Was absolutely horrific last night. What has Slade got against Lookman and Holmes both playing from the start? Do all they practice in training is long balls from the back to Magennis to try and control? Why is the game plan for our midfield to try and pick up second balls or keep the ball moving along our back four? Why is it so obvious to all (bar our managers) that Jacko can only play if there is a couple of high energy, driving forward CM's along side? 95% of games he has been non existent, passed games by (very sad but true) 1-0 flattered us last night, got our just rewards when they equalised, Oldham deserved three points, they missed a sitter in first and second halves. Most of their possession was along the floor, and the sustained spells of possession were in our half, not theirs. A pattern of the season so far tbh Teams like Shrewsbury, Wimbledon and now Oldham have come and playing it along the deck and yet we don't have the confidence to do it.
Fewer pieces of litter to dispose of must surely be seen as a bonus. And think of all that saved bog roll. Less wear and tear on seats, turnstiles, paintwork etc. Every cloud, eh?
@Talal El Slate's recruitment has been horrific. Ajose - scored 28 goals last season in this league, but Slade doesn't play to his strengths?? Novak - unfit, and looks slower than a milk float Crofts, Ulvestad & Foley - poor squad players in a poor League 2 side as best, careers afflicted by serious injuries and long non-playing spells Chicksen - what was the point? Pearce - what was the point when we already had FIVE centre halves on the books ?! This midfield is a car crash - but we are now stuck with it until January What does @ForestHillBilly and @AllHellLetLoose and @DickPlumb think of chucking Muldoon in ?
Regan Charles-Cook for me, he already has first team experience and his preferred position is as an attacking midfielder
He was very promising when I saw him, but that was ages ago, don't know what he's like now. Not having a S/T or Valley Gold membership I can't get in to U-18 or U-21 games. I take AHLL's point about Charles-Cook. He is an attacking mid, no idea why one of our silly managers, forget which one, chucked him in at RB.
Well, I predicted a 3-1 win, because I honestly thought that against a team that hadn't scored for a few games, we might come out fighting. We are now getting to the terriotory where we can say the manager has had enough games to be judged, and the judgement would logically be that his CV doesn't lie - this is a man who craves mid table. You can't st up for a defensive draw over and over again and expect wins. I don't know if what he sees in training makes him believe our players are incapable of playing the ball on the deck, or launching an attack without leaving gaping holes every time, but sadly. I think it is just the Slade way, and nights like the one against Shrewsbury are more luck than judgement. The regime have partly bought this on themsleves. This guy, sad to say, was probably about the highest grade of manager we could aspire to given what RD and KM have said and done for the last 2 1/2 seasons. We have also thinned out the coaching staff who could have helped, and the mad scramble to offload as many as posible in the summer made recruitment hard. Now we are stuck with a plank in charge. Sacking him would destabilise the club still more, and who would realistically replace him? But he makes clearer with every game that he will not put out a team to play football, no matter who he is pitted against. His philosophy seems to be to kill the game and try to nick a winner. Until someone grabs him by the scruff of the neck (tough order, I wouldn't volunteer) and explains that the empty terraces reflect the park football played on the pitch, this will go on and on.
Good points @ken shabby Slade's dire brand of football is forcing even more punters to stay away. I have never heard a Charlton crowd boo our team when they were winning. That happened last night.
Also easy to forget, though it's not a lot in the context of what our chairman's worth, slade has spent over a 1.5mil. Fair amount for a league one side. And just to play devil's advocate, CP built his team on £1.2 mil
Was tempted back for a one game special football for a fiver. But from what I've heard they'd have to pay me more than a fiver to go and watch the dross that's being dished up at the moment. The regime are truly killing the club.
I don't know why but Muldoon has not been playing for the Under 23 s. Charles- Cook and Aribo would do a good job in the centre midfield position.