Attention: Please take a moment to consider our terms and conditions before posting.

POST-MATCH THREAD: Cambridge Utd vs Charlton Athletic: Saturday 13th April 2024 | KO 15:00

Charlton cruised into the lead after a stop-start opening, with Conor Wickham scoring on his first full start since joining in January. A beautiful ball from George Dobson was brought down expertly, as Wickham’s second touch set him up nicely to blast the ball into the back of the net.

But Cambridge started the second brighter and poor defending let Macaulay Bonne in with a fine turn-around strike from the edge of the box that beat Harry Isted despite the keeper getting both hands to the ball. The keeper will know he should have done better.

Charlton had chances when Alfie May and Chuks Aneke came on, including May hitting the post only for the ball to spin the wrong way and out, but the winner was elusive for both sides, with Cambridge coming away happier with a point that aids their relegation worries. 

Charlton should have had enough to keep a clean sheet and win with a single goal, but clean sheets have been few and far between for a defense that is prone to switching off and full of individual errors. The ball should have never got to Bonne and, when it did, the keeper should have done better. 

Charlton remain unbeaten, which is great I suppose, but we seem unable to kick on. 19 games drawn is an achievement nobody actually wants!

Cambridge 1 Charlton 1

Over to you.,
«13456

Comments

  • LoOkOuT
    LoOkOuT Posts: 10,859
    We’re mathematically safe, but down to 16th is a gut punch.
  • Off_it
    Off_it Posts: 28,887
    Shit
  • Davo55
    Davo55 Posts: 7,838

    Our defence looks ok on paper but collectively they are piss poor, not helped by a weak goalkeeper behind them. We were bullied out of that today, losing far too many physical challenges. Combined with that we were toothless in attack. Their keeper made some decent saves but it was only the quality goal from Conor Wickham and Alfie’s chance when he hit the post that really stood out.

    So another lacklustre performance and yet another draw. Nathan Jones must be itching to crack on with sorting out and rebuilding his squad for next season.

  • Valiantphil
    Valiantphil Posts: 6,410
    Keeper should have saved their goal, and we should have won comfortably. 
  • swordfish
    swordfish Posts: 4,234
    Off_it said:
    Shit
    Have you lost your dog?
  • oohaahmortimer
    oohaahmortimer Posts: 34,170
    We’re so beige we make Huddersfield look like they’ve got a personality 
  • Chunes
    Chunes Posts: 17,359
    edited April 2024
    Curbs & Brownie pointed out the half-challenges, back-turning and weak goalkeeping that lead to the equaliser. Passive defending and average GKs are why we're 19 away games without a clean sheet. 

    Can't wait for this season to end. I'm confident better things will be coming next year with Jones at the helm as manager (not coach).
  • charlton_hero
    charlton_hero Posts: 4,668
    Disappointing. Hoping for a big summer where we get our business done early. 

  • Sponsored links:



  • Off_it
    Off_it Posts: 28,887
    swordfish said:
    Off_it said:
    Shit
    Have you lost your dog?

    No, she's still here - wittering away in my ear nagging about some old guff.
  • golfaddick
    golfaddick Posts: 33,647
    edited April 2024
    Another game where we've gone a goal up & haven't won.

    Only the bottom 4 have won less games than us.

    19 draws - almost half the number of games we've played

    Yes we are safe but 16th & not likely to get much higher.

    People keep saying "wait for the recruitment in the summer" but..............

    1. we still have Andy Scott who brought in most of the (shit) squad
    2. A lot of these players are under contract - how are you going to get rid of them ?  Pay their contracts up ala Kirk ?  because other clubs wont want them.
    Gah..........it will take a lot to make me start going again. Never seen such crap in my life. Will probably go next week just to clap off Dobson & May. 
  • Croydon
    Croydon Posts: 12,736
    Another crap game of football against a poor footballing side. This Charlton side are in exactly the right league position for the players we have. It's a point done to death, but if we go into next season with a significant amount of the current starting 11 starting, finishing top 6 is a pipe dream.
  • golfaddick
    golfaddick Posts: 33,647
    Heard there has been trouble after the game.

