Charlton Athletic 2 Bolton Wanderers 0
Bolton have had our number for a couple of seasons now, especially at The Valley, but that number today was zero, as we kept another clean sheet and collected our third win.
Very early days, but what an uplifting beginning to the league season for Nathan Jones and his side.
Bolton had a lot of the ball and cased the perimeter of our box as if they were planning to steal it, but they did not get away with a dime.
After previous season’s spent holding my hands over my eyes anytime anyone attacked us, the way Jones has drilled nerveless organization into our back five is a beautiful thing.
We get back into shape so quickly and marshalled by Lloyd Jones the defenders celebrate every tackle and interception like a goal. Mitchell is a big and loud presence, and although Gillesphey is the weak link if he keeps it simple then it works especially with Small’s pace as cover.
Ramsey shined again and a word for Mannion, who exhales confidence and played with little fuss.
Berry, Docherty and Coventry chased and harried everything and the latter is starting to show us the player we all hoped he’d be. Up top Ahadme will be a player that splits opinions, but he and Campbell lead every indefatigable press. Meanwhile Aneke and Godden bring different skills.
We were second best on possession and shots, but our press and energy will create overloads and opportunities high up the pitch.
Small and Chuks deserve great credit for their assists, and there were two cracking finishes from Docherty who lashed home on 10 minutes and sub Matty Godden who sent a diving header into the net on 87. Both goals from Bolton errors.
The dog looked at me as if he’d never seen anything like my jumping around before. He probably hasn’t.
🎙️”Defensively I thought we were excellent. We could be a bit more fluent in possession, we really can. But look, we’re a work in progress” – Nathan Jones
⭐️ Lloyd Jones
🏟️ 14,635 (1,337 Bolton)
📸 Kyle Andrews
🎵No goals conceded, no cry 🎵
Fortress Valley…if we are to get out of this league this is exactly the type of win we need. We were defensively solid, a three man Bolton attacking line was nullified, even when they changed personnel, and their runners from midfield were picked up while we picked off two goals. There wasn’t a weak performance in the team.
Our fitness levels are up on last season and although it’s early days I don’t think it is a coincidence that three of our four goals have come very late in the match, now it’s other teams who look tired and are making mistakes and conceding in those last few minutes.
And speaking of last year, both goals we scored were typical of the type we kept conceding last season, badly cleared balls picked up in midfield and very quickly recycled back into attack, with defenders out of position we created the openings and took advantage.
A great team performance with one exception Ahadme! I have watched the three games he has played and he hardly has actutally touched the ball in any of them and just runs around aimlessly from one player to another.
As far as meant to be our main striker to be replacing May plus our most expensive signing costing a so called £1million, which includes the add on’s presumingly means, promotion. games played etc. he has only had one effort on goal a poor header.
Yesterday when he was almost clean through one on one, instead of going for goal, he stopped turned around and then passed the ball backwards to another Charlton, player who was rushing forwards, by which time the Bolton defence were mostly all back and the opportunity fizzed out!
Sorry but looking so far at his ability he looks more like a National league player and can’t believe how much we paid for a player who since playing in England has had just one season at Cambridge scoring I believe 12 goals and has hardly played in any other league games and suddenly he has become a Million pound player. Ipswich must be laughing their heads off!
How frustrating it must be for Kanu who has far more skill than Ahadme, does get in tackles, does have shots on goal and can score, that he is in the team instead of him, it just doesn’t make sense?
I am not alone in this all around me aren’t impressed and if the team were losing, he would have been getting a lot of flack from all around the ground as at present he is just being tolerated, but it won’t last.
I sincerely hope I am wrong and he suddenly shine, but on current showing, he is being carried by the rest of the team. Lets hope Leaburn is back soon!
Can I get excited yet? 😊
You were right about Lloyd Jones, he has been outstanding so far.
Three straight wins is better than I expected. However our front line still looks wrong. T Campbell needs to come out and Godden come in.
I’m still wondering how we will cope if and when we go a goal down.
We didn’t cope when Brum took the lead, though I accept we didn’t play our first choice starting eleven.
Team looks resolute and aggressive. It’s the least that’s needed at this level. Add some football to that and we’ve got a decent league 1 team. Clubs have gone up on the back of these traits. Jones has it in us in abundance.
Tweaks needed here and there, Ahdmee looks like he needs a goal for confidence. Still not convinced by Macca but 3 clean sheets puts that to bed for the time being.
They seem to be a ‘team’, working hard together. Haven’t seen this since Bowyer’s reign. He used the ownership problems to galvanise the squad, and added Taylor, Cullen, Gallagher and Aribo for the football side.
Jones seems to be doing it through pure passion and discipline. He rewards hard work, probably why Fraser has been frozen out. Although, he’s a decent ball player so I wonder if Jones can turn him round if we can’t ship him out. Godden, Berry and Doherty seem to be decent footballers.
The Bolton result has stirred a fair bit of optimism in me. I’m behind Jones, think he’s done and doing a decent job.
Ditto all of that Rob.