we lost Lloyd (Jones). Lloyd hasn’t trained all week, he’s been on more painkillers than I can imagine and he wasn’t right today.
I saw a picture of Jones on crutches earlier in the week. Any other game I doubt he would have played. Let us hope that he hasn’t done himself more damage. I would rest as many as possible this Saturday and concentrate on getting our key players fit and firing for the play Offs.
Not really too down about it, to be honest. I am sure others have said it, but if we had won yesterday and then both Wrexham and we won next week, we would have felt massively deflated in the run up to the play-offs at just missing out on automatic. Now we have a week to dust ourselves off, get the job done against Burton and prepare for the play-offs knowing we have that second leg at home.
Which is the correct way to look at it I guess. But I am a little surprised at just how deflated I feel. I think part of it is the worry that we go into the play-offs still missing key players. It will take a lot of belief away
This.
It's not the fact we lost, it's the fact that we look a distant 2nd without just a few key players. Hoping they all make a speedy recovery but I fear for our hopes if they aren't all back for the pay off games.
We could have looked just as distant with Berry and Small in the team. Like we did when played Rotherham or Lincoln.
It was always going to be a tough tough ask going to Wrexham when they knew all they had to do was to win to secure promotion.
As ever people seem to think we have a divine right to win every game, and when we don’t the deconstruction of decisions made in January are picked apart like they are the cause. Yet they also fail to acknowledge that those decisions turned us into one of the in form teams in the league where we managed to overhaul being in mid table obscurity to having a chance of automatic promotion.
I know fans have a bee in their bonnet about us being in league one, but it’s still bloody tough, away games especially - and it would have taken something special to beat Wrexham with how much the crowd and players would have been up for it.
The play offs will be a whole different story, with so much on line for both teams, and I trust Jones to dust us down and get us in a good place for it.
I'm in the "deflated" camp. I keep telling myself that the situation we found ourselves in, going into that game, was ludicrous to even consider at the beginning of December. But it doesn't help the feeling, and when i woke up this morning I found myself thinking of Dobbo. Now, I should acknowledge that it was clear that NJ would have wished to keep Dobbo (unlike Alfie), and that it was Scott who came to the ridiculous conclusion that Dobbo -our captain - wasn't good enough. And that is what I think about re yesterday. Our captain, Greg Docherty, went missing yesterday. Dobbo did not. Dobbo didn't go missing in any game as captain in our shirt. Meanwhile at Wrexham he isn't even captain. They've got potential captains all over the pitch. In this team Dobbo doesn't need to go crashing around the pitch stopping the whole thing from collapse, because up there he has players around him who are competent, but also every bit as resolute as him. Docherty has improved a lot, but the fact remains that even since our upturn in form, Jones sometimes subs him. The captain. I'm not saying he's not good enough for us, and maybe I'm too old skool about this, but I think the captain of a winning team is the last man standing. You never sub him unless he's running on one leg. The problem then is that I don't see another captain. Possibly Lloyd Jones, but NJ isn't himself quite sure, otherwise he would be. Meanwhile Dobbo will go about his business in the Championship next season, I am absolutely sure of that. We should never have let him go, but that is down to Scott, primarily. And the fact that Appleton rather than NJ was in the building.
As for the striker situation. @Bailey you need to leave off @Golfie. You said there are no other teams with five strikers, and yet we had just played one with 7, all of whom have a better current career return than Daniel Kanu (no offence to DK, although I am not yet sure he will make it). Wrexham understood the thing I keep banging on about; any idiot can sack (read "sell") talented people they take against. Getting in someone better is the hard bit. When Wrexham came to the Valley both Mullin and Palmer, signed in the NL, featured, and have done since. They added Smith in the window on top of them. They did not undo the foundations on which their success has been built. Yes, it's expensive, and not everyone can do it. But we could have done it on the striker front, if NJ had found a way to manage Alfie May effectively. Then again we probably would not have signed Godden if we'd kept May. Ahadme would still have been just as useless with May rather than Godden in the squad. My overall point is, identify the key people that have brought success, or at least delivered in a crap squad, and then keep them, build around them. That's what Wrexham have done. No 8-8-8 bollocks. No instinct to sell academy players after half a season of having big club scouts along to watch them. I hope that that's the real lesson of Wrexham. That squad has been assembled and developed by seasoned football pros, and The Lads have been happy to delegate to them. I hope that's how we'll proceed from now on.
