Charlton Athletic 0 MK Dons 1
Only Charlton could play two games with watching fans during a global pandemic with most sports stadia staying empty and play absolute shite in both of them.
And as for creating an atmosphere. 2,000 fans spread out in three vast stands, in the cold, sat miles from each other and wearing a mask, with nothing to cheer and get excited about is not conducive to the craziness of a 94th minute winner at Wembley.
I’d be interested in the view of any Addicks that went tonight of what they thought of the experience.
I was jealous and miss the old girl dearly, but let’s not kid ourselves football without fans, the buzz, camaraderie, the spontaneity, a good old sing-song, the smell of hot dogs, a couple of pints…. it will not be the same.
Squeeze 2,000 people together behind the goal with a good sprinkling of youth and you will get an atmosphere, but sadly as welcome as seeing people in the stadium is, it will not be the same, and it only takes one to scream abuse at a stray pass, and it will carry across the pitch.
As for the game. Well, if you had been in lockdown without TV, internet and a newspaper, and only ventured outside tonight then you would have been forgiven for thinking that it was MK Dons riding high in the table, and not us. They were good. Very good.
We were awful from the start. We had one shot on goal, Darren Pratley was our biggest goal threat and our best midfielder and he started at centre-back. Ben Amos stopped it being a complete mauling.
We lack pace and mobility and I’m sure Lee understands it but for novices like me it takes me ages to work out who is playing where, and to what system. Not sure the players always get it either. They certainly didn’t tonight.
There was a general lack of everything tonight. Atmosphere, mobility, cutting edge, anticipation, competence and ingenuity.
Another bad night at the office.
Bow’s thoughts: “It wasn’t what I expected, because we don’t stop singing normally. And there wasn’t much singing at all, from start to finish, tonight.”
Photo credit:
Chicago Addick 
It’s a Jekyl and Hyde team..you don’t know which one will show up…..two out of three terrible performances is concerning…..even the goal we let in was horrendous tracking. One thing is clear unless Aneke is on, we have no attacking threat…. since the break we have been terrible
The point about the break is a very good one. Blows out the water the issues of tiredness..
CA I think we all know the script, football for a fiver, kids for a quid and now first london club with fans back – same result – same utter disappointment.
Can’t seem to string two good performances together, hopefully we’ll get some consistency when we get some CBs on the pitch. That and Alfie Doughty so miss his pace.
And yeah would be great to be there but I don’t think I’m alone, we want our Saturdays back not a sterile socially distanced worse than pre-season friendly wannabe effort.
Steve – so true. Think you add the Operation Anything’s to that list as well 😞
Does Bows over train the players? We have seen these lacklustre tired performances before. I was actually embarrassed for some players Schoolboy errors. Injury rates are not good either. Four days to recover for elite athletes should easily be enough. If Bows wants the fans to get behind the team there needs to be something to excite the fans. Forgive me but isn’t football supposed to be entertaining?
Quentin – I tried using the whole I worked yesterday so I need to rest today routine with my boss. He wasn’t having it. It is ridiculous. Back in the 70’s and early 80”s when I first starting going teams had squads of 14 and the players played every week, and had a big Friday night and a cigarette at half time. Old man rant over 😤
I went and wished I hadn’t bothered, had to sit around in my seat for over an hour in the cold and rain, then watched a pitiful display by Charlton, then had to wait for ages afterwards, as the stewards didn’t seem to know, who to let out first etc. Absolute dross, annoys me when Bowyer says where was the singing, we all want to know where were the players tonight, they didn’t turn up!!!
No good white washing this we were absolutely dreadful against Burton and the same again aginst MKdons, we were completely outplayed all round and only Amos saved us from an embarrising thrashing! We could have played for another 90minutes and would not have scored, apart from Morgan, none of us could believe he was subsituted as he was the only decent midfielder actually trying & doing something effective, the rest were non exisitant and the defence was a complete shambles. How many times did the MKDons forwards turn Gunter & co with feigning to go outside then turn inside on their right foot to shoot. Every single time they fell for it, common sense should prevail in the end, but it didn’t sink in with any of them. We were second best to everything all evening, I don’t think we actually won, a one on one header in defence in the whole game!
Without naming names. unless there is a sizeable improvement in some players abilities, of passing, shooting, defending, tackling holding up play etc and a big improvement of the work ethic of certain other players this current team will be extremely lucky to finish in the top six let alone the top two!
Such a shame Mike. Maybe they will cultivate the match experience because it will be like this for a while. I understand the supporters match responsibility but it does help if there is something to get excited about. That has never changed.
It’s not a settled team to many changes