General Matchday Thread

[Ciderup]

You lucked a win against a side worth less than a million missing their main striker and midfielder and had to make two subs before half time due to injuries , slow down.

Only missing 2? We've got 5 first team starters out and 3 who would be in the first team squad.
Just 2? Easy life.
In all seriousness, I couldn't get over how badly you tired in comparison to us last night, you looked absolutely shot well before the red card.
You played some nice stuff though, a more than decent side.

 

[Gerry Gow]

You definitely edged it. We did not deserve to lose like that though. I’m fairly calm about it, 9 times out 10 that’s going to be a great point away from home.

Although on reflection, we had a few chances to put the game to bed ourselves.

Draw was probably fair on the whole but one bit of brilliance from Palmer edged us to 3 points. Fine margins.

Think you’ll be in with a shout of top 6 to be honest. It’s so open this year.

 

[Bobbin']

Only missing 2? We've got 5 first team starters out and 3 who would be in the first team squad.
Just 2? Easy life.
In all seriousness, I couldn't get over how badly you tired in comparison to us last night, you looked absolutely shot well before the red card.
You played some nice stuff though, a more than decent side.

More than 2, but for a squad like ours to be missing your key midfielder and striker is damaging.
Forster Caskey was only playing as a make shift full back as our other two are injured and then he’s gone off injured himself before half time.

Yeah we did tire, having to make two subs after 30 mins didn’t help.

 

[Bobbin']

Draw was probably fair on the whole but one bit of brilliance from Palmer edged us to 3 points. Fine margins.

Think you’ll be in with a shout of top 6 to be honest. It’s so open this year.

Nah, we’ve not got the squad depth to last the season and injuries are already mounting. The aim is to stay up still.

 

[SF_]

League One fitness levels are much lower than the Championship and the bulk of Charlton's squad are having to step up, hardly a shock that they're tiring before an established, free-spending Championship side.

 

[BelizeHatter]

The quality and depth of the bigger teams is stark for us newbies. Charlton have had an amazing start. Im pretty pleased with ours. Barnsley probably less so.

But the reality is we all had our better players cherry picked and we are just looking to survive and grow slowly. Impossible to week in week out compete with the big (and by big i mean fucking huge ;-).....) spenders. Individual game by game with the odd surpise yes but probably not over a whole season. Class usually shows.

Our reality is beginning to show that our attack is worthy of this league but our defence isnt, and that makes sense as most clubs spend big on attack over defense. I love our our defence mindset and effort but they arent up for coping with the cream of the Championship strikeforces.

We just gotta fight and do better than three others.

 

[Ciderup]

More than 2, but for a squad like ours to be missing your key midfielder and striker is damaging.
Forster Caskey was only playing as a make shift full back as our other two are injured and then he’s gone off injured himself before half time.

Yeah we did tire, having to make two subs after 30 mins didn’t help.

The quality and depth of the bigger teams is stark for us newbies. Charlton have had an amazing start. Im pretty pleased with ours. Barnsley probably less so.

But the reality is we all had our better players cherry picked and we are just looking to survive and grow slowly. Impossible to week in week out compete with the big (and by big i mean fucking huge ;-).....) spenders. Individual game by game with the odd surpise yes but probably not over a whole season. Class usually shows.

Our reality is beginning to show that our attack is worthy of this league but our defence isnt, and that makes sense as most clubs spend big on attack over defense. I love our our defence mindset and effort but they arent up for coping with the cream of the Championship strikeforces.

We just gotta fight and do better than three others.

Out of interest, are you guys finding the step up as we described or did we overstate it?

 

[Ciderup]

League One fitness levels are much lower than the Championship.

You reckon? I'm not disagreeing at all but can't say it's been particularly obvious since we both came up. Fitness is certainly a 'given' up here whereas players lower down may have been able to get through a game carrying a slight issue.
Maybe you are right?

