Four takeaways from Charlton’s 3-2 home loss against Morecambe: This Addicks side has no personality and can’t defend
Charlton slipped to a seventh home defeat of the season as relegation-threatened Morecambe ran out 3-2 winners on Saturday. Here’s Louis Mendez’s four takeaways from The Valley.
ANOTHER HUMBLING DAY
Morecambe arrived in SE7 with the worst away record in the league – they left with all three points for the second year in a row.
Charlton fans have been served up some real dross at times this year but that first-half is right down there with the worst of them. The Shrimps led early through Cole Stockton and really should have been two to the good before Jes Rak-Sakyi squared proceedings on the stroke of half-time.
The Addicks were so careless in possession before the break you could be forgiven for assuming they weren’t just already on the beach but had also started sampling their holiday cocktails.
The start of the second-half was better, with the Addicks camped in Morecambe territory. But that makes the fact they managed to concede two further goals just either side of the hour-mark even worse. Derek Adams’ side, who’d scored just 12 goals on the road all season upped their tally by 25% in one afternoon and didn’t have to work hard for those strikes.
The Addicks rallied and got one back through Scott Fraser 10 minutes from time, but they couldn’t find a leveller. This season really can’t end soon enough. The only downside – the next one will soon come along.
DEFENSIVE PROBLEMS (AGAIN)
We’ve been here before. Only seven sides have conceded more than the Addicks (62) in League One. Only five sides have kept fewer clean sheets (9). Only two have fewer at home (4).
All three goals were preventable. Aaron Henry lost possession for the first, with Stockton unleashing a wonder strike from range.
Steven Sessegnon was beaten too easily by Weir on the far side for the second. The cross was then bent in behind Michael Hector and Sean Clare – replays showing the latter being caught criminally ball-watching for what isn’t the first time this season. Hector also allowed Stockton to slip in behind him and Ashley Maynard-Brewer’s indecisive goalkeeping topped it all off.
The third was poor as well. Sean Clare stood so far off Stockton as he wound up to shoot he may as well have been sat in the Covered End. Sessegnon was, as Dean Holden put it, doing his best impression of a “mannequin” rather than reacting to the goalkeeper’s parry. Amateur hour.
PERSONALITY
This side lacks character. And characters. There’s no strong connection with the fanbase. And there seems to be a dearth of leadership on the pitch. Yesterday’s first-half stunk of a side with an inability to react to a set-back.
And the stats back that up. Charlton are winless this season in games in which they’ve fallen behind. That’s 22 times. They’ve come back to draw just six. Only Forest Green, who are rock bottom, and weirdly Barnsley – who have only fallen behind 12 times this season though – have rescued fewer points from losing positions.
Add to that, the disconnect between the squad and support that we’ve seen over the last few weeks – Macauley Bonne’s Instagram indiscretions, players cupping their ears towards their own fans after goals, especially coming days after the way they threw the towel in at Portman Road last week – it really is a tough side to get behind.
Agreed Tom. Apathy sets in but that was infuriating. This squad really have a lack of relationship with the fans and the conduct of them across the board has a lot to do with it
— carlbratton (@cbratton84) April 22, 2023
PAPERING OVER THE CRACKS
Five wins in the last nine games had lifted the mood in recent weeks but it’s worth noting who they came against. Morecambe, currently 21st, Cambridge 22nd, Shrewsbury 13th, Burton 18th and Milton Keynes in 19th.
Holden has been able to find ways to beat sides who are struggling – that wasn’t necessarily the case earlier in this campaign and clearly wasn’t yesterday. But there’s a lot of dross in League One and anyone getting carried away by the recent run has been dealt some timely reminders that Charlton are a bang average mid-table side.
They’ll win the odd game here and there; you don’t get into mid-table without winning some at least. But they get swept aside by the top sides like Ipswich and are well capable of off days like at Bristol Rovers or yesterday. There is still so much work to do.
PHOTOS: PAUL EDWARDS
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I am John Morris (jontymorris5@gmail.com) i was born in 1947 the year we won the fa cup 75 years ago & i have been a supporter for 65 years after i went to Brighton with my dad when i was 10 years old. I had a season ticket for most of that time until i became disabled & found the north stand & the steps too difficult to use and now follow on my c omputer . I agree that this is not a great start to the season if our only job is to gain promotion. Don’t take this wrong i have stood as a counsellor for the valley party & put leaflettes through every door on the glyndon eststate, went to council meetings, and beat my adersary in the local elections to stop our ground becoming another housing estate. I am still that supporter even my blood is red!!! As i cannot get to matches i support them in any way i can, i spent most of my 50 years working with children who needed help with their behaviour and home & i bought tickets for three chidren to come and watch us play at home as i wanted them to see how our players battled to win matches and to show them how it can happen if they control what is happening when they feel they are losing. Even though it is hard to walk far i can see charlton in front of me.
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