Charlton Athletic Online

My Beautiful Friend

2011-09-20T12:52:00.004+01:00

The League One table makes for very nice reading at the moment, with Charlton sitting pretty at the top; unbeaten in eight league games (with six wins and two draws), the Addicks even have a game in hand on several of their closest rivals. And this, after Charlton were dealt a fairly tough opening set of fixtures to the new season.

It does make one proud!

The away form has been excellent, with four wins on the trot. Since my last post, victory over Bury (2-1) and Rochdale (3-2) has been accomplished, with both games close. Both required Charlton to show some fight, the first after going behind for the first time this season, and the last game (on Saturday) when a two-goal lead disappeared soon after half-time. It does seem that the days of Charlton rolling over when the going gets tough are behind us, for a while at last!

Home form has been rather more patchy, with another two-goal lead being relinquished in the draw with Scunthorpe; if this game had been seen out (it was a very late equaliser), Charlton would be clear at the top and not simply ahead of Sheffield United on alphabetical order. Another draw came in the televised game with Sheffield Wednesday, who played in the spirit of their manager Gary Megson - all huff and puff and bowling over anyone who stood in their way. It was slightly disappointing to be pegged back again after Bradley Wright-Phillipps early strike, but it did look like both managers would settle for a point apiece quite a way before the end. After that, a win came against Exeter but not with some controversy. Even after watching it on TV, I do not know it Danny Nardiello’s toe-poke crossed the goal-line, but he was just plain stupid to issue a series of expletives to the linesman some minutes later. It was the same way that Garry Nelson got his red card at The Valley about twenty years ago and the walk back to the changing rooms must be pretty long when you realise how silly you have been. The win still had to be earned, and goals from BWP and Dale Stephens got us home against the ten-men.

In the Carling Cup, the terrific performance against Reading by eleven reserves was confounded when the same team performed badly against Preston. Only a few of that side (Evina, Euell, anyone else?) came out of it with any plus-marks, and some had very poor games (Francis comes to mind). It is unlikely that the team would have progressed much further, and maybe their collective heads had dropped since even after a great performance none were able to force their way into the (league) first team?

While all the talk last year was of the squad taking time to gel, we now have 19 new signings and nobody mentioning any similarity. They are told how the manager wants them to play, have bonded well, and go about their business in the right manner. We will lose this season, it is just a matter of time, but from the evidence so far, the heart is there and heads should not drop after one loss.

I have been mightily impressed by Danny Hollands, and his midfield play – tackling, harrying, taking the easy pass – has been excellent so far; the two headed goals he scored at Rochdale were bonuses I think, and he won’t get too many more all season. I suppose we just have to hope he doesn’t fall asleep in the middle of a game now he has newly-borne triplets (all girls) to look after and care for.

The centre of defence has been solid too, and you wouldn’t really want to meet Michael Morrison or Matt Taylor in a dark alley late at night, even though I’m sure both are lovely chaps!

Up front, Paul Hayes is settling in, and I think all he needs is a home goal or two to settle the crowd in his favour. It does annoy me sometimes that we have players who play terrifically well, making goals for others, and scoring at away grounds, but unless they hit a Valley net, there is always a question mark about them. BWP will get more goals having Hayes alongside him, and provided he stays fit and manages his knees well, he looks a sure fire bet to pas the twenty-goal mark.

The difference in the team is astounding from what we saw earlier this year and the Board and management must take a huge amount of pride and pleasure from seeing them do so well. Long may it continue!

Which brings me to the point in time where I can break some news about something that will not be continuing – this blog.

I have had six happy years bashing away at the keyboard, adding opinion to previews and reviews of games, but these posts have become fewer and fewer over the last 15 months or so. My love for Charlton has not diminished, but my love for typing has a little! With other commitments to the fore, something has to give and so I feel it is time to formally close Charlton Athletic Online to new posts. I will leave it up online for posterity, as many Addicks fans (and others) do seem to search out bits and pieces that I have included over the years.

There are many other fabulous blogs about Charlton – many listed on the right hand side of this page – and they have more time than I do to continue with their writing. I read most of them daily, which is possibly one reason why I have less time to write my own posts! I will from now on merely add comments to their posts as and when I feel the urge!

It’s been fun doing this – from the Premiership, to the Championship, to League One. Today’s team have some ability to start our journey in the opposite direction.

Lots of love

Pedro45

Come on you Addicks!

Between the Lines

2011-08-24T12:42:00.002+01:00

Charlton Athletic 2 Reading 1

I finally got to see my beloved boys in a game this season, and was rewarded with a battling victory on my birthday. It’s funny that while everyone was remarking on how many new players we had in the squad this season, by my reckoning some seven made their full debuts last night. Ben Hamer came into the goalkeepers slot, while Yado Mambo finally started a match at centre half, with Cedric Evina at left back. Danny Green played wide right, and Ruben Bover wide left, with Bradley Pritchard and Andy Hughes in centre midfield. Add to these the first full game for Jason Euell since he rejoined Charlton and it was an astonishing eleven to kick off with.

Suffice to say, the start was incredible, and with 200 seconds, I thought both teams could have scored three times each! Paul Benson was put through by Green’s long throw (which said something about Reading’s pre-match knowledge about him…) but blasted over, then Reading saw two very dangerous crosses turned away for corners, before Euell and Green both broke free but saw their shots blocked. Reading then saw a header cleared off the line, so it was pretty amazing that the scores remained deadlocked.

Charlton bossed midfield, with Pritchard and Bover full of running and Hughes all bustle and involvement but with two opposition wingers to manage, Simon Francis and Evina had their hands full and Francis did get beaten all too easily on occasions.

The first goal finally came when Benson nipped in on a loose ball, and poked toward goal, only for the ‘keeper to half save it and then see the ball trickle slowly over the line.

Well worth the lead, Charlton played some delightful stuff, with everyone seemingly keen on pushing for a first eleven starting place this Saturday.

Benson went off very early in the second half, with what looked like a dislocated finger, and Scott Wagstaff came on to play a striker support role. Green was hugely influential and came close to scoring, as did Wagstaff himself, and the two linked well down the right.

It was from that side that the second goal came, as Waggy and Green linked with Francis who put in a great cross for Euell to nod home amid much delight. It was Jason’s first goal since his return to the Addicks a couple of weeks ago.

More goals threatened, but would not come, and being Charlton, it was Reading who took advantage and reduced the arrears. Gary Doherty, whose lack of pace had been overcome as the game progressed, went off with a slight ankle problem, but his replacement - Michael Morrison – did not have time to settle before a corner was swung over and the ball was stabbed home high into the net off (I think) Hughes. This Charlton team do seem to have set-play issues, and further pressure came as the corner count increased. Church missed with one close range header when he should have scored, and Hamer had to be alert several times to keep his goal intact.

Bover ran himself into the ground and went off with five minutes left, and Chris Solly, his replacement allowed some easing of the pressure through cool play. The referee took some stick as he made some strange decisions and Chris Powell had to return to the dug out in order to save himself from punishment as he swore at the fourth official (for which he immediately apologised it has to be said) as the game climaxed. Charlton hung on, and now meet Preston next Tuesday.

I was very impressed with the overall fitness of the team, especially Pritchard and Bover who I did not think would have that strength yet. Mambo won many good headers against a very strong forward line, and Green played many delightful balls until he faded in the last ten minutes or so (when he seemed to be trying for the killer ball rather than just retaining possession). As for Euell, well, it just didn’t seem as if he’d ever been away!

The T in Charlton

2011-08-19T11:57:00.003+01:00

Three out of three and another, on paper, winnable game for Charlton tomorrow, in what is turning out to be an excellent start to the new season. The midweek victory over Colchester was comfortable, after a superb first half display from the Addicks. Bradley Wright-Phillips weighed in with both goals, the first (left) after a quick break and an exchange of passes with Scott Wagstaff,. And the second turning in Johnnie Jackson’s cross after Paul Hayes flicked it on. Despite his best efforts, and he had a few, BWP couldn’t quite get that third goal he craved, but at least he is off the mark for the season now.

The defence was called into work for the second half, much as they were at Notts County, and we should, I suppose, expect some teams to come looking to kick us if we continue with a smart passing game. While previous Charlton teams may have shyed at such a physical confrontation, this team has much more resolve it seems, and stood successfully up once more to a minor battering.

Maybe that is the difference this year - we have a team, and not just a bunch of individuals?

Scunthorpe arrive at The Valley after a poor start to the season, with just two points from their three games so far, and do not look like they have the same bounce-backability that they had when last in this league. They will be hard to defeat, and may relish the chance to play someone whom they are not expected to beat – this will be no roll-over I suggest.

Two Charlton players will be coming up against former team-mates – Andy Hughes, who came on as sub on Tuesday making his debut, and Paul Hayes – and they will both want to play well I’m sure. Hughes time with The Iron was short, but Hayes made his name at the club, and provided a constant stream of goal-scoring opportunities for players like Martin Paterson without getting many plaudits. Hopefully Hayes can continue in that vein and provide BWP with more goals while stepping up and knocking a few in himself.

Charlton are likely to be unchanged once more, provided there are no injuries from the midweek game or from training, with Danny Green again on the bench, alongside Jason Euell, Gary Doherty, Hughes, and a sub ‘keeper.

The goalkeeper situation is the only one that may vary, as Newcastle have finally made known their offer to the Addicks for Robbie Elliot. Elliot may well therefore be playing his final game at The Valley for a while, and it will be great for him to play, and jump out of the tunnel after a victory, one last time. If he does go prior to the game, or if Chris Powell thinks that it may not be right to play him, then Ben Hamer could come in after injury, or John Sullivan may step up. Personally, I think if Elliot is around, then he should play – he is after all a Charlton fan, and he will want to do his best if it is to be his last game for the Addicks.

With just over a week to go during this transfer window, Powell has hinted that there could be quite a lot more movement, with Paul Benson and Simon Francis possibly surplus to requirements, and another striker to come in if Benson does go.

Pedro45 will once more be working and not able to attend the game, unless it rains like it did yesterday that is. It would be great to go into Tuesday’s Carling Cup game, and the first I will be able to see, unbeaten and on an extended winning run. Let’s hope so!

Come on you Reds!

County Show

2011-08-16T12:13:00.006+01:00

Two hurdles succesfully negotiated for Chris Powell (left) and his new squad, but another tough away fixture tonight at Colchester will test the team to the limits.

The win at Notts County on Saturday, which keeps the Addicks top of the table, was hard-fought, but once more Charlton played with style, and hit the home team on the break whenever they could. Scott Wagstaff opened the scoring after being put through down the right hand channel by Paul Hayes, and Hayes himself extended the lead just before half-time after Bradley Wright-Phillips crossed low for him to tap in. It was Hayes first goal for Charlton.

The team could have, and really should have, scored more but, despite County pulling one back from a set play, this Charlton held firm, and made it through to the end. In fact, so well did they defend the lead that the home side had to resort to rough house tactics, but still Charlton held. Powell has certainly changed things a bit from last season!

I was forced, once more, into looking at Twitter updates on the match, and as I was busier this Saturday than last, I had to keep checks to a minimum during my own match. Luckily tea coincides with half-time, so I was glued to Tweets during that period.

Tonight the team is away at Colchester, another game I am unable to attend, but hopefuly they will bring home all thee points once more. This will not be easy though, and it was only two years ago that Colchester burst the Addicks winning start to the season in emphatic fashion at the same venue. That night, Odejayi and Wordsworth were the brawn and brains behind the 3-0 win, and those same players will be trying for something similar tonight. Last season, the game was pretty much end-to-end with both sides coming close to winning the 3-3 draw. In fact, Paul Benson did score what looked like a fantastic winner only to have it strangely ruled out before getting himself sent off in injury time. He may not even feature tonight as Jason Euell looks like being the preferred substitute striker (how do you best balance having only five sub options?)

Without any news of injuries, we must presume that Charlton will remian unchanged again, even with Danny Green fit and raring to go after suspension. Keeping him out of the team so far has been goalscoring winger Scott Wagstaff, and Waggy has even said he might need to score in every game this season in order to retain his place. That would be fine with us fans, and even, I'm sure, with Ralph Allen and Derek Hales who currently hold the best goals in a season records for the Addicks.

A tough game then, but this is what the start ot the season was always going to be about. The season will have pitfalls, but let's hope they are not too deep and the Addicks spririt, guile and passion is enough to bring another win in Essex.

Come on you reds!

Bourne Supremacy

2011-08-10T13:04:00.004+01:00

Writing an update following Saturday's Charlton victory over Bournemouth has taken me some time, but that's no surprise when we see what else has been going on, all around the club. The riots, looting, wanton vandalism and sheer stupidness of the last few days is a sorry picture, and has somewhat taken the gloss off a fine display by the Addicks at the weekend. The obvious result of the madness was the postponement of the Carling Cup tie versus Reading, which would have been my first opportunity to see the team play this season. Sadly, that vision will have to wait a while longer, though at least I wasn't one of those that had planned flights so I could be at that game. Maybe if these numpties causing the trouble realised the waste that their actions caused, they might think again, but then what can you do with only two brain cells anyway? As somebody has said - It's easy to destroy something, but what have any of them created? What indeed!

Suffice to say that things were much quieter last night, in London at least, and various reasons are being put forward, one of which - that it's dificult to walk when you have two new right-footed trainers on - has some creedence. That, or the newly nicked TV or Playstation was taking time to set up...

Anyway, hopefully things will die down now and we can all get back to being normal Londoners and not have an embarassed look on our faces.

Back to the footie - Charlton won on Saturday courtesy of three goals: a first half finish from Dale Stephens after great work by Chris Solly; a classic 25-yard volley from Scott Wagstaff after Stephens set him up early in the second half; and a stroked penalty from Johnnie Jackson after Bradley Wright-Phillips was tripped.

Seven players made their debuts - Matt Taylor, Michael Morrison, Rhoy Wiggins, Stephens, Danny Hollands, Paul Hayes, and late substitute Bradley Pritchard - which equals the record I beleive. Possibly of more surprise was the inclusion of Robbie Elliot, but this may have been the result of a late injury to Ben Hamer rather than a change of heart by manager Chris Powell. I had to follow the match via Twitter due to being otherwise involved, but my heart was in the right place I can confirm, and I cheered every goal!

Tuesday's game would have seen Danny Green make his debut after suspension, and maybe given a chance to Andy Hughes, and some others too? With Jason Euell signing a new contract at the club today, the squad certainly has strength in depth. One of the five goalkeepers on the clubs books moved out on loan today - Nick Pope joining Harrow - and we can expect a few more departures, with Simon Francis, Conor Gough, and maybe Yado Mambo and Elliot possibly filing out of the car park before the end of August?

Saturday's game against Notts County has become a top-of-the-table clash, as they also won 3-0 on Saturday (at Carlisle), but it remains to be seen if they are any good or if it shows Carlisle to be particularly poor. I guess we'd be happy with a point though Paul Benson will no doubt want to prove something and bring home all three?

The early fixtures do look tough on paper, so we should not be surprised if any points are dropped, but the signs from the Bournemouth game are that we can be a force this year.

Up the Addicks!

Up and At ‘Em

2011-08-04T14:02:00.004+01:00

The squad rebuilt; fans optimism at a high; the players raring to go – don’t you just love the week before a new season starts!

But how will our Addicks fare this year? Is it back to the glory days, or more mid-table mediocrity waiting for the team to gel, or is it all doom and gloom and sack the manager time once more? Pedro45 gives his view on those teams Charlton will be coming up against…

It has to be an improvement this season, as the fans and owners will expect nothing less; Chris Powell just has to make it work, otherwise he can expect the same harsh boot that Phil Parkinson received last January.

Looking at the competition, and you can only do this on paper pre-season, Pedro45 thinks that there are six teams in with a viable shout for automatic promotion, and one of those is Charlton. With 15 new players signed, it might be that in some games the team look more comfortable than in others, but you would expect that. What we cannot have though, is all the excuses about the team taking time to gel, as that is what we had last year. Nobody expects a six-game winning streak at the start of a season, a fond memory from 2009/10, but neither do we want a repeat of a 13-game winless run as we had last year. A balanced start, with a strong finish is what would be nice, and I am confident that with the new players at his disposal, Powell is the man to lead the team to glory, even if they don’t quite make it up as Champions.

The other teams in with a promotion shout in my opinion are both Sheffield clubs – Wednesday and United, local rivals Huddersfield, plus Preston, and maybe surprisingly, MK Dons.

Sheffield Wednesday will be relying on Jose Semedo to do as great job in midfield for them as he did at The Valley for three seasons, and with David Prutton alongside, they will be strong in this area. They have an experienced manager – Gary Megson – but could suffer early anxiety if results don’t match that of near neighbours United in the early Autumn matches. Sheffield United will be hoping that their youngsters, who are pretty good if truth be told, can come to grips with the division; if they do, and can, then they might just about run away with the league, but if they can’t, and if the older hands brought in to help them struggle to adapt and gel (that word again..), then they may fade as Spring is sprung.

Huddersfield blew their best attempt at promotion when losing to Peterborough at Old Trafford in the play offs last May. They have retained the services of some of their better players (Jordan Rhodes for example) but have lost others, so a small amount of tinkering with their squad has been necessary. Lee Clark’s twitch may be more pronounced therefore as his side slip further away from the top of the table, but I still back them to make the play-offs, and they may be lucky in winning at Wembley this year.

MK Dons are a team that look pretty average, but if they had a genuine goal-threat, coupled with the usual solidity they have in midfield and defence, could make them strong. Sam Baldock has stayed with the club, but his problem is not talent, just fitness. If he plays 40-plus league games, then I think Dons will return to the play-offs, but otherwise, they may struggle to finish top half.

Preston have hard-man manager Phil Brown at their head, and keeping your team on the pitch at half-time at Deepdale on a cold Tuesday night is not much fun, so we can expect his team to be hard-working and strong. The have attacking talent (Hume, Mellor) and if they can stop shipping goals in the way they did while getting relegated last season and find some consistency they too may be right up with the top teams.

Of the rest, I don’t think relegated Scunthorpe have the attacking prowess that enabled them to bounce back to the Championship at the first time of asking two years ago, and last seasons other play off side Bournemouth have lost too many players to be much more than just above half-way this year.

Of the teams that had enjoyable seasons last year, Orient will be tough to crack if their team ethic is maintained, while Rochdale are like Bournemouth in that they have lost most of their management and better players in the summer. Both may flatter early on, but ultimately will fall short due to small squad strength.

Colchester look like a team in free-fall, now that the owner has not realised his required quick return from funding the new stadium, while Carlisle are too inconsistent, and Brentford’s bees have to fight over-expectation from having a former German international as manager, without sufficient resource.

Exeter and Yeovil may benefit in the short term from Plymouth and Bristol Rovers demise and pick up their better players, but they will have good days but average seasons I think.

Hartlepool and Notts County have both spoken about aiming for the top of the league, but only County have an outside chance, though with mad-dog Martin Allen in charge, anything is possible (including a poor season).

Oldham will hope Paul Dickov can unearth some team spirit and keep them up, while Tranmere and trainer/manager Les Parry will want to play a whole season like they did the second half of 2010/11 and not a whole season like they did in the first half of 2010/11! Walsall have changed much of their squad, and will be content to survive another year, if they can.

That just leaves the four promoted teams, and each have a chance to survive, but will struggle to get above half-way. Bury may find goalscoring a problem, Chesterfield will probably be the best footballing team of the four, while Stevenage and Wycombe will hope that their defences can keep enough clean sheets for them to win a few matches, though I think they are both in trouble.

This is how I think and hope to see the league table looking next May:

Sheffield Wednesday

Charlton

Huddersfield

Sheffield United

Preston

MK Dons

Orient

Yeovil

Scunthorpe

Exeter

Colchester

Notts County

Tranmere

Brentford

Carlisle

Bournemouth

Rochdale

Chesterfield

Oldham

Bury

Hartlepool

Walsall

Stevenage

Wycombe

Promotion party on hold then, but let’s keep our fingers crossed for a winning start to the year on Saturday!

Come on you Reds!

The Numbers Game

2011-08-02T18:10:00.003+01:00

Not long after my blog about the Charlton squad last week, Chris Powell made two further signings – Ben Hamer, and Andy Hughes – and with the release of the squad numbers today, the first eleven seems ever clearer.

The full 2011/12 Charlton squad list:

1. Ben Hamer

2. Andy Hughes

3. Cedric Evina

4. Johnnie Jackson

5. Michael Morrison

6. Matt Taylor

7. Danny Green

8. Dale Stephens

9. Paul Hayes

10. Bradley Wright-Phillips

11. Scott Wagstaff

12. Gary Doherty

13. John Sullivan

14. Paul Benson

15. Yado Mambo

16. Rhoys Wiggins

18. Bradley Pritchard

19. Simon Francis

20. Chris Solly

21. Ruben Bover Izquierdo

22. Danny Hollands

23. Mikel Alonso

25. Ben Davisson

26. Tosan Popo

27. Freddie Warren

29. Conor Gough

30. Nick Pope

31. Jordan Cousins

32. Callum Harriott

33. Harry Osborne

44. Rob Elliot

Updating from last week, it now seems that Robbie Elliot is not going to be first choice ‘keeper, even though he has not given any personal inkling that he may be off to pastures new soon. With Hamer gaining his number 1 shirt though, maybe Robbie will ponder his options and the club will cash in on him. It will be a shame if he does leave, as it is always nice to have actual fans playing for the team (and when he kisses the shirt, you know he means it!). Similarly, with Hughes signed on a free transfer from Scunthorpe and given the number 2 shirt, we can expect him to usurp both Chris Solly and Simon Francis and make the right back slot his own. What Francis will do now I don’t know, but he surely cannot expect much game time having been ripped from his shirt number after turning down a move to Bournemouth.

My revised starting eleven for the match on Saturday, bearing in mind that Danny Green is suspended, is as follows:

Ben Hamer
Andy Hughes
Rhoys Wiggins
Michael Morrison
Matt Taylor
Scott Wagstaff
Dale Stephens
Danny Hollands
Johnnie Jackson
Paul Hayes
Bradley Wrght-Phillips

Subs – Sullivan, Evina, Doherty, Bover, Benson.

Come on you addicks!

Summer Fun!

2011-07-28T20:39:00.008+01:00

After a summer of much action within the club, but none at Charlton Athletic Online, it’s time to preview the coming season, starting with the players who will be representing the Addicks in 2011/2012.

Goalkeepers

Despite Robbie Elliot (left) being rumoured to be on his way (to Newcastle - Did Pards really like him that much?), he remains at The Valley, and will no doubt retain the number 1 jersey. The start of last year was a bad one for Robbie, as a good pre-season was hampered by an early elbow injury that saw him miss quite a few games. Another couple picked up around Xmas and Easter saw him miss lots more games, and with Ross Worner no longer at the club, this year it looks like John Sullivan will be the bench-warmer and stand-in if Robbie gets hurt. Sullivan came in on loan from Millwall last March and did OK, but it was enough for him to get offered a contract and he is reasonable back-up. With a clutch of younger ‘keepers on the books, the third and fourth choice positions are up for grabs, and either Nick Pope or Conor Gough can expect to go out on loan I suspect.

Defence

Much changed in the middle of defence, as is most of the squad, with Miguel Llera, Christian Dailly (at present), and Jon Fortune all released after their contracts ended. In have come two centre-backs, Michael Morrison (from Sheffield Wednesday) and Matt Taylor (from Exeter), and they look like taking the starting positions leaving Gary Doherty as a reserve. Young Yado Mambo is at last being given an opportunity to stake a claim, and is fourth choice at present. Both Morrison and Taylor have form in this league, with the ex-Leicester man winning promotion a couple of years ago. Taylor had very good reports from Devon, but did have a bad back injury last year which prevented him finishing the season and which may re-appear at times this year. Adequate cover is therefore required.

At full back, Chris Solly (left) and Simon Francis are still with the club though Francis turned down a move to Bournemouth (after prolonged transfer fee negotiations) to try to stay near his Essex mates. On the left side, Rhys Wiggins came up from Bournemouth, not long after ex-Arsenal youngster Cedric Evina arrived. Evina has talent but may be raw, while Wiggins has not had that long in league football and may be a bit of a gamble, despite the hefty transfer fee. Their arrival probably puts paid to any hope Kelly Youga may have had of signing a new contract with Charlton, and actually news of him since he came back to the club on trial in early July has been sparse. Hopefully he is now recovered and can find a club that will play him.

Unless players leave (and Francis is the only one likely to) not much more will change with the defence, although another centre back is rumoured to and probably will arrive before the end of the transfer window. This may be a loan signing...or possibly Christian Dailly coming back on a much reduced salary.

Midfield

Chris Powell has overseen a complete re-vamp in central midfield, with current Player-of-the -Year Jose Semedo, Therry Racon, and Alan McCormack all leaving the club for pastures new. In have come Danny Green (from Dagenham and Redbridge), Dale Stephens (from Oldham), Danny Hollands (also from Bournemouth), and Mikel Alonso (from Majorca) plus last-chance hopeful Bradley Pritchard. With Scott Wagstaff and Johnnie Jackson (left) retained, supposedly to fill the wide berths, the midfield looks entirely different, but (on paper) stronger, with much more goal threat. Green has a terrific scoring record over recent seasons (scoring twice against Charlton last season), and has many assists too, while Stephens looked a very talented player during Oldham’s unbeaten start to last year. Both cost substantial amounts but could get better and play at higher levels. Hollands arrived on a free transfer and is more solid, though he did also score against the Addicks last season. Alonso has pedigree, but will be a bit of an unknown quantity until he gets up to speed (his season in Spain only finished in early July, so his pre-season has just started (about a month late) in order to give him a rest). With Charlton having wide players like Wagstaff, Green, and Jackson all capable of getting more then ten goals a season, the pressure is taken off others, and should bode well.

Attack

The arrival of Bradley Wright-Phillips (left) in January was the start of the player upheaval under the new ownership, and BWP will be looked upon to deliver at least as many goals as he combined to score for Plymouth and Charlton last year (21). His dodgy knees will need managing, and Pedro45 presumed that Paul Benson would provide adequate support when BWP needed a rest. The acceptance of a bid from Notts County recently for Benson suggests that other options are in train, but there has been confusion over why the transfer failed to proceed. Did Charlton withdraw their acceptance of the £150,000 offer, or did Benson demand a three year contract only for County to pull out? Who knows? One arrival was Paul Hayes, some years after his name was first linked with a move to south London, from Preston. Hayes should provide the support and service that BWP requires, and should chip in with a few goals of his own, though he is hardly prolific. I suggest that there may yet be another forward arriving at The Valley to supplement those in situe, and a loan option may be utilised here. Without BWP, Hayes and Benson, the current options look thin with only youngster Tosan Popo and triallist Jason Euell being out-and-out strikers still at the club. Euell is looking for a deal, and in the same way Jon Fortune did last year, may decide that it’s better to stay with those you know. If he does sign a contract, he could yet be the trump card we need in this league.

With other triallists and a few signings made for the development squad too, the club have been busy putting the building blocks in place not only for this season, but for the future too.

This is the team I suspect will be Chris Powell’s first choice come 7^th August:

Rob Elliot

Chris Solly

Michael Morrison

Matt Taylor

Rhys Wiggins

Danny Green

Danny Hollands

Dale Stephens

Johnnie Jackson

Paul Hayes

Bradley Wright-Phillips

Subs: Sullivan, Evina, Doherty, Wagstaff, Benson.

Coming soon, a look at the opposition for the season and a rating of the Addicks chances.

Come on you Addicks!

Class of Eleven - Season to Forget

2011-05-15T18:10:00.027+01:00

Here’s Pedro45’s take on the players who have worn our famous red shirt this season; not one of our best!

Rob Elliot

A bit of a strange season for Robbie; starting with expectation high, he broke his elbow in August and then kept picking up odd injuries throughout the campaign which prevented him getting any decent run of form in the side. Glimpses of his best shone through when he did play, but for his best form, we need to see him playing 40-plus league games a season. Rumours of a transfer elsewhere have circulated, but this Charlton fan will only go if it is in both his and the clubs best interests.

Simon Francis

A signing that cost money - which was a first for Charlton and for Phil Parkinson in a long time - but ultimately one which bore little fruit. Francis did look the part, especially when coming forwards (in the rampaging mould of Hermann Hreiderssson), but sadly his delivery was nearly always lacking. This frustrated the crowd and did affect his play, and his defending errors were highlighted because of this. With Chris Solly and Carl Jenkinson pushing hard for the right back slot, only Francis’s height kept him in the team at times, but even then, that wasn’t always enough (he's not that good at heading a ball either...). His form may have been affected a little by his wife giving birth last December, but in reality, he will need to play considerably better if he is to win over the fans in his second season at the club.

Kelly Youga

I’m not sure I should include Kelly in the list of players for this past season, as he didn’t feature anywhere other than in the programme! His knee injury has been bad, and I don’t think it true that he was just sitting out his contract and refusing to train or play. Since he failed to kick that Bristol Rovers player in November 2009, hitting only fresh air, Charlton have slid down the table. I’m not saying that he would have won us promotion single-handedly, but prior to his injury, he was the classiest full back in this league, and just look at the problem we’ve had this season finding someone decent to play at left-back. It would be nice to have him back net year, but somehow, if he is fit again, I doubt he will sign a new contract at The Valley.

Johnnie Jackson

The runner-up for player of the season, Jackson ended up as top scorer thanks to a purple patch of goals just prior to Xmas. When he was signed, everyone thought he would be used as left-back (especially with Youga injured), but with Matt Fry coming to the club, Jacko was pushed forward, and he did so well that he kept Kyel Reid out of that position. He undoubtedly benefited from having Scott Wagstaff on the opposite flank, and many of his goals came from crosses by that player to the rapidly arriving Jackson on the back stick. He took the clubs penalties most of the season, but failed with possibly the most important (JPT semi-final versus Brentford); that said, he did later add styles to his penalties, and not always go for the simple blast down the middle! One of the club’s major Tweeters, and also apparent leader of the Essex contingent (Jackson, Francis, McCormack and Benson, plus Fry), he will be an important cog in next seasons plans I suspect, and the club must have him fit for a whole season to maximise benefit.

Miguel Llera

Big Mig - you never know quite what you will get! Or do you? He has always tried his best on the pitch, and was often (especially late in the season) the most likely player to score, either from a set-piece header, or with one of his left-footed free kick specials. Sadly, his lack of pace does get exposed in the centre of defence when he doesn’t have a fast player alongside. Out of contract this summer, I doubt we will see Mig retained, but he has left an impression during his two seasons at the club, with wonderful highs (Swindon on Boxing Day last season for instance) and desperate lows (Swindon in the play offs last season for instance!).

Jose Semedo

The Player of the Season, and a man who stood out amongst many others who had poor seasons at Charlton. I voted for him last season, when he was runner-up, and again this season where he went one better. Jose is limited, and I do wonder if we may need him to move on if the club is to move forwards as he can stifle the opposition and the Addicks when he plays. When he is making (clean, but crunching) tackles, winning and passing the ball quickly, and protecting the defence, he looks fantastic. But when the opposition play the ball around or over the midfield, he is often left chasing shadows, and does not give the brittle Charlton centre defence enough help. He also does tend to attract cards from referees, as many midfield tacklers do, but this year he survived all suspensions other than the one game ban for an undeserved sending off in April. I love Jose, and will be really sad if he calls time on his Charlton career; his only Valley goal (he headed a late third against Orient at The Valley in early April to finally clinch a win) , and the celebratory tears that followed, will go down for me as the best moment of the season (on the pitch anyway).

