Charlton post match.

[cjslcfc]

He's making the same point as you - we have been doing it and would expect to do it. He's making the point to someone that thinks we shouldn't expect to beat anyone.

Fair enough. Just sort of flicked through and didn't read it in that way....

My bad

As you can tell very very frustrated with tonight. As everyone else surely is. But the doom-mongers are out in force and I don't think i can handle it!

[Guest kristianity77]

.

[Hirsty The Blue 94]

Why the hell are your expectations so low that this is seen as a fantastic result???

Where did I say it was a fantastic result? A point away at one your promotion rivals is a good result is it not? Especially as we were at the time on the back of a pretty bad run not too disimilar to the one we are in now. Ofcourse I would love us to beat Charlton at home and Peterborough away, and on paper they are games we should win. But really gets on my tits that a few on here expect us to win every game and if we get beat the mass uproar and hysteria about how we should be smashing teams like Charlton follows. These are mostly the same people who thought we were going to win the league after winning 5 in a row.

[Guest ttfn]

I've not read the rest of the thread, having just got in. But that was a shameful shower of shit.

[CKB]

He's not even wearing a Leicester shirt!!!

[inckley fox]

Why the hell are your expectations so low that this is seen as a fantastic result???

I'm staggered at how low some of the expectations on here seem to be.

I've always supported Pearson but if someone had told me when he came that sixteen months on we'd have had a mid-table finish and be fifth in the table, and on the slide, then I might not have been too devastated but I wouldn't have done any cartwheels either. Especially considering the backing from the board has continued to be so decent.

The aim was automatic promotion this season. We have struggled every time we've got into second place and our squad is clearly incapable, in its current state, of maintaining automatic promotion form. A young side? The average age of the fourteen who played tonight is 25. That's no excuse.

Either the squad changes, the tactics change, the mentality changes or, come May, the manager will change. I've come to face it because that's clearly how it is. I just wish there were signs of Pearson facing it too. Because if we can't handle the challenge we'll blow our best chance in eight years of making the top flight.

[Oxfordfox83]

I'm staggered at how low some of the expectations on here seem to be.

I've always supported Pearson but if someone had told me when he came that sixteen months on we'd have had a mid-table finish and be fifth in the table, and on the slide, then I might not have been too devastated but I wouldn't have done any cartwheels either. Especially considering the backing from the board has continued to be so decent.

The aim was automatic promotion this season. We have struggled every time we've got into second place and our squad is clearly incapable, in its current state, of maintaining automatic promotion form. A young side? The average age of the fourteen who played tonight is 25. That's no excuse.

Either the squad changes, the tactics change, the mentality changes or, come May, the manager will change. I've come to face it because that's clearly how it is. I just wish there were signs of Pearson facing it too. Because if we can't handle the challenge we'll blow our best chance in eight years of making the top flight.

This is a pretty fair post, although because of our games in hand I think fifth and on the slide is a bit harsh.

But what makes you think Pearson's not facing it? Because he doesn't tell Stringer? Because in public he puts a brave face on it and stands by the players? I would argue that that's being professional.

If he'd come out and said 'we were exposed again, the players were lazy and disinterested and I didn't have the resources to change matters' how much better would we all feel?

[CKB]

We have struggled every time we've got into second place and our squad is clearly incapable, in its current state, of maintaining automatic promotion form

I agree, i have said it time and time again we are 2/3 good players away from a truly capable top 2 side... If NP can get some loannes in that are gonna add quality and depth to the team we could push on again

[I blame Wellens]

Just gutted tonight, just really gutted. The bickering that goes on between fans just represents the fact that we are not good enough, strong enough, skilled enough, whatever. And we have a manager that is not actually very likeable. Yes before you say it. That's not that important! But I don't like him! Yes just gutted. With dwindling crowds, naff atmosphere, foreign owners, horse meat in my burgers. Strange as it is going down to league one wasn't as bad as this.

I want my Leicester back. Ah b@llocks going Blackpool for the weekend a couple of beers and up the football league we go!!!!