We were out played and out fought it’s as simple as that. But that doesn’t mean it’s a disaster we still have the playoffs which is a remarkable achievement considering where we were. However what it do show is that if we go up we are miles off a championship team. That isn’t a criticism in anyway I’m proud of what we have done this season but we would need a lot of signings to stay up I think
I'd describe myself more as disappointed than deflated. I thought we would win our two remaining fixtures and still be pipped at the post courtesy of our poor start to the race. So, it's not that I didn't expect disappointment, just that it arrived a week early. It's not all over yet though, and arguably promotion at Wembley is more satisfying than finishing second. Yesterday's dream is dead, but the adventure is still very much on.
That's the other talking point I suppose. Not to slag off players too much, as some are young and development players.
A game of that magnitude should not have players like Tennai Watson, Kanu, Mbick and even Anderson to an extent (as he did well when he came on vs Wycombe)
Outside our first XI it's so poor.
The other talking point is Alex Mitchell. A player that did so well, can't even play instead of an injured centre back, and lost his place to a right back.
I don't understand why Jones didn't adjust our back 5 based on injuries.
Surely from right to left, Ramsay, Mitchell, Gillesphey, McIntyre and Edwards made more sense? More of a physical back line and Ramsay would have had more freedom.
I just hope with Burton we genuinely just play all the u21s and don't take it seriously. Can't risk another injury with such important games coming up.
I woke up today and saw the potential league1 table next season and almost hurled. Another year of this toot, no thanks. Really hope the lads step up these next few weeks, we need this promotion.
Cardiff relegated, unless we go up they will come calling for NJ, and I think he would go given the opportunity of Managing us or them in the same league.
Cardiff relegated, unless we go up they will come calling for NJ, and I think he would go given the opportunity of Managing us or them in the same league.
This is the biggest concern I think. If we don't go up and he fucks off.... Back to square one
Cardiff relegated, unless we go up they will come calling for NJ, and I think he would go given the opportunity of Managing us or them in the same league.
Said this to my cousin on the journey home, even if we do go up, if Cardiff come calling, what happens.
It feels if we stay down and Cardiff come calling we will be looking for a new manager to me.
No - we don’t get to blame maybe falling short in a 46 League season on any one or two players especially when the collective progress over the season is anything but a failure. I share the disappointment but too many of the players scores yesterday are an overreaction.
No disrespect, with this squad, days like yesterday were always on the menu.
Maintaining the momentum for such a protracted period is a tribute to the medical & fitness staff & Jones. However come January & February if you didn’t get the right bodies in the building you WILL invariably stumble through injuries, suspension, fatigue and loss of form. I applaud the manager, coaches and every player who has pulled on the shirt since December in delivering the 2nd best set of results in the League.
Squad issues were set in the 888 fiscal theory proposed Jan 2024, enacted July 2024 and melted down in Jan 2025. Capping your senior squad at 16 seniors with an elite keeper* means 15 senior outfielders for a match day 16. It includes Aneke who can’t start (nobody’s paying up his contract), and a veteran part time coach. Margins matter.
*we never got one
Placing a top 6 campaign on the shoulders of a “development 8” was tantamount to abuse notably so with zero balance across the squad. WB - Asiimwe CB - Z. Mitchell, CM -Anderson - 5 forwards in Campbell, Leaburn, Kanu, Dixon and Smalls conversion.
Campbell delivered remarkable growth from 2023/24. Small reinvented himself as a viable RW/RWB - Anderson offered support but Leaburn was sadly not up to the full physical challenge while Kanu, Asiimwe, Z Mitchell & Dixon were unable to contribute. With Mbick, Laqeretabua & Enslin in the wings we literally extend the group to 11.
