Full time 0-2 Similar story, a fair amount of possession but no real cutting edge. (Sort of) look forward to hearing from those who were there.
All huff and puff but again no end product. They scored from a deflection and a breakaway. What the F--- was Powell doing playing Pritchard behind Kermorgant, a shocking decision by Powell. I feel it is time for a change, but can't see it happening as we have no money. I will post more when I am less pissed off.
Just got back. Can anyone explain why Powell started Pritchard - technically our most limited player - as a front man today ?
The Pritchard experiment was a failure from word go. So was the decision to switch Stewart back to the left. He was poor there before, improved as soon as he was put on the right, so why put him back on the left. And as soon as Wilson went off I said they'd score, which they did. I thought Wilson was excellent in attack and defense, maybe due to Solly being on the bench. For all that it could all have been different if Morrison had Put away a simple chance presented to him by Kermit, who at least looked a bit more like his old self.
Pritchard was definitely the weak link today Im afraid (and I hate to criticize the players)... He certainly brought the wrong studs as struggled to stay on his feet
Can't quite understand Pritchard being played as he was he runs his socks off but sadly makes my nan look fast and she's in a wheelchair 90% of the time. Simply going to revert to the good, bad and the ugly grading system. Good Kermit seemed to run around, win most of his headers and looked a threat, he really needed a fast 2nd striker to win his flick ons, not Pritchard. Green playing, glad he got a chance and was impressed, didn't do much but neither did anyone else. Wilson's performance, thought he was brilliant and taking him off led directly to the 2nd goal. Bad Pritchard playing as a striker Church not starting 4-5-1 at home just doesn't work Ugly The refereeing, seen worse but every 50/50 went against us, and not seeing Kermit get clotheslined on the edge of the box was just wow Harriot coming on and playing on the Left while Stewart was on the left leaving Wilson to defend, attack and support the Right side on his own. Sordell coming on for Wilson who was having a stormer and it seemed we might have done something and stole a point Their deflected free kick was just horrible. I wasn't too downhearted for the performance and we shut Derby out, can only think of 3 shots from them all game. But the lack of chances and creation by us is worrying indeed. Tried to think about managers we could bring in if Powell were to be sacked or resign (not saying either will or should happen soon) but decided on only unemployed managers and couldnt really think of anyone who could come in and sort this team out without buying their own players, notable names, Warnock, Holloway, Coyle, Mowbray, Alex McCleish and Curbs (my personal choice if we were to offer him 6 month deal and extend it if he did well by the summer). But yeah not too downhearted, we just need to learn to shoot and score.
Sentimentality needs to be cast aside now, we are heading back to League One at a rate of knots. Can Powell and these players get us 50 points ? No.
First game for a few weeks. I'm going to call it as I saw it which may upset a few people but hey ho. We are going down. We have a poor squad with none of the fighting spirit and togetherness that held us together last year. At least six players look thoroughly disillusioned. The crowd know it too. The attendance was poor and there is an air of benign resignation. Despite my man love for CP and realism about the constraints he is working under there are signs that he is losing the plot. Today's selection was just plain dumb. If I ever succeed in getting on Pointless, when asked for a pointless answer I am going to say "Bradley Pritchard". It doesn't matter what the question is. He is utterly useless and even more so when played in a ridiculous position. We are reduced now to just throwing players on to the pitch and asking them to play where they feel. It's like picking 11 balls out of a hat at random. This is supposed to be entertainment. It's not entertaining. Derby were very poor. I was disappointed in them. If they are the fourth best team in the league then it's in a bad way. My player marks: Alnwick - 7. First time I've seen him. Thought he was Hamer. They look alike. Did nothing wrong and inspired confidence. Wilson - 6. Poor first half. Strong second. Amazed he was taken off. Not at all amazed that they scored soon afterwards. Dervite - 6. Ok. No frills. Didn't do a lot wrong. Morrison -6. Better than I've seen him for a while but lost a mark for missing a sitter. Wood is very unlucky not to be in this side. Wiggins - 7. Played well. Better than the players around him and frustrated as a result. Cousins - 6. Some great moments and some poor ones. The latter are down to inexperience and this boy is going to be some player. Stephens - 6. Same as Wiggins. He's too good a player for this team and is now openly frustrated at the ineptitude around him. I honestly thought he was trying to get himself sent off today as he was fizzing into tackles and picking fights with everyone. Good to see in one sense but reckless and could have cost us. We can also do without a suspension. Green - 5. Some good moments but not match fit and we didn't play to his strengths. Stewart - 4. Poor. Not his fault. He's a right winger and CP cannot get this into his head. On the left he is a one trick pony. Shirked a load of tackles. Pritchard - 2. One point for finding the pitch at the end of the tunnel and another for not putting his shirt on back to front. Did nothing and looked disinterested. Poor decision to play him at all and shocking decision to play him in the position he was in. Kermorgant - 4. He's not fit and he's pissed off. Spent most of the game moaning at the ref. in this shape/mood he's more of a hindrance than a help. Sad to see him apparently in decline as he has been marvellous. But at the moment he is part of the problem, not part of the solution. Harriott - 3. Should be on strictly rather than on a footy pitch. God only knows what position he was supposed to be playing. Church - 4. Good old Spongefoot Whitepants. Powderpuff. Tries hard but oh so limited. Sod Alll - err. Sod all. Not on long enough to earn his usual 1 point. CP - 3. All wrong today. Losing the plot and you can't blame him. Wouldn't surprise me if he walked And to top it all off I had a coupon in one hand and a fiver in the other about to write down two-nil Derby at twenty something to one and my mate suggested that it wouldn't be the done thing to bet against my own team so I didnt. Bollox! Disillusioned of Dartford
Our weakness for years has been midfield, yet we weren't outplayed in midfield today. Cousins and Stephens are playing well, yet we can't score. I was really pissed off to sit and watch Stewart on the left for 85 minutes, even though we all know he's better on the right. I';m afraid CP didn't have a good game today, the Wilson substitution annoyed me as well. Off to play a gig now at a Christmas party.