Scott Wagstaff

For some reason, fans seem to either love or hate Scott (though he is, I know, much liked from afar). He is a tryer, and has scored a good quantity of goals for a wide player this year. Like Jackson, he also scored many goals arriving in the box to meet crosses from the other flank, but also put in his shift when asked to track back to give Francis protection. Needs to work on the timing of his crossing, and also when it is better to hold the ball and wait for help from team-mates rather than try to bully his way toward goal. Still young, he can only get better and with that only be of benefit to Charlton.

Therry Racon

A fiunny season for Tee, as he found his place in centre midfield usurped by quite a few other players. At the start of the season it was McCormack, then late on it was either Parrett or Stewart who got his preferred position. The good thing was that Racon kept going, and eventually he kept forcing his way back into the team, even if that meant playing out wide. The problem I think with Racon is that he doesn’t score enough goals when he plays alongside Semedo. We know Jose won’t get many (two in three years!) so we need the other centre midfielder to get his share too, but Racon has never looked like doing that (whereas Nicky

Bailey did for instance). Therry is out of contact this summer, and he may well be offered new terms, but it remains to be seen if he will accept the offer, or if the time has come for him to move on.

Bradley Wright-Phillips

He’s better than Shaun? If only it were true! Lazy, temperamental, and petulant….but he does score goals! Bradders arrived at the club in January from Plymouth as the divisions leading scorer; he only got the chance because a bigger money move to Reading failed due to injury concerns (he has dodgy knees). Bradley quickly scored, and did look the part when he was interested. Sadly, his form dipped along with his team-mates, and he struggled to get many chances late in the season. It may have been an inspired move to make him captain for the last few games as his work-rate did improve significantly but the goals had dried up by then. Obviously a lynch-pin of the team plans for next season, we need him to get 25 goals plus if the investment in him is to be fully returned.

Kyel Reid

I think everybody connected to Charlton was pretty pleased when Reidy signed on a free transfer a couple of months after we had seen him playing for the Addicks on loan. But sadly, he was another of those massive failures on the playing staff this season. He suffered from niggly injuries early in the campaign, and then could not shift Jackson from his preferred wide left slot. With much less game time, his cameo twenty minutes became less productive and therefore less frequent, and even though he got a few games at the end of the season, he seemed to have lost much of his desire. A cracking goal at Bristol Rovers looked good, but then he got himself sent off. That may be his last action for Charlton as rumours are abound that he is on his way out of the club? If anyone can tap his undoubted talent, he would be a very good addition to a team in this league or even higher.

Gary Doherty

Another pre-season signing who was a major disappointment it has to be said, after his initial year in SE7. Doc came from Norwich where he captained that team to promotion out of this very league. All I can say is that he must have had some very good players around him (evidence that Norwich won promotion again this season without Doc!)! He has looked lethargic, slow, and unable to strike much of a partnership in defence with anyone; he has also looked singularly unlikely to score a goal (at the right end) all season from a set play. His height should make him dangerous, but he is so ponderous that he cannot get space to get decent contact with any ball into the box. Even with my dodgy knees, I could probably still beat him in a sprint over twenty yards, so he tends to make the rest of the defence fall so deep that many of the team problems surface because of this (defence - midfield being disconnected for instance). He does have another year on his contract, but I for one would not be unhappy if he is allowed to leave the club and ply his trade elsewhere.

Michael Stewart

Stewart came to Charlton in March after his contract at a Turkish club was cancelled, and he was a pretty good capture. He did well in a failing side, and showed glimpses of his class on a fairly regular basis. He is much sought after according to the media, as his contract only covered up until the end of the season, and much about the ambition of the new owners will be seen if they make Stewart an offer to stay that he accepts.

Yado Mambo

A funny year for our lanky young centre back, spent mainly out on loan at non-league clubs. Now with a brand new contract, he must view next season as one where he has to make the breakthrough into the first team, or his chance will have passed.

Alan McCormack

Signed from Southend, a week or two before Francis also signed from that club, “Oxo” started decently with a goal at Orient but then slowly subsided into a very average midfielder who contributed nothing to the team, except as someone apt to give away silly free-kicks. Openly disliked amongst fans, Charlton really should be looking at better players than this one if they are

to progress. Oh, and the “Oxo” nickname? It seems he likes the restaurant of this name for his after game meal (You have to be careful what you Tweet Alan!).

Paul Benson

Benno; Benno; Benno - Where to start? Told he would be the twenty goal a season striker we needed, he was prised away from Dagenham and Redbridge in late August for a large fee (for Richard Murray’s Charlton); his debut, against his former club-mates, saw him miss a string of gilt edged chances, and that

pretty much summed up his first few months at the club. He did score some goals, including points winners at home versus Notts County, and away at Carlisle for instance, but his view that he was that good earned him the Marco van Benson tag. He often tried the spectacular when it wasn’t really necessary and then got himself sent off on New Years Day (thus missing the FA Cup match at White Hart Lane through suspension). Not a target man, but used as one, he was simply unable to hold the ball up, or experienced enough (despite being 30+) to run channels intelligently. Sent off again in March after another late lunge, he finally came back into the side late in the season and looked somewhat different. Maybe a few hours on the training pitch was finally working for him, and he at last started to strike up a partnership with Wright-Phillips. This pair, if they could work together well, could strike fear into any third tier defence, so we will have to see if that is the plan for next season. It may not be though, as there are rumours that Benson will be used as a make-weight in a possible deal for Daggers current hero Danny Green.

Chris Solly

A funny season for Solly too, starting the first game, being man-of-the-match, then being dropped in favour of new signing Francis. Despite this, he then scored within seconds of coming on as a sub in the next game, but then he picked up a bad injury that saw him out of the team until the new year. By then, he was third choice right back behind Francis and Jenkinson but by season end, Solly was playing well enough that he got a few more chances and he did not disappoint. Now armed with a new contract, we will have to see who gets the nod at right back next season, or if Solly will be forever one of those unlucky players who never quite get their chance, despite being good enough.

Joe Anyinsah

When he played, he looked good, but the problem with Joe was that he didn’t play enough, due to injury after injury. Joe scored a few minutes after coming on as a sub on his debut, and did strike up an unlikely partnership with Benson. Joe was the target man, despite being much smaller than his team-mate, and for a while it worked. Then came those injuries. Joe would start a game, but within half an hour, he was off, out for a few games, then he would come back, and the scenario would play out again. When fit, he was a vital cog in the Addicks team, but sadly, so unreliable due to injury that you cannot plan any tactics around him. I suspect he may not be at The Valley next season but he can go with our thanks and best wishes.

Jon Fortune

While I have always had a fond spot for Jon, he has not really looked anywhere near his fittest or best all season. Too many goals have been conceded while he was on the pitch, and with Doherty, Llera and Dailly all lacking pace these days, playing Jon was never going to be the answer to our defensive woes. Sadly, he ruptured his Achilles tendon in the final game of the campaign, and that might be the last we see of him, as he does not have a contract for next season. He may return, but I can only see him a a squad player in future, much as he has been this year.

Callum Harriott

One bright spark to come out of a pretty dire season is young Callum. Getting rave reviews and terrific goals for the reserves and youngsters got him a few places on the bench, but it wasn’t until very recently that he finally saw some first team action. A fast tricky left winger

with a bullet shot, he looks like Kyel Reid on a good day, but without the attitude. He may be a little young (still only 17) to be thinking about in terms of playing 40-odd games for us next season, but he certainly has a bright future with Charlton based on his showing so far.

Carl Jenkinson

This is a strange one - Jenks gets farmed out to various non-league teams for most of the first half of the season, then has a breakthrough game when the clubs other full backs are unavailable, and by season end it appears he is about to sign for Arsenal! Even though he is out of contract, Charlton would still be due a development fee, and that could be anywhere near a million pounds apparently. He didn’t play enough first team games to endear himself to fans, but he did look solid, one who likes to get forward, and a decent enough prospect. If Arsene can

get him into his side, I will be both surprised and delighted for him.

Christian Dailly

Now 37 years old, you do wonder how long Dailly will carry on playing. This season, he lost that yard of pace, and subsequently his timing was a little off. Red cards have blighted his season, with two for late challenges, and one for retaliation which ended his season five games early. Dailly would love another contract at Charlton I‘m sure (he wants to stay in London), but is that the right thing for Charlton to do? What I do believe is that we cannot go another season with a lack of central defensive pace, so if Dailly stays, and plays, you cannot have him alongside Doherty, Llera, or Fortune…

Lee Martin

The loss of Lee Martin, when he was recalled from his season long loan once Ipswich changed manager in January, really hurt Charlton. While he didn’t score bucket loads of goals, his skill and pace caused defences to cower, and back off, and thus created space and chances for others. Initially, it was a struggle to fit him into the team - was he a winger, or a striker, or an attacking midfielder? But once he was in, he looked the part. Since he left SE7, the team has looked without pace, without much guile, and a lot worse.

Pawel Abbot

Now back in Poland, Big Pav didn’t really hit it off in London. He scored early in the season in the league cup, but struggled against third division defences. His lack of pace and inability to link up play got the crowd on his back, and despite a couple of decent goals (including the last of the Phil Parkinson reign) he was soon moved on when Chris Powell arrived. Not a success.

Akpo Sodje

I felt a bit sorry for Akpo this season, as he started the first game, scored the only goal, and then was forced to sit on the bench for most of the next four months waiting his chance and watching others get the nod ahead of him. Powerfully built, but without much class, Akpo always gave it his all. He left for Scottish climes in January, and he has scored a few goals up there since. His opening Addicks goal at Yeovil last season will live in the memory, especially now we’ve got no Sodje’s…

John Sullivan

Short-term loanee from Millwall, who stepped in for a couple of games at the end of the season when injuries struck all other keepers down. Sullivan did OK, but without being a show-stopper. Rumours are that he may be signed for next year, as he has since been released by the Spanners, but I hope that this is just to be back-up to Elliot and not as first choice.

Ross Worner

Little Ross was thrust into action much earlier than expected due to Elliot’s early season elbow problem, but did quite well. Never at fault for any of the goals conceded, he did also make some good saves. Ultimately though, his lack of height and the lack of confidence the team had when defending in front of him came to bear and he has not been retained for next season. I’m sure he will be snapped up by another club, but at what level is unclear.

Frank Nouble

Big Frank joined on loan from the Hammers, but ultimately failed to live up to even his reputation as a poor mans Carlton Cole! Lumbering at times, he did always try, but his performance in the defeat at Dagenham will go down in memory, even though that was where he scored his only Charlton goal ( a two-yard tap in). Needs to get fit, get his head right, and then use those assets to the best of his ability if he is to succeed in football, a bit like Carlton then!

Nathan Eccelston

NE39 turned up at The Valley (pretty much as a straight replacement for the departed Lee Martin) touted as a poor mans Ryan Babble. We all know how tough it was for Babble to fit in to the Liverpool side, and so with Nathan for the Addicks. Was he a wide player who attacked, or a striker who didn’t work? I did think that he looked good when he came on late in games and utilised his undoubted pace to upset opposition defences, but when used from the start, he often failed to live up to expectation. Known to whinge a little on Twitter , mainly about his accommodation and girlfriend issues, it was funny that some of his Tweets were misinterpreted and analysed in great depth by the Addickted. He has a solid future in football (but probably not at Premiership level) and a very attractive girlfriend!

Matt Fry

Fry failed to get a game on loan last year, and this season we had him back. Played solely at left back, when he said he preferred centre back, we could see that he struggled in some games. The problem was that with the departure of Jackson from the side through injury, Fry was often exposed, and he could not cope. As winter cooled, Fry melted, and he left for the Hammers reserves in March. A nice bloke, but not one for Charlton I feel…

Federico Bessone

Fede looked the part during his early games for the Addicks, but he struggled to complete a match. Said to be injury prone, this was obviously a concern but finally came back for the last month or so of the season and did well. He is an attacking full back, and with Charlton prone to giving the ball away, did get caught up field on numerous occasions, but that may change when the style gets better. I wouldn’t mind Fede coming back to join the club, and if Leeds do want to get rid of him cheaply, he could be a good signing if we need a senior left back.

Dean Parrett

A decent period on loan for this Spurs youngster, coupled with his first senior goal in April against Rochdale. Skilful, and with a big heart, it took Parrett time to settle into third tier football, but he did OK. I’m not sure he will ever be a regular first team player at White Hart Lane, but he looks decent enough to play at Championship level at least when he has more experience.

Marcel Siep

A loanee who Plymouth were desperate (due to finances) to offload; having seen him play, we now know why! Gifted Charlton a goal at The Valley when he returned with Argyle, and not good enough for a regular first team slot at Charlton.

Alex Stavrinou

Already shown the door, Stav had a couple of extra years at the club that he didn’t really expect, mainly due to the financial position at the beginning of August each year. A whole hearted player, but probably too small to compete at a high level, Stav should make the grade lower down the football scale, and could do well for a club like Barnet, AFC Wimbledon, etc, if he can pursuade them to sign him.

Tamer Tuna

Once the great white hope, along with Jonjo Shelvey, Tuna went a bit off if truth be told. A goalscoring youngster for the club, his fortunes dipped after his only first team goal (league cup versus Barnet two seasons back) and he has not progressed at all. Tamer may struggle to play at league level in future as he has neither the stature nor mental strength required, which is a shame.

Conor Gough

One of four goalkeepers who made the bench but without playing time this season. Gough is one for the future, and should provide cover in emergencies next season.

Luke Daniels

Brought in from West Brom during an injury crisis, Daniels was a little upset to find Ross Worner preferred, and departed a month later without game time.

Neil Etheridge

Fulham were also upset that Etheridge didn’t get first team games early in his month on loan at the club, so recalled him.

Brandon Hall

Youngster Hall also made the bench for one game due to other injuries, and has now been released, but is also young enough to come on strong over coming years with another club.

So that’s it; 13th place in League One. Not really good enough I think, and with Chris Powell in charge next August, we may well see many new faces and a new style of play from the Addicks, which hopefully will keep us near the top of the division right the way until May.

Have a happy Summer!

Up the Addicks!

From Rochdale to, er, Rochdale

2011-04-28T19:21:00.005+01:00

The last month or so of this never-ending season has seen Charlton play Rochdale twice. The away match last month was lost (2-0), but at least three points were gained in the home game on Monday, courtesy of goals from Therry Racon (left), Dean Parrett, and Nathan Eccleston. Between

these two matches, Charlton have won one game (versus Orient), drawn twice (at Oldham and Bristol Rovers), and lost twice (to promotion chasers Southampton and Huddersfield).

So how have we done? Not great, but better than it was during February and March.

Without going over old ground, many of the team seem to have been as desperate as the fans for the season just to come to an end. With little to play for, nobody was putting much on the line for quite some time, until there was a slow realisation that slipping down the table at such an alarming rate could have ended in relegation. The win against Orient halted that slide, and the points subsequently picked up have extinguished any threat of slipping into League Two.

The slight upturn in results haven’t seen a great enhancement in play though, with Charlton actually quite lucky to beat the O’s (who hit the bar twice in injury time and had a goal disallowed when the scores were level, let alone the goalie assisted second goal for BWP).

The Chris Powell style of play is starting to become apparent though, with a lot less lumping it up to a (non-existent) target man at every opportunity. Powell has fiddled with his team, hoping that eventually the idea may get through, and he may be quite close to getting at least some way to making his point looking at how we’ve played recently. This may not have been all of h

is own doing though, as Monday’s game saw three “first-choice” players suspended. Christian Dailly retaliated following a nasty foul in the Oldham match and, as it was his third red card of the season, that meant an early break for the summer for him following the five-game ban he received. Kyel Reid saw a second yellow and therefore a red card for a bad foul at Bristol

Rovers (Basey Justice?) and he was soon joined by Jose Semedo, also for a second yellow, though his was for what seemed an innocuous clash. With Johnnie Jackson out injured for some time, Joe Anyinsah unable to complete two games on the trot, and both goalkeepers Rob Elliot and Ross Worner struggling with injury, the squad has been stripped bare of what may normally have made up the starting eleven.

Despite these changes, the side that took on Rochdale in the home return game on Monday did quite well. Without much option, Therry Racon returned to the left side of the pitch and put in his best game of the season. The partnership between him, Parrett, and Michael Stewart in midfield looked good, with the three interchanging as the game dictated.

The defence also looked OK mostly, with Fede Bessone looking very comfortable at left back, while old stagers Jon Fortune and Gary Doherty shored up the middle. They may not have much pace, but they know how to stop the ball. At right back, Simon Francis was kept in after a short run in the team for Chris Solly. Francis continues to be an enigma in that he looks OK, but fails to deliver when asked, with poor crossing, poor choices of pass, and poor marking (his player it

was who scored from a corner). The only reason he can be ahead of Solly is due to his height, and there is a case for having him play when we know we will come up against teams that play the long ball etc, though in actual fact he rarely gets his head to a ball whereas at least Solly competes.

Up front, and without any other claimant, Bradley Wright-Phillips got the captains armband, and he put in a good shift. Sometimes he can appear very lazy (probably because he is?), but this was him at his best regarding work-rate. He does shoot at every opportunity, but so what. Out on the wing was the lightly used Eccleston; I understand managers liking Scott Wagstaff for his effort and fitness, but @NE39 does have the edge in terms of speed, skill, and vision. An honourable mention should also go to Marco van Benson, who has taken his chances recently and been a much better all round player than he looked at any other stage of his Charlton career.

So much better, then, but still not quite where we need to be.

Of the team that started on Monday, only four are under contract for next season (Francis, Benson, Wright-Phillips, and Doherty); it is obvious that with upwards of 14 players out of contract, and with five others here on loan, major changes will be made to the squad.

Many of the out-of-contract players are stating their cases – Semedo wants to stay for life, and Racon is really comfortable in London the media tell us. Bessone was signed with a vie

w to a permanent deal, and he may well get one, but I doubt we will see Eccleston, Parrett, or Frank Nouble at The Valley next season. The issue is whether the players kept on will be the better ones, and if the replacements in the squad will improve the team, or just the training ground?

The Rochdale match was my last of the season, as I have another fixture to attend come the Hartlepool game, so it was lovely to sign off with a win. My player of the season is the one who comes from Portugal; I voted for him last season and he came second, so I hope he wins this time. At least I can now say that I have seen him score! His only real opposition is Jackson, but he’s missed to many games through injury I think. It would be a nice way for him to sign off if he is not to return next year.

My next blog will be my thoughts on each player this year, and my advice to Chris Powell over whether they should be allowed a squad number in 2011/12.

One of My Friends is A Passionate Friend

2011-03-29T13:46:00.004+01:00

Passion, within sports fans, is a strange thing. Sometimes it can be good, very good even, but sometimes it just pushes all of the wrong buttons.

Recently I was in Sri Lanka on holiday, and the burning desire of the people there to support their home nation during the Cricket World Cup was immense. At no stage did anyone I meet tell me that they were going to win the World Cup, but that was what they hoped and desired. They love their cricket, as I do, and we got on famously during my holiday. It was no surprise to me when Sri Lanka humiliated England in the quarter-final, and I hope they go on to beat New Zealand today (they are well placed as I type) and win the final too.

The day after I returned home from Colombo airport, I went to watch Charlton play at Dagenham and Redbridge. While I had been away, games against MK Dons (2-0), and Brentford (1-0) had followed a home draw with Tranmere (1-1 with Bradley Wright-Phillips scoring from Miguel Llera’s header). None of these results surprised me after the dirge we saw when playing Carlisle, just before I went away.

I was one of those fans who didn’t go to the FA Cup tie in East London those few years ago, so this was a new ground for me. The trip into London was painful after a signal failure stopped many trains, and once I’d negotiated London Underground’s crazy replacement bus options I finally got to the ground about 2.30. On my way around to the visiting fans stand, I was stopped by a young lady who asked me for an interview which she filmed on her phone for a website. How long had I been a fan? Who was our best player? What did I think the score would be? (I said we’d lose…), and did I have a message for Chris Powell.

A couple of hours later the message that Powell got was pretty clear. I can’t comment on the games played while I was on holiday, but the display in East London that afternoon was dreadful. With the dressing rooms under the newly constructed visitors end, and the players forced to walk through a tunnel right beside the fans, the abuse after the 2-1 loss was huge. The passion the fans showed that afternoon was immense, but it did push boundaries and was vitriolic.

Quite frankly, everyone had a point. Other than Ross Worner in goal, few of the team seemed to make any effort at all. When Scott Wagstaff, one of the better players on the day, was substituted, the congregated fans made it clear to Powell just what they thought. If he did know what he was doing, then it wasn’t clear to us!

That match ended a run of games where Charlton could have, on paper, expected to be on top and winning points, but then came a group of games where it was going to be tough to get anything, especially after the one point from 24 run the team were on.

Southampton at The Valley the following Tuesday saw a number of changes. Back came Rob Elliott for the now injured Worner, and out went want away Carl Jenkinson, Matt Fry (who had returned to West Ham after his loan spell), and Alan McCormack. With Federico Bessone and Chris Solly now at full back, and with Therry Racon joining Jose Semedo and on-loan Dean Parrett in midfield, the team suddenly looked much better. Southampton may have expected an easy game, but Charlton stuck to it and held on. And they kept holding on, right the way to half-time. It took an hour for the visitors to score (to the surprise of many), but Charlton stuck at it and equalised when Parrett played in BWP and he slotted home. A grandstand finish saw both sides close to winning the match, but the point gained was at least welcome in both ranks.

Charlton then maintained the positive vibes at Bournemouth on Saturday, gaining another point in a 2-2 draw, with BWP once more scoring a late equaliser. This game though, even after Wagstaff had chested the Addicks into the lead, was one where the team were once more outplayed, and only a few magical saves by Elliot (and the woodwork) kept the scoreline respectable.

Tonight our heroes travel up to Rochdale for the twice postponed game with them. When it was first due to be played, Charlton were looking good under Phil Parkinson, while ‘Dale were in a poor run of form. Now the roles have changed, and anything gained from tonight’s game will be seen as a bonus in SE7 and by Chris Powell. There won’t be much passion in the travelling Addicks ranks I suggest, but the fans of Rochdale are on cloud nine and looking toward their highest ever league finish. Good luck to them.

Passion is great; passion is harsh; and passion can be cruel. One fan who won’t be there tonight is fellow blogger Charlton North Downs, who sadly died recently. I only met Paul a couple of times at bloggers do’s, and he was a genuine nice man. Perhaps the players might want to realise sometimes that we fans are just that – genuine nice people, albeit with a passion for our football club. They can come and go; chop and change; kiss one badge and then another, but we fans have to put up with everything, good and bad, until we die.

It would be nice for the players to win this game for Paul.

Marching On Together

2011-03-02T13:46:00.003Z

It is very easy to write a blog when in abject despair. And that is certainly how most of us Charlton fans feel after four consecutive defeats. We don’t mind losing (we are not like the Mancs or Chelski or Gooners in that respect), but the manner of the defeats has been pretty hard to take over the last month. And, sadly, things just seem to be getting worse…

Since my last post, Charlton beat Peterborough, but then slumped to a tight away loss at Hartlepool on a wet and cold night. The expectation amongst a 25,000 crowd was high when Exeter came to the Valley, but luck deserted us, and Chris Powell had his first home defeat. Then came a poor showing at Notts County (where BWP fluffed a penalty), beamed live by Sky Sports into the homes of, well, thousands, I expect, and last night a truly dreadful showing against a Carlisle team who looked everything that just an average Division Three team are.

Has the luck deserted the Addicks, or is something more sinister to blame? Did our fortunes change when Simon Francis went head-first into the away dug-out at Hartlepool, or when Pawel Abbott hit the bar versus Exeter? Is it Nathan Eccleston’s cerebral tweeting that has upset Bradley Wright-Phillips or Robbie Elliot's insistence on screening Glee on the team coach to away games? We need to know, because something has given him the right hump!

And the injuries are not helping matters either; I’m not a fan of Marco Van Benson, but without his presence these past few weeks, the bench has been desperately short of alternative fire-power, given that Akpo Sodje left for Scotland in January, and now Pawel Abbott has returned to Poland on the final day of their seasonal transfer deadline. Without Joe Anyinsah, who seems incapable of playing more than twice on the trot, Wright-Phillips has seen his strike partner chopped and changed more times than Gary Doherty heads the ball into touch.

All this is food for thought, and provides absolutely no answers for Chris Powell and his backroom staff to chew on, but they are not immune from stick and I feel that this is as good a time as any to try to hand them some advice.

We seem to have a good set up; Powell is the legend we desperately wanted at our helm, but he lacks experience. We fans know that, and will make allowances. Powell has Alex Dyer as his number two. Dyer is an ex-Addick, has a great reputation, and is a fun guy to have around. Behind them we have Damian Matthew, a man who has been slowly building up our youngsters into first team pro’s with some success. Providing the experience we have another Valley legend in Keith Peacock. All honest, lovely, Addickted, and focussed. But without passion. And none of them seem prepared to upset Powell with a few home truths!

Tactically, Charlton were made to look very, very ordinary against Carlisle. After a bright start, and a goals lead, a small positional change by Carlisle manager Greg Abbott changed the whole course of the game. Withdrawing Loy into the “hole” found him without a marker. All of a sudden, Carlisle had time, and space, to get hold of the ball, and bring other players into the equation. It didn’t matter that Simon Francis had the freedom of the borough down the right wing in the first half, because he either wasted the ball, or was given such a rank pass that he was closed down, or his team-mates simply did not have the vision or skill to get the ball to him. And without the ball, or anyone to get it to Francis on the wing, Charlton’s hopes died. Should Jose Semedo have dropped back to pick up Loy, or should one of the centre backs followed Loy deeper and pressured him? I don’t know which, but something had to change, but it didn’t! On and on, easier and easier for the visitors.

So is this Powell’s folly? Is he tactically aware enough to be able to change things when other managers make changes on the field during games?

It was said that when Steve Gritt and Alan Curbishley were in charge, games were like chess matches; whatever the oppo set out to do, either at the start of games or during, was countered by our joint managers. You get the basics right and other good things will follow.

Currently we have a number of major issues. Sure, most of these were there when Phil Parkinson was manager, and one or two have been worked on, but to what affect? If BWP drops his head and doesn’t chase the ball then how will his team-mates feel? When Scott Wagstaff keeps running into brick walls the pressure comes back on to the defence! When Nathan Eccleston or Therry Racon fall over, as they do time after time, we lose the ball. When we go behind, any confidence the players had cascades out of them.

It would be easy to pick on every single one of the team who played some part last night and tell them where they went wrong, and what they need to do to put it right, but that is Powell’s job. I just hope he has enough in him to do it. We keep being told that Chrissy isn’t all nice guy; he has that streak that good managers need; he will make tough decisions when he has to; well, the time in nigh.

I hear we will be dipping in to the loan market this week – Chris, forget about Benni McCarthy; what we need so desperately is someone in midfield who can take hold of a match and push Charlton on. We have goalscorers (BWP is the leading scorer in this league, and Benson has been known to knock the odd-one in from within the six yard box), but nobody is giving them chances to show what they can do. We need someone like, dare I say, Danny Murphy, someone who wants the ball, who will cajole and push, be there for a pass and take responsibility, and then create. At this level, maybe I could compare him to Dick Tydeman, or Keith Jones, or even Curbs himself. Once we have this player, we can think about improving the rest of the side; we have good players, but when you see the confidence levels in Kyel Reid, Wagstaff, Eccleston, BWP, and Francis, and how that effects the defence where Carl Jenkinson, Christian Dailly, Francis and Doherty have been under immense pressure, you know it is time for a change.

A new player in the dressing room can work wonders, and we need that help right now.

Darren Sheldrake - Retrospective Images

2011-02-03T14:53:00.009Z

Darren specialises in upsetting League One teams - here he is during the Brighton vs. Bournemouth game.

Mind, he can dish red cards out too, with Macclesfiled players wondering what's going on here...It is unclear at this point if Darren changed his mind either before handing out the red card or afterwards.

Darren's career highlight came this week, when he got to change his mind twice. Here, he tells Colchester players that it might be a goal, but don't get your hopes up.

After saying yes it was a goal, Darren wondered if anybody heard him blow his whstle well before the ball went in. sadly for him, the fourth official, and 13,800 other people, did, so he had to disallow the goal he had given.

Here he is telling those same Colchester players that it wasn't a goal after all.

Darren Sheldrake's last ever football match was on 1st February 2011.

From the Sublime to the Ridiculous

2011-02-03T14:33:00.005Z

Plenty of interest to comment on from the last three weeks; twenty one days which have seen Chris Powell take over as manager at Charlton and stamp his authority and personality back on to the club.

He may be new, but as this is the fourth stint Powell has had at The Valley, it is difficult to think of him as someone who hasn’t been around for a few years. But that is the case, and since he did last leave, following the spectacular goal-scoring end to his Charlton playing career, plenty has gone wrong in SE7. Powell has the task of putting things right once more and he has done well in his opening managerial salvo's so far.

His first match in charge was a home game versus Plymouth. The anticipation leading up to the game was immense, and many additional fans made their way along to that match in support of the new man. The team came out, and then all eyes were on the tunnel exit and the crescendo of noise as the suit with red silk-lining came into view was tremendous. I have to admit to a welling up in the eyes as Chris strode along the touchline waving to the crowd. There was such a feel-good factor about the day, and you just hoped that it would carry over to the players once the game eventually kicked off.

Without a win for six weeks, though, it was still imperative for Powell to start his reign with victory, and sure enough, the three points were won to end a fantastic day. The first half was tight, and with an unchanged team from the one which drew at Hillsborough the previous week, nothing too exciting happened. Powell seems, to me, to have told the players to play without fear, and to pass the ball seeking openings. This may not suit the crowd for much of the time, but then when we have previously played the longer ball and seen nothing coming out of it then the fans have complained about that too, so you can’t always win. At least the new manager seems to have brought some patience and respite while he stamps his style onto the team, and he also seems to have brought some luck.

Scott Wagstaff certainly benefited from a stroke of luck five minutes after half-time when he latched onto a short back pass from former Addick loanee Marcel Siep, toe-poking the ball home from the edge of the area past the keeper and into the corner of the net. The first goal during Powell’s reign had come from a mistake, but we didn’t care! Charlton restricted Plymouth to long-range shooting in the main, although during the week this had brought our opponents three fantastic goals. In this match, the nearest they came was when one terrific shot flew just over the bar, rippling the top of the net in the process, with Robbie Elliot unable to do anything about it if he had wanted to.

Powell used his substitutes when he had to, rather than in making any tactical changes, first when Johnnie Jackson limped off with an ankle injury (Kyel Reid coming on to play on the left), and then sacrificing a tiring Joe Anyinsah for Pawel Abbott. The final substitution was to replace Therry Racon with new loanee Nathan Eccleston for the last few minutes, with Wagstaff moving back to right wing and Alan McCormack inside. This worked simply because Eccleston broke free in the last minute and after speeding down the wing, he cut inside, retained control after a lucky bounce, then fired home to make the game safe. His first Addicks goal, and victory for Mr Powell. The obligatory tunnel jump followed the final whistle, even though he said he wouldn’t do it again, but we can forgive (and thank) him one last time.

A winning start, but Powell’s next game was postponed, with the away game at Rochdale a victim to the hard frost in that area on the night before the game. I must say that I was surprised to see notice of a pitch inspection just as I boarded my local train to head up toward Euston station, but I was also very grateful that we didn’t have anyone of the calibre of Andy D’Urso faffing around and a prompt decision (albeit to call the game off) was made a few minutes later. I simply stayed on my train and let it take me back to my home station once more, even though it means I have lost out on the train fare north.

