Been to all 9 games so far this season and if we do not make a change we are going down. All the games we have lost have been deserved defeats, we simply do not have any effective game plan, the attacking plan seems to be just hoof it up to Stockley and the defence is only held together by the keeper bailing them out. What is the formation we are playing, as in the last 4 games league and cup we have changed the formation for every game
Adkins was a logical appointment but it is simply not working. To change formation today resulting in the 2 wingers we have signed on long term deals are not required in the 18 man squad shows that the recruitment and the team are miles apart.
Roddy needs to go as well. We are a very low place 3rd division club. It needs to be rebuilt properly, not with people who have never done this sort of job before. Full Time Woman's teams and applications for Category One Academy status come when you have a settled 1st team, 1st Team Manager and you are at the very least back in the Championship. That is on top of the fact we don't even own our ground.
The club is a right mess, we have an enthusiastic owner but it looks like he is being advised badly it seems. Mistakes happen but they need to be put right very quickly and start growing this club again with more common sense based around on where we are currently at and not we are aspire to be in . If we don't then we are looking at the 4th Division.
Hear hear !!
Firstly I wont dwell on the faults of our transfer policy as I think you all know my thoughts on that.
But echoing the above post what really staggers me is that when we finally do sign some players they are bombed out of the side after just one poor game. And not only out of the side but out of the 18 man squad.
I cant believe Adkins when he says that his method is a passing game, when all the decent ball players are sitting in the stands. If you want an exciting, attacking team then play wide men/wingers who run at defenders with the ball. Blackett-Taylor today showed how it can be done and was the main reason why we looked more threatening in the last 10 mins. We have him, DJ, Kirk and Leko who are good running at defenders - so why are we playing with a 6ft 4 striker whose main attribute is his head. Of course the default play will be to launch it up to him. The top team tonight in the 92 league club pyramid do not play hoof ball. Get the ball on the floor and play.
I do not like seeing managers sacked but if Adkins cant see that by not playing attack-minded players it means we just hoof it forward then he has to go. I quite like 5 at the back, but only if the 2 wingbacks can get forward & can put decent crosses in. Today showed we dont (yet) have the personnel for that & the players we have at our disposal would be more suited to 4-4-2. Play Washington & Lee up top, with Kirk one side & DJ the other. Arter & Gilbey (when fit) - either Morgan Dobson or Clare can fill in for now. Pearce should be nowhere near the side with defenders being Matthews, Lavelle, Famewo & Purrington (when fit).
Anyway - I defer team selection to the manager as he sees them in training. What isn't in dispute is our complete lack of firepower. Game after game we see just 1 or 2 shots on target and any build up play faultering long before we get in range of goal. I have never witnessed such a poor attack minded team - not helped by the fact we never replaced last seasons top goalscorer. Again, I wont say I told you so with regards to our strikeforce but relying on Stockley to be the main focal point of your promotion is akin to relying on Southeastern to get you to work on time.....every day for a year. Guess what - it ain't going to happen.
So summing up. We are in the shit. I still don't think we will get relegated but boy, this isn't going to be the season that so so many had been looking forward to. I don't know if a change of manager is needed just yet, but if so I wouldn't want JJ or Euell taking over. Maybe in a caretaker capacity for a few weeks - firstly to see if they were up to the job - but more so we could actually take our time for once & pick a manager who can instill some belief & tactical nous into this team.
We have some decent players- certainly far far better than joint bottom. Dont think we are good enough for top 6, but top 10 should be worse case from here.
How many games would you give him before you would want a change?
Dont know if its been discussed elsewhere and i know its a sensitive subject for some people and i dont want to start a debate but we've really missed Gilbey ...was he not vaccinated? .....why are players not vaccinated? ...seems like a simple bit of admin to stop the season going tits up
At his age I think he'd have been offered the first jab in mid-late June. He got Covid before that.
Having had some alcohol and time to calm down here my 2 cents worth
Dobson had his best game for us today, I was impressed with his desire to win the ball and look to switch play and make something happen. Arter clearly still a classy player but unfit. Defence was abysmal, has been all season and we are suffering for not having a keeper who claims anything. I was impressed with Soare who, like the others showed an intent in the first 15 minutes then just wilted and reverted to type.
CBT ran the arse off their bang average right back who we made look like Cafu most the game, Wycombe are not even a good side in the sense that they play attritional, percentages and are the most cynical side we've played. Couple of really cheap and nasty tackles including going in on Soare when their guy had no right to go for that ball, and the stamp on Arter not to mention Jacobson up to his usual tricks. Hoped we'd look them in the eye and compete at least but allowed McCleary space all game as well as the amount of time Scowan got.
