Don’t you love all the armchair critics on this board
calling for LB’s (and some even for SG’s) heads? They need a cold dose of reality,
rather than wallowing in some sense of Arsenal style fan entitlement. Let’s
deal with the facts.
In the Summer transfer window, having lost most of the squad
from the previous season, Lee and Steve were left with mostly unwanted scraps
to pick up in the market place. In most positions their 1st, 2nd,
and 3rd choices had gone, as players were no longer prepared to wait
to see (a) whether TS’s takeover would ever be completed and (b) that the
transfer embargo would be lifted. To top matters off when the club finally did
secure our heroic owner/saviour the league had, by then, imposed a financial
cap on all clubs in League 1 and below, effectively negating any positive financial
impact that TS could bring to the table.
People may argue why pick up these scraps? Well the answer
is quite simple, we would be heading for League 2 if we hadn’t, as we would be
relying heavily on our Under23s to get us through the season, many of whom
wouldn’t be able to make that step up and would have had their careers irreparably
damaged by having their respective confidences shattered. Yes, some would have
made the grade, but many wouldn’t simply because of the week in week out physical
demands of League 1.
In spite of having assembled a team of mostly 5th
rate choices LB has amazingly managed to steer his team towards the top end of
the table. It was achieved mostly on the back of having a physically imposing
backline in Innis and Famweo. They were ever presents in our 6 match winning
streak, when no goals were conceded, and having an attacking outlet in Alfie Doughty.
That back line, and Innis, in particular,
were also massive pluses in any set pieces in oppositions’ goalmouths. All three
players are out, having incurred long term injuries. And it is simply no surprise
that our form has dipped since they have disappeared. Pearce came back from a long
term injury and LB has had to juggle with his back line because of the absence of
his first choice centre backs.
More recently an injury to Watson, and with Pratley suspended,
has meant that much of the experience in this group has temporarily gone. We
are left with a lightweight midfield, with little energy, aggression or vision.
That’s not Lee’s fault. He’s been dealt a crap hand and I, for one, would not
be prepared to judge him until he has been able to assemble a proper squad of his
choosing. And that won’t happen in the current window. It will be in the
Summer.
Aside from this I love all of the snowflake comments about
throwing players under a bus, poor man management, bla bla bla, all out of an HR
manual. People forget that with full stadia players are mercilessly crucified
on a weekly basis if they fail to perform. A lot of them are simply too
comfortable in the current crowd free environments. Lee wouldn’t have to castigate
some of the players if there were crowds in place, they would be doing it for
him in a far more effective manner.
I equally love the ‘Lee’s lost the dressing room mantra’
that’s thrown up on a regular basis on this board. Throughout my entire career I
never once worked in a company where someone wasn’t having a pop at the management.
Disaffection is the norm in most organisations, unless of course you work in
Nirvana. So to hear that Player X said this, or Player Y has said that, cuts no
ice with me. People forget that professional football is a brutal sport, with
no room for failure. Do you think for one second that Alex Ferguson (THE exemplar
of success) was all sweetness and light? Hell no. He intimidated players,
scared them shitless when necessary. Lee is a pussycat by comparison. To
reiterate Lee is presiding over the legacy of previous failed ownerships and
because of Covid cannot redress the situation yet. Hopefully with the aid of
vaccines we will see the return of crowds by the beginning of next season and
the lifting of salary caps. Then, and only then, will I judge Lee.
Didn't read any further than this as you are trying to re-write history. Yes, we were late to the party in bringing players in but Watson & Gunter were top of SG & LB's list & may have been available because (if you believe what was said on here earlier) they were holding out for top dollar wages (Gunter on £6k). We also brought in Matthews too who I doubt is on peanuts & who most on here wanted back as he was good for us last season. Also Washington & Gilbey we paid money for & beat other clubs to their signatures so weren't last minute bargain bucket buys. Only Levitt was a last minute signing - Smyth we had been chasing for the past 2 transfer windows.
And that is the problem - we haven't been bringing in nobody's from Europe or Non-League. The players are all (or have been) decent for previous clubs - only Bogle can you say is playing above his station. The rest should be god enough to be top 6 - or at least giving teams a game. Most weeks we are second best and are usually on the back foot or chasing the game.
I couldn't agree more with you Don. Most of the dissenters on here should feel lucky that they still have a club to "support".
It's weird. I can't stand how poor we looked or Bowyer's comments but so many are writing off Accrington who are currently 3rd on PPG. This season they are being underestimated by everyone and it shows.
