I don't subscribe to hyperbole but Appleton was an underwhelming appointment and is proving so with results and performances after 3 months in charge. His previous track record was already uninspiring but even if we granted him a clean slate, every game I've seen us play under him has shown a complete lack of identity, zero fluidity. Can anybody here say otherwise? In the cups we've performed poorly against lower league opposition (Gillingham & Cray Valley). Have we beaten any of the 9 teams currently ahead of us in the league? The performances against the bottom sides have been lacklustre too (really lucky to beat Cheltenham especially). He's the beige middle of a Russell Slade & Karl Robinson Venn diagram. Bang average mediocre League One at best.
Exactly We are able to beat / not lose to bottom half teams but we can't compete with the top 6 and only slightly better when you look at top 9 teams.
Appleton has had a relatively easy fixture list since starting yet we still couldn't beaT CVPM at home and lost to the Gills.
He had a new manager bounce also.
The last six weeks have been very concerning.
It's not his squad but he isn't helping himself.
When is the last time we had a manager actually play a line up that suited the players rather than insist on playing a formation we can't fucking play!
I'm thinking that the management/owners need to know who from The Academy (if anyone) is ready to step up to the first team squad. There's no point having an Academy if no one is given an opportunity. Lookman for example seemed to come in "out of the blue" and immediately looked good enough.
So perhaps that is why Mbick and Rylah etc are being given an opportunity so Scott can assimilate what positions are in most need of strenghtening.
I'm thinking that the management/owners need to know who from The Academy (if anyone) is ready to step up to the first team squad. There's no point having an Academy if no one is given an opportunity. Lookman for example seemed to come in "out of the blue" and immediately looked good enough.
So perhaps that is why Mbick and Rylah etc are being given an opportunity so Scott can assimilate what positions are in most need of strenghtening.
(Just my possible theory).
It’s possible, but I I would hope we aren’t evaluating academy players as alternatives to experienced signings mid-season. For instance I would hope we aren’t think that we might not need to with another forward in January because Mbick is doing well with the game time he’s getting.
I'm thinking that the management/owners need to know who from The Academy (if anyone) is ready to step up to the first team squad. There's no point having an Academy if no one is given an opportunity. Lookman for example seemed to come in "out of the blue" and immediately looked good enough.
So perhaps that is why Mbick and Rylah etc are being given an opportunity so Scott can assimilate what positions are in most need of strenghtening.
21 points from Appleton’s 13 league games - enough for 74/75 over a 46 game season.
He’s not perfect and he’ll recognise that his gamble with subs today cost us points.
But I really can’t understand the massive negativity aimed at him specifically. You’d think we were in the bottom four and won fuck all since he was appointed.
I’ve never been a massive subscriber to the “Charlton connection” theory but I do wonder if that’s where we have to go next just so some of you can last a bit longer before sticking the boot in on another manager.
I’m almost as sick of reading hyperbolic bollocks online as I am with how long we’ve been stuck in this god forsaken league.
The results have been decent, but there is no sign of a style of play, performances have not been great (especially recently) and his team selections are often baffling.
Alfie May is our best player and will (unlike some others) be here next season, why aren’t we building around him? We had to pick a manager that plays 2 up top but instead we have Appleton. I really wish we’d got Challinor from Stockport
We need to give a manager time, so he should get it. But I still think it was the wrong appointment and we will probably be in exactly the same position in 12 months time so will probably have had no progress for 4 years
A lot of this stuff has been due to the unavailability of key players. He’s had less than three months, no pre season and is dealing with about eight injuries.
Surely it’s near impossible to impart a proper style of play on a group of footballers under those circumstances.
We all know that the club is in a period of getting through to January until, hopefully, some reinforcements arrive. But we also want to see a complete style of play as well? Those things are mutually exclusive in my mind.
On team selections, I’ve seen people clamouring for Louie Watson again yesterday. Those people are conveniently forgetting how crap LW was in both the Gillingham and Reading games that those same fans were so pissed off about.
Re: Key players, he's only been missing Aneke & Camara up until recently. And we all knew you couldn't count on Chuks to be fit anyway, no Charlton manager has had that luxury.
Most concerning for me is the repetition. We have the same problem in the first 45 minutes... Lack of aggression, not competing, not willing to be brave and play forwards. Then second half they come out and improve for a while.
