
Thanks Gallagher’s goals and industry, and Williams’ and Leko’s running with the ball we’ve not really missed Aribo. A great player though who would be great to have in the squad.
Moore, Pele and Puscas .... your boys took one hell of a beating today (well, not quite) but that second half performance was up there with the first half performance against Forest. Thought Phillips had an outstanding game and kept us in it with that save at the end of the first half. Pearce and Lockyer are Warriors. Solly and Purrington, steady. It’s the midfield that won it for us. Cullen and Gallagher just took the game by the scruff of the neck in the second half and after that, Reading were never really in it. Gallagher ... What an effing player he is. Williams caused them problems and his substitution for Chuks was a master stroke. If Leko could add looking up and passing to his game, he’ll be one helluva player in years to come. Thought Lyle was quiet for most of the game but he had them worried enough to have someone up his R’s for the whole 90 minutes.
I have been pessimistic for all of our games in August and in a million years, I would not have thought we would have done this well. We have 14 points but in reality, we should should be sitting pretty with 6 wins from 6.
Keep up the good work, lads. Enjoy the break and come back nice and refreshed ready for the September fixtures.
Mentioned on the match thread about how the reading fans and that journo who was on the Charlton Life podcast this week were so confident and were building up the quality of the Reading team. I think the journo even claimed they had the best CBs in the league.
They couldnt get near us in that second half. Our defenders were better than there defenders, our midfield were better than there midfield and our strikers were better than there strikers. And importantly our coaching and management were streets ahead of there's.
The decison to swap Leko and Taylor, bringing on Chuks for Williams. The way we stopped them having any real chances.
The more teams that think we’re just a one dimensional, hardworking, dirty side the better. Let them all keep underestimating us, just makes it easier to beat them.
Many of these teams have their compliment of foreign mercenaries and ex-Prem club youth who didn't show the right application.
They're not too bothered because they're happy to count their money - and anyway, their agent will find them another club, bigger wages and signing on fee next season.
I know, I'm a cynic. We've even seen players like that at Charlton in previous seasons. But Bows and Gallen won't touch them.
EE Aye, EE Aye, EE Aye' Oh , up the football league we go , when we win promotion, this is what we'll sing, we are Charlton, we are Charlton, Bowyer is our KING!
The first time I sung that, it was "...Saunders is our KING!"
Now it would be "...Saunders is inside".
How old are you? He was talking about Ron Saunders.
Now I have a question. I remember my wife always called Ron Saunders "Daddy Saunders", because with his paunch, greying hair and walking pace, he looked like a dad having a Sunday kick-about with the kids. Was that just her nickname or did others call him that?
Just want to add to the great comments on this thread already... I didn’t get round to doing a preview prior to the game today due to my own busy life at the moment. But, what a performance, especially even better that it was away from home. Thoroughly enjoyed that. This team has absolutely everything.
We can dominate possession and control the game better than we have done for many years.
We can soak up pressure and hit teams on the counter attack.
We have every player willing to run through brick walls and put their body on the line for their teammates, for Bow, for the staff, and for the supporters.
We have a talisman up front who scores goals for fun and creates just as much.
We have a defence that has conceded only 16 goals this calendar year. Let that sink in.
We have players capable of fighting and battling when we need to, and playing brilliant football when we get the chance to.
We have quality within the squad who some hasn’t even featured yet, some not started a league game, and some only played very minimal minutes.
We have a group of players who are all genuinely great and down to earth people. It makes the dynamics of the group far better.
And last, but most certainly not least. The person who fits all these pieces together. We have Lee Bowyer.
Simply a great away day, fantastic atmosphere, which was the home team again?
Bloody loved it, Gallager just gets better all the time, i'm not getting carried away but....... a real team/unit, rode our luck a little at the beginning but second half......should have had at least one if not two more.
Its lovely too that we could take Sam Field off as a precaution as we had the cover on the bench
This time last season he'd have stayed on because there was no one else, Bowyer wouldn't be talking about how it was just a twisted ankle yet something that was allowed to get much worse
Touch wood but thanks to that I wonder how many players we'll avoid losing to injury
EE Aye, EE Aye, EE Aye' Oh , up the football league we go , when we win promotion, this is what we'll sing, we are Charlton, we are Charlton, Bowyer is our KING!
The first time I sung that, it was "...Saunders is our KING!"
Now it would be "...Saunders is inside".
How old are you? He was talking about Ron Saunders.
Now I have a question. I remember my wife always called Ron Saunders "Daddy Saunders", because with his paunch, greying hair and walking pace, he looked like a dad having a Sunday kick-about with the kids. Was that just her nickname or did others call him that?
Not heard him called that, either as a player or manager.
EE Aye, EE Aye, EE Aye' Oh , up the football league we go , when we win promotion, this is what we'll sing, we are Charlton, we are Charlton, Bowyer is our KING!
The first time I sung that, it was "...Saunders is our KING!"
Now it would be "...Saunders is inside".
How old are you? He was talking about Ron Saunders.
Now I have a question. I remember my wife always called Ron Saunders "Daddy Saunders", because with his paunch, greying hair and walking pace, he looked like a dad having a Sunday kick-about with the kids. Was that just her nickname or did others call him that?
Not heard him called that, either as a player or manager.
Bowyer has been in charge of 67 league and play-off games.
We have lost 16 of them. Only one of the 16 we have lost by more than 1 goal, that was away at Scunthorpe in the crazy 5-3 last season. The remaining 15 have included eight 1-0’s, six 2-1’s, and one 3-2.
Therefore, not only has our record under Bowyer been phenomenal, but this further proves that he has made us competitive in every game we play. That is some going.
