There really is no excuse for Watson starting so many games after a summer of recruitment. To sign new midfielders and not have anyone better?
He was one of our better players last night especially in the second half. Albie Morgan needs to learn from him, Watson kept the ball and passed, the last thing Gillingham wanted was for us to play keep ball cos as soon as they got it they could launch it.
From the interview with NA after the game, it became worryingly apparent to me that the system ain't for changin'. He'll die on the hill of the 4-2-3-1, but it's way too dependent on requiring better than average (for L1) players in certain roles, notably the central midfielders. I honestly think he thought Clare and Dobson were the answer, with Morgan in the 10, and we had to beg/borrow/steal unfit players to fix the issue. The concept of Stockley (and even Kirk/DJ) being much weaker than we thought, in my eyes, is linked heavily to this.
All things being equal, I'll take a 1-1 away to Gillingham. We've been poor vs them in recent years. However, I still find the awful football where we can't deal with average L1 sides pressing our defenders/midfielders pretty inexcusable. You could have had the Man City front line last night and they'd have struggled with the complete lack of service for the bulk of the game. It's just really dire.
Everything is not lost - Oxford lost 8 of their first 10 last season, but then went 13 games unbeaten and ended up 6th. Bottom of the table at the end of October. With the squad we have, we can still rapidly progress. Hope is not yet extinguished for me, but we need FULL games of the first half last night. This is a tough, tough league that bites and claws for every scrappy little point, and we need to show more fire.
I agree with every word of this bar one. Replace he with "someone" and its bang on.
Ultimately, NA must have had a decent level of buy in to this, so for me, there's a fair amount of responsibility here. He's the one who's going to lose his job if it goes horribly wrong and he's been around the block long enough to know this is how management works.
Two were brought in early as a cornerstone of our purchases. It's very telling that they came in when they did - if any players felt like NA-driven ones, it was those two for me. He bangs on about having players early in pre-season, and in a system that revolves around dynamic midfields, SURELY these were the key pieces. Particularly without JFC and also Gilbey being out. I'm just not willing to give NA a free pass to divert blame elsewhere. The end of window buying all felt like it happened because of the Clare/Dobson/Morgan trio not working, plus that trio failing making the others look much worse.
We'll never know truly goes on here, and tbh, its quite a bit speculation looking for people to scapegoat. If I'm the manager, that is all on me, regardless of any convolution about how the proposed players get to me. Maybe I'm naïve about things, but the manager will pick the 11.
The manager picks the team and isn't picking the players that we're brought in early. Including Famewo and Stockley yesterday.
There's definitely something seriously wrong, when you look at our early signings
Dobson was signed on the 1st July, and hasn't played in 3 of the last 4 games, not even making the bench twice Clare was signed on the 20th July, and hasn't played in the last 3 games, being on the bench twice but not coming on
Indeed with Dobson, Arter, Lee, Watson, Morgan and Gilbey all getting game time in the last 2 matches, Clare must be wondering why we signed him
Disappointed to only come away with a point after the first half performance. However, Gillingham adapted quickly, nullified our threats and, on balance, did enough to deserve the point, based upon how turgid we were in the second half.
The football we played in the second half here and in the two games prior is f***ing awful. I'll keep banging on about it - Watson and Morgan should not be a thing. Yes, Watson can tackle a bit and play a sideways pass under pressure, but his movement is regularly lethargic. Morgan (who I agree let the game pass him by in the second half) plays with, imo, the fear of costing us points by giving the ball away and is not the tackling, ball-winning midfielder NA wants him to be. Combine this and you have zero options for our central defenders to pass to - Watson runs on energy saving eco-mode and Morgan looks like he's hesitant to make a mistake + looks pressured. They both go deeper and deeper as games go on, then we're left with the no mans land to our forwards. They cause the hoofball that irks people so much.
Our success in the first half was due to Lee dropping deeper to make more of a midfield 3 and playing with his head up. CBT was excellent, but naturally tired. Washington did normal Washington things, plus Davison led the line well - with better technique, he'd have got our second. Leko didn't look as good as the Cheltenham game, but he's still getting there fitness-wise. Pleased to see Purrington back. Right now, it doesn't look like we can sustain first half performances like that to go 2+ up.
It's stops the rot a bit, but we can't keep playing like we have been. Boos will quite rightly continue come. Can Arter/Gilbey fix this? Maybe. Dobson + Gilbey/Arter is what I'd like to see, but NA will keep picking Watson. Morgan would probably benefit from a few games out, and as much as I want him to succeed, I share concerns he doesn't currently look like the player we want/need him to be.
