A player making his first start for Charlton, and a sub making his first appearance for the Club, being told they aren't fit to wear the shirt. If that's how we are going to 'support' our team then I don't see the point anymore. Even if those players win against Crewe next weekend, and/or any matches after that, they'll have to do it now knowing that they are no longer supported. Any cheering from the north stand will ring hollow now. Any songs they sing will be a mockery, not a tribute. I feel no fellowship with those fans now. When I walk through those crowds before and after each home game, it will feel like I'm alone. I never thought I would see the day.
Part of the list of things that went wrong yesterday, but an excellent point. Nobody seems to want to have a go from outside the box
All our shots from any kind of range go very high and wide. Someone had a good low shot across the goal yesterday, Amos nudged it just past the post I think (or it took a slight deflection off a defender. I didn't see it clearly). Two huge issues right now are poor use of free kicks and corners, and lack of anyone useful on the bench. Surely intensive training could help with the former problem? And training in how to keep composure and not get under every hard shot...
Dobson gets into what I would call shooting positions, but passes it on. I’m not saying he should shoot all the time, just sometimes. Our attacking play is predictable.
Yes, there is truth in this. Wigan were the better team but not by much - until they scored. They had the ability to turn their forward play into shots or headers on target, a quality we lacked. But their play itself (up to the point where a shot was on) was not much slicker than ours. We battled and kept plugging away, even though there was too much back passing and knocking it around in our own half. And granted we came unravelled after the 88th minute goal. But anyone who has been spouting that we were crap from start to finish and that Wigan bossed the whole game is not being fair. I can understand that kind of talk coming in the heat of anger just after the final whistle. But anybody still peddling that line this morning might be doing so for their own reasons.
I was hoping we'd get away with a lucky draw until the goal, because I couldn't see us scoring, although if Kirk hadn't missed from 2 yards it becomes a different game. You only have to compare theeasy afternoon Amos had to the MOM performance of MacG to see the difference in quality of the two teams. Granted we had a spell in the second half where we matched them, but over the 90 minutes they looked an average L1 team, we looked relegation material. Maybe there's another way to get more out of these players, maybe not. But Stockley as a lone striker with Morgan at 10 and two wingers isn't creating anything, especially with Gunter at LB.
But this is the problem. It's just about quality and this squad doesn't have any. You can't coach someone to become better technically - they are what they are. Top quality technical players cost money and if you don't want to spend or can't afford that money then you can't have that quality. As an example - does anyone believe that if NA spent the whole of next week coaching Albie Morgan how to take free kicks, that he would be as good as Yann Kermorgant ? No. Albie is not that good and never will be. It's not his fault and he's young, so he may still improve, but not to the extent that he becomes as good as Yann. And you can repeat that analogy across the squad. Washington will never be as good as BWP. Clare will never be as good as Dale Stevens, Blackett- Taylor will never be as good as Johnnie Jackson. We are not necessarily talking about Premier League quality either, just players that are good enough to win promotion from L1 and hold their own in the Championship. All the above names from the past fit that bill. I'm afraid the ones from the current squad simply don't. We've bought cheap players so we can't expect them to be good enough to gain promotion. It's either down to the budget set by TS, the recruitment process or NA's coaching. I know where I'd put my money.
Other Clubs put together winning squads out of cheap players. I don't accept that all of our players have reached 100% of their potential, and that training cannot make them any better. You've effectively just written off our whole season. Are we going to spend the next 9 months getting 0.25 points or less per game on average? No. At least partly because we don't have another 21 relegated Championship teams to play. But if blood will make the fans feel better let's turn on Adkins, or Roddy, or Sandgaard. Or all three. And the players themselves of course. Not fit to wear the shirt.
I believe (and hope desperately) that we will bring in enough players in the next 9 days and then supplement them with decent loans to ensure that we indeed get more than 0.25 points per game and thus avoid relegation. However on the evidence of our signings so far this summer, I do not believe we will put together a promotion chasing side. I think for most Charlton supporters that will not be enough and the complaints will grow. I think this is down to the budget set by TS but to be honest, I'm just guessing as I don't have any inside knowledge as to what the problem is. But one thing is for sure - there is a problem. Given the size of our club we should be a mid table Championship team at worst, not languishing in the bottom half of L1. However, if that's what we've become then there should be honesty from the owner, not gimmicks and wild promises of Premier League football in 5 years and regular European football after that. Those promises are not far off Roland and Meire's 5 year plan after all, and we know how well that went. I maintain that our current squad simply isn't good enough and is nowhere near the level required to gain promotion from L1, which isn't at all easy. On 26/5/2019 we were promoted via the play offs, not automatically. This was our team - Phillips, Bielik, Bauer, Sarr, Dijksteel, Pratley, Cullen, Aribo, Purrington, Taylor, Parker subs Pearce, Forster-Caskey, Reeves, Solley, Williams, Maxwell, Lapslie That was over 2 years ago and it's fair to say that Pearce and Purrington are no longer as strong as they were back then. So, being honest, how many of our current squad would you put in place ahead of any of that starting 11 ? I will repeat again - I am not in favour of booing players who are doing their best, but we need to be realistic about what we can achieve given the budget we are apparently working with. NA can only work with what he's got. He can't turn Morgan, Clare, Blackett-Taylor or Dobson into Kermorgant, Jackson, Taylor or Cullen.
Sorry @Ubedizzy about saying you've written off the whole season. That was going too far. I'm still absolutely gutted by what I saw and heard yesterday. Might be better if I don't post about it for a while. I'm likely to make other comments that members don't deserve.
No, not at all Lardi. You keep on posting. I think we're all just downhearted at the moment. It's been a big let down after having got our hopes up and after the relief of Thomas rescuing us from ESI and certain administration. Don't know why we're surprised though - we support CAFC after all. If we want success just support Man City, Liverpool or whoever else happens to have the most money at the time.
Really, thats what we have become, fans that should be happy we exist ? It is mind numbing, why dont these groups or individuals that take over clubs have a go, get it done. That just means give us a shot at success, not sitting back and signing no one.
I did reply to this, but my reply changed while I was typing it, from something specific into a general rant. I thought it fitted better in the 'new owners' thread so I moved it there.
Adkins will have to stop playing Stockley as the lone striker, it doesn't work. And Morgan is not a number 10. Gunter is not a LB, and Kirk needs a LB behind him. It might be harder to sell Charlton to players after the toxic ending on Saturday though. There were a lot of empty seats on Saturday, I reckon the official attendance of 13,839 was considerably more than the real attendance. Apathy or anger, that seems to be the choice.
Anyone we get in won't be fit to wear the shirt. Clubs thinking of loaning to Charlton Athletic take note: this is the welcome your players will receive. Give them a break, and loan them to a Club where the fans will cheer them on. Our hardcore fans are toxic.