The postponement allowed most Addickted eyes to focus on the finalities of the January transfer window; in past years, this time has been one where we have been the sellers, but this time, with new owners, we had the pleasure of seeing rumours come true and for the leading scorer in our league to join the club. Bradley Wright-Philips may not be quite as famous as his adopted brother, but he had scored 13 goals this season for Plymouth in a poor team, including one against Charlton a few months back. Now this Lewisham-born lad was an Addick. Most people know his dad used to play for Greenwich Borough, so this was something of a return to his roots. What we needed was this Bradley to hit the ground running in much the same way that the last Bradley to play for Charlton did (and Bradley Allen had a famous footballing father and brother too!).

BWP’s first chance would be in the next home game against Colchester, played this Tuesday night. At first, much discussion ensued about whether he would actually start, as Powell had many forward options with which to choose. Akpo Sodje had left to join Hibernian on a free transfer, but with Anyinsah, Wagstaff, Abbott, Eccleston, and back-from-suspension Marco van Benson also available, perming strikers may have given Chrissy a few sleepless nights.

Powell eventually picked BWP and chose Anyinsah as his partner, with Wagstaff moving back into midfield (in place of knee niggle victim Racon). Fede Bessone was also chosen at left back, the choice of one new loanee replacing another (Matt Fry), and Powell sent out a 4-4-2 formation.

Both teams had early chances that saw the goalkeepers make good saves, and the truth about the first half was that not only was it tight, but it was also similar to the Plymouth match in content. The players tried to pass the ball around, working openings, and had purpose when they got a chance to surge forwards. Simon Francis got down the wing and put in three good crosses, belying his normal poor delivery, though that element was still evident in his defensive play.

The second half was more of the same, with both teams playing it very tight and looking for that all important break-through. When it came, the “goal” caused chaos, as the referee made one hell of a mistake, and one which may well see him not officiate at this level again.

A ball was played forward and after a dummy (by ex-Addick Dave Mooney) fell to Gillespie, just clear of the defence near the edge of the penalty area. I do not know if he was, or wasn’t, onside and the lineman kept his flag down, but the referee, I think anticipating an offside, half-blew his whistle. Gillespie put the ball in the back of the net and started to celebrate. I don’t think any of this is in dispute, but actual events after that get cloudy now with differing versions depending where you sat and which way you were looking. From what I saw, the referee knew something wasn’t quite right, so he went, under protestation from Charlton players who had heard a whistle, to speak to the linesman. Why he did this I do not know, as there was no doubt that he blew his whistle well before the ball ended up in the net.

If he was asking the linesman to confirm the player was onside, he certainly took a long time about it (at least a minute), so what else could he have been saying? Did I blow the whistle? (I think you should know the answer to that one as everyone else in the stadium knew you had!) Did I blow the whistle before the goal was scored? (Err, Yes! Or maybe the lino never heard it?) Did the fact that I blew the whistle change anything? (Possibly not, but that’s not the point is it!) So how and why the two of them came up with the conclusion that it was a goal I will ever know.

I sit right behind the away dug-out, and while all this scenario was being played out, the two benches were jousting with players, officials, and each other about the potential outcome. When a goal was given, one very large Colchester staff member let his feelings be known a little too loudly, but he promptly had to eat his words as the fourth official seemed to me to call over the referee to explain his decision. Powell had by now been talking to the fourth official for some time, and I’m sure they both knew what the correct outcome should have been. I have seen on some reports that the game was about to kick off again, and the ball may well have made it back to the middle (after Elliot placed it on the edge of the area for a free-kick during initial discussions), but a re-start was not going to be immediate, simply as Jose Semedo (amongst others) was still having strong words with the referee.

The ref came over to speak with the fourth official, and with it obvious (I thought) that this was only to contradict the goal, I urged Jose to step away and not get more involved. Whatever was said, after some more chat, and a further talk with the linesman involved, the referee disallowed the goal he had given, and ordered a drop-ball. The large Colchester guy had to be restrained, and new Charlton assistant manager (and ex-player) Alex Dyer had some profound words for him as both returned to their respective dug-outs.

It was a crazy, chaotic few minutes, but I do feel that, ultimately, the correct decision was made. The referee made a bad mistake in blowing his whistle when there was no need. Presuming the player was onside, which we have to, that cost Colchester a goal, potentially at least a point, possibly three points, and maybe even a place in the play-offs or automatic promotion. Who knows? They have every right to feel cheated. I think that Colchester as a club have acted in a very controlled manner, and all credit to them for this (but don’t be surprised to see calls for a replayed game made at some stage). But Charlton were not at fault here; it was very clearly the referee who made the mistake.

The drop-ball was cleared, to more cheers, and then new signing and top scorer in this division, Bradley Wright-Philips scored the winner, just as his namesake did on his debut during the nineties. Wagstaff jinked and sent over a low cross, and BWP swivelled and volleyed the ball into the corner of the net. The referee didn’t endear himself further when he turned down severel shouts for penalties (two from Colchester and one for Charlton) and, quite frankly, he had lost all control by the conclusion.

Despite being under enormous pressure near the end, Charlton clung on, this despite seven additional minutes.

Powell used his subs well once more, swapping Bessone and Fry when the Leeds-man ran out of gas, and also bringing on van Benson for Anyinsah. BWP left the field toward the end of normal time to a standing ovation to give Eccleston a brief run out. Sadly for Eccleston, he had a clear run in on goal (albeit from sixty yards away) when the final whistle was sounded, denying him the chance of another late clincher.

Two games in for Powell then, and both victories with clean sheets too. Excellent. His style of play is starting to be shown by the players, and we do seem to be getting a higher amount of effort than we were from those same players not too long ago. The full backs are pushing on more, and the midfield is snapping at heels and making tackles again, both of which went missing over Xmas. Some of the squad will be unhappy with the new arrivals as it moves them down the pecking order, but we have such a long way to go still that many of them will see game time over the next couple of months or so.

When Chris Powell smiles, the world seems a happier place; it’s nice to be an Addick once more.

Knight in Red Satin

2011-01-16T19:10:00.005Z

Apart from in newsreels, I never saw Nat Lofthouse play; I did see him on the pitch at Burnden Park though, in 1982, when his beloved Bolton were going through a very bad patch and needed a lift from fans, both financial and spiritual. His appearance and appeal, at half-time, lifted a mediocre game in which Charlton had been doing well. Allan Simonsen was playing, and I think the Addicks were leading at the break, but all that was to change after the microphone went to Nat. He wasn’t a man of many words I believe, but his rousing message to the home crowd sent a buzz through the fans, and when the second half started moments later, the supporters energy and excitement at seeing and hearing from their hero transferred to the players, and soon Charlton were behind and on the way to losing the game. Lofthouse died this weekend aged 85, still a hero in Bolton.

Charlton welcome back their own hero now in the shape of Chris Powell; Sir Chris Powell to many Addicks fans. Powell’s appointment as manager did come as something of a surprise, especially when he was not even amongst the front runners (or also-rans) when the first round of betting was announced a couple of weeks ago. Once Eddie Howe had finished faffing around and made his decision to stay in sunnier climes (or wait for a better offer) the new Board moved quite quickly I think in making Powell (the next) first choice, and on Friday, once Leicester had agreed to release him from his coaching contract, Powell met the Directors again, and was quickly pictured in his snazzy suit holding a Charlton scarf aloft (for possibly the fourth time!).

Of course, Chris has no managerial experience and, having only given up playing at the end of last season, also only has limited coaching time in the professional game. He does have all his coaching badges I understand, and has a wealth of experience in the game, to go with the huge respect in which he is almost universally held. His appointment therefore, will be seen as a risk by some, but welcomed by others who are fed up with the same old same old we have seen from other recent Addicks managers.

Alan Curbishley and Steve Gritt also had no managerial experience when they took over at The Valley - neither did Les Reed – but everyone has to start somewhere, and provided Chris is not just a nice guy and is able to take tough decisions wherever necessary, we should be more than OK.

I will certainly be backing Powell, and I suspect that he will get a fantastic reception when he takes his place on the touchline this Saturday for the game against Plymouth. Hopefully, that energy and excitement we he walks along the line prior to kick off will transfer to the players, in much the same way it did in Bolton all those years ago, and we can see Charlton win for the first time in 2011.

Powell has a tough job in hand, as the league table when Parkinson was sacked was a little false I felt. All season, it has been very tight in mid-table, and nearer the top, with any team adding a string of results together leaping up into contention. Southampton are the latest to see themselves jump from apparent mid-table also-rans to very serious promotion contenders in just a few weeks. Charlton meanwhile have slipped from a side with a chance to be just a point off the head of the table (when taking on Brighton just after Xmas), to one now down in seventh position, and ten points off the leaders. That’s what happens when you fail to win a league game in over seven weeks. A few more weeks without a win, and we could be down in 16th or 17th position...

No longer are Charlton one of the favourites for promotion; now it’s going to be a battle just to get back into the play-off positions. Have Charlton been playing badly all season? I wouldn’t say yes, but it is true that we haven’t been playing well. The crux for Parkinson was possibly not the Swindon home defeat, but the two games that preceded that, away at leaders Brighton and contenders Colchester. Both of those games were drawn, but when you consider that Brighton played 83 minutes with ten men, and Colchester over fifty also with a player sent off, then just two points from those two games was a poor return. Swindon showed with eleven that they could easily beat down-trodden Charlton, and that was the straw that broke the proverbial camels back for new owners Slater and Jiminez.

Without an obvious in-house replacement (especially with Tim Breacker and Mark Kinsella also being sacked), the new Board turned to old head Keith Peacock to breach the gap until a permanent man was found. Peacock’s red and white army found some spirit, but not enough skill to get a result at Spurs in the FA Cup, despite holding out for 45 minutes, and on Saturday a good away point was gained at Hillsborough. For a long time, it looked as though it could have been better, but Charlton’s two early first half goals (by Scott Wagstaff and yet another Johnnie Jackson penalty) were cancelled out by two early second half scores by the home team. Both sides could have won it late on, but a draw seemed fair from the radio commentary I listened to.

Bright spots are obviously the scoring streak in which Jackson (left) finds himself in with 11 goals in his last 13 matches, and also the fine form that Joe Anyinsah is showing when he is fit enough to play. The results are vastly better this season when Anyinsah is in the side than when he has been out injured, and without Jacko’s goals and penalties we would be much, much, lower in this division. Robbie Elliot should also get a mention, as he has once more stood out at times this season as the only reason why Charlton have won points in some games. He saved another penalty at Hillsborough, and that may have been the difference between a draw and a loss.

Other than those three players though, and it is difficult to say that anyone can be completely happy with their season so far. Simon Francis has good moments, but his distribution is consistently poor; Christian Dailly and Gary Doherty have a wealth of experience, but something just doesn’t quite work between them for some unknown reason (maybe a lack of pace?); Matt Fry is young and tries hard but seems low on confidence for one with recognized talent, and Jonathan Fortune isn’t the same player he was seven years ago. In midfield, Jose Semedo has not dominated like we know he can, and Therry Racon blows hot and cold. Alan McCormack struggled to get a run in the side, and when he did force his way onto the pitch looked out of his depth at times. Wagstaff has scored goals and will run all day, but his overall play has disappointed, while Kyel Reid has flattered but failed to register more than assists in league games when he has been given the chance. Up front, Pawel Abbott came with a reputation which is now in tatters, and Akpo Sodje is all bustle but he too gets injured too regularly. Marco Van Benson meanwhile evens the numbers up when the opposition have a man sent off, so poor is his work-rate outside of the penalty box. If Gary Nelson could teach Benno to run the channels, he would be a much better player than the one we currently see each week (Happy 50th Birthday today by the way Nelse!).

The addition of Nathan Eccleston, a poor man’s Ryan Babel, may offer something different, depending on the formation chosen by Powell, but new additions to freshen the squad up are desperately needed. With Powell not up to speed in what is required or available, I suspect, more captures on the back of what Jiminez can find through his contacts may be in the offing. I just hope that they are the right choices.

So next Saturday we welcome home our knight in shining satin, a legend in SE7. A nicer man you could never meet, and now he has our club in his hands. Sink or swim, I’ll always love Chrissie Powell, and if the crowd can be lifted by his return and see us home with three points next weekend, the second half of the season (yes, we are exactly at half-way!) could be memorable.

Come on you Reds!

Embarassing...

2011-01-09T11:04:00.003Z

I did one of the most stupid things I have ever done today; well, not actually today, but this morning was when I found out what I'd actually done...

On Monday, before the utter humilation we suffered at the hands of Swindon, I returned some tickets for postponed games to the Charlton box office. The Rochdale and Hartlepool away games had been called off due to the December snows, and I had no chance to go to the midweek re-arrangments. Also, the five additional tickets I bought for the Boxing Day home game against Southampton would also now not be used by friends and relations, so they formed part of the £65-100,000 that the club thought it would lose by Andy D'Urso's over-reaction to the cold. I picked them all up out of my Charlton stuff-bundle at home, which includes programmes, ticket stubs, Valley Gold news etc, put them in my pocket, and handed them all over in one go at the Commercial Centre. The nice lady refunded all of my expenditure without much hassle once I'd filled in the form she wanted.

This morning, excited as always on FA Cup third round day, I woke early, had a bath, got dressed and went to pick up all the stuff I'd need for a cold day n North London watching the Addicks. I worked my way through the above mentioned bundle, and I was surprised how low I was having to go searching for my Tottenham Hotspur ticket. I thought I'd found it, deep down the pile, but then saw that the blue ticket was not for Spurs, but for Rochdale.

Then it dawned on me...

Yep, on Monday, I'd taken my Spurs ticket back for a refund instead of the Rochdale one! OMG!!!

With the game a sell-out, I have no chance of getting another, nor would I want to sit anywhere other than with Keith Peacock's red and white army of fans. I am stuck with listening on Player, or trying to get a live stream.

I feel like such a plonker. It will get worse if we get a result too...

Park Life...

2011-01-04T20:49:00.004Z

It’s been a pretty incredible start to 2011 for Charlton, with plenty of goals, red cards, penalties, a take-over completed, and now the sacking of the manager. Honestly, it isn’t usually this exciting!

Phil Parkinson met with the new Chairman either last night or earlier today (or both), and the upshot is that Michael Slater has fired him. Parky had been the Addicks manager for just over two years, while Slater has been on the Charlton board for about four days!

I have never been a big fan of Parky, but I must admit that I always supported him. His arrival into the hot seat after Pardew was shoved out filled a gap, and while he was not the answer to the Redvolution this blog wanted, he did his best. The problem was that his best wasn’t always good enough sadly. Failure to keep the club in the Championship was a poor start, even if the odds were against him. Despite having five months to turn the fortunes of the club around, he failed, and many fans at that time thought that he should never have been given the job of manager by then Chairman Richard Murray.

The relegation he oversaw meant that many of the team’s stars needed to be sold, simply to balance the budget (or get closer to doing so). The feeling, throughout the club, was that if we could bounce back after just one season in the third tier, then all would be well again.

Sadly, that wasn’t the case, despite an excellent start to that first season at this level. Parky went into the record books by overseeing a winning streak that stretched for six games from August into September, and Charlton sat proudly at the head of the table. The reason for the success, many agreed, was that Parky simply did not change, or need to change, that side and the same starting eleven was good enough at this level to be beating the opposition, even when not playing particularly well. In actuality, Parky had no option other to play that eleven, as he hadn't bought enough and had an unbalanced squad. It was in the ninth game that Charlton fell to their first defeat, and the autumn saw the Addicks slip back from Leeds, who maintained a tremendous challenge as the league leaders. Defeats at Carlisle, and then Northwich in the FACup (the first time that Charlton had ever been beaten by a non-league club in that competition) were low points, and results plodded along without much happening up and past Xmas. A 5-1 victory over MK Dons looked good, but proved to be an exception, and when the side had two players sent off on Boxing Day, a week after conceding four at home to arch-rivals Millwall in an explosive draw, the squad became stretched. Parky tried to manage things, but with Deon Burton playing injured from October onwards, and loan players providing much of the change options, it was difficult to see much progress.

New players simply failed to improve under his stewardship; Jonjo Shelvey was one who seemed to lose his edge as the season progressed, with Parky being no closer to knowing where he was at his best. Basically, Parky could not have trusted Shelvey, otherwise he would have handed him a starting position in central midfield from August onwards, rather than giving him a loose role just behind a lone forward when he thought he could get away with it.

There was also the lack of continuity between the different groups of players on the pitch; the midfield was so often alienated from both defence and attack, that Charlton invited pressure upon themselves for long periods. Parky seemed unable, or unwilling, to manage this problem (right until the end...), and as such the teams he sent out consistently played defensively (if not negatively).

Games that should have been won slipped by and ultimately the play-off position of fourth was the best that could be expected. To lose on penalties was tough, but by then, one of the teams was going to be hard done by, and Charlton had the advantage of one player more for a long time and didn’t make good use of it.

In the summer, Parky had a clear out of older players, and the squad that returned to competitive action this last August could only be described as his. Many of the players brought in on loan the previous year signed for the club, and Murray backed his man and allowed him to actually spend some money (the first time in his tenure that he had been allowed to do so). I’ll leave others to comment if they disagree, but I have to say that the three players who commanded fees – Pawel Abbott, Simon Francis and Marco Van Benson - have been extremely poor so far this season. At least with Kyel Reid, Johnnie Jackson, Matt Fry and Akpo Sodje – all previous loanees that Parky brought in – we get effort and some skill.

There have been good captures, though how much of that is down to Parky is hard to tell; Free transfer Christian Dailly was an inspiration last year as was Fraser Richardson too. Deon Burton had his good moments, and Miguel Llera scored some vital goals (though he did give away a few too). Pretty much everyone else was either here before Parky was put in charge or fell into the team by default.

The problem with Parky this season is that the team has rarely played well. At the start of the season it was a question of taking time to gel, even though many of the other teams in the league were in exactly the same position regarding new personnel. The 5-1 win at Peterborough was acclaimed by many as the turning point and proof of better things to come. Sadly, the scoreline seemed to deflect everyone’s attention away from the fact that the home side gifted Charlton many of the goals with one player being directly responsible for at least two of the goals, and maybe three. We didn't play wel that day; it was 'Boro who played awfully!

The team still has no formation to speak of, and some weeks (when Joe Anyinsah is fit) we play with two up front, and in other games (when Anyinsah is injured…) we play just a lone striker (usually Van Benson). Sometimes we play with two wingers, and sometimes with three in midfield. There is no continuity. When we are losing (as against Brighton and Swindon, the two heaviest home defeats this season), Parky risked all and played just three (and occasionally just two) defenders in efforts to bring points. The opposition knew what to expect, and countered with extra defenders and quick attackers, putting the games beyond reach in both cases.

Having to play away against Brighton for 83 minutes and Colchester for 48 minutes recently when they were both down to ten men was an ideal opportunity for Parky to prove he could still do a job and push Charlton to the top of the league; all we got was a lucky point from each game. With eleven men, Walsall, Brentford, and Swindon all proved too strong.

Parky has worked under difficult circumstances, and it could be said that he has had one of the hardest jobs in football over the last two years. But at least we gave him two years, something many other chairmen would not have countenanced.

Parky leaves with his right hand man – Tim Breacker – and also Mark Kinsella, a Charlton legend who many thought may one day take over the managerial reins.

What happens now is that another Charlton legend - Keith Peacock – has become caretaker manager, with Damian Matthews stepping up from the youth team to help. I very much doubt that 65-year-old Peacock would have taken on the job if it was anything but very short-term, so we can probably expect an announcement next week after a sound thrashing by Spurs and an FA Cup exit.

Some have questioned Slater’s decision, but I did say in my blog that the recent run of games after Xmas could have been the sound of the bell tolling in his direction. Things haven't improved, so maybe a change is better than the rest? Slater has acted swiftly, and for that he can be commended, but the decision will only be a good one if he gets the managerial appointment correct, and as a result the team is promoted. Anything less from the new man (whoever it is), and Slater’s tenure will be seen to be off to a bad start.

Finally…

2010-12-31T15:17:00.003Z

So after much deliberation, due diligence, and rumour, we now know who has taken over the reins as Charlton Athletic chairman from Richard Murray.

Michael Slater. Yes, Michael Slater.

No, not the Aussie cricketer who plundered England for runs at every opportunity in the 1990’s and no, not the authority on Charles Dickens who writes books on his subject regularly. This Michael Slater (left), though only 44 years old, is a retired lawyer!

Other than what was released on the official website earlier this afternoon, little is known of Slater, but much more is known about the other half of the new owners, Tony Jiminez. Jiminez name has been linked to Charlton since Murray announced that an indicative and legally binding offer for the club was made in early December. Jiminez is also close friends and a regular colleague of Dennis Wise (spit), but no mention of Wise being involved in any role at Charlton has been made at this stage.

Jiminez , also 44, was recently vice-president (player recruitment) at Newcastle United (where he worked with ex-Addick overseas scout Jeff Vetere), and is apparently a season ticket holder at Chelsea (although so are many wealthy people these days). He also has “a capacity to get things done” which has “helped him to win the trust of prominent people”. He certainly has Murray’s and Peter Varney’s trust it seems in that he will not hurt our club, even though one quote says “He knows nothing about football." It was Jiminez who apparently brokered the deal with Zabeel a couple of years ago, which came close to completion before being scuppered by world economics.

Varney and Murray remain on the board, along with Stephen Kavanagh, Slater and Jiminez, and that can only be a good thing.

Interestingly, the company that bought Baton (Murray’s own take-over vehicle) is Swiss-managed and controlled, and may have been set up in the summer by Sebastian Sainsbury, thereby linking him with this take-over too. Charlton Athletic Holdings Limited is owned by Jiminez though.

Slater has announced his tenure with some nice words about the proud history of the club, and the potential it has moving forwards, though I have to admit that we have heard much the same before parroted from Murray and Varney. Slater says that the take-over brings financial stability to the club, which is great, though no mention of any funds being available in the January transfer window is made. What has been said is "What we won't do is create unrealistic pie in the sky expectations. We will always live within our means and, with a sound commercial approach and the run of the ball on the pitch, our aim, obviously, is to make steady, upward progress and bring success to The Valley."

Sensible words, provided the club remains successful on the pitch.

Slater does seem like a very successful business man from his resume, and with a legal background (he has an Honours Degree in Law), he should know what he can get away with. With Jiminez’s financial clout (he allegedly has links with the middle east?), this pair, along with the football acumen of Murray, Kavanagh and Varney could be just the right people to take Charlton forwards with a sound footing.

It didn’t quite happen before Xmas to give us the present we fans wanted, but this move is a nice way to start 2011. A new decade, with new owners, let’s hope they too last close on twenty years, as Murray has, and can superbly build the club as he did.

Danger Danger!

2010-12-23T08:47:00.006Z

Who is this man, and would you let him loose with your children?

He's scored a few times this year already!

He is known to sneak around the back!

He obviously has dancing feet...

He can give opponents a "tough" time.

He is always being chased by someone.

He frequently disappears into the crowd when "scoring".

He is a marked man.

He can certainly "Wag" the dog.

Answers to be found on the right wing on Sunday, hopefully!

Happy Xmas!

Snow Good

2010-12-21T13:03:00.004Z

While November was a joyous month on the Addicks front, December has been anything but. The triple pronged attack on the league plus the two remaining cup competitions has faltered, and badly, and now it does seem that a major rebuilding exercise in confidence may be required, if not amongst the players, then amongst the fans.

How much any of this is to do with the due diligence currently nearing completion prior to any takeover is unknown, but we have seen in the past that such talk, and close proximity to potential upheaval, can be detrimental to team spirit and fans expectations. The fans can dream of course, but why for the players though, I’m not sure, as I doubt many of this team are going to be more uncertain of their places after Xmas than they are already – we are unlikely to be spending that heavily and bringing in a completely new squad, despite supporters hopes! The takeover is due to complete, barring unforeseen circumstances, on this Friday, and amazingly we have yet to find any evidence of who is actually stumping up the money to buy the club from Richard Murray. Plenty of unfounded rumours persist, with the usual suspects currently mentioned (usually magnates from USA, Russia or the Middle East), but one name does seem to be cropping up as part of the consortium quite a bit just now and that is Dennis Wise. I’m no fan of this “little shit”, as I am fond of calling him, ever since he simulated copulation on the back of John Humphrey in the final game of 1985/6 season when playing for Wimbledon. He gets up people’s noses, and doesn’t smell nice. He may be the saviour of our club (in the short-term) but I very much doubt you will find me liking him if ever our paths cross. I hope that the rumours of his involvement are unfounded in this respect, as I really wouldn’t like him associated with our club, and the hope of getting a taxi home from SE7 would diminish. He would not be one of the money men either - he didn’t make a massive fortune from playing and neither would his managerial career have given him that large a pension – so one can only presume that he would want to install himself in some (maybe senior) managerial capacity (but without responsibility for results as he would never be to blame…). This would immediately put any incumbent coach under pressure, and would inevitably end in failure I feel. Hopefully, this will never come to fruition and our new board will be free of Wise and his cronies.

On the playing side, the results have turned as cold as the weather; since my last post, we struggled to get past Luton in the FA Cup second round replay. I missed the game due to a prior commitment, and returned home free of the result hoping to have taped the game; to my dismay, the VCR failed to work and I have still yet to see the goals. The performance was not one that impressed many Addick fans sadly, and after falling behind in the first half, an equaliser from the head of Scott Wagstaff did ease tensions just before half time. Their better fitness then conspired for Charlton to add further goals from Joe Anyinsah and a deflected free kick from Johnnie Jackson for a comfortable-looking (but anything but) 3-1 win. The win was important, as it gives the club an opportunity to make a little money from an away tie at Spurs in the next round. The idea that our cup run may go any further beggars belief currently, and Harry may be thinking that he can use it as a showcase for a lot of reserve players who need a game before being sold in the January transfer window; I’m sure whatever side he puts out will be way too strong for this current Charlton team sadly. I suppose we can dream of a draw, and more revenue from a replay, but the idea of Defoe, Keane, Crouch, and Pavlyachenko, let alone Lennon, Modric and Krancjar, failing to score a few past Robbie Elliot is not a dream I can entertain (being a realist).

The Luton replay, thanks to TV requirements, came just three days before the next league game, and the players who took the field against Walsall did look very weary. Aside an early volley from Wagstaff, not much happened in the first half, and the second, despite two half time substitutions, was even worse. Marco Van Benson missed his only opportunity, and eventually the goal that the possession Walsall had deserved finally came. There was little apparent effort to salvage something, and the “Big One” was in the bag. I don’t know what price bottom-of-the-table Walsall had been at the bookies to win the match against a side sitting second and unbeaten in eleven games (maybe 6-1?), but I’m sure someone made a killing somewhere (Essex maybe?).

The bad news didn’t end there, as just two days later the club crashed out of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy semi final (southern section); this competition, however minimal, does provide clubs such as ours with the only realistic chance of winning a cup final at Wembley. It was sad then to see the players perform little better than they had done the previous weekend, despite six changes to the team. Benson was given a rest until late in the game, as was Anyinsah and Jackson, and after a couple of good saves by Elliot, and some poor Brentford finishing, the lottery that is a penalty shoot-out was once more before us. Brentford, of course, had seen plenty of practise having been in five other shoot outs this season alone, while Charlton just had that awful memory of losing to Swindon last May in the back of their minds. It is no surprise therefore that Charlton lost, but the manner, with the home ‘keeper saving the first three Charlton kicks was bizarre to say the least. Lee saved from Jackson (blasting another penalty straight down the middle), Therry Racon, and finally Kyel Reid, who at least made him move toward the ball. Elliot made one save in return but the inevitable happened and the loss was registered. It was a game that Charlton should have been up for, but they weren’t; the negativity creeping into the club again.

Last Saturday’s game at Hartlepool went the same way that the Rochdale game did at the start of December – an early call-off due to the severe weather gripping the UK, and Charlton head into the Xmas period sitting in fourth place in the table. Once the Spurs game is out of the way, we will only have the league to concentrate our minds on and the hope is that without distraction, we can improve our form and move higher in the table.

Whether the take-over allows for any new signings I don’t know. It is probably fair to say that few, if any, Charlton players will be approached with a view to a transfer elsewhere, and there seems no real need to sell anyone at this stage. The players whose contracts end next summer may well be in the spotlight (Racon, Jose Semedo, Kelly Youga, etc), but even if they are not going to stay at The Valley beyond season end, there seems little likelihood of an offer that would want us to part with them now being placed on the table. Phil Parkinson’s squad was built back in August with the mind to take us all the way through to the end of the season, and from where we are now, he is just about in the right place. The only issue is the football the team are playing, which really is poor considering how high up in the table we are. It’s not too negative, or boring, just poor; little apparent purpose much of the time, and an over-reliance on the other team making more mistakes than we do. Hence us scraping one goal wins over much of the first half of the season.

If Parky could get some confidence into the team, and get them playing with the spirit which he confirms surrounds the club, then we may be able to go forward with hope. But despair sits with us currently, and that is never a good accompaniment for Xmas spirit! We don’t have to worry about Pardew coming to spoil our Boxing Day this year, but can we get a result against a dangerous Southampton team? Can we follow up that game with good performances at high-flying Brighton and Colchester? Will we have any legs left to play against Swindon in the first home game of 2011? Or will our minds be focussing on the match coming up in north London?

If Mr Wise does come to SE7, these five games may be all he needs to feel that Parky isn’t his man. You have been warned.

Happy Xmas to all readers of this blog, Charlton fans or otherwise, and of course, to Dennis Wise.

Moving in the Right Direction

2010-12-07T12:48:00.006Z

It is very true that a lot can happen in mere minutes during a football match, so in the month since I last blogged, it is no surprise that we have seen plenty of action both on and off the pitch. Amazingly, most of it is good news too!

My previous prose was written in the lead up to the Peterborough away game, where I confidently predicted that we might see one side get a bit of a pasting. I am glad I was correct in this summation, but thankfully horrendously wrong in my prediction and that it was Charlton who emerged victorious. The home team that day played the first 45 minutes as if in a collective daze, and even though an injury to Joe Anyinsah had to be dealt with, Charlton capitalized on every single mistake to snatch an astonishing 4-0 half-time lead. Even though many fans listening in via the radio or CAFC Player remained wary of that score being a winning one, Charlton held on firmly and scored once more to run out 5-1 winners in the shock result of the day. It seemed like everyone came to the party, with two goals from Johnnie Jackson (left), the first one a penalty, two more from Lee Martin (who had arrived as substitute for Anyinsah after just 20 minutes or so), and one from Paul Benson, plus plenty of assists from others in the team or solid defensive displays.

If ever one result ignited the season from a fans perspective, then it was this one.

It should be noted that Peterborough did play awfully in defence, but their dangerous attack still needed controlling, and the guys at the back did their collective job very well.

That match was quickly followed by a home FA Cup replay against Barnet, and the weekend enduced euphoria quickly evaporated on a cold night (if that is possible?). Only Kyel Reid’s solo goal lit up the evening, and a paltry crowd started to drift off long before the final whistle. Luckily, they didn’t miss any goals, mainly due to Rob Elliot’s heroics in the second half, where he made a good number of excellent saves that basically ensured the victory and progression to the 2nd round. It was nice that Rob had a good game, as many of the recent plaudits have gone to the outfield players. When called upon, Robbie has been pretty consistent this season, even if many would not consider him to have been at his best prior to this match.

