No club, not even Man City could cope without 8 of their best 10 midfielders being out for a prolonged period of time. That's not Roland's fault or Bowyer's fault. If they all had the same type of injuries fair enough. They don't.
I do how ever think that a more experienced, dare I say cynical manager, would have set up differently in the last to games. 2 banks of 4, or even 4 and 5 and make us difficult to break down. You can't play a high press 3 times in a week with kids and old men. You will loose all 3.
However I do blame Roland for last night, if he hadn't fixed the pitch that would have been called off
Is there an issue with Lee and Albie Morgan? Cannot believe bringing a promising schoolboy on was better than Albie! Would love to know if Bowyer and Morgan have had a big row. Possibly even Deji Oshilaja or Ledley would have been better subs. Not fair on the youngster, easily brushed off the ball!
Is there an issue with Lee and Albie Morgan? Cannot believe bringing a promising schoolboy on was better than Albie! Would love to know if Bowyer and Morgan have had a big row. Possibly even Deji Oshilaja or Ledley would have been better subs. Not fair on the youngster, easily brushed off the ball!
I know last season when Albie was out injured Bowyer was far from impressed when he came back lardy and that may have been the start of it . Albie looks heavier than the run around all day boys and Bowyer himself , so maybe that’s rubbed him up wrong , has Bowyer got a touch of the Curbs about him when you get on the wrong side there’s no coming back .
love bowyer and he will get it right again but at the moment we have completely given up on trying to play football - once again, we had 6 defenders out there plus a goalkeeper - doesn't leave a lot to play football with - i get the threat of grant in behind but i'd sooner we just go back to 442 and stick the talented kids in on Friday - sarr is first out the door for me - his occasional silky pass doesn't make up for his lack of aggression, his mistakes and the fact that despite being so big, he's awful in the air.purrington is getting found out, solly must have been knackered coz his lazy attempt at a clearance led to the goal. We won't win friday with same approach - go for it with morgan, the kid who came on and gallagher in the middle - put leko in the hole, taylor and bonne up top and doughty as a full back / wing back - arrange the rest however, it makes no odds - we have to go for games and have a threat.
Yep....but for the fact we have a massive injury crisis and we can’t do much else.
are you really saying start with vennings, Morgan and Gallagher on Friday? You do realise it’s not an under 23 match??
r u saying we should play with 6 defenders??? what i suggest is the only alternative in the circumstances - worth a try because i've liked pratley this season getting his toe in etc in front of back 4 but ever since he started doing same in front of back 5 we have had zero wins - add to the fact solly and purrington were clearly told to sit until the last 20 we had zero chance of seeing any football from charlton. id sooner go down trying on friday than what i've just seen - i never want to see a back 3+ pratley again and i said that 6 weeks ago
We didn’t play with six defenders.
solly pearce sarr lockyer purrington
that equals 5!!!
im saying that bowyer has a difficult job in fielding 11 fit players. I’m saying that a starting midfield of vennings, Morgan and Gallagher is stupid when we are getting overrun with experienced midfielders in the team. Maybe rest Phillips and Bonne and play Maynard Brewer or what ever he is called and stick Davison up top. Let’s call the guy back from colchester and start him too
pratley is the 6th defender - he doesn't get involved in attacking play - it wasn't til vennings came on that gallagher had anybody to give and go passes with - My point is, we are creating a formation to enable our remaining senior players to play in - i understand - my argument is that its not working so lets get back to trying to play football even if it means fielding youngsters - experience is good but so is talent and fresh legs - the anti football isn't working. - this is responding to toods tight hook but the quote system is f****d
The problem we have is that even the better players and the more experienced players walking out into the pitch can see that with the team's we are puting out no matter how much effort they put in they stand little chance.It's killing their confidence. Kids coming back from none league.People playing out of position etc etc. If it was one or two games maybe people could raise their game to cover kids etc.,but weeks and weeks ? No chance.
We are in big trouble
How exactly?
He's to blame for many things, but how on earth can he be blamed for players getting injured? He probably doesn't even know half of their names.
Taylor injured on international duty. Williams a knee injury v Derby. Cullen stretchered off v Cardiff. Field stretchered off at Bristol city. Oztumer injured by a bad tackle Aneke - a series of muscle injuries, the latest in training last week.
How can you blame RD for any of these?
You could argue that Roland's tight budget has meant we've been forced to sign players who are more injury prone
In my opinion the only injury prone players we've got at the club are: Solly | Matthews | Williams | Aneke | Page
A nonsense formation for a game like tonight, as if you play with 3 at the back you need attacking, energetic wing backs, and instead we had Solly and Purrington in effectively a flat back 5. As a result we were completely overrun in midfield, with Huddersfield runners breaking with ease, including Schindler who constantly carried it out from defence.
