It is a shame that we can only have three subs that can come on otherwise Adkins could put out 11 for the first half and a different 11 for the second half, seeing as none of our players can last 90+ minutes
i think Dobson has been unfairly written off and hasn't had the opportunity to play since the more talented players up the pitch have arrived - i think there's a place for him and Clare as there legs and energy are missing - as i mentioned above, we seem to have gone from one extreme to the other
100% agree with you mate. I keep thinking I must have been watching a different player than most people with the stick he has been getting. I honestly think he did ok and would prefer to give him a decent run in the starting line up than Watson,
i think Dobson has been unfairly written off and hasn't had the opportunity to play since the more talented players up the pitch have arrived - i think there's a place for him and Clare as there legs and energy are missing - as i mentioned above, we seem to have gone from one extreme to the other
Totally agree with this, he deserves a proper run in the team before being written off and labelled a dud as someone said. He has had limited game time and thought he was mom against Sheff W and we only conceded against Wigan after he went off. He was rated at Wimbledon so he can do it at this level. Also not going to write Clare off either, but I would say he looks better coming off the bench rather than starting.
Don’t get the Watson hate he looks the only one holding team together on the pitch.I would have preferred pratley though because he was more mobile and fitter than Watson.can’t understand why we let pratley go to bring in Arter
The problem with Watson is his slow feet, rather than his ability. Given an athletic and quicker player around him, he can still be effective. Nothing wrong with his reading of the game and distribution - but he's obviously selected for his experience and leadership.
Pratley had his issues when he first signed. Couldn't get his match fitness being played with an injury and not training between games. People were dissing him and writing him off straightaway. It was well into the second half of the season before he made an impact.
We know Arter has played very few games since the first lockdown 18 months ago. That can make match fitness difficult for an older player, as we saw with the legendary Joe Ledley.
Like with Pratley's early time at Charlton, we'll have to see with Arter. It really is up to him.
But I wouldn't write him off just yet.
Excellent post.
It is interesting how quickly some players 'lose it'.
It is only two seasons ago that Arter was part of a Fulham squad which got promoted and Watson was the kingpin at Forest who nearly made the playoffs in the Championship. Ledley fell even further after leaving us barely making the Newport team last season.
No one would have complained had Arter or Watson had played for us that season.
Tommy is the reason why Adkins hasn't been sacked and, in my opinion, won't get the sack any time soon - even if we lose the next 2 games. You have to remember that sackings don't happen in such a 'knee-jerk' way in Tommy's business world compared the bonkers world of football. No doubt, if ever challenged, he will trot out the fact that Man Utd wanted to sack Fergie and point to what he has achieved after overcoming a rough start as 'evidence' that supports a supportive, cautious approach. For me (and presumably also for Tommy) Adkins looks like the right man 'on paper' with a decent pedigree and a decent way about him. Sadly, it simply hasn't worked and we don't seem to be edging any nearer to winning a match over the past 10 games. Everything says it's not working - except the words that come out of Nigel's mouth each time. I am all for positivity but the constant smell of sweet roses up his nose needs a reality check that, clearly, he doesn't seem to be capable of. It's time for a walk Nigel - a long one without a return ticket please. I won't hold my breath waiting for that to happen. If he's the honest fella with integrity he'll do the decent thing and hand back to keys. When that doesn't happen, what will that tell us about him? Disingenuous or deluded - you decide?
What's bugging me the most is understanding why it hasn't worked out? The squad is full of players who were highly rated at their last club (MacGillivray, DJ, kirk, Levelle etc) and yet 2 of the young stars (DJ & Kirk) have been discarded in no time at all along with Dobson. Famewo and Matthews look a shadow of the solid defenders they were last season. Hardly anybody can play 90 minutes any more. Pearce and Davison looked like loanee-out fodder but are now starting line-up material. Gilbey's back but playing as a winger when we aren't selecting wingers in the squad any more. Ronnie's stealing a living and being allowed to get away with it.
I know we talk about 'Charltonising' players but, jeeze, this season is taking that concept to the absolute max! Let's be honest, Tommy's vision of Premiership football and Europe following our 'smashing' of League 1 this year is all looking a little bit hollow and embarrassing right now. I wonder who, at the club, is analysing where it is all going wrong - because the league table doesn't lie and 6 points from 10 games is so far away from being vaguely tolerable that continuing with this chaotic farce has only ending and that is (at best) scraping survival in league one and our worst league position for a century.
Whatever formation you want behind them, but unless we have two distinct forwards/finishers up front were not causing the away team the pressure we should be.
All this 'we've played some great football' is utter tosh. Football is about winning games and a game is 90 minutes, you can play 'great' for periods but counts for nothing unless you pick up points and are consistent through games.
You can play like Brazil for 60 minutes, no good if you play like Welling for the other 30, the result will be the same, Nil point. Unfortunately we've at times played like Charlton for 45 minutes and a local park side for the other 45.
I'm seriously starting to think he's completely deluded and way out of his depth as a manager.