    Supporters coach has had  window broken
  • se9addick
    se9addick Posts: 32,055
    edited April 2024
    Bonne’s goal is the worst we’ve conceded this season, awful from Coventry, Thomas and Isted.
  • Briston_Addick
    Briston_Addick Posts: 11,737
    Draws this season:

    19 - Charlton (Div 3)
    17 - Huddersfield (Div 2), Oldham (Conf), York (Conf), Welling (Conf S)
    16 - Watford (Div 2), Grimsby (Div 4), King's Lynn (Conf N), Weymouth (Conf S)
    15 - Forfar (Scot Lge 2), Bromley (Conf), Taunton (Conf S), Dover (Conf S)

    More draws than anyone else in the top SEVEN divisions in England and the entire Scottish League but, in typical Charlton style, falling short of the all-time season record of 23.

    Something to be proud of and tell the grandkids.

  • Briston_Addick
    Briston_Addick Posts: 11,737
    se9addick said:
    Bonne’s goal is the worst we’ve conceded this season, awful from Coventry, Thomas and Isted.
    There are plenty of contenders this season.
  • Fortune 82nd Minute
    Fortune 82nd Minute Posts: 8,357
    edited April 2024
    That was 3 points thrown away. 

    For what seems like the 27th time this season, we go ahead but can't score a second goal and then concede an equaliser after a poor bit of defending. We've really got to start holding onto these leads if we want to go up next year.

    Strange that NJ changed from the 3-5-2 he has played regularly to todays formation of a back 3, 2 wing backs, a diamond in midfield and Wickham up front by himself. it worked reasonably well in the first half but not something to be repeated too often I suspect.

    Never been a fan of Isted since I first saw him in the friendly against Millwall. He's not a bad keeper but he's absolutely bang average as today showed. He can't be our number 1 next season.

    Can Maynard-Brewer step up? Maybe, maybe not. But unless Jones has already decided one way or the other, he won't know unless he plays him. But I suspect we do need a tall, physically dominating keeper in this league.

    Oh, and Tyreece Campbell is not a wing back. He's even worse at it than Blackett-Taylor was. Play the lad up front or not at all.

      

  • Sponsored links:



  • This team is not good enough for promotion.

    Far too many average players, plus two goalkeepers that are so poor that it is embarrassing.

    Think of Bowyers team of 2019, and compare to the current squad. Light years apart.

    Unless Nathan brings in 8-10 new players, next year won’t be much better.
  • Sillybilly
    Sillybilly Posts: 9,236
    Flitted in and out of the stream as it’s difficult to keep interested at the moment. I’m not the biggest N Jones fan but I doff my cap to him for getting this shower to safety. But if we are going to challenge at the top next season we need a big rebuild. Our loanees can all go back but we’ll struggle to offload all those under contact who are not going to be the required standard. It will be an interesting summer. Priority is a class keeper. Neither of ours are up to it. And we can’t go in to a promotion challenge with Alfie, Kanu and a bunch of crocks up front. Wickham in his cameo today showed what we need but given his unfortunate injury record he isn’t the answer. On the assumption that gorgeous George is Hungary bound, we need some creativity around Coventry who is going to be our lynchpin. As for our defence, Jones will have to earn his corn here. Ramsay and Small look like being our wing backs but goodness only knows what our centre back combos will be. I can make a case for every CB we have but the combo is clearly flawed. Over to you Nathan. 
  • Leuth
    Leuth Posts: 23,338
    Thomas has had two bad games in a row now. Not timing his new contract run very well. 

    Thought our midfield got a bit overpowered second half. Still should have won 
  • SDAddick
    SDAddick Posts: 14,468
    Another game where we've gone a goal up & haven't won.

    Only the bottom 4 have won less games than us.

    19 draws - almost half the number of games we've played

    Yes we are safe but 16th & not likely to get much higher.

    People keep saying "wait for the recruitment in the summer" but..............

    1. we still have Andy Scott who brought in most of the (shit) squad
    2. A lot of these players are under contract - how are you going to get rid of them ?  Pay their contracts up ala Kirk ?  because other clubs wont want them.
    Gah..........it will take a lot to make me start going again. Never seen such crap in my life. Will probably go next week just to clap off Dobson & May. 
    I was thinking about this in terms of defense, and all of the players I have questions about are under contract for next season. 10A, Ness (hopefully he gets a loan), Jones, Edun, REG, and Gillesphey. I think Hector is the best defender we have and he's out of contract, and I believe TT is the defender who had played the most under NJ and he's out of contract (there are also questions about him). I guess we have Asiimwe but I expect him to be loaned out at least for the first half. 

