Charlton's bad patches are way too numerous for us to even consider promotion.
Appleton said, "the way the players reacted in the second half gives me great confidence."Well mate, the way they played in the first half was totally inept. No closing down, no tackles, no nothing. The match was as good as lost then - and that should give you your main point of focus.
Fraser passes off his attacker late and forces Dobson to leave his man unmarked
Dobson, Fraser and Jones all get drawn to the same player and yet he makes it through all three to score as they're all caught ball watching and nobody focuses on man marking him. This one is more a Jones and Dobson error as Fraser is closest to the ball. It can't keep happening.
First goal was down to Dobson inability to pass a ball , lazy pass when we were on the attack 3/4 mins later goal ,great strike but the ball should ever have been down that end .. second was just poor from the ref , Thomas was off the pitch over the 30 secs then he gets in the way of a Charlton player stopping Charles run .. the ref should have stopped the play simple .. up to the first goal it was an even contest , 0-2 you just need to make sure your still in the game at HT and we was .. second half much better Campbell misses from 2 yards , May mis-kicks twice and the ref again misses handball on the line from Hector headed , Bolton were only relaying on break aways .. if we could have got one goal pretty sure we would have got something out of that game ..
The big problem was Bolton clearly see that Campbell and CBT do not defend and track back and it was clear they overloaded our full backs ( seen a lot of nonsense about written about them ) .. full backs stood no chance yesterday number 12 and Number 27 who scored basically had a free run all afternoon .. TWatson done very well yesterday , Thomas being a bit slower on the turn struggled but no blame can be put at their door , or the central defence who again played well but had to drift wide to cover and help the full backs ..
Campbell and CBT need to be sat down and that watch that game through they were a disgrace to their team mates
If we had a proper serious striker in the Squad today it could have been 2-2. sadly we have only nearly strikers 👎👎👎
Alfie May is on 9 league goals already this season
Alfie is very talented finisher but not his day yesterday. Two very presentable chances. Similarly for Tyreece, who seemed to be undecided between laying on chances or shooting himself, plus a heading opportunity that surprised him. What pleased me was the use of passing between defenders for TC to run onto, which worked well, in 2nd half. It almost looked like football.
It was almost like the team didn’t know what hit them, put it down to tiredness for playing 3 games a week, how are they going to cope playing Europa league football on Thursday nights in a few seasons time? 🙄
Played in a golf tournament today on Cape Cod in glorious 80 F weather today and could not give a fcuk I didn't see that game.....we are such a mediocre team nowadays.......
Golf in the heat, sooner football and a day on the piss in the rain meself
Got taught a lesson today. At least Micky Apples knows how far away we are from where we need to be. Leaburn should have been on earlier and made a difference. Watson brought much needed energy. Asiimwe even though right footed was much better at left back than Thomas, should start Tuesday. Would like to see Leaburn and May together in a two. Can't see us troubling the play offs this season. Apples needs at least the January and the summer window to try to sort this out sufficiently to make us contenders. May have to sacrifice someone for big bucks to let him do that. All for the greater good.
I think Leaburn will go for the (relatively) big bucks but I seriously doubt that any or much of it will be invested back into the playing squad. It'll go on reducing the losses.
Just cannot believe the goals we concede,I said to my wife when they got that corner,there is a bloke totally unmarked on the edge of the area,sure enough he was involved in the move which then featured 3-4 unchallenged passes in or around our area. Contrast their defending,people just throwing themselves in the way,blocking everything,I just dont see that with our defenders. Campbell and Taylor got to the bye line on numerous occasions,but their defence was so organised the cut backs and crosses were dealt with. Until we get some proper defenders,we will go nowhere there is no physical presence that scares the opposition,(Look at their no 5)I have said it before,Innis instead of Hector,would have Made a difference.
