Two up top
October is a big month. Despite the Derby game being postponed, there are still six league games, of which somehow five at home and 18 points are at stake.
After Wigan on the last day of the month we should have a good sense of what the season will entail, and also what Michael Appleton is made off.
Appleton is still learning about his players and tinkering with formations to get the best out of them, but for what seems like an eternity we still have many players shoved in wrong or at least unnatural roles.
The finger points at numerous disorderly transfer windows and previous differing styles from different managers. Something that Andy Scott is trying to address, although it pains me to see another Charlton manager, this time Appleton, already talk about the next transfer window as if that will remedy the last one’s errors of judgement. As so we go round..
Saturday we saw Miles Leaburn wasted out wide, CBT had his most ineffective game in a narrower role, Alfie May was coming so deep to be more involved in the game, and Terry Taylor and Tyreece looked lost. Poor Terrell Thomas is the ultimate square peg in a round hole out at left back.
We will see more tinkering from Appleton I am sure, but action now moves from the training field to the pitch, and one thing he has to do, surely, is play two up top.
That hasn’t necessarily got to be May and Leaburn, as Tedic and Aneke could be given the chance to affect games from the beginning and not towards the end.
I know 4-2-2 is as old fashioned as me, but Appleton needs to play to player’s strengths, possibly a diamond shaped midfield is the answer. I’d be happy to hear other people’s thoughts.
A big month starts begins tonight. COYA
I must be older. I still like 2 / 3 / 5
Defenders defend,
Midfielders break up defend, and build,
Five forwards make and score goals.
If only
Larry
Haha. I don’t quite remember that, although Andy Nelson’s team’s played like they only had two defenders!
They didn’t need to defend with Hales & Flanagan up front !!! Lol
Two fullbacks never went past the half way line.
Center half ran defence with a midfielder either side bullying and creating chances for the forwards.
Forwards doing what all good forwards did.
Run the opposing team ragged.
None of this side to side passing with 70 per cent of the play and no gains.
I saw Sam Bertram at the end of his career and my father said he was the best goaly he saw at that time.
The best I saw was The late Graham Tutt.
Too brave for his own good.
Larry
It is the first time I can ever remember Charlton having 4 good strikers on their books. Attack is not the problem.An inability to defend has been the real problem of late. We miss Chris Powell’s understanding that football success starts with a solid defence. 4 at the back all in a line setting offside traps time after time to frustrate the opposition. That takes discipline. Perhaps the new manager will install more discipline at the back. On verra, as they say in France.
Geoffrey
Charlton fan since 1969
There’s always the option of 3-5-2.
That would allow CBT and TC to play wide, all be it as wing backs, one defensive midfielder (Dobbo) two attacking midfielders (Fraser and Camara -when fit) and more importantly May and Leaburn upfront. It would also allow Terrell Thomas to play as a left sided centre back – alongside Lloyd Jones and Michael Hector.
Currently playing 4-3-3 we have Leaburn wide right and May in the centre, but this formation highlights their weaknesses rather than plays to their strengths (Leaburn is not a winger and May is too short to play as a target man). I’d like to see Leaburn as the target man centre forward and May playing off the shoulders of the defenders and anything Leaburn knocks on for him.
What I like about our squad is that we have the options to change things and now a few players are back from injury/match fit we can and have changed things mid-match. I’m wary about starting Chuks Aneke though, with his injury record that’s a risk I’d rather not take and he looks better running at tired defenders.
Yep two up top anyway. It also gives us the option to refresh both during a match. Why are managers obsessed with playing 3 just because its fashionable? I actually think we would do better with Holden still here in the long run cos he was a pragmatist and would play 2 up front now the right players are available.