We are as capable of beating the top sides as dropping points to the worst teams because us winning revolves around our ability to keep a clean sheet. This may be enough to get us into the play offs. It won't be enough for automatic promotion and won't be entertaining either.
The end will justify the means but LB shouldn't keep looking for excuses because you don't have to be a footballing genius to work out what the reasons for our failures and successes are. It is the way he sets the team up to play and it's been happening since we came out of lockdown.
I think Bowyer has a free run at this season with TS personally, too much was made of it when he took over that having the right management team in place was key. I imagine there's enough room for Bowyer to argue that performances will fluctuate in the absence of a proper squad assembled well in advance for a proper pre-season.
If Thomas came out and sacked Bowyer, would people back that?
I think I would. That's not to say I'm not greatful for everything Bowyer has done but prehaps it's soon time for a change because the dressing room atmosphere is a cause for concern and Bowyer dosnt know how to kill a game off without going park the bus mode.
You want Sandgaard to sack Bowyer because we’re in 6th place with a game in hand?
Has nothing to do with our position in the league.
With our current form though that can change very quickly
Last 5 games, there’s still 8 teams with worse form than us, including Sunderland and Peterborough.
Last 10 games, we’re 4th in form table with 20 points. Only 3 points behind the form team Accrington
If Thomas came out and sacked Bowyer, would people back that?
I think I would. That's not to say I'm not greatful for everything Bowyer has done but prehaps it's soon time for a change because the dressing room atmosphere is a cause for concern and Bowyer dosnt know how to kill a game off without going park the bus mode.
Not at the minute. He has earned himself a bit of time and mistakes by experienced professionals are costing us too. I'd give him until the end of February and I'm still confident he'll be our manager all season.
Bowyer surely need to be careful. Williams is an international player and i assume is well respected and liked within the squad. If he goes public slating someone like Morgan it probably gets forgotten about, but when you do that to a player of Williams' stature it might risk upsetting the squad and losing the dressing room.
You're not mugging off an up and coming young player here, and telling him he needs to buck his ideas up if he wants to make it as a pro............William's is a 27 year old international footballer.
williams has been too brave for his own good in the past - his qualities need to be protected and used to the benefit of our attacking play - bowyer is completely misusing him and i'm starting to think bowyer wants him off the wage bill - if i was williams i would want out
This place has become pretty unrecognisable on match days. We were bad, as we have been for a few weeks now. Before that we went on our best ever run at this level, better than we did under Powell the year we won the league. Before that we barely had a squad, had to plug countless gaps at the last minute under an oppressive wage cap that other teams were able to plan ahead of, after barely managing to get our club back from the brink. Despite all that, when matches start if we're not playing brilliant football you can't move for abject negativity and criticisms of the manager, the shape and individual players. I don't know if it's just Charlton at the moment or if football fans are just losing their patience more and more but it's really unpleasant following matches if we're not winning. Teams will play badly, they'll go on dodgy runs of form, particularly when they've put together a team made up at the last minute for peanuts, I don't really understand at the end of a match where we didn't even lose, were without 5 first team players and sit in the play-off spots with a game in hand over most of the teams ahead of us how people are losing the plot this badly. Do people think we're too good to slum it with the likes of Burton and Shewsbury; because we're not. Ah well, it's up to you how you follow the team I suppose, but it's not a good look.
If Bowyer is going to get credit for when we played well he must also take criticism when we play badly. And we are playing badly, very badly.
For us to have gone between such extremes of quality suggests that something is not right, and that ultimately will always end up the responsibility of the manager no matter their past achievements.
Is it Bowyer's fault we lost our first choice center back pairing? No. But the lack of morale and effort is definitely something he has to have some responsibility for, not least because he HAS managed to fire up teams in dark places before. So why not now? What has happened? It's a valid question.
Interesting that Driesen is still watching(?) us. Obviously I'm not giving him credit for the promotion side 2 season ago, but can't argue with his comment...
A period of silence from this little twerp - i.e. forever - wouldn't go amiss.
The self-proclaimed "capitalist hippie" is right, of course, but it's a pity he couldn't persuade his boss to offer realistic and timely contracts to Aribo and Taylor. Had he done so, we probably wouldn't find ourselves in this division.
I dunno what is, probably not being able to attend games, but I’m really struggling to connect with this group of players. The CP promotion team and the Cullen/ Bielik side seemed much more relatable in a way. Players like Gilbey, Watson, Washington don’t really float my boat if you know what I mean. It’s all a bit bland.
I agree with this.
Too many players who just have that 'League One identikit' feel to them. None of them are terrible players really, but few of them will ever get you off your seat. Particularly in midfield where we basically have about 4/5 players who play exactly the same way.
The only two players that jump off the teamsheet for me, and that I'd be excited to watch play, are Aneke and Doughty (and when on form - Williams). Other than that, its all just a bit middle of the road.
