Louis Mendez’s big-match verdict on Charlton’s Boxing Day defeat….season is over before transfer window even opens

There’s a notorious 2013 post from the official Manchester United account on social media platform X that is regularly reshared when the Red Devils find themselves in their latest malaise. In it, then United boss David Moyes reasons that his side “must improve in a number of areas – including passing, creating chances and defending”.

Emulating Manchester United was unthinkable for the Addicks for many years. Well, they’ve cracked it now. The passing was wayward. They didn’t create enough chances.

Let’s talk about the so-called defending for the goal in a bit once we’ve all had a brew and calmed down.

The Boxing Day defeat at Leyton Orient may have been a first defeat in eight League One outings but it’s the sort of soft result that has been coming for a few weeks.

The O’s are not a strong outfit. The fact that Charlton had actually kept their latest clean sheet in the period since the O’s had last won a league match on home turf sums up how bad their form had been at Brisbane Road.

Orient’s last home triumph was in early October against a wretched Reading side. Charlton’s last shutout later that month came against the same opponents. Only Carlisle United have kept fewer clean sheets than the Addicks’ three in League One.

Orient were so toothless for large spells that it looked like that next clean sheet was going to be a late Christmas gift. But this Charlton side always finds a way.

Addicks head coach Michael Appleton bemoaned the habit of conceding goals as soon as opponents exert “10-minute spells” of pressure on his backline. Charlton wilted after about three minutes of it in the closing stages in east London. That half of the team contributed to the calamity just highlighted the inability to handle any type of burden.

Tennai Watson might have stopped the original cross. Michael Hector’s horribly sliced clearance left Ashley Maynard-Brewer (pictured top) to punch away weakly. Scott Fraser’s punt at least cleared the box, but Corey Blackett-Taylor gifted it straight back to the hosts. Tayo Edun’s excuse for a challenge was no deterrent to Dan Agyei, who squared for an unmarked Omar Beckles to sweep home.

You don’t have to do a lot to break this Charlton side. Carlisle, Cambridge, Burton and now Orient are all among the lowest scorers in the third tier.

They have all managed to hit the net when faced with Charlton’s gutless resistance.

There are eight teams in League One who average less than a goal per game – seven of them still scored against Charlton.

We’ve come to terms with Charlton’s aversion to keeping the ball out of their net. They’ve looked listless going forward in the last couple and that is equally concerning.

They did not put together their own 10-minute spell of pressure at Brisbane Road. A couple of chances in quick succession came and went for Fraser and May in the first half. Blackett-Taylor forced Sol Brynn into a save late on. But that was it.

Any leveller would have been papering over the cracks and their attacking set-pieces are a waste of time for all concerned.

This season is over. Charlton are 14 points off the top six and they don’t have enough about them to overturn that.

There’s a lot of problems in SE7 that need addressing in the January window. The rebuild starts here. Again. That phrase enjoys the same permanency amongst Charlton fans as that Manchester United tweet has enjoyed over the years for everyone else.

STAR MAN
The reaction the supporters gave the side at full-time. Sometimes they need telling and they got both barrels.

BEST MOMENT
Lloyd Jones. Nobody in an Addicks shirt won more tackles or aerial duels.