It says something when the highlight of a game is an Addick successfully completing the half time crossbar challenge.
I wasn't happy to see Conor Washington on the bench, even if he had been playing for Northern Ireland. It would have been better to start with him and withdraw him later. Elliot Lee is not the same kind of player.
Cheltenham went ahead after six minutes, Blair smashing late into the bottom corner from a tight angle after MacGillivray had saved Perry's initial effort by pushing it out. On 32 minutes a cross from Blair was tapped in by Perry at close range.
The punt from Famewo from 10 yards in his own half out of play for a goal kick just before half time summed up Charlton's first half performance.
The Addicks had a chance to get back into the game just after the break, but DJ blasted his effort high and wide with just the keeper to beat. Jayden Stockley was next to go close but headed over.
Flinders in the Cheltenham goal kept time wasting, but earned no more than a rebuke from the referee. The referee and the lino on the east did us no favours, seizing Stockley and pushing him down appearing to be acceptable. However, that is no excuse.
On the hour mark two substitutes combined with Washington setting up Leko to side foot home. Increasingly desperate efforts failed to produce an equaliser even with six minutes added on.
If we had a plan it is not clear what it was. We certainly had no shape. There was a lack of energy and urgency. We kept losing possession. The midfield kept disappearing. Kirk was a great disappointment and was rightly substituted at half time. Leko made a real difference. The attack looks unbalanced.
Nigel Adkins said the first half performance was unrecognisable from what he had seen since he had been at the club, 'just 11 individuals all over the place. We talk about "stop the cross, deal with the cross." We didn't stop the crosses and we didn't deal with the crosses that came in.'
Predictably some are calling for Adkins to go. I am never in favour of a rapid turnover of managers. Our greatest successes have been when we have had a manager in place for a long period (Seed, Lawrence, Curbishley). It's also a big assumption that there are good managers out there who want to come to Charlton. Johnnie Jackson would be a big risk.
Kevin Nolan's take on the game is here: https://charltonchampion.co.uk/2021/09/12/kevin-nolans-valley-view-charlton-athletic-1-2-cheltenham-town/
What no accusation of 'negativists' Blimey it must be bad!
ReplyDeleteI thought the kick off set the tone for that first half. The players were all in position, the referee blew his whistler, Charlton kicked off. Well three or four players did, the rest of both teams took the knee.
ReplyDeleteProbably down to the referee that one, but what an embarrassing shambles that was.