Everybody's still missing the point Needlessly played in the ropey white kit at Wycombe = piss poor performance & crap result
Needlessly played in the ropey white kit again v the piss poor pikies and another crap result
So many different players were involved across those two games you can't tell me it's not a factor.
Charlton play in red. Red and blue are not a clash. Ergo not playing in red is stupid and clearly counter productive. It's not like one single solitary extra whiteish shirt has been sold as a result, is it?
Made me laugh when all around me were singing..."come you you reds". There was no team in red out there.
So it was me who started the..."come on you WHITES".
To play in white away when the other re6am wear blue can only mean 1 of 2 things.
Either the person making the decision doesnt have much of a clue about team identity.
Just watched the Gillingham goal again, Albie realises late that a short corner is on and makes a half hearted effort to close it down. If he was where he should have been before the corner is played the goal doesn't happen, which is why our keeper gives him stick.
Everybody's still missing the point Needlessly played in the ropey white kit at Wycombe = piss poor performance & crap result
Needlessly played in the ropey white kit again v the piss poor pikies and another crap result
So many different players were involved across those two games you can't tell me it's not a factor.
Charlton play in red. Red and blue are not a clash. Ergo not playing in red is stupid and clearly counter productive. It's not like one single solitary extra whiteish shirt has been sold as a result, is it?
Made me laugh when all around me were singing..."come you you reds". There was no team in red out there.
So it was me who started the..."come on you WHITES".
To play in white away when the other re6am wear blue can only mean 1 of 2 things.
Either the person making the decision doesnt have much of a clue about team identity.
OR
The club wants to sell more away shirts.
There's probably only 7-8 games where we'd actually need to wear our away kit, and for some of these they'll obviously want to showcase the third kit, so i guess it's not unreasonable that the club would want to wear it on a few other occasions, especially when the away kit has only just recently gone on sale.
We looked good in the 1st half certainly but that was because gills had no press and our midfield had acres of space and time to play. 2nd half totally different story when they pressed. We need players that can beat their man and press forward Watson cant do that as he doesnt have the pace ( although he had a decent game last night tbf ) and morgan cant do it because he isnt capable, sure when he is given time and under no pressure he can produce a pass but as soon as he is being pressed he has no clue. Like others have said CBT determined to prove a point and no doubt will get a decent club in January. Gilby looked good to go so hoping he starts with arter, lee and dobson on Saturday
Say what we like about Evans,but which of the two managers did their job better at half time last night.
You can and Evens is a bloody good manager with limited players. Which you could argue is what we have got.
But.... He has no respect from "better" players higher up. To sort of answer @arny23394 as well, the foreign players at Leeds thought he was a total joke, as to did the chairman. When he tried to fine a player from coming back over weight even the chairman laughed in his face.
You could say he has a very low ceiling but a very high floor. Possibly the very opposite of Adkins.
Just watched the Gillingham goal again, Albie realises late that a short corner is on and makes a half hearted effort to close it down. If he was where he should have been before the corner is played the goal doesn't happen, which is why our keeper gives him stick.
2 players for the short corner and we only had one player out there defending. Who was that?
Watched on Charlton TV. A good first half, with Blackett-Taylor and Lee particularly prominent, and a well deserved half-time lead. Unfortunately - but a little predictably - we dropped off in the second half as Gillingham aggressively pressed us and we didn't have the confidence on the ball to play out, albeit forcing two good saves from their keeper. Dempsey and his team mates dominated in midfield and, in the end, a draw was a fair result, although Gillingham looked the most likely winners towards the end.
There were some positives: - it's our first point away from home after three dismal defeats on the road - our defenders did well and I feel that Sam Lavelle is going to be an important player for us - Lee, Davison and Blackett-Taylor came into the side and all did well - Purrington got his first game of the season and we got some minutes into Gilbey.
We are some way off where we need to be and Adkins needs to work out his best midfield combination sooner rather than later if the season isn't going to fizzle out.
Just watched the Gillingham goal again, Albie realises late that a short corner is on and makes a half hearted effort to close it down. If he was where he should have been before the corner is played the goal doesn't happen, which is why our keeper gives him stick.
At he time I blamed Matthews but this is basic defending that even many pub teams cater for tactically.
I have it six goals so far down to Albie or Dobson and no assists from either. Tells you everything about our midfield or lack of it and also points to poor recruitment when the knowledge of long term injuries to Gilbey and Forster Caskey was known in the summer.
