Post-Match Thread and Ratings Charlton Athletic 2-1 Southend United

[southendkid]

Ranger
Coker
Wordsworth
Lenny
All our best players out. Not an excuse more a reason...missed them massively today. Lenny would have smashed that lot. People dig Wordsworth out but he is quality.

It is a worrying sign though that we have no cover for certain positions in the squad, whether we go up or not we desperately need good back ups for Leonard, Coker and Wordsworth. Ranger is more debatable, Cox and Fortune did fine when he was suspended, I guess Brown wanted to keep faith with Robinson but that's probably the best partnership for when Ranger is out.

 

[fbm]

I've never seen so many wrong decisions taken. No, we weren't good but we had chances but almost without exception the choice was to beat another man instead of shoot or pass, or to shoot from a soppy angle when a square ball needed to be played to players in space.

Fantastic atmosphere, I do love The Valley and have a real soft spot for Charlton but that doesn't mean I want to give them 3 points!

I think it is still in our hands actually, 4 wins will see us in the playoffs comfortably and possibly 3 will as well.

 

[RobM]

Fortune was Player Of The Month - now can't get a kick. Hmmm...

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

It is a worrying sign though that we have no cover for certain positions in the squad, whether we go up or not we desperately need good back ups for Leonard, Coker and Wordsworth. Ranger is more debatable, Cox and Fortune did fine when he was suspended, I guess Brown wanted to keep faith with Robinson but that's probably the best partnership for when Ranger is out.

Yep, maybe we need to go back to the Fortune and Cox partnership that served us well until Ranger is back. Robinson does seem better coming on as a sub. Nouble should never have come on today. PB has been good with subs lately but I'm yet to see or hear of Nouble doing anything to warrant coming on instead of Fortune. So he got that one wrong.

 

[Barling Magna]

A charlton fan's view from one of their forums:

"As for us, well the defence held together, but the mistake Southend made was not to press us more because Bauer always has a few unforced errors in him. Jay daSilva was pretty good throughout the game for one so inexperienced, although a largely anonymous Konsa (injured?saving himself for the big move in the summer?) did little to help out defenders looking for an out ball. Solly was excellent and my MoM easily. It is good to have an old experienced head back and Pearce played pretty well.
Holmes very handily equalised before Southend scored, because I dread to think what might have happened if we had conceded first. Rudd contributed heavily in conceding the corner which led to a free header and Southend's goal, poor defending, but Southend's defending on both our goals was very poor. Rudd then proceeded to keep us in it with some decent saves and a brilliant one on one situation which he stopped. Our midfield had some presence after the ghost midfield of last Tuesday. Byrne was worthy and willing and that was it.
I have not seen or read anything but i have a feeling our winner was an own goal.
Of course Southend could have got something from the game, it wasn't anything like a comprehensive or convincing win, but a win is a win."

Why on earth didn't MAF come on instead of Nouble? He would have scored at least one of Nouble's two golden chances....

 

[Billy Bests boot laces]

Today was my 7th visit to Charlton, and still yet to come away celebrating a win!. IMO they were there for the taking, but at half time, apart from our goal, how many shots did there keeper have to make?.
We created more 2nd half, but once McLaughin hashed the 1 on 1, just felt it was going to be 'one of those days' again alas.
From my seat I could see through the exit door to the concourse area. At both 3.15 & 4.15 loads of fans were still out there drinking. Amazes me why they bother to come?.

 

[mattitouk]

The worst Charlton side I've ever known and we made Holmes look like Bale! Embarrassing, gutless, clueless subs from the manager and now it's no longer in our hands!

I said when we signed Nouble he was **** and people criticised me and said they'd give him a chance, well there's his chance and he's ****! Blokes got a 50p head everything pings up or back where it came from! My dead dog would've buried that header.

I'm with you about Nouble, but I wouldn't say Phil was clueless with regards to his choice of Subs (apart from Nouble coming on instead of MAF of course).

I heard PB's post match interview on the BBC, and he basically said he opted for Nouble over others, because he felt he would give us the best chance of an arial advantage over their defenders, which fair enough he does by a whole 7 centimetres!, but counts for nothing if he can't score a header on the goal line! We may as well bought on Warwick Davis instead!

Anyway, with regard to the other subs, Phil's hand was forced with taking off White, as he picked up an injury in the first half, and tightened up during half time and was getting worse. As for McGlashan on for Amos, I thought that was straight forward enough, Amos is not the complete package yet, and still looks to light weight for this division, and McGlashan usually does put in a good shift running at tired defenders.