I don't care if its the players or the manager, I was convinced it was the players last season and we still have a big chunk of them at the club, the shit ones anyway with big reputations and pedigree unfortunately the club can't just bin them off.
The whacking it long to Stockley really pisses me off, he is a genuinely good number 9 but if we are going to commit to that style of play at least do what sides who are successful at that rotten style of football do and get players round the big target man to feed off him. It can work but if it was easy everyone would do it.
Tuesday is the litmus for me, that is a game where technical ability goes by the wayside and guts are needed, whilst I'm going and would like to see an end to end, free flowing game where the right side wins I'd rip arms off for a nil nil right now.
I'd be inclined to go 2 up top but with a much narrower midfield. Lee, Dobson, Arter and Morgan would be my midfield with Connor up top with Stockley dropping deep when out of possession to maybe discourage the punts but also because he is capable of playing deeper which would hopefully drag Tucker out of position
Now I hate targeting individuals but Gunter has been a problem and a day dreamer costing us goals since about November last season, McGilvery is a class shot stopper but does not command the box at all and leaves so many balls he should be flying out to claim which sets our centre halves on edge and Famewo is not the player he was last season which must be something mental as physically he is in great shape and has the attributes I think Gunters daydreaming is catching
Good post. I rated Amos much higher than a lot on here and a big reason for that was the way he commanded his area. It’s a real dying art in modern goalkeepers but so invaluable on a day like today.
Gunter has been one of the most disappointing signings I can recall, right back, left back, centre back, he’s been absolute garbage.
I see people asking for more attacking but we must must must become more solid first. We need a compact, organized, and battling base from which to build a more expensive style. Right now we look a complete shambles from front to back so you start by focusing on ten easiest thing to fix, and that is usual the defending.
Dont know if its been discussed elsewhere and i know its a sensitive subject for some people and i dont want to start a debate but we've really missed Gilbey ...was he not vaccinated? .....why are players not vaccinated? ...seems like a simple bit of admin to stop the season going tits up
I don’t think we’re missing him at all to be honest. I think he had an okay run at the back end of last season. I’m aware he had personal challenges last season, an injury and is recovering from Covid, but I don’t think he would be a game changer were he playing. I think a lot of the comments about Gilbey, JFC and even Pratley over Watson are clutching at straws.
Followed on the match thread and that was bad enough....
Adkins has never been a hoofball manager so either the players aren't listening to what he's saying (has been said) or simply they're not good enough to play how he wants / not the players he wanted... Looking at some of his comments during the transfer window, we put some of them down to him being coy, but maybe he just....didn't know....
We didn't look great with Stockley in the side last season but we got points and had a quality alternative in Aneke. Stockley isn't getting dropped. Marquee signing. Captain. I'm not one these people who thinks 442 will suddenly solve all problems but even I want to see if it changes his effectiveness with a direct partner, I've no doubt it'll still be hoofed to him but might be able to get the ball in the box and a shot or two at least....
Listening to Morts and Bolder after NA had said his piece, they, along with Minto were saying we should play 4-4-2 with the squad we have, they were talking a lot of sense, even saying that Stockley would benefit, and the other players could concentrate on the game (knowing all about 4-4-2) and not have to worry about unfamiliar formations......now that to me needs to be the way to go...at least until we win a few games and get our confidence back!!
They were alao saying about getting players up to speed fitness wise, but didn't Leko, Lee and Arter do a pre-season at their former clubs?
Thing is DJ ws suppose to be a quality signing, Kirk was supposed to be a quality singing, if we can't get decent service for Stockley from them then WTF, actually.
Listening to Morts and Bolder after NA had said his piece, they, along with Minto were saying we should play 4-4-2 with the squad we have, they were talking a lot of sense, even saying that Stockley would benefit, and the other players could concentrate on the game (knowing all about 4-4-2) and not have to worry about unfamiliar formations......now that to me needs to be the way to go...at least until we win a few games and get our confidence back!!
They were alao saying about getting players up to speed fitness wise, but didn't Leko, Lee and Arter do a pre-season at their former clubs?
Leko was in the Birmingham 18 for the first 5 games of the season, starting one game and coming off the bench 3 times. He should be match fit
That was atrocious. The team completely gave up belief the moment the first goal went in, but it’s not as if we threatened at all before that.
