Devastating defeat

Charlton went down 4-0 at Huddersfield this afternoon with two of the goals scored by former Addick Karlan Grant who gave it large to the away support. It was a very poor performance from which one can take no positives.

It left Charlton 20th in the table. Wigan continued their run with a 1-0 win at an out of sorts West Brom. Barnsley lost at Reading. Luton and Stoke drew. Middlesbrough have a game in hand (they are at home to Forest on Monday).

Demands for Bowyer to go have increased in intensity and volume. It is difficult to see a quality replacement coming to a relegation threatened club at this time of the season. Even if they did, they would find it a hard task with these players, very few of whom are of real Championship quality.

The home side started strongly and it was all Huddersfield in the opening stages. Even when Charlton did have a spell of possession they couldn't get into the final third.

Grant pounced on a mistake from Adedeji Oshilaja before burying the ball past Dillon Phillips to open the scoring for the Terriers mid-way through the first half. Huddersfield had another chance to a score just before the break.

Williams came on at half time for Otzumer, but was unable to make a decisive difference. Charlton did improve in the opening phase of the second half, but as is so often the case, the corners they won were unproductive. The disappointing McGeady was withdrawn in favour of Bonne, but Huddersfield substitute Steve Mounie put the hosts in control two minutes after coming on, deflecting home Harry Toffolo's cross with 15 minutes remaining to double the lead.

Hemed came on in place of Lapslie on 81 minutes, but all he did was get a yellow card.

And Grant netted his second and the Terriers' third in stoppage time after being played through by Juninho Bacuna, who then scored himself from long-range.

Louis Mendez tweeted: 'Capitulations like that are always a massive warning sign. Missed a few chances in what was actually a decent first 25 mins of the second-half but then lost it big time. Really worrying end to that game and poor first-half of course.'

Lee Bowyer asid today was 'Not good enough. First-half was bad, poor. I take full responsibility for it. I picked the team. I picked players that I thought would do better playing the diamond and it didn't work.' He apologised to supporters: Bowyer takes full responsibility

Charm merchant keeper gets eight game ban

Leeds United goalkeeper Kiko Casilia has been banned for eight matches for using racist language towards Charlton loan player Jonathan Leko during the September 28th game at The Valley. A FA panel found that Casilia used the n-word.

Casilia denied abusing Leko but was found guilty on the balance of probabilities after a five month investigation and a two day hearing last week. He was also fined £60,000 and ordered to take a course educating him about racial sensitivities.

Leeds United have issued a statement saying that they do not believe that Casilia should have been banned unless the offence had been decided on a higher level of proof, i.e, guilty beyond reasonable doubt.

The FA's sanctions for incidents of this kind are still more lenient than those used by Fifa and Uefa who issue minimum ten game bans for those who racially abuse other players on the pitch.

Casilia will be available for the last game of the season when Charlton play Leeds away which could be a key game for both clubs.

It's tough up north

It's tough up north and CAS Trust reckons that a scrappy point in difficult conditions might be enough at Huddersfield tomorrow: Battle in the wind and the rain

It wouldn't satisfy the Addickted who make the long journey to Yorkshire (although these northern fixtures always attract Addicks who are exiled in northern parts like one I know who lives in Doncaster and had a difficult time last summer). Setting up for a draw doesn't really work given the propensity of Charlton to concede in time added on.

On the other hand, all out attack is risky with a weak defence and a midfield whose performance is unpredictable. Who would be under siege supremo Lee Bowyer? Well quite a few fans appear to think they know better than him to judge by comments on social media.

Desmond from Deal has no doubts: 'A decisive defeat will be the final nail in Bowyer's coffin who might then find a place at his level in Blackpool.'

Huddersfield have won their past three league games against Charlton, scoring eight goals and conceding just once. Charlton have won one of their past seven away league games against Huddersfield (D2 L4), a 1-0 win in March 2013. Huddersfield have won four of their past seven home league games (D1 L2), as many as in their previous 32 home games combined.

Huddersfield striker Karlan Grant has scored 14 league goals for the Terriers this season, the best return by a Huddersfield player since Nahki Wells scored 17 in 2015-16.

If the form book and the weather forecast is anything to go by, it looks like a home win for Huddersfield and another chorus of demands for Bowyer to go. But Charlton are capable of winning when they are least expected to.

Pardew might soon be available

Critics of Lee Bowyer looking for a replacement might wish to note that Alan Pardew could soon be available. Things have not being going too well for him (or Chris Powell) at relegation threatened Den Haag in the Netherlands and Pardew was 'approached' by a group of supporters at a recent training session: Exchange of views

The Daily Mail described the angry fans as 'hooligans' who, 'armed with a flipboard, hijacked his training session in front of stunned players to show why his tactics are wrong as the club hurtles towards relegation.'

The obvious solution is to replace Pardew by Powell.

Bowyer complains about fixture scheduling

This week Lee Bowyer has seemed to be complaining as much as some Charlton fans and Championship fixture scheduling is his latest target: Fresh swipe at fixture schedule

Much as I like Lee Bowyer, it's not a good sign when managers buy a copy of the Great Big Book of Excuses. I always liked the line that Curbs used, 'It's a long old season.' Of course, it's not that much longer.

Bowyer gets his excuses in early

Lee Bowyer saying that Huddersfield Town should not be among the Championship strugglers sounds a bit like getting you excuses in early, although I can accept that Karlan Grant is talented and will want to score against us: Bowyer passes judgment on Huddersfield Town

I think the tactics against Sheffield Wednesday were a mistake, but every manager makes mistakes, even Sir Alex Ferguson did. Curbs made systematic mistakes, in particular his reluctance to make substitutions early enough, but he still did a very good job for us overall.

Bowyer is still on a learning curve, but there is no available replacement. If he went, presumably Johnnie Jackson would be in temporary charge, but arguably he is as much part of any problem as any solution.

I think it is best to stick with a manager rather have frequent changes, although it is rather ironic that Blackpool have been after the services of 'Gobby'.

Super Hoops rack up big losses for what?

We will be playing the Super Hoops shortly and it is instructive to look at their latest accounts. QPR's owners have 'invested' £287m over the years and the return this season is likely to be a mid-table position in the Championship: Super Hoops

Financial fair play penalties have cost them little more than £1m a season as they were able to suggest to the EFL that if matters got into the courts they would very likely find FFP to be a breach of both domestic and European competition law. In a market economy you can't stop the owner of the company investing as much as they like in it provided there is no risk of insolvency.

It has been suggested that ESI limited spending in the January transfer window because they didn't want to be paying big wages in League One. The lack of availability of quality players at a reasonable price may have been a bigger factor. However, it does strike me that ESI are prudent businessmen which, of course, may not be what fans want.