Our left back position will no doubt give me many countless hours of lost sleep this week:
Coker gets injured, So we go with option B (Inniss), then Inniss gets injured, so we go with option C (White), then White gets injured!.. Guessing Timlin is our "option D"? but who is best suited to cover that position on Friday?...

Although for selfish reasons relating to the success of our club, I'm really starting to hate this new change in loan rules that were recently introduced.

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

I'm with you about Nouble, but I wouldn't say Phil was clueless with regards to his choice of Subs (apart from Nouble coming on instead of MAF of course).

I heard PB's post match interview on the BBC, and he basically said he opted for Nouble over others, because he felt he would give us the best chance of an arial advantage over their defenders, which fair enough he does by a whole 7 centimetres!, but counts for nothing if he can't score a header on the goal line! We may as well bought on Warwick Davis instead!

Anyway, with regard to the other subs, Phil's hand was forced with taking off White, as he picked up an injury in the first half, and tightened up during half time and was getting worse. As for McGlashan on for Amos, I thought that was straight forward enough, Amos is not the complete package yet, and still looks to light weight for this division, and McGlashan usually does put in a good shift running at tired defenders.

I don't think anyone is questioning those 2 substitutions, It's the Nouble one we don't get. When he's come on as sub from when I've seen him, he hasn't looked like changing a game, or even scoring a goal. He's slow with big lead feet, he can't seem to head a good ball, doesn't hold it up well as he seems to have poor control. So how the hell does he come on instead of Fortune? It's no good being a big lump target man if you can't do the things I mentioned.

 

[Shrimper]

Embarrassing performance. Nouble is dog****. Have to win at least 3/4.

 

[mattitouk]

I don't think anyone is questioning those 2 substitutions, It's the Nouble one we don't get. When he's come on as sub from when I've seen him, he hasn't looked like changing a game, or even scoring a goal. He's slow with big lead feet, he can't seem to head a good ball, doesn't hold it up well as he seems to have poor control. So how the hell does he come on instead of Fortune? It's no good being a big lump target man if you can't do the things I mentioned.

Exactly what I was saying, the mind boggles at that one! (without wanting to repeat myself, Phil's excuse / reasoning was choosing him over other options was down to his height advantage....in which case I presume the tactic was "Hoof Ball Ala Bolton Style" & grab a late goal).

There could be other factors of course for that decision that we are currently not aware about (perhapd Marc was carrying a slight knock etc), but what we do know as a fact, was that bringing on Nouble over MAF at 2-1 down didn't pay off as it didn't bring us a draw or a win.

Whether MAF would have had made a difference to the final score, we don't know, but I think most of us know, we would have stood a slight better chance if the same opportunities that Nouble had fell to Fortune instead.

 

[DEVILS ADVOCATE]

Think MAF showed some dissent when being subbed at (Bristol Rovers ?)...and we know PB dosent like dissent !

 

[OldBlueLady]

What a pile of poo that was!

Wow, losing Wordsworth on top of having Lenny out really exposed a massive gap in midfield, that wasn't filled. I'd have rather - by an absolute mile - had Jack Bridge in there for some creativity. Amos did some things quite well but others was shown up naively, he's not ready. Atkinson, without any creativity alongside him, was just running around trying to break things up but with no outlet. McLaughlin had a really poor game, one on one with the keeper - either shoot or go down when tackled! Timlin seemed to have forgotten how to play midfield. Very poor all round.

I understood about trying to keep Robinson in after his recent games, but the set up today didn't suit him. With Ranger out, I'd have started Fortuné up top alongside Cox - they did well for some time and he was POTM for both the club and the Trust in February and yet, has hardly played since. We'd have done better to have Theo and McLaughlin played wide, Charlton couldn't take pace and we should have exploited it. Cox, by the way, was absolute dog **** all afternoon in our opinion.

Defensively, White was largely doing ok, and I was delighted he scored. Thompson was easily our best player - Charlton credited him with an oggy? - Ferdinand was ok too but Demetriou? A total stinker.

I like O'Neill but he didn't seem to fit into the plan with the changes. Noublé was a strange one, we needed a centre forward on so I kinda get bringing him on but really, we wanted someone who was going to really work, and for me, at that stage, Mooney was a better option.

Massive disappointment.

 

[rigsby]

Exactly what I was saying, the mind boggles at that one! (without wanting to repeat myself, Phil's excuse / reasoning was choosing him over other options was down to his height advantage....in which case I presume the tactic was "Hoof Ball Ala Bolton Style" & grab a late goal).

There could be other factors of course for that decision that we are currently not aware about (perhapd Marc was carrying a slight knock etc), but what we do know as a fact, was that bringing on Nouble over MAF at 2-1 down didn't pay off as it didn't bring us a draw or a win.