I just looked at Appleton's decent start. After defeating Fleetwood, Chuks Aneke returned from the bench at Stevenage, we scored in every game bar Shrewsbury and gained 12 points in that time. Chuks may not have been prolific in that time, scoring only once, but his hold up play and sheer physical presence gives the team a chance. My problem with Appleton's formation yesterday was that with May on his own up front meant that more often than not, the ball would be coming straight back at us. If this team is to have a decent season then there are three positions to be addressed, the centre back, the centre of midfield and the centre forward, all three need to have far more of a physical presence than the current incumbents.
Fraser passes off his attacker late and forces Dobson to leave his man unmarked
Dobson, Fraser and Jones all get drawn to the same player and yet he makes it through all three to score as they're all caught ball watching and nobody focuses on man marking him. This one is more a Jones and Dobson error as Fraser is closest to the ball. It can't keep happening.
Fraser passes off his attacker late and forces Dobson to leave his man unmarked
Dobson, Fraser and Jones all get drawn to the same player and yet he makes it through all three to score as they're all caught ball watching and nobody focuses on man marking him. This one is more a Jones and Dobson error as Fraser is closest to the ball. It can't keep happening.
Just look at that photo,2 players in our box in front of their markers with a totally unmarked player behind them,this is horrendous and has to be dealt with.
Let’s be honest Bolton were light years better than Charlton.
Yesterday was painful to watch. It was literally Men against Boys.
I doubt that any of our squad would replace their counterparts in the Bolton squad.
And there lies the problem. The lack of investment,
And when we did buy players, we wasted money on some expensive bad buys, (players like Charlie Kirk)
This has resulted in a squad that probably contains no more than 4 players good enough to get promotion. The remaining players in the squad range from average to poor.
I fear that we will remain in this god awful league for many years to come.
You don’t need to have watched that game with any kind of XG or even an XL bully dog to see that we were played off the park by Bolton who hardly needed to break sweat. So Appleton is praised for being ‘realistic’ in his defeatest pre match interview, but now we have his delusional assessment of our performance afterwards. In my opinion he messed up with his team selection at both Lincoln and home to Bolton, principally by not choosing Watson over Fraser, he is trying to justify his poor management for the last two games. In both games it was the manner of the loss as much as the score that is troubling. I am dreading Tuesday’s behind the sofa game at Wigan. But hoping for a decent win, and fearing Sean Clare.
First goal was down to Dobson inability to pass a ball , lazy pass when we were on the attack 3/4 mins later goal ,great strike but the ball should ever have been down that end .. second was just poor from the ref , Thomas was off the pitch over the 30 secs then he gets in the way of a Charlton player stopping Charles run .. the ref should have stopped the play simple .. up to the first goal it was an even contest , 0-2 you just need to make sure your still in the game at HT and we was .. second half much better Campbell misses from 2 yards , May mis-kicks twice and the ref again misses handball on the line from Hector headed , Bolton were only relaying on break aways .. if we could have got one goal pretty sure we would have got something out of that game ..
The big problem was Bolton clearly see that Campbell and CBT do not defend and track back and it was clear they overloaded our full backs ( seen a lot of nonsense about written about them ) .. full backs stood no chance yesterday number 12 and Number 27 who scored basically had a free run all afternoon .. TWatson done very well yesterday , Thomas being a bit slower on the turn struggled but no blame can be put at their door , or the central defence who again played well but had to drift wide to cover and help the full backs ..
Campbell and CBT need to be sat down and that watch that game through they were a disgrace to their team mates
Those 2 players for Bolton were wing backs. In our defensive shape it was clearly the tactic to leave CBT higher up against the RCB who plays a bit wider for Bolton and leave the wing back for Thomas. If CBT had been tasked with tracking the wing back all game then no doubt everyone would have moaned about it being too defensive. Both wing backs were free all game and that was a big problem but it was more a failure of our set up from Appleton.
