Charlton game thread | Page 17 | Vital Football

Charlton game thread

A few more first half’s like last nights first half, and we can forget about top six this season, as better teams will have us killed off before the break. Indeed, if the first half this weekend is the same, Fulham will have an absolute field day against us.

One hopes that Sabri and the players will have learned an awful lot from last nights first half, and that we can’t possibly be as lethargic and cumbersome again any time soon. At times in the first half it was embarrassing. Fair play to Bowyer, he demands and gets 100% commitment from his players, and we just didn’t know what on earth to do at times. We certainly got away with one last night, but as I say we can’t afford many more first half’s like that.
 
Apollyon said:
I recall people slagging off Karanka this time last year about our draws. It was pointed out then that Leicester went up the same way, playing at times awful football (they were demanding the manager was sacked) and grinding out draws. Karanka picked it up and the wins started to come and importantly to many of us, the performances improved. So far, I am more impressed than this time last year. A good result tonight and despite a shit first half, we improved and got a result, and possibly robbed of a win as pen and Silvas late effort could have made it 3-1.
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Its early days but things look far better than this time last season.

We managed 8 points from our first 7 games last season despite losing just the one game, which was probably a fair reflection on how we played.

The most surprising thing last night was how long it took to resolve the big problem in the first half.

We gave them free reign to run at us down their Right Hand side all half; for some reason Robinson was tucking in, playing as an additional central defender, leaving Ameobi totally over run by their wide players.

Once that started to happen the defence sat deeper, the gap between backs and forwards increased and the midfield became stretched.

We made Charlton look far better than what they are; take away the forward, who looks very good, and the wide man who can certainly cross a ball, and they look moderate.

I dont really get the Watson hatred either; he is key to the way we want to play, especially with Colback not returning.

His role is to play deep allowing both full backs to get forward; his positional and covering play in the games so far has been very good.

He does have limitations but for people to blame him for all of our ills is just ignorance bordering on the clueless.

Despite the poor showing in the first half we looked the better side in the second; the full backs got forward, players got closer to Grabben, the play looked more fluid but we are still not creating enough.

Hopefully that will come with more games.
 
We seem set up to only really 'play' for parts of games. A certain part of each half and then we go into some kind of deliberate hibernation and try to control the game rather than grasp it.

Fairly common I suppose but it does depend on you making the breakthrough at the key times
 
I also don't get the Watson hatred.

One bad tackle aside he was excellent yesterday. He is doing what he asked to do. If people aren't happy with that, the problem is with the manager rather than with Watson
 
Hardy Forest said:
Did we grind it out though Apollyon? If Charlton had taken their chances first half, we'd have been buried.
We improved second half, but let's be honest, we got lucky.
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Not having a go Hardy but you’ve said the same thing for a couple of weeks, it’s not luck in my view, last night we had to contend with a bad ref and only playing for 45 mins.

Worrall and daws kept us in it with good play, more than harsh to to say it’s lucky!
We were ‘unlucky’ in that we should have had a pen and they possibly could have been down to 10 men!
At the end I was a bit disappointed we didn’t get a winner!
 
Pope John XXIII said:
We seem set up to only really 'play' for parts of games. A certain part of each half and then we go into some kind of deliberate hibernation and try to control the game rather than grasp it.

Fairly common I suppose but it does depend on you making the breakthrough at the key times
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To me it looks like Lamouchi sets the team up with two distinct modes; we have the 4 2 3 1 set up with the intention to press high up the pitch when we do not have the ball, this morphs to a 3 4 3 when we have the ball, with Watson dropping deep and both full backs pushing on.

Looks good when it works, not so good when it does not, like the first half last night.
 
I'm on holiday and haven't seen the game but recorded it. Will it be a waste of 90 mins of my life if I watch it when we get back?
 
mao tse tung said:
Its early days but things look far better than this time last season.

We managed 8 points from our first 7 games last season despite losing just the one game, which was probably a fair reflection on how we played.

The most surprising thing last night was how long it took to resolve the big problem in the first half.

We gave them free reign to run at us down their Right Hand side all half; for some reason Robinson was tucking in, playing as an additional central defender, leaving Ameobi totally over run by their wide players.

Once that started to happen the defence sat deeper, the gap between backs and forwards increased and the midfield became stretched.

We made Charlton look far better than what they are; take away the forward, who looks very good, and the wide man who can certainly cross a ball, and they look moderate.

I dont really get the Watson hatred either; he is key to the way we want to play, especially with Colback not returning.

His role is to play deep allowing both full backs to get forward; his positional and covering play in the games so far has been very good.

He does have limitations but for people to blame him for all of our ills is just ignorance bordering on the clueless.

Despite the poor showing in the first half we looked the better side in the second; the full backs got forward, players got closer to Grabben, the play looked more fluid but we are still not creating enough.

Hopefully that will come with more games.
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I feel it started to come together better at about 10 mins from half time. SL swapped semedo with silva. semedo playing higher up the pitch and silva dropping deeper. It gave silva more time on the ball and we kept possession a little better.
Some of the movement and passing was really very good. The one owards the end of the first half in particular was excellent.
I think Charlton will cause teams trouble this year so a draw away from home is not too shabby.
If we can take a draw or sneak something more from Fulham then its been a good August and we can push on from there.
 
Calvin Plummer said:
Dominant is stretching it, what chances did we actually create?
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Agreed. The second half was a vast improvement where we had more of the ball without creating much. I still thought that they were more threatening in the final third.

It was clearly obvious which team was settled, understand the way of playing and were more coherent. Currently, we are definitely WIP but it is clear to see that there is a good team there.
 
Also on the Muric debate. Whilst his distribution was woeful, he made two good saves and at corners or free kicks he wants to come and claim the ball.
I appreciate the Charlton goal was from a free header, but with daws and woz with muric we are starting to look better(!) at defending set pieces.
Jenkinson looked good.
Been impressed with Dawson and his communication / captainship.
Worrall had a good game also, with some very well timed tackles.
How many times in the past would we have capitulated in the first half against that onslaught?
 
Main problem last night was Robinson not taking care of the right winger. Yes Sow would have been better than Watson, and we missed Lolley and Grabban doesn't look sharp for whatever reason; but all their danger was coming from the right wing.
 
Pope John XXIII said:
I also don't get the Watson hatred.

One bad tackle aside he was excellent yesterday. He is doing what he asked to do. If people aren't happy with that, the problem is with the manager rather than with Watson
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it wasnt hatred it was more he was over run alot and that isnt his fault
 
My positive from all this is that Bostock could turn out to be a clever signing. I thought he steadied the ship when he came on. Something was very wrong with our set up on the left in the first half. Completely overrun.
 
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