Just gutted tonight, just really gutted. The bickering that goes on between fans just represents the fact that we are not good enough, strong enough, skilled enough, whatever. And we have a manager that is not actually very likeable. Yes before you say it. That's not that important! But I don't like him! Yes just gutted. With dwindling crowds, naff atmosphere, foreign owners, horse meat in my burgers. Strange as it is going down to league one wasn't as bad as this.

I want my Leicester back. Ah b@llocks going Blackpool for the weekend a couple of beers and up the football league we go!!!!

[Bausor]

We still have games in hand which we must win.. im sure well make the playoffs

[Danno]

Is it likely that we could get tom carroll from spurs? He's looked good

[Guest ttfn]

We really missed Andy King tonight.

The number of times that the ball dropped in the centre of the park tonight, particularly in the first half, was absolutely crazy. That is where King excels, picking up the scraps in midfield and re-distibributing the ball (as well as his work in and around both penalty areas).

He may not be the most sophisticated passer or the hardest tackler, but we rarely see the ball drop so frequently to the opposition when he is in the side.

Drinkwater was absolutely dreadful today, and not for the first time this season. When he is playing well he is absolutely integral to everything good about our play. He moves the ball quickly and accurately to our more creative players and takes up intelligent positions. But today, and recently, he has been ponderous, made dreadful decisions (the whole incident leading up to their first was mental, whilst passing to Gallagher when he had a very clear shot 20 yards out near the end was plain cowardly) and easily hassled off the ball.

I couldn't help but feel that it wasn't so much a particular position that we needed to strengthen, but a particular character. We need a proper leader in the centre of the park. At the moment, who do we have who are "leaders'?

At a push, we've got Morgan, Schmeichel and Konchesky. At 0-1 and 1-2 there was nobody in midfield or forward positions looking to grab the game by the scruff of the neck or take responsibility in possession and try to make something happen or inspire others around them. There were loads of timid players looking to pass the buck to somebody else.

Knockaert was atrocious today but at least he was trying to make things happen. I thought Marshall did ok and was surprised to see him come off although I'm aware he's been injured.

Kermorgant was everything for Charlton today that he wasn't for us. Energetic, brilliant in the air and cool in front of goal. Doesn't mean he's not an absolute cvnt though.

[Guest ttfn]

Also (and I am categorically not blaming the referee for our defeat, we were awful today), the referee was absolutely abysmal.

Some highlights:

• Not playing advantage when we had 3 on 3 (and it was obvious to everybody that we had a significant advantage) and instead booking their player in the first half.
  
• Refusing to take any action (even a free kick) against the Charlton player who scythed down Marshall at knee height moments later. It was a certain yellow and possibly a red card for a strict referee.
  
• Failure to clamp down on Charlton's incessant time-wasting, even at 0-0. Every goal kick was taking 30 seconds, substitutions were taking 45 seconds and the keeper was holding it in his hands for 15+ seconds at a time.
  
• Failure to give any free kicks to Wood at all despite him being man handled for 90 minutes.
  

And it's not just the referees. It's the linesmen. They are either almost completely pointless (as they can't give anything) or cowards (they won't give anything). So much went on right in front of the lino in front of the West Stand today (including, in the interests of fairness, a couple of blatant fouls by City players) that he just let go without so much as a shrug.

The standard of officiating at this level is now routinely terrible.

[inckley fox]

This is a pretty fair post, although because of our games in hand I think fifth and on the slide is a bit harsh.

But what makes you think Pearson's not facing it? Because he doesn't tell Stringer? Because in public he puts a brave face on it and stands by the players? I would argue that that's being professional.

If he'd come out and said 'we were exposed again, the players were lazy and disinterested and I didn't have the resources to change matters' how much better would we all feel?

I absolutely understand why he said what he said; he's trying to keep heads up.

However comments like 'these things happen' (x3) and, in response to being asked how he felt about the nine point gap 'there's nothing we can do about it' simply do not sound like the words of a quality manager. In fact those comments, together with 'we can't win every game' and 'we've been excellent this season' sound like a breathtaking attempt to make our last five displays sound acceptable.

