Lee Bowyer was pleased with his team’s “professional performance” after they beat Doncaster Rovers 2-0 at The Valley today.
The Charlton manager’s full interview with Lee Bowyer will be available on Valley Pass later this evening.
Below are some of the talking points.
On the win...
"I thought it was a good performance, a professional performance. I think we could have scored more goals so I think the result was fair.
"It’s not far of our performance against Barnsley because Doncaster are a good side. I said that before we played, I said that all week, I’ve been telling the players we have to respect them. They’ve got players that can hurt you. We competed, we won individual battles, they worked hard as a team which is the most important thing and moved the ball well. Once we scored that settled us down a bit. We were scrappy at the beginning but after that we were comfortable.
"To score two, hit the post, their keeper made a couple of good saves, set pieces they defended them quite well at times because our delivery into the box was very good. On another day we could have had five or six, does it disappoint me? No, because the most important thing is that we got a clean sheet. I think that is good for Jed (Steer). He made a good save in the first five minutes to keep it at 0-0. Three points and then we go Tuesday."
On Lyle Taylor's fitness...
"Lyle shouldn’t have played. I begged the physio yesterday, ‘look, just give him to me Saturday and that’s it’. I said to him ‘can you give me an hour?’ He said ‘I’ll try’.He shouldn’t have played really. He’s put his body on the line. He will have a break (with the FA Cup game and potentially the international break) and just try and sort the injury out. Ben Reeves got a knock when he made that block in and around the edge of the box when he was just about to shoot and Anfernee (Dijksteel) came off with a tight hamstring. You don’t want anyone injured at any time but unfortunately you get injuries. We have a game Tuesday but I knew the situation regarding Lyle. I’m just hoping that Anfernee is ok and obviously Reeves."
On Joe Aribo, who scored the Addicks opener...
"It means everything (to have him in the team). Joe knows how I feel about him, he knows I love him. As a person he’s a great lad and he wants to learn. He’s a young lad, he’s got so much ability. I don’t know how many times I’ve sat here and said how good he is and how good he can be. I’m grateful to have him in my side. I think he’s grateful to be playing because he didn’t play much last season. Now he’s playing well, he scored another goal and he’s learning and that’s the most important thing. When you’re young and you have people like myself and Jacko teaching him and improving him as a player, then that is good for him and his career."
The Charlton manager’s full interview with Lee Bowyer will be available on Valley Pass later this evening