If a set of players can do it for 30-45 minutes, they can do it for 90. Surely all it needs is the right messages and motivation. But it's the same thing every week.
Depends what you mean by key. Isted had become the preferred keeper. Both Taylor and McGrandles were brought to the club expected to play a regular role if not always starting XI. Can't recall where Leaburn was exactly on his return to fitness from the pre-season butchering, but he certainly needed to be managed, both from fitness and young player development POV. Fraser wasn't fit when MA arrived either if I recall. Ness was presumed to be able to retun to pre-injury form status, and for whatever reason hasn't done so.
I think it is pretty much true to say that MA does not know what his best starting XI because he has never, ever had a chance to field the presumed 11 best players in the same team.
And that is a serious problem for a manager, any manager, especially as he has had zero input in the assembly of this squad.
This is a problem that has been acute since the 2019-20 season and probably a result of Douchebag's years of under-investment. I find it frustrating that it isn't higher up fans' general list of "what's wrong at our club"
I'm thinking that the management/owners need to know who from The Academy (if anyone) is ready to step up to the first team squad. There's no point having an Academy if no one is given an opportunity. Lookman for example seemed to come in "out of the blue" and immediately looked good enough.
So perhaps that is why Mbick and Rylah etc are being given an opportunity so Scott can assimilate what positions are in most need of strenghtening.
(Just my possible theory).
So the final paragraph suggests Scott is telling Appleton what to do? Rather than the other way around.
I'm thinking that the management/owners need to know who from The Academy (if anyone) is ready to step up to the first team squad. There's no point having an Academy if no one is given an opportunity. Lookman for example seemed to come in "out of the blue" and immediately looked good enough.
So perhaps that is why Mbick and Rylah etc are being given an opportunity so Scott can assimilate what positions are in most need of strenghtening.
(Just my possible theory).
So the final paragraph suggests Scott is telling Appleton what to do? Rather than the other way around.
Maybe they agreed after discusssion that certain loans will be returning and certain players will be departing, so what positions do we need to cover and how many players are needed. If Rylah had put in a "Lookman" performance then maybe we wouldn't be looking for another winger for example.
NB Scott is Appleton's boss so realistically Appleton can't tell Scott what to do, although the sensible thing would be for them to talk and come to an agreement.
I'm thinking that the management/owners need to know who from The Academy (if anyone) is ready to step up to the first team squad. There's no point having an Academy if no one is given an opportunity. Lookman for example seemed to come in "out of the blue" and immediately looked good enough.
So perhaps that is why Mbick and Rylah etc are being given an opportunity so Scott can assimilate what positions are in most need of strenghtening.
(Just my possible theory).
So the final paragraph suggests Scott is telling Appleton what to do? Rather than the other way around.
Maybe they agreed after discusssion that certain loans will be returning and certain players will be departing, so what positions do we need to cover and how many players are needed. If Rylah had put in a "Lookman" performance then maybe we wouldn't be looking for another winger for example.
NB Scott is Appleton's boss so realistically Appleton can't tell Scott what to do, although the sensible thing would be for them to talk and come to an agreement.
I'm thinking that the management/owners need to know who from The Academy (if anyone) is ready to step up to the first team squad. There's no point having an Academy if no one is given an opportunity. Lookman for example seemed to come in "out of the blue" and immediately looked good enough.
So perhaps that is why Mbick and Rylah etc are being given an opportunity so Scott can assimilate what positions are in most need of strenghtening.
(Just my possible theory).
So the final paragraph suggests Scott is telling Appleton what to do? Rather than the other way around.
Maybe they agreed after discusssion that certain loans will be returning and certain players will be departing, so what positions do we need to cover and how many players are needed. If Rylah had put in a "Lookman" performance then maybe we wouldn't be looking for another winger for example.
NB Scott is Appleton's boss so realistically Appleton can't tell Scott what to do, although the sensible thing would be for them to talk and come to an agreement.
Maybe he is looking for a payoff?
Highly unlikely imo. Scott was defensive of Appleton on Thursday.
I’m far from convinced with Appleton but he came in after the summer window had closed and has had numerous injuries to key players. The squad is lopsided and carrying too many passengers. There is a big job to do. It won’t be corrected in one window. He deserves this upcoming window and the summer window too to address all the issues. However, I don’t think that it will ultimately make a difference. Fifteen games into next season and he’ll be on his bike. Then it’s rinse and repeat.