 

[Bobbin']

Out of interest, are you guys finding the step up as we described or did we overstate it?

Obviously given our start, it would be easy to say we haven’t noticed much of a step up but that’s obviously not the case.

Having watched us in this league quite a bit in the last 10-12 years I already knew what to expect but after 3 years away you really do notice the difference in quality of opposition (Derby aside). Thankfully, we’ve stood up to it well so far.

 

[Craig]

The quality and depth of the bigger teams is stark for us newbies. Charlton have had an amazing start. Im pretty pleased with ours. Barnsley probably less so.

But the reality is we all had our better players cherry picked and we are just looking to survive and grow slowly. Impossible to week in week out compete with the big (and by big i mean fucking huge ;-).....) spenders. Individual game by game with the odd surpise yes but probably not over a whole season. Class usually shows.

Our reality is beginning to show that our attack is worthy of this league but our defence isnt, and that makes sense as most clubs spend big on attack over defense. I love our our defence mindset and effort but they arent up for coping with the cream of the Championship strikeforces.

We just gotta fight and do better than three others.

Speak for yourself mate, playoffs still in sight for us.

 

[Bobbin']

Speak for yourself mate, playoffs still in sight for us.

You must have bloody good sight then.

 

[Ciderup]

You must have bloody good sight then.

 

[Another Walkley Owl]

Speak for yourself mate, playoffs still in sight for us.

Christ, you looking at season 20/21 already. Great vision that.

 

[Lamby]

Christ, you looking at season 20/21 already. Great vision that.

Certainly not 2020 vision though

 

[Kenneth E End]

You reckon? I'm not disagreeing at all but can't say it's been particularly obvious since we both came up. Fitness is certainly a 'given' up here whereas players may have been able to get through a game carrying a slight issue.
Maybe you are right?

I wouldn’t necessarily agree that fitness is the problem, it’s just teams in this division are bloody relentless.

 

[SF_]

You reckon? I'm not disagreeing at all but can't say it's been particularly obvious since we both came up. Fitness is certainly a 'given' up here whereas players lower down may have been able to get through a game carrying a slight issue.
Maybe you are right?

I wouldn’t necessarily agree that fitness is the problem, it’s just teams in this division are bloody relentless.

Games are played at a faster pace & players are quicker, it's not that L1 players lack fitness, it's that they need to raise levels and do it every week. Towards the end of the season and late on in games it will take its toll.

 

[BelizeHatter]

For me its what i expected pretty much. I thought wed have got a few more pastings than we have, as weve been in contention in most games.

Our biggest concern/test was losing two of our most important players for our system and style and most of all a brand new Manager.

Weve done well considering these things. This Jones us showing more tactical nouse than the previous. Weds we effectively changed shape multiple times thru the gamre and each time it worked and was executed well by the players. I was impressed. I seriously doubt that wouldnt havr happened under Nathan Jones

Fitness isnt the difference. Sharpness skill and quality is. You get punished for a lot more mistakes. You also get ripped apart

 

[SF_]

Fitness isnt the difference. Sharpness skill and quality is. You get punished for a lot more mistakes. You also get ripped apart

Come back to me in the second half of the season.

 

[BelizeHatter]

You talking depth of squad or fitness? Were very fit. One thing Nathan Jones is very good at. Im aware our depth and the mental strain and lack of experience at this level will later in the season play a roll, but id strongly suspect our physical fitness will be on a parr with anyone else.

 

[BelizeHatter]

Doesnt help when the efl give us back to back away games with the home side getting an extra day rest....... But thats a Managers gripe not a fans. Theyre pros. Get it done

 

[SoutheySWFC]

Doesnt help when the efl give us back to back away games with the home side getting an extra day rest....... But thats a Managers gripe not a fans. Theyre pros. Get it done

Happens regularly mate.

 

[SoutheySWFC]

Dazza is Joao not up to it or injured?