Don’t you love all the armchair critics on this board
calling for LB’s (and some even for SG’s) heads? They need a cold dose of reality,
rather than wallowing in some sense of Arsenal style fan entitlement. Let’s
deal with the facts.
In the Summer transfer window, having lost most of the squad
from the previous season, Lee and Steve were left with mostly unwanted scraps
to pick up in the market place. In most positions their 1st, 2nd,
and 3rd choices had gone, as players were no longer prepared to wait
to see (a) whether TS’s takeover would ever be completed and (b) that the
transfer embargo would be lifted. To top matters off when the club finally did
secure our heroic owner/saviour the league had, by then, imposed a financial
cap on all clubs in League 1 and below, effectively negating any positive financial
impact that TS could bring to the table.
People may argue why pick up these scraps? Well the answer
is quite simple, we would be heading for League 2 if we hadn’t, as we would be
relying heavily on our Under23s to get us through the season, many of whom
wouldn’t be able to make that step up and would have had their careers irreparably
damaged by having their respective confidences shattered. Yes, some would have
made the grade, but many wouldn’t simply because of the week in week out physical
demands of League 1.
In spite of having assembled a team of mostly 5th
rate choices LB has amazingly managed to steer his team towards the top end of
the table. It was achieved mostly on the back of having a physically imposing
backline in Innis and Famweo. They were ever presents in our 6 match winning
streak, when no goals were conceded, and having an attacking outlet in Alfie Doughty.
That back line, and Innis, in particular,
were also massive pluses in any set pieces in oppositions’ goalmouths. All three
players are out, having incurred long term injuries. And it is simply no surprise
that our form has dipped since they have disappeared. Pearce came back from a long
term injury and LB has had to juggle with his back line because of the absence of
his first choice centre backs.
More recently an injury to Watson, and with Pratley suspended,
has meant that much of the experience in this group has temporarily gone. We
are left with a lightweight midfield, with little energy, aggression or vision.
That’s not Lee’s fault. He’s been dealt a crap hand and I, for one, would not
be prepared to judge him until he has been able to assemble a proper squad of his
choosing. And that won’t happen in the current window. It will be in the
Summer.
Aside from this I love all of the snowflake comments about
throwing players under a bus, poor man management, bla bla bla, all out of an HR
manual. People forget that with full stadia players are mercilessly crucified
on a weekly basis if they fail to perform. A lot of them are simply too
comfortable in the current crowd free environments. Lee wouldn’t have to castigate
some of the players if there were crowds in place, they would be doing it for
him in a far more effective manner.
I equally love the ‘Lee’s lost the dressing room mantra’
that’s thrown up on a regular basis on this board. Throughout my entire career I
never once worked in a company where someone wasn’t having a pop at the management.
Disaffection is the norm in most organisations, unless of course you work in
Nirvana. So to hear that Player X said this, or Player Y has said that, cuts no
ice with me. People forget that professional football is a brutal sport, with
no room for failure. Do you think for one second that Alex Ferguson (THE exemplar
of success) was all sweetness and light? Hell no. He intimidated players,
scared them shitless when necessary. Lee is a pussycat by comparison. To
reiterate Lee is presiding over the legacy of previous failed ownerships and
because of Covid cannot redress the situation yet. Hopefully with the aid of
vaccines we will see the return of crowds by the beginning of next season and
the lifting of salary caps. Then, and only then, will I judge Lee.
Didn't read any further than this as you are trying to re-write history. Yes, we were late to the party in bringing players in but Watson & Gunter were top of SG & LB's list & may have been available because (if you believe what was said on here earlier) they were holding out for top dollar wages (Gunter on £6k). We also brought in Matthews too who I doubt is on peanuts & who most on here wanted back as he was good for us last season. Also Washington & Gilbey we paid money for & beat other clubs to their signatures so weren't last minute bargain bucket buys. Only Levitt was a last minute signing - Smyth we had been chasing for the past 2 transfer windows.
And that is the problem - we haven't been bringing in nobody's from Europe or Non-League. The players are all (or have been) decent for previous clubs - only Bogle can you say is playing above his station. The rest should be god enough to be top 6 - or at least giving teams a game. Most weeks we are second best and are usually on the back foot or chasing the game.
Agreed. We have a squad that should be more competitive in L1 - the excuses are all wearing a bit thin.