We should have played a normal midfield 3 so that the outside midfielders could help out wide, or we should have matched their formation. It was too easy for them to overload us
Didn't think we were that bad. Played fine first 15mins and matched them. But unforgivably bad defending at the corner letting them stroll around for a shot. We did the same each corner Reading had last weekend with just one defender against 2 of theirs but Reading were not good enough to do anything about it. That is piss poor, park league defending. Then we have Thomas off and fall to pieces for their second and I thought it would be a long afternoon. But to be fair, our players hung in until half time (helped I reckon by Dobson's smashing tackle in front of the family stand which was a proper captain's tackle not that he will be given credit for it on here) We did well second half I thought and could have got a couple back. AMB was excellent today with some fine saves. Bolton of course were good for their win, but we are 3 proper decent old heads away from a decent squad. Not rocket science as I said it before the window closed. A big, committed and tough CB like Santos and nasty shit like Charles and one more in our team and we would look so much better. That is the sort of quality, leadership and age we need to get in in January. But we will no doubt spend all of Jan trying to move on Kirk and McG to the no takers instead.
The n***y S*** up front is available on free transfer and if "they" had a clue he would be training with us already ready in case baby ~Leaburn is snatched from his cradle in `jan.
Assume you mean Lyle Taylor? No thanks. Wouldn't want him after what he did for us. But more than that I wouldn't want a bloke who got his pay day and has been shit ever since with a total of 12 goals in over 3 years. I am also pretty sure he also hasn't kicked a first team football since about May '22 as didn't get a single game last season and is currently without a club... unless you count playing for Montserrat which I wouldn't. He is 33 and done.
You're welcome to your opinion. Welcome also to the bottom third of Div 1. Your sensitivities will stand in the way of progress. The reasons why is that he has more hold up play than all of the current strikers put together. He `can do everything that the others can do as well. May will score more inconsequential goals as a talented striker but unable to help his team across the line. Sign LT on a contract weighted towards appearance and goals. I'm not saying there aren't better strikers but- who is available and we can afford.
Not just the fact that I hate him and never want to see him.play for us again. When was the last time Lyle Taylor played? He wouldn't be fit to start.
In my life of supporting charlton it’s sad to realise we are an established league 1 side now. Can’t see us getting out of the league again this year and another year goes by.
I’ve only been 1 game this season and it pains me but just better things to do on a Saturday then go and watch the shit we serve up
We hate being pressed because we aren't technically good enough to play around it We don't press collectively but as individuals meaning we make it easy to play through us We always make Santos look like Beckenbauer and did once again. We bottled it in the tackles because those big scary northern boys intimidated us. But most of all 3 of the 4 defenders are dogshit.
never easy given our continual long injury list, but Appleton needs to sort out his best team and formation a s a p, otherwise his good start will soon be wasted .. no real disgrace losing to Notlob, they are a decent outfit .. B U T !!
Appleton had a couple of games where his substitutions made all the difference.
Two things here - firstly it might suggest he didn't make the right selections in the first place. Similarly, because it worked a couple of times you are not suddenly the second coming of Claudio Ranieri aka The Tinker Man
Get a starting lineup, stick to it and win the game that way. And stop talking about xG - it's a fucking stupid stat that seems to be important to statisticians. The only stat that really matters is the scoreline. Don't go all Nathan Jones over some stats
As far as I'm concerned, you can put that one down to Appleton.
How on earth did he think May could compete up front by himself against 3 big defenders, including one who is possibly the best in the League?
He needed support as it was obvious after only a few minutes it just wouldn't work.
Yet he waited 65 minutes before bringing Leaburn on. And then he made a real difference.
Not impressed with Appleton today.
i've only got to this post but this says it all - yes, bolton were good but what chance did we give ourselves? - for me, any manager who plays may up front on his own when we have 2 strikers sitting on the bench, should bve shown the door - that may sound dramatic but tuesday and to=day has told me that appleton is another dud - he did nothing to change things tuesday when it was clear what needed doing and today he plays may up top on his own, drops a good fit midfielder for 2 players who are nowhere near match fit and plays 2 full backs who are frankly useless - go 3 5 2 and give ourselves a chance for christ sake.
