Mid-week oop North - a standard Charlton showing in the circumstances. Thought we'd nicked a point here, gut wrenching way to lose, but we deserved it. Back 4/5 was creaking all game, and when they brought on those two man mountains and started hoofing it we just could handle it. They should've had 4 or 5.
Never seen a team so consistently terrible at clearing their lines. Virtually every header or hoofed clearance gets miss hit and lands right back in the danger zone or is straight at an opponent. We've been doing it for months. Felt sorry for Taylor and Bonne, both barely had a pass land withing 5 yards of them all night.
Midfield was too deep again - only when Lapslie came on and actually started pressing them and competing for second balls did we look remotely like we might get a foothold in the game.
And then with them overloading the flanks and having two giants to aim at, we did virtually nothing to try and change shape or stem the flow. Somethings not quite right with Bows at the moment. He was so proactive when he first got into management, but this season he's become steadily less proactive and reactive, and in a couple of recent games he's seemed virtually paralyzed.
It has to be the diamond and Lapslie has to start on Saturday. I think Deji and Sarr deserve a go together - Lockyer is suspended anyway but he's been struggling recently and Pearce looks done. Neither Deji or Sarr inspire 100% confidence but they've been the best of the bunch recently. People worry about our defence when we play fast skillful teams, but they look ever so much more vulnerable when they are asked to play against big direct sides like Wednesday - hardly surprising when only Pearce was over 6 foot, and he's only just, at that.
Lots of twists and turns to come - this won't be settled until May. It's still in our hands though.
We are good enough to stay up but the manager, who I honestly believed was a front foot one, has transformed into a back foot one. We are not reliable enough defensively to be a back foot team. A village idiot would be able to work that one out so why can't Bowyer?
What I find pathetic is Matt Southall tweeted a GIF of the Connor McGregor cocky walk after deadline day. What on Earth was he happy about, we have bought in bang average and I mean average players in Jan, pathetic window, pathetic team, no midfield, defence is a joke. But don’t worry we have players coming back from injury don’t we ....?
Bang bang in trouble. Oh, and we’ll lose Saturday.
Pratly should be played on saturday,even if he is on crutches,that has to be an improvement on our midfield.
Pratley is not the piece that is missing - Gallagher is, that's why Lapslie has improved us both times he has come on. Energy, running and attacking intent is what is missing with the midfields that have been starting recently.
If we go down..I will blame ESI for over promising and underdelivering in bucketloads. I would have been happier if they'd said nothing to us fans than hype it a op for 3 players who have brought nothing to the side.
The reason Luton, Barnsley and Wigan are going well is they're not playing for draws. Tonight was a bloody mess and LB should have been honest to say he screwed up but that comment to Louis is crass and a bloody insult to us.
Agree the set up and game mangement was wrong tonight,but this is no time to be slaughtering the manager,if he feels he has lost the crowd,this will run right through the club and that is the last thing we need.
Bowyer's had a badun, and done the text book cliched interview after and, while he certainly ain't above critism, the scenario we're now in was odds on gonna be the case at this point of the season, before a ball was even kicked.
What I find pathetic is Matt Southall tweeted a GIF of the Connor McGregor cocky walk after deadline day. What on Earth was he happy about, we have bought in bang average and I mean average players in Jan, pathetic window, pathetic team, no midfield, defence is a joke. But don’t worry we have players coming back from injury don’t we ....?
Bang bang in trouble. Oh, and we’ll lose Saturday.
No need for that. Matt Smith will come good soon, his experience and quality will really help us in this relegation battle.
God send that Wigan are away at West Brom on Saturday
The way they are playing they will probably beat them
I’m sorry but to suggest that Wigan coming up against West Brom is a godsend is nothing short of ridiculous! Even West Brom are dodgy whilst being top of the league! This crazy division throws up shocks every gameweek! Would not be at all surprised if they got a result there Saturday and fair play to them if they do!
Getting very tight now. A few weeks ago it looked like we only needed 45 or 46 points to be safe, but with all the bottom teams bar Boro now regularly picking up points it's now looking like we might need 50 or possibly even more to be safe. At least we still have some "winnable" home games to come which is just as well, as bar the Forest win we have been atrocious away from home for months. I'm still hopeful we will just about get over the line but far less confident now.
Huge weekend coming up. We absolutely have to get something on Saturday. Many of the teams around us are playing one another, whilst others are playing 3 of the top 4.
4-4-2 Diamond next game please. Also start Green with Taylor as I feel like those two have a better understanding. From the players we have fit I'd like to see us start like this.
Phillips Matthews Deji Pearce Purrington Davis Cullen Lapslie Oztumer Taylor Green
Then can bring on McGeady or Doughty in the second half if we need players to run at there defence.
Up until that Pearce slip it was a great defensive display not just from Phillips but the whole of the back five (Matthews | Pearce | Lockyer | Oshilaja)
Dunno what went wrong tonight, we started on the front foot but the referee's constantly poor decisions gave Wednesday a chance to take the game which they duly did
Of course we had plenty of time to regroup and subs could have been better
We move on to the next
Utter drivel. If Wednesday could finish they would have beaten us 3 or 4 nil comfortably. We on the other hand never looked like scoring once.
Other than Taylor hitting the crossbar, and the point blank effort that was blocked.
Had we carried on pressing, rather than trying to ‘do a professional job’, we might have got something from the game. We’ve been far too negative in selection and tactics on far too many occasions this season.
LB - “In the end, we’ve been conned. I think that’s a fair word to use. We’ve been conned. That was not a foul (that led to the late winner). It’s cost us a point. A good point. We deserved that point” @BBCLondonSport #cafc
Seriously Lee, We deserved a point did we.
I love the guy but lost a lot of respect for him with his post match comments, just come out and be honest, we were poor
Comments
Bang bang in trouble. Oh, and we’ll lose Saturday.
Pratley is not the piece that is missing - Gallagher is, that's why Lapslie has improved us both times he has come on. Energy, running and attacking intent is what is missing with the midfields that have been starting recently.
The reason Luton, Barnsley and Wigan are going well is they're not playing for draws. Tonight was a bloody mess and LB should have been honest to say he screwed up but that comment to Louis is crass and a bloody insult to us.
Forever the optimist and all that.....
Not great timing, was a harsh booking too.
We’re away at Huddersfield, both on 39 points.
Wigan away at West Brom.
Luton at home to Stoke.
Barnsley away at Reading.
Hull at home to Leeds.
Middlesbrough home to Forest.
Would've been a more useful option than McGeady tonight. Might have at least added some height to defend set pieces.
Phillips
Matthews Deji Pearce Purrington
Davis
Cullen Lapslie
Oztumer
Taylor Green
Then can bring on McGeady or Doughty in the second half if we need players to run at there defence.
LB - “In the end, we’ve been conned. I think that’s a fair word to use. We’ve been conned. That was not a foul (that led to the late winner). It’s cost us a point. A good point. We deserved that point” @BBCLondonSport #cafc
Seriously Lee, We deserved a point did we.
I love the guy but lost a lot of respect for him with his post match comments, just come out and be honest, we were poor
Somebody made a very good point that the teams around us are winning by not adopting a negative approach to games.