Holden said last week on Zoom that Alfie May will continue to do runs and we have to try to find him. I'm a great believer in the harder you work on the training ground you will get sharper in matches. The amount of off-sides and Fraser not at his sharpest ( marked) meant the flag was shown more than on CL back in the day.
Orient were quite deep too, so there wasn’t much space in behind, especially with the rain meaning the ball skipped off the turf. Against a more attacking side like Peterborough next week that long ball could be a lot more effective
Good to hear a rendition of ‘the Orient family’ it’s a bit like that that side of the river , that’s why I moved over there
Haha. It was a bit odd calling a team from a couple of miles away inbreds!
Agree - don’t like the song anyway, but honestly we could be playing Welling United from the middle of our supporters heartland and some idiot would start belting it out.
A great day out, always a happy occasion being back at The Valley. Tried East Stand Block C for first time, and a great view of Edun’s second half runs, very exciting player (not that he is the only who deserves praise for yesterday).
Patiently waiting to see May and Leaburn together as most League 1 defences will have no clue how to stop them. May’s harassing up front yesterday was superb to watch, and such a pleasure to watch a striker like that playing with a smile on his face and always saying thanks to other players after a long ball/pass. Reminded me of John Robinson at times the way he darted around and constantly communicated with the team.
Old master Pratley closed done Fraser very effectively (again) leaving our centre backs to try and make 50 yards passes to May.
When we did manage to build the play we looked dangerous especially CBT who got the assist.
Campbell isn't a partner for Alfie He was very good and if he was playing off Leaburn or Nombe all well and good but that's May's job.
Thomas, who it seems will inherit the Albie Morgan/Sean Clare scapegoat costume was good, just as he was good last season but he is still damned with faint praise.
Edun was a revelation. Fast, tricky, strong in the tackle, skillful. Picking between him and CBT will be difficult. Maybe horses for courses depending on the opposition.
Thought Anderson faded slightly and was caught out of position a few times but still an impressive full debut at only 18.
Camara was the player I remember from his Plymouth days, love those leggy runs but boy what a miss.
Dobson was very aggressive in the tackle and was my man of match even without the goal.
We'll play better and we'll play better sides when we'll need to.
We did look stronger against corners and free kicks.
And despite what Golfie has said all summer about not needing another striker I think we do, possibly two, along with a right back assuming Egbo is out of favour along with DJ.
Three points, clean sheet, good crowd.
Tony Keohane still hasn't got all the turnstiles open but a guy with a hand held scanner meant we could walk straight into our new East Stand seats.
Golfie is rarely, if ever, happy with anything so there's no way he's happy with our current crop of strikers.
Every single person on this forum knows we need another striker.
For those whose whelmometer is close to neutral, may I suggest we would have won more convincingly and more swashbucklingly if we had been kicking the right blimmin way!
That was down to Darren Pratley. He's no mug and knows we'd want to kick towards the Covered End 2nd half. He won the toss & turned us around.
Smart bloke.
Gamesmanship in the most negative form is all he has in his locker.Good riddance. PS it didn't work
Can’t agree with that. It’s not gamesmanship. Gamesmanship is Jason Pearce going down in our box with 5 minutes to go when we are 1-0 up at Fleetwood or somewhere and under the cosh, and getting a miracle fix ffrom the physio. And we all love Jase, right?
Pratley won the toss. There was no issue with sun, or AFAIK wind. So how else do you use it? He knows the Valley because he’s played here - and won- when it was rocking. It was literally his job to take a decision to piss us all off.
i would not want him in our team now, but he’s what, 39. He played a big role in getting us out of this division, and he captained Orient to a title. Look at him yesterday. Fit as a fiddle. That’s what I call a true pro. And we need some of our players to be a bit more Darren Pratley this season, starting with Fraser.
Not at the game, did Pratley get a decent reception ?
It's not that Dean Holden doesn't rate Daniel Kanu but at 18 and the pressure of scoring goals probably doesn't feel he's quite ready. I'm a flag waver for Kanu but he still needs to break through so play him against Newport.
There's an echo chamber that sounds about May needing a partner; the clue is in 3-5-2. 3-5-2 will be just one version of how we will play this season. Leaburn will surely be the man but that won't be before mid September unless he can get sharp quickly when he joins the 1st team at Sparrows lane around the 17th August ( quote from Dean) training away from 1st team at moment.