One win in seven is poor and we don't look like a team. We need a lift against Rochdale and a better defensive display.
The anger has subsided after a good night's sleep.
Bowyer was right to slam the players, although most certainly did it in the wrong way. He is a passionate man and clearly a Charlton man, but he needs to understand a bit more about the psychology of managing fragile egos.
Clearly the expectations of the new owner are somewhat different to the 2% interest shown by two sheds or the 'fuck the football, let's see how much more money we can pilfer from the coffers' of TS/CF/PE and the other crooks. Maybe that is getting to him and he does seem not to be in a good place himself.
Bows doesn't need sacking, but he does need help - maybe a friendly Curbs arm around him would take some of the pressure off and who better to act as a mentor. I don't know, none of us do, but something is fundamentally wrong at the moment and needs fixing. It isn't just the injuries.
Great post my thoughts exactly. Think Keith peacock was around a fair bit for Powell.
Not the first time this has been suggested on here by any means.
Whilst Lee may not openly welcome a mentor who's been there, seen it all before & has the T shirt, I believe he would ultimately regain his eqilibrium and face the remainder of the season with a boost to his confidence.
I am still torn, but still think Bows should be given the chance to put things right. The shit we have had over the last five years or so, most of our best players leaving every season have given no chance to build a team - even if t was just our home growns staying each year, which was roughly how Curbs built us up.
Dijksteel, Grant, Aribo and Bauer in the promotion season. Throw in Konsa before the season started.
Taylor, Lockyer, Phillips, Sarr and soon to be Doughty this season (I am also sure we would have bought Cullen had we stayed up).
There is nothing that Bows hs said i recent interviews that I don't agree with, other than he probably shouldn't be saying it publicly.
He does however have to learn from this bad spell and look to himself more often, if he does he will be an even better manager. If he doesn't he will probably drift out of management.
In the past he has played a bad hand really well, at the moment he isn't.
Bowyer is very much the best manager we have had in a very long time and he is right to dig people out. And he is right when he says the players are not criticising each other enough on the pitch. One of the best captains I’ve seen operate on the pitch is Roy Keane who used to almost be hitting his fellow playersIf they were not performing properly and the players for us need to be doing that to each other at least verbally.
Whilst I haven’t ever really been a fan of bowyers , and his tactics/way of play ...
however, how true is you bolded statement?
To what has bowyer shown to prove he’s better than Robinson/Riga/Luzon etc
he should be doing 10x better than he is currently with the squad we have, and I do feel we got extremely fortunate our promotion season to make the play offs. The first half season in charge we were also fortunate to get play offs, with Robinson having done majority of the work.
Bowyer is very much the best manager we have had in a very long time and he is right to dig people out. And he is right when he says the players are not criticising each other enough on the pitch. One of the best captains I’ve seen operate on the pitch is Roy Keane who used to almost be hitting his fellow playersIf they were not performing properly and the players for us need to be doing that to each other at least verbally.
Whilst I haven’t ever really been a fan of bowyers , and his tactics/way of play ...
however, how true is you bolded statement?
To what has bowyer shown to prove he’s better than Robinson/Riga/Luzon etc
he should be doing 10x better than he is currently with the squad we have, and I do feel we got extremely fortunate our promotion season to make the play offs. The first half season in charge we were also fortunate to get play offs, with Robinson having done majority of the work.
Erm... Got Charlton promoted under Roland?
Robinson took over in 2016 with us in 11th and ended that season in 13th... He then left us in 2017 when we were 9th
Bowyer in League One firstly in the same team had us 6th (with that exact same team) and then 3rd...
Effectively both of them working under the exact same restraints
Not sure what Amos could have done for the first. Rushing out presented the best chance of preventing a goal. Had he not done so, the Accrington player would have had time to control it and the chance would have been easier.
It's weird. I can't stand how poor we looked or Bowyer's comments but so many are writing off Accrington who are currently 3rd on PPG. This season they are being underestimated by everyone and it shows.
It's weird. I can't stand how poor we looked or Bowyer's comments but so many are writing off Accrington who are currently 3rd on PPG. This season they are being underestimated by everyone and it shows.
They are there on merit.
Coleman has got the best out of his players - looking at the players individually you wouldn't expect the team to be doing so well.
It's weird. I can't stand how poor we looked or Bowyer's comments but so many are writing off Accrington who are currently 3rd on PPG. This season they are being underestimated by everyone and it shows.
