Nigel Adkins: Charlton Athletic fans perfectly entitled to express their displeasure – this is a big club
Nigel Adkins had no complaints about the reception Charlton Athletic’s fans gave him and his side after today’s 2-0 loss to Wigan Athletic.
The Addicks players and their manager were booed off after The Valley reverse which means the South London club have taken one point from a possible 12.
Charlton are 21st in the early League One standings after suffering a third straight reverse – four if you include the EFL Cup exit at the hands of AFC Wimbledon.
Asked about the full-time reaction from the stands, Adkins said: “Listen, that is totally understandable. I can understand that. The place was bouncing at times today, that’s because we were in the ascendency and doing well – the crowd was right behind the players. But they save it for the final whistle and if you are going to show your dissent then you do it at the final whistle. For the rest of the game they got right behind the players.
“None of us want to be in the position we are at the moment in terms of not winning the amount of games we wanted to do. But you can’t fault the efforts of the players.
“It’s how you stick together and help everybody through. The fans are entitled [to their opinion] – because this is a big football club. Our ambitions are high and we’re striving to put performances on and striving to ensure it is an entertaining afternoon for everybody. So I can totally understand that, as long as it is done in the right manner.
“It was a competitive game. The goal we’ve conceded [first] was right at the end….I thought we were knocking on the door. We were pushing, but without working their goalkeeper enough.
“Charlie [Kirk] had a really good debut for us. That was the one opportunity, sometimes you need that little rub of the green that didn’t quite happen.
“Macca [Craig MacGillivray] played well in goal for us, he made some good saves in the first half.
“Unfortunately we didn’t get the outcome we were after. I can’t fault the effort of the players, they are hard-working. But we need to control the ball better, we need to build better – we’re tying to get the ball in the attacking third of the pitch and we certainly need to work the goalkeeper more.
“W’ve got to get ready for the next game and we’ve got a transfer window that is still open for a bit longer. Everybody knows we’re going to bring more players in, we’ve got to bring more players in.
“All of us need to keep going and do a bit more because we haven’t got the results we’ve been after. We have to keep going and do a bit more – because we haven’t had the results we’ve been after.
“I look at the goal and it’s a goal-kick, we haven’t won the first ball – it’s gone out wide, we’ve not stopped the cross when it has gone in and we’ve not stopped it when it has gone in there. That effectively loses the game.
“We’ve tried to be extremely positive in our outlook. DJ has done great for an hour, we knew he could last 45 minutes and maybe no longer than that. We’ve introduced Corey [Blackett-Taylor] and we can all see he has got attributes there.
“I’ve tried to be bold in putting Conor Washington up there, to try and be bold and try to force the issue and win the game. Unfortunately we’ve gone and lost it.”
“The reality is we haven’t got the points we’ve been after. We’re all judged on results. Because of where we are confidence will start to be questioned. What we’ve got to do is lift the players up again and keep going. It’s the next performance we’ve got to get right.”
PICTURE: PAUL EDWARDS
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I have been a Charlton supporter for about 65 years, I am sick of what goes on at this club, this year we started the season in what seemed to a good footing for once, but we have had the worst start possible, Mr sandgard should supply some money to bolster this poor square, and not look at cheap skate loan players that nobody wants.