The formation also meant Doughty playing quite centrally, where he is less effective AND Gallagher playing too near our defence, where he was constantly pressed by the Huddersfield players, instead of in a more attacking No 10 position where he could cause damage. As a result we struggled to create anything going forward, and looking desperately ordinary with the ball
I moaned before the game about the absence of Morgan, and nothing that happened tonight has made me change my mind, seeing that in the last 2 games he wasn't on the pitch when either of the goals were conceded. Frankly bizarre that the best 2 outfield players from our statbank at Boro played NO minutes tonight.
I don't care who out of Sarr or Pearce played tonight, but we didn't need both.
An example of questionable player choices is that on Saturday we started with a flat back with Matthews (the more attacking option) at RB, whereas yesterday we played a back 3 with Solly (the more defensive option) at wing back. Surely it should have been the other way round?
Still can't get over how we were playing Purrington as an outright winger for an entire half without subbing him off. And that's the half we played okay in!
Still can't get over how we were playing Purrington as an outright winger for an entire half without subbing him off. And that's the half we played okay in!
He actually played better second half but that wasn't difficult.
How can people be slagging off Vennings? He's played a few sub appearances and offered something different. Good was probably an exaggeration on reflection but he certainly wasn't bad, he's 19 he did a few bits nicely and made a couple of mistakes, but you can see he has a football brain. I'm not sure what people want from these kids?
Rather than accuse me of talking bollocks, have a think about why our opinions differ. I am always going to tend to have a more optimistic stance despite the shit I have been through in life. Your negative stance is on you.
Life is more important than football as I'd well know after 48 hours in hospital worrying over real world matters so far this week.
The escape of this forum is becoming less and less enjoyable and I ask why I bother more and more often. I'll stick to visiting on match days from now on and will refrain from posting a while to appease the more spiky posters.
Assume this one is aimed at me. I stand by my opinion on Vennings, he added nothing last night and from what I counted he was robbed of the ball or gave it away at least 6 times in his cameo.
With all due respect, none of us on here know what you're dealing with outside of the forum and my differing opinion on a player shouldn't really have any effect on that - they're things best kept separate.
I'm sorry you're having a tough time of it, hope it starts looking up for you soon.
Just like to make it clear - i'm 100% behind Lee Bowyer and i'm 100% behind all the players who i believe give everything every time they go out there - (apart from sarr who i don't think has the bollox to play at this level) but i think its time to try something different in the face of the injury situation. We are setting up so defensively, we've lost before kick off. We are not getting smashed and we may well get smashed by doing what i'm proposing but i think its worth a try. I've played in teams and we'd be having a good season and then suddenly we'd play a top side and the manager would decide the back 4 had to just sit all game and would also have a midfield player doing the same. This would simply compound the problem. You'd given the whole game over to the superior team before kick off and as a midfield player you'd end up chasing shadows as you were totally outnumbered and you'd have 2 full backs on your team sitting there doing nothing. Of course the injuries are the problem but lets give the likes of morgan a go on friday and lets try and get the football going again - there's nothing to lose is there.
The problem we have is that even the better players and the more experienced players walking out into the pitch can see that with the team's we are puting out no matter how much effort they put in they stand little chance.It's killing their confidence. Kids coming back from none league.People playing out of position etc etc. If it was one or two games maybe people could raise their game to cover kids etc.,but weeks and weeks ? No chance.
We are in big trouble
How exactly?
He's to blame for many things, but how on earth can he be blamed for players getting injured? He probably doesn't even know half of their names.
Taylor injured on international duty. Williams a knee injury v Derby. Cullen stretchered off v Cardiff. Field stretchered off at Bristol city. Oztumer injured by a bad tackle Aneke - a series of muscle injuries, the latest in training last week.
How can you blame RD for any of these?
Because we’re relying on 19 year olds to replace them in one of the best leagues in the world.
Purrington looks absolute dog at this level. Alfie was mustard at LWB against Cardiff so why not play him there instead? Too early to comment on Vennings but would like to know what Albie is doing wrong not to get in the team especially with all the injuries at CM. Not going into full on panic mood yet and still have full faith in Bows but we need to stop the rot and quick with the games coming thick and fast.
The problem we have is that even the better players and the more experienced players walking out into the pitch can see that with the team's we are puting out no matter how much effort they put in they stand little chance.It's killing their confidence. Kids coming back from none league.People playing out of position etc etc. If it was one or two games maybe people could raise their game to cover kids etc.,but weeks and weeks ? No chance.
