Charlton Athletic 2 Swindon Town 2
Two more points dropped. How many times can we give a team a two-goal lead. Can we at least next time start the game 0-2 down, so it gives us 90 minutes to get them back?
Get bored of saying this, but this team makes it hard to build real trust in, and affinity with. It’s extremely hard to look at the games since November and think we are anything other than a mid-table side.
Today we started well, but were 0-1 down at five past three! The defending was atrocious. Ben Amos also looks as if he is lacking confidence, but that is probably not surprising.
Second half was great, in isolation, but again Bowyer had to throw all five subs on. Andrew Shinnie made a real difference, and I now hope he sticks with him, Morgan and JFC as the midfield core, with the experience of Pratley and Watson added when needed.
The front five that got time today all made a favourable impression. Miller’s touch lets him down occasionally and it is why he’s on loan in League One, but he works hard, wants to take his man on and can move defence into attack quickly. I liked him playing in the hole too.
Schwartz needs to play off a big man, but his poaching instincts twice came to the fore. In the first couple of minutes he intercepted a back pass, did everything right, but saw his shot saved, and then in the 2nd half he buried a chance, but the goal was wiped out for offside, which apparently it wasn’t.
Washington was busy and could have, should have got the winner at the death. Stockley’s touch and awareness looked a class above League One. Very early days but a good introduction for sure. Then once more Aneke was a real handful, scored one, should have had a hat-trick.
Frustration reigns, taking over from the anger of earlier. Question is are we a team about to go on some blockbusting run, or are we no better than mid table?
📢: “They’re a team I know with a big, big squad and some good, good players – especially attacking-wise. They brought them all on in the second half, and I knew it would be tough with them coming at us.” – John Sheridan
🖊: Albury Addick; Blackheath Addick; Drinking During the Game.
📷: Keith Gillard
L1️⃣: Hull won comfortably at Portsmouth 4-0, which was a real statement. Lincoln stay with them at the top after being Northampton 2-1. Peterborough won 1-0 at Ipswich and are 3rd. We incredibly are still 6th but 2 points behind Doncaster, who have 4 games in hand.
Chicago Addick 
From Bows post match interview he says Charlton has adequate cover at centre back but what he fails, or refuses, to see is that its about quality not quantity. Charlton may have two players for each position at CB (when fit!) But, as much as l appreciate the qualities of Pearce, l am afraid he simply no longer has the pace. Time has finally caught up with him and, for a once great player for Charlton, he is now in danger of being remembered as a liability. Regrettably , I now cringe when he is in the team and the number of costly errors he has consistently racked up since he returned from injury is embarrassing. To compound matters, Pearce then gets on social media and calls for the errors to be cut out! The reason for Charlton’s tail-off isn’t solely Pearce’s fault. On paper there are two players for each CB position but Deji is the only true fit CB available. If Bows doesn’t wake up to this reality in this ‘window’ to the scarcity of quality, fit CBs then, let’s not kid ourselves, we might as well abandon any hope of making the Play-Offs this season.
Just after we scored the 2nd and 6 minutes of injury time went up they hit a long hopeful ball upfield and Pearce in regular style manhandled their bloke to the floor just in our half. It immediately gave them a breather, the ball and possession. So frustrating but for all my admiration of him, he is a real liability now sadly.
Apparently it’s not a problem because: all together now.
Famewo and Innis will be back soon…………………..maybe, possibly, perhaps.
Famewo is close. Did anyone watch Innis with the Upbeats at half-time? He came across really well.
Famewo is apparently close to a recall and he’ll make a difference, Innis is a bit further away.
Yes, Amos should have stopped the first goal (the second took a deflection) but with the defence in front of him and the space that attacking players are being given I’d be nervous.
All in all it was a great game – for the neutral. Fans of Swindon they must have been dreading every moment and while I thought we would score we made it hard for ourselves. Three shots hit the woodwork, several others were blocked, others were saved/just missed.We could have won this game comfortably. I’m encouraged that the team are fighting hard still but we must, must cut those careless errors out.
Shadow – yes me too. I am pleased the spirit has returned, and they look more together if you know what I mean. I’m always looking for signs of that.
We are so fragile at the back. How many goals have the teams at or near the bottom scored against us?
We need to prepare for next season a this season we have lost any realistic chance of promotion with the present squad. Bowyers’ failure to address the obvious weakness at centre back, which has not been short term, is the main reason, Millar is a significant improvement on Levitt and Schwartz and Stockley will strengthen striking options. A run of games in midfield for Foster-Caskey, Morgan and Shinnie should be positive but I have little faith in the players available for the back four. I like Matthews but he needs a few games to reach optimum fitness and form. Playing a game now and again does not produce best form.
Several members of my family hail from Carlisle so I keep track of Carlisle Uniteds’ progress, players that have caught my eye in recent years have been Kyle Dempsey, now with Gillingham, Charlie Wyke now with Sunderland and Hallam Hope who now plays for Swindon and scored their first goal and set up their second yesterday.