Forget the second half- its only worth discussing the first. I hope CP has them in for training tomorrow. Can't see the same eleven starting the next game, completely unforgivable. And just to round off my bad day- Rochdale get a late equaliser to ruin my accumulator.
Hamer3 Solly6 Taylor 4 Morrison 3 Wiggins 5 Stephens 5 Hollands 4 Wagstaff 5 Kermogant 6 BWP 8 Jackson 4
Full report later. I'm still too stunned. My player ratings will be out of five and not ten as no-one deserves any points at all for the first half. Truly shocking. And all our failings exposed at once. Our luck has finally run out and it's been coming. We could have conceded ten in the first half. Most worrying thing is the defence have clearly lost confidence in the keeper. And Stephens, Jackson and Hollands does not work!!!!! Anyone who still berates Green should have watched how bad we were without him. More later when I've calmed down
Have to say I'm feeling pretty guilty that I saw a really good game today - Swindon dominant in the first half but under the cosh for the whole of the second. Benson played really well, with good approach work and scored a lovely goal. And I can't tell you how disorientating it is to watch McCormack (a good stone or so lighter than he was playing for us) as playmaker - ball winning, playing little one-twos and threading thirty yard passes through the defense or spraying the ball across the park straight to feet. And that was from right-back. Good atmosphere and a 10,000+ crowd - worst officials I've seen this season, and that's saying something. After the goal, I asked the bloke next to me if they'd consider having Leon Clarke back. He laughed a lot.
I think the defence were quite right to lose confidence in the keeper after the blunders of the first he didn't communicate or win balls that he clearly should have done. As for Stephens Jackson and Hollands working, I honestly did not rate Hollands performance today. Russell or Hughes would have been better in the side today (Bradley Pritchard would have been steamrollered) I don't get this Wagstaff cant play rubbish. In 13 league games he has scored 4 goals for us, whilst Green who he has replaced today has scored 3 in 24 league starts. Wagstaff is a good squad player and deserved his goal today and doesn't deserve the all of the critiscism he gets here. His interchange with BWP was what created our openings in the second half. Yes sometimes he runs into blind alleys but so does Green whose crossing ability is better but cant seem to carry the ball inside as well as Wagstaff. Scores 1st Half 2nd half Hamer 0 3 Jackson 2 5 Morrison 2 5 Taylor 2 4 Stephens 3 5 BWP 4 6 Wagstaff 4 6 Wiggins 3 5 Solly 3 5 Hollands 2 2 Kermorgant 5 7
Well just got back (detour before I came home) not often I come to many games being at Uni in Leicester and that but oh my shocking first half. The first goal was out of know where, didn't see where it came from, was a shock for all of us. 2nd goal, Solly (only mistake he really did) was out of position and it left, Taylor, Morrison and Hamer against like 4 county players, Morrison should have made the tackle but there was nothing taylor could do marking 3 men on his own. Im a goal keeper, as I've mentioned on this a lot and I will always defend the goal keeper, Hamer however was appalling the third goal was a howler, a shocking howler, Taylor a former keeper himself shields the ball for Hamer, Hamer comes and then stops only for Forte to sneak in, was appalling. The 4th, poor marking but a great run and header, nothing goal keeper could do but still, questions of our defence and midfield. No boos at half time.... well a quick one then a round of applause, what kind of shocked me, I didn't boo, I clapped urging on the team hopefully the others did too. Powell must have done a decent team talk, 2nd half first 15 mins was like the charlton we are used to with heart and passion. The second half was unreal with BWP and Kermit bossing the opposition defence for first 15 mins. BWP good finish, suprised the referee didn't blow for the foul when the keeper dropped it but still. Kermit won the headers, Waggy great header from BWP cross...then real turning point.... There was a blatant blatant penalty not giving against BWP and we lost the momentum that was with us. Then we died out overall really, but least there weren't any boos at the end, we appreciated the efforts from the team in second half, and well....the referee was poor in not dealing with time wasting, took 20 seconds for a goal kick at one point 12 of which were after the keeper put the ball down, a booking here and there and there aren't any time wasters any more. Hamer - 3 - Shocking display, 3rd goal was stupid and pathetic Sulivan in next week Solly - 5 - Worked well with Waggy way out of position for 2nd goal but not up to usual standards Taylor - 5 - Mix up with Hamer but was okay, tried his best to stop the 2nd and 4th, the guy came from no where and was in the thick of it when we attacked with corners and throw ins. Morrison - 4 - Worst game in a Charlton shirt by the big man, should have made the tackle for the 2nd and think for the 4th Forte was his man Wiggins - 6 - No where to be seen for the 4th goal but tireless down the wing all game, worked hard but as with them all, has been better Waggy - 6 - Great header and worked hard with his chance but Green is a better winger, simply as Stephens - 6 - Calm in midfield, best of our players in midfield to be honest but then again, not hard to be best in the team that played so badly as a team in first half. Hollands - 5- Here there but went missing in places really did....has a good long throw on him though. Jacko - 4 - Didn't notice him BWP - 7 - Worked hard, good finish and worked really hard out side the box too, good heart shown Kermit - 6 - Didn't really get a chance at goal, but as usual won every header. Powell - What was with Haynes coming off? And we all know Clarke is a donkey but why not throw him on for extra energy Basically back to the drawing board this week, we need to sort out where the cracks have appeared last 3 games (Bournmouth by all accounts we got away with robbery), have we been nervous lately or complacent? The players need a kick up the back side, A new tactic maybe? And has it has been said, bring back Hayes and send Leon Clarke out somewhere. Where was Green too? was he suspended? Anyway we showed good heart but was still poor, worst we have been under Powell in the first half. Played better under... I'll say it LES REED! Under Reed we were better then we were in the first half today, but yeah, that's about all I have to say really. And kinda just realised I just wrote a novel...