We are in big trouble
How exactly?
He's to blame for many things, but how on earth can he be blamed for players getting injured? He probably doesn't even know half of their names.
Taylor injured on international duty. Williams a knee injury v Derby. Cullen stretchered off v Cardiff. Field stretchered off at Bristol city. Oztumer injured by a bad tackle Aneke - a series of muscle injuries, the latest in training last week.
How can you blame RD for any of these?
Because we’re relying on 19 year olds to replace them in one of the best leagues in the world.
At the start of the season some people were concerned we had too many midfielders though. The 19 year olds are back up to the back up to the back up. For so many to get injured isn't really the fault of RD as much as it pains me to say it.
We've all seen the worth of Bow throughout last season and the beginning of this. The injury crises (and boy what a crises) has taken the wind from his (and our) sails and interrupted the momentum that had been gathering so nicely. Trouble is even returning players will need time to come up to speed and I'm afraid we may well face more of the same in the following weeks.
However, as the unmentionable neighbours have proven, it only takes a few positive results to get you leap frogging up the table. I reckon Bow will turn it around in the fullness of time, and I reckon that could be sooner rather than later if the sale goes through and he gets some much needed support.
For my money, he is the man I'd most want in my trench since Curbishley.
The problem we have is that even the better players and the more experienced players walking out into the pitch can see that with the team's we are puting out no matter how much effort they put in they stand little chance.It's killing their confidence. Kids coming back from none league.People playing out of position etc etc. If it was one or two games maybe people could raise their game to cover kids etc.,but weeks and weeks ? No chance.
We are in big trouble
How exactly?
He's to blame for many things, but how on earth can he be blamed for players getting injured? He probably doesn't even know half of their names.
Taylor injured on international duty. Williams a knee injury v Derby. Cullen stretchered off v Cardiff. Field stretchered off at Bristol city. Oztumer injured by a bad tackle Aneke - a series of muscle injuries, the latest in training last week.
How can you blame RD for any of these?
Because we’re relying on 19 year olds to replace them in one of the best leagues in the world.
So honestly you want 14 senior midfield players? And not having them is RDs fault?
Phillips: decent saves but criminally awful distribution was costly Lockyer: back to the shaky chump of August can't pass for toffee Pearce: looked naive and weak Sarr: oh my good god mad sad bad old naby the walking disaster is back in full effect, terrifying Solly: blamelessly made the best he could surrounded by defensive dross, that final clearance was the net result of the witless buffoonery of the previous few minutes of his hapless colleagues Pratley: industrious but overwhelmed Gallagher: quiet first half, better 2nd but took on too much, forgivable because of the shit he was swimming in Doughty: decent Purrington: don't understand the flak he gets, he's just a scapegoat for the sake of having one, consistently decent Leko: worthless parasitic crook can get lost, didn't try a leg, worst insult to the red shirt since the Moron Sodall last royally took the piss out of us Bonne: no service Referee: gave Charlton absolutely nothing the whole 2nd half until the terriers got the goal he so dearly wanted for them
watched on the red button for the first time - who the eff was that so called commentator? ludicrous twat sounded like John Thomson's footy know nothing loser from the Fast Show - called Doughty 'Doherty' the entire game while exposing his total ignorance of the game - farcical
The problem we have is that even the better players and the more experienced players walking out into the pitch can see that with the team's we are puting out no matter how much effort they put in they stand little chance.It's killing their confidence. Kids coming back from none league.People playing out of position etc etc. If it was one or two games maybe people could raise their game to cover kids etc.,but weeks and weeks ? No chance.
We are in big trouble
How exactly?
He's to blame for many things, but how on earth can he be blamed for players getting injured? He probably doesn't even know half of their names.
Taylor injured on international duty. Williams a knee injury v Derby. Cullen stretchered off v Cardiff. Field stretchered off at Bristol city. Oztumer injured by a bad tackle Aneke - a series of muscle injuries, the latest in training last week.
How can you blame RD for any of these?
Because we’re relying on 19 year olds to replace them in one of the best leagues in the world.
You'd have a point if we were missing 2-3 midfielders and their replacements were kids. But in our case the replacements of the replacements of the replacements are kids.
Cullen, Williams, Oztumer, Field, Kayal, JFC, Aneke, Lapslie all injured. And we're playing Pratley and Gallagher and now Ledley. So any kid that is playing is at least 12th choice in midfield, and Vennings is arguably FIFTEENTH CHOICE. I don't think many clubs in the world would have 10 midfielders injured and not be forced to play a kid.