It's weird. I can't stand how poor we looked or Bowyer's comments but so many are writing off Accrington who are currently 3rd on PPG. This season they are being underestimated by everyone and it shows.
This reaction isn't just down to the Accrington game though. We've been shite for weeks
Of the four defenders Oshilaja was the only one who actually did his job which was to defend. How anyone can blame him for the second goal need there bumps felt. He cleared it away only for Maatsen to lose the ball and set them up for the goal. He went to block a shot the attacker showing a neat bit of skill and they scored. To blame him for that is just ridiculous.
Well, he also went for a header which he didn't make, leaving him scrambling, but it wasn't a glaring error
Don’t you love all the armchair critics on this board
calling for LB’s (and some even for SG’s) heads? They need a cold dose of reality,
rather than wallowing in some sense of Arsenal style fan entitlement. Let’s
deal with the facts.
In the Summer transfer window, having lost most of the squad
from the previous season, Lee and Steve were left with mostly unwanted scraps
to pick up in the market place. In most positions their 1st, 2nd,
and 3rd choices had gone, as players were no longer prepared to wait
to see (a) whether TS’s takeover would ever be completed and (b) that the
transfer embargo would be lifted. To top matters off when the club finally did
secure our heroic owner/saviour the league had, by then, imposed a financial
cap on all clubs in League 1 and below, effectively negating any positive financial
impact that TS could bring to the table.
People may argue why pick up these scraps? Well the answer
is quite simple, we would be heading for League 2 if we hadn’t, as we would be
relying heavily on our Under23s to get us through the season, many of whom
wouldn’t be able to make that step up and would have had their careers irreparably
damaged by having their respective confidences shattered. Yes, some would have
made the grade, but many wouldn’t simply because of the week in week out physical
demands of League 1.
In spite of having assembled a team of mostly 5th
rate choices LB has amazingly managed to steer his team towards the top end of
the table. It was achieved mostly on the back of having a physically imposing
backline in Innis and Famweo. They were ever presents in our 6 match winning
streak, when no goals were conceded, and having an attacking outlet in Alfie Doughty.
That back line, and Innis, in particular,
were also massive pluses in any set pieces in oppositions’ goalmouths. All three
players are out, having incurred long term injuries. And it is simply no surprise
that our form has dipped since they have disappeared. Pearce came back from a long
term injury and LB has had to juggle with his back line because of the absence of
his first choice centre backs.
More recently an injury to Watson, and with Pratley suspended,
has meant that much of the experience in this group has temporarily gone. We
are left with a lightweight midfield, with little energy, aggression or vision.
That’s not Lee’s fault. He’s been dealt a crap hand and I, for one, would not
be prepared to judge him until he has been able to assemble a proper squad of his
choosing. And that won’t happen in the current window. It will be in the
Summer.
Aside from this I love all of the snowflake comments about
throwing players under a bus, poor man management, bla bla bla, all out of an HR
manual. People forget that with full stadia players are mercilessly crucified
on a weekly basis if they fail to perform. A lot of them are simply too
comfortable in the current crowd free environments. Lee wouldn’t have to castigate
some of the players if there were crowds in place, they would be doing it for
him in a far more effective manner.
I equally love the ‘Lee’s lost the dressing room mantra’
that’s thrown up on a regular basis on this board. Throughout my entire career I
never once worked in a company where someone wasn’t having a pop at the management.
Disaffection is the norm in most organisations, unless of course you work in
Nirvana. So to hear that Player X said this, or Player Y has said that, cuts no
ice with me. People forget that professional football is a brutal sport, with
no room for failure. Do you think for one second that Alex Ferguson (THE exemplar
of success) was all sweetness and light? Hell no. He intimidated players,
scared them shitless when necessary. Lee is a pussycat by comparison. To
reiterate Lee is presiding over the legacy of previous failed ownerships and
because of Covid cannot redress the situation yet. Hopefully with the aid of
vaccines we will see the return of crowds by the beginning of next season and
the lifting of salary caps. Then, and only then, will I judge Lee.
Didn't read any further than this as you are trying to re-write history. Yes, we were late to the party in bringing players in but Watson & Gunter were top of SG & LB's list & may have been available because (if you believe what was said on here earlier) they were holding out for top dollar wages (Gunter on £6k). We also brought in Matthews too who I doubt is on peanuts & who most on here wanted back as he was good for us last season. Also Washington & Gilbey we paid money for & beat other clubs to their signatures so weren't last minute bargain bucket buys. Only Levitt was a last minute signing - Smyth we had been chasing for the past 2 transfer windows.
