The word bizarre has been used a lot on here today and I was using that word a lot during the game when messaging family and friends.
As has been said, playing players out of position is frustrating but Manager's do that so it's not that unusual. Also, persisting with players who have just not turned up previously (ala. Bogle) is also not that unusual, especially with a lack of other players for that position. But, what is unusual and frankly bizarre is not playing your best attacking/creative player when it was obvious the game needed it. Bowyer himself said in his post match interview the need to "get bodies forward as much as we possibly could". Well, I would have thought the best way to do that was to bring Maddison on. And he chose not to. Maddison is obviously our most creative player, and he has proven that he can make things happen in a split second. And he was purposely left on the bench when the game was crying out for it.
It is this last point that has me seriously questioning Lee Bowyer's judgment. I feel not only am I losing patience with him but I'm also losing confidence in him. If it isn't obvious to him that the best thing to have done today to "get bodies forward" would have been to bring Maddison on then I'm not sure any more that I have the confidence in what he is telling us or what his plans are for the January window. I do believe Thomas will give him time but can Lee turn it around? Most of us hope so I'm sure. But the more I see Lee's bizarre team selections and tactics over the past few weeks the more I'm doubting he will be able to change things. I never would have said that a couple of months ago.
In any other situation I'd be calling him a complete wanker... I don't think this is right, but he has a point
To be fair, I take this back. As someone else said, this is taking the piss out of Hull... Sat on the bench at their ground while he was there, with them, losing every week
Yeah, it was just reminiscent of his time at Hull last season. To Marcus, Groundhog Day.
I think that Bowyer knows that the players that were brought in have done well enough to get us where we are and no further. When we had our decent run earlier in the season it was the defence that provided the bedrock of that run, two long term injuries later we are seeing how much lack of quality is in the squad. How many games have we now seen Bogle miss a glorious chance. The stats on today's game gave us huge possession but with no end product we look a bad side. Bowyers management should be judged on what he can now do by moving people on and bringing people in.
It all needs to go back to basics, playing players in their right position, using a conventional formation that can be trusted for 90 minutes and dropping anything not worth its pay from the squad entirely. Bogle should be moved on, we can do no worse, whatever he has, he has not brought it to this club, Levitt back to Utd, as clearly not a Bowyer type player. Lapslie and Oztumer to also help budget. We need 3-4 signings to play week in week out and make a difference. If not, we will struggle to finish in the top 6. Feels so gloomy when it shouldn’t need to. Best owner in a long while deserves better than this.
Pointless saying what should happen without the obvious regarding Bowyer. Why? Because it won't happen with him in charge. He has lost the plot and the dressing room. He plays mind blowingly baffling tactics that clearly don't work. If it is heading only one way, try to change direction whilst you still have a chance of achieving something.
Somebody like Sandgaard didn't get where he is by allowing failure to just happen. Not when he can do something about it. Every game he fails to act makes achieving something this season harder. We have a squad strong enough for promotion and it will probably get stronger after this window. Sadly the manager has lost the plot for a while now.
You keep saying he’s lost the dressing room and have been for weeks (about 50 times per post match thread) but there’s no evidence of that. It’s pure speculation on your part. If you’re going to spend all these pages every week arguing that Bowyer should be sacked you should at least stick to the facts. We are on a poor run of form but let’s not make things up
Having thought about it...I can honestly see Curbs returning...Jackson and/or Euell to help him. Even if it was until the end of the season.
Dont want Bowyer to go but he really needs to get his head round things & go back to basics.
Don't think Bowyer would take well to 'help' myself. Maybe at the start but not now.
I think that is part of the problem. Even if these "tactics" are something him and Jacko came up with you would expect some form of Watson, Pratley, Pearce, Gunter etc etc to say hang on a minute, this is bonkers.
Read the bit about Pratley’s suspension and it costing us. I actually think it’s a blessing in disguise. I’ve not been impressed with the fact he seems to be first name on the team sheet every week and I think it will force Bowyer to play Oshilaja at the back with Pearce. Might not be the best centre back pairing in the world, but Oshilaja gives us a bit of bite and pace.
