Chris Powell faced a test of his managerial skills after Charlton suffered their fourth defeat in a row, going down 1-3 at The Valley to Carlisle United, their second successive home defeat by this scoreline.
Kyel Reid and Scott Wagstaff started on the wings for Charlton at a bitterly cold Valley tonight reports Philippa Nicholson. With Anyinsah sidelined because of a training ground niggle, Eccleston and Wright-Phillips started up front.
Carlisle managed to snuff out the early attempts by Charlton. On 9 minutes Eccleston provided the assist for Wright-Phillips who provided a clinical finish to put the Addicks 1-0 ahead. Francis advanced down the right and his low cross was put behind for a corner. Reid’s corner was not initially cleared.
Carlisle won their first corner after 12 minutes off a block by Francis. A shot from Noble was blocked and eventually Francis was fouled to give the Addicks a free kick.
Reid laid off the ball to Jenkinson creating a good chance but the youngster blasted into Finn air.
Reid and Jenkinson provided good overlapping play, but Carlisle counter attacked. A throw in was cleared by Dailly, but Francis made a mess of his clearance. Carlisle won a dubious free kick off Semedo some 25 yards out. Amid some jostling, Murphy went to ground dramatically in the box, but the free kick was unproductive.
Carlisle won another free kick, but it was gathered very well by Elliot with two Carlisle players around him. Wagstaff was dispossessed and stayed down as Carlisle counter attacked. They advanced again through the middle of the pitch and Marshall put the ball beyond Elliot who was wrong footed by a deflection to make it 1-1.
Carlisle continued to dominate. As Reid advanced down the left wing he was fouled and the Carlisle right back received a yellow card. Reid’s free kick was plucked out of the air by the keeper. A cross by Marshall with the Charlton defence caught out was headed towards Elliot by Noble. Once again the defence was caught out as Doherty laid off the ball and no one picked up. Fortunately, it went through to Elliot. The Addickted were getting restless.
Reid and Jenkinson applied some pressure. Wagstaff had a half chance in the box, but he didn’t get hold of it. Carlisle counter attacked, but Elliot gathered comfortably. Doherty was feeling his hamstring and the physio was allowed on. Fortune came on in Doherty’s place on 41 minutes.
Carlisle won a corner. There was a real scramble and it was bundled behind for a second corner. Wagstaff headed it away and Charlton won a throw in. Charlton attacked, but the cross from Francis was too close to the keeper.
Three minutes were added on. Carlisle won a free kick 30 yards out which hit the wall and gave the visitors another corner. Murphy’s header was tipped over the bar by Elliot who punched away the second corner.
Half time: Addicks 1, Carlisle 1
Jenkinson put in a cross and Racon tried to shoot but there was a line of blue shirts in the way. Reid put in a good cross, but the sting was taken out of Eccleston’s shot and the keeper gathered. The unmarked Curran had a chance, but Elliot pushed the ball away. Charlton counter attacked.
The play was end to end as both sides looked for the goal that would put them in the lead. Reid put the ball way over the bar. Carlisle won a corner after Charlton surrendered possession. It was headed off the line by Racon but Charlton were given a free kick anyway.
Fortune conceded another corner but Elliot should have taken the initiative. Reid advanced well in a good counter attack and put in an early cross. Wright-Phillips put in a good volley but it was blocked more through luck than judgement.
Wagstaff went down under a challenge from Murphy who just got a talking to from the referee. A block from Francis led to another Carlisle corner. It was punched away, there was a real scramble and Curran got it in to make it 1-2, the ball trickling under Elliot’s body.
Marshall made an attempt from 20 yards out and Elliot had to go to full stretch to put it round the post. Carlisle won a second corner, their tenth of the game. Eventually Elliot was able to gather.
Wagstaff was brought down just outside the area, giving Charlton a free kick in a promising position. The ball went into the far post, the one area where there were no red shirts. Charlton kept up the pressure and won their second corner of the game. Somehow the ball found a blue shirt. The ball went into the box and found a blue shirt again. A free kick was taken quickly and Reid’s effort led to another corner.
Paul Benson was brought on and Eccleston came off. Reid broke forward, Jenkinson put in a cross, but Carlisle were able to clear. Marshall’s shot was pushed away by Elliot but not convincingly and Lloyd was able to score in the top corner to make it 1-3. The Addickted started to leave in numbers.
Wagstaff’s cross was too far in front of Benson and the ball was snatched out of the air. Charlton won a corner. It was headed away and a cross from Francis failed to find a Charlton player. Our set pieces had been poor all evening.
Benson nearly met a good cross from Reid at the far post. A Racon effort was deflected and led to a corner. Wright-Phillips headed over the top. Curran shot from long range and nearly made it four, but Elliot just managed to push it away.
After the Carlisle equaliser the confidence drained out of the team. There was no lack of effort, but there was a lack of skill. Once again Charlton showed themselves vulnerable at set pieces.
14 comments:
Wyn - for what it's worth, Eccleston was rW and wagstaff upfront.
Wyn
1) I have been going for 45 years now and it is the Worst Charlton team I have seen in that time
2) It is a team of heartless , spineless midgets who get overrun by the bigger boys every week
3) Racon is an invitation for the opposition ( however useless) to run through the centre of the pitch to set up numerous goalscoring oportunities
4) Unfortunately , it has got worse under SCP , not better, and it was a mistake to employ a manager not experienced at making silk purses out of sows ears. We need a Warnock type manager and a midfield stuffed with Nigel Quasie's , Hayden Mullins, Shaun Derrys etc , etc
Well we can't change the manager again and there are plenty of experienced managers who fail. The squad collectively are not good enough and need strengthening. The confidence drains away from them too readily.