I will probably get a bit of stick for some of the opinions that follow but it's a democracy so here goes. A number of questions now that I have calmed down a bit. 1. If all we were going to do for the last 20 mins was play hoof ball why not bring on dobbin (Clarke)? He is fundamentally pointless but we might as well use him in circumstances like this. 2. Why do we persevere with Stephens and Hollands when they both want to play deep? There is a massive gap that kermit feels the need to try to fill 3. Why do we play everything in the air to kermit in deep midfield when he needs to be on the end of flick ons, not making them all the time? 4. Why are we persevering with a keeper who has lost the confidence of his defence? My ratings (out of 10 after all) Hamer. 2 Solly. 7. He tried so hard and was literally knackered in the second half Taylor 4. Disorientated but I blame Hamer. Morro. 3. Worst game for us by a mile. I blame Hamer. But he will need to examine his decision taking. Wiggins 3. I'll get slated for this but I think he is playing very poorly. Over elaborating gong forward. Only thing in his defence is that he got bugger all help from Jackson. Stephens 2. Shocking performance. Copped out of tackles. Terrible passing. His penchant for playing reverse passes without looking is going to result in a goal or a teammate breaking a leg soon. Hollands 2. Dreadful. Needs a rest Jackson. 2. Dreadful. Needs a rest. We have others who can take free kicks. Lack of pace being exposed now. Haynes. No comment. Kermit. 6. Tried really hard but is being drawn too deep. Is getting visibly pissed off. A red card waiting to happen. BWP. 4. Poor. Half hearted. Lacking confidence. But getting little support. Took goal well Waggy. 4. Did two brilliant things that deserve credit. But will never be a player so long as I have a hole in my arse. Headless chicken. CP. 3. Must learn that the midfield system was not working. We need Hughes and Hayes. Must learn to make substitutions when it's not working. Must have been a hell of a half time team talk though! Referee 1. Fat self important tosser! If we'd got the penalty the comeback was on. MOM. Danny Green. And he didn't play! Showed us all what we miss when he is not there. I saw the NWQ ruckus. Looked like handbags. Think they kissed and made up.
Scratching - sorry deliberate mistake. I meant Hollands Stephens and Jackson does NOT work!!! On an iPhone so typing is hit and miss.
Dont get this Green is amazing stuff..lets face it over the season he`s been a massive disapointment...he strutts about thinking he`s Beckham puts in a few decent crosses on occassions and thats it. Waggstaff gets unfair stick,works his socks off and scores goals,I have seen Green play well maybe twice at the valley. As for BWP how the hell is he half hearted,he played upfront right mid and full back at times today...or so it seemed. And the goals county scored really hurt him he cares and hates losing. Agree Wiggins has been off his game lately but Evina i`ve seen twice V Carlisle in the cup when he was poor and v Rochdale or Bury I think and he was awfulso has done nothing to get into the team ahead of Wiggins. The defence are normally solid everyone has an off day BUT the midfield has an off day every week these days and needs sorting.
Still far too angry to talk about it- but I agree with MT in regards to BWP. Thought he worked hard and took his goal well.
Just watched the goals from BWP and Waggy today on sky and I have to say they were both special. BWP's overhead kicK and the diving header from Scotty were deserving of a better final scoreline than we had. That the provider turned scorer to provision from the other might say something about a starting berth for Waggy
Was fuming today, more because we let ourselves down. Last week people said that the worst team this season came to the valley and got 3 points. This game was the time to bounce back..... they bounced back DOWN. But regarding Wagstaff I like him, rate him a lot. I think he seems to get so much grief when he has never seemed to be given a proper run. And think he is a player that needs that. You watch him when he is on the pitch, he seems to be respected by the team and certainly clicks with BWP.
I only disagree on one point.... we deserved a better score.... No, we deserved that score purely for the fact we played so badly 1st half. If it was 3-2 with the goals spread as opposed to 4-0 at half time I don't think people would be half as angry as they are now. I am SURE CP will be dishing out some grief. By god the lads had better bounce back.
Mike - Couldn't agree more with most, save that Evina hasn't had that many games and with no reserve league doesn't get that much match practice. He might be a star in the making but, like Alonso, we haven't seen much to tell us either way
MikeT - I wasn't advocating Evina in for wiggins. I was just observing that the latter is not playing well. I concede that I'm probably being unfair on BWP. Half hearted was probably the wrong phrase. He was working hard to get himself into positions to shoot or to tackle or to try to compete in the air. But his actual attempts to do all three looked lacking in conviction. I think that is about confidence rather that effort so I retract my criticism. We'll just have to agree to disagree on Waggy and Green. I can't fault Waggy's effort but he infuriates me. If he did his good things all the time he'd be a player. I grant you green's inconsistency is frustrating but when he'a good he's very good and even when he is bad I think he is a threat and perceived to be so by the opposition.
Waggy is "better" than Green. Green is the more skilful, but what Waggy does not have in skill, he makes up in work rate & sheer commitment to the team. The result is clear, give me Waggy in the team over Green any time. BWP I thought was tireless today, Hamer I worry for, I believe CP is right in that he will be a good keeper, one day but is low on confidence, rest him for Sullivan for a game or three. The defence was poor today without doubt, but a one off game I can get over, it was the midfield which let us down, as they have done several times of late, not even Hamer's bloomers can hide this fact. But the biggest concern is CP does not seem to know how to use subs for the best, if he doesn't rate them (Clarke) why buy him & put him on the bench ?
The clarke thing..I havent found anyone who rates clarke or knows why CP bought him,he does look a poor signing BUT I wouldnt expect any manager to come out and say such. Though he ha only started once..(awfl though he was) and had a few late sub appearances. Bit of an Akpo Sodje to me !!!