Fan expectations are a crazy thing. Remember less than 3 months ago we very nearly went out of business. You don't go from that scenario to one where you run away with the league quickly.
This squad was assembled quite literally from nothing and in an extraordinary short piece of time. All anger should be directed to the blood suckers that stunk the place out whilst robbing it blind for months and their predecessors that couldn't really give a shit.
People calling for Bowyer. Who would you realistically replace him with? Reputation and higher rankings count very little when trying to navigate out of the shit forsaken league. He's got us out before and I think he can get us out again.
But this season? unlikely with the terrible hand he was dealt prior to TS turning up.
I dunno what is, probably not being able to attend games, but I’m really struggling to connect with this group of players. The CP promotion team and the Cullen/ Bielik side seemed much more relatable in a way. Players like Gilbey, Watson, Washington don’t really float my boat if you know what I mean. It’s all a bit bland.
I agree with this.
Too many players who just have that 'League One identikit' feel too them. None of them are terrible players really, but nobody that ever really gets you off your seat.
The only two players that jump off the teamsheet for me, and that I'd be excited to watch play, are Aneke and Doughty. Other than that, its all just a bit middle of the road.
True but i guess that's to be expected when you start building a squad late on, with a 2k a week salary cap for players.
If there was no salary cap, or if TS had arrived 1-2 months earlier, we'd have had a much stronger team heading into this year. For example we know Bowyer wanted Clarke-Harris but he went to Peterborough at the end of August, a month before TS arrived.
Very disappointing performance that was. No movement. Something not right. We continue to go backwards and there seems to be a lack of belief and conviction at the moment. Still top six and have some home games coming up. Missing Alfie D a lot more than I hoped. Disappointing not to hold on for a scrappy and undeserved win but not really gutted like I should be because we got what we deserved in all honesty
It was good to see two real central defenders in the team
Also pleased to see JFC back
Amos was brilliant as usual
The goal was well worked
We're still 6th
Negatives
It was absolutely tedious. Football is meant to be a form of entertainment, there was nothing entertaining about that. Playing such stupendously dull football like that will do nothing to get the crowds back
The passing and movement were absolutely appalling. We played better when we had a team of newbies that had never clapped eyes on each other before. What do they do in training to make us so bad?
For (at least) fifteen minutes at the end we looked like a team expecting to concede. Ten men all lined across the Penalty box. Why do we always end up so deep? Why are we incapable of pushing up? Why are we incapable of leaving someone up front to pick up the balls that get hoofed out? Are we really so bereft of genuine attacking options that our only foray forward in the last ten minutes was an inevitable mission to the corner flag? Here's the big thing about taking it to the corner flag, you've absolutely no hope of scoring from there, so you end up spurring on the opposition who know that they've only got to get one back.
The awful substitution of Williams and the shameful excuse making afterwards.
I feel already that my answers to the Trust survey are out of date. Play-offs, I said. Who was I kidding?
I dunno what is, probably not being able to attend games, but I’m really struggling to connect with this group of players. The CP promotion team and the Cullen/ Bielik side seemed much more relatable in a way. Players like Gilbey, Watson, Washington don’t really float my boat if you know what I mean. It’s all a bit bland.
I agree with this.
Too many players who just have that 'League One identikit' feel to them. None of them are terrible players really, but few of them will ever get you off your seat. Particularly in midfield where we basically have about 4/5 players who play exactly the same way.
The only two players that jump off the teamsheet for me, and that I'd be excited to watch play, are Aneke and Doughty (and when on form - Williams). Other than that, its all just a bit middle of the road.
On 40mins I forgot Gilbey was on the pitch, 100% truth.
How do you go from player of the year to that????? Charltonised??
Makes you laugh. Bowyer fuming at the game management of the players he's picked, tactics he's coached, and subs he's made. He's come across as a right cock this week, everyone's fault but his own.
It's been a strange week for Bows, I hope it isn't the effect of being under real pressure from our owner for the first time. He needs to snap out of it ASAP.
Fan expectations are a crazy thing. Remember less than 3 months ago we very nearly went out of business. You don't go from that scenario to one where you run away with the league quickly.
This squad was assembled quite literally from nothing and in an extraordinary short piece of time. All anger should be directed to the blood suckers that stunk the place out whilst robbing it blind for months and their predecessors that couldn't really give a shit.
People calling for Bowyer. Who would you realistically replace him with? Reputation and higher rankings count very little when trying to navigate out of the shit forsaken league. He's got us out before and I think he can get us out again.
But this season? unlikely with the terrible hand he was dealt prior to TS turning up.
I don't think expecting the team to actually show some effort or enthusiasm against the likes of Burton or Shrewsbury is that crazy actually.
If there had been any imagination or motivated play but we'd still lost, that would be one thing. But to play ultra conservative defensive shit and still lose is another thing entirely.