We need another forward who can play in a two as partner with Alfie May or play in a 3 with ability to play wider. Sorry for my language but a version of Lyle Taylor 🤷🏻♂️
Very few 18, or 19, year olds are ready. The ones that are are either playing 2 or 3 levels below their natural level, or are physically already fully grown men (even if they are still growing) and normally both.
If it was normal for them to be ready there would be absolutely zero point in u21s football.
I think most of our current crop made their pro debuts in 2022. Most of the class of 92 didn't become regulars at Man United until 95/96. We need to protect, not rush and over expect the Class of 22 and all being well Leaburn, Kanu, Mitchell, Anderson and Asiimwe will he top championship players, with us, in 2025/26 and still improving.
For those whose whelmometer is close to neutral, may I suggest we would have won more convincingly and more swashbucklingly if we had been kicking the right blimmin way!
That was down to Darren Pratley. He's no mug and knows we'd want to kick towards the Covered End 2nd half. He won the toss & turned us around.
Smart bloke.
Gamesmanship in the most negative form is all he has in his locker.Good riddance. PS it didn't work
Can’t agree with that. It’s not gamesmanship. Gamesmanship is Jason Pearce going down in our box with 5 minutes to go when we are 1-0 up at Fleetwood or somewhere and under the cosh, and getting a miracle fix ffrom the physio. And we all love Jase, right?
Pratley won the toss. There was no issue with sun, or AFAIK wind. So how else do you use it? He knows the Valley because he’s played here - and won- when it was rocking. It was literally his job to take a decision to piss us all off.
i would not want him in our team now, but he’s what, 39. He played a big role in getting us out of this division, and he captained Orient to a title. Look at him yesterday. Fit as a fiddle. That’s what I call a true pro. And we need some of our players to be a bit more Darren Pratley this season, starting with Fraser.
Not at the game, did Pratley get a decent reception ?
He got a lot of applause when he was subbed. Hope he noticed.
For those whose whelmometer is close to neutral, may I suggest we would have won more convincingly and more swashbucklingly if we had been kicking the right blimmin way!
That was down to Darren Pratley. He's no mug and knows we'd want to kick towards the Covered End 2nd half. He won the toss & turned us around.
Smart bloke.
Gamesmanship in the most negative form is all he has in his locker.Good riddance. PS it didn't work
Can’t agree with that. It’s not gamesmanship. Gamesmanship is Jason Pearce going down in our box with 5 minutes to go when we are 1-0 up at Fleetwood or somewhere and under the cosh, and getting a miracle fix ffrom the physio. And we all love Jase, right?
Pratley won the toss. There was no issue with sun, or AFAIK wind. So how else do you use it? He knows the Valley because he’s played here - and won- when it was rocking. It was literally his job to take a decision to piss us all off.
i would not want him in our team now, but he’s what, 39. He played a big role in getting us out of this division, and he captained Orient to a title. Look at him yesterday. Fit as a fiddle. That’s what I call a true pro. And we need some of our players to be a bit more Darren Pratley this season, starting with Fraser.
Not at the game, did Pratley get a decent reception ?
He got a lot of applause when he was subbed. Hope he noticed.
George Dobson looks like Sid Vicious in that picture
Bad hair day but good day to score 👏
Tbh I’d rather he’d left it for Alfie.
His earlier shot that was saved was a thing of beauty; the way he popped the ball up with his right foot to volley with his left. We’d have been raving if that had gone in.
Felt sorry for May, if Dobson had not got in front of him, he would have got his first league goal for us.
This is part of the fluidity of movement by Charlton under Dean Holden !!! I did say I wanted George to be more than a number 6 but even I didn't imagine he would be a fox in the box !
I’d be surprised if the players weren’t up for the first game of the season, be mightily disappointed if they weren’t!
One game, one goal, not quite champions elect yet, much sterner tests lie in wait and a more realistic impression of how much progress we may have made under Holden, will come in the later months ahead and if we can maintain that enthusiasm and spirit consistently and not once in awhile or against the better teams.
Looking forward to any additions we add this month.
Good to hear a rendition of ‘the Orient family’ it’s a bit like that that side of the river , that’s why I moved over there
Haha. It was a bit odd calling a team from a couple of miles away inbreds!
Hate that song. I’ve been to games with my mum back in the 80s, and I’d have died if they’d sung that. 🫣
Was she from Leyton?
They lived in Edmonton when JS played for Spurs. She was born nearby.
