Turkish Delight

A former Charlton academy player showed what we were missing on Saturday. Oztumer aka the Turkish Messi, ran his socks off and put in a really good performance including a goal resulting from a perfectly time run. The shortest player on the pitch headed home to equalise in the first half.

It was a real pleasure to see him play and sad that we let him go allegedly on the basis that he was too small. Looked alright to me !

Our goal and a couple of near misses aside the first half wasn’t good. It was the away team the showed us how to play in a fast, quick passing manner allied to good movement.

Our build was so slow and many times the ball was played backwards and across our own area. Walsall did what a lot of teams do and sat back to a degree allowing us the ball in our own third. Orchestrated by the aforementioned Oztumer we often struggled to get the ball forward comfortably.

Some have defended this approach citing that when the opposition sets up like this it makes it difficult for us to play as we'd like. What ? Then we need to change our approach or play like Walsall did and pass and move quicker. 

We looked like the away team for long periods of that first 45 minutes.

The second half was an altogether better affair. The catalyst for that was Fosu. For him it was like he’d never been away – for those of us who’ve had to watch some pretty ordinary stuff of late we certainly knew he had !

He brought more drive and energy to the team. Fosu in combination with Mavididi could be fun if they continue like that. He seemed to spark the whole team.

Aribo has another good game and Robinson ought to be embarrassed that he didn’t give him his opportunity earlier in the season.

Marshall was marginally better than I’d seen of late and delivered a few good crosses. I won’t get carried away as he still struggled to beat his man and often lost the ball unnecessarily.

Magennis again squandered chances to score and I’m amazed he doesn’t draw more criticism as a result. It’s what his main role is. I know he wins headers but he ought to shouldn’t he ?

Reeves wasn't pulling up any trees but was doing ok in a central role before Robinson strangely decided to move him out wide. Maybe as Robinson gets to know the player he won't make the same mistake again !

When he plays ( when doesn’t he ! ) pretty much all goal kicks, kicks from the keeper and long balls are directed his way. That would be ok to an extent if we had others feeding off him but it rarely happens because we are seemingly not set up to prosper from it.

We keep doing it though ! Robinson said Josh needed a rest. Well, give it to him then man !  We might just discover something a whole lot better.

The squad is slowly recovering and with reinforcements expected this week there is no hiding place if we don’t maintain a winning run against teams in the lower half of the league.

We have today added Michal Zyro a Polish striker come wide man on loan from Wolves. I'm given to understand that he is some player who career has stalled a bit following an injury.  Sounds as though once he gets fit he'll be an exciting player to watch !

No point in discussing any takeover as rumour and speculation are rife but there is a distinct absence of anything else. Nothing of any real substance to report so it’s best to wait until Roly has sold up, packed his bags and then rejoice that that particular nightmare is over !