And that is the problem - we haven't been bringing in nobody's from Europe or Non-League. The players are all (or have been) decent for previous clubs - only Bogle can you say is playing above his station. The rest should be god enough to be top 6 - or at least giving teams a game. Most weeks we are second best and are usually on the back foot or chasing the game.
Your not allowed to kill the argument, that this squad was thrown together with cast offs and freebies. The Bowyer loyalists, are hanging on this argument big time.
Narrowing it down it seems that what has spilled over into the public domain needs to be resolved. I hope that any reaching out by Bowyer wouldn't seem like a loss of face to him, and it needn't be. However the sub a sub of Williams followed by a public comment, and the Maddison thing now needs sorting toot sweet as it were. If that means a bit of plain speaking all round let it happen, it can certainly include Bowyer saying he is in charge and what he demands. The offended players can have a gripe about 'public' humiliation, but not about team selection and tactics. That is Bowyers domain totally. The players can't act like learner drivers telling someone who has passed their test what to do (unless that person wants to drive with 12 pints inside them or something). The players have a grievance that deserves hearing and respecting, Bowyer needs to say it how he wants it and that needs respecting by the players. If the players still feel a resolution for them isn't good enough, well the team means more than the individual and they don't get picked. All the while Bowyer is in charge the end point has to be that Bowyer is in charge. However I would strongly advise Lee to keep things in house however right he is and however strongly he feels. This isn't a point of no return, and the best way all round is for Charlton to win the next four in a row.
What will be fascinating in all these machinations is the reaction to it of TS. He's been all over the media for weeks, but obviously less so during "the slump". Keeping his council is the sign of a shrewd man, Bows on the other hand I would contend, is basically still that young talented footballer with an edge to him.
Don’t you love all the armchair critics on this board
calling for LB’s (and some even for SG’s) heads? They need a cold dose of reality,
rather than wallowing in some sense of Arsenal style fan entitlement. Let’s
deal with the facts.
In the Summer transfer window, having lost most of the squad
from the previous season, Lee and Steve were left with mostly unwanted scraps
to pick up in the market place. In most positions their 1st, 2nd,
and 3rd choices had gone, as players were no longer prepared to wait
to see (a) whether TS’s takeover would ever be completed and (b) that the
transfer embargo would be lifted. To top matters off when the club finally did
secure our heroic owner/saviour the league had, by then, imposed a financial
cap on all clubs in League 1 and below, effectively negating any positive financial
impact that TS could bring to the table.
People may argue why pick up these scraps? Well the answer
is quite simple, we would be heading for League 2 if we hadn’t, as we would be
relying heavily on our Under23s to get us through the season, many of whom
wouldn’t be able to make that step up and would have had their careers irreparably
damaged by having their respective confidences shattered. Yes, some would have
made the grade, but many wouldn’t simply because of the week in week out physical
demands of League 1.
In spite of having assembled a team of mostly 5th
rate choices LB has amazingly managed to steer his team towards the top end of
the table. It was achieved mostly on the back of having a physically imposing
backline in Innis and Famweo. They were ever presents in our 6 match winning
streak, when no goals were conceded, and having an attacking outlet in Alfie Doughty.
That back line, and Innis, in particular,
were also massive pluses in any set pieces in oppositions’ goalmouths. All three
players are out, having incurred long term injuries. And it is simply no surprise
that our form has dipped since they have disappeared. Pearce came back from a long
term injury and LB has had to juggle with his back line because of the absence of
his first choice centre backs.
More recently an injury to Watson, and with Pratley suspended,
has meant that much of the experience in this group has temporarily gone. We
are left with a lightweight midfield, with little energy, aggression or vision.
That’s not Lee’s fault. He’s been dealt a crap hand and I, for one, would not
be prepared to judge him until he has been able to assemble a proper squad of his
choosing. And that won’t happen in the current window. It will be in the
Summer.
Aside from this I love all of the snowflake comments about
throwing players under a bus, poor man management, bla bla bla, all out of an HR
manual. People forget that with full stadia players are mercilessly crucified
on a weekly basis if they fail to perform. A lot of them are simply too
comfortable in the current crowd free environments. Lee wouldn’t have to castigate
some of the players if there were crowds in place, they would be doing it for
him in a far more effective manner.