James, Bruce Forsyth was born and lived in Edmonton with his parents and I believe if we play our cards right we can go higher, higher and it appears to be a generation game where youngsters can be produced on the conveyor belt of the academy to the 1st team. Some times we have to beat the clock in the transfer window to hold on to the better young players.
Anderson and Asiimwe, didn't they do well.
You're my favourite because of your DNA.
Let's try to keep our chins up because when we win it's a Good game, Good game.
Good to get a winning start but that was far from impressive
and exposed pretty much the same weaknesses we had last season - only slightly
worse.
Second season running starting without a specialised left
back.
Even more lightweight up front.
Our key playmaker absent for long periods having disappeared
into Pratley’s pocket.
Much of the game our ten outfield players were spread all
over the pitch offering time and space even to a limited side like Orient.
Our most dangerous player put at left-back and our tricky
winger playing as a striker to accommodate a 3-5 2 system for which we still don’t
have the personnel to play.
Good to see our three raw youngsters play so well but ideally,
we need one or two of them on the pitch at one time, not all three.
And Dobson was superb again. Without him we would be in real
trouble.
This is miles off imo.
I really enjoyed it y’day. There’s a clear difference between now and this time last year. That might not translate to promotion, but we’re in a much better place team/squad wise than we were this time last year, and I think there’s more additions to come.
Re; each of your points
- Edun is a left back. Came on y’day and looked comfortable. Yes, CBT will be tested against better opposition if we continue to play wing backs, but from an attacking point of view, he showed great maturity y’day by beating his man and delivering crosses on his weaker foot. One of them led to the goal. If he continues to be that direct and not want to always cut inside, I’ll hold my hands up and say I got it wrong about questioning why we offered him a new deal
- Our focal forward starting last season was that bag of cement Stockley. None of us knew how well Leaburn would adapt and he proved to be a shining light in a sea of mediocrity. When he’s fit, both him and May could prove to be a decent partnership. May was excellent y’day. Both in work-rate and that sublime touch to tee up his own chance that as others have said, was Mendonca-esque in the way he brought it down. We do need another decent forward, but Stockley’s performances last year were some of the worst I’ve ever witnessed in a Charlton shirt. May is a massive upgrade
- I wouldn’t call Fraser our main playmaker. He flatters to deceive and his work rate is poor. His performance was very much in-keeping with last season, except he’s going to be surrounded by better players this season which means we can carry him a bit better
- it’s the first competitive game. Orient were well drilled, just promoted in a London derby. We had a tough opponent. It’s difficult to know if our set up is the right one, but I felt we showed a good shape and even the youngsters looked comfortable in their roles. Plus we won, so if you want to break it down to the bare bones, it worked
- yes, the jury is still out on the formation and set up, but how can you write it off? You don’t know, and I/we don’t know
- If a youngster is good enough, they’re good enough. Anderson and Asimwe being the two new of the three, look really physical for their age. They might not be ready to start every game, but as I mentioned above, I think we will see more new faces in and they will be decent additions. I’d never even heard of Anderson until y’day, but Holden saw enough in him to start, and it was the right call
- Dobson was excellent, but even I, and I was one of the most negative fans on here last season about the team, noticed the difference with better players around him.
I understand we’re not the finished article, and no way does one game make everything okay, but I question anyone who doesn’t think that squad, even with no more additions, isn’t better than what we had last year.
We do need to move on the likes of Kirk, DJ and add better for promotion, but as someone who was quite happy to call out the mediocrity of last year and put the boot in to the likes of Stockley, we’re in a good place with a good foundation
Must had been watching another game to me clearly needs a strike partner but always a threat expecting good things this season with him seems to have a great attitude
These Muppets enjoyed about 20 mins each half, then the travel Kindles came out.
Great story. These are our clubs future and so it will become theirs.
Dad reminds me that on a dull 70's Saturday afternoon I was the escort to a 3rd tier game at Mansfield Town to begin my love affair with all Charlton related. History repeated itself by me taking my 10 yr old to a 3rd tier game in the Powell, Season of All Seasons.
Nothing made me more proud hearing the other day that she recently wore her Charlton shirt, with pride, all weekend at a festival. (She's getting a new one for her birthday next week) 🤫
Comments
Every single person on this forum knows we need another striker.
If it was normal for them to be ready there would be absolutely zero point in u21s football.
I think most of our current crop made their pro debuts in 2022. Most of the class of 92 didn't become regulars at Man United until 95/96. We need to protect, not rush and over expect the Class of 22 and all being well Leaburn, Kanu, Mitchell, Anderson and Asiimwe will he top championship players, with us, in 2025/26 and still improving.
