Charlton Athletic players need to get results over the finish line…or risk being replaced

Michael Appleton has warned his Charlton Athletic players to see out matches – or run the risk of being replaced in future transfer windows.

The Addicks conceded a stoppage time goal for the second home game in succession as Ryan Sweeney cancelled out Lloyd Jones’ opener in today’s 1-1 draw against Burton Albion.

Charlton also failed to beat Cambridge United in their previous SE7 fixture as Gassan Ahadme made it 2-2 in the seventh minute added on. The Addicks were 2-0 ahead going into the final three minutes of normal time in that one.

And Appleton says that replicating training scenarios where his side have to get over the line cannot match the intensity and pressure in a match with points at stake.

“Nothing is going to change in terms of personnel,” said Appleton. “It’s one of those where you have got to learn very, very quickly. It’s not the type of thing you can do on a regular basis on the coaching pitch because it is very, very different. Even if you did 11 v 11 and you set it up so you wanted the opposition to hammer balls into your box, the reality is it isn’t the same until you come up against a side that are ultra-competitive and fighting for their lives, like Burton are.

“It becomes more that they have to take it onboard themselves – and it has to stay in there. They have to retain the information – and if they don’t then when there is an opportunity to do something about it then we’ll do something about it.

“It’s just disappointing. The reality is they (Burton) haven’t looked like scoring a goal this afternoon and in those moments, when you need to see the game out, I’d expect us to be a little bit more professional, a bit more nous.

“Because it came so quickly after the previous home game, it’s not as if we haven’t had that knowledge or awareness to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

“There was a lot of stuff that went on in the build-up before the free-kick that led to the goal that we can eradicate out of our game. If one or two individuals do that then it takes a little bit of responsibility to deal with set-plays in the 93rd minute.

“When you are having a frustrating time like we are, trying to keep those clean sheets, sometimes when you are in a real good moment and winning games on a regular basis, or you’re keeping clean sheets on a regular basis then those type of moments go for you rather than against you – whether it is dealing with the first header or making sure we get the second contact.

“What you see if the lad almost hooked his foot around the ball, to release the pass. Those little things go for you rather than against you when you’re in a good space.

“It was difficult to take because I just didn’t seem them scoring at all. It’s one that we’ve got to take on the chin and move on.

“We have to be more clinical in the final third as well. Lots of opportunities to make the keeper do more work, and we didn’t today.

“It’s one of them where even at half-time I felt we were in control but players were still taking far too many touches of the ball.