Barnsley 2 Charlton Athletic 1
Not been very festive these Christmas games have they. We are well and truly stuck on the naughty list.
You can’t give a team of Barnsley’s quality, especially with their home records, a 2-0 head start. Apparently well taken goals, but we sounded all over the place and we allowed them to stretch us, and push us back towards our own goal. It was a very sluggish start and the game was all but over after a quarter of an hour.
Whether Bowyer looked at the performance a little too positivily only Addicks present can comment, but the 2nd half sounded a lot better and we regained a bit of pride. Reeves scoring again was a positive, but overall despite a much better second 45 we were well beaten.
Of course other than a loss of a game, the story was loss of two more players. Jason Pearce was taken off after an hour after injuring his ankle and then club captain Chris Solly was sent off in injury time for a second yellow.
Talk of top two has always been a stretch in my mind, and with this injury crisis we just have to stick around the top 6 and get through January when we should start to see some returnees. The transfer window could be a bonus or a disaster mind.
Addicks at Oakwell:
Bow: “I feel sorry for the lads because they’ve given me everything again. We’re down to the bare bones and it’s hard for them.We haven’t got the luxury of rotating two or three or four players.”
Elsewhere: Portsmouth were 1-2 down away at Fleetwood but then after Marney was sent off for the home side Pompey scored four 2nd half goals to win 5-2. Sunderland were held at home bY Shrewsbury and Luton salvaged a point late at Walsall. Doncaster win at Gillingham 3-1 and Peterborough won 4-0 at Accrington.
Chicago Addick 
Too many players playing out of position and being asked to do things they are either not comfortable doing or not good enough to do. The decision to start the season with one recognised left back in the squad, the injury prone Lewis Page, is proving to be a costly one.
Would it make sense to play 5 at the back — Marshall – Djiksteel, Bauer, Sarr – Stevenson for Walsall?
Worth a go. I know Bowyer is cautious with Stevenson but would at least be a player playing in his natural position.
That’s my thinking. Sounded as if we were more balanced when Stevenson came on Saturday.
If Pratley and Bielik are both to play I think one has to play either in a back 4 or 5 which would release Marshall to play his normal wing role.But whatever happens we are papering over severe cracks. Stevenson should be given a chance in the left back position. I hope we can bring in at least one loan player before the Suderland game at the weekend.
We’ll see rierti. I’m sure Gallen has options, it’s whether RD will authorize.