The Malik Wilks comment about playing on the right just epitomises the cautious negative football we seem to be playing at the moment. We’re sacrificing players in their normal positions for the sake of trying to nullify an opposing player. It’s too convoluted. As others have said, trust that your players are capable enough and let them deal with it. The whole team gets thrown into a positional bingo game on account of us worrying about Wilks ffs. He’s a decent player, but he’s not Messi. The whole thing just screams weakness on our part that we’re going to those lengths to nullify and not focus on what we need to do to win a game.
The final point I’ve got is about the piss poor standard of the league. I agree it’s bad, but when I read comments over and over again and see performances like the ones we’ve turned in over the last 10 games, I think, we’re right at home in it
The target for this season is top six. I still think that’s achievable and so LB has my full support. The squad isn’t a patch on 18/19 and losing both Inniss and Famewo long term has really set us back. Clearly Bogle isn’t good enough and there’s a lot riding on Ronnie Schwarz and whichever other fresh faces can be brought in inside the salary cap.
Astonished that the majority of Charlton Life seem to want Bowyer out ... fortunately it would appear that Thomas does not agree with you.
How the hell do you work that out????
Because if you think someone is having a bit of a mare and point out what you see as their faults you automatically want them sacked he says arms flailing and all over dramatic
Having thought about it...I can honestly see Curbs returning...Jackson and/or Euell to help him. Even if it was until the end of the season.
Dont want Bowyer to go but he really needs to get his head round things & go back to basics.
Don't think Bowyer would take well to 'help' myself. Maybe at the start but not now.
I think that is part of the problem. Even if these "tactics" are something him and Jacko came up with you would expect some form of Watson, Pratley, Pearce, Gunter etc etc to say hang on a minute, this is bonkers.
Perhaps they already have? And that's caused some sort of upset?
Read the bit about Pratley’s suspension and it costing us. I actually think it’s a blessing in disguise. I’ve not been impressed with the fact he seems to be first name on the team sheet every week and I think it will force Bowyer to play Oshilaja at the back with Pearce. Might not be the best centre back pairing in the world, but Oshilaja gives us a bit of bite and pace.
The Malik Wilks comment about playing on the right just epitomises the cautious negative football we seem to be playing at the moment. We’re sacrificing players in their normal positions for the sake of trying to nullify an opposing player. It’s too convoluted. As others have said, trust that your players are capable enough and let them deal with it. The whole team gets thrown into a positional bingo game on account of us worrying about Wilks ffs. He’s a decent player, but he’s not Messi. The whole thing just screams weakness on our part that we’re going to those lengths to nullify and not focus on what we need to do to win a game.
The final point I’ve got is about the piss poor standard of the league. I agree it’s bad, but when I read comments over and over again and see performances like the ones we’ve turned in over the last 10 games, I think, we’re right at home in it
Watson too - I doubt many teams have got promoted starting two 35 year old defensive midfielders in every game. Bowyer’s reluctance to give Morgan a run despite him offering creativity and mobility. It might also force him to start one of Maddison or Williams in every game.
Good to have experience in the squad, but neither are so good that they should always be guaranteed starters. It’s not as if this squad is as young as squads we’ve had in recent years, for one thing we’re playing fewer academy players.
Having thought about it...I can honestly see Curbs returning...Jackson and/or Euell to help him. Even if it was until the end of the season.
Dont want Bowyer to go but he really needs to get his head round things & go back to basics.
Don't think Bowyer would take well to 'help' myself. Maybe at the start but not now.
I think that is part of the problem. Even if these "tactics" are something him and Jacko came up with you would expect some form of Watson, Pratley, Pearce, Gunter etc etc to say hang on a minute, this is bonkers.
Perhaps they already have? And that's caused some sort of upset?
Yet all 4 are the 1st names on the team sheet so if they have told him and he has ignored them and he keeps picking them........