Managers wanting more support from the owners at this time of the year and not getting it is one of Charlton Athletic’s classic greatest hits. They then are obliged to be the propagandists for the regime ‘Nile John is just what we need’ until they lose interest.
I think one of the weakness that Appleton has is looking to blame others ‘after that, players can’t come knocking on my door demanding to know why they’ve been dropped’. It was you who picks them in the first place. Appleton knows full well that in the short to medium term when he is dismissed he will still get a pay off and find another job. If he accepts praise for being a good second half manager, he can swallow the criticism too when his decisions are crap.
"I don't want to disrespect the players I have available to me but..." goes on to say he needs a massive transfer window i.e. 'they ain't good enough' Gobshite bungling makeweight
What can he possibly have seen last week in training to bring frozen out Chem Campbell straight back into the starting XI, Deji Elerewe back from Bromley, yet Louie Watson warms the bench against bang average Cambridge who comfortably overran poor old Dobbo while Private Fraser flit around to no discernible impact?
"I don't want to disrespect the players I have available to me but..." goes on to say he needs a massive transfer window i.e. 'they ain't good enough' Gobshite bungling makeweight
What can he possibly have seen last week in training to bring frozen out Chem Campbell straight back into the starting XI, Deji Elerewe back from Bromley, yet Louie Watson warms the bench against bang average Cambridge who comfortably overran poor old Dobbo while Private Fraser flit around to no discernible impact?
That's a rhetorical question BTW
Appleton's a clown
You seem to really dislike Appleton and I can't really work out why.
Name a manager we could realistically get at this level that would do a better job than him?
He is doing a solid 7/10 job with a poor squad. If he gets a window or two of investment and still can't get us challenging at the top then fair enough but its like screaming for an electrician to get sacked because you lights won't turn on because you refuse to pay the energy bill.
Going against the grain but I have seen a massive (positive) difference in the way we are set up tactically since Appleton came in. Unfortunately the squad are bang average, but Appleton deserves time to get it right, changing manager every year doesn’t work.
Going against the grain but I have seen a massive (positive) difference in the way we are set up tactically since Appleton came in. Unfortunately the squad are bang average, but Appleton deserves time to get it right, changing manager every year doesn’t work.
Yep agree - some of the stuff we do now is clearly directly coming from MA. It’s the one criticism I haven’t understood more than any other.
"I don't want to disrespect the players I have available to me but..." goes on to say he needs a massive transfer window i.e. 'they ain't good enough' Gobshite bungling makeweight
What can he possibly have seen last week in training to bring frozen out Chem Campbell straight back into the starting XI, Deji Elerewe back from Bromley, yet Louie Watson warms the bench against bang average Cambridge who comfortably overran poor old Dobbo while Private Fraser flit around to no discernible impact?
That's a rhetorical question BTW
Appleton's a clown
Rhetorical but I’m going to give you an answer anyway.
It’s because Louie Watson put in two of the stinkiest midfield performances we’ve seen back to back against Gillingham and Reading. He’s been very good at times this season but needs to keep the levels high before he can be trusted again.
To keep him in the first XI would’ve been rewarding him for those poor performances - I understand why he was dropped.
Chem - who knows why it’s now that he’s back in. Maybe he’s training better than he ever has since MA came in…
"I don't want to disrespect the players I have available to me but..." goes on to say he needs a massive transfer window i.e. 'they ain't good enough' Gobshite bungling makeweight
What can he possibly have seen last week in training to bring frozen out Chem Campbell straight back into the starting XI, Deji Elerewe back from Bromley, yet Louie Watson warms the bench against bang average Cambridge who comfortably overran poor old Dobbo while Private Fraser flit around to no discernible impact?
That's a rhetorical question BTW
Appleton's a clown
Rhetorical but I’m going to give you an answer anyway.
It’s because Louie Watson put in two of the stinkiest midfield performances we’ve seen back to back against Gillingham and Reading. He’s been very good at times this season but needs to keep the levels high before he can be trusted again.
To keep him in the first XI would’ve been rewarding him for those poor performances - I understand why he was dropped.
Chem - who knows why it’s now that he’s back in. Maybe he’s training better than he ever has since MA came in…
Yet Watson was left out of the first XI after very good performances, which made no sense.