At least it meant progression, and the following night we found that it was to be a game against Luton in the next round, after they won their own replay. That was a game for the future though…

Back in league action, and the only league team from Somerset came to SE7. Yeovil played well, and often embarrassed the Charlton team who seemed to think that goals would come without much effort. In some ways, the players were right, and goals by Jackson (again!) and Therry Racon twice gave the Addicks the lead, after Elliot had been beaten by a surprising shot from 25 yards that went in off the post. After half time, things got worse when Yeovil equalised again, and when Christian Dailly was sent off a few minutes later, and with twenty minutes still left in the match, fans hopes for any points were diminishing. Luckily, Yeovil’s least favourite substitute – Akpo Sodje – came on to the pitch and worked his socks off to create the chance for a win. From my seat, it did look like he timed his run well and would have reached Gary Doherty’s header into the box, though what he would have done had he reached it I’m not sure! We will never know though, as a Yeovil defender pulled him back by the shirt, just enough, and Sodje fell theatrically to the ground. Penalty, red card, and a goal, in that order, and three more points in the bag. Jackson had never scored twice in a game before the Peterborough match, and now he had done so two weeks running!

Dailly’s sending off was harsh in my opinion. Sure, he led with his arm, but at no point did he swing it or "aim" it at the player. Later, it transpired that it was in fact his head that made contact with the opposition player, but the TV angles could not confirm this. An appeal was considered, but bearing in mind the short thrift with which such claims are treated these days, it just didn’t seem worth wasting five grand (the appeal cost) with no visual evidence to back up the statements made by both players regarding what touched who. As it was Dailly’s second red card of the season, he now had to sit out the next four games.

The first of these was the Bristol Rovers home game, played on another cold Tuesday night. Jon Fortune had seen plenty of game time in the previous two matches, and he started here alongside the ever consistent Doherty. It was another very average performance from the Addicks, but whereas the home side saw plenty of luck against Yeovil, here the well had run almost dry. A quiet first half saw the away teams on loan goalkeeper make one very good save from Benson, and while never really threatened, you knew that Charlton’s make-shift defence would probably not hold out for the whole game. Sure enough, midway through the second 45 minutes, a corner was headed out, and a crisp shot followed the smooth squaring of the ball. Rifled through the packed penalty box, Elliot stood little chance as the ball nestled in the corner. Charlton did up their game, forcing a couple of excellent saves, and when Reid’s shot from a far post cross veered away from goal, it was touched home by a jubilant Benson. Akpo couldn’t weave his magic on this game, much as he tried, blighted by the 'keeper again, and the scores finished level. At least Charlton saw other results go with them, as they had done over previous league weekends, and now the team sat in second place behind early season leaders Brighton.

The Luton match was another played in near freezing temperatures. With relatively few home fans in attendance (in the 8600 strong crowd) and a full away end, it was a surreal atmosphere not seen for some years at The Valley. And consequently, maybe, Charlton played like they did in the old days. Luton stroked the ball around and had most of the play, but Charlton’s cutting edge was sharp, especially with Anyinsah now back from injury. It was Joe who headed in Reid’s cross early on to give the home side the lead, but a weakly given penalty brought the teams level well before half time; Elliot actually saved the spot kick but was powerless to prevent the rebound being headed home. Even then, Jackson, on such a rich vein of goal-scoring now, headed home his own goal to allow Charlton to retake the lead at the break. The pattern was similar in the second half, with the away team bossing the match mainly, but not until Drury hit a sublime "pass" over Elliot from 25 yards did they draw level. The draw was a fair result, and ensured both teams watched the balls being picked out of the bag by wide-boy rock-stars intently the next day. Late in the draw, Charlton’s number 57 brought the right variety of fixture with an away tie at rip-roaring, goal-scoring, Champions League outsiders Tottenham Hotspurs. Even if the replay is won (and with Semedo back, plus with Wagstaff and Doherty fit, we should have a much stronger team available...), we should not dream of progressing, but at least the revenue (with live TV coverage via ESPN)) and exposure from the game will be nice.

That made it ten games since the last defeat (and also makes my holiday seem like a long time ago!), and a fine come-back by the team and the management.

Into December, and all we have really seen is snow, and more snow. The cold weather turned colder, and my plans to go to Rochdale (via a drinking session in Huddersfield) were cancelled as was the game. This was quite lucky really as I was in fact stuck in Germany for most of the week, where tales of German efficiency proved to be very wide of the mark (no pun intended!). None of the trains I caught ran on time, and my flight was cancelled without notice with many passengers at the gate. My trip to the airport had been enlivened by travelling with many yellow and black clad Borussia Dortmund fans, en route to their Europa League game that evening. Not for years have I seen so many bottles of beer being consumed on a train on the way to a footie match! I’m glad they won as it was very, very cold that night…

Possibly the only piece of good news I had while abroad was that, finally, we have movement on the takeover front. I wrote in my last blog that "…one day, Murray will have to sell up, and we all have to hope that the guy who follows him will have a heart and wallet at least as big." Well, we do not yet know who the person or people holding the notes and waving them in Richard Murray’s direction are, except that the bid is led (or more-correctly, fronted) by Peter Varney (left). Always a Charlton man, Varney failed when trying to push through a previous take-over about 16 months back. What none of us know is who is involved, and the Charlton Life board is full of rumours about Middle-Eastern, American, Irish, local, and in-house buy-outs. It does seem that Seb Sainsbury is not involved, which might upset all those fans who now have him as their Facebook friend. The take-over due diligence is now in full swing, and the paperwork is due to be completed prior to Xmas, provided nothing untoward crawls out of the woodwork. Nothing is done until it’s done though, so we had better keep our fingers crossed because if this bid fails, I doubt we’ll get anything else! Ever! Whether Varney will re-assume his CEO role, or even if Murray will remain on the board are still unknowns, but I have a hope that both elements come to fruition. As has been mentioned elsewhere, Richard Murray should be thanked for all his efforts over the last twenty-odd years; without him, this Charlton, our Charlton, would not have been the same.

Remember, Remember, All of November

2010-11-10T14:17:00.004Z

It’s been about a month since my last blog, and those weeks have been quite eventful.

I went on holiday the night before the Brighton home game, and of course the 4-0 defeat was a severe dent to all of our promotion hopes for the season. A friend was texting me in game updates, and as we went two-nil down, I figured that Parky would go for it at the death, hoping to snatch one goal that might lead to an equaliser. Sadly, those hopes were quickly extinguished with news of Brighton’s third, and later fourth goals. It’s not the first time that a table-topping side has dealt Charlton a thrashing, and it won’t be the last, but it is the first time for some six years (I believe) that we have lost by such a margin at home, and it was a shock to everyone I think. Without seeing the game (and I have still yet to see the goals), I can understand how we lost, but it does seem that we played particularly badly that day, with Parky’s tactics and acumen called into question quite severely afterwards. From afar, I would not have been at all surprised if he had been sacked following such humiliation, but he wasn’t (and who could we have brought in who may have done better anyway?).

The next week, Charlton again faced a tough fixture, away at Carlisle, and I have to admit that I was not expecting the team to bounce back; it could have been Parky’s last chance for all we knew? The team raced into a three goal lead just after half-time and, as is the Charlton way, promptly threw it away. With ten minutes to go, it could only be the home team that won the match, but this side does have some resilience it seems. Paul Benson notched his second of the half as injury time was played out and Charlton emerged as victors in a seven-goal thriller. I only had a chance to read about the game online that evening in my hotel, but I could imagine the emotions amongst the Addickted who were at the game.

I was in transit when the following Saturday’s home game as against Sheffield Wednesday took place, and with a phone that refused to pick up texts on arrival at Heathrow, it was left to the cab driver who drove us home to confirm the Charlton score (he had been at the game!) and a one-nil win. I didn’t know the guy, and it was nice to get a different slant on matters from his north stand perspective. He described Scott Wagstaff’s first half goal in detail which was nice. Waggy now has six for the season, which is possibly about as many as Lloyd Sam scored for Charlton in his career!

Now home again, I was unable to travel to Swindon in last midweek for the last league fixture; a 3-0 win makes excellent reading, even if it was slightly flattering to us I believe. The forward line of Joe Anyinsah and Paul Benson (who both scored again) really seems to be emerging as one that is quite dangerous, and even without the injured Kyel Reid, the Addicks have sufficient goal threat to worry even the best teams in this league. With Reid out of the side, Johnny Jackson was pushed forward and he weighed in with the opening goal at both Carlisle and Swindon.

With the league games finished with for a while, we played Barnet in the FA Cup on Saturday and followed that with the next round of the Johnstone Paint Trophy last night at Southend.

I went to Underhill, and the most expensive part of the day was leaving the ticket money on the table in the pub beforehand; not much of value happened on the pitch either, though Pawel Abbott did hit the bar with a second half header. I thought Abbot took some unwarranted stick during the game, and I certainly didn’t see him wandering around like it was a park match. It may have taken him a little while to get up to game speed – having not played much recently and coming on cold at half time due to Anyinsah’s back niggle – but he was definitely trying his best, and using what sparse ball he was given to best effect. Of course, the game was set up to be Grant Basey’s own vehicle to put one on Charlton, and he did have a good game, but when he was drawn out of the centre of defence, the rest of the Barnet side struggled to contain Charlton, and I have no doubts that we should win the replay quite comfortably.

Last night, a single goal won the match at Roots Hall to see the Addicks make it through to the semi final, southern section, of the JPT. The commentator had me in rapture when he announced the scorer as Jose Semedo, but soon this dream died as Therry Racon was revealed at half time as the actual celebrant. Whatever, it was a great goal apparently! With a semi-final to come later this month, we have a real chance to get to Wembley now, as the three other sides in the southern section hold few fears on paper. In reality though, we might do well to remember that Exeter, Brentford and Bristol Rovers have all beaten Charlton in their last meetings…

And all the while, the take-over rumours have re-surfaced once more. The truth is only really known to Richard Murray I suspect, and he has acted swiftly to repudiate any ideas that a buy-out was imminent. The BBC rumour correspondent fanned the flames on his Twitter account, and finally unconfirmed news broke that both Seb Sainsbury and Peter Ridsdale were unlucky in any bids they may have made. Ridsdale would be bad news for Charlton, as he has been for two of his former clubs; we don’t want him and I would be astonished to find that Murray had sold out to him. As for Sainsbury, I made contact with him back in July when he was first linked to a financial involvement at The Valley. He seems like a nice guy, and was quite keen to chat while not divulging anything that he shouldn’t (like details I suppose). As the ownership of the club changed hands at the EGM toward the end of August, Sainsbury told me he was hoping to be at the game against Notts County on 11th September, where presumably some sort of announcement may have been made. We all know that these things can take time so it was no surprise to me when he failed to show and no investment news came out. I contacted Seb again last week on my return with the rumours in full flow, but he has been keeping low and not responding. This may have been due to the closeness of any potential deal, or maybe because it had all fallen through – I simply do not know?

I do think that any involvement by Sainsbury would have seen him acting more as the guy bringing people to the table, rather than him ploughing in his (possibly) inherited millions, but as we have seen with other clubs, getting to the table is one thing, but putting your money where your mouth is is something altogether different. Maybe this will come to fruition, but maybe not…one day, Murray will have to sell up, and we all have to hope that the guy who follows him will have a heart and wallet at least as big.

This Saturday, Charlton have a return to league action and another awkward away trip – this time to Peterborough. The Posh were my favourites to get promoted this season, but for some reason they either blow very hot or very cold. They have an ability to score at will - with Mackall-Snmith, Maclean, and Boyd all likely to get double figures this year – but have conceded plenty too and lost some unlikely matches. A good manager like Gary Johnson will turn them around in time, but we have to hope that they are still flimsy in confidence if we are to get anything from London Road this weekend.

Then next Tuesday it is the FA Cup replay, followed by two more home league games in four days, so the squad can expect to be stretch to the limit..

The Charlton team has now settled I think after taking time for various people to get fit, get to know each other, and to find a pattern of play which suited them and this league. Anyinsah (left) is the key for me, and his powerful play seems to bring out the best in Benson. With a midfield less reliant on Reid to make chances, we have seen both Wagstaff and Jackson step up, while Semedo and Racon are finding their best form in the centre after a couple of years. The defence has a solid look about it, even if it does lack pace and give away too many chances, while Robbie Elliot is now back near his best (with four consecutive clean sheets) after injury ruined his early season form. With reserves like Jonathan Fortune, Alan McCormack, Lee Martin, Reid, Abbott, and Akpo Sodje all waiting their chance, the signs are quite bright that Charlton can continue to improve and keep the pressure on the top clubs as we head towards Xmas. The confidence that winning cup games brings should help, and even if we suffer the odd setback over coming weeks, I think Charlton will be in or very near the top six heading into the New Year.

Up the Addicks!

Staggering...

2010-10-13T20:41:00.005+01:00

The season staggers onwards, with Charlton not knowing whether to look up or down. The league is very tight, still, even after 11 games, and a couple of wins would take the club right back to near the top of the table, while a couple of defeats would leave us perilously close to the relegation zone. Nearly every club seems capable of beating one another, with Hartlepool’s win over Peterborough being the latest in along line of results that you just wouldn’t expect. Recent bottom clubs Brentford, Dagenham, and Tranmere have all had decent results recently and are no push-overs in the way that tailed-off Stockport were last season.

The last few weeks have seen Charlton win some, lose some, and draw a couple too. Stuttering performances in the main, with some very good halves (like the second half at Plymouth) and also some very poor halves (like the first half at Brentford). It is strange that the team seem incapable of putting in a decent 90 minutes, but at least we are getting a bit of consistency over three-quarters of the game these days.

The latest issue seems to be conceding goals early in games, as we have done versus Brentford, MK Dons and Plymouth. Why this happens is anyone’s business, and you cannot account for some of the poor defending that we have seen in the early stages of these games. It doesn’t matter if it is the first corner (or long-throw) of the game, or one coming in the 89th minute - players have to be picked up and marked tightly, and training should ensure that every player knows his particular job at every set-piece coming into and throughout the game. Charlton’s defence, on paper, looks pretty good and solid, but too many times individual errors are creeping in to hurt the side, and this has got to stop.

At least the team has a more settled look to it these days, and Parky seems at last to know pretty much what his preferred starting eleven will be from week to week. A lot of the new players have had time to settle in now, and we can all see if they are “doing it” or not. In some ways, the injuries to Rob Elliot, Christian Dailly, Alan McCormack, Pawel Abbottt and Joe Anyinsah may have helped clarify matters a little as at least that has given others a run in their place, and we now know who can cut it and who is a weak link.

Ross Worner has proved an able deputy in goal during Elliot’s enforced lay-off, and what the loanee Luke Daniels thought of his signing and not playing is anyone’s guess! It has been great to see Jonathan Fortune (left) back in the side, and he does look very good most of the time. The old issues with his pace and concentration are still there, but less likely to be shown up in this league than in a Premiership game. Therry Racon has had a run in the team, and while he hasn’t let the side down, he hasn’t really been the hard-working but creative influence that the side needs. When the wingers are doing the business, this isn’t as much of an issue, but when they are closely marked, or not playing well, this does show up, and longer term needs addressing. The forward line has seen so many permutations this season it is hard to know if we have finally found the right partnership. We do now have a preferred pairing though, with Abbot and Paul Benson seeming to be the ones favoured. Some still think Abbott is a show-pony, but he is proven in this league, while Benson still seems to me to do little in the majority of the game, but at least he has poked in three goals in the last month. When it was Derek Hales wandering around, doing little but scoring we were all happy, so maybe I can offer Benson (top pic)some slack, but I still maintain that he isn’t pulling his weight, and when the side are playing most of the game with ten players, it is tough to create a goal for anyone let alone an eleventh man. If he gets 20-goals this season, we’ll be happy I’m sure, but anything less will be seen as a failure I think, simply as any less from forty games will not take us into the play-offs.

At least we have good spirit, and a squad in size that looks able to cope; most squads losing five players of the calibre shown above would struggle, so it’s no surprise to see Charlton failing to run away with games during the last few weeks, whoever the opposition.

Looking ahead, after a run of games against teams that you would have liked to think Charlton could all have beaten, we come to a run of games against teams that have started the season relatively well. Carlisle and Sheffield Wednesday await as do the inconsistent but dangerous Swindon, but this week it is table-toppers Brighton who come to The Valley.

I have a good friend who works for Brighton as a youth team coach, and many youngsters he has worked with and brought on over the last few years are now in and around the first team squad. He doesn’t get on all that well with manager Gus Poyet (whose own son plays for Charlton’s youth team funnily enough), but then I suppose in his role he would always prefer to see one of his lads playing in the team than money being spent on someone brought in from elsewhere. Poyet was good fun at The Valley last season (when Brighton won 2-1), but sadly I’ll miss this home game (and the Wednesday one too) as I feel it’s about time I was laying on a beach somewhere.

Brighton will arrive backed by a full to capacity Jimmy Seed stand, and full of confidence too I suspect. They haven’t scored that many goals this season (just fifteen goals in eleven games), but they don’t concede all that many either (only eight), and a tight, solid, hard-working and close-knit side seems to be their strength. They will come looking for three points I suggest, and hope to turn The Valley crowd against the home team by closing the game down, and looking to frustrate the Addicks. We need to maintain our vocal support all game here lads!

I’m sure Phil Parkinson knows all this, and it is up to him to try to come up with a plan to counter these tactics, something he’s not great at looking at recent form. One thing that Phil does that always gets my goat is to always build up the opposition, often into something they aren’t. You can understand him saying that Brighton are a good team, strong, and with good players, as that comes with the territory of being top of the league, but Parky seems to make out that every team we face in this league is a good side, and capable of hurting Charlton if we don’t play at our maximum. While understanding that bottom of the table Brentford, Dagenham, and Tranmere (as they all were when Charlton faced them recently) are capable of damaging Charlton’s chances if we play badly, you don’t have to worry and/or warn your own side that they can beat you if you play sensibly, to tactics, and to win.

I do hope that Parky stops doing other side team-talks for them soon!

One positive sign from this season is that we have actually won a couple of cup games, albeit in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy. We did reach the same stage last year (the quarter final of the southern section), but that was after just one win; this season, we have had two (as we didn’t get a bye on the first round this season) so that is an improvement. In fact, last season in the three cup competitions, we only won one game (out of four), so two wins out of three so far this year is a fantastic achievement. A game away at Southend beckons, and as this match is unlikely to be televised (like the MK Dons one was) we may see a better Addicks following. Just four games from Wembley – getting excited yet? Then we’ll be into the first round of the FA Cup, so we could be on a cup roll…

I suppose Charlton will look to be happy with a point come late Saturday afternoon, though a win would congest this league table even more. Maybe the poor results against lower league teams will counter a run of good results against teams higher up the table? Last season, Charlton struggled to beat any of the other play-off bound sides, and if early season form is anything to go by, these are the teams that the next few games will bring in opposition. A tense few weeks therefore and one that will probably define our season’s expectations Pedro45 suggests.

Come on you reds!

Autumn Change

2010-09-22T12:09:00.005+01:00

Have the last few weeks been significant or not for this Charlton season? Since beating Dagenham and Redbridge (1-0, Therry Racon the scorer), the Addicks have lost at Exeter (1-0, to an injury time penalty), then scraped home against Notts County 1-0 (Joe Anyinsah scoring on his debut), before recently settling for a draw at Tranmere (1-1, the recalled Scott Wagstaff with his third goal of the season). Just four points from the last four league games, yet the side sit a mere three points off the top of the Division One table. It would be easy to be comfortable (rather than happy) with this positioning, yet it is the unconvincing style of play which is the most worrying aspect for me.

Most new sides – and Charlton have a squad full of new players – take time to gel, especially when upwards of nine players are playing together regularly for the first time, but the reality is that many League One sides have new squads and teams each season, and many of the teams we have played could also use the “taking time to gel” argument into a match. At some point, we have to say that enough is enough and find out why the chosen team is not working?

That point may have been reached last weekend, as Phil Parkinson made five changes to his starting eleven. One was enforced (Robbie Elliot’s chipped elbow forcing him onto the sidelines for a month) but four were tactical, or form related. Parkie made a point of saying that he had to pick a team to combat Tranmere’s brute force, and that may have been why Manual Llera got the nod ahead of Matt Fry at centre back (with Christian Dailly still out following his clash of heads in the Daggers cup game). More obvious though was the picking of Racon ahead of Alan McCormack, and also Joe Anyinsah for Pawel Abbott. Neither of those two is more combative that the man they replaced, so something was clearly not working here. In addition, Wagstaff got a recall for Kyel Reid on the wing.

So what are the problems facing Parky, and with the result at Tranny clearly not getting the result wanted, what can our manager do to remedy the issues?

First, Parky has to find out who his preferred starting eleven are; one of the best things about last season was that not only did we win our first six league games, but that the side remained exactly the same during that time too (and for the next two unbeaten games). This season, we have used no less than 19 players in the first seven games, with every position on the field played in by at least two different players. The only player to have started every league game is Gary Doherty, whereas last year we had eleven in this situation.

Last year, possibly due to the paucity of the squad early in the season, we knew what the starting eleven would be, barring injury. This year, we (the fans) and obviously Parkie too due to the tinkering, do not.

Some of the problem to my mind is that while it can take different individuals time to settle, that isn’t a problem if the team knows what they are trying to do and how to play. Clearly, with so many new players, each are at a different stage in settling in, yet the team itself has had little chance to form a unit due to injury, suspension (two sendings off in the first two league games didn’t help!), form and tinkering.

In goal, we do know that Robbie Elliot is first choice, and that Ross Worner (left) was due a season sitting on the bench. Instead, Worner has played and started in three games already, and even though Luke Daniels has been signed on loan from WBA as cover, Worner may yet get the nod to start on Saturday too.

Charlton fans know when a youngster is giving his all, and we got that from Chris Solly last season, especially when he was played out of position and suffered as a consequence. This year, he started at right back, and did well (including being man of the match against Bournemouth), but even before Simon Francis was considered fit enough to play a full game, he usurped Solly in the side. Francis has had his positive moments so far, including a great cross for McCormack to head in at Orient, but overall, his play has been poor, and he has not contributed enough. Due to his size and the fact he is a full back, he is often compared to Hermann Hreidersson, but the marauding run he made against Notts County ran out of steam soon after he passed the half way line, and with just the ‘keeper to beat, he didn’t even get a chance to shoot. His passing needs improvement, as does his oft-cited dead ball delivery. Tell me why this six foot plus beast is taking corner kicks please, and Kyel Reid (or Lee Martin) is left in the box? I just don’t understand it, and he ain’t Russian!

In midfield, early in the season, Parky was able to play five across the park, with Lee Martin floating around behind Abbott up front. This allowed McCormack and Semedo to win the ball and distribute it wide launching attacks. With Semedo banned for three games, the similarity of the two ball winners was hidden, but it soon became clear to everyone that in a 4-4-2 formation, McCormack and Semedo just could not play together if the team was to progress. What is needed is more creativity, but with Martin (left) playing further forward (or wider), the only midfield option is Therry Racon. When on form, this Frenchman can do a very good job, but he has yet to hit his straps, and the front men are still shy on service of any value. Racs will stay in the team I feel, presuming Parky does not take a chance on Martin and Semedo as a pair, unless a new player arrives on loan?

The front players so far this season have all been a little disappointing. Much was said about Akpo Sodje being a weak link coming into pre-season, but he has been about our best attacker so far. His winning goal in the league opener saw him dropped in favour of Abbott and Martin (and this is strangely the first of three times that players have been dropped for the next league game after scoring! No wonder nobody wants to hit the back of the net!); Both played well in the League cup game with Abbott showing his undoubted skill in controlling and shooting home his first for the Addicks, but since then he has flattered to deceive I feel, and now he’s been dropped. Martin has been pushed back to a wide area, though we still do not know if that is his best position, while it was the two new signings – Benson and Anyinsah - who started last Saturday’s game on Merseyside.

Paul Benson (left) may become a Charlton legend, but for all the wrong reasons. Don’t get me wrong here, I hope he succeeds, but so far, from what I have seen, we have a dud. In the matches he has played since signing, he has yet to contribute anything worthwhile. On his debut, admittedly against his former team-mates, he fluffed four relatively easy chances, but we forgave him that as he had only just signed. In two more games, he hasn’t fluffed as many as he hasn’t had many to fluff. He flicks on the odd goalies punt, and wanders into the penalty area (apparently taking up very good positions we are told) yet he seems to me to offer no threat, with none of the pace and poachers instinct we were held to believe he has. He adds nothing to build up play, and usually loses the ball or is tackled when he does get control of a pass. I may be a bit harsh on the lad, and I would love him to prove me wrong, but he reminds me more of Paul Davies than Arthur Horsfield, Johnny Ostergaard more than Derek Hales, Paul Gorman more than Clive Mendonca, and more of Marcus Bent than Darren Bent! Please, please, please show me I am wrong on Saturday Benno!

Admittedly, service into the strikers has not been good, and some of that is due to the missing creativity, but also due to the inconsistency of the wingers. With McCormack and Semedo in midfield, it is pretty obvious to any opposition team that Charlton will use the wings to get the ball forward in an effort to score. While Scott Wagstaff has done well (scoring three times), he has been the young scapegoat for Parky so that the supposedly better Lee Martin and Kyel Reid can play in their preferred positions. Reid and Martin have both had minor injuries it’s true, but other than in the opening game, Reid has been kept pretty quiet, and Martin seems more intent on upsetting referees than his opponent which is never a good sign (unless you are John Robinson!). Parky needs to settle on his chosen wingers and ensure that they play a full part in the game.

On paper, we have a very good squad; one which is capable of doing well this season. The league is tight, with many of the fancied teams starting sluggishly. This is why Charlton sit a mere three points from the summit going into two upcoming home games. But the league is not played on paper. It is played on the pitch, and that’s where we need the team to start performing.

Twenty five years ago this week, Charlton Athletic played what they thought was going to be their last ever game at The Valley. I was there, stood on the small terrace between main stand and the covered end, as I had been for all games that season. I didn’t run on the pitch at half-time, or collect my piece of Valley turf afterwards, but that made me no less of a supporter. I was as heartbroken as the next man, but I stayed with my team. I’m still there, and so are many others who saw Robert Lee and Mark Stuart score that day. I’ve been at other grounds when half-time introductions have worked wonders and roused the crowd into winning the game for their side; if necessary (and I hope it isn’t), we need the Valley crowd to bring us three points on Saturday that will turn this season back in the right direction. We all know that this season is so important, and crucial if we are still to have a club to support in another twenty five years.

Come on you Reds!

Favouring the Brave

2010-08-31T13:11:00.005+01:00

With the league season well under way, and the transfer deadline window shutting later on tonight, Charlton play in their second cup competition of the season. Hopefully, they will do better than they did in the League Cup, and I fully expect the team to progress against Dagenham and Redbridge at The Valley this evening.

Manager Phil Parkinson has at least been able to bring his squad more up to strength with three recent acquisitions.

Jonathan Fortune (left) has returned to the club after little more than a season away; Forch was always respected at Charlton by the fans, most notably for getting Alan Shearer sent off and also for scoring a goal that sent Iain Dowie (spit!) and his team spinning to relegation. Solid and dependable, but not blessed with great pace, Forch should be Ok in this league. Looking at the squad though, it is not clear why another centre half is required, especially as Fortune has only been contracted until January, and doubts must now be raised over Miguel Llera’s future at The Valley. With Christian Dailly, Gary Doherty, Matt Fry, and Fortune around, game time for Llera and Yado Mambo will be short, so I expect one or both to move out on loan at some near future stage.

The two other signings have been protracted over several weeks; Charlton made no secret of their desire to sign Paul Benson (left) from tonight’s opponents, and having finally prised him away, he could yet face up to his former team-mates very quickly (if not tonight, then in a couple of weeks when the league game is played). Benson is not young, but he is nippy for a big man and with an eye for goal. Very much an inside forward, he will play alongside either Pawel Abbott or Akpo Sodje when the side needs two out-and-out strikers. The worry is that he does not make the adjustment from non-league to League Two to League One (he played four games but did not score for Daggers this season), and that the time and effort needed for him to bed in wastes the start to the season that Charlton really need. Of course, should he find his scoring boots quickly, and form a partnership that flourishes, then he will soon attain god-like status afforded to anyone who hits the back of the net regularly in our red-shirted team.

Pushing Benson up front, and also providing competition for our wingers is the third signing, Joe Anyinsah (left). Anyinsah played for Carlisle last season, and did well scoring 13 times, playing in most of their league games. Although 25-year old Joe has played for eight league teams in his short career (four on loan), he has only scored for Carlisle, so hopefully Charlton fans will see him hit the back of the net too. Whether he can oust Scott Wagstaff or Kyel Reid from the starting eleven remains to be seen, but he does look like he could be useful to have available on the bench each week.

The three signings (if not by name) were mentioned at last weeks EGM, which saw Richard Murray take full control of the club. Some may not like Murray taking sole control, but as he said at the meeting, if anyone else had a spare £5million to put into the club, then they were welcome to assume control, but nobody did, so that leaves our long time saviour in charge and able to control the club as he see’s fit. I do expect there to be new investment in the next few weeks, and if talks progress as expected I would not be at all surprised to see a new director rolled out either at or prior to the Notts County game at The Valley on September 11th. Go on, you know it makes sense! It is a shame that fans like myself cannot be called shareholders any longer, even if our share-certificate piece of paper has been worthless for quite some time.

The three signings, the takeover by Murray, and the hope for new investment are all boosts for the club after a couple of setbacks on the pitch. The 1-1 draw against a vibrant Oldham was not unexpected, and I do think that Oldham may surprise a number of sides if they keep their better players. The bench looked decidedly thin that day, so three new players will undoubtedly help. Saturdays’ loss to Huddersfield was also not too much of a surprise if we take last years form into consideration. Both the teams made the play offs, but failed to get to Wembley, but Town had by far the better home form, and have backed that up by making some significant signings in the close season. Charlton’s own problems, especially when conceding first, came to the for somewhat, but Parky will continue to work on these issues I’m sure, and with a set of easier looking games (on paper) coming up, I expect to see the results improve in September.

The make up of the division makes fascinating reading just now, and with fancied teams like (manager-less) Southampton and Charlton yet to really hit it off, it has been left to two relegated teams to blaze the goal trail; Peterborough have three in-form forwards and enough firepower to blitz most sides at this level, and I see them as a major hurdle to any side trying to win this league. Sheffield Wednesday are also showing their class and will also provide tough opposition as the season goes on. Early table-toppers Oldham and Carlisle will do well to retain their lofty places, and by the end of September we should see a more expected hierarchy I feel.

I’ll be at the game tonight, though I think a blanket rather than t-shirt might be needed such is our weather at the moment. A good result at home tonight will enable confidence to breed down in Devon at the weekend, and then hopefully the winning momentum should take us through much of the rest of the month.

Come on you Addicks!

Up For It!

2010-08-19T10:19:00.006+01:00

Three games in, and Charlton can count themselves quite content with how the results have gone so far this season. Two league victories, and a great first half hour in the Carling Cup have left most of us fans smiling, even though the last hour at Shrewsbury wiped that particular competition from our aims this year.

With so many new players joining the club, it will always take a certain amount of time for them to gel, and play as a team should, but such is the positivity surrounding the Club at present, then we are quite happy with performances so far. Phil Parkinson looks to have bought wisely, and with Richard Murray about to assume sole responsibility for club ownership, he has even offered the odd-transfer payment to be made in securing Pawel Abbott and Simon Francis (and there may be more to come?).