Read the bit about Pratley’s suspension and it costing us. I actually think it’s a blessing in disguise. I’ve not been impressed with the fact he seems to be first name on the team sheet every week and I think it will force Bowyer to play Oshilaja at the back with Pearce. Might not be the best centre back pairing in the world, but Oshilaja gives us a bit of bite and pace.
The Malik Wilks comment about playing on the right just epitomises the cautious negative football we seem to be playing at the moment. We’re sacrificing players in their normal positions for the sake of trying to nullify an opposing player. It’s too convoluted. As others have said, trust that your players are capable enough and let them deal with it. The whole team gets thrown into a positional bingo game on account of us worrying about Wilks ffs. He’s a decent player, but he’s not Messi. The whole thing just screams weakness on our part that we’re going to those lengths to nullify and not focus on what we need to do to win a game.
The final point I’ve got is about the piss poor standard of the league. I agree it’s bad, but when I read comments over and over again and see performances like the ones we’ve turned in over the last 10 games, I think, we’re right at home in it
Watson too - I doubt many teams have got promoted starting two 35 year old defensive midfielders in every game. Bowyer’s reluctance to give Morgan a run despite him offering creativity and mobility. It might also force him to start one of Maddison or Williams in every game.
Good to have experience in the squad, but neither are so good that they should always be guaranteed starters. It’s not as if this squad is as young as squads we’ve had in recent years, for one thing we’re playing fewer academy players.
when it comes to our youth Bowyer seems to have no time for them. If i was Morgan i would think about getting a move out of this club. He is our best young player but barely gets a game. and when he does play he's always pushed over to the left hand side. Lapslie's been given the shove, yet we have Gilbey playing even though he has not had one good game for us. Bogle is fucking useless but he plays. Davidson meanwhile is sent out on loan.
I'm not saying these youngsters are the answer but the players who are in their position are hopeless so why not give them a go??
The target for this season is top six. I still think that’s achievable and so LB has my full support. The squad isn’t a patch on 18/19 and losing both Inniss and Famewo long term has really set us back. Clearly Bogle isn’t good enough and there’s a lot riding on Ronnie Schwarz and whichever other fresh faces can be brought in inside the salary cap.
And Shinnie. Midfield imbalanced, regardless of permutation of the others, without him IMO. But please Bow, find an alternative to JF-C. Simply not good enough to be a regular.
Zero confidence in the line up. Not only confidence but understanding. Square pegs in round holes when he’s got perfectly suitable round pegs at his disposal. It’s just plain weird. I dunno how much more I can take. I’m not ‘Bowyer out’ but fuck me he needs to sort himself out. Beginning to lose my interest, I wonder what TS thinks of it all.
I don't rate Bogle, and that's not a new thing as I was wary about him when he signed. He was poor today.
However what I don't like is managers calling out players for missing a chance. Bowyer did it today with Bogle, and did it before with Bonne. Strikers don't score every chance, even the best miss chances. Watching Quest just now, the likes of Troy Deeney and Todd Cantwell both missed sitters, and it's hardly the way to get confidence in a player if they get hauled off and publicly bollocked after missing their one chance.
Read the bit about Pratley’s suspension and it costing us. I actually think it’s a blessing in disguise. I’ve not been impressed with the fact he seems to be first name on the team sheet every week and I think it will force Bowyer to play Oshilaja at the back with Pearce. Might not be the best centre back pairing in the world, but Oshilaja gives us a bit of bite and pace.
The Malik Wilks comment about playing on the right just epitomises the cautious negative football we seem to be playing at the moment. We’re sacrificing players in their normal positions for the sake of trying to nullify an opposing player. It’s too convoluted. As others have said, trust that your players are capable enough and let them deal with it. The whole team gets thrown into a positional bingo game on account of us worrying about Wilks ffs. He’s a decent player, but he’s not Messi. The whole thing just screams weakness on our part that we’re going to those lengths to nullify and not focus on what we need to do to win a game.