Just watched the Gillingham goal again, Albie realises late that a short corner is on and makes a half hearted effort to close it down. If he was where he should have been before the corner is played the goal doesn't happen, which is why our keeper gives him stick.
2 players for the short corner and we only had one player out there defending. Who was that?
If our player is on top of the two Gillingham players at the corner it limits their options, Albie arrives late and the Gills players now have options. This isn't the first time it's happened this season, we seem to be slow to cover the crossing positions, on this occasion Matthews is where he should be and its the midfielders job to Police the short corner.
What makes it all the more annoying is watch the opposition IF we get a corner this Saturday
If we have two players that go towards the corner flag to try and make Portsmouth think that we'll play a short corner, you'll see two of their players sticking to them like glue to ensure we dont benefit from it.
Its not a difficult part of the game
Certainly need to cut out the need for a mothers meeting every time the opposition get a set piece
One more stat, take out the midfielders mistakes in our games so far, yes you can't look back and predict what might have happened, but we would possibly have another seven points, placing us joint seventh in the table.
If our player is on top of the two Gillingham players at the corner it limits their options, Albie arrives late and the Gills players now have options. This isn't the first time it's happened this season, we seem to be slow to cover the crossing positions, on this occasion Matthews is where he should be and its the midfielders job to Police the short corner.
If our player is on top of the two Gillingham players at the corner it limits their options, Albie arrives late and the Gills players now have options. This isn't the first time it's happened this season, we seem to be slow to cover the crossing positions, on this occasion Matthews is where he should be and its the midfielders job to Police the short corner.
it was Lee, not morgan
No, Morgan is the designated Charlton Life scapegoat! It has to be his fault!
Just watched the Gillingham goal again, Albie realises late that a short corner is on and makes a half hearted effort to close it down. If he was where he should have been before the corner is played the goal doesn't happen, which is why our keeper gives him stick.
2 players for the short corner and we only had one player out there defending. Who was that?
Watch Leko. He wasn’t even looking in the right direction when the corner was taken.
If our player is on top of the two Gillingham players at the corner it limits their options, Albie arrives late and the Gills players now have options. This isn't the first time it's happened this season, we seem to be slow to cover the crossing positions, on this occasion Matthews is where he should be and its the midfielders job to Police the short corner.
it was Lee, not morgan
No, Morgan is the designated Charlton Life scapegoat! It has to be his fault!
you're right - i think he cunningly nicked Lee's shirta t half time
If our player is on top of the two Gillingham players at the corner it limits their options, Albie arrives late and the Gills players now have options. This isn't the first time it's happened this season, we seem to be slow to cover the crossing positions, on this occasion Matthews is where he should be and its the midfielders job to Police the short corner.
it was Lee, not morgan
No, Morgan is the designated Charlton Life scapegoat! It has to be his fault!
I don't know whose job it was, but Lee was there up against two. It needed another defender when they went short. I said earlier, I thought it was Matthews, but it was whoever was given responsibility in case of a short corner, if anybody was.
Comments
I remember loanees from them serving us well, but we're going for a different transfer approach this season go ensure quality and continuity.
So it was me who started the..."come on you WHITES".
To play in white away when the other re6am wear blue can only mean 1 of 2 things.
Either the person making the decision doesnt have much of a clue about team identity.
OR
The club wants to sell more away shirts.
Like others have said CBT determined to prove a point and no doubt will get a decent club in January. Gilby looked good to go so hoping he starts with arter, lee and dobson on Saturday
But.... He has no respect from "better" players higher up. To sort of answer @arny23394 as well, the foreign players at Leeds thought he was a total joke, as to did the chairman. When he tried to fine a player from coming back over weight even the chairman laughed in his face.
You could say he has a very low ceiling but a very high floor. Possibly the very opposite of Adkins.
There were some positives:
- it's our first point away from home after three dismal defeats on the road
- our defenders did well and I feel that Sam Lavelle is going to be an important player for us
- Lee, Davison and Blackett-Taylor came into the side and all did well
- Purrington got his first game of the season and we got some minutes into Gilbey.
We are some way off where we need to be and Adkins needs to work out his best midfield combination sooner rather than later if the season isn't going to fizzle out.
If we have two players that go towards the corner flag to try and make Portsmouth think that we'll play a short corner, you'll see two of their players sticking to them like glue to ensure we dont benefit from it.
Its not a difficult part of the game
Certainly need to cut out the need for a mothers meeting every time the opposition get a set piece
Watch Leko. He wasn’t even looking in the right direction when the corner was taken.