Charlton Athletic 0 Preston North End 1
A very uncharacteristically poor and flat performance from Charlton this morning. By far, I would think, our worst display of the season by a country mile and it was more like a vintage Addicks’ television performance than those on-screen crackers we’ve seen more recently.
Preston are hard to beat and pretty dull to watch, but they were better than us by a long way, yet nowhere near the quality of the other top sides we’ve played. In the end it was a clumsy penalty that gave them the three points, but we were not at the show at all.
Our passing was well off, we were pedestrian, hardly won any second ball and there was so little of the drive and energy that has become the side’s trademark. Hard to pick out any pluses, except that the three players on four yellows avoided another booking.
Gallagher worked hard, Kayal did something good one minute and then disappeared for fifteen, Solly struggled, the service to Bonne was atrocious and Leko and Aneke, again, made no impression.
I had no time yesterday, but I planned on writing a post on the renaissance of Naby Sarr, but he was back to the player we first saw that first half. We certainly could do with a few players back.
Anyway best not to dwell on it, onto next week….
Addicks at The Valley: Doctor Kish;
Bow: “We have to be at it every single game because, when we aren’t, we don’t do so well. That’s the difference with us coming up. You have to be at it every week in this division. Unfortunately, we weren’t there today.”
Elsewhere: Leeds topped the division last night beating QPR, Swansea were top at lunchtime after winning at Hull. Blackburn came from behind to beat Sheff Wed and Cardiff beat Birmingham 4-1. Forest won at Luton, but Hull had the result of the day winning 3-0 at Craven Cottage.
Photo: @K_AndrewsPhotos
Chicago Addick 
Hard to find the ‘why’ for that performance. Television curse returning perhaps.
I imagine Gary Rowett will have been watching yesterday and Matt Smith will be asked to asked to isolate himself with Tom Lockyer. We’ll need to find an answer.
‘Why?’ was what I kept thinking yesterday. Sure Bow was the same but we need to get the game out of system
Worse performance of the season by far, but I feared the worse when the team was announced. Asking Bonne to play up front on his own against two of the best central defenders in the division was questionable. Kayal obviously has technical ability but as you say he did not get involved enough and should have been subbed much earlier. Sarr was out of touch and rightly subbed. I felt Pratley should have been moved into the back three where he can last 90 mins. comfortably.
I feel we have been making do with squad players in the full back/wing back positions for too long replacements for Dijksteel and Page should be brought in in January.
You are right of course. I didn’t really like the team. Bowyer loves to change it up and pick teams for opponents but he has so few options and Solly is not a wing back