Players like Gunter are absolutely coasting at our expense. They’re getting a free pass knowing that they won’t get dropped, no matter the performance.
I don’t like hearing calls for the manager mid-game. It doesn’t achieve anything whatsoever. But quite frankly, it isn’t working - and we can kid ourselves and just see how it plays out, or TS can do something about it. I think many of us know what option is should be.
It's not my job to decide that. Personally I would not change manager for another 8 games should we need to then, I'd hope we'd look at the available managers and work from there.
So Adkins is finally realising that Stockley is the root of our problem.
I think I said that after the Sheff Wed game.
You were saying it towards the end of last season I can recall.......
As was I but I was told I was wrong. Stockley invites the long ball play, it worked out last season, hopefully Stockley is dropped for a couple of games now.
It has become all boardroom and configuring everything in a nice tidy boardroomy way and not enough fire and identity.
For all Bowyer's lack of ideas he fired up players and the ground quite unlike any manager I can remember. There was definitely fire and identity.
TS Roddy and Nige are all the same. There is nothing Charlton about them. I am utterly grateful for TS and wouldn't want him to up sticks but I was never taken with Roddy or Nicey Nige.
Rich kids getting completely carried away with their conquering the premier League in 5 years cack. No sense of reality. Football is much more than a business Thomas. 2shats awful tenure will have taught him that much..
And their definition of fire is Jayden Stockley!!!
This team has A LOT of talent now. The suits need to go. And Nigel is a suit.
JJ with Curbs Director of Football would definitely recapture a sense of identity. .
And maybe get Lyle back in in January for some fire.
What a mixed day. Enjoyed my first visit to Adams Park, as a stadium/environment. Was in a lounge and the plan was to head to the away end for the game just before kick off, but was so late with traffic and feeling knackered by the time we got there that we stayed in the posh (?) seats.
Our fans were amazing for a lot of the game, but handed their fans a good few laughs with the chants pointed towards Adkins etc. I wasn’t laughing, while it has been utter tosh, getting behind whoever is wearing the shirt is always my preferred approach. I could see our players’ faces and see their body language up quite close - they are as frustrated, so frustrated and hurting as we are, this is not a players couldn’t give two sh*ts scenario.
The game itself would have passed us by entirely if it wasn’t for the introduction of CBT. I think his 10-15 minute impact was excellent for both us fans and to the team’s confidence. If he had been on for another 10-15 at least, who knows…? Gunter is not the right player for RWB/RM, not enough pace and hasn’t got a trick in him, so if we go with 3-4-3 again, which I wouldn’t be outright against Adkins need to solve that shortcoming.
Then having returned to the lounge for a snack and drink we came out at the same time as Thomas, so had a few words, a photo and handshakes with him (very kind) before poor Jacko getting cornered for a quick chat before he got away. Those interactions were the days’ highlights by a long stretch.
Not yet in the Adkins out camp, but he does need to put the right jigsaw pieces in their right slots and somehow needs to stop his team from lumping it up to Stockley, as that has run its course.
A big 7 days ahead…2 wins and the belief returns, 2 defeats and I can’t see anything but ‘all change please’.
We have the fucking players. They just don't look up for it, watching their goals back you can see they're not trying. We looked better when stockley came off. I'm afraid to say I think Nigel has lost it already.
Why are we blaming the manager again when the same crop of players aren’t performing?
We have the fucking players. They just don't look up for it, watching their goals back you can see they're not trying. We looked better when stockley came off. I'm afraid to say I think Nigel has lost it already.
Why are we blaming the manager again when the same crop of players aren’t performing?
Because it is literally his job to get them performing
It seems to me that Adkins has gone down the same rabbit hole as Bowyer. They both over complicated what should be a simple game and the players don't know what to do.
I still say our squad should be top half at the very least, so the dire position is down to a combination of TS, GR, NA and possibly SG, although I feel he was more instrumental in the negotiations than identifying targets.
Listening to Morts and Bolder after NA had said his piece, they, along with Minto were saying we should play 4-4-2 with the squad we have, they were talking a lot of sense, even saying that Stockley would benefit, and the other players could concentrate on the game (knowing all about 4-4-2) and not have to worry about unfamiliar formations......now that to me needs to be the way to go...at least until we win a few games and get our confidence back!!
They were alao saying about getting players up to speed fitness wise, but didn't Leko, Lee and Arter do a pre-season at their former clubs?
Leko was in the Birmingham 18 for the first 5 games of the season, starting one game and coming off the bench 3 times. He should be match fit
He probably is match fit....just more lies & bollox from Adkins.
