MICHAEL Appleton didn’t pull any punches after admitting his Charlton side weren’t at the races in the first half of today’s scoreless draw at Shrewsbury.
The Addicks struggled to cope with the hosts in the opening 45 minutes and were probably fortunate to go in at the break still on level terms.
Harry Isted made some decent stops, noticably late in the first half when his quick thinking denied Tom Flanagan.
Appleton was pleased to see a big improvement after the interval, but it was the slack start which drew the new SE7 manager’s ire afterwards.
He told Charlton TV: “From our point of view, certainly the positive is our performance in the second half.
“It was chalk and cheese, day and night – we looked more on the front foot, we were more aggressive.
“Obvisouly we kept the ball better, created chances and made the goalkeeper make saves.
“Whereas in the first half, we were non-existent and that disappoints me, surprises me a little bit.
“But at the same time, obviously it gives me a little bit more information on one or two players.”
Appleton added: “I’ve mentioned it two or three times – it is the physicality.
“The reality is I’m sort of getting close I suppose to knowing what hopefully my best XI is at this moment in time.
“The pleasing thing is the players that have come off the bench have made an impact the majority of the time when we’ve done that and made us better.
“Like I say, the first half I can’t take that, I can’t accept that.I made the players aware of that at half-time.
“This is men’s football. I know we’ve got a young group but ultimately we have to take responsibility when we cross that line.
“They are only small details but if we keep getting small details wrong they obviously turn into a big thing.
“It was one of them where we led a charmed life at times towards the end of that first half especially.
“But in the second half it was like watching a different side. It was probably more how I expected the game to go and thought the game might go.”
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