Charlton Athletic 1 Burton Albion 1
Another pitiful home performance. Only two defeats blah blah, but when was the last time we played well at home?
Dreadful game against dreadful opponents and another game we poorly managed and concede late.
Just as you think, for a minute, that last week’s game at Barnsley is a corner turner or a platform for better things, then we get another spineless performance.
Appleton persists in a line-up that has May stuck out wide, and has Fraser over Watson (L). At least Jones was back, and his goal was the first by a Charlton defender since Sessegnon scored in March!
Yet in the true spirit of Christmas we gift another injury time goal. So tiresome.
Talk of play-off’s is laughable but these next two games need a minimum of six points if for no other reason than to scrape ourselves into the dreamy oasis of the January transfer window. I for one am looking forward to the next introduction of a cracking new signing by Andy Scott.
MoM: Jones, if I had to pick one.
Appleton of my eye: More player blaming in his post match. Needs to start to look at himself, because I think the fans are.
Elsewhere: Boxing Day’s opponent’s The O’s showed showed some fighting spirit almost pulling back a 0-3 deficit at Bolton. Pompey were held at home by Fleetwood, and Posh moved 2nd after winning at Shrewsbury. Barnsley beat Stevenage 2-1 and Cheltenham had a big win at Carlisle.
Groundhog day. Appleton isn’t a Manager. He is an apologist for a team that refuses to learn.
Starting to grind aren’t they? Appleton’s cut and paste press conferences.
Another shocking performance, and Appleton is still seeing a different game to the rest of us !!!!
What is going on ?
We dominated play looking very comfortable and dealing with Burtons limited threats.
I lost count of the chances we had to score another goal to secure victory..sure as eggs are eggs we conceeded yet again with a few minutes to see out !!!
Once again we put on Louie Watson far too late and he had little chance to influence influence our play.
I bet Louie is on the phone to his agent asking to return to Luton ASAP…..Appleton needs to look at his tactics and not continually blame youth players he has made scapegoats.
To be fair, any starting line up or substitutions , he can only pick div 1 standard players.
Spot on CA and how he keeps playing Frasier is now beyond a joke. Once again not one tackle made, whilst he flails his arms around telling everone else who to mark, he was absolutely dreadful yesterday, he has to be dropped, Dobson can’t keep doing all the hard work in midfield. Alfie does more defensive work than Frasier and puts in some hard tackles, as we saw today!
Frasier even had the cheek to remonstrate to the bench why he was being finally subbed, there were shouts, because you were absolute rubbish.
As Chris say, Appleton must be seeing a different game to all of us, similar excuses each week.
Also can’t see Dobson extending his contract now nor CBT and if Alfie only had until the end of the year he would be off as well, as you can see his frustration with how the defence keeps letting in pitiful goals, it’s only his goals keeping us from being in the bottom four! If he was playing in the Portsmouth side they would be out of sight by now.
Fraser bloody annoys me Mike. We get the odd glimpse of anticipation or decent ball or goal, but for 99% of the time he over hits crosses and passes, won’t tackle, fails to drop back, crap in the air and allows the game to pass him by. Shocking waste of a player. Pirlo my arse.
It surprises me that others didn’t work this clown out from the start. Look at his record? How on earth did he get the job in the first place?
Sadly just all too predictable. With 20 minutes to go it was only going one way. Badly timed and judged subs again, rinse and repeat.
Third year in a row the season is over before Xmas.
As for Scott bull about not accepting mediocrity, take a long hard look……from yourself via the manager to the players.
Mid table mediocrity aka CAFC.
Is it just me or do others find it impossible to warm to Appleton. Totally devoid of any charisma – very hard to like.
He is what it said on the tin. No persona whatsoever. Yet, I haven’t got a problem with that. I mean Holden was buying beers in The Oak. It didn’t make him a good manager.
I just want someone that inspires from what they put together on the pitch.
Action not words. Let the players do the talking.