In terms of fully functioning outfielders the March working group had 45% circa 21 or under.
In the face of the physicality & mental demands of an often aggressive 46 league game season and a high energy modus operandi I refuse to malign a single talent. I do however position 70% had not the CV, physicality, stamina, experience or game management to fully meet the demands placed upon them.
“Making a decent fist of it” does not ultimately move us forward. Add in June executive realignments, July structural dictats, the subsequent departures of Scott & Methven it can be no surprise the 2nd half season results reflect a greater clarity of direction.
Regrettably the “we are in it for the long term ” executive decisions in Feb did not reflect good management. December & January results presented a real business opportunity. You either empower your workforce with the tools to do the job or you don’t. Two loan additions funded by reducing the wage bill by 7 did not reflect the opportunity.
Of course Jones as per any “grown up” Manager will own it but if the executive were unable to fund just 2 elite extra seniors for 3 months to spread the responsibility and the workload then it is on them and nobody else. Opportunity A has gone.
Messrs Carter, Warwick, Rodwell & Jones «brutal weeks » come with the territory and demand insurance. We didn’t pay the premium.
Right now focus on the failings if you must but no NJ didn’t get his elite keeper, Yes A. Campbell & Ahadme really struggled but over 25 games we have seen Mannion, Ramsay, Jones, Gillesphey, Edwards, Coventry, Small and T Campbell deliver arguably the best senior football of their careers with Berry and notably Godden reminding us they have indeed played at a higher level.
Can the group rebound? Will there be enough left in the tank to seize Opportunity B? I really don’t know but for sure I fully respect the work the clubhouse has delivered in 2024/25 and if the group doesn’t deliver promotion I most certainly won’t be looking in their direction.
Grapevine hits the nail squarely on the head.
I hope owners consider Grapevines opinion, when looking back & season.
Cardiff relegated, unless we go up they will come calling for NJ, and I think he would go given the opportunity of Managing us or them in the same league.
Said this to my cousin on the journey home, even if we do go up, if Cardiff come calling, what happens.
It feels if we stay down and Cardiff come calling we will be looking for a new manager to me.
If we don’t go up, maybe, but can’t see him leaving for Cardiff if we get promoted.
I find it strange that since we lost a game that loads of new posters have appeared and most of them are moaning. Just saying.
Don't think there is a single new poster on this thread, let alone loads! A handful of posters who have not posted much who have generally said bad days at the office, let's win the play offs.
If we underachieved for the first 20 odd games we have overachieved since ending up just the few points behind Wycombe and the same with Wrexham until we met them yesterday and we saw the difference when a strong club with 7 experienced strikers to chose from, know they win and are promoted.
I knew we were just extras from KO and Smith went steaming into Ramsey twice and no foul was given just a throw in.
They were the story whether Charlton fans/critics like it or not just like Palace are the story as well. I just wish Charlton fans didn't have chips on both shoulders but decades have brought this about.
In trying to get top two or 3rd or 4th we may have done harm to our chances of Play off success; it was catch 22 and we had to try but now rest anyone who needs it even if it means 5th place. Lloyd definitely as apparently he has been having injections for a while. Not sure the issue with Small but we need him fresh for the semi final.
Our fans who predicted we would beat Wrexham turn quicker than Cruyff and pile on to the team with criticism.
Let’s get it out there …. We were never getting second spot , because no matter what we did it was always out of our hands …. We gave it an incredible go and the players , management and owners deserve high praise after last season . …
Cardiff relegated, unless we go up they will come calling for NJ, and I think he would go given the opportunity of Managing us or them in the same league.
This is the biggest concern I think. If we don't go up and he fucks off.... Back to square one.
And along with him (not to Cardiff) goes Small, Ramsay & TC. Ok, we may get fees for the last 2 but not what they are worth to US and I'd bet that a lot of the money goes to balancing the books rather than replacing them like for like.
That's the other talking point I suppose. Not to slag off players too much, as some are young and development players.
