First pre-season friendly ends in defeat

Louis Mendez of the SLP reports, 'Badly kept secret that we've been having a friendly kick around against Arsenal today - score didn't quite go our way. Arsenal 6-0 Charlton.'

The formation was 4-4-1-1-1 and fans are speculating whether the same group of players will start against Hull.   Hemed was up front with Aneke in the hole behind him.

Sanguine supremo Lee Bowyer was pleased with the fitness shown by his side.  The Addicks did not pick up any new injuries and Bowyer thinks it was a good workout: https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/lee-bowyer-delivers-verdict-on-charlton-athletics-friendly-defeat-to-arsenal/

Gooners over the moon

The game was behind closed doors at the Emirates which must have been an eerie experience.  

Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang were both on the scoresheet

Injured players return

Three players who have been out injured should return for Saturday's match against Derby County: Tomer Hemed, Beram Kayal and Ben Purrington. Lee Bowyer is particularly pleased to have Purrington back as the left back position has been a concern: Returning players

Chuks isn't up to it

Lee Bowyer is not convinced that Chuks Aneke is capable of fulfilling the No.9 role in the absence of Lyle Taylor with knee ligament damage. He thinks he is more of a No.10. But he commented at least he has some options whereas last year he had none.

He also commented on the roles of Leko and Hemed. He thinks that Leko tried to complicate things too much last Saturday which I would agree with: Aneke yet to convince Bowyer

Hemed here at last

Tomer Hemed has at last joined Charlton and will be eligible to play against Nottingham Forest tomorrow evening. This is the fourteenth signing since promotion.

It has been announced that Steve Gritt has landed a role at Macclesfield as part of the coaching team: Silkmen .

Since his departure from Ebbsfleet United he has been scouting for Charlton.

Charlton will receive a £4.5m solidarity payment from the Premier League this season compared with £675,000 if they had stayed in League One.

Still no answers on Hemed

Charlton still haven't been told whether Tomer Hemed can join them from Brighton. One would almost think that the football authorities are incompetent. Bowyer: we're not getting answers

Jonny Williams says that this is the most enjoyable start to a season he has ever had (fans chanted his name when he was substituted on Saturday): Most enjoyable start

Of course, Williams has started all his previous seasons at Palace, but he says that he never felt part of things there.

Charlton defeated by Vegans

Shawn McCoulsky netted the winning penalty as Forest Green Rovers sent Charlton tumbling out of the Carabao Cup and set up a second-round tie at Premier League Bournemouth. League Two Rovers scored all five of their spot-kicks to win 5-3 after Charlton's Albie Morgan's effort struck the post.

The Addicks could have won the tie when a foul on Naby Sarr earned them a penalty midway through the second half. But Rovers keeper Joe Wollacott flung himself to his left to push away Jake Forster-Caskey's kick.

Wollacott had already produced a string of saves to thwart the Addicks, notably blocking Sarr's close-range volley in the first half. Forest Green rarely threatened, although Junior Mondal forced a diving stop from Ben Amos 15 minutes from time.

Lee Bowyer was disappointed with the performance. he said that only Sarr and Amos came out with any credit from a Charlton point of view. He felt a lot of fringe players wasted their chance to stake a claim.

There is still no further update on the ratification of the signing of Tomer Hemed. Bowyer admitted it's frustrating that the decision is taking this long by the relevant authorities, says it is wasting everyone's time.