I'm a big LB fan but putting some blame on the fans is ridiculous. Do think at times he thinks he's exempt from criticism and he has to take some of the blame today as no one really looked up for it. Onto the next, maybe one day we'll beat a team we're favourites against.
He didn't blame the fans ffs. Some of our fans have been on a "war footing" for so long they don't know when to stop shooting.
I half expect to find someone tucked under a bush in 2035 with a "Roland out" banner refusing to set foot in the Valley until he has gone.
I won't have the heart to tell him we won the last 3 champions leagues and Roland has been dead for 5 years.
It is clear that our squad is lacking bite up front. Many are pleading for a striker in January but can we realistically bring in a promotion boosting striker in January? If our squad is more or less full and the budget is almost spent, who do we think we are going to sign? Messi?
If the league finance cap results in us looking at strikers for £2k a week, or thereabouts, we are fucked as every other club in league one has the same budget. We need to overhaul the current squad and to do that we need to let players go that we've just signed, with no guarantee that the replacements will gell and be any better for the team. It has been mentioned on forums that clubs should be doing their scouting already as deals for new players 'should' be sewn up long before the window actually opens. One commentator stated that starting to look in January is already way too late and the best will be missed.
People keep saying that our squad is the mustard, but is it? It was cobbled together at last minute, with a who's who of hand-me-down players that were not wanted elsewhere, hence they came to our basket case. Our reputation hasn't been all that lately so they couldn't really be expecting to believe all of the hype.
We are doing fantastic to be in with a shout, after the shit show of our summer. Thomas is passionate about our club and wants the success that we all crave, but it isn't a foregone that it will come just because we all want it. Do Sunderland fans believe that they are better than League One, you bet, but they are having shit sandwich served up pretty often.
If we can keep in the pack who knows what will happen in May. Expecting these players to run away with the league is very optimistic and probably unrealistic.
I trust Bowyer to do the right thing for the club and it's fans, even it is isn't as successful as we might hope.
Ronnie Schwartz will be here on January 1st. We’re also getting a top-class attacking loan signing who I believe is from Chelsea.
I hope LB is still learning and will look back on that game. It was not just about 'sharpness', the shape was totally wrong. How could he have done better?
Why are we always setting up wrong and then having to change it... Is this due to a lack of analysts or a scouts to study at the opposition...? Is LB still having to do it himself?
We looked rock solid with Famewo + Inniss and that spine is gone. We'll see what we're like with Famewo + Osh/Pearce but I don't think Osh/Pearce will be part of the same dominating defence we saw earlier in the season, they are not at that level. So we must start scoring more goals.
A goalscorer will help us (how could it not) but we have real woes in the midfield we've assembled. There is no 'Fraser' in there, Gallagher, or a Graham Stuart-type player who will grab the ball and drive us forwards. Shinnie has quality but disappears. Morgan can play a pass but is still young and not yet dominating midfield. The rest are very samey box-to-box midfielders. You don't feel like you can depend on any of them.
What we'd give for a bit of strength and athleticism in there, or a proper leader who isn't afraid to pick up the ball and make things happen.
I couldn't agree more with the comment earlier about needing a more mobile CDM. Watson was made to look an absolute clogger yesterday. How we miss someone like Cullen, who actually wins the ball, rather than Watson, whose legs are so far gone that he just has to foul because he can't keep up.
My final point, throughout my history of watching Charlton, we have failed to give our playmakers and danger players the ball. If Maddison is on the pitch and having success against their LB, target play down that side. If Williams is now on, get him the ball and let him run. Give the ball to your dangerous players. We don't do it.
Great posts. I also had trouble working out if Shinnie, Gilbey or Morgan (bit easier with hair colour) were on the ball. Almost as if I was watching a dodgy stream rather than a HD one.
Looks like Smyth is out for 3/4 weeks, with Shinnie out this Sat. He probably needed a rest.
Bow's: “We’re talking maybe three or four weeks before he is back. He is a QPR player, they want it all done properly.”
Shame they didn't fancy the Charlton style patchup 'play till injured.
I hope Ronnie Schwartz has kept himself fit, having played 2 friendlies all season.
