MDT

Another day to dispel the myth that we will get better as the season progresses.

I have in mind at least half a dozen players who are regularly playing worse than when the season started.

There are other players who haven't even got going yet, and maybe never will.

We just about could make a case for a point today. But there is no way we were the better organized or the better footballing team.

 

I thought the defence played well today.For all Charltons quick fancy football I can't recall them creating a chance.I thought there goal was very good and if we'd have scored one similar we'd have bee raving about it.
No complaints from me tonight it was a good point from a decent game of football.

 

We watched a diferrent game. It was abysmal. Disorganised in defence for periods and when it wasn't, both midfield and attack oferred little in way of outlets.

 

That’s not strictly true though is it?

We’ve conceded fewer goals than 18 teams. We havent necessarily defended better than them. That isn’t the same thing.

I’d wager we have a better goalkeeper (that has played the majority of our games) than all 18. And most of the other five too.

If we’d had Ben Killip in goal for all 20 fixtures, and I’m not digging the lad out here, he’s just not at the same level as Liam Roberts, then I suspect there would not be 18 teams we’d conceded fewer than.

 

After the first 10mins, we started to play a bit better.

Collins was giving them all a right rollicking them first 10mins - proper animated.

Listening to his post match interview, I thinks he calls it right. We had plenty of chances to score - just need that composure.

A defensive mixup let them score really.

I thought overall we were better today. Charlton are a decent side - and we kept May & Tedic quiet all day. Should have won it - but Charlton are no mugs, and a draw would have been ok before the game.

 

McAtee as a central midfielder in a two?

In front of a back four?

Scary thought. We’d be two nil down before half the ponty end had got to their seats.

 

Cudda bin 2 down in 1st 10 minutes today against a top side mate but anyone wanna have a stab at summat different all welcome..

 

You thought the defence played well? Wow.

 

I thought our defending was often shambolic.

 

For all there attacking intent how many chances did Charlton create?I can't remember any and that was down to the defence stopping them at every turn.

 

1 on 1 in first ten mins that their lad fluffed after a williams error

Roberts made a good save 2nd half too

their winger had okeefe on toast

 

I honestly cant recall Roberts having to make a save but i'll take your word for it.

 

Don’t confuse their wastefulness with our defensive prowess.

 

I am just gunner say wer foookin 5hite, weve got 11, me myself an i players, in the team, and a Manager that cant see when a players aving an off day, Williams t'day wasnt a patch on himself an half the team wer off the boil, but aving said that the Commentry on the Charlton feed was very good, keep the faith, C,O,Y,R.

 

Disagree.

His post-match analysis had a 12 year old in my car (whom I'd never before heard speak at any length about football) ask if Collins had watched the same match as us.

Which particular attempts at goal needed just a bit of composure for us to score? I'm struggling to remember any.

And if a defensive mix up let them score (that was the goal where their bloke showed a depth of talent beyond anything on show from a player of ours before practically walking it into the net), then what about our goal? Which goal of the two was the biggest "mixup"?

Plus, May was not kept quiet. At one point, he'd worn himself out after running along our box and shooting. He looked far better than any of our forwards, even though he was by no means a matchwinner. Tedic is not much of a threat anyway, as we all know (although I'd probably have him in place of Cosgrove and Watters).

Finally, if a draw is OK before a game against a team placed where Charlton were before kick off, and who are 18th in our league in terms of away form, then you at least seem to have an ambition for our team that fits with today's spectacle.

Collins should be saying that today's performance was not good enough, and not fooling himself that on another day it would have been.

 

They were poor at taking their chances admittedly.

 

So for all the atttacking Charlton showed it was down to there wastfullness that they didn't score and not down to some good defensive work from us.Nearly every attack they had broke down with some good challanges and tackles and nothing to do with wastfullness.They created almost next to nowt and most of that was down to our defence in my view,other views also excepted.

 

I think most of their attacking intent was down to our silly defensive mistakes, what stands out is Williams in the first half messing about with it which let in their left winger, who got into the box and shot the ball wide.

 

What I don’t understand is that we knew it was coming. He did the same thing last season and Devaney was here then so Collins should have been well aware of what Blackett Taylor was going to do.

 

They’re not even a top side.

But they didn’t need to be for us to not be able to see them off: see my thread on the season so far.

We need a switch up but McAtee in central midfield and a flat back four I don’t think is the answer.

My answer is a right sided centre back with a yard of pace and some professional games at a decent level on his cv into the squad, and on 1st January not 31st, and let JW play at wing back. Cadden other side when fit.

Connell in the middle, two of Phillips, Kane, Styles, sometimes maybe McAtee in front of that, and two up top, currently I’d select Cole (even when he’s dross he might have a goal in him) and Jalo. Cosgrove was better today too. McAtee as an option if not playing further back.

We need to be more aggressive and less passive. They had far too much time on the ball today, Charlton - and the back line was far too deep. With a centre back that’s actually A) a centre back and B) doesn’t run like he’s wading through treacle, we can play further up the field.

Do so and we can cover more space in midfield and leave fewer gaps so easy to exploit. Play with more energy, be more positive, impose ourselves on the opposition.

We currently just turn up, pass it about aimlessly, lump it up to Cosgrove then let the oppo play through and round us. There are fleeting moments of quality. But too few.