Bowyer: "In the first game the most important thing is getting the three points and a clean sheet, so it’s good"

Lee Bowyer was pleased to see his side take three points back to London following a 2-0 win at Crewe but feels there is opportunity for improvement.

Alfie Doughty and Conor Washington netted for the Addicks and speaking to the press after the game Bowyer said he was pleased to see his side keep a clean sheet.

Bowyer's full press interview will be available on Valley Pass later this evening.

He said: "We won 2-0 and we played okay. I do expect us to be a lot better than that. But in the first game the most important thing is getting the three points and a clean sheet so it’s good."

Bowyer praised Doughty and Alex Gilbey for their part in the opening goal but bemoaned his side not taking advantage of the other chances created in the opening 45.

"Alex has got that vision and Alfie took it well. The frustrating thing is that we had the opportunity to do it maybe five or six times in the first half. But we didn’t make or take care of the pass.

"We won the ball high up the pitch so many times with stuff that we’d worked on but once you win that ball you have to punish them and we should have been three or four up at half time."

17-year-old Charlie Barker impressed in his first league start and Bowyer was quick to single him out for praise.

"He did really well. It’s a gamble playing a kid in a real game and in my eyes this was the first real game that we’ve played him in. I didn’t want to play him at centre half because I didn’t think it was fair on him against a big feller but I thought lets try him out there [as a fullback]. We could have changed shape if we needed to with the players that we started with."

With talks of a takeover rumbling on, the manager insisted that while it's on his mind, he is continuing to focus more on what's happening on the pitch.

"It’s driving me crazy, we just need the go ahead because we’ve got players lined up and we just can’t sign anyone at the moment, it’s driving me mad. But, it’s a good opportunity for players like Charlie and like I’ve said the previous two games, he has done himself no harm. He’s done really well and he’ll play again Tuesday.

"I might hear things slightly [earlier] but I try and stay out of it. This is more important to me than the takeover. Obviously that’s massive for me! But, I have to prepare. I can’t keep sidetracked with what’s going on off the pitch I have to keep the players focused. I just want it to happen quickly so that we can start re-building."

Finally, Bowyer admitted that he was looking forward to the test of West Ham in the EFL cup on Tuesday night.

"I’m looking forward to it," he said, "I’ve never played there, I’ve been to watch games there but to do it this side, the playing side, it’ll hopefully be nice and a good test for the players. Coming back from lockdown it will be good to test these players and see what the difference is and what they do differently to us so it’s a good learning curve."

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