Abbott could be the missing link that the team has been looking for in the last 24 months. While I respect the effort that Deon Burton made for the club, to me, he wasn’t the type of player that we needed, simply as he was too static and had very little pace. The glut of goals (including penalties) hid this at the start of last season, but after Xmas, when any scoring threat dried up, Burton was a liability. Sadly, at that time, we had few viable options. With Abbott in the side, we have more movement, more threat, and much more skill. Abbott is also just as good at the art of holding the ball up for the team, and (as we saw at Orient) is quite willing to play the lone striker role and run his heart out if it is required.

The addition of movement into the side has also seen Lee Martin join on a season-long loan from Ipswich. Martin was obviously out of favour with Roy Keane’s team, and this move will give him the opportunity to get his career back on track. If first looks are worth anything, then it does seem like we have made a great signing, as he has skill, speed, a great football brain, a fine shot, and a willingness to play as part of the team. Whether he plays most of the season up front, or on the wing, I think we have a genuine Player-of-the-Year contender here.

Simon Francis is another new recruit who has just about settled into the team now. Displacing Chris Solly after his man-of-the-match performance against Bournemouth was a tough choice to make, but Francis’s height was very necessary against Orient, and once he has his kicking boots fitted properly, I expect him to be another fine signing. Francis is a totally different sort of full-back to the man he replaced (Frazer Richardson), but no less an athlete. With Solly able to cover both full backs plus any midfield place from the bench, I expect him to get plenty of game time as the season progresses, and hopefully he can add to the terrific late goal he got at Brisbane Road.

Francis’s ex-Southend team-mate Alan McCormack has also had a goodstart to his Charlton career. Not someone I had remembered or heard of previously, I thought he may simply provide midfield cover from the bench this season, but a couple of decent displays in the first two league games show that he is much more than that. A decent tackler,and one who isn’t afraid to throw himself in front of shots show that he has a touch of the Nicky Bailey’s about him; the way he ghosted in and headed Charlton ahead last Friday indicate that he may not have ginger hair but he can score goals too. Bailey hasn’t been missed so far in SE7, and that is a great sign.

McCormack has also needed to step up to the plate as his holding midfield compadre departed in the opening game of the season when the referee brandished a straight red card at Jose Semedo. Although unfortunate, I can understand the ref’s viewpoint (he gets one look,and has to make a call…), but it is disappointing when those at the FA have a chance to watch it on video, and still come up with the wrong decision; we have no option but to suffer the three-game ban now. As for Christian Dailly’s red card, well, you can understand both offences picking up a yellow, and it was Dailly’s poor control that predicated the lunge that picked up second card. At least the Scot only misses one match.

With those two players – first and second in the fans poll from last season – missing on Saturday, others will need to step forward. Gary Doherty has those such leadership qualities, and though he was in part responsible for the Orient goal on Friday night (after Therry Racon gave the ball away cheaply), he has performed pretty well in his games so far. Not blessed with great pace, he does have great experience, and uses this to the full (much as Dailly does). With Johnnie Jackson playing well within himself at left back, the defence does look sound, and with cover in the shape of Matt Fry (who I expect to replace Dailly on Saturday provided he is fit from his calf niggle), Miguel Llera, and youngster Yado Mambo, it has meant that the clamour for the signing of Jon Fortune (who has been training with the club and played in another friendly this week) has abated.

All told, the squad has good balance, and some fine additions. I do feel that with one or maybe two extra signings we will have a squad capable of challenging at the very top of the league table. A bench that contains Tuna, Solly, Mambo, and Stavrinou is great for Valley Gold, but is a little short on experience for my liking over a 46-match season.

Next Monday sees the EGM at The Valley where Richard Murray will take sole ownership/leadership of the club. This is a good thing, make no mistake, but I do wish that it was easier to understand with respect to those fans that hold shares in the PLC when all the talk is of buying up the Football Club and Holding Company, and the transfer of inter-company debt. My shares may not be worth anything, but they are mine, and I would like to keep them! I’m sure it will all be clarified next week. This also leaves the club nicely poised to accept additional investment, but I’m sure that those talking to Murray will know that.

With season ticket sales up to around 9,000, and a top of the table clash at home on Saturday, it will be good to get back at The Valley; we may not see the opening six-game winning streak of last season, but I fully expect us to go two points clear at the top of the table come 4.45.

Up the Addicks!

Seasons to be Cheerful Part 2

2010-07-30T20:50:00.005+01:00

I am finally waking up to the new football season that is upon us, after a summer of not really caring about men kicking balls about. It does seem like along time ago that I was in Paris and England were being humbled by the Germans. All that stick I took from my new work colleagues as they sat the other side of the Rhine is but a distant memory. Spain won the World Cup, and Holland lost it, in a rather drab final only coloured by Howard Webb’s flashing of yellow cards. But that game feels like it was a long time ago now.

The reason for my stirring is, I guess, the fact that we (Charlton) are just one week away from the first league game of the season and of course my season ticket has arrived in the post. It seems like an age ago that I sent off my form to re-new my ticket back in March, and the good news is that the block of seats that my friends and I occupy is expanding from four to five this year. How often we fill all five seats is debatable, but we have all shown commitment which is great! I was really pleased with our new view last season, having moved from one end of a block to the other, nearer the half-way line. Being right behind the away dug-out does give a different perspective to some other views I’m sure, as it is easy to see what managers (and coaches) are trying to communicate, and how that may effect the game. You can also have some fun with the oppo too, and a highlight last year was Gus Poyet’s interaction with the home fans behind him. Other managers get wound up very easily, and the local guys give them a hard time too, with several being made to apologise for swearing!

Pre-season is a funny time in the lower leagues, with managers coming back to training in early July with hardly enough players to fill a team, unless you include the first year professionals. Charlton, and Phil Parkinson, were no different; several triallists have been brought in, looked at, watched, given game time, and discussed. Some are still here, and still on trial, and some have moved on to find other clubs or opportunities; one or two may even sign for the club, who knows?

Slowly, the club is sorting itself out from the mess that came upon us; out of the door have gone all of the expensive salaries that the club could not cope with, and nobody is really upset to see either Yassin Moutaouakil or Izale McLeod leave the club. Neither has yet picked up a new deal anywhere, so maybe that is an indication of how good they really were?

Other departures have not been so well received, but the funds that the sales have brought in have been necessary and pretty good in the current climate. Since April, Jonjo Shelvey, Nicky Bailey, and Frazer Richardson have all been sold. Darren Randolph moved on too, as did Deon Burton and, sadly, Lloyd Sam, when their contracts ended. Grant Basey may yet follow them out of the door and with six other players released when their contracts ended in June, the club has had quite a clear out.

Obviously new signings have been required to fill the void left by all the departures, and I doubt that many fans are unhappy about any of the six players Phil Parkinson (left) has signed so far. Gary Doherty was in the League One Team of the Season last year, so to get him on a free transfer is very good business. A solid centre half, he captained Norwich for much of last season, and should be fitter than the not-retained Sam Sodje, if not quite as much fun.

Johnny Jackson has also signed for the club permanently, having played a month on loan for us last February. He is versatile and can play at left back (where he was used by Parky last year), or on the left or centrally in midfield. He has experience, nous, and sweet left foot.

Kyel Reid has also put his name on the dotted line, and he will be an able replacement for the departed Sam, albeit on the opposite wing I expect. Reid scored four goals (if you include the Exeter effort) in 18 games on loan for us last season, and he could easily get double figures if he starts every week this year.

The fourth signing is one I have less information about – Alan McCormack; a midfielder from Southend who again did not cost a penny, I doubt he will be as good as Bailey, but we cannot expect all our midfield signings to score a dozen goals each season (go on, prove me wrong)!

The fifth signing, made very recently, is that of full back Simon Francis, again from Southend, who is a like-for-like cheaper replacement for Richardson. Francis cost a fee, unlike any of the others, and he makes it two former-club players of the year to join our new look defence.

The rumours that the club were in the market for a striker to supplement Akpo Sodje and Tamer Tuna – the only two forwards at the club bar first year pro Lewis Perkins - were proved true late today as Pawel Abbott signed from Oldham. How we would love him to be the next like Clive Mendonca! Abbott has played for Poland but has an English mother, and he has played most of his games in the north of England. Big, strong, and knows where the goals are would describe him quite well, and I doubt he knows the meaning of the word finesse let alone how to spell it!

It has also been good to retain some of the players who were out of contract but who the club wanted to keep; while Sam and Randolph moved on, Christian Dailly, Chris Solly, and Scott Wagstaff have all re-signed for Charlton. All three are probably going to be key players for the club this season, and the potential for Dailly’s partnership with Doherty is great; they may not be the quickest, but they have more experience (and international caps I suspect) than any other central defensive pair in this league? Solly will back up the club’s full backs on both sides of the pitch, while Wagstaff is pencilled in as the right side midfielder from August until May.

The deal which took Shelvey to Liverpool may yet see a young player (or two) sent back to Charlton on loan as part of the deal. I am guessing, but this could work out very well for the Addicks, bearing in mind the strength of the signings made so far! With the inevitable loan signings (and not just any from Liverpool) plugging any gaps when and where required, we could be a pretty strong team, and certainly on a par with last years squad.

As for Richard Murray (top pic), he has worked hard all summer despite having a heart operation back in June. He has taken steps to consolidate the debts of the club, and with the help and agreement of his fellow directors, he is trying to take sole responsibility. This is a fantastic gesture by Murray (who will have most to lose) and the other directors who it seems have written off (most if not all of) any monies owed to them by the club, and sold/given (almost the same thing I suspect) their shares to Murray.

This move does help if the club are looking for new investment too, as it means that any potential investor only has to deal with one person, who may, or may not, be more conducive to a deal than other soon-to-be ex-directors. All of this is subject to an agreement of shareholders at a forthcoming EGM, but it is very exciting news for fans and shareholders (like me).

Any future agreement is obviously a long way off, and subject to lots of talks and negotiation, but if the rumoured investment were to come from Geneva, and involve the person mentioned in despatches (left), then that would be a good thing in my mind.

Whatever happens though, the club has to cut its cloth accordingly; gone are the days when any and every football club could ring up huge debts with wealthy benefactors always around the corner wanting their five minutes in the directors box ready to bale clubs out. Portsmouth, Cardiff, and Southend (to name but three) are all in big trouble, and at some stage soon, a club will be wound-up; it’s just a matter of time.

For Charlton, the boardroom re-shuffle seems to have taken those worries away for a while, and provided the club spend wisely, we should be OK. Just because we may see new investment doesn’t mean that we can be profligate – this summer has seen cut-backs involving the big TV screen, the website, and office staff, with several redundancies sadly (including Steve Gritt and Steve Waggott!). While I like the screen. I would rather it was not used than have it obviously beyond repair at times, as it was with pixels broken last year. We fans rarely have one at away games, so I’m sure we can cope. The website is another old favourite that I will miss deeply, especially as I hate the Premium TV branded websites that some 66 other clubs have. This change will bring in additional revenues though, so has to be commended.

We have new kit once more, after the deal with Joma ran out, and the Macron brand has taken on the task of keeping punters happy. As long as the home shirt is red, I don’t care what makers name is on it.

So we come to the new season, and it’s time for a few predictions. Like many, I do think Southampton are favourites to romp away with the league title (any indication of less will see Pardew chopped for sure!). Huddersfield will be stronger than last year, and Brighton have a certain confidence that may see them do very well, if they can keep their manager. Of the relegated clubs (usually the biggest danger), Sheffield Wednesday will be up there, but have a fairly new team to gel (a bit like Charlton last season), and Peterborough have good forwards, which will see them quite strong I think; Plymouth may not be so settled, having lost many of their better players. For Charlton, I do think that our defence should be OK, and we have a decent first choice midfield too (Semedo and Racon); if we can feed the strikers, and find a spark from the wings, we could do well, or even better than that?

Pedro45 will put his neck on the block and predict a play-off place once more for Addicks fans (which is better than I thought for last season!).

And lastly, dear reader, we come to this blog and what to do. After five years of hard work and mainly thorough enjoyment, I am going to change my ways. No longer will Pedro45 be able to provide match previews and match reviews on a regular basis (even if I wanted to continue). I will therefore use this site as more of a general comment area (maybe monthly?) when I have something to say on Charlton, rather than continuing with the same tired format every year bashing something out before and after every game. Blogs come and go (and we’ve had quite a few over the years to read on all things Charlton), and this one will remain live, but I suspect that it will be less populated from now and I hope that this is OK with you. There are some great blogs that I have to try to compete with, and I hope that they all continue, along with the new ones that seem to spring up every year. Thay kan all rite betta then me!

Up the Addicks!

Le Cup du Monde

2010-07-07T12:44:00.007+01:00

It’s been a strange few weeks for me football-wise.

With the World Cup coming to a close, I have been interested, but without ever getting fully enveloped in the beautiful game, and certainly not to the extent that the media (both TV and press) would want. Maybe it’s a Swindon game legacy, I don’t know…

I struggled to get very excited about England’s prospects in advance, and really do hate all the hype that we see prior to any major tournament. I really didn’t care what the score was when we played Japan in Austria (remember that?), and as for the warm-up games in South Africa, how can we only be good enough to beat a local team 3-0? That for me did sum up our chances.

The squad seemed to self-implode as they settled into their plush surroundings high on the veldt, and with captain Rio Ferdinand knackering his knee (when Emile Heskey fell on him), the signs were ominous. Of course, Ferdinand was only a reserve skipper anyway, after John Terry was sacked after bed-hopping while his England team-mate was away. Rio of course, lest we forget, was once banned for eight months for missing a post-game drugs test which doesn’t really show him to be leadership material. This left manager Fabio Capello with the onerous task of picking a new captain, and he ended up with Steven Gerrard. Gerrard is captain of Liverpool, and has been for some years, but he himself is not exactly squeaky clean, and it was only in January that he was finally cleared (by an all Liverpool jury) of actual bodily harm after getting into some sort of fight in a nightclub (and not for the first time either). Subsequently, the Irish Times has printed rumours of Stevie G getting jiggy-jiggy with his wife’s sixteen year old sister, or is it his wife’s sister and a sixteen year old, or his wife's sister for sixteen years? I don’t know. They say there is no smoke without fire… Even Wayne Rooney has a blackened past that is tainting his apparently now happy family life; well before he tied the knot with Colleen, stories about him paying large sums for the services of Cheshire ladies to help party the night away with team-mates were strewn throughout the gutter press.

So if the squad – minus Ferdinand, Terry, Rooney and Gerrard – were worried about anything, who could they turn to?

Certainly not any other player, as they had shown– by their composite actions – to be stupid, deceitful, rowdy, and downright dirty.

A player, any player, could hardly turn to the manager either for a chat about something that was worrying him – even if that worry concerned having to be billeted with the above four players! – as Fabio Capello’s spoken English has proved to be fallible when under pressure. He does well (in my opinion), but still needs the services of a translator when being questioned by the media after games, to help him with those, how we say, difficult words. You cannot go to Capello with a problem as you have no idea if he will know what you are talking about!

And this, dear reader, is why I think that the England team struggled to gel at all while they were in South Africa. Team bonding is such an important part of sport these days, and without it, whatever team you pick and however talented your players may be, you will win nothing. If you cannot trust your team-mates off the pitch, how can you trust them on it?

I watched the first England game in our clubhouse and lambasted the West Ham fan when Robert Green let slip an easy shot. My, how long ago that seems! I watched the Slovenia game at home alone, with my frustrations being fielded by my wife in the kitchen. I was at work when we played Algeria, and though I was invited to go down the pub and watch with new work colleagues, I declined, and sat in the office listening to the Radio 5 Live commentary as ex-Addick Jermain Defoe spared England’s blushes and brought about the necessary win.

The next day, I went to Paris, and spent four days there having fun to celebrate my wife’s birthday. She was happy to spend some of that time sat in a bar watching games, but we also stumbled (if that was possible) on the FIFA Fans Park in between the Eiffel Tower and the hill leading up to the Trocadero. I had heard of this sort of park being set up around the world, but had never seen one before, and I was quite impressed.

Paris, being ever so cosmopolitan, had laid on a feast, and the park was pretty full most days we went near it (our hotel was only a couple of hundred yards away, so we did go near on most days). You could tell who was playing simply by the volume of flags or shirts of a particular country that were in the vicinity.

The first time we went past, it was Italy (and we heard the screams when they conceded and subsequently went out at the first round stage, much to the hilarity of the French I might add, who felt less humbled as a result!), and then a couple of day’s later it was the Brazil versus Portugal game which saw I suspect every Portuguese speaker in the city arrive on that hill. It was lovely to see the fans – male and female - mingle with each other, bearing flags of red and green or yellow and blue, football shirts aplenty, chatting away in their mother tongue (left). It was a true celebration of football, the global game. On another day, it was Mexicans everywhere, and of course the Spanish were out in force around the time of their game too. No trouble, no problems, and all of them having fun!

Returning from Paris on Sunday afternoon seemed like a good idea when I booked the trip; had the USA not score that winning goal deep into injury time, I would have been able to watch England play their next opponents in that Paris fan park, but my train journey home was at much the same time as the game. When the 3pm kick-off came, I was just exiting the channel tunnel and arriving in the Kent countryside. Pulling into St Pancras twenty five minutes later, I knew that Germany had scored – the conductor (probably a Frenchwoman) announced it to the whole train. I raced home, hoping to not hear any further score updates and extra time, but when I got to Bromley I had to walk past a couple of pubs/bars that were showing the game.

Now into the second half, I could hear anguished shouts and wavering support. A near miss judging by the familiar sounds,I told my wife, then there was a goal, I was sure. A small kid shouted to a friend that it was 3-1; it couldn’t be to England as he would have been happier. By the time I got home – with ten minutes or so left to play – it was 4-1, and the knives were out.

Lee Dixon, Alan Shearer and Alan Hansen ripped into the England performance. I had no idea about the “goal” that wasn’t allowed at that stage, and sat as they replayed the key moments. Some poor defence, a lucky break, and a bad decision saw England 2-1 down, and then two breakaway goals sealed the game. If England had been victorious in that way we would have called them world beaters, but they didn’t and we won’t.

How many Germans would get in to the England team the papers asked? Not many we were told! Crazy – at least eight or nine I reckon!. How blinkered can you be?

Capello skulked back to Blighty with the guillotine wobbling above his neck, but seems set to survive (and so he should, as there is unlikely to be anyone better!), while the players have now all disappeared off on holiday prior to returning for pre-season training later this month.

As for Charlton links, well, Dennis and Jermain scored goals, and Magic and Danny played a big part in their teams fortunes. Will ex-Addicks ever get another chance to play on the world stage? Who knows!

In August, expect the newspapers – the same rags that bring us stories about the indiscretions of Rio, John, Wayne, and Stevie G – to remind us that they are among the best players in the world and definitely playing in the best league.

Le Cup du Monde quickly forgotten.

Back at The Valley, “Oh Nicky Bailey” has moved to Middlesboro, Stuart Fleetwood has dropped down a division to play for Hereford, and Frazer Richardson has joined Southampton, which has supplemented the desperately empty coffers to the tune of nearly £2 million quid. To my mind, the only other current player likely to command a fee would be Jose Semedo, but we don’t want to see him leave (please!). Darren Randolph has left the building too, joining Motherwell on a freebie, while Deon Burton is apparently in discussions about playing overseas.

Alan McCormack and Gary Doherty have joined on free transfers, and they look like being key first team players next season. I still hope that Christian Dailly will re-sign, and maybe Lloyd Sam will too, if we can afford him. Rumours about ex-loanees joining permanently include Johnnie Jackson and Kyel Reid, and we also desperately need some fire-power with Matt Harrold rumoured to be joining on trial, though he alone will not be enough to my mind.

Enjoy the final!

England, Our England!

2010-06-19T11:32:00.005+01:00

I don’t normally comment about England games on this blog, but last nights game has compelled me to convey my thoughts.

Of course, it is the media that most of us should blame, as they are the ones who have raised expectation - as they do for each tournament - that England realistically have a chance of winning. The media, apparently with great glee, then take pride in being the most hurtful and spiteful in their humiliation of said team whenever they do not come up to the country’s, and media’s, high standards.

You build them up, then knock them down again!

Sure, England have some very good players who compete with the best week in and week out in the Premiership. It’s also true that we have a very good manager in Fabio Capello, a man whose record stands up to the very highest scrutiny. There really are not many better managers out there, yet over the last week, he has been painted as a shadow of the man who took us into these finals, and is now being blamed for any and every short-fall. Why? Simply because the media have to have a fall guy and the manager is the easiest target. Capello has standards, and he expects those high standards to be reflected amongst the players he manages; with the England team though, these pampered individuals made hay under Sven Goran Ericksson, brought us WAG headlines and scandal, and now they cannot. The backlash may have caught Capello in the nether regions, and cracks in old-stone face are starting to show...

Many football fans blame either the manager or the players when games go wrong; so if my opinion is that last nights performance wasn’t Capello’s fault, who is to blame? It has to be the players. You cannot blame Capello for picking the squad and/or team he did, as they are simply the best options available (save for the usual inter-team rivalry that may prefer, for instance, Theo Walcott to Aaron Lennon, etc,). Capello also sticks rigidly to a 4-4-2 formation (though that is now the route of our problem according to ITV, as most of the major Premiership teams don’t play that way any more!), but England need to do so (or a variation of it at least) in order to utilise their best players. When Wayne Rooney was tasked with playing up front on his own, there was outcry! When Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard play together in midfield they counter-act each others attributes. These three are probably England’s best three players, from a Premiership perspective at least, so how do we get around this issue? Obviously, Capello’s chosen formation is to play Rooney up front along-side someone (a target man usually) and switch Gerrard to a free-ish role out on the left, leaving Lampard to roam through the middle of the pitch. You cannot blame the manager for this tactic, as it is generally considered the only way to fit all three into the side.

And, in my opinion, therein lies the problem – you cannot fit these three players into an England team that is functional and able to compete with the best in the World. They just do not compliment each other. Rooney can be a great player, though he has had a poor tournament so far, and Gerrard is also a world beater on his day (and the current England captain through default), so that leaves us with Lampard as the one to look at closely. Frank may be a goalscoring superstar at Chelsea but for England, he has blown very hot and very cold over some time now. Last night, and last Saturday too, he was anonymous for huge amounts of the game, which is simply not acceptable in international football. He has become the John Barnes of modern English football - once very good, but now a passenger too often, hence the booing he receives from fans after most games. Don’t get me wrong, I still think he’s a very good player, but if I had to choose between Lampard and Gerrard, it would be the Scouser every time at present.

If Capello takes my advice – and it would be a very strong manager that did – and dropped Lamps, it would allow Gerrard to move into his preferred central midfield role, and either Joe Cole (my preference for a game we have to win) or James Milner to come in on the left. At least this would balance the team more, and also provide a little more goal threat than we currently have.

Goal threat is also something else that Capello needs to deal with overall, and last night it was truly shocking to see an England forward too scared to shoot when well placed. Emile Heskey has done very well for England over the years, but his record in the goal-scoring stakes is very poor, and once he fails to contribute in other areas (as we are now seeing), then it is time to ditch him and look elsewhere. I know that the only viable other option is Peter Crouch (no laughing at the back!), but the pot seems empty and we have nothing else. Another helpful addition to the goal threat of the team may have been to include Walcott rather than Lennon in the squad, but it’s Lennon that we have, and he now needs to either find his shooting boots or be replaced too. He is not making goals, nor scoring them, so what is his worth? The logical replacement from within the squad is the one that Capello has used in both games so far through substitutions, and that is to start Shaun Wright-Phillips on the right. Wright-Phillips has similar pace, and would provide good cover for the errant Glenn Johnson when he ventured forward, all the while being more likely to score than Lennon would.

The only other change I would make is the enforced one of replacing Jamie Carragher, with either Matt Upson or Michael Dawson, with the Spurs man just shading it for me.

This is the team I would ask Fabio to send out to restore the country's faith next Wednesday –

David James
Glenn Johnson
Michael Dawson
John Terry
Ashley Cole
Gareth Barry
Steven Gerrard
Shaun Wright-Phillips
Joe Cole
Wayne Rooney
Peter Crouch

This is a team capable of beating Slovenia, and scraping through to the last sixteen stage of the tournament; an alternative result on Wednesday doesn't bear thinking about! Whether they are good enough to go further depends on who they come up against, and I have to admit that to date I have yet to see any team set the competition alight, with even the Argentinians looking fragile in defence. The Cup is still to be won, and stranger things have happened should Engand be able to progress.

The media constantly asks the country to believe in our football team, and we do, always; I just wish that the media did the same sometimes!

The Moon in June

2010-06-07T16:04:00.003+01:00

I suppose it’s about a month since the Swindon game, and about time I penned something else about our esteemed club on this blog.

Firstly, comings and goings: Six players have been released, none without a surprise. Matt Spring, Leon McKenzie, Tony Warner, Chris Dickson, Jack Clark and Dean Sinclair have all been told to find employ elsewhere. Although there could be some sort of argument for keeping all of the above players, none made any significant contribution to Charlton’s season just gone, and it is therefore hard to see them making an impact next year, whoever else comes and goes. Yassin Moutaouakil has also left the club, agreeing a deal to bring his contract to an early end. Rumours are that his pay-off was a six-figure sum, but that it falls well short of the salary he would have picked up had he merely trained and not played for the club next season (as he did most of this).

Nobody has signed for Charlton yet (apart from Akpo Sodje just before the Swindon home game), though Parky is keen to get players in as early as possible. This was also the case last year, and understandable for his perspective. Firstly, he will want to secure any of the better players coming to the club so that they aren’t pinched from under his nose, and secondly, it shows willing. The problem is that finances are such that it is often better to wait as long as possible before having to pay the players concerned. As such, I do expect a couple of new Bosman signings at the end of this month (or very early in July), but any further signings are likely to be just before the season commences as happened with Christian Dailly this year.

We haven’t sold anyone, which is good, but not a surprise. Other clubs also have to be very careful financially, and unless you are guaranteed Sky Premiership TV money then there is not a lot going on. It would be no surprise to see players of the ilk of Frazer Richardson, Nicky Bailey and Jose Semedo being bid for, and at Charlton we know that any good offer has to be accepted, but I hope that they do stay and at least see the first few games of the new season in Charlton shirts.

Those other players out of contract have probably now been offered new contracts, and no doubt some will re-sign, and some will not. Lloyd Sam has seen much speculation over his future, which has varied from a cast-iron certainty to join QPR, then to one which saw him retire early from football in favour of a fashion and music career, and now to one which has him directly quoted as staying at The Valley with a new contract ready to be agreed. What to believe?!? I have no idea if players like Deon Burton and Darren Randolph will be happy with any new contract offers, but I suspect that Christian Dailly and Grant Basey will want to stay. Chris Solly would be foolish to move on I suggest, as would Scott Wagstaff. Sam Sodje is a problem and one I can see waiting on other signings. When fit, he is good enough for this league, but his knee-knack got worse as the season progressed, and it was a major issue in April and May.

Rumours of players being linked to the Addicks all need to be taken with a pinch of salt I suspect; the Transfer Rumours website has been inundated with made up stories of this player or that coming to Charlton, mostly just to see if there was any filtering of the truth or not (which there patently isn't). Initial subjects Kevin Kyle and Chris Dagnall have subsequently signed elsewhere, while in Kevin Lisbie there may or may not be any truth...

The club has sold nearly seven thousand season tickets, which compares well with a similar stage last year, so hopefully we can expect 15,000 plus crowds throughout the season once more. The fixtures will once more see a plethora of southern clubs coming to The Valley, and will include Dagenham and Redbridge for a league game for the first time. I’ll enjoy a new ground when I visit there, and I also hope to be able to get to Hartlepool (which I missed last year) and Rochdale, two others I have never visited.

I plan to keep this blog active for the foreseeable future, but at present, my plan is not to do previews and match reports any longer. Time is the major factor, and after five years, other, fresher blogs compare well. When I do have something more to say, I’ll be there, but till then, have a good summer and enjoy the World Cup.

Up the Addicks!

Oh Nicky Bailey…

2010-05-18T08:27:00.007+01:00

Charlton Athletic 2 Swindon Town 1 (After Extra Time)
(Swindon won 5-4 on penalties)

I hate the play-offs…

For every Clive Mendonca and Sasa Ilic there is a Nicky Bailey and Miguel Llera; they just aren’t fair in my mind – too much is at stake on one kick of a ball.

For Bailey, that one (penalty) kick went high and wide and that, ultimately, was the difference between these teams over 210 minutes (plus injury time) of play-off football. Nothing could separate them in two league games, and only one point over a whole season – they are very well balanced!

It had all started so brightly for Charlton though, as a passionate crowd roared on their favourites and The Valley echoed with chants and cheers. Swindon lost their goalkeeper after a minute; having fallen on his shoulder in taking a cross, he left the field in excruciating pain. My worry was that it set up his substitute – Smith - to be either the hero or villain, or both.

After a fairly even opening, Charlton took the lead when Gary Borrowdale swung over a high corner, and with Dave Mooney blocking the ‘keeper (possibly legally), the ball bounced in and over the line off Ferry. The Valley erupted as only it can and Charlton took control. Kyel Reid and Lloyd Sam were causing lots of problems for the Swindon rearguard with their width, and many times only poor crosses or desperate blocks prevented chances for the home side. When, in the five minutes of first half injury time (of which all but a minute was due to the goalkeeper going off) Reid was set free down the left, his pull back was beautifully stroked home by Mooney to give Charlton the lead and the cushion on the night that they wanted.

Bartram’s was buzzing at half-time, but I discouraged talk of Wembley knowing that the third goal would be the crucial one (Curbishley’s Law).

Both teams seemed to attack even more in the second half, if that was possible. Play swung from end to end, with chances arriving and being missed. In honesty, there were too many to catalogue here, but Smith made some fine saves that kept Swindon in the game, and others went close.

With about half an hour left, with the game getting a little more tetchy as the pressure mounted on both sides, Greer was sent off, maybe harshly. His raised foot did probably leave deep stud marks on Deon Burton’s hip, but to me there seemed no intent or movement to kick Burton, and it didn’t look any worse than that done by Sam Sodje in at least three games late this season. Could Charlton dictate the game from then on in? They started to, but in some ways, as time dragged on, the crowd became more edgy wanting the Addicks to compound their lead and finish the job.

As on Friday in the first leg, Swindon scored after a breakaway, this time after 72 minutes. They broke quickly, but Charlton had numbers back this time; Borrowdale was wrestling with his winger off the ball, and got the worst of it as play continued. Crazily, the ball in the middle spun past the central defenders, and left the flying winger, now unmarked and cutting round the back after Borrowdale couldn’t hold him, free to poke past Darren Randolph. It brought the tie level once more, though Charlton still had the numerical advantage.

Even that did not last long, as Austin soon spun away from Llera, and his clumsy challenge brought him down on the edge of the penalty box. Was Dailly covering? Probably (I haven’t seen it on TV), but the linesman and referee both thought Llera was the last man, and he was shown red too. Ten against ten then.

Swindon were by far the more tired side, having played for much of the second half against superior numbers, but Charlton will have thought as the 90 minutes ended that they had missed their chance. Winning the game and one man up, they hadn’t been able to hold or increase that lead sadly. Even the players likely to create something had been sacrificed by Phil Parkinson (left) as Charlton tried to hold what they had – Lloyd Sam being replaced by Scott Wagstaff and Dave Mooney coming off for Nicky Forster – though every player tried their best.