It’s also not ‘really good’ as he describes it. It’s okay. Good football is when we beat Luton at home a few years ago. When you sweep through a team. That buzz we got when someone like Taylor picked up the ball wide and we swept forward. Depending on your tenure supporting us (mine is late 80s until now), my benchmark for good football was the two promotions under Curbs, some of the results in the Prem, like the 4-2 away win at Highbury, Powell and Bowyer’s promotion seasons. That’s good football.
They’re the sort of benchmarks attached to good football. Not a bit of possession here and there or a first half at Gillingham 🤦♂️
Don’t get the Watson hate he looks the only one holding team together on the pitch.I would have preferred pratley though because he was more mobile and fitter than Watson.can’t understand why we let pratley go to bring in Arter
Get what you are saying here about Watson hate but for some it’s not as deep as that.
It’s like what @DOUCHER says, he’s lack of mobility is what kills us. Watson is decent on the ball but watch most goals we concede.. he looses his runner nearly every time. It’s not through laziness it’s because he’s physically can’t in my opinion.
Whatever formation you want behind them, but unless we have two distinct forwards/finishers up front were not causing the away team the pressure we should be.
Me too, but the problem is we don’t have the personnel for midfield. That is right and left sided players who can defend and attack. Ours do one or the other. NA has gone all in on 433 so he’s sticking to it.
Whatever formation you want behind them, but unless we have two distinct forwards/finishers up front were not causing the away team the pressure we should be.
Me too, but the problem is we don’t have the personnel for midfield. That is right and left sided players who can defend and attack. Ours do one or the other. NA has gone all in on 433 so he’s sticking to it.
It certainly does, do or die.
A 'Curbs style' 4-4-2 could still work these days with the players we already have. Play 1 winger wide and 3 CMs across the park, the midfield defensively moving crossfield according to play closing space.
Leaves outside channels free for overlapping fullbacks on the counter.
Curbs made it work very effectively. It could stop the rot, 2 up front in tandem; with proper cover for fulbacks, making the midfield more compact and much harder for opponents to play through us.
Watched the five minute thing, was unimpressed. I think Nigel might've lost his mojo with regard to us, he seems to be on some kind of autopilot/managing by numbers thing these days.
Comments
It is interesting how quickly some players 'lose it'.
It is only two seasons ago that Arter was part of a Fulham squad which got promoted and Watson was the kingpin at Forest who nearly made the playoffs in the Championship. Ledley fell even further after leaving us barely making the Newport team last season.
No one would have complained had Arter or Watson had played for us that season.
For me (and presumably also for Tommy) Adkins looks like the right man 'on paper' with a decent pedigree and a decent way about him. Sadly, it simply hasn't worked and we don't seem to be edging any nearer to winning a match over the past 10 games. Everything says it's not working - except the words that come out of Nigel's mouth each time. I am all for positivity but the constant smell of sweet roses up his nose needs a reality check that, clearly, he doesn't seem to be capable of.
It's time for a walk Nigel - a long one without a return ticket please. I won't hold my breath waiting for that to happen. If he's the honest fella with integrity he'll do the decent thing and hand back to keys. When that doesn't happen, what will that tell us about him? Disingenuous or deluded - you decide?
What's bugging me the most is understanding why it hasn't worked out? The squad is full of players who were highly rated at their last club (MacGillivray, DJ, kirk, Levelle etc) and yet 2 of the young stars (DJ & Kirk) have been discarded in no time at all along with Dobson. Famewo and Matthews look a shadow of the solid defenders they were last season. Hardly anybody can play 90 minutes any more. Pearce and Davison looked like loanee-out fodder but are now starting line-up material. Gilbey's back but playing as a winger when we aren't selecting wingers in the squad any more. Ronnie's stealing a living and being allowed to get away with it.
I know we talk about 'Charltonising' players but, jeeze, this season is taking that concept to the absolute max! Let's be honest, Tommy's vision of Premiership football and Europe following our 'smashing' of League 1 this year is all looking a little bit hollow and embarrassing right now. I wonder who, at the club, is analysing where it is all going wrong - because the league table doesn't lie and 6 points from 10 games is so far away from being vaguely tolerable that continuing with this chaotic farce has only ending and that is (at best) scraping survival in league one and our worst league position for a century.
Whatever formation you want behind them, but unless we have two distinct forwards/finishers up front were not causing the away team the pressure we should be.
DJ looks like Tommy and all I can think is him singing Boom Boom Boom Boom I’ll take you to league 2 and it’s fucking me off and that’s it.
fuch
It’s like what @DOUCHER says, he’s lack of mobility is what kills us. Watson is decent on the ball but watch most goals we concede.. he looses his runner nearly every time. It’s not through laziness it’s because he’s physically can’t in my opinion.
It certainly does, do or die.
A 'Curbs style' 4-4-2 could still work these days with the players we already have.
Play 1 winger wide and 3 CMs across the park, the midfield defensively moving crossfield according to play closing space.
Leaves outside channels free for overlapping fullbacks on the counter.
Curbs made it work very effectively. It could stop the rot, 2 up front in tandem; with proper cover for fulbacks, making the midfield more compact and much harder for opponents to play through us.
He's waiting for a "jab"