Charlton Athletic 2 Bristol Rovers 0
Job done. I’m not sure I have seen such a dominating one half display from the Addicks for a long time.
After the somewhat unforeseen win at Bolton we just had to follow that up with two banana-skin looking home games, and we did.
I actually didn’t think Rovers were terrible. They lacked goal threat but they tried to pass the ball and I thought they had a good ‘keeper in Griffiths.
However some of our attacking play was great to watch in that first half. We created so many overloads and our movement and passing was crisp and rapacious.
The first goal was important to make sure we maximized our pressure. Godden providing a fox-in-the-box moment.
We won corner upon corner as we camped in Rovers’ half. Berry, Godden, Docherty and Gillesphey all had opportunities to get a second but it was Josh Edwards with a sumptuous finish that gave us a comfort blanket second.
Edwards performance during that first half was in fact sumptuous.
Whilst it was a shame we didn’t go on to improve our goal difference in the 2nd half as Rovers were there for the taking, it was a very professional performance against a team who’ve had our number for the past few seasons.
Small was a menace and really should have scored but he is a joy to watch. Godden had a good chance to add a third and after Rovers had a little purple patch midway through the half late on between selfishness and decision making one of Kanu or Aneke ought to have put the icing on the cake.
Another pleasant post game problem of having to picking our best player. Jones, Gillesphey, Godden, Edwards and Small were all excellent, and how good was it to see Kayne Ramsey back.
🎙️“Nothing’s won in October, nothing’s won in November, September, December, January. Nothing is won. It’s where you finish in May.” – Nathan Jones
⭐️ Josh Edwards
🏟️ 11,149 (350 from The Gas)
📸 Kyle Andrews
Another win, another clean sheet and another tough one for the Jones out brigade…must be getting tough there.
This is a team built on defensive organisation and discipline not flair and creativity. Need a bit of both for sure and solidity at the back doesn’t always work (Rotherham) but overall, 12 clean sheets and only 3 or 4 teams I think conceding less than us is a pretty decent foundation I’d say.
Pretty obvious what was needed was time (quelle suprise) and a bit of good fortune with injuries. I think we’ve got a very competitive first 11 as well as game changers from the bench, big worry though is are we just a couple of key injuries, e.g., Jones, Ramsey, away from going back to being bang average? So yeah, need the luck for sure.
To me it looks like we’re starting to gel with those two back, was looking that way before to be fair (Birmingham). Maybe heaven forbid we can have a bit of unity and get behind the team and management staff who themselves are clearly unified and committed. Because it will help.
Orient in a few weeks looking massive if we can maintain our defensive form in the meantime.
Yeah! as a founder member of the Nathan Jones out brigade. I’m really struggling.
Meanwhile two of the useless articles Jones inflicted upon us have gone. Potts, A.Campbell and of course Hylton who is hanging on by his fingertips.
Mind you the massive intake of signings is going well.
Messiah! My arse.
Interested to hear where you think the weak link is. For me Coventry’s wayward passing and poor spot kicks.
Think we still lack creativity in the midfield. Gillesphey played well yesterday but is not at the level required. Possibly a useful squad player.
Someone with a postive outlook, hurrah. !! ❤
A good result and some very good individual performances as you mention in your report.
But I made a special task for my self by concentrating on watching the midfield trio Coventry, Docherty and Berry and frankly they are not good enough for a promotion seeking side. With only Anderson and A. Campbell as cover and Taylor at Northampton ( a major mistake!!!). The recruitment in midfield as been pathetic in recent years so no confidence that will change in the next few days.
When we won promotion last time we had Cullum, Beailik ,Aribo and Morgan. Although Morgan did not progress as hoped he was good with support from the other 3 at that point in time. The present group are very poor in comparison. The quality constructive play last night came principally from Small and Edwards.
Agree. We also had Forster-Caskey and Jonny Williams who back then could unlock a defence with a killer pass.
Agree the midfield is currently the weakest link. Docherty is slow and goes missing his first touch is poor and he either fouls or completely misses the player when he does put in a tackle. Similar to Frasier, he waves his arms about telling everyone else who to mark whilst he marks no one! Also doesn’t inspire as Captain, Jones should definately have that armband! Plus with Berry so slow at getting back to help out we only really have Coventry who runs his socks off to take up the slack from those two, so his own play suffers! Then with the current two backups Campbell, complete waste of space, should have been off loaded already, even if we had to pay some compensastion to Luton, as Jones signed him on loan apparently until the end of the season and Anderson still not quite the finished product whilst having a great engine we are serverely lacking in that department!
Also agree with CA, Gillesphey maybe squad player but has had too many poor games with errors that have cost us and if Jones gets injured &/or misses games through too many cards, we don’t appear to be able to cope without him and the defence just goes AWOL. Unless Ramsey can take up the temporary role, as he looked good on Tuesday in the back three, especially considering he’s been out injured, with Mitchell coming back in, and Small if hes still here, continuing at right back?
So far all the other clubs at the top are still bolstering their squads in this window looking to boost their promotion hopes, whilst we don’t appear to be after anyone in particular. Lets just hope Jones doesn’t get sold another costly pup in the last minute panic, like Ahadme!
Yes, very positive I think NJ is doing a great job, progress is incremental and we are moving in the right direction. What would make us better? For me it would be a more creative mid-field player.
Yep, there’s not much to add, the only disappointment was that we only scored two goals and should have added a couple more.
Elsewhere everything was as good as you could expect, the pressing game worked and when Bristol Rovers attacked we fell back into defence well and looked organised – the structure gave them no real chances. The work rate with and especially without the ball tells me that the team have bought into Nathan Jones’s strategy which bodes well for the second half of the season. Thierry Small looks like he was born a natural right wing-back, he went up against two left backs and gave both a tough and bruising evening.
From here we need to get in an attacking creative midfielder and maybe another holding midfielder to give Conor Coventry some respite/competition. Like others I’m not totally sold on Macauley Gillesphey although he’s had a couple of big games but I wouldn’t mind if we could draft in another central defender, especially as we’ve lost three defenders in this window.
Full credit to the team who demonstrated that they have fighting attitude and never give up approach to recent games.
I’m very impressed with Jones and Small last night who caused Bristol major headaches throughout the game.Im pleased that Godden and Edwards got the goals that were well taken.
Big shout-out to the covered end choir who kept the atmosphere charged up.
Just heard that Potts has left with Hylton (who will continue to train with the squad)