Into extra time, and Charlton pushed forward as much as they could. With less players on the pitch, possession was key, and both teams saw quite long (in comparison) periods of holding the ball, trying to work out how to breakdown the others defence. Frazer Richardson probably came closest, as his crisp shot clipped the outside of the post. Therry Racon was now on, and he at last was running the show, probing, pushing, and cajoling his team-mates into those last efforts. But it wasn’t to be, and Swindon nearly stole it at the death with a shot that went just wide.

Despite the passionate and noisy crowd, and despite the considerable efforts of all the players, it came down to penalties. A spot kick from 12 yards with just the ‘keeper to beat. Was Smith the substitute to be a hero, or could Randolph (left) emulate Ilic’s antics and save? Well neither actually, as nine of the ten kicks went in without any coming close to being saved or missed. The second Charlton kick was the one that split the teams and gave Swindon that Wembley feeling.

Nicky Bailey, the love of our lives, took his captain’s responsibility, stepped up to take his penalty kick turn but side-footed high and wide of the right hand post. With the tie over and Swindon celebrating a few minutes later, he was distraught (top pic). It would be totally unfair to criticise Bailey for missing the spot kick: Nobody does that on purpose; nobody means to do that. We may all wish we had ginger hair too, but not last night, not with the hopes and Wembley dreams of 20,000 fans riding on our backs. Bailey had the guts to take a kick – could we have done so? So, he missed, someone was going to be a hero and someone a villain – it was Nicky Bailey’s turn to be a villain.

For ever Clive Mendonca, there is a Nicky Bailey…

I hate the play-offs.

Last Chance Saloon

2010-05-17T08:23:00.004+01:00

Just one goal behind, Charlton meet Swindon in the second leg of their League One play-off semi-final tonight, with the knowledge that the winners of this tie will be extending their season for another couple of weeks. That final game at Wembley is a tantalising carrot at the end of this season’s stick, and it will probably transpire that the team that wants it most will be the one to get the prize.

Friday nights game was, as they say, a game of two halves – the first a tactical and negative fair, with Swindon carving out but not taking chances against a lacklustre Charlton side, and the second much more open, with goals, both sides hitting the woodwork, and more chances going begging. 2-1 is not much of a lead, but a lead it is, and Swindon will be doing their utmost to first protect, then extend that lead tonight.

I’m sure that Danny Wilson will set Swindon up to play in much the same manner, particularly if his top scorer, Paynter, is still out injured. That tactic, of playing neat passes out wide and then getting good early ball into the box certainly caused Charlton’s rearguard some worries, and it is something that Phil Parkinson will be keen to combat. With Austin pulling away onto the full back as he awaited the cross, he was always going to win most aerial stuff, and Gary Borrowdale and Frazer Richardson need to be aware that this is what he is trying to do.

Parky, now at home, will have to change things up, and common consensus is that two areas need addressing. The first is that nobody can go into this game with any injury doubts hanging over them; Sam Sodje’s knee-knack has been getting worse and worse, and though he put in a fine effort on Friday, his lack of pace caused major concern, and I would therefore expect him to be replaced tonight by Miguel Llera. The second area of concern is another one that is well known, and that is the lack of goal threat. Of the team that turned out for the Addicks on Friday night, only Nicky Bailey and Deon Burton came anywhere near the Swindon goal, and in order to offer at least some hope of getting to Wembley I think that Kyel Reid and Nicky Forster have to start the match. This would mean sacrificing Therry Racon, though he has hardly been very influential over recent months, and also Dave Mooney, who has looked a better option as a late sub than when starting recently. Other than that, there is not a lot that Parky can do even with the plethora of available bodies he has currently at his disposal.

This is the team I expect Parky to pick to win the match -

Darren Randolph
Frazer Richardson
Miguel Llera
Christian Dailly
Gary Borrowdale
Jose Semedo
Nicky Bailey
Kyel Reid
Lloyd Sam
Deon Burton
Nicky Forster

Subs from – Elliot, Warner, Solly, Sam Sodje, Mambo, Fry, Spring, Stavrinou, Wagstaff, Racon, Mooney, Akpo Sodje, Fleetwood, Dickson, Tuna.

Pedro45 is a realist, and I do think that anything could happen tonight. If any one side takes charge, then the final score could be three or four nil, but then again it could turn out to be a negative and cagey goalless draw. If Parky picks an attacking side from the start, I think we have a chance, as Swindon wobbled under pressure on Friday, and they do have problems at full back that we didn’t exploit that night. However, my score forecast is a 1-1 draw, and misery for Addicks fans. I hope I am wrong, and in many ways it would not surprise me to see me beaming with smiles come 9.45 tonight, but I just don’t know. I do expect Swindon to score, but isn’t it about time Charlton hit the back of the net more than in other recent games? Yes, I think so too!
My one-to-watch in this match is no one player, but the whole Charlton team, as tonight is going to be a team effort, from the management to the players and then right through to the fans too! While one or two players can have mediocre games, the rest cannot, and they must all pull in the right positive direction. We need Darren Randolph to be at his best; the defence to use their experience to protect our goalie and provide impetus to the midfield and attack; we need the central players to dictate and dominate, for the wide men to attack and create; and for the strikers to stick that bloody little round thing in the back of the net! But that’s not all, we need the crowd, all of the Addicks supporting fans, to get behind the team AND STAY THERE! We need at least two goals – If Swindon score one it makes little difference - so let’s hang in there and keep on shouting for OUR boys, not against them.

In Charlton’s final home game of the previous two seasons, four goals have been scored by the Addicks, and it would be great to finish the season in SE7 with another four-goal haul. For that to happen, someone has to stand up and be counted, just like Deon Burton did last May; it may have been unexpected, but how we loved his hat-trick. Tonight, whatever the score, may well be the last game that some of these players have in a Charlton shirt at The Valley. Fourteen are out of contract next month, and the finances dictate that many will move on; for Lloyd Sam, Deon Burton, Christian Dailly, Therry Racon, and Darren Randolph amongst others, it could be their last chance to be Valley heroes. Our on-loan players – Dave Mooney, Nicky Forster, Akpo Sodje, Gary Borrowdale, and Kyel Reid - have the chance to be remembered or forgotten, depending what happens in the match tonight. Good performances could earn them the offer of a Charlton contract, and even the chance to play in the Championship, while a bad one will see them subbed and trudging back whence they came. Also, unless we win our next two games, the likelihood is that maybe Nicky Bailey and Frazer Richardson will need to be sold? It could be their farewell too, sadly. So a lot depends on tonight’s outcome; we cannot afford to leave anything in the dressing room!

I hate the play-offs, but I am willing to put up with one more game if the club insists!

In finishing, I include a small ditty that I remember singing way back in the seventies at several games, and on the train journeys to and from them; I don’t know who came up with the words, or why it never caught on, but I’ve never forgotten it, and tonight maybe it should be our mantra –

It’s Charlton for me,
It’s Charlton for me.
They play good football
Occasionally!
They play it so cool,
They play it spot on,
And this year you’ll see
They’ll win promotion!

It’s pro-motion, promotion!
That we’re aiming for,
So come along Charlton
And give them a roar.
Supporters are here
To give you a cheer
So come on you Charlton
This year is your year!

Come on you Reds!

Wobbling in Wiltshire

2010-05-15T08:55:00.003+01:00

Swindon Town 2 Charlton Athletic 1

It wasn’t an easy experience watching this game on TV, though I suspect that it may have been a little easier on the eye from behind the goal at the Country Ground last night, simply because you wouldn’t have had to see so many action replays of Swindon efforts on goal...

One must acknowledge that Swindon were the better team, deserved to win, and unless Charlton are to finish the season with a whimper, they really do need to find something or someone inspirational for Monday night’s game.

With (a not-really-fit) Sam Sodje restored to the defence, the first half was all cagey and tactical; Swindon did carve out some headed chances for Charlie Austin as he strode past a static Charlton rearguard but thankfully Darren Randolph continued his good form and kept these efforts out. The Addicks really had little to show other than couple of weak left footed Nicky Bailey shots that went well wide. Charlton had plenty of possession, but just could not get anywhere close to goal, and when they did get a cross into the box, it was either mis-directed or adequately dealt with by the Swindon ‘keeper or defence. The home team were being allowed to play at their tempo, and with Dave Mooney, Lloyd Sam and Deon Burton all unable to hold onto the ball for any period of time, the impetus was with the Robins of Swindon.

Still, this is a long tie, and at half time, only a quarter done. Charlton actually looked brighter early in the second period, and when Bailey cut in from his left wing slot and unleashed a right foot shot of some power, you hoped it would curl past the ‘keeper and into the back of the net. Sadly, it was an inch or two out, and the ball thudded against the post and was put behind for a corner (one of many for Charlton) by a defender. A couple of minutes later, and Austin rose above Gary Borrowdale to meet a cross and the ball was in the back of the net – 1-0 Swindon. Charlton tried to get back into the game quickly, but Borrowdale (still looking for his first ever goal in senior football…) put a free kick from a good position high over the bar. Maybe now was the time to let Bailey, Sam, or even Therry Racon try a dead ball delivery, as Borrowdale seems to hyper-ventilate when given the chance.

After another Charlton corner, Swindon broke quickly, but Racon made a wrong decision and allowed Austin to run free rather than bring him down early and take a booking. The Swindon forward fed Ward and he scored with a crisp left foot shot past the helpless Randolph – 2-0 Swindon. Thankfully, Charlton did not capitulate completely, and after a Swindon foray was hoofed clear by Randoph, Burton put his head in where it hurts and just got to the ball ahead of the Swindon ‘keeper to head home the loose bouncing ball. It was a lucky goal in some respects, but dragged Charlton right back into the tie.

For a few minutes, Swindon were there for the taking, but efforts just would not sit right and crosses slipped past attackers by the merest margins. Having missed the chance to equalise, Parky made substitutions (Nicky Forster for Mooney, Scott Wagstaff for Sam, and Akpo Sodje late on for Burton) and tied the game down hoping to bring it back to The Valley well balanced.

That was the plan, but Swindon rose in confidence again, and should have extended their lead, most notably when sub Pericard headed against the post when it should have been easier to score in the dying seconds of added on time (Sodje again at fault).

2-1 then, and still all to play for on Monday. The worry is that Swindon, even without their top scorer Paynter, looked very capable of scoring while Charlton had lots of possession but little cutting edge. On a positive note, Charlton did show that they can put pressure on the Wiltshire team, and that they wobbled at times. If The Valley can be turned into a cauldron of noise, and if Charlton can get level early on, then this could yet turn out to be a good result, though I do suspect that Charlton will need at least two goals to take the tie into extra time and three to win outright, something they haven’t achieved since before Xmas.

Roll on Monday!

You Put Your First Leg In…

2010-05-13T11:30:00.005+01:00

Charlton meet Swindon in the first leg of the League One play-offs on Friday night, hoping that they win the tie and get to Wembley. More and more, we are seeing the necessity of this from purely financial reasons, with potentially a million pounds at stake. Many years ago, I knew the accountant for the then Millwall chairman, and he confirmed that the best scenario financially for any club was to finish third in its league, but then to lose the play-off final at Wembley. This maximised gate revenues, but then allowed the club not to have to pay promotion bonuses. I’m not suggesting that Charlton’s board will feel exactly the same way, but bearing in mind the support they have given, they could do with a few extra bob going into their pockets.

The team that manager Phil Parkinson (left) picks to face Swindon will be strong, with everyone expected to be fit and available. The squad has actually been bolstered over the last few days as the players out on loan with other clubs returned, and Parky could also choose to include Chris Dickson, Stuart Fleetwood, Alex Stavrinou or Dean Sinclair in his squad if he wanted to. My own feeling is that he will leave those players well alone, and they would only come into contention if a large number of injuries and suspensions came to the fore over the coming weekend.

Parky has three goalkeepers from which to choose – incumbent Darren Randolph (who will surely hang on to the gloves), plus Robbie Elliot and Tony Warner. None of the three would let Charlton down but Randolph is the one in form, and I expect Elliot to continue to provide back-up from the bench.

The defence has done so well recently, and has such a stable look about it despite Sam Sodje missing last weekend’s match at Oldham after a late problem with is knee. Charlton and Sam have managed this issue quite well, as it is well known that Sodje the elder has knee-knack. In nearly every game, Sam goes down as if that is the end of his game, season, and career, but then a minute or so later, whatever is happening inside his knee has calmed down and he is able to carry on. My only worry is that one day his problem will be more serious, prevent him from carrying on, but by then Charlton will have used all of their substitutes. That hasn’t happened yet though, and with Christian Dailly, Frazer Richardson and Gary Borrowdale having vast experience, it hasn’t made much difference whether Sodje or Miguel Llera has played at centre half recently. Chris Solly provides cover for both full back slots, so he will make the bench, while Matt Fry will once more miss out as all the other loanees are fit and available.

Charlton’s midfield strength has been apparent all season, with ample and able bodies willing to come to the fore in every game. The main problem now lies with how to play this game tactically; I cannot really see Parky going all guns blazing and playing Kyel Reid from the start, so the very likelihood is that Nicky Bailey will be started out on the left again, with Jose Semedo and Therry Racon playing centrally, and Lloyd Sam hugging the right touchline. I don’t have any issue with this selection though it would be nice to see Racon take a game by the scruff of its neck and dominate the midfield some time soon; too many times frantic and hectic games seem to pass over his head and he runs around in circles trying to chase the ball. If we are losing, or need a goal, then Reid is a capable sub and withdrawing Racon allows Bailey to move inside. Scott Wagstaff can shadow Lloyd Sam’s position, while Matt Spring is another who will do a job in the centre of midfield if required.

With Dickson and Fleetwood returning, Parky has a plethora of strikers from which to choose. Deon Burton is likely to start, and I fancy Nicky Forster (a play-off hero in the past) will get the nod alongside him, ahead of either Dave Mooney or Akpo Sodje. I recent games, the introduction of this pair as subs for the older starters has worked quite well, and the running ability and power of Mooney and Sodje works well against tiring defenders.

This is the side that I think Parky will pick to keep alive Charlton’s Championship ambitions –

Darren Randolph
Frazer Richardson
Sam Sodje
Christian Dailly
Gary Borrowdale
Jose Semedo
Therry Racon
Nicky Bailey
Lloyd Sam
Deon Burton
Nicky Forster

Subs from – Elliot, Warner, Solly, Llera, Mambo, Fry, Spring, Stavrinou, Wagstaff, Reid, Mooney, Akpo Sodje, Fleetwood, Dickson, Tuna.

Swindon have labelled themselves as underdogs for this tie, which is interesting as they were above Charlton in the league until the last week of the season. Their danger lies in attack, with Paynter and Austin both capable of punishing any mistakes; they have a workman-like midfield, but I still have doubts about their defence which has wobbled on numerous occasions throughout the season (conceding 57 times). They only won one game out of their last six in the regular season, so Charlton are the form team of the two. The two games played against Swindon earlier this season (both since Xmas) were both drawn, so we should probably expect it to be tight whatever the outcome.

Pedro45 thinks this will be a cagey and tactical game, with Parky looking to get at least a draw. The home crowd will be passionate, and the worry for me is that if Charlton do concede then they could quite likely do so again quickly. The night calls for experienced heads, and nobody to get sent off, as that can have such a massive outcome on the whole tie. My gut feeling is that Charlton will hold on for a nil-all draw, though I hope we can get ahead on the night as it might be difficult for Swindon to come back at us if we do.

My one-to-watch in this match is the ultra important Jose Semedo. Our Portu-geezer has a job to do in this match, as he does in most others, and that is to protect the back four, hassle the opposition midfield into giving away possession through misplaced passes, and tackle anything that moves, especially if it is past him and bearing down on goal. I would be amazed to see Jose get through the night without being booked, and I hope that Parky is able to get him off the pitch for the last few minutes if Charlton are winning so that he can play in the second leg. When Jose is playing well, Charlton play well, and his form of late has been excellent; just a few more massive performances like his recent ones should see us all right.

I hate the play-offs; they do me no good. I bite my fingernails, pull my hair out, and pick at my elbows. I cannot hold a civil conversation with my wife, my mind always strays, and I am tetchy all the time. I’m sure there are hundreds of others just like me. It’s the play-offs that do it, and I hate them.

Charlton must not lose this game in Wiltshire by giving up if they do fall behind. Recent games have been very close and we know we do not score many, nor concede many – that's OK and that must be the way at The County Ground. Swindon have the ability to score plenty, so Charlton must keep tackling, covering, chasing down, and giving it their all over the whole ninety minutes plus injury time. A lead would be great, but wouldn’t mean much I feel, as Swindon will attack whatever in the second leg, and a draw would show that Charlton can contain their opponents. A defeat would make things very difficult at a fractious Valley on Monday, and I don’t want to think about that.

It’s time for the heroes to stand up – so come on Christian, Jose, Deon and Moons, Forst and Bails, Rac, the Sodje Bros, Lloydy and Randy, Frazer, Scotty and Gary. Stand up! Stand up for Charlton! Let’s take that first step back toward the Championship.

Up the Addicks!

All to Play-Off For!

2010-05-12T16:36:00.005+01:00

Charlton have been in the play-offs, whatever the guise, on three occasions; twice they were successful, and once they were not. It is a sobering thought, as we approach our next post-season play-off venture, that the only club we have beaten over 90 minutes in any play-off game is Ipswich.

Back in 1986/87, the play-offs were a new phenomenon, having only been introduced that year as one of the ways that the top division could reduce it’s numbers from 22 down to 20 (as required by Europe’s governing body UEFA). The club finishing fourth from bottom in Division One, the top tier of that time, had to play the fifth placed team in Division Two, while the teams finishing third and fourth played each other. The winners of both two legged ties would then meet in a two-legged final. That way, either four clubs went down and three up to Division One, or three went down and just two came up.

Charlton met Ipswich at Portman Road in the first leg, and it was a pretty dour match with no goals scored. Charlton had the best chance, when Colin Walsh’s penalty was saved early in the first half. The atmosphere was tense, and the crowd (a many 80’s crowd’s were) fairly volatile. The return leg a few days later saw Jim Melrose score twice to give Charlton a comfortable lead. However, a late consolation goal did see Charlton playing out the match in a very negative manner, holding on to their winning aggregate, with Bob Bolder (left) marshalling his defence superbly.

The play-off final was against Leeds, who had beaten Oldham for the right to play Charlton. On the police’s insistence, Charlton had to forego the right to have the advantage of being at home in the second leg, and another Melrose goal late in the first game was enough to give Charlton a lead going up to Yorkshire. On a very intimidating night, the Addicks players were magnificent in holding out, especially after Robert Taylor had scored after half an hour to give Leeds hope of winning the tie. With the scores level on aggregate, a replay on a neutral ground was arranged, and late in May both sets of fans descended on St Andrew’s in Birmingham for the deciding tie. Once more, it was a pretty intimidating place to play, and get to, as Leeds fans outnumbered Charlton’s by eight to one. Hunched together in one corner of the ground, the Charlton fans looked on as Leeds once more outplayed there higher division opponents for much of the game, but no goals came for either side, and in truth, neither team looked likely to score. Into extra time, and a John Sheridan free kick snuck under the bar to give the Yorkshiremen the lead, and I even said to my father that I doubted Charlton would come back from that. I hadn’t reckoned on another Yorkshireman though, and two late, amazing, Peter Shirtliff (top pic) goals brought the Addicks back from the brink and broke many northern hearts. After a few minutes celebration, it was a mad dash back to the train station, not only to catch the penultimate train back to London, but to avoid the hordes of Leeds fans who had been kept in the ground while we made our escape down the road.

In 1995/96, Charlton struggled toward the end of the season, having been well placed up until Xmas. Having crept into the play-offs in sixth place in League One (Tier two), it was no surprise to be beaten in both legs of the semi-finals by a team from Croydon. The atmosphere at the home leg, which was played first, was hot, though not as hot as in those games against Leeds, but Charlton went down 2-1 despite a Shaun Newton (below pic) goal after just 55 seconds. In the return leg, Charlton never recovered after going a further goal behind early on, despite showing considerable fight and being unlucky to lose on the night.

Two years later, and Alan Curbishley saw Charlton challenge for an automatic promotion place right up until the last weekend of the season, only to fall short in fourth place as we have done this year. Ipswich were fifth, and the away tie was settled by a Jamie Clapham own goal in the fifteenth minute. Danny Mills was stupidly sent off in the first half, but Charlton hung on and were well worth the overall lead in the tie. A few days later back at The Valley, and a beautiful early summer’s evening was lightened up by Shaun Newton’s crisp left footer that soared into the net after half an hour. Charlton hadn’t conceded a goal in weeks leading up to that game, and the confidence was such that nobody thought Ipswich could score once, let alone twice to bring them hope in the match; and that proved to be the case.

A 2-0 aggregate victory saw Charlton through to a Wembley play-off final against Sunderland. Most Addicks fans know what happened that day, but suffice to say that our clean sheet record was smashed, Clive Mendonca (left) became a Charlton legend, as did Sasa Ilic, and most of the rest of the players too.

With Charlton now meeting Swindon over two legs for a chance to play again at the rebuilt Wembley, the stakes are high, and the tension will be enormous. Omens are being sought, and similarities discussed, but I do think that form and history count for nothing in this post-season phase. Four teams go into battle, and only one will come out victorious. I think it’s horrible!

If You Know Your History...

2010-05-11T11:50:00.006+01:00

Charlton have played games against Swindon on and off ever since I first started to support the club, way back in the late 60’s. In the lead up to our weekend play-off matches against them, I recollect some of Charlton’s previous games against them.

My first recollection of Swindon came when they won the League Cup in 1969. That was the team of Don Rogers, Peter Noble, and Roger Smart. Rogers was the broad shouldered winger, who tore the slow Arsenal defence to ribbons on a bumpy Wembley pitch that day, while Smart danced through the static defence to score the last goal. All three of those west country heroes would move on soon after Swindon won promotion to Division Two, with Rogers moving to one part of south east London, while Smart (above) made it to SE7 a year or two later. Before they moved on, Swindon did hand out a thorough thrashing to Charlton (5-0) at the County Ground in 1970. The bald Noble was a fantastic header of the ball, and he went on to play for many years at Burnley, completely dominating their midfield and on several occasions games at The Valley. Smart’s time in SE7 was not very happy, and he simply could not repeat the glory he had previously and did little to enamour himself to the Addickted with some very poor displays.

My next memory of Swindon was the team that Glenn Hoddle built there in the early nineties. Prevented from gaining promotion to the top tier due to financial irregularities, Hoddle eventually took them up via the play-offs, where they had one glory season amongst the big boys. That season ended in relegation, but they did put up a fight toward the end with Jan-Age Fjortoft (left) scoring many goals. The next season saw Charlton and Swindon drawn together in the League Cup early in the season, and following a 3-1 away win, hopes were high at The Valley for the return leg. Sadly, Fjortoft scored a hat-trick and the tie was lost 5-4 on aggregate after extra time. Fjortoft’s goal celebration was to run out toward the corner flag with his arms out, simulating an aeroplane, and he made the most of it that night.

My next memory of Swindon was in the 97-98 season, when it rained hard on us away fans in Wiltshire in a tier two campaign. It mattered little though, as Charlton’s fantastic end of season run continued and Steve Jones slotted home ten minutes from time to send Charlton fans home delirious; that season would end in play-off glory for the Addicks.

Two years later, and Charlton met bottom of the table Swindon at The Valley after thirteen consecutive victories had taken them well clear at the pinnacle of the league, during a season that would end in the League Championship Trophy coming to SE7. Five minutes in, the usually reliable Dean Kiely spilt a regulation low cross and somehow the ball squirmed from his grasp and into the net without a Swindon player anywhere near. After that, Charlton piled on the pressure but simply could not find a way through the packed Swindon rearguard, and the record winning streak came to an end in the most unexpected circumstances.

This season’s two games have both been drawn, but both had plenty of excitement. I missed the Boxing Day home game due to my wife’s broken elbow, and listened to the commentary as first Sam Sodje and then Deon Burton were sent off in the first half. Annoyingly, Charlton had led through a Jonjo Shelvey strike between the red cards, before second half strikes from Paynter and Austin showed up Charlton’s lack of numbers. The game was not up though, and Miguel Llera became the first Charlton player to score for the Addicks while the team played with just nine men when he chipped in late in the game. A couple of months later, and it was Nicky Bailey’s turn to repeat the late equaliser, this time in Wiltshire, as Charlton trailed 1-0 going into injury time.

Swindon started the season with a 5-0 thrashing at Gillingham that showed how poor their defence can be. Since then, the Gills have been relegated and Swindon have found a goal-scorer (Austin) to play alongside Paynter and shored up their defence a little. They do concede plenty though, so there is still a lot of hope for Charlton. Friday’s fist leg will go some way to deciding who plays at Wembley, but history (1994/5) shows us that ties between these two clubs can turn massively between the first match and the second, and this season's games have also indicated that nobody should leave before the final whistle is blown.

Come on you Reds!

End of Season Report

2010-05-10T11:51:00.030+01:00

Charlton’s players have numbered many once more during a season, and below I assess how well they have done, from stars like Christian Dailly, to youngsters like Chris Solly, to forgotten-men like Andy Gray and Carl Ikeme. We also have to think about who may be at the club next season, bearing in mind the finances of the club, the contract situation of various players, and the needs of maintaining a winning team, notwithstanding the play-off games. It’s all opinion of course, but I’m happy for Phil Parkinson and Richard Murray to act on my views; you may, of course, hold contrary opinion.

Whether you liker them or not, they were the class of 2009/10 – in alphabetical order:

Nicky Bailey

Oh Nicky Bailey. Our ginger captain was in the goals and looking very good up until Xmas, but has been somewhat muted since. Playing wide left, he still found himself able to get into very good goal scoring positions early in the season, and often put in very good stints from out on the left wing too. Even when restored to the central midfield berth the goals continued to flow but then, for some reason, they just stopped between January and this weekend. Why? Well, I do think that luck has played a big part as we have often seen Bailey hitting the target but ‘keepers (Southampton for instance) making good saves or the woodwork getting in the way. But injury has also caught up with him, and he has been playing with a bad shoulder for some time, plus knee and ankle problems. Bailey also comes in for some heavy tackles during games, and the opposition have been keen to rough him up when they can. Sadly, some of this underhand work has led to Bailey going down far too easily, often clutching his face, and a number of opposition players have seen red because of this. I do think it is good that a lot of Charlton fans are amongst his biggest critics over this, and hopefully Nicky will rely on his positive attributes in future as he has plenty. The problem with Bailey is that - as one of Charlton’s few saleable assets - if we don’t win promotion then he is likely to be sold. I’m not sure that we will get the £3 million that was mooted last summer, but any reasonable offer from a poor Premiership team or good Championship club would suffice I suspect. The problem is that most of those that might make a bid (West Brom, Forest, Leicester, Pompey, Hull, Burnley, Cardiff, Ipswich, etc) have little or no money, and that might be a quandary for the Board to consider. If we do go up though, I would like him to stay, as he is one of only a few players on the squad who could compete at that level in my opinion.

Grant Basey

Grant Basey started the season as the reserve left back, and ended the season on crutches, courtesy of a horrendous foul by Dominic Blizzard of Bristol Rovers. That nasty injury, sustained back in January, looked worse than it was, but still broke his ankle. How the referee failed to see the foul as anything less than a straight red card is amazing! Prior to that assault, Basey had stepped in after Kelly Youga’s own injury and was doing a decent job on the left of the defence. Sometimes lacking in pace, and also sometimes in confidence, Grant did have many positive features, not least his dead ball delivery. His sweet left foot was regularly seen swinging in corners and free kicks, and he nearly scored at Yeovil when one corner caught on the wind before striking the bar. Provided he gets hit fitness back as it was, and the signs are that he will, then Welsman Basey should be around next season to once more provide cover where needed. If we are in League one, he may even end up as first choice full back.

Gary Borrowdale

On loan from QPR, and another ex-Croydon player to play at regularly at The Valley, Borrowdale took time to settle, improved his fitness, and then went on to have an excellent end to the season. He showed in his initial month that he could do a good job in the problem left back slot, and after further negotiations was retained until season’s end. He will return to QPR but may be surplus to requirements there, as he doesn’t get on with the new manager apparently. I doubt Charlton could pay much of a fee for him, but if Youga is not fit for next season, a new left back will be required, and Charlton could do worse then try to bring in Borrowdale if Championship football is won.

Deon Burton

A tale of two halves for Deon with all of his goals coming prior to Xmas bar one penalty (versus Walsall). He was still the top league scorer though, with 13 goals, and did work tirelessly for the side whenever on the pitch. The main reason, I feel for the drying up of his outfield goals was that he played for too long while injured – a hernia problem identified back in September (after the Norwich game) was not acted on due to the lack of other fit strikers at the club, and Deon suffered and played in order to fill the gap. That pain eventually took its toll, and his performances and ability to get into scoring positions slowly tailed off up until Xmas. The rest he had after Xmas was courtesy of a stupid sending off on Boxing Day – which took Charlton down to nine men! – when he handled intentionally having already been booked for arguing, coupled with some bad weather postponements. That break probably saw him fit enough to get through the season, but still the goals have failed to arrive. In the latter part of the season, he has been used as a battering ram for the first hour, allowing substitutes to hopefully benefit from his earlier effort against tiring defenders. Burton’s contract is up this summer, but I suspect that he may be offered an extension, whatever league we play in next year.

Jack Clark

Sadly, although Clark was given a one-year contract last summer, it seems he has not made the grade, and after a season out on loan in the lower non-leagues, he has struggled even there. I expect him to be released by Charlton this summer, and for him to join a local non-league club.

Christian Dailly

Player of the season, and what a great season Christian has had! I must come clean here and admit that I have never rated Christian Dailly; not when he was at Derby, Blackburn , West Ham, or anywhere else. I used to love it when we played a side and his name was on the opposition team-sheet as I knew that our strikers could get the better of him, either in the air or on the ground. But that was in the Premiership, and tier three forwards just cannot compare. Dailly has seemingly strolled through the season, dictating games from the back, and controlling whoever he has been marking, whether big or small, quick or lumbering. It is shocking that Gary Doherty was picked on the League One team of the season ahead of him, as I’m sure most forwards found it easier to score against Norwich than Charlton. Dailly has also been the supreme professional, often giving advice to younger players, and regularly talking his colleagues through games in order to ensure the Addicks win. Signed on a one-year deal, I fully expect Dailly to remain if we do get promoted, but maybe not if we fail to go up, much as I’d like him to stay, simply on financial grounds. He does live fairly locally, so doesn’t have many options of who to play for, so I hope that a suitable wage can be agreed to see him back at The Valley next August.

Ben Davisson

A first professional contract for Davisson next season, well earned after being injured for much of the last 12 months. The player does have potential, and was doing well before he broke his leg. I haven’t seen him play but suspect that he will spend much of next year out on loan as others have done this year earning experience before forcing himself closer to the first team the following year.

Chris Dickson

Dicko failed to make the grade this season at The Valley, which was a big disappointment, as we, and he, know that he is good enough for this league when he puts his mind to it. Farmed out on loan to Bristol Rovers last August, he flattered on his debut, scoring twice, but then did little to promote a transfer to the Pirates after Xmas. After getting back into the Charlton line up due to Deon Burton’s suspension, he won a penalty at Brentford, but then did nothing more to cement his place. Next he went off to Gillingham, a club where he had scored bundles of goals previously and where the Board had made little secret of the fact that they thought he would sign for them when his contract ended at The Valley. But once more, after a bright start, he failed to do himself justice, and now he will be back in SE7 to see out the last month of his contract. There is a small chance that he will be given one last chance, provided Charlton fail to be promoted, but I doubt many of the clubs management would want to bother, bearing in mind the return from him recently. Gillingham have said that they won’t offer him a contract, so if he does move on, I expect it to be down a league or two.