All managers try reverse psychology; praise apparently poor performances or criticise apparently outstanding ones. My criticism is that Pearson, these days, only does the former, never the latter. To never round on a team's performance, never say that a display is simply unacceptable and to make comments like he did tonight will only lead to players believing that such performances are okay. Indeed, look at the comments made by Konchesky and James after Huddersfield, or even Gallagher tonight.

As I pointed out, he was rather more aggressive post-match Burton and Millwall. Look what happened after those two games. Players need to know, at least sometimes, that they must do a lot better. He was never so shy during his first spell at the club, when he'd frequently complain at performances after a win, just to keep players on their toes.

Don't get me wrong, I've always been a Pearson backer. But this second spell is far from an outright success and his own - publicly at least - low expectations may be a clue as to why we struggle to maintain promotion form. Because the bar isn't set high enough by the boss.

[Kitchandro]

Between 1-10 and I 'expect' us to beat no-one. We HAVE the ability to beat anyone, but we are not EXPECTED to win against anyone.

But we are expected to beat a team that we are many points and places ahead of, that's what you don't seem to understand. I especially expect us to win when our management staff and players decide to 'take it easy' in cup games, presumably because they think that's great preparation for games like tonight.

If they're willing to sacrifice said cup games, I'm expecting us to sweep the next team away. If we're going to lose to Charlton, we may as well have tried our very best to beat Huddersfield - wouldn't you agree?

I mean, why lose to both of them? That just proves that it's not the FA Cup's fault if we play shit. And who would want to believe a crazy idea like that?

We should be beating Charlton, end of story. If we're not beating Charlton, WE'RE doing something wrong. It didn't sound like much luck tonight, it sounded like another lacklustre performance.

I hate to say it because I do like Pearson, but he's cocked up all the work he did to get us on that winning run and up to second. All that momentum has gone to waste because of his decisions, and the attitude of the players.

You've got it all wrong. The team and management do have the responsibility to win games and if they're not getting enough points to get us where they and we want to be, they need to do some things differently.

[It's A Knockeart!]

We should probably offer ourselves for relegation before the inevitable happens.

That aside, we always lose to Charlton.

[Guy]

I haven't ploughed through the masses of posts on this thread as only just got in but having just seen the result then all I can think of at the moment is manager of the month curse! Also February - as that is when our season came off the rails under Sven two seasons ago, while last February was fairly similar I think!

[Happy Fox]

NP knows he needs to deliver automatic promotion otherwise his jobs on the line, but for the life of me I cannot understand his reluctance to bring in loan players although perhaps the Thais aren't willing to sanction any deals which would be worrying.

[inckley fox]

But we are expected to beat a team that we are many points and places ahead of, that's what you don't seem to understand. I especially expect us to win when our management staff and players decide to 'take it easy' in cup games, presumably because they think that's great preparation for games like tonight.

If they're willing to sacrifice said cup games, I'm expecting us to sweep the next team away. If we're going to lose to Charlton, we may as well have tried our very best to beat Huddersfield - wouldn't you agree?

I mean, why lose to both of them? That just proves that it's not the FA Cup's fault if we play shit. And who would want to believe a crazy idea like that?

We should be beating Charlton, end of story. If we're not beating Charlton, WE'RE doing something wrong. It didn't sound like much luck tonight, it sounded like another lacklustre performance.

I hate to say it because I do like Pearson, but he's cocked up all the work he did to get us on that winning run and up to second. All that momentum has gone to waste because of his decisions, and the attitude of the players.

You've got it all wrong. The team and management do have the responsibility to win games and if they're not getting enough points to get us where they and we want to be, they need to do some things differently.

Precisely. We played a weakened side last week and had a weekend off when they were playing. If we can't win games like this, then we won't go up. Our fans are right to expect that we will.