    10A, REG, and Gillesphey have shown that they might be better than what we've seen from them at times this year--but do you trust them to be first choice? If not, those are some expensive reserves I imagine. Maybe Jones too but I don't know that he fits in a back three that well.

    Mitchell coming back could fit in well, he seems very talented, but it's worrying that he wasn't getting in the squad for Colchester before getting hurt (some of that apparently due to the number of loanees they have).

    It doesn't make for a great picture. 

    At least in midfield everyone is out of contract except Coventry, Anderson, Taylor (who we haven't seen even make the bench under Jones), and Fraser (I doubt he'll be back though).

    So yes we desperately need upgrades, but a lot of the players we need upgrades on have been here less than a year. 
  • Marriott110
    Marriott110 Posts: 1,528
    Can't remember the last goals we conceded that wasn't from individual errors, thankfully just two games left of this horrible season with this horrible squad 
  • Callumcafc
    Callumcafc Posts: 63,788
    Draws this season:

    19 - Charlton (Div 3)
    17 - Huddersfield (Div 2), Oldham (Conf), York (Conf), Welling (Conf S)
    16 - Watford (Div 2), Grimsby (Div 4), King's Lynn (Conf N), Weymouth (Conf S)
    15 - Forfar (Scot Lge 2), Bromley (Conf), Taunton (Conf S), Dover (Conf S)

    More draws than anyone else in the top SEVEN divisions in England and the entire Scottish League but, in typical Charlton style, falling short of the all-time season record of 23.

    Something to be proud of and tell the grandkids.

    If you had backed the draw with £10 in every Charlton league game this season on Betfair Exchange, you’d have made £297.50 before commission.

    Home: +£43.50. Away: +£254.00.
  • golfaddick
    golfaddick Posts: 33,647
    SDAddick said:
    Another game where we've gone a goal up & haven't won.

    Only the bottom 4 have won less games than us.

    19 draws - almost half the number of games we've played

    Yes we are safe but 16th & not likely to get much higher.

    People keep saying "wait for the recruitment in the summer" but..............

    1. we still have Andy Scott who brought in most of the (shit) squad
    2. A lot of these players are under contract - how are you going to get rid of them ?  Pay their contracts up ala Kirk ?  because other clubs wont want them.
    Gah..........it will take a lot to make me start going again. Never seen such crap in my life. Will probably go next week just to clap off Dobson & May. 
    I was thinking about this in terms of defense, and all of the players I have questions about are under contract for next season. 10A, Ness (hopefully he gets a loan), Jones, Edun, REG, and Gillesphey. I think Hector is the best defender we have and he's out of contract, and I believe TT is the defender who had played the most under NJ and he's out of contract (there are also questions about him). I guess we have Asiimwe but I expect him to be loaned out at least for the first half. 

    10A, REG, and Gillesphey have shown that they might be better than what we've seen from them at times this year--but do you trust them to be first choice? If not, those are some expensive reserves I imagine. Maybe Jones too but I don't know that he fits in a back three that well.

    Mitchell coming back could fit in well, he seems very talented, but it's worrying that he wasn't getting in the squad for Colchester before getting hurt (some of that apparently due to the number of loanees they have).

    It doesn't make for a great picture. 

    At least in midfield everyone is out of contract except Coventry, Anderson, Taylor (who we haven't seen even make the bench under Jones), and Fraser (I doubt he'll be back though).

    So yes we desperately need upgrades, but a lot of the players we need upgrades on have been here less than a year. 
    And that is a big problem. Andy Scott brought in a load of players & hardly any of them are any good. 


  • fenaddick
    fenaddick Posts: 11,204
    Hard to see what happened for the goal from our end but Hector had a good game. Line up was a bit odd and seemed very unbalanced. TC and Anderson ran their socks off but Dobson and Coventry had off games which didn’t help them. May and Aneke made a real difference when they came on. In all our other games I’ve seen the building blocks for next season but today just felt odd 
  • RedRobin
    RedRobin Posts: 1,377
    edited April 2024
    Had to let that cnut score, need a whole new defence and goalkeeper if we want to go up. Can’t get much worse than this season, kudos to Jones for turning it around. We were on the way to league two under Apples. 
  • robroy
    robroy Posts: 4,428
    Shite yet again.