Have a good party Bill. The reasons we were not outplayed in midfield today are: 1. We had so many bodies in it. Unfortunately that meant that we created diddley squat. 2. Stephens and cousins played well. 3. Derby were (disappointingly and surprisingly) shyte.
Taking Wilson off was ridiculous, he was offering a lot down the right in attack and they wouldn't have scored their 2nd were he on, it ruined any chance of us getting a point. Think Green should have stayed on aswell but that's me. Pritchard should be sold in January but who would buy him?
Vol, I still want a good answer to the question: who would we replace Powell with? We also need to be clear that it's not his fault that the squad is so weak, and that as it stands your replacement would be stuck with them.
Warnock holloway MacLeish is this some kinda wind up hell would freeze over before I'd allow that prick warnock in the managers seat. So for all the green nut huggers he played did a couple of ok crosses couple of dreadful corners and nothing else. Church was rightly dropped in my opinion then wen he did come on he had one chance snatched at it and.. Run around a lot. We lost cos of an awful deflection when your lucks out it's out. Derby were no better than us . We move on to next week
Alnwick - 7 - one good save of note but not much to do other than that, no chance for either goal Wilson - 7 - got forward well second half, should not have been taken off Wiggins - 7 - good defensive display but not as marauding as usual Morrison - 6 - solid enough, should have scored Dervite - 6 - solid enough Green - 6 - didn't do anything well, but didn't do anything wrong either Cousins - 6 - calm and assured in possession but showed signs of still being wet behind the ears at senior level as well Stephens - 7 - snapping into tackles and trying to make things happen, faded second half Stewart - 5 - anonymous and out of position, was clear from the off derby had a plan to nullify him Pritchard - 4 - never a second striker, run all day but like an asthmatic headless chicken Kermorgant - 7 - more like his old self but still looking unfit and frustrated by referee/those round him Harriott - 5 - always looking to got on the ball but would then either fall over or try and beat the same man 10 times Church - 6 - huffed and puffed with more intensity than Pritchard Sod-all - 4 - standard fortnightly pointless 10 cameo at the valley Overall it was much like a lot of our performances of late, lots of possession but with no purpose. Derby were poor but we could still be playing now and not scored. Pritchard as a second striker was a ridiculous decision and one that CP must take responsibility for and today must go down as a bad day for the boss and I am starting to see cracks in the great mans case to stay in a job but there is nobody out there who IMO do a better job or would even want to manage at Charlton under the current boardroom dark cloud
I sat through that game thinking about that great Eric Morecambe line "I am playing the right notes but not necessarily in the right order" We looked ok in parts, bossed the first twenty minutes and most of the 2nd half but we were childlike , disorganised, nervous, flaccid and generally cack. We had three excellent chances to score, countless opportunities around the box to either killer pass or shoot and ended up losing to a very ordinary side. You gotta blame Powell.
My main reasoning for not calling Powell to leave. In other news... anyone in NW or N upper know why the stewards were in force? I saw a bit of handbags but anyone know what it was about?
OK - As a neutral let me get this straight. You want your owners (the one's who don't give a **** apparently) to sack a Charlton legend - and you are happy for them to make the decision to appoint a new manager? Baring in mind his brief will be to work with what he has till the Summer, watch half your squad leave due to expired contracts and build a new squad of freebies and your development squad?
You couldn't make it up TC Powells hands are tied simple as that though I'd say the majority of the fans are behind CP
I have to say that I can't argue against Wyn much here http://addickschampionshipdiary.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/valley-of-despair.html