And if he isn't match fit why did we sign him ? Oh sorry, another deadline day panic loan.
3 months to bring players in & at the 11th hour (literally) we sign a player who isnt fit enough to play 60 mins.
But don't worry peeps......it will all be ok if you trust the process.
This I believe is more of a mess than just on the pitch, I don't feel like NA has not had the backing in getting the players he WANTED, to me it seems like he got given the players in the position he needed and that's all.
We again were too slow in the transfer window maybe someone has tied Gallens hands? or is this coincidence with our director of football?
He is a good manager and his CV shows this, should he have brought in his own coaching staff or was he told he couldn't?
Unfortunately this is a results business and if things don't click soon he will be gone in a matter of weeks.
Because the owner knows sod all about football he has allowed a situation where everyone has an excuse and everyone has someone to blame. Including the players.
Adkins is partly to blame because he shouldn't have taken the job with out the final say on players and his back room staff.
All this bollocks about pathways for coaches means if/when Adkins goes Jackson or Euall has to get the job. Even if they don't any other new manager has to keep them.
The manager hasn't been allowed to manage or appoint his staff. That being said he isn't blameless and should be doing better.
Sacking Adkins might get a small new manager bounce but it won't solve all the other problems. Major surgery, on and off the pitch, is required. Either that or believe you have done the right thing and stick with it, even if it takes a long time.
Watching MOTD and they mentioned Sane Mane scoring his 100th goal for Liverpool & that got me thinking......when was the last time we've had a player score 100 goals for us..... or even 50.
I appreciate fluctuating between the Premier League, the Championship & League 1 over the past 30 years has meant that we havent managed to hold onto players for too long due to promotion (not being good enough) or relegation (having to sell to balance the books) but surely over that time we should have signed a decent enough player to have got 50 or 60 goals over even a 3 year contract (because since 1998 NONE of our strikers have signed another contract after their original one has run out)
Too tired & pissed off tonight to go trawling through the record books but I would say just Darren Bent, Andy Hunt & Clive Mendonca would be the ones anywhere near getting to 50. Before the Premier League days probably just Killer.
So in my 45 years supporting this club I reckon I've only ever seen 1 player who has scored over 50 goals for this club. Until that is rectified & we unearth or buy a striker who you know will get you 20 goals a season, regularly, then we are just going to stagnate....or worse !
Adkins says that his method is the passing game. The problem is that the passing game that he seems to employ is the inane passing between the goalkeeper and defence, followed by the inane passing between the defence and the midfield, followed by the inane passing from the midfield back to the defence, followed by the inane passing from the defence back to the goalkeeper, who hoofs it forward to Stockley, who either doesn't win the header or flicks it on to where a Charlton player isn't. Adkins has to go.
Because the owner knows sod all about football he has allowed a situation where everyone has an excuse and everyone has someone to blame. Including the players.
Adkins is partly to blame because he shouldn't have taken the job with out the final say on players and his back room staff.
All this bollocks about pathways for coaches means if/when Adkins goes Jackson or Euall has to get the job. Even if they don't any other new manager has to keep them.
The manager hasn't been allowed to manage or appoint his staff. That being said he isn't blameless and should be doing better.
Sacking Adkins might get a small new manager bounce but it won't solve all the other problems. Major surgery, on and off the pitch, is required. Either that or believe you have done the right thing and stick with it, even if it takes a long time.
I’ve said before, if there is no clarity about who is in charge a) on the football side and b) at The Valley, it is a recipe for chaos.
Comments
I see people asking for more attacking but we must must must become more solid first. We need a compact, organized, and battling base from which to build a more expensive style. Right now we look a complete shambles from front to back so you start by focusing on ten easiest thing to fix, and that is usual the defending.
Adkins has never been a hoofball manager so either the players aren't listening to what he's saying (has been said) or simply they're not good enough to play how he wants / not the players he wanted... Looking at some of his comments during the transfer window, we put some of them down to him being coy, but maybe he just....didn't know....
We didn't look great with Stockley in the side last season but we got points and had a quality alternative in Aneke. Stockley isn't getting dropped. Marquee signing. Captain. I'm not one these people who thinks 442 will suddenly solve all problems but even I want to see if it changes his effectiveness with a direct partner, I've no doubt it'll still be hoofed to him but might be able to get the ball in the box and a shot or two at least....
That was atrocious. The team completely gave up belief the moment the first goal went in, but it’s not as if we threatened at all before that.