Whether MAF would have had made a difference to the final score, we don't know, but I think most of us know, we would have stood a slight better chance if the same opportunities that Nouble had fell to Fortune instead.

MAF come on Tuesday and looked uninterested to me. Even on the corner that Bolton scored from he dropped back but stood 25yds from goal rather than get involved in the box.

We did not lose today because of the 3rd choice sub. Plenty of other things to look at not least the mounting injury list. Why did McL hesitate after the keeper blocked his one-on-one. Seemed reluctant to give to Cox and when he did, instead of rolling it in front of him he pulls it back on Cox's left foot. It was 1-1 at the time.

 

[geoffmundo]

First visit to The Valley. Hmm the weather was good!

Because Greater Anglia engineering works, decided to park at relatives in Pitsea & try the SZ Coach. Interesting start as I thought I'd have to stand all the way to Charlton, but that was soon sorted. Helped further by getting 2nd place on the National sweepstake on the coach.

Always amazes me to see so many Shrimpers fans away, unfortunately the masses weren't rewarded as has frequently been the case by the team's performance. We were too predictable, too slow, too much off the pace and when we did string a few good passes together someone (usually Mclaughlin) would slip over or make the wrong choice. We had our opportunities and really should have come away with a draw, but they also had a couple of goals disallowed.

Maybe losing to Bolton in midweek took it out of them, can't really blame the heat as this was the same for both sides & Ricky Holmes was certainly full of running (and falling over). I don't know if this is the fatal blow to our Play Off hopes, but another failure on Friday surely would.

Hopefully Ranger will be fit, but Lennie & Coker will still be missing and not sure about Wordsworth.

Picking man of the match was so difficult this afternoon, indeed BBC Essex Sport has Mcglaughlin as one of their two options! Personally I would give to the 2,504.

 

[rigsby]

What a pile of poo that was!

Wow, losing Wordsworth on top of having Lenny out really exposed a massive gap in midfield, that wasn't filled. I'd have rather - by an absolute mile - had Jack Bridge in there for some creativity. Amos did some things quite well but others was shown up naively, he's not ready. Atkinson, without any creativity alongside him, was just running around trying to break things up but with no outlet. McLaughlin had a really poor game, one on one with the keeper - either shoot or go down when tackled! Timlin seemed to have forgotten how to play midfield. Very poor all round.

I understood about trying to keep Robinson in after his recent games, but the set up today didn't suit him. With Ranger out, I'd have started Fortuné up top alongside Cox - they did well for some time and he was POTM for both the club and the Trust in February and yet, has hardly played since. We'd have done better to have Theo and McLaughlin played wide, Charlton couldn't take pace and we should have exploited it.

Defensively, White was largely doing ok, and I was delighted he scored. Thompson was easily our best player - Charlton credited him with an oggy? - Ferdinand was ok too but Demetriou? A total stinker.

I like O'Neill but he didn't seem to fit into the plan with the changes. Noublé was a strange one, we needed a centre forward on so I kinda get bringing him on but really, we wanted someone who was going to really work, and for me, at that stage, Mooney was a better option.

Massive disappointment.

I was in the main stand nearer the Charlton end and I thought it came of Thommo but the announcer gave it to one of their players. Not blaming Thommo it was one of those difficult to defend crosses.

 

[OldBlueLady]

I was in the main stand nearer the Charlton end and I thought it came of Thommo but the announcer gave it to one of their players. Not blaming Thommo it was one of those difficult to defend crosses.

Yeah, I know they did in the ground, but their Twitter gave it as an oggy.

 

[manor15]

Yeah, I know they did in the ground, but their Twitter gave it as an oggy.

The replay they showed on the big screen certainly looked like Thompson OG.

 

[Lord Football]

Not many positives really. Except for one the best Southend followings I've ever seen and heard (and I've seen more than my fair share).

As others have said, it does show how important Ranger, Woody and Lenny are. Absolutely crucial. We did learn things though. Amos is not yet really for this level of football, looked lost and out of his depth, muscled off the ball too many times. Dimi is as inconsistent as you can get. Defended really poorly at times. Nouble, not good. Sorry.

Four games to go, certainly need to win three of them, so lets hope at least Woody and Ranger can make it for Friday.

 

[wakes123]

Haven't really read the comments but when your team is decimated (Lenny,Woody,Coker,Ranger) its tough. We go again.

 

[mattitouk]

The replay they showed on the big screen certainly looked like Thompson OG.

Yep, I've watched it at more than a dozen times online & on the telly. It defo looks like a Thompson own goal to me (takes a slight deflection, then goes in off his knee or upper thigh).