I equally love the ‘Lee’s lost the dressing room mantra’
that’s thrown up on a regular basis on this board. Throughout my entire career I
never once worked in a company where someone wasn’t having a pop at the management.
Disaffection is the norm in most organisations, unless of course you work in
Nirvana. So to hear that Player X said this, or Player Y has said that, cuts no
ice with me. People forget that professional football is a brutal sport, with
no room for failure. Do you think for one second that Alex Ferguson (THE exemplar
of success) was all sweetness and light? Hell no. He intimidated players,
scared them shitless when necessary. Lee is a pussycat by comparison. To
reiterate Lee is presiding over the legacy of previous failed ownerships and
because of Covid cannot redress the situation yet. Hopefully with the aid of
vaccines we will see the return of crowds by the beginning of next season and
the lifting of salary caps. Then, and only then, will I judge Lee.
Well all you Bowyer Sceptics I am watching Swindon Best Ipswich 3-1 at Ipswich and this will keep us 7th also Rochdale came back from 0-3 down to draw 3-3. thus proving anyone can Beat everyone especially when they are riddled with injuries.
keep up the Faith, Come on you Reds, 3 points on Tuesday is a MUST !!!
Well all you Bowyer Sceptics I am watching Swindon Best Ipswich 3-1 at Ipswich and this will keep us 7th also Rochdale came back from 0-3 down to draw 3-3. thus proving anyone can Beat everyone especially when they are riddled with injuries.
keep up the Faith, Come on you Reds, 3 points on Tuesday is a MUST !!!
Yes the league is still very much open but it shouldn't be if we had done what we should have done the last few weeks. We should be walking it mate
The difference between a side that went 6 games unbeaten and without conceding to now is simple: We've lost 3 of the key players brought in after TS took over: Inniss, Famewo & Shinnie. Take out Watson and Pratley as well and the spine of the team is severely weakened, in terms of both formation and bottle. Lack of strength at the heart of the defence and midfield and a constantly changing team and formation has left Gunter and Maaatsen (clearly decent players) exposed and prone to mistakes they simply weren't making 2 months ago. Until Millar arrived, having lost Doughty, we had no one who is able and prepared to repeatedly take on and beat a player. Shinnie's ability to thread a pass became vital to (and the only consistent means of) getting our forwards in behind the oppo defence. No coincidence therefore that when we lost him, our goal threat diminished significantly and left our forwards (otherwise decent players, if not worldbeaters) without any consistent creative support. A midfield of any permutation and formation of Gilbey (who can be invisible at times), Morgan (still obviously inexperienced), JFC (truthfully a squad player and no more), Williams and Maddison (neither looking a good fit for us right now) simply not up to either the defensive or creative job and with precious little bite to stifle the oppo in midfield. Has LB contributed to the problem with chopping and changing the team and formation? Yes. He has to take a large measure of blame for trying too many different ideas in search of a way of compensating for the lost key players. He's not succeeded and it's left otherwise decent players looking confused and like they've only just met one another. Do I think it's a good idea for LB to dig individual players out in public? No, but I have zero doubt that he says precisely what he says in public to them privately (and a dash more!) and I don't expect him to be the consummate all round perfect manager. What he does is what he's always done - give it 110% for his club and I want him to demand the same from his players. I hope that TS will put a metaphorical arm round Bow and, with SG and JJ's help, start reshaping the personnel and rebuilding the morale of the dressing room. Do I think LB should go? Absolutely not. If the choice is between LB going and Williams and Maddison going, then it's a 100% bye-bye Jonnie and Marcus from me and a bye-bye to any other player who doesn't like the heat in the kitchen and isn't (for whatever reason) prepared to give the 110% that LB has always given for CAFC. I'd be amazed if TS thinks much differently to this and I believe he's fully prepared for us to miss out this season if that's how it pans out. Short of digging out TS himself, I expect LB to still be here at the start of next season and I for one will be very glad of that.
Thank you Peanuts I really enjoyed that post and I agree with you. I’ve just highlighted the section that I think is my take away. LB clearly has a certain culture that he has built within the club and that’s fundamental at this level to achieving success and the players have to buy in to it 100%, if they don’t it falls apart. Bowyer wears his heart on his sleeve and always has done, he maybe needs to try and tone down some of the more extreme comments in public, but outside of that lets back him to get it right over the next 12 months.
