Charlton Athletic 1 v Bolton Wanderers 4

I am just home, tired, wet and thoroughly demoralised. I want my bed but I know that I won't sleep until I get this off my chest. Tonight must surely be the last game in charge for Nigel Adkins. If it is not, I will begin to suspect that Thomas Sandgaard isn't quite what he appears to be and that he is trying to bluff his way through this season and possibly his ownership.

Let me be clear, I do not hold Adkins wholly responsible for the dire trouble we find ourselves in and getting shot of him won't necessarily solve all of our problems. Those look deeper and more fundamental. We are ten games in and there should be no doubt that we are in a relegation battle and look like relegation candidates. You can say whatever you like about the squad but all the evidence is that we are nowhere good enough for League One.

Tonight's game started brightly enough. For the first time this season we looked in control and held it together for most of the first half. Corey Blackett-Taylor justified his start and within 12 minutes we were one -up. Another surging run and cross found Davison inside the six yard area and his volley beat Dixon with ease. After that we looked good attacking with ease and managing the midfield and defence, although once again, we were still short on clear-cut chances. I said to my mate that we had to get the second goal because we were slowing down and inviting an equaliser once again. Within a couple of minutes Bolton were level and half-time looming. 

In the second-half we simply wilted once again. The urgency was gone. Blackett-Taylor looked shot. Jonathan Leko took a knock and Washington was brought on, not that you have noticed over the next 30 minutes. Sean Clare and Ben Watson went missing and Bolton stepped into the gap. On 73 minutes we were opened up like a can of beans and Kieran Lee fired Bolton in front.

There was no response. Nothing. We just kicked off again, half-heartedly and the match was over. No leadership, no fire, no ownership. Gilbey came on for Clare and he went into hiding. Before the end we had the ridiculous substitution of Stockley for Watson. The midfield may have lost us the game but with Washington and Davison hardly seeing the ball, I am not sure what Adkins was thinking by taking a man out of the midfield. Bolton had walked a third in by then but it was very clear that we weren't coming back from this and no surprise when they scored a fourth which flattered them over the course of the evening but they deserved their win.

We cannot continue with Adkins in charge. He is getting no meaningful response from these players. Nothing he is trying is working. The club is being humiliated almost every week and we are in big, big trouble.

The longer this has gone on and the more we have seen of these players, it looks very much like our Summer rebuilding has been disastrous. We used to talk about bringing players to this club with the right mentality above all else. Players who often had something to prove. Players who were going to knuckle down and fight. Players with grit and attitude. Occasionally we got a bit of flair or real quality as well. Looking at the latest crop we seem desperately short of those qualities and it's hard to see who changes it. 

Ged Roddy has to answer for this. The scientific player analysis seems to have failed quite spectacularly. Stats may be useful but not sure how you measure heart and soul. We seem desperately short of it. I think everyone will now acknowledge it was all too late but the next booming question is just what quality have we brought in? It seems increasing clear too, that half of them are still not fully fit - it's October on Friday. That is disgraceful and an indictment on the club.

Ten games gone. Six meagre points from thirty (6 from 30). Three defeats away and three at home. It is not good enough by a country mile and someone has to do something. Thomas Sandgaard needs to step up to the plate and act. He also needs to address the recruitment piece and satisfy himself we aren't simply going to play musical chairs with the manager because the players aren't good enough.