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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…
Charlton boss Lee Bowyer has been discussing his side’s fortunes without the talismanic Lyle Taylor.
The Montserrat international – who is one of the Championship’s top scorers with five goals to his name – looks set to be missing for around two months after picking up an injury on international duty recently.
In his absence, the Addicks have lost games against Birmingham and Wigan while also failing to find the back of the net even once – the south Londoners are definitely struggling without their No.9 up front.
What did he say?
Bowyer told The News Shopper: “He’s a big part of us, but he’s not everything.
“We have good players. Tomer (Hemed), he’s looking sharper, fitter and stronger, but we have to give him game time, he’s getting better.
“Macauley (Bonne), he’s working hard and improving, his movement’s better, his hold up play and general play, his finishing, it’s all getting better.
“We’re moving in the right direction regarding Lyle’s replacement. We miss him, but we’ll be OK I’m sure.”
Motivating words won’t paper over the cracks
It’s pretty simple – Charlton were excellent with Taylor in the side, and they’ve been fruitless without him.
The aforementioned record with the 29-year-old in the team and the one without him in the side is pretty damning, and while Bowyer is an excellent man-manager and a great motivator, he can’t rely on what he’s done in the past with improving players in the time Taylor is out.
His comments sound as if he is trying to instil belief and faith into his other players, but the Addicks boss has to find a solution beyond those means.
Whether that means changing to a 4-3-2-1 instead of a 4-3-1-2 formation, or handing summer signing Macauley Bonne a chance – he’s been given just two substitute appearances so far – Bowyer must look for a solution other than to heap praise on players and pray they improve.
That seemed to work in League One, when he took over a side sitting 9th with one win in their last eight games, but the Championship is a different animal.
Losing a striker with five goals in six games would hurt any side, let alone a newly-promoted one, so Bowyer simply needs to step up beyond praising his other players and find someone or something that can cover Taylor whilst he is out injured, whether that be a player who hasn’t featured much thus far or a totally new system.