100% Guys, Bowyer is a top man and I too have 100% in LEE BOWYER to get us back to the championship with JJ beside him.👍👍👍👍
100% LEE well said, if they do not give 110% get rid of them as this is not a game in the park on Sunday morning it’s professional football or should f—King Be !!!
Well all you Bowyer Sceptics I am watching Swindon Best Ipswich 3-1 at Ipswich and this will keep us 7th also Rochdale came back from 0-3 down to draw 3-3. thus proving anyone can Beat everyone especially when they are riddled with injuries.
keep up the Faith, Come on you Reds, 3 points on Tuesday is a MUST !!!
Yes the league is still very much open but it shouldn't be if we had done what we should have done the last few weeks. We should be walking it mate
Yes Mate we would be at least second in the table at the worst if we had our TWO injured defenders !!!!, it not Rocket Science . we leak goals without AF & RI.
Don’t you love all the armchair critics on this board
calling for LB’s (and some even for SG’s) heads? They need a cold dose of reality,
rather than wallowing in some sense of Arsenal style fan entitlement. Let’s
deal with the facts.
In the Summer transfer window, having lost most of the squad
from the previous season, Lee and Steve were left with mostly unwanted scraps
to pick up in the market place. In most positions their 1st, 2nd,
and 3rd choices had gone, as players were no longer prepared to wait
to see (a) whether TS’s takeover would ever be completed and (b) that the
transfer embargo would be lifted. To top matters off when the club finally did
secure our heroic owner/saviour the league had, by then, imposed a financial
cap on all clubs in League 1 and below, effectively negating any positive financial
impact that TS could bring to the table.
People may argue why pick up these scraps? Well the answer
is quite simple, we would be heading for League 2 if we hadn’t, as we would be
relying heavily on our Under23s to get us through the season, many of whom
wouldn’t be able to make that step up and would have had their careers irreparably
damaged by having their respective confidences shattered. Yes, some would have
made the grade, but many wouldn’t simply because of the week in week out physical
demands of League 1.
In spite of having assembled a team of mostly 5th
rate choices LB has amazingly managed to steer his team towards the top end of
the table. It was achieved mostly on the back of having a physically imposing
backline in Innis and Famweo. They were ever presents in our 6 match winning
streak, when no goals were conceded, and having an attacking outlet in Alfie Doughty.
That back line, and Innis, in particular,
were also massive pluses in any set pieces in oppositions’ goalmouths. All three
players are out, having incurred long term injuries. And it is simply no surprise
that our form has dipped since they have disappeared. Pearce came back from a long
term injury and LB has had to juggle with his back line because of the absence of
his first choice centre backs.
More recently an injury to Watson, and with Pratley suspended,
has meant that much of the experience in this group has temporarily gone. We
are left with a lightweight midfield, with little energy, aggression or vision.
That’s not Lee’s fault. He’s been dealt a crap hand and I, for one, would not
be prepared to judge him until he has been able to assemble a proper squad of his
choosing. And that won’t happen in the current window. It will be in the
Summer.
Aside from this I love all of the snowflake comments about
throwing players under a bus, poor man management, bla bla bla, all out of an HR
manual. People forget that with full stadia players are mercilessly crucified
on a weekly basis if they fail to perform. A lot of them are simply too
comfortable in the current crowd free environments. Lee wouldn’t have to castigate
some of the players if there were crowds in place, they would be doing it for
him in a far more effective manner.
I equally love the ‘Lee’s lost the dressing room mantra’
that’s thrown up on a regular basis on this board. Throughout my entire career I
never once worked in a company where someone wasn’t having a pop at the management.
Disaffection is the norm in most organisations, unless of course you work in
Nirvana. So to hear that Player X said this, or Player Y has said that, cuts no
ice with me. People forget that professional football is a brutal sport, with
no room for failure. Do you think for one second that Alex Ferguson (THE exemplar
of success) was all sweetness and light? Hell no. He intimidated players,
scared them shitless when necessary. Lee is a pussycat by comparison. To
reiterate Lee is presiding over the legacy of previous failed ownerships and
because of Covid cannot redress the situation yet. Hopefully with the aid of
vaccines we will see the return of crowds by the beginning of next season and
the lifting of salary caps. Then, and only then, will I judge Lee.
i understand all the circumstances etc etc etc, however, can you tell me why TS told us that he was advised that if we bring in the players we are looking to bring in, in the last window, that they would pretty much guarantee play offs as a minimum, with one recent prem star amongst them. That doesn't sound like bargain bin to me.