Rob Elliot

A fine first full season as Charlton’s number one goalkeeper, even though he has failed to regain his place at the back end of the season following injury. Robbie made a large number of points wining saves during Charlton’s record breaking start to the season, and held his form either side of his first injury at Gillingham. That thigh problem came back to haunt him a few months later, and there were some games where he obviously played when not 100% fit. During those games, one or two goals could have been put down to him, none less than some of the eight conceded to Millwall over two matches. With Randolph now on top form, and in possession of the starting spot, Robbie has a battle to regain his place between the posts, but that may spur him on to better things. He is still the number one of choice, but we will have to see what happens in the summer before knowing if Randolph will start next August or if Elliot is in place once more. A Charlton fan through and through, it is always a delight to see his smiling face when chatting to fans before a game, and also when celebrating (a la Chris Powell) after victories.

Stuart Fleetwood

A season long loan at Exeter has seen Fleetwood prove that he is only just good enough for tier three. He has scored some (5) useful goals for the Grecians, but has not been able to hold down a regular starting place. I suspect that if a reasonable (£50k) offer came in for him then the Addicks board would be keen for him to leave, as he doesn’t look to have much future at The Valley, whatever league we end up in next season. At least he was able to pull on a Charlton shirt in earnest for the first time prior to his loan spell starting, but that match ended in defeat, and will probably be his one and only Charlton appearance.

Nicky Forster

A journeyman goal scorer, but still very fit at 36 years of age, Forster joined Charlton on loan for the remainder of the season in March, and has scored twice so far, both match-winners. Out of contract at Brighton this summer, his displays have obviously been with a view to securing a contract at The Valley, and he may well have done enough, provided his wage demands can be met. Although he hasn’t yet forged a partnership of any sorts with other strikers, despite playing with Mooney, Sodje, and Burton, he can work as a focal point or as the runner, or even as a lone striker (as he did for Brighton at The Valley in March). He has a poacher’s eye for goal, and it was a major surprise to see him miss two good chances at Exeter, but I think that was a blip, as he hasn’t missed much else in his career. If he is signed, then Charlton will probably have the oldest front pair in this league yet again next season, but we’ll have to wait and see how this one pans out I suspect.

Matt Fry

There’s not much that you can say about Matt Fry, who joined Charlton on loan from West Ham in March until the end of the season, mainly because he hasn’t played for the club. Fry is the victim of the maximum number of loanees rule, and Charlton have six players but can only include five in any match-day squad. Brought in when doubts abounded Gary Borrowdale’s own loan arrangement, Fry is an able back-up should Borrowdale, or any centre back get injured. But that hasn’t happened, and unless something strange happens, Fry’s only Charlton game this season will be the one he played against them for Gillingham when on loan there. Fry is well thought of at Upton Park, and I doubt there is any chance that he will be sold, or that he would actively wish to join the Addicks.

Andy Gray

Just two subs appearances on the season from Gray before a transfer to Barnsley got him off the club’s wage bill. A disappointment after his arrival from Burnley, Gray never quite reproduced his form apart from in brief flashes. The health problems suffered by his wife certainly didn’t help his mental attitude, and it was in both parties interests that Gray left for more northern climes.

Luke Holden

Although Holden appeared in a few match-day squads, he rarely made even an appearance on the substitute’s bench during his three-month loan spell from Rhyl. His one moment of glory in a Charlton shirt came when he entered the fray at St Mary’s and set up McKenzie’s goal with a lovely cross from the right wing in a JPT game. It wasn’t enough to earn him a long-term contract at Charlton, but it was worthwhile I feel, as it gave both parties time to assess each other.

Carl Ikeme

It was a strange decision, bearing in mind his recent form, to bring in Ikeme on loan from Wolves when we had such a good ‘keeper as Darren Randolph waiting in the wings. Whereas Randolph played in the following cup game, Ikeme went straight into the league matches ahead of him, and kept his place for the remainder of his month with the club. Four league games on and Ikeme had made some good saves, but was prone to letting in shots from distance. Once Robbie Elliot declared himself fit, Ikeme went back to Wolves.

Johnnie Jackson

Another loanee who came in to fill in at left back after the injuries to Youga and Basey. Jackson did well, even though he looked more accomplished going forwards than in defence. Provided good dead ball delivery, but sadly got injured just before his month term was up (and the likelihood was it would have been extended). If Notts County need to trim their wage bill next season, as sounds likely, then Jackson could yet make a switch to The Valley permanently, but only I suspect if we remain in League One.

Carl Jenkinson

Striker Jenkinson is a youngster who has a bright future having won his first professional contract for next season. Likely to be sent out on loan to gain experience, as Tuna and others were this season, the forward will be looking to knock in goals consistently, so that when he returns to the Charlton ranks he can press for inclusion in first team squads quickly. In the interim, he does have Burton, Forster, and McKenzie to gain experience from, and he would do well to talk long and hard to all three.

Migual Llera

Big Mig, the first Spaniard to play for the Addicks, was Charlton’s first choice centre back at the start of the season, and opened with a couple of important goals in the first two home games. Once Sam Sodje signed, to cover the obvious gap that was left by having just two centre backs, Miguel’s position was under strain, and he finally broke in the away game at Colchester. In a very similar display to that at Millwall, Miguel had a ‘mare, conceding an own goal when he headed past Robbie Elliot from ten yards. His mind full of apology, he then went to sleep allowing a second goal, and stumbled through the match looking anything but a third tier player. At Millwall, his wayward, awful, pass let in the Lions for a third goal and humiliation – both games led to Miguel being dropped. That’s not to say that his first season in Addicks colours has been all poor – not at all. Miguel does have a sweet left foot, and if given the chance, will swing away fifty yard passes at every opportunity. A feature of Charlton’s early season winning form was Miguel’s ability to find Lloyd Sam from defence, but slowly this tactic became a bit worn, and countered. As cover for Sodje’s knee-knack, Llera has had quite a bit of game time late in the season too, and he has not let Charlton down. A bit unlucky with free-kicks earlier in the season (where he has hit the woodwork at least twice), his pay-back came at Oldham where the ‘keeper let his unusually weak shot through his legs. Almost certain to still be at The Valley next year, the only question mark is who he will be playing alongside.

Leon McKenzie

Leon has had one of those seasons to forget, having not started a league game for the Addicks. Injury after injury has prevented him getting back to full fitness, and the lack of reserve team has not helped him when he has been fit enough to play. One goal, versus Southampton in the JPT, is scant reward for this proven goal scorer, and I doubt his one-year contract will be renewed with or without promotion, simply because of doubts over his long term fitness.

Izale McLeod

Love him or hate him, Izale is still a Charlton player, though not for much longer I suspect. Rumoured to be wanted by Hearts pre-season, Izzy did good work and was fit enough to play in many early season games. He got his first Valley league goal (and what proved to be the winner) against Exeter in September and then scored against Barnet in the league cup. A couple of weeks later he scored again in front of the covered end to beat Huddersfield, but that was it, and with Mooney coming in on loan, Izzy went to Peterborough to play Championship football. Despite a good start, things soon started to go wrong there and with the club struggling at the bottom of the league, another bad injury saw his season ended in January. With the wage he is on, there is no way that Charlton can afford to keep Izale, so I expect him to get a free transfer when his contract ends this summer, thus ending a very unhappy time for him in south east London.

Yado Mambo

A season of growth for our massive centre back, not in terms of height, but in strength and experience. After a competent display in the league Cup versus Barnet, plus inclusion in several match day league squads as cover, Mambo has since been loaned out to play against older opposition than he has been used to, and reports are that he has done well. I expect him to remain at Charlton next year, and with the current central defenders all getting on a bit, Mambo could be close to the first team next season, and playing regularly within a couple of years if he continues to improve.

Dave Mooney

Dave Mooney played almost the whole season on loan at Charlton from Reading, in two spells either side of Xmas. His first spell had a slow start, as he was used almost exclusively as a late substitute, and when he did finally get into the side, he scored the opener against MK Dons, but then a week later he was tactically withdrawn at Yeovil after Sam Sodje was sent off. Finally Moons got a few games under his belt, and he was doing a good job as channel runner in support of Deon Burton. He scored again against Bristol Rovers, then won a penalty against Millwall through is determination. Sadly, he hurt his knee later in that match, and that saw him return to Reading over the Xmas period to regain fitness. When he came back to SE7, he once more opened the scoring (versus Hartlepool) and then scored again against Yeovil, but by now the crowd were starting to get on his back, especially after a couple of glaring misses. The whole issue came to a head after Mooney’s fabulous equaliser against Gillingham, after his name was booked prior to kick off, when he cupped his ear and ran toward the covered end in petulance. Some fans could understand his frustration, and I did think myself that the crowd’s performance that day - and Mooney’s reaction - were both totally over the top. Since then (and Forster’s arrival), he has been used mainly as a substitute, but his time may still come in the play-offs. I doubt Mooney will come to the Valley next season, but stranger things have happened, and Parky could do a lot worse.

Yassin Moutaouakil

Moots - the enigma. Good going forwards, and poor in defence, he cost Charlton a lot in salary terms even when out on loan in Scotland prior to Xmas. A complete breakdown with Phil Parkinson has meant absolutely no game time for the Addicks this season, bar a few arranged reserve games where Charlton hoped to showcase his talent in order to get him off the books. It didn’t work, and he lounged around the training ground knowing he would not get a look in. With his contract up at the end of this season, we can at last bide him farewell; a player that threatened, but never reached his potential in SE7. In a couple of years, expect him to be referred to with some strange spelling of his surname as everyone slowly forgets him.

Elliot Omozusi

When Chris Solly got injured in pre-season, Charlton’s fragile defensive numbers needed bolstering, and in came Elliot to do a job. Soon he was in the side, courtesy of Richardson’s thigh strain, and over the next couple of months, I thought Omozusi did OK. Sure, he wasn’t always the best passer, or the most supportive down the right wing, but defensively he was competent, if not outstanding. After having his contract extended a few times, he was eventually released when Solly and Richardson both became fit again (a victim of the club’s financial position) and I’ve not seen him linked with any other club since. It is possible, depending what division we are in, that he could be brought back to the club next season as a cheap alternative should Richardson move on.

Lewis Perkins

Striker Perkins has earned himself a one year contract for next season, after playing much of this season out on loan in the lower leagues. He can probably expect more loan time away from the club, but is one for the future, should he improve with age.

Therry Racon

Whereas Moots threw his toys out of the pram when he wasn’t playing, Racon did the opposite – he got down to hard work and convinced the manager to play him. In some ways, that was a good effort, as Charlton’s strength is in midfield, and for Rac’s to keep Nicky Bailey out of centre midfield (as he has most of the season) is a fine effort. Racon started the season in imperious form, playing neat short passes, and searching out Jonjo Shelvey while pushing the side forwards. As pitches became heavier, so Racon’s performance dropped a little, with teams not giving him time on the ball and taking advantage of his lack of tackling. He still did a job though, and chased and harried whenever he could. The only shame was that Racon didn’t score any goals, and it was February before he finally hit the back of the net (with a last minute consolation strike at Bristol Rovers). This lack of goals led to him being substituted a few times, and on at least one occasion Rac’s took out his frustration on the dug out walls, with both feet and hands! He is good enough to play centrally, but if only he could get his finishing right then he could be a hell of a player for Charlton. I’m unsure if Therry will remain at The Valley though I suspect if we go up he will; if not, we can wave au revoir to him and see if his career improves elsewhere.

Darren Randolph

When Darren Randolph signed his new one-year contract at the start of the season, everyone, including himself, expected it to be a season as back-up to Rob Elliot. Without any other senior ‘keeper on the books, Randolph knew that his chance may come, either through injury or suspension to Elliot, and when it duly did (after the Gillingham away game), he must have been dismayed when Parkinson signed Carl Ikeme on loan as cover. Some fans thought that Randolph should be given the chance in the next game anyway, especially as Ikeme was not to be cup-tied, but Ikeme played at Carlisle, conceding three times. Randolph did well in the following cup game, making one great save, but the defeat asked questions and Ikeme was back for the JPT game and the next league game. Randolph was told at Xmas that he would be allowed to leave if a club came in for him but nobody did, and he was back as back-up for Elliot until the home game with Gillingham when another injury gave Randolph the second half. Since then, he has been superb conceding under a goal a game, and making many crucial match winning saves. Now split from his celebrity girlfriend, one wonders if that had something to do with his form, as he was once considered well ahead of Elliot. The crucial thing now is that the right decision is made on whether to offer him a new contract; I doubt he will want another season as reserve ‘keeper in tier three (or two), and as a free agent, that may see him leave the club, sadly.

Kyel Reid

Kyel joined Charlton on loan from Sheffield United for the last few months of the season, having failed to break into the Blades side after a transfer from West Ham. A fast and direct left winger, he finally brought some balance to the side when it needed to attack down both flanks. Still inconsistent though, he seems to do better when introduced as a substitute, where his pace seems to scare the daylights out of league one full backs. His first Charlton goal was a 30-yard screamer against Yeovil, while his next won all three points in injury time against Southend. Another important equaliser came at Huddersfield, and he also claimed the goal that never was at Exeter to bring Charlton level there. Kyel’s career is at a cross-roads and he has to decide now if he wants to press on and become a good and consistent player in the Championship, or if he wants to follow the lower league what-could-have-been route. I know he would love to move south again, so it is quite possible that he could be back at The Valley next year permanently.

Frazer Richardson

Our new right back from Leeds United had an excellent start to 2009/10, but then a thigh injury really hurt his season either side of Xmas. Likened to Luke Young, he gets forward at every opportunity and supported Lloyd Sam well all season. He did struggle when he came back from his injury, and it seemed to me that he played when not fully fit on a couple of occasions - one game in particular he was jumping so as not to get hurt. However, the last couple of months has seen Frazer back at his best, and it was great to see his performances warranting inclusion in the League One team of the season. Frazer’s first goal for Charlton arrived from 25 yards against Gillingham at The Valley in March, and he has been unlucky not to score on other occasions. Although under contract, if Charlton do not go up Frazer may be sold to balance the bills and that would be sad as he has been a very good acqusition. I hope to see him stay at Charlton, and if he does he could be a future captain of the club, which would be fitting reward for an excellent professional.

Lloyd Sam

A bit of a funny season this for Lloyd; he simply is far too good for this league and the full backs he comes up against each week, yet sometimes, that just doesn’t show. Last August saw Lloyd score his first goal for over a year, and then knock in three more by mid-November (including the goal of the season versus Brentford). Since then, we have seen him hit the woodwork and bring out excellent saves, but also blaze wildly over or wide, or worse still scuff a poor shot along the ground far too many times. When he was playing well, teams often doubled up their marking on him, and in a perverse way, his poor form helped him a little when the double marking stopped, as he soon found he could beat his man again and get a good cross in. Late in the season he has started to make quite a few of Charlton’s goals as he still has the skill and ability to get to the bye-line and put over a decent cross. A key man for Charlton’s play off hopes, his contract is up this summer, so his last few performances will go a long way to deciding where Charlton play and where Lloyd plays next season. If promotion is attained, then I think Lloyd may well sign any new contract offer, but if not, I suspect that he will have to be released, even though he may not wish to leave the club.

Jose Semedo

Although Christian Dailly won the player of the season award, it was Jose who had my vote. An immense player at this level, it is no surprise that he has had such a good season. Our Portu-geezer has sat in central midfield all season, breaking down attack after attack by the opposition. He doesn’t have a great passing range, preferring to give the ball to more talented and creative players, but that’s fine. He even scored this season – a good finish at Tranmere - which is crazy when compared to his goals to shots ratio (possibly 100%?). His only problem is that in doing his job he gets lots of yellow cards, and his season was on a knife-edge in March as he struggled to not get ten before the cut off date for further suspensions. Jose will be another key player on the forthcoming play offs, as he offers so much help to his defence. Always willing to cover a player who goes forward, it will be sad to see him leave (as he undoubtedly will) should Charlton not get promoted, as he is such a character. He came from Portugal, he really hates Millwall!

Jonjo Shelvey

This was a funny year for Jonjo, and it really didn’t go as we all hoped or maybe expected. An early problem was the strength in midfield that Phil Parkinson had, and how best to accommodate Shelvey into his side. Most of us I suspect would have loved to see Shelvey playing in central midfield, controlling games in the way that similar home-grown products like Bowyer and Parker did, but that wasn’t to be. Instead, Shelvey played all the first couple of months of the season in the hole behind the lone striker. It wasn’t that Jonjo did badly - in fact he did quite well – but the issue was that there was no plan B at that stage if the team struggled to break down defences (as happened once or twice). Another issue was that the third tier teams he came up against gave him little respect, and often got in his face hoping for a reaction., To his credit, Jonjo didn’t get himself sent off at all (although he came close before scoring the winner at Orient), but often after a roughing up he went into his shell and lost any impact on the game. Either side of Xmas he became a peripheral player (as Charlton went 4-4-2) - sometimes in the team, often not - and despite an opening goal at Wycombe, he was soon back on the bench. Once Liverpool came knocking in April there was only one decision to make – blue or black pen? – and Shelvey was out of the door with a £1.7million cheque coming the other way. He has such potential, and I really hope he fulfils it at Anfield; the records he holds as the youngest Charlton first-team player ever and also youngest goal scorer ever (in both league and cup) will remind us in years to come that he was once one of ours. I wish him well.

Dean Sinclair

I didn’t think Sinclair would be at The Valley this season, having failed to make an impact previously, and although still on the books, he has played most of the season elsewhere. Recently playing for Grimsby, in the lower reaches of the fourth tier, he has battled along scoring a few goals and making a bit of a name for himself. The problem is that he doesn’t have the ability to play at any higher level, so once more I suspect that Dean will be released come season end, and he will join another lower league club on a free transfer. Not one of Pardew’s best signings…

Wade Small

Small joined the club after a trial period on a short term contract, but didn’t set the place on fire, and was released soon after his one appearance at Hereford in the League Cup. Now playing for Chesterfield, I doubt we will ever see Small back at Charlton again.

Akpo Sodje

Akpo joined his brother at Charlton last November on loan from Sheffield Wednesday, and after spending Xmas back in Yorkshire, returned to the Valley in January with a promise of a contract for next season provided he play enough games. The power and physical attributes of the player are there for all to see, and we know that he can also score useful goals ranging from the unstoppable power shots (Yeovil) to unstoppable power headers (Stockport) to tap ins from two feet (Bristol Rovers). My issue with the younger Sodje is if he is too languid, and lacking in movement to be a potent enough force next season. Coming on as a substitute, as he has recently, his power has been enough, but when he has started games, sometimes he waits for things to happen and though not lazy does not work (to my mind) hard enough. He has been troubled with the odd injury (to toe and thigh recently), but his next contract is based on playing time, so it has made him keen to be involved which is good. I think it fair to say that he will be at The Valley next season, whatever league we are in, but his game time next season may be much less in the Championship than League One.

Sam Sodje

Charlton fans knew all about Sam before he was signed last August, as he had played for the club on loan previously in the Championship, and there have always been two question marks over his game. One, he gets sent off too many times, and two, he has dodgy knees. Charlton saw both of these elements this season, as Sam saw red twice (both deserved, but somewhat unlucky), and also saw the physio practically every game. Betting on how long it would be before Sodje called on the physio became a feature of matches, but usually Sam would haul himself up and complete the game. Sam is not just a two trick pony though, and he has put in some great performances this season defensively, and scored some vital goals. He competed with his brother over who would score more (it was 5-4 to Akpo) and was a genuine threat at dead ball situations. Opposition players know that they cannot take liberties with Sam, and he is very, very, fit. His one-year deal ends this summer, and it will depend on how well Charlton do in the play-offs to decide if Sam comes back to The Valley, or if cheaper options are investigated.

Chris Solly

A bit of a stop, start, stop season for Chris which started badly with a broken leg in pre-season. He did very well to get himself fit again quite quickly, and actually made his first team comeback before Xmas. Since then, he has usually been used as a sub, coming on as cover for Richardson, or at left back, or as a midfield tackler in the dying minutes when protecting a lead. Solly has never let the club down, but has also yet to convince fans how good he might actually be. A long run in the side at his preferred right back slot may do this, but that may depend on Charlton staying in League One. What can be confirmed is that Parky doesn’t think he can do a long term job at left back; hence the various loanees that have come in and played ahead of him. Almost certain to stay at The Valley, I suggest.

Matt Spring

I’m sure Matt Spring will look back on this season with regret. Signed on an 18-month contract last year, the last two thirds have seen him mainly sat on the bench as an unused substitute. The sole home goal he scored is a long distant memory (though never forgotten) and Spring has not really had a chance to repeat those heroics due to others being preferred in midfield. The only run in the team he had was when Semedo was suspended, but that coincided with a poor run so Spring stepped aside once the Portu-geezer was able to play again. It is possible that, if Charlton fail to gain promotion, Spring may be offered a new contract (assuming others leave), but I’m not sure, and I do think he may prefer to move on and find another club he can help out on a more regular basis.

Alex Stavrinou

Stav was another youngster who made his debut in the league cup, but failed to make the squad in the league. As a holding midfielder, his chances of first team glory were remote, especially with the strength in depth that Charlton had in midfield this season past. Stav has subsequently been sent out on loan to Ebbsfleet, and has done well, but I’m not sure that it has been enough to see him offered another year on his contract. I suspect he will be released, and find a good non-league club to play for, unless finances are such that he is required as midfield back up for a third tier season.

Tamer Tuna

Young Tuna brought a fresh face to the forward line with some fine early season displays. Often used as a late sub for Shelvey, Tuna used his young legs to good effect and ran his heart out thus ensuring the winning streak of August and September was maintained. He started the league cup game against Barnet, and gleefully scored with a nice side-footed shot, but with other forwards needed, Tuna was sent out on loan to gain experience at a number of lower league clubs. With his first professional contract guaranteed for next season, we can expect another bright start I suspect, but also the likelihood that unless we are short of forwards, he will be out on loan for some of next season too. One for the future and a very bright prospect in a year or two’s time.

Scott Wagstaff

It's very easy to overlook Scott Wagstaff, as I nearly did here, but he has made a huge contribution to the Charlton team this season. Waggy has been in every match day squad, and has started quite a few games too. Most of his right or left wing appearances have been as a substitute though, but he has made crucial contributions whenever called upon. Often a late replacement for Lloyd Sam, he offers pace, commitment, and enthusiasm whenever he gets on the pitch. Goals have come, slowly but surely, and his match winner at Stockport was gleefully celebrated with the travelling crowd. Waggy has only a short contract but I fully expect him to be offered, and to sign, an extension for the next couple of seasons, as he could go on to be a very good player if he improves as much as he did this season when compared to last.

Tony Warner

Warner was brought in as cover late in the season for the injured Rob Elliot, but failed to oust Darren Randolph from between the sticks and was an unused sub on three occasions. He does have plenty of experience, so could come back to SE7 if one of Charlton’s two current goalies move on, though I suspect a cheaper option may be sought if we don’t go up.

Kelly Youga

I thought that KellyYouga’s early season form was exceptional and that he would walk into the League One team of the season. Sadly, in kicking a Bristol Rovers player up in the air, Youga injured his knee, and he hasn’t played a match since November. The worry is that he may even fail to recover in time for the start of next season such is the complication in his ligaments. Youga was a rock at the back and supremely gifted when advancing - at times, he reminded me of Paul Mortimer - with the ball seemingly tied onto his left boot as he ran through the defence. Youga has always played his best when he had a smile on his face, and for four months, you could see him enjoying his football; then came the injury. Kelly will be back at The Valley next season, but we will have to wait and see how fit he is; if we are in League One and he is OK, then finances may dictate that he need to be sold, but I hope not.

In writing up a post season review, one has to throw the manager into the mix, as he picks the team, and so here’s my view on Parky:

Phil Parkinson

You need the right man for the right time, and Parky may well prove, in the long run, to have been that right choice. Bearing in mind the resources he had when pre-season started last July, Parky has done an exceptional job. The six-game winning streak start to the season is now in the record books as Charlton’s best ever, and he has slowly built the strength of the squad as the season has gone on. Always dictated to by the Board in relation to funds available, Parky has brought in a number of very good choices to fill gaps – Jackson, Borrowdale, Forster, etc – and slowly he switched the team from the 4-5-1 formation that was required to start the season into a more attacking 4-4-2; yes, Parky did get to Plan B eventually. He made good substitutions regularly, and I thought that his insistence on slightly injured players coming off immediately worked to Charlton’s advantage as the season progressed, as that allowed recovery by the next week and saw more overall game time per player I’m sure. Helped by Mark Kinsella and Tim Breacker (who arrived mid-season), he has good support, and with good youngsters for next year, he is slowly building the club up again. His choice of players will be completely different for a Charlton Championship squad as opposed to a League One group, so we can expect plenty of contract negotiations and comings and goings this summer whatever happens this month in the Play-offs. Yet to convince the majority of fans, only a win at Wembley would see his standing rise considerably, but my own opinion is that we have been lucky to have a manager this year who has understood the requirements of the Board, and made us successful at the same time. I expect him to still be at The Valley when pre-season training starts in July.

Up the Addicks!

Fourth Bridge Finish

2010-05-08T17:58:00.003+01:00

Oldham Athletic 0 Charlton Athletic 2

For thirteen minutes, between 4.09 and 4.22pm, it was all looking rosy; Leeds were losing at home, and the game at The New Den was being drawn. Then the goals started to flow, and although the Addicks were winning comfortably, the dream of automatic promotion this season died.

When Nicky Bailey gave Charlton the lead (left), I was stood on a street corner waiting for my wife to pick me up having given in to the constant drizzle and called off the cricket match I was umpiring; unfortunately she had got lost (within a mile of home!) and I had to wait while she rang to tell me how lost she was and what the scores were around the country. By the time I had got in the car, Millwall had equalised an early Swindon goal, and soon after I got home, Leeds had Gradel sent off. At half-time, all the matches were finely balanced, and Charlton still had a chance.

When Bristol Rovers took advantage of their superior numbers shortly after half-time, it was time for some excitement, but I always knew that just a goal could dash that dream, and sure enough, Leeds got one, then another, just as Millwall took the lead. The fact that Miguel Llera had squeezed a free kick through the ‘keeper legs at Boundary Park to take Charlton 2-0 up was irrelevant now. There was another goal apiece at The New Den but that wasn’t enough for either side as Leeds hung on, and they get the promotion they have chased for three years now.

Into the play-offs go Millwall, Charlton, Swindon, and Huddersfield (who lost at Exeter), and there has to be a real possibility of the south-east London pair meeting at Wembley late in the month.

Listening in to both the commentary from Lancashire and Sky Sports Soccer Saturday, it did seem that Charlton were able to coast the match fairly easily. Although Darren Randolph made one good second half save, Charlton had plenty of other chances to extend their lead, with the most obvious being a terrible miss by Bailey after he had rounded the ‘keeper and the goal was gaping. At least Bailey had, by then, broken his scoring duck which went back as far as January, tapping in Lloyd Sam’s low cross in the 23rd minute.

Llera only got into the team after a late injury to Sam Sodje, and I hope his knee-knack, which has been on a knife edge for several months now, doesn’t prevent him being available next weekend for the game in Wiltshire. It was good that Dave Mooney got plenty of match time today, having started in place of Nicky Forster, as he has been short of play while Forster could probably have done with a rest after a long season. Mooney did limp off near the end, but it didn’t seem his injury was problematic.

So a fourth place finish after a very long season, and I am sure that many will wonder about lost points at various stages of the season that could have seen the Addicks finish above Leeds and going straight up; those three points could have come from the two games against Gillingham (who were relegated today) which were drawn, or even the home games versus Tranmere and Oldham which were drawn. Maybe Deon Burton and Sam Sodje should take some blame after games in which they were sent off (Yeovil and Swindon) were also only drawn. It doesn’t matter that much now, but I’m sure many will wonder what might have been, as will fans of Millwall and Swindon themselves.

The play-offs now beckon, and a two-legged affair with Swindon needs to be won; Charlton certainly shouldn’t be overduly worried about the opposition following the two drawn games between the pair this season. The home game at Xmas saw Charlton play most of the match with just nine men, and still scrape a late draw, while the away game – during one of Charlton’s worst runs of the season – saw another last gasp equaliser to claim a point. If the Addicks can keep eleven players on the park, there is no reason why they cannot capitalize on Swindon’s average form during the latter part of the season.

But that’s next week. For now, we should all celebrate the team finishing in fourth place, and congratulate them for putting in a strong final month when at times this year we have wondered if they could still do it at all. Many of us thought that the play-offs would be beyond us, not just prior to the season starting, so to get there quite comfortably is a good result. Well done Parky!

Two, Four or Six?

2010-05-07T09:08:00.004+01:00

I guess it’s fitting that Charlton’s last league game of the season comes at a venue with cricket connotations in its name – Boundary Park. In May, we are well and truly into the leather and willow season, and I’ve been up to this ground for the final season rites once before, some years back. That game, if not the result (a 1-0 defeat), brings back happy memories, as stepping off our luxurious coach, two Oldham fans wandered across the car park and handed me and another fan spare season tickets to use, knowing that we would cause no trouble sat in the main stand with home fans for company. A lovely gesture and much appreciated.

Oldham have made another nice gesture this season, though for financial reasons, in offering Charlton pretty much as many seats in the ground as they thought they could sell. As it is, just over a thousand Addicks supporters will make the journey north hoping that other results go our way. Just for the record, if Leeds lose to Bristol Rovers, and Millwall and Swindon draw their game together, and if Charlton win, then it is the Addicks who will be promoted; all three results must happen like that otherwise someone else will go up.

The important thing then from Charlton’s perspective is that they try to win this game, as for us to not win, and then to see the other results fall our way would be heartbreaking. Manager Phil Parkinson will be trying to keep the players minds focussed on the task at hand, leaving the crowd to worry about scores from elsewhere. And the fans can help in this scenario as even if Leeds do take the lead, it is important that a negative vibe from the terraces doesn’t permeate the mood and transfer to the players; it is still important that Charlton win, in order to secure home advantage in the second game of any play-off tie.

Parky will be putting out pretty much the same side, I suspect, in order to secure that advantage unless there are any injuries to worry about. He would like to be able to rest one or two key players, I am sure, but with the greatest prize still available, he cannot do that.

Darren Randolph (top) will start in goal, with Rob Elliot as back-up on the bench. Randolph is on top form, and has made a couple of very good saves in both of the last two games. When we consider that he has conceded just five goals in seven and a half games since coming into the side (when Elliot was injured versus Gillingham), it shows what an astonishing record he has when compared to what went on in the few games prior to that.

The settled defence obviously helps the goals against record too, and I do think that with both full backs now fit and delivering in both attack and defence, we look a very good team once more. Centrally, Christian Dailly, Sam Sodje, and, when required, Miguel Llera have all used their vast experience to very good effect, and the incumbent two have a very solid partnership at present. The only doubt is in Sam Sodje’s combative nature, plus the fact that his knee-knack could give way at any time. We can deal with injuries but what the club does not need is to suffer any suspensions at this stage, and anyone who does get sent off only has themselves to blame. Sodje the centre back must be a bit careful where he places his feet when jumping, as for the last two weeks he has seen his leading foot trail down the back of the forward in front of him. While he got away with it at Exeter (with a foul that saw the end of Corr’s participation in the match), he was lucky against Leeds that his first foul wasn’t seen properly and that his second merely got a yellow card – it could have been red.