Players like Gunter are absolutely coasting at our expense. They’re getting a free pass knowing that they won’t get dropped, no matter the performance.
For all Bowyer's lack of ideas he fired up players and the ground quite unlike any manager I can remember. There was definitely fire and identity.
TS Roddy and Nige are all the same. There is nothing Charlton about them. I am utterly grateful for TS and wouldn't want him to up sticks but I was never taken with Roddy or Nicey Nige.
Rich kids getting completely carried away with their conquering the premier League in 5 years cack. No sense of reality. Football is much more than a business Thomas. 2shats awful tenure will have taught him that much..
And their definition of fire is Jayden Stockley!!!
This team has A LOT of talent now. The suits need to go. And Nigel is a suit.
JJ with Curbs Director of Football would definitely recapture a sense of identity. .
And maybe get Lyle back in in January for some fire.
Nigel gives honest opinions two games running
"No ShIt ShErLoCk"
Our fans were amazing for a lot of the game, but handed their fans a good few laughs with the chants pointed towards Adkins etc. I wasn’t laughing, while it has been utter tosh, getting behind whoever is wearing the shirt is always my preferred approach. I could see our players’ faces and see their body language up quite close - they are as frustrated, so frustrated and hurting as we are, this is not a players couldn’t give two sh*ts scenario.
The game itself would have passed us by entirely if it wasn’t for the introduction of CBT. I think his 10-15 minute impact was excellent for both us fans and to the team’s confidence. If he had been on for another 10-15 at least, who knows…? Gunter is not the right player for RWB/RM, not enough pace and hasn’t got a trick in him, so if we go with 3-4-3 again, which I wouldn’t be outright against Adkins need to solve that shortcoming.
Then having returned to the lounge for a snack and drink we came out at the same time as Thomas, so had a few words, a photo and handshakes with him (very kind) before poor Jacko getting cornered for a quick chat before he got away. Those interactions were the days’ highlights by a long stretch.
Not yet in the Adkins out camp, but he does need to put the right jigsaw pieces in their right slots and somehow needs to stop his team from lumping it up to Stockley, as that has run its course.
A big 7 days ahead…2 wins and the belief returns, 2 defeats and I can’t see anything but ‘all change please’.
And if he isn't match fit why did we sign him ? Oh sorry, another deadline day panic loan.
3 months to bring players in & at the 11th hour (literally) we sign a player who isnt fit enough to play 60 mins.
But don't worry peeps......it will all be ok if you trust the process.
This I believe is more of a mess than just on the pitch, I don't feel like NA has not had the backing in getting the players he WANTED, to me it seems like he got given the players in the position he needed and that's all.
We again were too slow in the transfer window maybe someone has tied Gallens hands? or is this coincidence with our director of football?
He is a good manager and his CV shows this, should he have brought in his own coaching staff or was he told he couldn't?
Unfortunately this is a results business and if things don't click soon he will be gone in a matter of weeks.
Adkins is partly to blame because he shouldn't have taken the job with out the final say on players and his back room staff.
All this bollocks about pathways for coaches means if/when Adkins goes Jackson or Euall has to get the job. Even if they don't any other new manager has to keep them.
The manager hasn't been allowed to manage or appoint his staff. That being said he isn't blameless and should be doing better.
Sacking Adkins might get a small new manager bounce but it won't solve all the other problems. Major surgery, on and off the pitch, is required. Either that or believe you have done the right thing and stick with it, even if it takes a long time.
Watching MOTD and they mentioned Sane Mane scoring his 100th goal for Liverpool & that got me thinking......when was the last time we've had a player score 100 goals for us..... or even 50.
I appreciate fluctuating between the Premier League, the Championship & League 1 over the past 30 years has meant that we havent managed to hold onto players for too long due to promotion (not being good enough) or relegation (having to sell to balance the books) but surely over that time we should have signed a decent enough player to have got 50 or 60 goals over even a 3 year contract (because since 1998 NONE of our strikers have signed another contract after their original one has run out)
Too tired & pissed off tonight to go trawling through the record books but I would say just Darren Bent, Andy Hunt & Clive Mendonca would be the ones anywhere near getting to 50. Before the Premier League days probably just Killer.
So in my 45 years supporting this club I reckon I've only ever seen 1 player who has scored over 50 goals for this club. Until that is rectified & we unearth or buy a striker who you know will get you 20 goals a season, regularly, then we are just going to stagnate....or worse !
Adkins has to go.