I liked LB as a manager as much as everyone else but let's not keep making excuses - he is an overly negative manager now and he continually changes the side, picks shit line ups and makes shit substitutions. That is it - that is why i want him gone. The other things are secondary - throwing people under the bus (started with solly, taylor) then bonne and now another 5 or so this year - exceptionally high number of players injured in training - neither of those are my gripe but won't be helping - my gripe is his team selections and if us fans are struggling with it, so too will the players be. He has to go for his and our sake.
Well all you Bowyer Sceptics I am watching Swindon Best Ipswich 3-1 at Ipswich and this will keep us 7th also Rochdale came back from 0-3 down to draw 3-3. thus proving anyone can Beat everyone especially when they are riddled with injuries.
keep up the Faith, Come on you Reds, 3 points on Tuesday is a MUST !!!
That’s good impetus for when they face us on Tuesday ;-)
it’s a poor league, and that is evident by how tight it is.
Just watched Ipswich v Swindon, great game of football with 2 sublime and 1 absolutely beautiful goal from Swindon to win 3-2 away to a top 6 club. They've got us at the Valley in 2 games time!!!
Comments
One win in seven is poor and we don't look like a team. We need a lift against Rochdale and a better defensive display.
Whilst Lee may not openly welcome a mentor who's been there, seen it all before & has the T shirt, I believe he would ultimately regain his eqilibrium and face the remainder of the season with a boost to his confidence.
Dijksteel, Grant, Aribo and Bauer in the promotion season. Throw in Konsa before the season started.
Taylor, Lockyer, Phillips, Sarr and soon to be Doughty this season (I am also sure we would have bought Cullen had we stayed up).
There is nothing that Bows hs said i recent interviews that I don't agree with, other than he probably shouldn't be saying it publicly.
He does however have to learn from this bad spell and look to himself more often, if he does he will be an even better manager. If he doesn't he will probably drift out of management.
In the past he has played a bad hand really well, at the moment he isn't.
however, how true is you bolded statement?
he should be doing 10x better than he is currently with the squad we have, and I do feel we got extremely fortunate our promotion season to make the play offs. The first half season in charge we were also fortunate to get play offs, with Robinson having done majority of the work.
Robinson took over in 2016 with us in 11th and ended that season in 13th... He then left us in 2017 when we were 9th
Bowyer in League One firstly in the same team had us 6th (with that exact same team) and then 3rd...
Effectively both of them working under the exact same restraints
I hope that any reaching out by Bowyer wouldn't seem like a loss of face to him, and it needn't be. However the sub a sub of Williams followed by a public comment, and the Maddison thing now needs sorting toot sweet as it were.
If that means a bit of plain speaking all round let it happen, it can certainly include Bowyer saying he is in charge and what he demands.
The offended players can have a gripe about 'public' humiliation, but not about team selection and tactics. That is Bowyers domain totally. The players can't act like learner drivers telling someone who has passed their test what to do (unless that person wants to drive with 12 pints inside them or something).
The players have a grievance that deserves hearing and respecting, Bowyer needs to say it how he wants it and that needs respecting by the players.
If the players still feel a resolution for them isn't good enough, well the team means more than the individual and they don't get picked. All the while Bowyer is in charge the end point has to be that Bowyer is in charge.
However I would strongly advise Lee to keep things in house however right he is and however strongly he feels.
This isn't a point of no return, and the best way all round is for Charlton to win the next four in a row.
I am watching Swindon Best Ipswich 3-1 at Ipswich
and this will keep us 7th also Rochdale came back from 0-3 down to draw 3-3.
thus proving anyone can Beat everyone especially when they are riddled with injuries.
keep up the Faith, Come on you Reds,
3 points on Tuesday is a MUST !!!
if they do not give 110% get rid of them as this is not
a game in the park on Sunday morning it’s professional football or should f—King Be !!!
we leak goals without AF & RI.
I liked LB as a manager as much as everyone else but let's not keep making excuses - he is an overly negative manager now and he continually changes the side, picks shit line ups and makes shit substitutions. That is it - that is why i want him gone. The other things are secondary - throwing people under the bus (started with solly, taylor) then bonne and now another 5 or so this year - exceptionally high number of players injured in training - neither of those are my gripe but won't be helping - my gripe is his team selections and if us fans are struggling with it, so too will the players be. He has to go for his and our sake.
it’s a poor league, and that is evident by how tight it is.
They've got us at the Valley in 2 games time!!!