I am sure it is nothing AS and MA have not said to each other. Its clear if we want to push on we need better players. MA has not said anything anyone does not know.
I think its a message to the players to the current players to be honest.
MA has know for sometime alot of these are not good enough, bottle jobs or complacent. He dont trust a number of them and rightly so.
"I don't want to disrespect the players I have available to me but..." goes on to say he needs a massive transfer window i.e. 'they ain't good enough' Gobshite bungling makeweight
What can he possibly have seen last week in training to bring frozen out Chem Campbell straight back into the starting XI, Deji Elerewe back from Bromley, yet Louie Watson warms the bench against bang average Cambridge who comfortably overran poor old Dobbo while Private Fraser flit around to no discernible impact?
"I don't want to disrespect the players I have available to me but..." goes on to say he needs a massive transfer window i.e. 'they ain't good enough' Gobshite bungling makeweight
What can he possibly have seen last week in training to bring frozen out Chem Campbell straight back into the starting XI, Deji Elerewe back from Bromley, yet Louie Watson warms the bench against bang average Cambridge who comfortably overran poor old Dobbo while Private Fraser flit around to no discernible impact?
That's a rhetorical question BTW
Appleton's a clown
You seem to really dislike Appleton and I can't really work out why.
Name a manager we could realistically get at this level that would do a better job than him?
He is doing a solid 7/10 job with a poor squad. If he gets a window or two of investment and still can't get us challenging at the top then fair enough but its like screaming for an electrician to get sacked because you lights won't turn on because you refuse to pay the energy bill.
You seem to really dislike Appleton and I can't really work out why.
Name a manager we could realistically get at this level that would do a better job than him?
He is doing a solid 7/10 job with a poor squad. If he gets a window or two of investment and still can't get us challenging at the top then fair enough but its like screaming for an electrician to get sacked because you lights won't turn on because you refuse to pay the energy bill.
100%
Nathan Jones or Gary Rowlett (both have Charlton connections).
You seem to really dislike Appleton and I can't really work out why.
Name a manager we could realistically get at this level that would do a better job than him?
He is doing a solid 7/10 job with a poor squad. If he gets a window or two of investment and still can't get us challenging at the top then fair enough but its like screaming for an electrician to get sacked because you lights won't turn on because you refuse to pay the energy bill.
100%
Nathan Jones or Gary Rowlett (both have Charlton connections).
Jones is a loon and Rowett plays the worst football I have seen since stoke in the prem.
We’ll see. I think the owners are relying on Andy Scott’s judgement for MA’s position and other areas. Thus far, Scott has had nothing but positive things to say in interviews he’s given.
If Scott and Appleton start butting heads, that’s when we might have a problem.
Everything he says is bang on the money. Whether he has gone too early and disaffects the current squad players is a risk but they are not good enough as a collective anyway so I couldn't really care.
Everything he says is bang on the money. Whether he has gone too early and disaffects the current squad players is a risk but they are not good enough as a collective anyway so I couldn't really care.
It's not all the players fault. Appleton is a tool, always blaming others. He couldn't manage his dinner
You seem to really dislike Appleton and I can't really work out why.
Name a manager we could realistically get at this level that would do a better job than him?
He is doing a solid 7/10 job with a poor squad. If he gets a window or two of investment and still can't get us challenging at the top then fair enough but its like screaming for an electrician to get sacked because you lights won't turn on because you refuse to pay the energy bill.
100%
Nathan Jones or Gary Rowlett (both have Charlton connections).
Jones is a loon and Rowett plays the worst football I have seen since stoke in the prem.
Regardless of if Rowett plays a better style of football over Appleton, they're a complete different level in management skills.
Rowett has won more games than lost at every club he's managed, mostly at championship level, he even managed to at Millwall!
He would be a massive upgrade and I think Millwall will regret letting him go massively eventually. We would be lucky to have Rowett in League 1
You seem to really dislike Appleton and I can't really work out why.
Name a manager we could realistically get at this level that would do a better job than him?
He is doing a solid 7/10 job with a poor squad. If he gets a window or two of investment and still can't get us challenging at the top then fair enough but its like screaming for an electrician to get sacked because you lights won't turn on because you refuse to pay the energy bill.
100%
Nathan Jones or Gary Rowlett (both have Charlton connections).
