For a couple of weeks there I was hoping we had turned a corner. But it's the same old weaknesses, the same old inconsistencies. No Manager of the Month nomination for Ben Garner now. Still, fear of relegation has been staved off for a couple of months maybe. Does Inniss miss two games? This was his second red card, but both have been for two yellow card offences.
Stockley was shocking. Not only fluffed our only clear chance didn't contribute anything. Chuks can't play more than 30 minutes, he looked knackered after his cameo last night, so Stockley has to play. Or does he? DJ has played up front, there must be another option.
I thought that they would come to defend and they did, but the best chance of the first half was when they hit the bar, and the few chances being created were generally theirs. For a Charlton fan that was dire. Clare is a player I like but at left back? He spurned a couple of chances to set Cambell away as the ball was on the wrong foot, and the thing that he did most was to slow down attacks, allowing them to get averyone behind the ball. last night we needed to het them quickly but god our build up was slow. Cambell was bullied by their defence and had scant help frpm the ref, and the penalty was outside the box, but it was a second yellow anyway so we were down to ten men. But the problem was how slow we were. No CBT and no Leaburn left Stockley very alone up top. JRS seemed t drift when off the ball when we really needed him to be running into space, but again when he did, the ball seldome arrived, and neither did much back up. Fraser had a great game, Dobson was okay, but overall, we were just....average. If Sessignon needed a break, it just shows that we have no cover at all at LB.
Yep, couldn't fault Fraser, time and again he took the ball made space for himself looked up saw no-one make themselves available, then turned and passed it backwards. Clare's getting pelters, but he was played out of position, so I don't blame him, he was OK defensively, which you couldn't say about Egbo, who was badly caught out of position when he drifted into central attack; one of those time was when they got their "penalty".
I don't blame Clare - he played where he was told. This one goes down on Garner for playing him for 90 minutes in a position he clearly wasn't preforming in, or the owner/recruitment for not having an alternative to sessignon. It's worth noting our performance uplift has coincided with Sessignon and Egbo returning to form. Last night was makeshift and it showed.
Good analysis. It seems our best ten (plus Stockley) played in the right positions can deliver wins. But any changes weaken us to the point of relegation form. Will anything be done about this in January? Sadly I doubt anything significant.
Garner is only on a 2-year contract, and I can't see him wanting to extend it if, as expected, we don't get a striker at least in January.
If Wrexham fail to get into the league again, could we poach Parky off them? I've always respected him.