I'm also a fan of Pearson but he has been slow to respond to our dip in form, which happened before we started losing games. He played the same side tonight as he did in the rather hit-and-miss display against Boro a month ago. The tactics are unchanging, the line-up unchanging, the squad unchanging (save for the bizarre Schlupp situation) and both he and the players seem to think that if they simply remember how to play well then it'll all work out fine.

This approach - and his unbelievably banal and helpless-sounding interview tonight - are an indication as to why we go on blips like we do. He doesn't pre-empt problems, has difficulty facing up to shortcomings in a squad that he has created and seems to have rather low expectations himself, if his briefings are anything to go by.

[Heart-Shaped Fox]

Why has Marshall been so poor this season? Even with goal vs Posh he had a very poor game. Isn't offering enough currently.

People know i don't rate Gallagher but at the moment i think he would offer more. His corners looked half decent for once too!

Why has Marshall been so poor this season? Even with goal vs Posh he had a very poor game. Isn't offering enough currently.

People know i don't rate Gallagher but at the moment i think he would offer more. His corners looked half decent for once too!

[inckley fox]

And by the way, I used to quite like Pearson's interviews back when he gave you the impression that he knew what was wrong with the team.

[Happy Fox]

Wes was our only outfield player that actually drove the ball forward our central midfielders don't seem to have that in their locker, no creativity.

[Alf Bentley]

Various points....

- Our main improvement this season, compared to last, has been in midfield: we've generally moved the ball quicker and used width better. We didn't do that tonight, so Charlton were able to close us down and limit our creativity. I assume that is down to a loss of confidence. We needed an alternative - should have mixed it up earlier, with more long balls, like later in the game.

- It also shows how pivotal Drinkwater has become for our play....so we need to change things if he's having a poor game, like tonight, otherwise our threat is too easily neutralised. Tonight our midfield was back to the Sven regime at its worst - lots of short passing without penetration and without moving their team about, so they could just sit behind the ball without danger.

- Too many players seem low on confidence and not trying things that they would have done if more confident (e.g. Marshall, Nugent, Drinkwater). Maybe that applies to Knocky, too - unbelievable how often he gave the ball away tonight. It is Pearson's job to restore that positivity - and my main criticism of him at the moment would be that he doesn't seem to have done that yet.

- There was also a lack of drive or passion, until the latter stages. Loss of confidence again, I imagine...and the fans' booing last time out cannot have helped that. I also wonder whether we lack 1 or 2 mentally tough "leaders" on the pitch, who could galvanise the others. We have a young team, and even the experienced players are fairly quiet (Schmeichel's ranting apart).

- Sometimes luck also plays a part: we didn't deserve to win, but Charlton were nothing special - a well-organised lower-middle table side. On another night, Drinkwater's gaffe for the 1st would have escaped punishment - and I doubt Haynes will repeat that 2nd goal as long as he lives. If he'd not scored that, there's every chance that we'd have gone on to scrape a lucky 2-1 win.

- No need to panic yet: we have a sound defence, are capable of playing very good football and have players who can turn a match on their own (Wood, Nugent, Knocky). If we can regain some confidence and instill some variety, we can soon bounce back. Automatics are still a distinct possibility, play-offs a probability....but only if we change things soon.

- Especially given Blackpool's poor pitch and mediocre form, I'd be inclined to go there and play a more direct style, less short passing, more pace, more aggression: probably bring in King & Dyer for Drinkwater (or James) & Marshall. Nothing wrong with a few long balls some times (not all the time) - Wood & Nugent can work with that style, too, and it can push the opposing defence back, allowing more space for midfield passing.

[accessory]

Wes was our only outfield player that actually drove the ball forward our central midfielders don't seem to have that in their locker, no creativity.

They need an older head alongside them - someone who won't be scared to put their foot in once in a while.

The weaknesses in this team have been sussed out three games in a row. Every other manager in the league now knows them.

Unless and until the manager brings in fresh faces, this slump will continue.

[damolcfc]

Kasper being done by distance again :-(

I can't sleep, I'm taking defeats badly at the mo :-(

It's all my fault for moving to skegness, I am sorry :-( :-(