Geez, never realised before that Pearce could play football. How much would Chelsea need for Gallagher? Class from both midgets. Great game. Could have been five.
this team show unbelievable character, never stop running and have a great deal of ability, Bowyer really has started something, which I truely hope he is given the tools he needs to finish.
Excellent support from our fans never stopped singing all game, loved the fuck the EFL song.
Every player gave everything they had and we ran out deserved winners.
All I would say is what an unbelievably bad ref, he was as bad as I've seen at this level.
Bowyer has been in charge of 67 league and play-off games.
We have lost 16 of them. Only one of the 16 we have lost by more than 1 goal, that was away at Scunthorpe in the crazy 5-3 last season. The remaining 15 have included eight 1-0’s, six 2-1’s, and one 3-2.
Therefore, not only has our record under Bowyer been phenomenal, but this further proves that he has made us competitive in every game we play. That is some going.
Its why I always smile when people think we're going to suffer a thrashing when they predict scores in the Match Preview's
Aint gonna happen under Bowyer and I pity the team in the dressing room if ever it did!!
I thought Reading were decent first half - two or three tricky players and reminded me of playing Brighton away a few years back. To be fair, they deserved to go in a goal up. Second half we deserved to score at least two. Reading seemed to have no plan B. They always wanted to get the ball wide and we were dealing with their crosses comfortably enough - they were totally unwilling to shoot from outside the box, when they had a fair number of opportunities to.
Our midfield took control and they started to look poor. To me, that was a stand up and take notice away performance. Special mention to Lyle who put in a real shift - It was very important to the way we played and I was glad he got a goal to show for it. Their defenders really struggled with Aneke. It was a bit like watching 11 year olds when you have a player who is twice as big and strong as the other players.
Listened to BBC Berks on way home for take on game from Reading angle. No dispute Charlton was best team they’d seen and deserved to win. Didn’t think their team played badly, Charlton just better. One caller ridiculed by presenter for saying Charlton were lucky.
Their manager waffled for ten minutes about his team needing to stop making mistakes. Reminded me of garbage Pardew used to spout. Generally seemed shell shocked they had lost given the £15m of talent they’ve just bought.
Comments
I have been pessimistic for all of our games in August and in a million years, I would not have thought we would have done this well. We have 14 points but in reality, we should should be sitting pretty with 6 wins from 6.
Keep up the good work, lads. Enjoy the break and come back nice and refreshed ready for the September fixtures.
Language Timothy!
They're not too bothered because they're happy to count their money - and anyway, their agent will find them another club, bigger wages and signing on fee next season.
I know, I'm a cynic. We've even seen players like that at Charlton in previous seasons.
But Bows and Gallen won't touch them.
May have been mentioned - I have not read all the thread - but Jeff and the Soccer Saturday boys continue to be surprised by Lyle's "run up"...
Now I have a question. I remember my wife always called Ron Saunders "Daddy Saunders", because with his paunch, greying hair and walking pace, he looked like a dad having a Sunday kick-about with the kids. Was that just her nickname or did others call him that?
We can dominate possession and control the game better than we have done for many years.
We can soak up pressure and hit teams on the counter attack.
We have every player willing to run through brick walls and put their body on the line for their teammates, for Bow, for the staff, and for the supporters.
We have a talisman up front who scores goals for fun and creates just as much.
We have a defence that has conceded only 16 goals this calendar year. Let that sink in.
We have players capable of fighting and battling when we need to, and playing brilliant football when we get the chance to.
We have quality within the squad who some hasn’t even featured yet, some not started a league game, and some only played very minimal minutes.
We have a group of players who are all genuinely great and down to earth people. It makes the dynamics of the group far better.
And last, but most certainly not least. The person who fits all these pieces together. We have Lee Bowyer.
Bloody loved it, Gallager just gets better all the time, i'm not getting carried away but....... a real team/unit, rode our luck a little at the beginning but second half......should have had at least one if not two more.
This time last season he'd have stayed on because there was no one else, Bowyer wouldn't be talking about how it was just a twisted ankle yet something that was allowed to get much worse
Touch wood but thanks to that I wonder how many players we'll avoid losing to injury
Bowyer has been in charge of 67 league and play-off games.
We have lost 16 of them. Only one of the 16 we have lost by more than 1 goal, that was away at Scunthorpe in the crazy 5-3 last season. The remaining 15 have included eight 1-0’s, six 2-1’s, and one 3-2.
Therefore, not only has our record under Bowyer been phenomenal, but this further proves that he has made us competitive in every game we play. That is some going.
this team show unbelievable character, never stop running and have a great deal of ability, Bowyer really has started something, which I truely hope he is given the tools he needs to finish.
Excellent support from our fans never stopped singing all game, loved the fuck the EFL song.
Every player gave everything they had and we ran out deserved winners.
All I would say is what an unbelievably bad ref, he was as bad as I've seen at this level.
I thought the ref was ok. Penalty was definitely a trip.
Aint gonna happen under Bowyer and I pity the team in the dressing room if ever it did!!
What a result, what a team Bows, Jacko and Gallen are
Our midfield took control and they started to look poor. To me, that was a stand up and take notice away performance. Special mention to Lyle who put in a real shift - It was very important to the way we played and I was glad he got a goal to show for it. Their defenders really struggled with Aneke. It was a bit like watching 11 year olds when you have a player who is twice as big and strong as the other players.
Second in the table - WOW.
Their manager waffled for ten minutes about his team needing to stop making mistakes. Reminded me of garbage Pardew used to spout. Generally seemed shell shocked they had lost given the £15m of talent they’ve just bought.