Jones is a loon and Rowett plays the worst football I have seen since stoke in the prem.
Regardless of if Rowett plays a better style of football over Appleton, they're a complete different level in management skills.
Rowett has won more games than lost at every club he's managed, mostly at championship level, he even managed to at Millwall!
He would be a massive upgrade and I think Millwall will regret letting him go massively eventually. We would be lucky to have Rowett in League 1
No contest Appleton or Rowett. Alas he will be in a job before we are ready for another manager. I.e. in the next 4-6 weeks 😀
Comments
We are able to beat / not lose to bottom half teams but we can't compete with the top 6 and only slightly better when you look at top 9 teams.
Appleton has had a relatively easy fixture list since starting yet we still couldn't beaT CVPM at home and lost to the Gills.
He had a new manager bounce also.
The last six weeks have been very concerning.
It's not his squad but he isn't helping himself.
When is the last time we had a manager actually play a line up that suited the players rather than insist on playing a formation we can't fucking play!
It's mental!
There's no point having an Academy if no one is given an opportunity.
Lookman for example seemed to come in "out of the blue" and immediately looked good enough.
So perhaps that is why Mbick and Rylah etc are being given an opportunity so Scott can assimilate what positions are in most need of strenghtening.
(Just my possible theory).
I think it is pretty much true to say that MA does not know what his best starting XI because he has never, ever had a chance to field the presumed 11 best players in the same team.
And that is a serious problem for a manager, any manager, especially as he has had zero input in the assembly of this squad.
This is a problem that has been acute since the 2019-20 season and probably a result of Douchebag's years of under-investment. I find it frustrating that it isn't higher up fans' general list of "what's wrong at our club"
If Rylah had put in a "Lookman" performance then maybe we wouldn't be looking for another winger for example.
NB Scott is Appleton's boss so realistically Appleton can't tell Scott what to do, although the sensible thing would be for them to talk and come to an agreement.
Scott was defensive of Appleton on Thursday.
Can't imagine the players will be too happy but at least he's standing up for himself and being honest about the squad.
They then are obliged to be the propagandists for the regime ‘Nile John is just what we need’ until they lose interest.
I think one of the weakness that Appleton has is looking to blame others ‘after that, players can’t come knocking on my door demanding to know why they’ve been dropped’.
It was you who picks them in the first place.
Appleton knows full well that in the short to medium term when he is dismissed he will still get a pay off and find another job.
If he accepts praise for being a good second half manager, he can swallow the criticism too when his decisions are crap.
Gobshite bungling makeweight
What can he possibly have seen last week in training to bring frozen out Chem Campbell straight back into the starting XI, Deji Elerewe back from Bromley, yet Louie Watson warms the bench against bang average Cambridge who comfortably overran poor old Dobbo while Private Fraser flit around to no discernible impact?
That's a rhetorical question BTW
Appleton's a clown
Name a manager we could realistically get at this level that would do a better job than him?
He is doing a solid 7/10 job with a poor squad. If he gets a window or two of investment and still can't get us challenging at the top then fair enough but its like screaming for an electrician to get sacked because you lights won't turn on because you refuse to pay the energy bill.
It’s because Louie Watson put in two of the stinkiest midfield performances we’ve seen back to back against Gillingham and Reading. He’s been very good at times this season but needs to keep the levels high before he can be trusted again.
To keep him in the first XI would’ve been rewarding him for those poor performances - I understand why he was dropped.
Chem - who knows why it’s now that he’s back in. Maybe he’s training better than he ever has since MA came in…
Calling out the owners will always end badly!
I am sure it is nothing AS and MA have not said to each other. Its clear if we want to push on we need better players. MA has not said anything anyone does not know.
I think its a message to the players to the current players to be honest.
MA has know for sometime alot of these are not good enough, bottle jobs or complacent. He dont trust a number of them and rightly so.
If Scott and Appleton start butting heads, that’s when we might have a problem.
Everything he says is bang on the money. Whether he has gone too early and disaffects the current squad players is a risk but they are not good enough as a collective anyway so I couldn't really care.
Rowett has won more games than lost at every club he's managed, mostly at championship level, he even managed to at Millwall!
He would be a massive upgrade and I think Millwall will regret letting him go massively eventually. We would be lucky to have Rowett in League 1