Watching the game last night I found myself not really knowing who the different players were without checking the number on the back of their shirt.
Thats not common for me and I think it might be because in midfield we have three players who are so similar in the way they play. Gilbey, Shinney and Morgan have slight variations but ultimately all three are quite generic ‘all rounders’.
The challenge with that is that they can be quite easy to nullify. We have too many ‘Jack of all trade’ type players in midfield and attack, and not enough real specialists.
Same goes for Washington and Bogle. I don’t think either are terrible, but they’re just quite average and don’t have a stand out trait that we can build around. Chuks Aneke is a world apart from them in that sense.
Someone (might have been you) nailed it when describing Washington on the match thread. You can't help but like him, because he tries so hard, but he is just a very average footballer.
It is clear that our squad is lacking bite up front. Many are pleading for a striker in January but can we realistically bring in a promotion boosting striker in January? If our squad is more or less full and the budget is almost spent, who do we think we are going to sign? Messi?
If the league finance cap results in us looking at strikers for £2k a week, or thereabouts, we are fucked as every other club in league one has the same budget. We need to overhaul the current squad and to do that we need to let players go that we've just signed, with no guarantee that the replacements will gell and be any better for the team. It has been mentioned on forums that clubs should be doing their scouting already as deals for new players 'should' be sewn up long before the window actually opens. One commentator stated that starting to look in January is already way too late and the best will be missed.
People keep saying that our squad is the mustard, but is it? It was cobbled together at last minute, with a who's who of hand-me-down players that were not wanted elsewhere, hence they came to our basket case. Our reputation hasn't been all that lately so they couldn't really be expecting to believe all of the hype.
We are doing fantastic to be in with a shout, after the shit show of our summer. Thomas is passionate about our club and wants the success that we all crave, but it isn't a foregone that it will come just because we all want it. Do Sunderland fans believe that they are better than League One, you bet, but they are having shit sandwich served up pretty often.
If we can keep in the pack who knows what will happen in May. Expecting these players to run away with the league is very optimistic and probably unrealistic.
I trust Bowyer to do the right thing for the club and it's fans, even it is isn't as successful as we might hope.
Ronnie Schwartz will be here on January 1st. We’re also getting a top-class attacking loan signing who I believe is from Chelsea.
Sorry if I've missed it? Are we? Where was this posted
Comments
I hope LB is still learning and will look back on that game. It was not just about 'sharpness', the shape was totally wrong. How could he have done better?
Why are we always setting up wrong and then having to change it... Is this due to a lack of analysts or a scouts to study at the opposition...? Is LB still having to do it himself?
We looked rock solid with Famewo + Inniss and that spine is gone. We'll see what we're like with Famewo + Osh/Pearce but I don't think Osh/Pearce will be part of the same dominating defence we saw earlier in the season, they are not at that level. So we must start scoring more goals.
A goalscorer will help us (how could it not) but we have real woes in the midfield we've assembled. There is no 'Fraser' in there, Gallagher, or a Graham Stuart-type player who will grab the ball and drive us forwards. Shinnie has quality but disappears. Morgan can play a pass but is still young and not yet dominating midfield. The rest are very samey box-to-box midfielders. You don't feel like you can depend on any of them.
What we'd give for a bit of strength and athleticism in there, or a proper leader who isn't afraid to pick up the ball and make things happen.
I couldn't agree more with the comment earlier about needing a more mobile CDM. Watson was made to look an absolute clogger yesterday. How we miss someone like Cullen, who actually wins the ball, rather than Watson, whose legs are so far gone that he just has to foul because he can't keep up.
My final point, throughout my history of watching Charlton, we have failed to give our playmakers and danger players the ball. If Maddison is on the pitch and having success against their LB, target play down that side. If Williams is now on, get him the ball and let him run. Give the ball to your dangerous players. We don't do it.
Looks like Smyth is out for 3/4 weeks, with Shinnie out this Sat. He probably needed a rest.
Bow's:
“We’re talking maybe three or four weeks before he is back. He is a QPR player, they want it all done properly.”
Shame they didn't fancy the Charlton style patchup 'play till injured.
I hope Ronnie Schwartz has kept himself fit, having played 2 friendlies all season.