Merry Christmas to you and your family and thank you so much for the blogs that keep us all going through the disappointment dross and repeated let downs on the pitch….. cheers all! X
Many thanks for continuing to pop by. Merry Christmas to you and yours.
agree with most of the comments, abysmal display, not many proud to wear the Charlton shirt. See signs of disgruntlement coming through. How long before the ‘baying’ for Appleton’s head begins? Can we afford to keep replacing manager, after manager. Becoming a laughingstock.
Not the answer keep replacing the manager. He’s hard to warm to personally and professionally buy he deserves a window yet how much say is he going to have?
Yes but……. Appleton appears tactically inept and labours away with poor players Fraser flatters to deceive, Maynard Brewer is half the keeper he was (pre Green Hornet mask) and distributes to slowly and does not command the box. Yesterday was typical of the current team where you could see the confidence drain from them in the last 15 mins of the game it was painful to watch! Alfie had a shocker, CBT was stealing a living at times and Dobbo could well be a player who’s had his head turned! For me Edun and Jones were standouts!!
Based on over 55 years of watching the Addicks, it’s the hope that kills us !! Happy Christmas All !!
It does indeed Peter. Happy Christmas.
You too CA !!
It’s a bit late….we are already a laughing stock since we Sir Chris Powell was booted out by a foreign owner.
Chatting to many visiting football fans they scratch their heads at our downfall and reputation.
We have had 18 permanent and temporary managers since the end of Curbs reign…..that must be a record not to be proud of…..could be 19 in 2024 !!!
What a shambles and fans bear the brunt !!!!
A horrendous timeline of appalling decision making from top to bottom. Fans don’t deserve it.
👏👏👏👏
Totally agree CA !
Unfortunately he must have been the best (in the hierarchy’s opinion) of a bad bunch of applicants…….that just shows that nobody with any decent track record applied. Not really surprising with our recent turnover of managers and the instability of ownership.
Greg – It also shows the complete lack of planning and wider knowledge of good young coaches in the game. Jobs for the boys as always.
Every team in the division must now look upon a visit to the Valley as at least one point guaranteed – we are the softest home touch in division 1.
Appleton has a largely very average squad from which to pick a team – however he is a manager who doesn’t seem to know how to manage. He also, like so many of his predecessors, has no tactical plan B or C when a game needs to be changed.
We also need a strong Captain on the field to cajole, praise and bollock his team-mates as necessary, sadly I don’t see that in Dobbo who is one of the few who can’t be faulted on his effort on the pitch.
Our defence is about as static as Nelson’s column and the players have to learn that today’s game lasts at least 100 minutes, maybe more and they have to be fit enough to play and concentrate for that long.
Eight points thrown away in the dying embers of games in the last month just isn’t good enough – so, Mr. Appleton, just what are you doing about that awful statistic???
Unless he can turn the attitude of many players around – or replace them with fitter better players – Appleton will find himself taking us into the bottom 4 instead of the top 6. Promotion is a distant hope, avoiding the drop is now the new target I would suggest….
Merry Xmas and a happy new year CA – keep up the excellent work.
Thanks Mark. Merry Christmas to you.
On my wall at home I have the 1955/56 Team that beat Burton Albion 7-0 on 7th January 1956 and I was there! I get so incensed that 67 years on, we have a team that could not get near the likes of Ufton, Hewie and Leary!
Perhaps I would be better suited seeing my own town team now that I am on the South Coast and give my £10 Valley Gold to Charity.
We can’t get near the likes of Keith Jones and Radostin Kishishev let alone an Ufton, Hewie or Leary 😁.
Who is your local team Joe?
Hi CA – My local Team is Deal FC (Southern Counties east Footbal League) established 1908!
The first game I saw at The Valley was 1946/47,
a 0-0 draw v Portsmouth, so I have seen plenty of Ups and Downs since.
We need a Sir Jim Radcliffe to ease our woes and ownership disasters of the past.
On that merry note, I wish you and your family a Happy New Year, and keep the reports coming.
Regards,
Joe
Lovely place is Deal. Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to you and yours Joe.