I don’t really like sitting behind my keyboard suggesting someone should lose their job but as a stakeholder, 40 year season ticket holder, sometime shareholder and North Stand patron, Ive had enough of Nigel and its time for a change. If it were me, I would take out Ged Roddy too.
The football has been turgid, clueless and the team heartless. The recruitment with the exception of Elliott Lee has been poor. We haven’t replaced Aneke and Millar properly and so removed a lot of our attacking capability. Famewo plays like a cross between Franz Beckenbauer and Frank Spencer whilst Matthews and Gunter just haven’t played well.
For Nigel, the results and our League position speak for themselves . He has to go. I don’t know anything about Ged Roddy but coincidentally met someone last weekend who knew him from his days at Team Bath- he was very negative about his capabilities and suggested that success would be very difficult to achieve with Roddy’s hand on the tiller. It was suggested that our ex player, Matt Taylor, the Exeter manager, who worked with Roddy at Bath would have an interesting opinion. Anyway, regardless of that, once again for Roddy too the results say it all.
What would I do if I were the manager ?
I would immediately revert to 4-4-2 and play that every week. I would put Stockley back in the team and play him alongside Washington. Playing Davison in front of your only proven goal scorer is stupid.
In the middle, I would bring Dobson back to be the ball winner, he’s limited but he’s energetic and aggressive. I’d play DJ on one wing and maybe CBT on the other and tell them to get down the flanks relentlessly and lob balls into the box. Then I’d play Lee alongside Dobson. At the back, I’d bring back Purrington, he’s not a Championship left back but he is a proper League 1 left back. I’d drop Famewo and bring back Pearcey. I know that’s controversial but we are in the relegation zone, we need a fighter, a leader someone who does the basics right. Right back is a problem, I think Matthews is the better player but he’s had a complete nightmare so far this season. Lavelle and MacG pick themselves. On the bench I’d have Gilbey, Leko, Arter, Famewo and Gunter.
Just as another aside, for future recruitment at this level, I wouldn’t recruit anyone who plays international football whether that’s for Wales, N. Ireland, Eire or Montserrat. It’s impossible to play a settled team when the likes of Washington, Gunter and Arter are repeatedly away on International duty and frequently return knackered. The decision of Lyle Taylor to play football for Montserrat ( population 5,000) actually got us relegated from the Championship. It’s all very well when you are in the Premier League and have loads of those sorts of players but we , very obviously, do not.
I guess the problem for Thomas getting rid of Nigel is the length of his contract and potential pay off, however, if we carry on with him in charge relegation to League 2 seems a real possibility.
By the way, did I dream this but didn’t we beat Plymouth 6-0 away near the end of last season and they are now top of this division – how did that happen ???
I think for Nigel, who seems like a thoroughly nice, positive person, walking is great and now is the time to walk away.
Albury Addick 
Interesting to note that so far Ged Roddy has flown under the radar . Surely , as Director of Fottball , he should be held directly responsible for the poor close season transfer dealings . He should be replaced . I have a degree of sympathy for Nigel Adkins ,or I did until this weekend , whereupon with considerable prep and training time , managed to produce no improvement in performance . It’s quite clear something isn’t quite right.etc
Agree totally
Couldn’t agree more. I would also like a few questions answered. 1) How do we keep having ‘really good training sessions (according to Nigel) and then perform abysmally. Seems that we might have some decent players but just not a team! 2) Under Bowyer the players were, at the very least, very fit. And some pride. Why do the current squad always begin to flag after about 20mins and by the middle of the second half look absolutely knackered. Who is supposed to be making sure this doesn’t happen? 3) For someone who has been in the game for a long time and tasted success why does Nigel keep showing us that he seems clueless about tactics? 4) FINALLY….why do we have to keep hearing excuses…..come on…tell us how it is….we’ve been watching the game (me since 1968) to know a little about the game. We would all appreciate a lot more honesty.
Do the right thing Nigel and walk…please
Difficult to know for sure where the problems are as individual players are good for this division….we don’t seem to meld as a team apart from a few brief spells, then it seems that confidence fades once thing go wrong….yesterday it was Elliot Lee getting injured that changed things.
Unfortunately NA got the changes wrong, badly wrong!