A game of that magnitude should not have players like Tennai Watson, Kanu, Mbick and even Anderson to an extent (as he did well when he came on vs Wycombe)
Outside our first XI it's so poor.
The other talking point is Alex Mitchell. A player that did so well, can't even play instead of an injured centre back, and lost his place to a right back.
I don't understand why Jones didn't adjust our back 5 based on injuries.
Surely from right to left, Ramsay, Mitchell, Gillesphey, McIntyre and Edwards made more sense? More of a physical back line and Ramsay would have had more freedom.
I just hope with Burton we genuinely just play all the u21s and don't take it seriously. Can't risk another injury with such important games coming up.
I woke up today and saw the potential league1 table next season and almost hurled. Another year of this toot, no thanks. Really hope the lads step up these next few weeks, we need this promotion.
I actually think Burton is a much more important game than you might think just on limited table implications after yesterday. He should obviously rest anyone carrying injuries but it's so important in my opinion we have a morale-boosting performance and win next week to take into the play offs so everyone who is fit must play
yesterday will have hit them a lot and the difference between hiding from the next game and praying you can scramble through in the play offs (Rochdale / Shrewsbury 2018) and storming in playing as much football as you can because you want to keep playing more games just because you believe you will win every game so play play play (Rochdale/Donny 2019) is enormous
A flat feeling, but we shouldn't act as if we've just lost our play-off semis.
Conundrum for NJ - Do we rest some key players for 2 weeks until the 10th May for them to fully recover (Jones, Berry, Small, TC, Godden), or play our strongest team against Burton, to reclaim a win in the final game of the season.
Rest and recovery at the risk of losing momentum and form. Tough one. It's the type of decisions that fans will always get right (after the event!).
Unfortunately one game too much for us. We were brilliant at Wycombe, but the turn around from playing on Monday was probably too much for us. Controversially, lost hope of us winning when I saw the team with no Small/Berry. Hope nothing serious and we have two weeks to get everyone fully fit for the first game of the play offs.
Let’s get it out there …. We were never getting second spot , because no matter what we did it was always out of our hands …. We gave it an incredible go and the players , management and owners deserve high praise after last season . …
The players and coaching staff do for sure. The owners needed to dig a bit deeper, see Grapevine’s post above.
Quite simply, if we had put in a reasonable performance yesterday and still lost no one would be having kittens. Because it was such an awful performance at such a critical moment I for one left Wrexham very very dispirited. That was as bad as we have been at any point this season, I find that most unsettling.
No disgrace in losing this, some say we never turned up, more like we were outsmarted before we got started, outdone by a bigger, very streetwise, powerful team. Much as we outpressed Wycombe last week, they outpressed in the first half us til we were almost squashed We had our moments and it was good to see the youngsters giving it a right good go in the 2nd half. Their 3rd goal on the break was the absolute killer though. Let's all hope that Thierry Small, Lloyd Jones and Luke Berry are fit for the playoffs. It'll be tempting for Nathan J to leave out any slightly walking wounded v Burton and I wouldn't blame him if he did.
No - we don’t get to blame maybe falling short in a 46 League season on any one or two players especially when the collective progress over the season is anything but a failure. I share the disappointment but too many of the players scores yesterday are an overreaction.
No disrespect, with this squad, days like yesterday were always on the menu.
Maintaining the momentum for such a protracted period is a tribute to the medical & fitness staff & Jones. However come January & February if you didn’t get the right bodies in the building you WILL invariably stumble through injuries, suspension, fatigue and loss of form. I applaud the manager, coaches and every player who has pulled on the shirt since December in delivering the 2nd best set of results in the League.
Squad issues were set in the 888 fiscal theory proposed Jan 2024, enacted July 2024 and melted down in Jan 2025. Capping your senior squad at 16 seniors with an elite keeper* means 15 senior outfielders for a match day 16. It includes Aneke who can’t start (nobody’s paying up his contract), and a veteran part time coach. Margins matter.