The problem we have is that even the better players and the more experienced players walking out into the pitch can see that with the team's we are puting out no matter how much effort they put in they stand little chance.It's killing their confidence. Kids coming back from none league.People playing out of position etc etc. If it was one or two games maybe people could raise their game to cover kids etc.,but weeks and weeks ? No chance.
We are in big trouble
At the end of the transfer window I remember several rare positive comments about RD allowing us to have the strongest squad we've had for some time, basically two players for every position, which should suffice under normal circumstances.
How's it his fault that we have to rely on the youngsters?
Why Venners on rather than Morgan? Baffled me. Not criticising the lad but it was like putting on a schoolboy!
I'm wondering if Bow's options were further limited by the injury to Davison in the U-23s game on Monday, when he scored twice then was subbed off late on with a head injury- so Vennings got the bench place instead of the forward option of Davison?
Just need to look at Huddersfield's subs to understand how hard it is. They brought on Simpson who I think in right in saying played in Leicester's title winning team. Despite them looking awful they did have a few good players and that shows how hard it is for our kids to compete.
Comments
I do how ever think that a more experienced, dare I say cynical manager, would have set up differently in the last to games. 2 banks of 4, or even 4 and 5 and make us difficult to break down. You can't play a high press 3 times in a week with kids and old men. You will loose all 3.
However I do blame Roland for last night, if he hadn't fixed the pitch that would have been called off
Cannot believe bringing a promising schoolboy on
was better than Albie! Would love to know if
Bowyer and Morgan have had a big row.
Possibly even Deji Oshilaja or Ledley would have been
better subs. Not fair on the youngster, easily brushed off the ball!
Albie looks heavier than the run around all day boys and Bowyer himself , so maybe that’s rubbed him up wrong , has Bowyer got a touch of the Curbs about him when you get on the wrong side there’s no coming back .
In my opinion the only injury prone players we've got at the club are: Solly | Matthews | Williams | Aneke | Page
Everyone else has just been damned unlucky!!
With all due respect, none of us on here know what you're dealing with outside of the forum and my differing opinion on a player shouldn't really have any effect on that - they're things best kept separate.
I'm sorry you're having a tough time of it, hope it starts looking up for you soon.
Bright side - not going to see a minute of Friday's game.
However, as the unmentionable neighbours have proven, it only takes a few positive results to get you leap frogging up the table. I reckon Bow will turn it around in the fullness of time, and I reckon that could be sooner rather than later if the sale goes through and he gets some much needed support.
For my money, he is the man I'd most want in my trench since Curbishley.
Midfield bypassed constantly. Attacking wise we were spectators.
If Taylor fit then go 4-4-2 diamond and take out Leko.
Lockyer: back to the shaky chump of August can't pass for toffee
Pearce: looked naive and weak
Sarr: oh my good god mad sad bad old naby the walking disaster is back in full effect, terrifying
Solly: blamelessly made the best he could surrounded by defensive dross, that final clearance was the net result of the witless buffoonery of the previous few minutes of his hapless colleagues
Pratley: industrious but overwhelmed
Gallagher: quiet first half, better 2nd but took on too much, forgivable because of the shit he was swimming in
Doughty: decent
Purrington: don't understand the flak he gets, he's just a scapegoat for the sake of having one, consistently decent
Leko: worthless parasitic crook can get lost, didn't try a leg, worst insult to the red shirt since the Moron Sodall last royally took the piss out of us
Bonne: no service
Referee: gave Charlton absolutely nothing the whole 2nd half until the terriers got the goal he so dearly wanted for them
watched on the red button for the first time - who the eff was that so called commentator? ludicrous twat sounded like John Thomson's footy know nothing loser from the Fast Show - called Doughty 'Doherty' the entire game while exposing his total ignorance of the game - farcical
Cullen, Williams, Oztumer, Field, Kayal, JFC, Aneke, Lapslie all injured. And we're playing Pratley and Gallagher and now Ledley. So any kid that is playing is at least 12th choice in midfield, and Vennings is arguably FIFTEENTH CHOICE. I don't think many clubs in the world would have 10 midfielders injured and not be forced to play a kid.
I had a BRILLIANT evening.
Injuries are really hampering us, added to that I don't think Pearce or Sarr on current showings are good enough in this league, nor is Leko .
On the plus side we're a different team with Taylor playing so will be interesting to see how the next few weeks improves or doesn't.
We need to scrape a win somewhere for confidence.