How he kept Kirk on for the whole game is baffling ….he looked totally inept and hasn’t had a decent game for us yet.
Why Washington wasn’t brought on is a mystery, he is always full of running and doesn’t give the ball away easily.
Certainly for Tuesdays crunch match….another must win game….beef up the midfield with Dobson, why he isn’t being picked is to me frustrating, yes agreed Pearce back also with DJ and Leko on the wings.
Agree with you again regarding Purrington, defends with commitment and good going forward,
It’ll be up to NA of course and hopefully we’ll get a win and a draw at Sunderland and grow in confidence as a team.
How long Nigel has left depends on results in the next two months…..then it will be decision time.
Been saying for ages the faults this season must be laid solely at the managements door.Adkins should have gone (either resigned or sacked) 6 weeks ago, while the current squad had a decent chance of contesting for a promotion place.
Let’s be honest,the majority of the squad consists of players that are of a good enough standard to compete for a top four place in League 1.There are of course 3 or 4 exceptions,and we could all probably agree with who they are,based on performances this term.
Leadership,direction, settled formations and tactics, are the key to success. None of which the squad has had so far this season.
I think results will go against ourn after Lincoln the rest of this week. So if Adkins aint ahrt by next Sunday there will protests dahn our gaff. I’ve already made up a Nigel Ahrt banner would never ave done this under King Lee but Adkins is turnin into another Pardew who can’t walk the walk so the owner as to get im ahrt.
Very good article it is not working from top to bottom. Bring in someone to run the club with football experience (Curbs) as director of football replace Adkins replace with up and coming young manager or give Steve brown a go on a short contract if he does well extend it.I do not think Jackson or euell are the answer.
I feel so sorry for our terrific supporters who have to put up with so much dross week in and week out. I am a subscriber to Charlton TV and I think the team with Curbs Minto Brownie Terry and Greg is great listening. I cannot say that I enjoyed the last 70 minutes of the Lincoln match as the game changed immediately Elliott Lee went off. He was showing the correct way to do things on the pitch. It looks extremely bleak this season as being in the relegation places is not the place to be for this great proud club. Adkins out now for me. COYR
The squad on an individual basis by and large look to be more than good enough to be in the top 6 of this league. It is clear however that after a dozen league matches there is no sign of the 11 selected to start, or those who come on as substitutes, have any obvious game plan or ability to change. I don’t know what or if NA has a plan, other than appearing to concentrate on the Papa John’s Trophy, to compete with some of the very ordinary looking sides in League 1 this year. I cannot see the current management surviving into 2022 unless there is a drastic change in performances and results.
No more Mr Nice Guy. Yes Nigel must go.
He pleads everyone’s working hard, clearly unaware that working productively is what we’re looking for. Dropping Stockley because he wanted to stop the long ball game was simply derisory. No clear strategy; tactics on the hoof, poor selections, wrong substitutions and frequently too late. All this and a spate of games where games were lost in added time. Alex Ferguson would have chucked more than a hairdryer at this lot including the manager. After 67 years an Addicks’ fan I’m used to disappointment and shattered hopes. But so many of our current woes are self-inflicted. Jacko and Jason may or may not be the solution but at least they understand the game from A-Z. Thomas didn’t make his millions by being soft-headed. He needs to cut his losses well before relegation looms and while the maths suggest there’s still time (just) to make the top six.
Its definitely time for Nigel to go its clear there is a problem and for what ever the reason he’s not got the answer he seems dead against playing 4 4 2 which is our strongest option with the squad we have Stockley is a proven goal scorer but needs service from the wings play him alongside Washington on a regular basis and you have a decent partnership Charlton could be a powerhouse in this division but not under Nigel……sorry but a win means 3 points and we’re not getting them.
Football management isn’t rocket science – it’s largely about common sense and playing players in their best position and dropping them when they don’t perform.
There has been more common sense written in this article and other similar ones recently than I’ve heard from NA all season. He had his honeymoon period at the end of last season managing Bowyer’s squad – that proved a false dawn. The reality of his limited ability and shambolic team changes means he has been ‘found out’ and sadly for him, must go asap.
It will be ugly at the Valley tomorrow if we lose to the mighty Accrington Stanley – and if we do manage a win it will only delay the inevitable….
Do the right thing Nigel and go now – please….