It looks as if third choice Charlton keeper Ashley Maynard-Brewe is about to sign for Dundee United A decent keeper, but lost his confidence after being kicked in the head.
Fans are more concerned about rumours that Rob Aoter may return on loan to Blackpool. Unconfirmed reports suggest that Bolton Wanderers and Wigan Athletic may be interested. He may be happier back in the north-west.
+
In the case of Apter, the question is why, after an
impressive start to his SE7 career in the opening weeks of the Championship
season, the summer signing from Blackpool has garnered so few minutes,
especially in an Addicks side that have not been prolific scorers.
By contrast, there have been supporters who feel that
Campbell needs some time on the sidelines with the Jamaican international on a
dry spell that stretches back to April 12. The academy product has not netted
in 31 matches for club or country Only four Charlton players have played more
minutes this season than Campbell.
He told Richard Cawley: “His numbers are through the roof,” said Jones. “Sometimes he can be a bit wavy in how he does stuff, but his high-speed running, his sprint distance and his distance overall are always top.“I understand peoples’ frustrations, but you have to remember TC is a young player and he has never played in the Championship before - he is a work in progress. We are asking him to play up front, in a number 10 position or fill in at wing-back. He does it admirably at Championship level.
“Could his numbers be better? Yes. If we’re at full strength and TC is getting service then he is a better player. Right now the kid is humble, he works so hard and he is having to play in three different positions for us. There is context around a lot of that.“It’s not just a case of ‘get him out of the side and replace him with someone’. We’re in a tough position. He is a threat with his pace and work-rate.“Can his numbers be better? Absolutely. But if we have [Matty] Godden, [Charlie] Kelman, Amari’i an
d Josh back - everyone fit - then the responsibility to do so much other stuff, other than just focus on scoring goals, won’t be on him. Then we can free him up to do that. Right now TC is another victim of circumstance. He does a job for us and his numbers are good. And he is a threat - regardless of his outcomes.
To read more and about the manager's views on Apter, subscribe to Cawley's Substack page.
Charlton went down 3-1 to a resurgent QPR at Loftus Road
today. QPR went ahead early doors, but
Charlton managed to equalise in the second half. For a while they were in the ascendancy but QPR
went ahead again. Exposed at the back
as they tried for an equaliser, the Addicks went 3-1 down in time added on.
QPR started with real intent and were soon 1-0 up. Paul
Smyth scored against his former club from Vale's cross - Kone with a dummy to
allow the ball to run for the winger. Richard Caswley commented, ‘Kaminski has got
to be doing better with that, is my first thought. Goes with his legs to try
and keep it out.’
The Addicks improved in the final 20-25 minutes of the first
period with Leaburn striking the top of the crossbar. But Cawley noted an all
too familiar story, a lack of quality in the final third, including most of the
crosses put in. Scare right at the end of the half with Norrington-Davies'
header clipping the outside of the post but looked like Kaminski had it
covered.
Charlton equalised after Campbell put in a deep cross but
Apter's shot struck the ball down into the turf and the bounce takes it past
the QPR keeper Walsh. It was Apter’s
first goal for the club.
QPR went ahead
again after their Japanese midfielder Saito had come off the bench. His body swerve took him away from Jones. The
low shot creept into bottom right corner of the net. It might well have got a slight nick off the
two Charlton defenders who slid in to
try and block.
For the third goal, Kaminski started to come for the ball,
then decided against it. Kone punished that indecision, slid the ball into the
net for his second goal since signing from Wycombe.
Nathan Jones was clearly not happy at full-time. The shell shocked supremo marched straight on
to the pitch to talk to referee Andrew Kitchen. As usual, some of the officiating was
questionable with the lino oddly failing to assist the referee on one key
decision although had the clearer view.
Nathan Jones was unhappy about the fact Mbengue not given a second yellow for his foul on Kelman when the score was 1-1. The Charlton boss says that referee told him it wasn't penalised further due to the attack "not being in a promising position".
But the simple fact is that Charlton were outplayed, a verdict being echoed by the keyboard warriors. One fan has already told the BBC that Jones's position must be 'under consideration'. This is the usual silly nonsense one gets from some fans, but there is case for saying that Charlton should have hung on for the away point in front of a home crowd that was getting restive rather than trying to get all three.
Richard Cawley reports on X: ‘Signing number seven for Charlton is their biggest spend of the transfer window - Rob Apter from Blackpool. Most exciting addition of the summer so far? The 22-year-old Scouser, capped by Scotland at U21 level, has penned a deal until the summer of 2029.’
Cawley states: ‘Transfer fees are very tricky to pin down
precisely but Apter’s fee is likely to be the biggest paid by the Addicks since
they reportedly parted with £2million to bring in centre-back Naby Sarr from
Sporting Lisbon in July 2015. One website has claimed that the transfer of the
Tangerines’ prize asset exceeds that sum.
It’s definitely the most expensive outlay by owners Global
Football Partners since they took control of the club in July 2023. Before that
Gassan Ahadme is believed - this isn’t something I’d stand up and testify in
court about (although why I would be in the dock in the first place would be
puzzling) - to have cost around £750,000 from Ipswich Town last summer.’
Tom Mayne from a Blackpool podcast says: ‘Exciting is definitely
a word to use. He is not the finished article but Nathan Jones and Steve Bruce
know that. He played every single game last season, bar one.
He is fearless and has a lot of growing to do, which I think
he knows himself. What I love the most is his tenacity, if he gets tackled or
loses the ball then he’ll continue to try and do something for the team to
create something out of nothing.’
Much more on Richard Cawley’s Substack page.