 

[Ciderup]

You talking depth of squad or fitness? Were very fit. One thing Nathan Jones is very good at. Im aware our depth and the mental strain and lack of experience at this level will later in the season play a roll, but id strongly suspect our physical fitness will be on a parr with anyone else.

To be fair, a few years ago, the season we made the carabao semi final, we were blitzing everyone and then reached February and just ran out of steam because of the size, or lack of it, of our squad. The Championship WILL catch up with clubs with smaller squads, it's inevitable.
We're alright this year as most of our side are already injured so should be raring to go by then but it's a genuine inevitability that certain teams will totally crash around February.

 

[SoutheySWFC]

To be fair, a few years ago, the season we made the carabao semi final, we were blitzing everyone and then reached February and just ran out of steam because of the size, or lack of it, of our squad. The Championship WILL catch up with clubs with smaller squads, it's inevitable.
We're alright this year as most of our side are already injured so should be raring to go by then but it's a genuine inevitability that certain teams will totally crash around February.

We've been woefully unfit in the past and a knock on is niggly injuries to key men at times and being without over a dozen first team contenders for months on end. We've addressed that I think bringing in Tony Strudwick and making changes to the training ground.

Touch wood we've not had it as bad this season so far.

Hard work will get you far at every level, pre season, training or in a match, they may be more skillful but don't let em out work you.

Played 2 of 3 from League One, surprised that Barnsley aren't doing better, Luton could be 4+ points better off if they'd cut out the comical errors but should be fine.

Charlton the dark horses, turning teams over at will, fair play, think they'll tail to mid table but they'd have bit your hand off on Aug 3rd for that.



Reading and Wigan big spenders but seem to be repeating the same errors with regularity.

 

[SoutheySWFC]

Just looking at the comparative results from this year to last
Reading : 0 no change win v win
Barnsley : 0 won both comparative is Bolton, no change
Millwall : - 1 lost compared to draw
Luton : +2 Rotherham, won not drew
Preston : - 1 lost compared to draw
QPR : 0 loss v loss
Hudders : 0 Villa, no change won both
Fulham : 0 Sheff U, same
Boro : 0 won both
Hull : 0 lost both
Wigan : 0 won both
Cardiff : compared to Norwich drew both, late fucking free kicks an all.
Stoke : +2 won ahead of late draw.

Overall +2 but no Jloss in charge, we need a single point from next 9 to match the total when Jloss was sacked. If Monk doesn't manage that he wants a P45.

Just under a third of the season gone and I'm just whelmed, not over or under, football has been attritional at times and ground out wins but we've become hard to beat and have a squad that seems tight knit, given the teams we've faced the points earned is acceptable though feel we've lost games and points we could have taken, Hull away and the Cardiff late equaliser stand out for that though I harbour a finger of failure at Bullen for Millwall and QPR, the Rangers game did seal his fate mind.

Fulham best team I've seen us play with a little nod at Deepdale, the rest, perhaps like us just seem standard Champ fare.

Turn these lot over later and the beers will be flying, chance to go top for an hour, nailed on we don't, the Wednesday way.

 

[Liam_SWFC]

Biggest game of the season, win this and I'll seriously start thinking we can go for it, realistically we need to stay with the pack going into January then recruit some loan players at the top end of the pitch. We've gone with 2 big fuckers up top as well so this should be interesting.

 

[blademan89]

Absolute thriller

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Doubt I’ll be making kick off due to terrible issues on the M1 and having just seen the team news...maybe turning back might be a better move!

Collins and Cornick on the bench so no real recognised striker on the pitch. You’d assume Brown will be up front with McManaman who are really an attacking midfield player and a winger. Hmmm

 

[Kenneth E End]

Don't understand this selection. I don't understand how McManaman gets in ahead of Cornick.

 

[SF_]

Weird team from us today, will be Gally or DJ out wide. Davies is a loss, Hughes at CB which is a gamble.