It's difficult not to be despondent after that. I thought the last two games would show us that we are ready to compete at the top, but instead we unravelled. I despise being quoted xg shit as a rationale for inadequacy and any coulda shoulda woulda shit. Now Appleton is pretty much telling us it will take 3 or 4 years to be like Bolton. Thanks for the heads-up Michael, think of the thousands I can save on season tickets for two and fares from Dorset and back. (Except of course I won't). Thing is Michael you won't be here in 3 or 4 years and probably neither will these owners. We are where we belong. Our ground is too big for us. Every summer is a depressing cycle of major squad rebuilding. Piss off
Bolton were my early season favourites to go up, but even so, today I would've expected a lot more from us and I'll go early, and say Appleton is another false dawn. Not good enough.
Fraser isn't crap...he wasn't fully match ready, which could also apply to Camara as well, and that's down to Apples, agree he should have stared Louis, and he probably would agree now, in fact he owned up to getting it wrong in his post match interview...
Baffled by the starting line up. You are playing one of the best teams in the league so give yourself a chance by playing your better players from the start ( Louie Watson & Leaburn).
Appleton won’t do it but for me play a front two of May/Leaburn and work out how you pick a midfield from there. The back four needs something sorted as we will not get no where near the playoff’s minimum with Hector,Thomas in your back 4. Time for Ness to come in for Hector. Would rather see us go with Nathan A at left back than Thomas until we get TA back from injury.
So if our xG is better than the opposition in every game we finish top and go up right even if we actually lose the games?. xG, load of old bollocks.
I really can't see how our XG was better than theirs. We didn't get into many decent chance taking situations & their keeper only made 1 or 2 saves. Whereas AMB made 3 or 4 saves & they scored twice.
That’s outcome bias. Just because a shot goes on target or results in a goal doesn’t increase it’s xG value.
The best chance of the match, according to xG, was the one knocked back across the box for Camara who spooned it over and into the Covered End.
The second best chance was the header Tyreece Campbell put wide. And the third best chance was the shot Alfie May blasted over the bar from Leaburn’s clever lay off.
None of Bolton’s shots, including the ones they scored from, were considered to be better goal scoring opportunities than those three created by us according to Opta’s stats.
Then who decides this XG crap then ? Someone sitting in the stands who's never played the game ?
From what you've said it just tells me that we have crap players who can't finish & Bolton will storm the league as they can seemingly win a game with harder chances than their opponents.
Actually, what my eyes told me, was that Bolton created far more & better chances than we did & if it wasn't for AMB they would have scored 4 or 5.
As I have mentioned before XG is flawed as it doesn't take into account who is having the chance. It will be a completely different outcome if Mendonca had a chance instead of Simon Church.
If Appleton is going by XG as his barometer of how a particular game went then the guy is a complete fool.
“Who decides xG?” - Computer models based on hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of data points.
“We have crap players who can’t finish and Bolton will storm the league.” - It didn’t go in our favour today. Over the season so far we have 22 goals from 19.9 xG & Bolton have 27 goals from 20.8 xG. We’re not crap, we’ve just had a couple of bad games in a row. And yes Bolton are very clinical.
“Eyes told me Bolton created more and better chances” - Without even referring to xG, both teams had 12 shots total and both teams had seven shots inside the penalty area. We had three times as many corners. All the numbers tell a different story: they stuck their chances away and we didn’t. That’s football.
“xG doesn’t take into account who’s shooting” - As many times as you say this, I’ll keep replying the same way: it’s not meant to.
“If he’s using xG, Appleton is a fool” - It’s one of many metrics that all football clubs in the 92 are using to build a picture of how good or bad their players are performing.
At the end of the day we could all see with our mince pies that they were the better team, could have won by more and taught us a lesson yesterday.
