How did that happen?

After going ahead just before half time with a penalty, Charlton looked set for three points or at least one against Coventry City at The Valley this afternoon. But on a drenching went day they eventually lost 1-2 to the Sky Blues and their very excitable supporters. The Addicks are now 9th in the table.

Charlton played some very neat football in the first half, but initially with challenging the visitors much. They were perhaps a little unlucky when Fosu's shot was deflected over the bar on five minutes, although supposed danger man Conor Chaplin did the same for Coventry on 14 minutes. However, their threat increased as the half went on, culminating in the penalty. Taylor was brought down by Junior Brown and he took a very effective penalty.

In a closely contested second-half, Mark Robins' side levelled with 10 minutes remaining with a move that saw Luke Thomas cross for substitute Bakayoko to tap-in from close range. After the Addicks had missed a golden chance in front of the Covered End, Bakayoko scored his second.

On the train I heard some Addicks blaming Jed Steer who looks like replacing Naby Sarr as the scapegoat player. However, I do not think the goals could have been easily stopped.

Lyle Taylor, pink boots matching his pink hair, had a great game. He was involved all over the pitch and showed real skill and class.

Lewis Page is going to be out for six weeks and the lack of a senior left back is a real problem. Lewis Page is out for at least six weeks.

Supremo gives it large

A furious Lee Bowyer has said that the goals conceded were 'laughable stuff'. The shell shocked supremo commented, 'It's basic defending - that's what frustrates me … I told our captain Jason Pearce that it wasn't good enough. I called out the back four in general, I said to them, I don't care who you are if you don't do it right, it's not good enough.'

Bowyer also emphasised that the side couldn't keep missing chances. 'Maybe we're taking our foot off the pedal and thinking we're too good and it's too easy. It can't continue.' Bowyer has done his best, but you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

It is interesting that the Football League Paper gives a 6 to all the Charlton players this morning. Either it's lazy journalism or reflects an all round mediocrity.

Do Coventry fans get so excited every time they win away? I have never heard so much noise at the station. Nearly 2,000 of them turned out which is almost the size of a home crowd at Coventry Blaze ice hockey.

We play Coventry away on Boxing Day. My bestie has said she will come if I buy a hospitality package, so we shall see.

Sky Blues hope to score

Coventry City have had difficulties in scoring when one on one with keeper, but are hopeful they can add to their tally against Charlton's porous defence: Conor Chaplin is the man

At Leamington one of the favourite chants is 'Are we watching Coventree? You're having a laugh. We're watching Leamington F-Cee.'

After the Brakes beat the Sky Blues decisively in the Mayoral Cup a few years, despite the visitors putting out a strong side, they haven't been back.'

However, one has to be sympathetic with Sky Blues fans as they are also members of the quite large Barking Owners' Club. Their hedge fund owners have done their best to run the club into the ground and they are now tenants at the Ricoh of popular egg chasers, Wasps.

Quite a few Sky Blues fans switched their allegiance to the city's ice hockey team. Coventry Blaze, and this week the Coventry keeper was struck in the head by a puck: Freak accident

I have a puck that came off the ice and landed at my feet.

Lee Bowyer has missed out on the League One Manager of the Month award which has gone to Grant McCann. It can be a curse.

Bowyer admits he has not been able to play his strongest side

With all the injuries and now a suspension, it's no surprise that Lee Bowyer has not been able to play his strongest side yet: Injury update

Any physio wanting a job in football as always known that they will have a busy treatment table at Charlton. However, there is good news with Billy Clarke back in full training. Bielik is also back in full training.

Tariqe Fosu had to be used at Scunthorpe when he wasn't fully ready. However, the biggest dilemma the shell shocked supremo faces is at left back with former Dulwich Halmet full back Jamie Mascoll not ready.

Takeover update

The club has issued a takeover update after a special fans' forum on the subject: Takeover update

The Australians are apparently not all Australians, but whether some of them are Kiwis or from some remote Pacific island is unclear. Apparently they still have a few pieces of paperwork to submit. Why this should be the case is unclear. Indeed, the EFL said this was not an issue so someone is being economical with the actualité.

The second party has been more active in the sense that they have been on the dog, but want to stay off the radar. Make of this what you will.

Three other parties have expressed interest, although two of them sound like time wasters. They are undertaking due diligence. They are from elsewhere in Europe which could mean anywhere from Portugal to Finland.

It's all as clear as Thames mud.