The final point I’ve got is about the piss poor standard of the league. I agree it’s bad, but when I read comments over and over again and see performances like the ones we’ve turned in over the last 10 games, I think, we’re right at home in it
Watson too - I doubt many teams have got promoted starting two 35 year old defensive midfielders in every game. Bowyer’s reluctance to give Morgan a run despite him offering creativity and mobility. It might also force him to start one of Maddison or Williams in every game.
Good to have experience in the squad, but neither are so good that they should always be guaranteed starters. It’s not as if this squad is as young as squads we’ve had in recent years, for one thing we’re playing fewer academy players.
when it comes to our youth Bowyer seems to have no time for them.
I'm not saying these youngsters are the answer but the players who are in their position are hopeless so why not give them a go??
Youngsters bring quick feet, energy and enthusiasm. Could be a breath of fresh air to a jaded team.
I don't rate Bogle, and that's not a new thing as I was wary about him when he signed. He was poor today.
However what I don't like is managers calling out players for missing a chance. Bowyer did it today with Bogle, and did it before with Bonne. Strikers don't score every chance, even the best miss chances. Watching Quest just now, the likes of Troy Deeney and Todd Cantwell both missed sitters, and it's hardly the way to get confidence in a player if they get hauled off and publicly bollocked after missing their one chance.
He's digging a player out a week. Two today if you include Pratley. He is however reluctant to dig himself out.
It's not a good look and won't have gone unnoticed in the dressing room. I fear he may be running out of options. It is what it is as they say,and whether he likes it or not he needs the majority of this squad to get him out of the hole he's in. I doubt there will be many helping hands if he continues to slag them off.
To those thinking the transfer window will be our saviour. Do you really think Bowyer in his current mindset needs more players to tinker with?
Read the bit about Pratley’s suspension and it costing us. I actually think it’s a blessing in disguise. I’ve not been impressed with the fact he seems to be first name on the team sheet every week and I think it will force Bowyer to play Oshilaja at the back with Pearce. Might not be the best centre back pairing in the world, but Oshilaja gives us a bit of bite and pace.
The Malik Wilks comment about playing on the right just epitomises the cautious negative football we seem to be playing at the moment. We’re sacrificing players in their normal positions for the sake of trying to nullify an opposing player. It’s too convoluted. As others have said, trust that your players are capable enough and let them deal with it. The whole team gets thrown into a positional bingo game on account of us worrying about Wilks ffs. He’s a decent player, but he’s not Messi. The whole thing just screams weakness on our part that we’re going to those lengths to nullify and not focus on what we need to do to win a game.
The final point I’ve got is about the piss poor standard of the league. I agree it’s bad, but when I read comments over and over again and see performances like the ones we’ve turned in over the last 10 games, I think, we’re right at home in it
Watson too - I doubt many teams have got promoted starting two 35 year old defensive midfielders in every game. Bowyer’s reluctance to give Morgan a run despite him offering creativity and mobility. It might also force him to start one of Maddison or Williams in every game.
Good to have experience in the squad, but neither are so good that they should always be guaranteed starters. It’s not as if this squad is as young as squads we’ve had in recent years, for one thing we’re playing fewer academy players.
when it comes to our youth Bowyer seems to have no time for them.
I'm not saying these youngsters are the answer but the players who are in their position are hopeless so why not give them a go??
Youngsters bring quick feet, energy and enthusiasm. Could be a breath of fresh air to a jaded team.
We are crying out for energy, pace and fearlessness. If we can't find them in the established players we have to look at the younger ones.
Be interested to see a poll on here of those who do want Bowyer gone
But then you’re just playing to the reactionaries.
Bowyer isn't going to get sacked now, so ‘fans’ screaming for him to be sacked just create a whole heap of unecessary and unhelpful noise. Once it seeps in, its there and it gets rehashed and regenerated after every defeat or bad performance.
We've an owner thats not not going to mess around as he has made clear we need promotion in next 18 months. If Bowyer isn’t delivering that, he’ll get rid of him.
