Charlton Athletic 1 Portsmouth 3
We were well beaten tonight by a team that look well equipped for a strong promotion challenge, which I am slowly coming round to the realization that we are not.
Our performance was once again punctuated by shambolic defending, no obvious game plan, half-time substitutes, piss-poor passing and no cutting edge.
I tend to use Portsmouth as a bellweather of our standing. We’ve pretty much followed each other up and down the leagues for a century. In recent seasons we have had it over them and we beat them early in the season when they were slow out of the gate and we looked like we were unstoppable. What’s happened after that is for another day, but today, tonight they were on a different plane to us.
As have every team been that sit above us in the table. Other than Sunderland, the other six teams have all beaten us and I’d add quite convincingly. Not the sign of a promotion team. Nowhere near.
I fail to see any signs of a team capable or with the savvy to get us out of this division, and quite honestly and without sounding like a quitter I think midtable is a calling.
Bowyer said tonight that anything other than a top six finish is failure. It is, and we have been in far tougher League One’s than this. Possibly Lee will turn it around, he has my backing, I think he deserves it, but something extraordinary has to happen. There are 20 games left, 60 points. Any realistic promotion challenge has to happen from now.
📢: “I thought they outfought us. Portsmouth, we all know what they are like as a team. They do the basics well, they’re physical and they compete. Today, they were better than us at that.” – Lee Bowyer
🖊: Addicks Third Division Diary;
📸: Kyle Andrews
1️⃣: Accrington continue to impress thrashing Bristol Rovers 6-1, Crewe won at Shrewsbury by the single goal, Swindon beat Wigan and Blackpool beat Northampton. The rest of the top sides were in the last 8 of the EFL Trophy, which they clearly took more seriously than us!
Chicago Addick 
Watched the last half hour at 4 in the morning or some ridiculous hour. I really am losing faith in Bowyer. Why does he change things every week? Why rest platers that have had a week off? Why not use a formation that worked last time out? Why try to match the opposition; get them to match us! Portsmouth gave us a lesson in defending as well as scoring three. We have one of the best squads in the division and at the moment it isn’t being utilised as well as it should be (and that is an understatement). And why don’t we have a proper defender on the coaching staff? Just remembered we have Grant Basey, yet that doesn’t fill me with confidence.
I’m not yet in the Bowyer Out camp but……..
Next 5 games. Do or die.
Bonkers Bowyer played his diamond formation, a system that has no width and leaves us vulnerable to the oppositions wide players.
Two days ago he assured us we didn’t need defensive reinforcements despite the fact we leak goals, as we did last night.
In his interview he said ” I don’t fink they were betterrer than us” (sic)
I hear the lakes in France are fishing well for the time of the year. He needs to bag his gear and go. I’m not even confident of staying out of the relegation battle while this incompetent is in charge
I believe we have one of the best squad of INDIVIDUAL players in the league. But probably the worst TEAM. We just don’t play as a team there seems little plan to the play. More like “ to you to me to you to me” see what you can do! Who are the the best midfielders we have Lee, and if you know then why not play than week in week out , let’s get some consistency into the team.
Promotion candidates ?….Not on this showing. Wrong tactics and hopeless defending…..will end up mid table at best !!!
Am beginning to wonder about Bowyer.
I’m afraid our performances have become so predictably poor and painful to watch, for the time being l’ve even stopped buying a live Video match pass. Reading your game analysis and watching the post match highlights seems to confirm l’ve made the correct call.
Ken. I’m done with watching the games. Even though I got the ST, think I will skip it for a while. Or just watch the pre-show.
We are without doubt the most frustrating team on the planet to watch now. The same mistakes happening over and over. Why do we do the same things expecting things to change, they won’t. I don’t even enjoy watching it anymore, we are supposed to enjoy it aren’t we?
Enjoy 🤔? There was that one time 😀
Although the January recruits should improve the squad I think that a central defender should have been a priority. Time and injuries have taken their toll on Pearce, and Gunter and Pratley are stop gaps for central defence.
CA, I bet the game(s) you liked had good central defenders? Peter Shirtliff? Tommy Caton perhaps? They weren’t fast but they were stoppers..
Brilliant. Steve Thompson was one of my faves.
Really getting tired of the same old waffle from Bowyer at the end, never blames himself, it’s always someone &/or something else’s fault for the dire displays! His comments after the game were just unbelievable, totally different to how Curbs, Minto and Robinson saw the game!
Bowyer you have told us you are now happy with the current team and new players you have got in which have made us stronger, yep we could all see that last night! The defending is still a complete shambles, only Deji, Adams & Matterson are really up to it. Pearce and Gunter make far too many mistakes the same as Prately does when played at centre back so we are awaiting on two good defenders with long term injuries to return, who could well breakdown or get injured again! The midfield is pedestrian, Watson, Pratley, Shinnie are in their twilight years & with Gilbey, normally spend more time in their own half passing sideways and backwards and giving away needless free kicks! Caskey has been putting in a shift lately, but again gives away needless fouls as he gets caught out. Our best current midfielder is Morgan, he works hard, is the best passer of the ball, is young and does make some errors, but is always trying to move the ball forward and find players. Unfortunately he always seems to be the scapegoat when we are losing and gets subbed. Portsmouth game a prime example, the only player to have an effort on target in the first half, put some good balls through to the front two but then, is the only player singled out and critized by Bowyer in public, for not passing to Shinnie as he shot for goal himself, but it went over. So presumingly he was subbed for that, yet Shinnie had done absoutely nothing he was hardly seen, but he came out for the second half! Yet I didn’t see Bowyer saying anything about Watsons total balls up which cost us the third goal, Gunters mistakes nearly costing us again, Ronnies total lack of doing nothing, plus then Bowyer trying to defend Pratley for a challenge which could have seen him sent off! Yes Mr Bowyer you seem to pick on certian players to have a go at in public, but stay very silent about other individuals who have been very poor and cost us games and just generalise on poor performances without naming them! Thats very poor management and can’t be doing the young lad any real good as you are treating certain players differently!
We will be extremely lucky to scrape into the top 6, as at present I can only see us droping further and further downwards not upwards. Bowyers actually very lucky there are no crowds at the Valley at the moment with these dire performances!!!
The worrying thing is we will have a similar main team for next season as all the loanees will go and we will be left with all the football over 30’s pensioners Watson, Pratley, Gunter, Ronnie, Amos, Pearce and Shinne who he will want to keep, which is half the team!!!
Bowyer’s continual criticism of Morgan is a sign of his poor management and his stupid comments after games when the team perform badly reinforce the point. When he was new to the job allowance could be made because of his inexperience, but after 3 years he should have improved. Thomas should make him take a course in man/business management or move him on.