Charlton Athletic v Swindon Town match day thread

[theakston2k]

The issue I have is people keep saying we are improving and tightening up at the back but the stats don’t back that up as we are conceding more than at any other point this season.

[Super Hans]

The issue I have is people keep saying we are improving and tightening up at the back but the stats don’t back that up as we are conceding more than at any other point this season.

I think if we're still leaking so many goals in a few weeks the criticism holds more weight. That back 5 had four new faces in it today.

While we dont have loads of time, we do have enough time to get a more settled back line and hopefully more stability.

[Nomoreheroes]

Freeman
- Disappointed after the first half it seems like 2 points dropped
- Good team and set of players. Need belief and confidence in abilities to kick on
- Last game 10-11 months ago. Was out of breath after 10 mins
- Something that the team can build upon
- Thinks he can be a lot better. That will come with games and time
- The more the team plays together the more they will talk on the pitch
- Second goal looked offside to him
- Goals are winning games and staying up
- Talked about the 5-5 vs Sheff Utd.
- Major assets are experience, playing at this level, getting on the ball and going forward

[donkey]

The problem remains.  We concede at a rate of teams who get relegated.  If that doesn't change, we will get relegated.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Audrey]

First it was injuries - let’s wait until we have them back available

Now it’s - let’s wait for the new players to gel/get fit.

Stop making excuses. We’re second bottom because that’s where we deserve to be. If we end up 5th bottom - great. But until then Sheridan needs to show me he’s capable of achieving that. On all evidence so far, he’s a fucking disaster.

[theakston2k]

I think if we're still leaking so many goals in a few weeks the criticism holds more weight. That back 5 had four new faces in it today.

While we dont have loads of time, we do have enough time to get a more settled back line and hopefully more stability.

But we’ve changed our way of defending to an offside trap and we just repeatedly let players get in behind now. That’s clearly tactical and seemingly we aren’t remotely capable of playing it.

[Dr Pierre Chang]

Biggest surprise today was not seeing Jonny Smith get any game time at all...obviously, like Curran, he can't have trained very well this week  

J Smith is one of those players who seems to get better and better in some fans’ eyes the less he plays....I think it’s clear Shezza isn’t a fan and I’d be surprised to see him stay beyond January.

I hope I am proven wrong of course!

[flammableBen]

Good point away, wished I#d got on that train of a sneaky playoff bet a few games ago.

[Nomoreheroes]

J Smith is one of those players who seems to get better and better in some fans’ eyes the less he plays....I think it’s clear Shezza isn’t a fan and I’d be surprised to see him stay beyond January.

I hope I am proven wrong of course!

I was surprised to see Sheridan pick Grant ahead of him. It would have been interesting to see him bombing down that right wing in the first half.

Grant did ok and was solid defensively. Maybe that was what Sheridan was looking for. May be he was saving Jonny in case we needed to chase the game.

Maybe, but I fear Sheridan isn't a fan of youth or flair.

[Shrivvy Road]

First it was injuries - let’s wait until we have them back available

Now it’s - let’s wait for the new players to gel/get fit.

Stop making excuses. We’re second bottom because that’s where we deserve to be. If we end up 5th bottom - great. But until then Sheridan needs to show me he’s capable of achieving that. On all evidence so far, he’s a fucking disaster.

How many points did you honestly expect over the last 3 games

[theakston2k]

How many points did you honestly expect over the last 3 games

Flip side how many points would you have expected from last 9 games? We have 5! 

[flammableBen]

In every single season we've been relegated there's always a few more games to get it sorted. Until there isn't.

[BambooToTheFuture]

How many points did you honestly expect over the last 3 games

Eleventy two

[Crackity Jones]

Flip side how many points would you have expected from last 9 games? We have 5! 

1 point from the first 6 of those games and 4 from the last 3 games suggests some upturn in fortune doesn't it?

[RedRag]

When Aneke scored on 55 mins, Charlton were starting to get a real edge. They were unlucky not to score again sooner but we kept them out till nearly the 90. I think Shezza's subs were reasonable in the circumstances.  They did, to some degree, check the momentum Charlton had been building.  I think the criticism of his subs is harsh.

Of course a new striker remains desirable but it is our defence that is the problem.  We were fortunate not to concede a hatful today.  Tbf, Charlton had some very high quality options breaking forward with Millar, Williams and Morgan and some strikers we would bite their hands off for.  I think Lyden, Conroy and Travers are beginning to give us something of the spine that we lacked in the first half of the season.  

What is reasonable, on the evidence so far, is scepticism as to whether Shezza will be the man to mould our defence into a much meaner machine.  As has been said, there is at least some hope that the individual defenders recently signed (Thompson, Masterson and Freeman) along with some of the stronger back up (Odi played very well when he came on) will have the individual qualities to work with Shezza to strengthen our defence.

Otherwise, we know what to expect.