Goals galore at Scunny

Charlton have not won at Scunthorpe for 45 years and they went down 5-3 tonight, ending their undefeated run. For Scunthorpe it was an unbeaten run of seven matches.

A goal in time added on finally paid to Charlton's hopes of getting something from the match. Dijksteel was brought down in the area late on and the Charlton bench was furious when nothing was given.

Louis Mendez of the SLP said that the first half was 'one of the most open games I have ever seen.'

3,341 present, but it is not known how many of them were Addickted.

Charlton have now fallen out of the play off places to 8th, one point ahead of Scunthorpe.

Scunthorpe drew first blood in the third minute when centre-back Charlie Goode applied the simplest of touches to steer the ball home from a corner.

Lewis Page picked up an injury after three minutes and Lee Bowyer has said that it's not looking good: Page injury

Dijksteel replaced Page. The home side broke from a Charlton corner, but their shot was blocked.

On 10 minutes Taylor was inches wide with a header. But then he redeemed himself.

Former Iron striker Taylor nodded in an equaliser and then set up the second for Joe Aribo as the Addicks notched twice in four minutes to turn the contest on its head.

Darren Pratley picked up his fifth yellow card of the season, earning himself a suspension. In the middle of all the mayhem, striker Chris Solly nearly scored with a volley.

Charlton always find it hard to hold on to a lead. Just when the Addicks looked to be in the ascendancy, on-loan Manchester United full-back Cameron Borthwick-Jackson rattled in his first senior goal, making use of a corner played back to him and catching out Jed Steer from 20 yards to make it all square again.

And he did not have to wait long for his second, finishing coolly this time from inside the penalty area eight minutes later after exchanging passes with Humphrys.

On 34 minutes Karlan Grant could have passed to the unmarked Aribo for a goal, but he tried the shot himself and it was saved.

On 38 minutes Taylor gave the ball away in the Charlton half and the improbably named Borthwick-Jackson scored again to make it 3-2. Mind you I suppose that his name is no more ridiculous than that of former Leamington striker Courtney Baker-Richardson who scored his first Championship goal for Swansea at the weekend (too expensive for Charlton at £10k).

On 52 minutes Reeves replaced Pratley. On 65 minutes the ball came off the inside of the post from Fosu. Aribo then made it 3-3 but two minutes later Scunthorpe scored from the spot after a handball by Pearce. Morris then made it 4-3 on 72 minutes. Lee Bowyer pulled off substitute Dijksteel on 81 minutes in the hope that Vetokele could conjure something up. He couldn't and in the six minutes added on the home side got their fifth.

Lee Bowyer said after the game: 'We'll have to sort it out. It's not acceptable. Conceding how many goals? Seven in the last two games. Scoring five away from home and not winning...it's not good enough.'

Bowyer is one of four nominees for League One manager of the month, but probably the award will go to John Coleman.

Some fans are blaming Jed Steer and Naby Sarr. Nothing I heard suggested that Steer was particularly at fault other than for one goal and he made one excellent save. I suspect it's the old story of people favouring Dillon Phillips because he's a Charlton product.

Sarr can be very good and he can be very bad. He did provide the assist for Taylor's goal. What it all comes down to is that we have a thin squad which can't deal with much in the way of injuries (or suspensions, now they are starting).

Full report from Louis Mendez who had to stay overnight in a S****horpe hotel. I've done that and it's not pretty (although I did like the text a woman friend sent me): Remarkable goal fest

Was Roland a visionary before his time?

I have long believed that Roland was inspired by a European Commission vision of using football as an integrating force. Since he developed his network idea, the pressures of the migrant crisis and other problems have meant that the Commission has taken its eye off this particular ball. It was also pushed by a European commissioner who supported a village team in Luxembourg and was behind the introduction of transfer windows. I attended a talk she gave in Luxembourg some years ago.

Barcelona used to be noted as a different kind of club, owned by 145,00 fans. However, it is now rampantly commercial. Its president is pressing for a European super league and for La Liga matches to be played in the States: Global vision

Roland's vision was, of course, European rather than global. It was always moules and frites rather than anything more exotic. But, to recall my theology lessons at St. Margaret's Church of England school, Plumstead Common, was Roland's role to be John the Baptist?

Or did he just have an over sized ego?

Solly admits: I was worried as well

Chris Solly admits that he was worried like many fans about the size of the Charlton squad before the start of the season. But he thinks that there is a great team spirit reminiscent of a few years ago. Players do things together off the pitch, but above all there is a capacity to score goals: Worried fans weren't alone