Tend to agree with Anon. With hindsight it was a rash decision to replace Parky mid-season when clearly it is the team and not the manager that is not up to the job. My only hope is that SCP will be able to ride the storm and that the board will back him and provide the funds so that next season with a stronger team we will have a realistic chance of automatic promotion. This season looks like a mid-table finish.
Wyn, agree with that the squad have shown their weaknesses and perhaps PP's ability to get the maximum out of them.
We have reached an all time low, probably the lowest since I first saw the addicks in the late 70's in the old 3rd division.
I think it may get worse before it gets better. A re-build is required, the centre backs are two slow and there is to much space between them and the midfield which leaves them vulnerable to pacy counterattacks.
Semedo only seems to pass sideways.
Racon goes missing. Francis lost confidence, seemed only to pass to Fortune, to hoof out of play.
Carl did well, and BWP knows where the goal is.
we don't look like a team at present and need a more agile centre back, a right back, and a midfielder as a start.
BWP will score goals so we need to get the ball more often to him in the area.
A miserable night, with memories of great nights and games fast fading
Pawel is off or is it Powell is off!
He desperately needs to get a midfield player in during this transfer window with some battling qualities.
Carlisle bullied us out of 3 points
Chris Powell the player will remain as one of Charlton's all-time greats but as a manager there can be no cause for optimism from this sequence of dismal performances. Numerous players have proven they are barely 3rd division standard and our new manager has 2 major failings to add to his absence of experience, namely: tinkering with the chosen 11 playing players out of position and ,worse, sticking ofr far too long with his system which is patently not working. Powell stuck with his way for far too long against Exeter and again last night. These are deeply deeply worrying traits and far too redolent of recent chatastrophically bad managers. We can only assume that Dyer, Matthew, et al have no voice that Powell can (or chooses to ) hear. Parky's ability to get adequate results from an inadequate squad is now brought in to sharp relief.
The limit of my expectation now is for a top half finish to the season, the play-offs are a pipe dream. The honeymoon is forgotten and we've moved straight to the "Oh my god what was I thinking?" the spite and recrimination will inevitably follow. Dark days indeed.
There were problems with the formation last night, just not sure if this was because of injury/lack of fitnness.
We alreay know that BWP and Eccleston don't work as a forward pair so the game started with BWP and Wagstaff as forwards. Wagstaff worked hard but was totally ineffective in this role. Eccleston on the right of midfield is dangerous going forward, but doesn't contribute to the midfield.
Wagstaff was more effective in the last 20 minutes when moved to right midfield, and the team better balanced when Benson came on to partner BWP, but the game was already well beyond us by then.
Probbly the worst aspect of the game was our lack of threat on goal.
Doherty was injured in the first half. Jon Fortune replaced him and had a nightmare game.
headlines this morning 'Alex (ferguson who else) feels the pressure' !!!! one has to smile i bet chris powell is not laughing this morning.
Looking at the stats for last nights match Carlisle had 15 fouls to our 6 and 4 yellow cardsto our none; we never do well against teams with 'spoiling tactics' Maybe we should toughen up a bit like most of the other teams in div 1 to get out of div 1 pure football (!) is not the answer hustle bustle and harrassment of the opposition to win the ball seems to be the way to do it. We all think we can point to the answer for our team ; I would like to see some youth in our back four; too old and too static and a holding midfielder in front of them Then i think the remainder of the team will be allowed to play . but what do i know ?, and the management probaly know the answers themselves but are hogtied by money restraints, contracts and the transfer system.
good times will come again to the valley -eventually
Well said by all. My summary per player last night
Elliot - Some obvious frailties, give Worner a chance.
Both Centre Backs - too slow and pedistrian
Jenkinson - Played well and is a prospect for the future
Francis - why do we even bother...apparently for his crossing ability, didn't see much of that last night
Semedo - A defensive midfielder and has to be in the starting XI in front of the back four
Racon - Has the ability, just needs to show it more regularly!
Reid - Same as Racon really
Waggy - Can be lightweight and seems more responsive coming off the bench
Eccleston - Has class, but not suitable for League One bully boys!
BWP - (Powell signing) Goal Machine, reminds me of Derek Hales(don't laugh!), as not the greatest worker, but reliable in front of goal
The Bench - looked weak and so turned out to be as the substitutions made the team poorer. Fortune was out of his depth
Powell needs - 2 centrebacks and a creative midfielder.
The team should hold their heads in shame for the performance last night and to finish mid-table will seem an achievement now.
Wyn,
Contributors to your blog seem to consistently idnetify the same weak links in the side, but there doesn't seem to be any news/rumours to suggest we are near to any signings, its going to be bumpy before it gets better. I can see a drift back to 4-5-1, just to shore up our slow confidence lacking defence with BWP up front. llera has to have a shout in defence. he was no worse than the rest and did pop up with a few goals.
Trues, they're not a great bunch of players. I think in the right system and with more midfield protection our defence is adequate. Upfront we have finally got goals in the team.
The midfield is a big concern. We simply don't dominate matches, even when on winning runs when was the last time we dominated a match. The midfield is where games are dominated, where posession is won and lost. This must be clear to the manager by now.
As for having to bully your way out of this division? I think Brighton have proved that theory wrong. I hope we stick to footballing principles and hopefully the right combination will eventually materialise... it may take a while though.
I wonder if Wagstaff with all his energy wouldn't be worth a shout in the middle of the park
I can't help but thinking that all these complaints are from the same people who were slating parky. we've got a mediocre team. we need to try & stay positive hard as it may be. the negativity probably costs us 10 pts a year. we're turning into bitter club.
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