*we never got one
Placing a top 6 campaign on the shoulders of a “development 8” was tantamount to abuse notably so with zero balance across the squad. WB - Asiimwe CB - Z. Mitchell, CM -Anderson - 5 forwards in Campbell, Leaburn, Kanu, Dixon and Smalls conversion.
Campbell delivered remarkable growth from 2023/24. Small reinvented himself as a viable RW/RWB - Anderson offered support but Leaburn was sadly not up to the full physical challenge while Kanu, Asiimwe, Z Mitchell & Dixon were unable to contribute. With Mbick, Laqeretabua & Enslin in the wings we literally extend the group to 11.
In terms of fully functioning outfielders the March working group had 45% circa 21 or under.
In the face of the physicality & mental demands of an often aggressive 46 league game season and a high energy modus operandi I refuse to malign a single talent. I do however position 70% had not the CV, physicality, stamina, experience or game management to fully meet the demands placed upon them.
“Making a decent fist of it” does not ultimately move us forward. Add in June executive realignments, July structural dictats, the subsequent departures of Scott & Methven it can be no surprise the 2nd half season results reflect a greater clarity of direction.
Regrettably the “we are in it for the long term ” executive decisions in Feb did not reflect good management. December & January results presented a real business opportunity. You either empower your workforce with the tools to do the job or you don’t. Two loan additions funded by reducing the wage bill by 7 did not reflect the opportunity.
Of course Jones as per any “grown up” Manager will own it but if the executive were unable to fund just 2 elite extra seniors for 3 months to spread the responsibility and the workload then it is on them and nobody else. Opportunity A has gone.
Messrs Carter, Warwick, Rodwell & Jones «brutal weeks » come with the territory and demand insurance. We didn’t pay the premium.
Right now focus on the failings if you must but no NJ didn’t get his elite keeper, Yes A. Campbell & Ahadme really struggled but over 25 games we have seen Mannion, Ramsay, Jones, Gillesphey, Edwards, Coventry, Small and T Campbell deliver arguably the best senior football of their careers with Berry and notably Godden reminding us they have indeed played at a higher level.
Can the group rebound? Will there be enough left in the tank to seize Opportunity B? I really don’t know but for sure I fully respect the work the clubhouse has delivered in 2024/25 and if the group doesn’t deliver promotion I most certainly won’t be looking in their direction.
A really good post Grapevine but like a lot of comments about our club it has to be taken in context. There always seems to be two schools of thought with any group of supporters, 'chuck money at it' or 'steady progression' I think with Charlton supporters we suffer envy at what was achieved by first Ipswich, then Birmingham and now Wrexham, but there is devil in the detail. By January 1st 2025, Charlton were 17 points from the top two of Wycombe and Birmingham, Wrexham were 15 points clear of Charlton but had played two games more. By the February 1st, the gap to second placed Wycombe had reduced to 15 points and Birmingham had reached top spot 19 points ahead of Charlton. Our form in the second half of the season, is only bettered by Birmingham, I take your point about size of the squad but yesterday was the first time we have had five players missing, Lloyd Jones shouldn't have played but obviously the coaching team thought he'd be alright. My point is, and I know a lot of posters disagree with this stance, what players would have improved the form in the second half and at what cost? I mention cost, because two weeks back there was shock and indignation on this site about a 14 million loss incurred by Charlton in 23/24. I fail to see how we could have improved on our second half of the season showing and yes lets not dismiss the first part of the season but once again lets look at Wrexham, because that's realistically what we were aiming at. They had a settled side, a side that had been playing together for a good while, they added Dobson at the start of the season, amongst others to compliment that settled side, we built a side from scratch, it took time to for us to find a goal scoring partnership and a midfield that worked, it now works from back to front and with a fully fit squad we are a team that no one wants to face. I am amazed that merely a week after one of the best results that we have seen in many a season, a weakened Charlton side got turned over at Wrexham and the usual culprits are declaring that it's because we didn't spend in January, the form shows it was not necessary to spend in January and the players who left, were not players who would improve this side or been able to step in yesterday and perform to the same level as those missing.
That's the other talking point I suppose. Not to slag off players too much, as some are young and development players.
