Charlton Athletic 2 Plymouth Argyle 2
You can sugarcoat that all you like, but I’m not easily impressed, I’d say like the majority of Addicks that watched that today.
Yes we came from behind twice, are in the top six and are unbeaten in four, but defensively we were a disaster and so often we only accentuated how poor we were in our own half by giving the ball away over and over. These are not one-off incidences, they are becoming habitual.
I spent 90 minutes trying to work out why Adam Matthews was left back and why Pratley keeps playing at centre half, unless I missed that Oshilaja had one of left legs amputated. 18 games in and Bowyer doesn’t know his best team. Although I can help him…. it does not include Omar Bogle.
Plymouth, who have been on a terrible run of form, but appeared in tier 4 with all the free movement and spirit of tier 2 and we made them look worldbeaters. Cut and paste for MK Dons, Burton, Shrewsbury and Swindon Town.
We are missing Famewo and Innis badly, all those games without conceding seem a lifetime ago. This is a poor league and poor teams are taking us apart tactically, assertively and easily.
For weeks we have lacked any kind of fluency and consistency, not game to game but almost in ten minute spells. Our previously lauded engine and spirit is waning. We are scoring, but hardly camping in teams half’s (2nd half v Wimbledon aside) and this afternoon only a moment of skill from Marcus Maddison earned us a point.
Lee needs to up his game. Simple as that.
💬 Lee Bowyer: “We’re disappointed but it’s four unbeaten and we’re in the top six. I’m disappointed and think we should be higher but it’s not the end of the world.”
⭐️ Ian Maatsen
⏭ Hull City (a) Jan 2nd.
📸 Paul Edwards
Chicago Addick 
‘Lee needs to up his game’.
Hard to argue with that, CA,
Yep agree with all you say CA. Personally i think Bows is being too clever…or trying to be. I think the quality that exists in the Premier League lends itself well to squad rotation. Players at that level expect (to an extent) to be rested and sit out 50% of games on the bench. At our level i think a more consistent best 11 would serve us better. Certainly in midfield. I was struggling to work out what our formation was yesterday, and the midfield especially was almost non existent when we didn’t have the ball.
Pratley has been a great servant of the club but is no centre back and of course we need a striker or at least a decent foil to Chuks.
Still we are in the play off positions, we have an owner that cares, so still reasons to be optimistic. Onwards….
If I have to scream ‘turn and go’ one more time at our midfield I’m going to cry. But what do I know? Its easy to see from our lofty position (the reason I love sitting in the East Stand). On the subject of our view – is anyone else getting pissed off with the cameraman? Who is it – does he know that we need to see the game, not zooming in on a player on the ball so we can’t see what the hell the others are doing? And showing ridiculous re-plays that we don’t want to see whilst the real game is carrying on?
Enough – it stopped me moaning about the players, which I absolutely refuse to do – except the midfield if they keep bloody passing back. AHHHHHHH Tora, Tora, Tora