Bad hair day but good day to score 👏
This is part of the fluidity of movement by Charlton under Dean Holden !!!
I did say I wanted George to be more than a number 6 but even I didn't imagine he would be a fox in the box !
Dean was surprised with Dobbo being there.
One game, one goal, not quite champions elect yet, much sterner tests lie in wait and a more realistic impression of how much progress we may have made under Holden, will come in the later months ahead and if we can maintain that enthusiasm and spirit consistently and not once in awhile or against the better teams.
Looking forward to any additions we add this month.
James,
Bruce Forsyth was born and lived in Edmonton with his parents and I believe if we play our cards right we can go higher, higher and it appears to be a generation game where youngsters can be produced on the conveyor belt of the academy to the 1st team. Some times we have to beat the clock in the transfer window to hold on to the better young players.
Anderson and Asiimwe, didn't they do well.
You're my favourite because of your DNA.
Let's try to keep our chins up because when we win it's a Good game, Good game.
“Can anyone point me in the direction of anything he did yesterday that warrants such a clamour to have signed him?
I've read through the Charlton forum and even they are joking about his ability to win 10-15 offsides a season for them.
He isn't a target man, didn't really put himself about, didn't link up any play.
Gawd knows what he did at Cheltenham to warrant such attention.”
“But you look at the bigger picture when he scored 10 in 90 games and got Doncaster relegated.
He can clearly score a goal somehow but seriously not my type of player. And on the decline too.
Piggot is two years younger, physically stronger, and to me seems a lot more capable. Pegrum looked better too.”
I really enjoyed it y’day. There’s a clear difference between now and this time last year. That might not translate to promotion, but we’re in a much better place team/squad wise than we were this time last year, and I think there’s more additions to come.
Re; each of your points
- Edun is a left back. Came on y’day and looked comfortable. Yes, CBT will be tested against better opposition if we continue to play wing backs, but from an attacking point of view, he showed great maturity y’day by beating his man and delivering crosses on his weaker foot. One of them led to the goal. If he continues to be that direct and not want to always cut inside, I’ll hold my hands up and say I got it wrong about questioning why we offered him a new deal
- Our focal forward starting last season was that bag of cement Stockley. None of us knew how well Leaburn would adapt and he proved to be a shining light in a sea of mediocrity. When he’s fit, both him and May could prove to be a decent partnership. May was excellent y’day. Both in work-rate and that sublime touch to tee up his own chance that as others have said, was Mendonca-esque in the way he brought it down. We do need another decent forward, but Stockley’s performances last year were some of the worst I’ve ever witnessed in a Charlton shirt. May is a massive upgrade
- I wouldn’t call Fraser our main playmaker. He flatters to deceive and his work rate is poor. His performance was very much in-keeping with last season, except he’s going to be surrounded by better players this season which means we can carry him a bit better
- it’s the first competitive game. Orient were well drilled, just promoted in a London derby. We had a tough opponent. It’s difficult to know if our set up is the right one, but I felt we showed a good shape and even the youngsters looked comfortable in their roles. Plus we won, so if you want to break it down to the bare bones, it worked
- yes, the jury is still out on the formation and set up, but how can you write it off? You don’t know, and I/we don’t know
- If a youngster is good enough, they’re good enough. Anderson and Asimwe being the two new of the three, look really physical for their age. They might not be ready to start every game, but as I mentioned above, I think we will see more new faces in and they will be decent additions. I’d never even heard of Anderson until y’day, but Holden saw enough in him to start, and it was the right call
- Dobson was excellent, but even I, and I was one of the most negative fans on here last season about the team, noticed the difference with better players around him.
Dad reminds me that on a dull 70's Saturday afternoon I was the escort to a 3rd tier game at Mansfield Town to begin my love affair with all Charlton related. History repeated itself by me taking my 10 yr old to a 3rd tier game in the Powell, Season of All Seasons.
Nothing made me more proud hearing the other day that she recently wore her Charlton shirt, with pride, all weekend at a festival. (She's getting a new one for her birthday next week) 🤫
https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/dean-holden-admits-new-recruits-still-need-to-get-up-to-speed-and-explains-mandela-egbos-absence-against-orient/
“He’s fighting with Nathan in that position, and we feel Nathan has got ahead of him. You can’t pick everybody unfortunately.”
Sounds like Holden definitely wants to move Egbo on if possible.