A game of that magnitude should not have players like Tennai Watson, Kanu, Mbick and even Anderson to an extent (as he did well when he came on vs Wycombe)
Outside our first XI it's so poor.
The other talking point is Alex Mitchell. A player that did so well, can't even play instead of an injured centre back, and lost his place to a right back.
I don't understand why Jones didn't adjust our back 5 based on injuries.
Surely from right to left, Ramsay, Mitchell, Gillesphey, McIntyre and Edwards made more sense? More of a physical back line and Ramsay would have had more freedom.
I just hope with Burton we genuinely just play all the u21s and don't take it seriously. Can't risk another injury with such important games coming up.
I woke up today and saw the potential league1 table next season and almost hurled. Another year of this toot, no thanks. Really hope the lads step up these next few weeks, we need this promotion.
The way Wrexham pressed us yesterday I think Mitchell would have really struggled. Tenai isn’t great but he was probably our biggest threat going forward with his runs in behind McLean, he got in behind a couple of times
Listened to Connor Coventry's interview after the game. He sounded genuinely gutted about what happened as we're the squad. I think the game against Burton they will want to prove themselves and get a result that'll worry whoever our opposition is in the play-offs. He was very complimentary about our support, and wants to repay them. If the rest of the squad, as he says, has the same attitude, I expect to see the team rock up at Wembley.
Comments
I saw a picture of Jones on crutches earlier in the week. Any other game I doubt he would have played. Let us hope that he hasn’t done himself more damage. I would rest as many as possible this Saturday and concentrate on getting our key players fit and firing for the play Offs.
As ever people seem to think we have a divine right to win every game, and when we don’t the deconstruction of decisions made in January are picked apart like they are the cause. Yet they also fail to acknowledge that those decisions turned us into one of the in form teams in the league where we managed to overhaul being in mid table obscurity to having a chance of automatic promotion.
The play offs will be a whole different story, with so much on line for both teams, and I trust Jones to dust us down and get us in a good place for it.
And that is what I think about re yesterday. Our captain, Greg Docherty, went missing yesterday. Dobbo did not. Dobbo didn't go missing in any game as captain in our shirt. Meanwhile at Wrexham he isn't even captain. They've got potential captains all over the pitch. In this team Dobbo doesn't need to go crashing around the pitch stopping the whole thing from collapse, because up there he has players around him who are competent, but also every bit as resolute as him. Docherty has improved a lot, but the fact remains that even since our upturn in form, Jones sometimes subs him. The captain. I'm not saying he's not good enough for us, and maybe I'm too old skool about this, but I think the captain of a winning team is the last man standing. You never sub him unless he's running on one leg. The problem then is that I don't see another captain. Possibly Lloyd Jones, but NJ isn't himself quite sure, otherwise he would be. Meanwhile Dobbo will go about his business in the Championship next season, I am absolutely sure of that. We should never have let him go, but that is down to Scott, primarily. And the fact that Appleton rather than NJ was in the building.
As for the striker situation. @Bailey you need to leave off @Golfie. You said there are no other teams with five strikers, and yet we had just played one with 7, all of whom have a better current career return than Daniel Kanu (no offence to DK, although I am not yet sure he will make it). Wrexham understood the thing I keep banging on about; any idiot can sack (read "sell") talented people they take against. Getting in someone better is the hard bit. When Wrexham came to the Valley both Mullin and Palmer, signed in the NL, featured, and have done since. They added Smith in the window on top of them. They did not undo the foundations on which their success has been built. Yes, it's expensive, and not everyone can do it. But we could have done it on the striker front, if NJ had found a way to manage Alfie May effectively. Then again we probably would not have signed Godden if we'd kept May. Ahadme would still have been just as useless with May rather than Godden in the squad. My overall point is, identify the key people that have brought success, or at least delivered in a crap squad, and then keep them, build around them. That's what Wrexham have done. No 8-8-8 bollocks. No instinct to sell academy players after half a season of having big club scouts along to watch them. I hope that that's the real lesson of Wrexham. That squad has been assembled and developed by seasoned football pros, and The Lads have been happy to delegate to them. I hope that's how we'll proceed from now on.