May definitely needs a strike partner alongside him. The only way we can do this without the midfield getting over run is to go 3 5 2. It's not Appleton s favourite format but it must be worth a try.
Comments
Appleton said, "the way the players reacted in the second half gives me great confidence." Well mate, the way they played in the first half was totally inept. No closing down, no tackles, no nothing. The match was as good as lost then - and that should give you your main point of focus.
Fraser passes off his attacker late and forces Dobson to leave his man unmarked
Dobson, Fraser and Jones all get drawn to the same player and yet he makes it through all three to score as they're all caught ball watching and nobody focuses on man marking him. This one is more a Jones and Dobson error as Fraser is closest to the ball.
It can't keep happening.
The big problem was Bolton clearly see that Campbell and CBT do not defend and track back and it was clear they overloaded our full backs ( seen a lot of nonsense about written about them ) .. full backs stood no chance yesterday number 12 and Number 27 who scored basically had a free run all afternoon .. TWatson done very well yesterday , Thomas being a bit slower on the turn struggled but no blame can be put at their door , or the central defence who again played well but had to drift wide to cover and help the full backs ..
Campbell and CBT need to be sat down and that watch that game through they were a disgrace to their team mates
Golf in the heat, sooner football and a day on the piss in the rain meself
Contrast their defending,people just throwing themselves in the way,blocking everything,I just dont see that with our defenders.
Campbell and Taylor got to the bye line on numerous occasions,but their defence was so organised the cut backs and crosses were dealt with.
Until we get some proper defenders,we will go nowhere there is no physical presence that scares the opposition,(Look at their no 5)I have said it before,Innis instead of Hector,would have Made a difference.
I doubt that any of our squad would replace their counterparts in the Bolton squad.
And there lies the problem. The lack of investment,
This has resulted in a squad that probably contains no more than 4 players good enough to get promotion. The remaining players in the squad range from average to poor.
I fear that we will remain in this god awful league for many years to come.
So Appleton is praised for being ‘realistic’ in his defeatest pre match interview, but now we have his delusional assessment of our performance afterwards.
In my opinion he messed up with his team selection at both Lincoln and home to Bolton, principally by not choosing Watson over Fraser, he is trying to justify his poor management for the last two games. In both games it was the manner of the loss as much as the score that is troubling.
I am dreading Tuesday’s behind the sofa game at Wigan.
But hoping for a decent win, and fearing Sean Clare.
We hate being pressed because we aren't technically good enough to play around it
We don't press collectively but as individuals meaning we make it easy to play through us
We always make Santos look like Beckenbauer and did once again.
We bottled it in the tackles because those big scary northern boys intimidated us.
But most of all 3 of the 4 defenders are dogshit.
2. Heart
3. No
4. Desire
?
Two things here - firstly it might suggest he didn't make the right selections in the first place. Similarly, because it worked a couple of times you are not suddenly the second coming of Claudio Ranieri aka The Tinker Man
Get a starting lineup, stick to it and win the game that way. And stop talking about xG - it's a fucking stupid stat that seems to be important to statisticians. The only stat that really matters is the scoreline. Don't go all Nathan Jones over some stats
I thought the last two games would show us that we are ready to compete at the top, but instead we unravelled.
I despise being quoted xg shit as a rationale for inadequacy and any coulda shoulda woulda shit.
Now Appleton is pretty much telling us it will take 3 or 4 years to be like Bolton.
Thanks for the heads-up Michael, think of the thousands I can save on season tickets for two and fares from Dorset and back. (Except of course I won't).
Thing is Michael you won't be here in 3 or 4 years and probably neither will these owners.
We are where we belong. Our ground is too big for us. Every summer is a depressing cycle of major squad rebuilding.
Piss off
The only way we can do this without the midfield getting over run is to go 3 5 2.
It's not Appleton s favourite format but it must be worth a try.