No-one is realistically thinking we're going to be running away with the league. But based on what Bowyer himself has managed with notionally "weak" squads, to be second best in every way to Burton is a bloody tough pill to swallow.
I dunno what is, probably not being able to attend games, but I’m really struggling to connect with this group of players. The CP promotion team and the Cullen/ Bielik side seemed much more relatable in a way. Players like Gilbey, Watson, Washington don’t really float my boat if you know what I mean. It’s all a bit bland.
I agree with this.
Too many players who just have that 'League One identikit' feel to them. None of them are terrible players really, but few of them will ever get you off your seat. Particularly in midfield where we basically have about 4/5 players who play exactly the same way.
The only two players that jump off the teamsheet for me, and that I'd be excited to watch play, are Aneke and Doughty (and when on form - Williams). Other than that, its all just a bit middle of the road.
On 40mins I forgot Gilbey was on the pitch, 100% truth.
How do you go from player of the year to that????? Charltonised??
Yep, I think so,
Out injured for 11 games and he hasn’t looked with it since returning. Not keeping up with the game hence 4 yellows in 5 games.
Makes you laugh. Bowyer fuming at the game management of the players he's picked, tactics he's coached, and subs he's made. He's come across as a right cock this week, everyone's fault but his own.
It's been a strange week for Bows, I hope it isn't the effect of being under real pressure from our owner for the first time. He needs to snap out of it ASAP.
Personally I hope it is.
100% Dazzler, you don't lose 50m a year to not question what the fk is going on.
Since my original post match comment way back in this thread, and admitting I've only scanned a few other comments, I'm somewhat concerned that a few are asking for LB's head and others are saying TS may well be getting ready (my words) to change things or at least should be considering it, WHO do people think are 1 Available and 2 Can do a much better job? Danny Cowley is the only name I've seen mentioned?
Comments
The end will justify the means but LB shouldn't keep looking for excuses because you don't have to be a footballing genius to work out what the reasons for our failures and successes are. It is the way he sets the team up to play and it's been happening since we came out of lockdown.
I would have respected him a lot more if he had said "We deserved that loss. We need to do better and I need to do better."
https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/furious-charlton-boss-lee-bowyer-explains-why-substitute-jonny-williams-was-hooked-just-23-minutes-after-coming-on-during-draw-at-shrewsbury/
I wouldn't want to be sitting next to him on the coach home!
For us to have gone between such extremes of quality suggests that something is not right, and that ultimately will always end up the responsibility of the manager no matter their past achievements.
Is it Bowyer's fault we lost our first choice center back pairing? No. But the lack of morale and effort is definitely something he has to have some responsibility for, not least because he HAS managed to fire up teams in dark places before. So why not now? What has happened? It's a valid question.
The self-proclaimed "capitalist hippie" is right, of course, but it's a pity he couldn't persuade his boss to offer realistic and timely contracts to Aribo and Taylor. Had he done so, we probably wouldn't find ourselves in this division.
Too many players who just have that 'League One identikit' feel to them. None of them are terrible players really, but few of them will ever get you off your seat. Particularly in midfield where we basically have about 4/5 players who play exactly the same way.
The only two players that jump off the teamsheet for me, and that I'd be excited to watch play, are Aneke and Doughty (and when on form - Williams). Other than that, its all just a bit middle of the road.
Fan expectations are a crazy thing. Remember less than 3 months ago we very nearly went out of business. You don't go from that scenario to one where you run away with the league quickly.
This squad was assembled quite literally from nothing and in an extraordinary short piece of time. All anger should be directed to the blood suckers that stunk the place out whilst robbing it blind for months and their predecessors that couldn't really give a shit.
People calling for Bowyer. Who would you realistically replace him with?
Reputation and higher rankings count very little when trying to navigate out of the shit forsaken league. He's got us out before and I think he can get us out again.
But this season? unlikely with the terrible hand he was dealt prior to TS turning up.
If there was no salary cap, or if TS had arrived 1-2 months earlier, we'd have had a much stronger team heading into this year. For example we know Bowyer wanted Clarke-Harris but he went to Peterborough at the end of August, a month before TS arrived.
Backwards shite with players that can't control a ball or fall over when anyone comes within a foot of them.
Take one on the chin Bows that was shit and you got it wrong from the first minute.
Whose advising him on all this 60mins subs shit as they need to be gone.
We are the most predictable side in the league and even more predictable that boxing day being the day after Xmas.
Negatives
Jesus, did not feel like it.
How do you go from player of the year to that?????
Charltonised??
Yep, I think so,
If there had been any imagination or motivated play but we'd still lost, that would be one thing. But to play ultra conservative defensive shit and still lose is another thing entirely.
No-one is realistically thinking we're going to be running away with the league. But based on what Bowyer himself has managed with notionally "weak" squads, to be second best in every way to Burton is a bloody tough pill to swallow.
Becoming boring Bows, as long as the senior pros don't get a word against them then that's fine.