A game of that magnitude should not have players like Tennai Watson, Kanu, Mbick and even Anderson to an extent (as he did well when he came on vs Wycombe)
Outside our first XI it's so poor.
The other talking point is Alex Mitchell. A player that did so well, can't even play instead of an injured centre back, and lost his place to a right back.
I don't understand why Jones didn't adjust our back 5 based on injuries.
Surely from right to left, Ramsay, Mitchell, Gillesphey, McIntyre and Edwards made more sense? More of a physical back line and Ramsay would have had more freedom.
I just hope with Burton we genuinely just play all the u21s and don't take it seriously. Can't risk another injury with such important games coming up.
I woke up today and saw the potential league1 table next season and almost hurled. Another year of this toot, no thanks. Really hope the lads step up these next few weeks, we need this promotion.
It feels if we stay down and Cardiff come calling we will be looking for a new manager to me.
A handful of posters who have not posted much who have generally said bad days at the office, let's win the play offs.
I knew we were just extras from KO and Smith went steaming into Ramsey twice and no foul was given just a throw in.
They were the story whether Charlton fans/critics like it or not just like Palace are the story as well.
I just wish Charlton fans didn't have chips on both shoulders but decades have brought this about.
In trying to get top two or 3rd or 4th we may have done harm to our chances of Play off success; it was catch 22 and we had to try but now rest anyone who needs it even if it means 5th place.
Lloyd definitely as apparently he has been having injections for a while. Not sure the issue with Small but we need him fresh for the semi final.
Our fans who predicted we would beat Wrexham turn quicker than Cruyff and pile on to the team with criticism.
We have a 4/1 chance now.
yesterday will have hit them a lot and the difference between hiding from the next game and praying you can scramble through in the play offs (Rochdale / Shrewsbury 2018) and storming in playing as much football as you can because you want to keep playing more games just because you believe you will win every game so play play play (Rochdale/Donny 2019) is enormous
Conundrum for NJ - Do we rest some key players for 2 weeks until the 10th May for them to fully recover (Jones, Berry, Small, TC, Godden), or play our strongest team against Burton, to reclaim a win in the final game of the season.
Rest and recovery at the risk of losing momentum and form. Tough one. It's the type of decisions that fans will always get right (after the event!).
Because it was such an awful performance at such a critical moment I for one left Wrexham very very dispirited.
That was as bad as we have been at any point this season, I find that most unsettling.
We had our moments and it was good to see the youngsters giving it a right good go in the 2nd half. Their 3rd goal on the break was the absolute killer though.
Let's all hope that Thierry Small, Lloyd Jones and Luke Berry are fit for the playoffs. It'll be tempting for Nathan J to leave out any slightly walking wounded v Burton and I wouldn't blame him if he did.
My point is, and I know a lot of posters disagree with this stance, what players would have improved the form in the second half and at what cost? I mention cost, because two weeks back there was shock and indignation on this site about a 14 million loss incurred by Charlton in 23/24.
I fail to see how we could have improved on our second half of the season showing and yes lets not dismiss the first part of the season but once again lets look at Wrexham, because that's realistically what we were aiming at. They had a settled side, a side that had been playing together for a good while, they added Dobson at the start of the season, amongst others to compliment that settled side, we built a side from scratch, it took time to for us to find a goal scoring partnership and a midfield that worked, it now works from back to front and with a fully fit squad we are a team that no one wants to face. I am amazed that merely a week after one of the best results that we have seen in many a season, a weakened Charlton side got turned over at Wrexham and the usual culprits are declaring that it's because we didn't spend in January, the form shows it was not necessary to spend in January and the players who left, were not players who would improve this side or been able to step in yesterday and perform to the same level as those missing.
I think the game against Burton they will want to prove themselves and get a result that'll worry whoever our opposition is in the play-offs. He was very complimentary about our support, and wants to repay them. If the rest of the squad, as he says, has the same attitude, I expect to see the team rock up at Wembley.