i miss the original 606 banning Scunthorpe as it’s contains an unfortunate (depending how you boat floats) word. Anyway - there seems to be zero buzz about this game. Reeves dropped for Bauer. Sarr switches back to LB and Dasilva in to midfield. KR obviously anticipating a physical game somewhat with 3 centre backs in defence. CHARLTON | Amos, Solly (c), Konsa, Bauer, Sarr, Kashi, Forster-Caskey, Marshall, Holmes, Dasilva, Magennis. Prediction - 1-0 Scunthorpe. Hope I’m wrong.
Charlton sunk by two goals in 2 minutes from Josh Morris. I heard on Sky that the first was a free kick which beat Ben Amos at his near post. Patrick Bauer was substituted around the 70 minute mark I think, with Karlan Ahearne-Grant replacing him. Our 9 game unbeaten run comes to and end and we slip to 6th in the League One table - but we still have 2 games in hand (as do Blackburn in 5th) and we have a 5 point cushion above 7th place. I was keeping an eye on a live update site and according to that we had quite a few early chances. It will be interesting to hear from any of our travelling fans who were at Glanford Park today.
Not there today, but sounds like our shot- shy lack of striking options bit Meire on her fat arse. Shame it’s the genuine fans who have to suffer - who could have predicted that when your sub options are KAG and 17 year old Hackett Fairchild - both played today - you will struggle. Isn’t this the time of the year when the Apologists say that the Belgians will spend in January ? My own prediction is that, as with their previous transfer windows, the Belgians net outlay this January will be f*ck all. Let’s see where we are in the summer - I reckon it will be still in League One.
Another game where, as Nick says, our shot shy front line has cost us. Haven’t seen their goal, but have to say a gk shouldn’t be beaten at his near post. Unless it’s Batistuta vs Seaman at Wembley. Nothing was stopping that.
http://www.kentlive.news/sport/football/beating-scunthorpe-united-would-statement-825348 "beating Scunthorpe would be a statement of intent" says the Manager.... but actually losing 2-0 to Scunthorpe is a statement of a paper thin squad.
Just saw the goals - no idea what was going on for the wall for the first goal. Our free kick specialist, Ricky Holmes, seemed perplexed in particular. Second was a stunner. We won’t concede better this season. Have to question how he was allowed to get that shot away with 2 bodies around him.
Robinson should now make signing players in January a resigning issue. The added benefit of doing this would be to galvanise the protests again. It is an utter embarrassment to be going into games like this - against the mighty Scunthorpe who thanks to the Belgians are now considered our peers - with “bench options comprising Dodoo, KAG and a 17 year old kid.
It's worth remembering that Chris Powell's win rate in League One was 51%, compared to 40% currently for Karl Robinson. (albeit CP was managing under the previous owners). KR is the best Third Division manager we have had under Duchatelet (not counting Kevin Nugent), but since Russell Slade is his only competition that is not saying very much. All the other RD 'head coaches' were coaching in the Championship.
Russell Slade has found him his natural managerial level again - in the relegation zone with Grimsby in League 2
Charlton have won 10 of their 18 league games this season. That's pretty good form and over a whole season it's the equivalent of 26 wins - usually enough to secure automatic promotion. But we have won only 5 of our last 12 league games. If that form continues for the rest of the season, we would finish with 22 wins - just below the average number of wins for a play-off place team. If our form dips any further (to 4 wins from our next 12 for example) That would suggest we may only win 19 games by the end of this season, and we would almost certainly miss out on 6th place. I know statistics can be sliced any way you want them, especially speculative ones. But this is an indication that our progress this season during October and November has slowed since our flying start in August / September. If we slow down any further, Charlton will be in danger of slipping out of the play-off places. And on paper our schedule does not get easier. So far this season in 18 games we have only played 6 of the teams who are in the top half of League One with us at this moment. Between now and January 1st we will be playing 7 more league games - 5 of those against teams currently in the top half: Peterborough United (H) Portsmouth (H) Blackburn Rovers (A) Blackpool (H) Wigan Athletic (A) We need to win 4 of those 7 league games to consolidate our top 6 position. Any fewer than that, and our season could begin to unravel.
I guess that once again shows that everyone who decried our lack of depth were right. The suggestion that when injuries hit, we'd suffer accordingly, turns out to be true. Ahern-Grant isn't ready to cover Josh. That doesn't mean the idiots who get on his back or ironically cheer him are right- they did that to Fox, who moved on to a higher level than Charlton offered. But another transfer window ended with tge job half done. You have to enjoy the optimism of those who hope for better in january.
Just seen the goals. The first was very good, the second unstoppable. I followed tjis on updates and it didn't sound like a bad performance. But in a tight game, a masterstrike can swing it, and yesterday it was them who provided the finish. I was gutted by the refult, but these things happen. A win tuesday would be a good way to respond.
Asking the question: what does Joe Aribo have to do to get a decent chance? http://cafcandnothingelsematters.blogspot.co.uk/2017/11/no-substitute.html I would have to suspect that Aribo is perhaps going to be presented as the next Charlton wonderkid off the academy production line, once Ezri Konsa is sold in January. For some reason the Club may feel the value of such 'star' youngsters could be diluted if we bring through more than one at a time. Joe may well get his chance in the second half of the season, and then be talked up by the Club and discreetly hawked about to interested parties. If Aribo is being deliberately kept 'under wraps' because marketing him over time and selling him for a higher price later is more important than the help he could give our first team here and now, then Karl Robinson's claims that Roland leaves him alone to get on with the job don't hold any water.
Fewer than 20 posts on a matchday thread leads me to believe the football side of things is now nothing but a sideshow to the circus we have sadly become. Roland's Legacy
It’s not just us though. Twitter is down at least 80% on match days, and activity on ITTV and Wally Life is right down too. Duchatelet has killed it for so many.