After all we’ve been through this last few years, Bowyer (you would have thought) has earned the loyalty to have a crack at correcting this. This has been a poorly put together squad and then Impacted by key injuries. If it doesn’t shown improvement signs over the next couple of months, he’ll carry the can for it. But he’s earned the right imo to have a go at working this out through.
AFKA must know something we don't but its his forum, he can do what he likes - this thread speaks for itself anyway
Astonished that the majority of Charlton Life seem to want Bowyer out ... fortunately it would appear that Thomas does not agree with you.
How the hell do you work that out????
Be interested to see a poll on here of those who do want Bowyer gone
But then you’re just playing to the reactionaries.
Bowyer isn't going to get sacked now, so ‘fans’ screaming for him to be sacked just create a whole heap of unecessary and unhelpful noise. Once it seeps in, its there and it gets rehashed and regenerated after every defeat or bad performance.
We've an owner thats not not going to mess around as he has made clear we need promotion in next 18 months. If Bowyer isn’t delivering that, he’ll get rid of him.
After all we’ve been through this last few years, Bowyer (you would have thought) has earned the loyalty to have a crack at correcting this. This has been a poorly put together squad and then Impacted by key injuries. If it doesn’t shown improvement signs over the next couple of months, he’ll carry the can for it. But he’s earned the right imo to have a go at working this out through Jan.
I’d agree with all that if it wasn’t for the bizarre team selections he is making and the way he is setting his teams up. And Maddison not even getting on the pitch today. What the fuck is that about?
Not sure who's lost the plot more, Bowyer with his starting lineup or those calling for Curbs back!!!
The man's not managed for 12 years and it's a completely different game now, I love the guy but seriously people, he's not the man to take us forward.
Come in and mentor LB - I'm all for that but manage us again, no chance!!
the game has been pretty much the same for the last 150 years - a high press used to be called closing down and pissing it about at the back used to be called time wasting
"When asked for his thinking behind the new role for the Chelsea loanee, Bowyer explained: “We thought [Malik] Wilks would be playing on the right. He’s been playing on the right all the time, coming in on his left foot and he’s very good at it. So, I thought Adam, he’ll be coming on to his strong foot as well, his right foot.Adam had done well in the last game in possession, he was very good on the ball."
So when he saw that Wilks was playing on the left Matthews playing out of position and a rapid Wilks against an aging Gunter. No plan b
more than that, it shows how obsessed with defending he is - time to go, lost it completely
Comments
Fridays team selection.
Bogle
Gilbey Maatsen Williams JFC
Don't be silly, Bogle has to go in goal!!!
Dont want Bowyer to go but he really needs to get his head round things & go back to basics.
I agree though, he wont have anyone else in now to help.
Good to have experience in the squad, but neither are so good that they should always be guaranteed starters. It’s not as if this squad is as young as squads we’ve had in recent years, for one thing we’re playing fewer academy players.
If i was Morgan i would think about getting a move out of this club. He is our best young player but barely gets a game. and when he does play he's always pushed over to the left hand side.
Lapslie's been given the shove, yet we have Gilbey playing even though he has not had one good game for us.
Bogle is fucking useless but he plays. Davidson meanwhile is sent out on loan.
I'm not saying these youngsters are the answer but the players who are in their position are hopeless so why not give them a go??
But please Bow, find an alternative to JF-C. Simply not good enough to be a regular.
However what I don't like is managers calling out players for missing a chance. Bowyer did it today with Bogle, and did it before with Bonne. Strikers don't score every chance, even the best miss chances. Watching Quest just now, the likes of Troy Deeney and Todd Cantwell both missed sitters, and it's hardly the way to get confidence in a player if they get hauled off and publicly bollocked after missing their one chance.
He is however reluctant to dig himself out.
It's not a good look and won't have gone unnoticed in the dressing room.
I fear he may be running out of options.
It is what it is as they say,and whether he likes it or not he needs the majority of this squad to get him out of the hole he's in. I doubt there will be many helping hands if he continues to slag them off.
To those thinking the transfer window will be our saviour. Do you really think Bowyer in his current mindset needs more players to tinker with?