Up front, Nicky Forster and Deon Burton also have a stack of experience, and goals, from their combined 38 years in the professional game. Neither is that quick, and the partnership hasn’t really clicked yet, but the threat they both pose is there, and with able and willing reserves, they do work hard leaving the dregs to the younger legs later on.

The midfield is also pretty experienced, and with Jose Semedo at his imposing best and Lloyd Sam once more starting to terrorise defenders into mistakes, the team is strong in all the right places. Nicky Bailey hasn’t scored for some time, and I for one would prefer to see him start in central midfield (with Kyel Reid on the left wing) where he has more chance to get forward, but I suspect that our captain will find himself out of position (at least at the start of this game) with Therry Racon given another game in which to make a mark. Racon has, for several weeks now, seen most games pass over his head, as the frenetic nature of matches at this time of the season sees defenders hoof the ball as high and as far as they can, bypassing the midfield. Given time and space, Racon has been able to show what a good player he can be, but one goal all season is just not enough, and that is why I would prefer the greater goal threat of Reid.

This is the side I expect Parky to send out in the last League game of the season –

Darren Randolph
Frazer Richardson
Sam Sodje
Christian Dailly
Gary Borrowdale
Jose Semedo
Therry Racon
Nicky Bailey
Lloyd Sam
Deon Burton
Nicky Forster

Subs from – Elliot, Warner, Solly, Llera, Fry, Spring, Reid, Wagstaff, Mooney, Akpo Sodje, McKenzie, Tuna.

The Oldham players have nothing much to play for other than pride, and the possibility of a contract for next year. Safe from relegation after a solid run of results either side of Easter, the Club’s board have now sacked Dave Penney as manager, with Martin Gray taking over on a temporary basis. Gray’s first game was a 3-0 reverse at Yeovil last week, amid talk of it being difficult to motivate players this close to the season’s end. I’m sure that he will be hoping for a reaction after that loss, but it could be that if Charlton get ahead, an easy victory could be gained. Let’s hope so. Players to watch are Oldham’s player of the season Sean Gregan, who did so much to stop Charlton scoring at The Valley in the reverse fixture, and striker Pawel Abbott, who has 13 goals this season.

Pedro45 thinks that the sequence of results required for automatic promotion (and second place) is just not going to happen, sadly; and that leaves the club knowing that a win will get fourth place, while a draw or defeat could well mean sixth place in the final league table. I am concerned that the team will know, from the crowd, that other teams are winning, and that may have an effect on our performance, leaving the club with a 1-1 draw. This may mean sixth place, but that’s better than seventh!

My one-to-watch in this last away league game is going to be Charlton’s player of the season, Christian Dailly. The Scotsman has been simply outstanding over recent matches, and his will to win is undeniable. What he lacks in pace he more than makes up with experience, and he should have enough to shackle the Oldham forwards in this match. Dailly scored Charlton’s first goal of the league season, and it would not surprise me to see him score the last either.

The last league game of the previous two seasons has seen big wins for the Addicks (4-1, and 4-2); although I want Charlton with this game easily, I would prefer our four goal salvo to come at Wembley, should we get there. We all know what happened last time we played in that borough!

Come on you reds!

Exciting Times

2010-05-05T08:10:00.003+01:00

Charlton Athletic 1 Leeds United 0

An exciting week personally for me has made me a little tardy in getting a match report from Saturday up here, but Charlton’s display can hardly be called tardy at all. A thoroughly professional performance and, in a close game, one which fully deserved all three points, courtesy of Akpo Sodje’s late header (left).

The result leaves all possibilities still open with regard automatic promotion, and I calculate odds of between 12 and 15-1 for Charlton to claim that second coveted promotion spot.

The players are all producing excellent form at exactly the right time of the season, and against Leeds, every single player performed with honour and then some, from Darren Randolph in goal through to substitute Dave Mooney.

Randolph had to make two very good saves – one early on after a short back-pass from Sam Sodje and another in injury time to ensure the points from a point-blank header by Beckford. Whereas it was considered that Rob Elliot was making points winning saves early in the season, the same can now happily be said for Randolph.

The settled defence looked pretty comfortable, save from a couple of misplaced passes that led to chances for Leeds. Frazer Richardson excelled against his former side, contradicting the Yorkshire view that Gradel or Watt’s pace might unsettle him; Gary Borrowdale used all his experience to good effect, and yet again came quite close to scoring his first ever senior goal; Sam Sodje did well in the air, and nullified the threat of Becchio (albeit illegally at times); while Christian Dailly once more put in a faultless display using all his vast experience.

The midfield was at times over-run, especially in the frenetic first half, but Jose Semedo stood firm, and Therry Racon tried his best. Racon does seem to be going around in circles though much of the time, and the side looked much better and more solid when Nicky Bailey was moved centrally for the last half–hour. Out wide, Bailey put in his stint, but he was often playing too negatively and unable to make his forward forays from out on the wing. Lloyd Sam had another top draw game against his home town club, and always looked capable of creating something for the forwards and arriving midfield.

The front pair of Deon Burton and Nicky Forster have age and experience on their side, but not too much pace any more. Burton took a lot of punishment that often went unseen by the referee, but Forster kept running and supporting, and dealt with any scraps that came his way. The pair did link up well once late in the first half, when Burton’s shot was well saved.

The coup de grace though came from manager Phil Parkinson, one not known for making too many game changing moves from the bench. In an inspired move, Parky brought all three subs on at once in a very positive move, with half an hour remaining, and all three made a big impact on the game. Akpo Sodje wouldn’t allow himself to be bullied by the Leeds defenders in the way that Burton had, while Mooney added fresh impetus and held the ball linking play well, and Kyel Reid became an instant threat with his pace and directness from the left wing.

The goal, when it came in the 86th minute, was a little scrappy, with Akpo Sodje challenging for a ball, then getting on the end of a headed cross back into the danger area by Lloyd Sam. Sodje’s firm header may have been saved but a slight deflection of a defender took it high into the net and the biggest Valley crowd of the season erupted.

There was still time for Reid to curl a free kick against the inside of a post, and for a Reid led breakaway to mess up when it looked easier to score, before the finale of Randolph’s reaction save.

A very happy Valley crowd left the stadium knowing that the team are capable of beating top sides in this league (where there has been doubt previously), and that should the play-off route be required, some confidence does exist.

White Riot

2010-04-30T08:58:00.006+01:00

Well, probably not, but that presumes that our friends from down the road don’t come to the party as Leeds arrive at The Valley on Saturday. There are all sorts of scenarios and permutations depending on the result but, basically, if Leeds win and Millwall don’t, then Leeds will be all but promoted.

But there is nothing like backing a certainty in football, and in this League One season we have seen a number of sides, no less than Charlton too, all throwing away the chance to cement the second automatic promotion spot when well placed. Should Charlton now beat Leeds, and should Millwall falter at desperate Tranmere, then the last week of the season could yet be one that many Addicks will remember with fondness. But, to my mind, that really is clutching at straws, as next weeks results (with Leeds losing again, and Millwall and Swindon drawing with each other) would also be required to fall correctly, and the odds on that a quite large.

So how do Charlton approach this game, which, if won, could have a large bearing on who the team will play having made it through to the play-offs? In a fairly laid back manner I would suggest. The opinion coming out of the club this week – which included the shirt-sponsors evening attended by the players – was that victory will be attempted the final two games, as this would have a positive feel going into the knock-out stages. A win would also build confidence, and hopefully the upper hand over Leeds should we have to meet again in May. Similarly, a loss to Leeds would knock confidence, though it would also make it unlikely we would play them again this year.

Manager Phil Parkinson has always talked the talk when it comes to positive attitude and trying to win games, but often this demeanour has fallen short when applied to decisions on the pitch – hence the last six games where only one goal has been scored (last week’s draw included our equaliser which didn’t go in, so I still think there was just one goal in the game!). I believe that he will stick with a 4-4-2 formation – especially after Jonjo Shelvey’s sale, more on that later – but a number of injuries may play a part in who actually takes the field.

At least Parky has shown over recent weeks that he knows the side he would like to be able to pick, but is now the time to rest some of those carrying knocks and have them ready in two weeks? From his perspective, I think not, because he has to still have the belief that Charlton can go straight up with two wins, and he must therefore play his preferred and best team. Players can be rested next week, if we are without that final chance.

That team will continue with Darren Randolph in goal, despite Rob Elliot being fit once more. Elliot intimated before the game last week at Exeter that he thought he was playing, but that turned out not to be the case. Randolph then produced two excellent saves (one in each half) to keep Charlton in the game and it is unthinkable to ponder that he might now be left out. We can forget contract situations and what might happen next season; let’s keep Randy in goal.

Similarly, Parky would love to play with the same back four, though Sam Sodje’s knee-knack may prevent that. Sodje lasted just over an hour in Devon, but had a decent game while he was on the pitch. The danger is that his knee goes at some stage, as it did last week, and that wastes one of the subs that Parky has at his disposal, or worse still, it happens after all the subs have been used. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least to see Miguel Llera start this game, with Sodje told to rest up for a week or two. Possibly unlike Sodje, Frazer Richardson will get a chance to play against his old club, and it was great that he was chosen in the League One team of the Season by his fellow pro’s, and on-loan Gary Borrowdale has another chance to score his first ever goal on the opposite flank. In the middle, Christian Dailly will once more roll back the years and put in another sterling performance I’m sure.

The midfield, so strong an area for Charlton earlier in the season, is now the place where Addicks fans are most unhappy. While Jose Semedo is nailed on to start in the holding role, Therry Racon has been off-colour over recent months and Charlton’s best play has been when he has left the field, with Nicky Bailey moving centrally. In a game that is likely to be fast and frenetic, now may be the time to leave the talented West Indian out of the side, in favour of more direct players? Moving Bailey in field would allow Kyel Reid, scorer of our goal last week, to start; it was only when Reid came on at St James’ Park that Charlton really looked dangerous and if he is on form then he has to play as he does offer major goal threat. Lloyd Sam meanwhile, limped off last weekend, so it will be interesting to see if he pulls on the jersey against the team from the city of his birth. He was in fine form at the sponsors evening apparently, though this may or may not have helped his injury (!). If he doesn’t make it, then the Leeds-supporting Scott Wagstaff will probably take his place on the right wing.

In attack, the one and a half game partnership of old-men Deon Burton and Nicky Forster is yet goalless, though they both have come close (not least last week). Burton has yet to score from open play in 2010, which is concerning and not what you need from your centre forward. Forster is lively, but lacks any real pace, but he does get into good positions, and if the midfield and wingers feed him, then he is more likely to score than not. He will be trying hard as he did miss a couple of gilt edged chances at Exeter, and maybe that means that those goals will come this week? The only other options, presuming that Akpo Sodje is still out injured, is a recall for Dave Mooney, or dare I say it, possible game time for fit-again Leon McKenzie. No, that won’t happen will it…

This is the side I expect Parky to send out in the last home League game of the season –

Darren Randolph
Frazer Richardson
Miguel Llera
Christian Dailly
Gary Borrowdale
Jose Semedo
Nicky Bailey
Lloyd Sam
Kyel Reid
Deon Burton
Nicky Forster

Subs from – Elliot, Warner, Solly, Sam Sodje, Spring, Racon, Wagstaff, Mooney, Akpo Sodje, McKenzie, Tuna.

Leeds will be approaching the game to win it, knowing that anything else could see them falter at the last hurdles as they have done on their previous two seasons in this division. Also struggling with a few injuries that have weakened their side (Kisnorbo out for the season, Parker doubtful, etc), they will rely on a solid display knowing that they have genuine goal-threat, even without 30-goals this season Beckford in the starting eleven. Striker Becchio has scored in the last four games and with Gradel alongside, they will be looking to put lots of pressure on Charlton’s central defensive pair. Where Leeds can come unstuck is at the back, and Charlton should remind themselves that they did concede three goals before half-time in their last away game.

My one-to-watch in this game is going to be Christian Dailly. The Scotsman has had a better season than I think any Addicks fan could have hoped for, and it is strange to think that Gary Doherty made the team of the season in his position ahead of him. Dailly may well be crowned Charlton’s player of the season on Sunday night (though my vote went to Semedo), and it would be well deserved. He was a little below par in the games after Xmas when he was carrying an injury, but now he is back near his best and playing very well. I’m sure his body will see him through the last few games, for to lose him would surely end any remote hopes Charlton have of going anywhere this season.

Pedro45 really doesn’t mind what happens in this game, though it would be the Charlton way for us to win and keep the fans guessing until the last minute of the last day of the season. I do suspect that one team will want it that little bit more than the other, and I’m therefore going to forecast a 1-0 defeat, and much celebration in the Jimmy Seed Stand. I obviously hope that that is not the case, but with another tactical, cagey-game in the offing, it may well be until after the break that one or either team attempts to do something positive when they know the scores - no doubt relayed from the crowd - from other grounds.

Finally, the news that Charlton have sold Jonjo Shelvey is no surprise, though the timing is to many fans. Shelvey has had a peripheral part to play in the side since before Xmas, and it is a shame (in some respects) that he wasn’t allowed to boss this division in the way that many Charlton fans hoped he would last August. The management obviously had to play to Charlton’s early season midfield strength, and when it came down to the crux, they didn’t feel that he was good/strong/disciplined/experienced enough to play centrally in a two-man midfield. And that shows the difference between Shelvey and other good young ex-Charlton players like Bowyer and Parker (who was a lot older it should be noted when he broke into the first team). All we can do is be grateful for the cash coming in, hope that any strategic partnership with Liverpool does bear fruit, and wish Jonjo all the best for his future career, knowing he will always be welcomed back at The Valley.

As for accusations that this sale shows a lack of ambition at the Club - maybe the sale was one way of ensuring that there is a Club next season, as ambition is nothing if we don't have a team to support.

Come on you reds!

League One Team of the Season

2010-04-26T14:05:00.007+01:00

Back on New Year’s Eve, I blogged my League One team of the half-season, and it is interesting to compare how my picks back then face up against the actual full season team as voted for by the players and announced yesterday.

As a reminder, this was my team of the first half of the season, to be managed by Simon Grayson –

Rob Elliot (Charlton)

Alan Dunne (Millwall)

Kelly Youga (Charlton)

Patrick Kisnorbo (Leeds)

Christian Dailly (Charlton)

Nicky Bailey (Charlton)

Bradley Johnson (Leeds)

Robert Snodgrass (Leeds)

Wes Hoolahan (Norwich)

Jermaine Beckford (Leeds)

Grant Holt (Norwich)

Subs – Smithies (Huddersfield), Bromby (Leeds), Semedo (Charlton), Sam (Charlton), Rhodes (Huddersfield), Barnard (Southend), Lambert (Southampton).

The goalkeeping spot, I argued, was up for grabs, and at that stage I hadn’t seen anyone better than Rob Elliot, who was making points winning saves each week. Subsequently, Charlton have been foiled by man-of-the-match performances by both Kelvin Davis and Fraser Forster (Norwich), while Elliot has spent much of the second half of the season injured. It is no surprise then to see Davis as the chosen ‘keeper over the whole season.

At right back, I chose Alan Dunne of Millwall, who has continued to be consistent over the second half of the season. I do think that many (including me) are surprised by the inclusion of Charlton’s own Frazer Richardson, especially as he was not at his best either side of Xmas due to injury. Richardson has done well going forwards, but has shown some defensive frailty but this just shows how difficult picking a choice of right back was, even at Xmas.

The left back slot would have been nailed on for Kelly Youga I think, had he not injured himself back in November. Since then, Carlisle’s Ian Harte has scored a hatful of goals - many penalties and free kicks – so it’s no surprise to see him chosen and that makes it an ex-Leeds duo at full back.

Carrying on the Leeds defensive theme, I picked out Patrick Kisnorbo in my team at half-way, and he stays at centre back in the side chosen by the players, despite a bad recent injury. Leeds ends-of-season frailties have been when Kisnorbo has been out of the side, indicating how much they needed his leadership at the back.

I have to say that I was surprised to see Norwich’s Gary Doherty picked alongside Kisnorbo; although he won most aerial battles at the Valley recently, he is consistently slow, and not the best passer around either. I still think that the Addicks Christian Dailly has had a better season, though he too has suffered from injury and been below par over recent months.

No surprise to see Nicky Bailey in the final eleven, as he can look way too good for this level when on form. One of his problems is trying too hard, and he often wastes possession when trying a forty yard pass when a much simpler one would have sufficed. The goals have dried up recently too (just one in 2010…), but he is such a competitor that it is just a matter of time before he bulges the net once more. I’m not sure I’d let him near my wife though…

In an attacking formation, Jason Puncheon, now of Southampton, gets the players nod in midfield, while I had gone for the more workmanlike Bradley Johnson, who had a good start to the season at Leeds. Since Johnson lost form, so have Leeds to a certain extent, while Puncheon, buoyed by a switch from a loan-arrangement at MK Dons to a permanent place at St Mary’s, has shown what a good player he can be. The interest shown in him by Charlton was real, and it’s a shame that we were outbid by Pardew as he would have pushed Charlton on that extra yard this season.

No surprise also to see both Wes Hoolahan (Norwich) and Robert Snodgrass (Leeds United) as the two wide-men in the end-of-season team - I also had them both in my half-way side. Hoolahan is the main reason, to my mind, why Norwich have won the title, as he just never gives up and always runs. Scorer of the goal that got Norwich back into the game at Carrow Road against Charlton that was possibly the turning point in the Canaries season, and they have seldom looked back since. Snodgrass meanwhile has simply provided most of the ammunition for whoever is playing up front at Elland Road. He has a sweet right foot (to balance Hoolahan’s left…) and has been on the scoresheet plenty of times too with crucial late goals. I think the pair are playing well below their natural level, and both will probably find themselves in the Premier League later in their careers.

Picking two strikers at half-way was difficult, and it got no easier as the season went on. I went for Jermaine Beckford (Leeds) and Grant Holt (Norwich) as they were the top scorers at the end of the year (with Rickie Lambert (Southampton) as a substitute), but subsequently, Beckford has lost some form and Lambert has scored the goal of the season. Both Holt and Lambert have scored over thirty goals and most have been points winners for their respective clubs. Both are likely to remain where they are, so expect plenty more goals from them next season.

This is the full team chosen by the players as the League One team of the Season –

Kelvin Davis (Southampton)

Frazer Richardson (Charlton)

Patrick Kisnorbo (Leeds United)

Gary Doherty (Norwich)

Ian Harte (Carlisle)

Wes Hoolahan (Norwich)

Jason Puncheon (Southampton)

Robert Snodgrass (Leeds United)

Nicky Bailey (Charlton)

Rickie Lambert (Southampton)

Grant Holt (Norwich)

Five of my team made it through the season and into the final eleven, plus one of my subs, so I’m quite happy that my interim team was on the mark. It's also good that Charlton do have two players thought of as the best in the division by their contemporaries.

As for the manager, at Xmas I chose Simon Grayson, but undoubtedly the man in the hot seat now would have to be Paul Lambert of Norwich, who has done an excellent job since joining from Colchester a couple of weeks into the season (having inflicted Norwich’s opening day 7-1 reverse!).

On The Line

2010-04-26T08:57:00.003+01:00

Exeter City 1 Charlton Athletic 1

I didn’t think it was in; my seat was level with the edge of the penalty box with a pretty good view, and when the defender cleared it, nobody near me gave any other reaction other than that of a very near miss. Then the refree blew his whistle, the players stopped, Kyel Reid (shooting, left) turned to celebrate, and the arguments started. Neither of the two guys sat beside me thought it was a goal either.

Some minutes later, some of the last of the match, Nicky Forster had a similar shot, and that was blocked and cleared off the line too. That effort looked more over the line than the first one, but it wasn’t given. I didn’t think then, and I don’t now having seen the replay on TV, that it was stopped with a hand. It’s no surprise that the lino didn’t give the second goal or a penalty for that matter as he and the referee had been under some intense pressure for most of the second half, and certainly since the equaliser.

It wasn’t that the ref was biased, just that he had deemed to give a long series of free-kicks to Charlton, and the Addicks seemed to get every 50/50 decision too. For instance, the ball went out for a throw in; both teams raised arms to claim it. The linesman gave no signal, as he didn’t know which way it should go. The ref gives it to the away team, amid much abuse from the home crowd. It was just like that during the last half hour.

This was not a lucky point for Charlton though, but it was a game that they could easily have lost, and maybe on another day they would have. Deon Burton hit the bar with a header fairly early on after the Exeter ‘keeper had spilled a corner onto his head, but by then Darren Randolph had made an excellent low save to his left pushing the ball around the post for a corner. After half time, Charlton missed chances with Forster blazing over the bar and then drawing a good stop from Jones, while Miguel Llera – on as a sub for knee-knackered Sam Sodje – hit the post with a low free-kick. After the goals, Randolph had to make another very good save, this time pushing the incoming shot against his own post before it was scrambled away.

It was exciting stuff…

But no winner came from either team and the spoils were shared. Home boss Tisdale bemoaned the referee’s decisions all the way across the pitch, and Parky looked a little embarrassed as he walked off, aware that the point was enough to secure a play off place, but that he could have had either none or three, such was the game.

So we look forward once more, now having four, or maybe five, games to go in the season, bar a miracle. I don’t believe in miracles, so cannot see Charlton winning both their remaining games, Millwall failing to win again this season, and Swindon and Leeds both blowing it too, all of which need to happen if the Addicks were to still get to second place in the league table.

The management will have to make some decisions this week about who to rest, and who to play in the next couple of games, as both Sodje’s are now injured, and will need rest in order to have a chance of playing in the play-off matches; Lloyd Sam went off limping badly too during this game, and he looks to have pulled something that may take a couple of weeks at least to heal. Captain Nicky Bailey also has his shoulder problem, and now would be a good time to let that recover, as we could do with the once goal scoring midfielder back at his best during May. In the meantime, now would also be a good time to give Jonjo Shelvey a chance to rediscover some form, for Dave Mooney to provide some movement and a little pace up front, and for incumbents Therry Racon to get his ball control back and Deon Burton some match practice.

I know that the game next week has fans a little split over the possible outcome – if we win it helps Millwall, and if we don’t, then we may get them in the play-offs – and what is the best of the two evils. I’m not sure we can get anything from that game anyway, so let be what may be.

I also hate the play-offs, and have no confidence that we will be able to progress whoever we play, even if the rules changed and we had to face the current Stockport side! I hate the play-offs; I hate the play-offs, and I hate the play-offs! But that’s where we are. And if you had offered that at the start of the season, then I guess most fans would have said yes please without a thought. Just one team wins the play-offs, though four go into them. 25% chance – not good odds. Lots of pressure; lots of disappointment. The whole season on the line. Be prepared.

Ex Marks the Spot

2010-04-22T17:23:00.006+01:00

Much has been made of forthcoming fixtures, and recent results, but as far as this blog is concerned, Charlton are now in the end-of-season play-offs. Mathematically, the Addicks still require at least one point to ensure participation in the five-game lottery, but that has to pre-suppose that the chasing pack will win all of their games. While Southampton might do that, I don't think Colchester will, and even if they did, I doubt that Charlton, even Charlton, could conspire to lose their last three games. So that means we all have some extra footie to watch this May.

Mind you, should Charlton win their last three games then we may not in fact have those additional two games at least; nine more points from this topsy-turvy season could just be enough to usurp both Millwall and Leeds (not to mention Swindon) into second place, though being a realist, I doubt very much that will happen either. I think it much more likely that Charlton will go unbeaten, but not win all their games, and therefore have to play those dreaded extra games where the whole season’s fate is decided by individual mistakes, nerves, and dodgy referees.

That’s for the future though, as this weekend, Charlton take the scenic route down the A303 all the way to Exeter. I quite like the A303, as my father now lives just off it near Mere, and my in-laws live about 25 miles (and minutes) further on in Somerset. That makes it handy when sorting out Xmas and visits at other times of the year, though this time I’ll be on the train to Devon, and missing out on seeing the various relatives (not least because my dad is in Uzbekistan!).

Exeter are one of those nice clubs that you have a soft spot for, probably because you never saw them as a threat. Sure, we came up against them in the FA Cup a few years back, but that was (supposed) giants against minnows; now we are in the same division, and they have as much chance of beating us as we do them.

I’ve been to St James Park, the Exeter version, a couple of times; in 1986 we played them in a pre-season friendly (won 2-0), but the last league game was in 1980, when a Tony Kellow hat-trick saw Charlton off in a 4-3 defeat. I have vague recollections about the day – meeting some members of my cricket team, one of whom was at college in the city, and then walking around the ground at half-time to get a view from behind the goal at one end – but I do remember the last goal, scored right near the end which ended the Addicks resistance. Charlton ended up that season being promoted, so maybe that’s an omen? The game at Then Valley this season saw Charlton coast to a 2-1 victory, even though another late goal was conceded.

Exeter need the points as they are sitting rather too uncomfortably near the bottom four relegation places, so they should be up for it, but they will be without Dunne (suspended), Stansfield (injured), and Fleetwood (loan arrangement), so will be below strength. Ex-England international Marcus Stewart is possibly the only current player well known outside the lower leagues but he also went off at half-time last week, though that may have been tactical following Dunne’s red card.

Manager Phil Parkinson would love to be able to pick the same side that performed well last weekend against league leaders Norwich, despite the result, but that may not prove possible. Akpo Sodje didn’t last until half-time, but despite suggestions that his hamstring injury is not as bad as expected, I doubt he will make the starting line up. Nicky Bailey also went off injured during the second half, and he is another who is apparently desperate to play, but I wonder if he may be held back (possibly as a substitute?) in order to ensure he is fit for the bigger games against Leeds the following week and the eventual play-offs.

Sam Sodje came through the game last week despite his being doubtful, and on quite a few occasions Parky has talked about players not being fit enough on a Wednesday but they still turn out and perform (or not as may be) on the weekend. Maybe the chat about injuries to the Sodje’s and Bailey is tactical?

So if we presume that the goalkeeper (Darren Randolph) and defence (Frazer Richardson, Sam Sodje, Christian Dailly, and Gary Borrowdale) will be unchanged, and that Jose Semedo and Therry Racon will provide the engine room of the team in midfield, and that Lloyd Sam will continue to play as we know he can, and that Nicky Forster is guaranteed a starting spot, who will come in if Bailey and Akpo are out?

The decision over the striker is possibly quite straight-forward; Deon Burton, just back from injury himself, replaced the younger brother last Saturday, and after a full week’s training, he should be OK to start. His bench spot will go to Dave Mooney, who must have felt pretty sick to have been left out completely against his former team last week.

If Bailey fails to recover from his shoulder problem, then the choice is between left winger Kyel Reid, wide man Scott Wagstaff, or maverick Jonjo Shelvey. Bearing in mind that playing either Wagstaff or Shelvey wide left this season hasn’t always worked, I suspect that Reid will be brought in, with options on the bench should he have one of his quieter games or more defensive duty be required.

This is the side I expect Parky to put out in Devon –

Darren Randolph
Frazer Richardson
Sam Sodje
Christian Dailly
Gary Borrowdale
Jose Semedo
Therry Racon
Lloyd Sam
Kyel Reid
Deon Burton
Nicky Forster

Subs from – Elliot, Warner, Solly, Llera, Spring, Wagstaff, Shelvey, Mooney, Bailey, Akpo Sodje, McKenzie, Tuna.

Pedro45 wants Charlton to win this game, but as with the last match, I would not be surprised to see them struggle, knowing that a less than favourable result will not matter too much before seasons end. A win would keep the pressure on the other teams around us, but the likelihood of other results falling as nicely as they did last week (when Charlton failed to take advantage) is remote. I forecast a 1-1 draw that will satisfy both teams, but do little without other performances before seasons end.

My one-to-watch in this game is going to be Therry Racon (left). Our Guadeloupe international has been a little on the periphery over recent weeks, and he really needs to start showing his class if Charlton are to have any chance of getting out of this league this season. One goal is a very poor return from any midfielder over the course of a season, but the consolation strike in Bristol is all that Racon has to his name. The biggest mark Racon has made this season is visible in the home dug-out at The Valley, courtesy of his boot after being substituted. He has made goals, but it is a while since we saw him twist and dummy his way to the bye-line and put over a telling cross that could be converted. Now is the time for Therry to re-discover his form and make a telling contribution; if he cannot, then he might as well go to the Caribbean and play for his island nation (as requested) rather than waste Addicks time in the play-offs.

Knowing Charlton, as we all do, there are more twists and turns to this season yet to come; they may turn up in the remaining league games, or those twists may wait until the play-offs. What all Charlton fans want is effort, commitment, skill and passion – we can take defeat (like last week). With that from the players, and backed by over a thousand Addickted, I doubt Charlton can lose this game, but then again, what do I know?

Up the Addicks!

Ex-Addicks throughout the Leagues

2010-04-21T08:28:00.003+01:00

I thought it might be fun to come up with a few ex-Addicks teams, encompassing the four divisions (if I could), who have all played in their own leagues this season. It might take the pressure off us fans a little as we sit down and work out all the various permutations that might see us get automatic promotion!

I’ve always picked a top league team over the years that had Charlton experience in it, and wondered what might be if all those players were still with Charlton, but I suppose it’s only in the last ten years or so that I could get a full team of players. Now though, despite the rubbish we have apparently had in recent years, it is the lowest league that struggles to find much Charlton representation, while the top two divisions are fairly liberally sprinkled. The team shown are my own choices - where I have had the ability to chose – but I have tried to show a team that could play together, so therefore include a suitable number of strikers, midfielders, defenders, plus a goalie. It’s amazing that the Premiership side contains six full England internationals who all once plied their trade for Charlton...and the Championship side has two more! As we get further down the divisions, the links became a little more tenuous, and need to include either players who came to the Valley on loan, or those that made few first team appearances for Charlton.

These are my choices; happy to see any alternatives via the comments button!

Premier League

Jason Brown (Blackburn)
Luke Young (Villa)
Michael Turner (Sunderland)
Hermann Hreidersson (Pompey)
Paul Konchesky (Fulham)
Alex Song (Aresenal)
Lee Bowyer (Birmingham)
Scott Parker (West Ham)
Ricardo Fuller (Stoke)
Darren Bent (Sunderland)
Jermain Defoe (Spurs)

Championship

Scott Carson (Baggies)
Chris Powell (Leicester)
Mark Hudson (Cardiff)
Jonathan Fortune (Sheffield United)
Jay McEveley (Derby)
Josh Wright (Scunthorpe)
Jason Euell (Blackpool)
Jamal Campbell-Ryce (Bristol City)
Jerome Thomas (Baggies)
Darren Ambrose (Croydon)
Luke Varney (Sheffield Wednesday)

League One

Simon Royce (Gills)
Barry Fuller (Gills)
Osei Sankofa (Southend)
Chris Perry (Southampton)
Darren Powell (MK Dons)
Kemal Izzet (Colchester)
Rashid Yussoff (Gills)
Myles Weston (Brentford)
Scott McGleish (Orient)
Charlie McDonald (Brentford)
Kevin Lisbie (Clochester)

League Two

Lee Harrison (Barnet)
Johnnie Jackson (Notts County)
Simon Walton (Crewe)
Dean Sinclair (Grimsby)
Wade Small (Chesterfield)

As you can see, my League Two team will only be available for five-a-side fixtures, unless you guys can think of some new team-mates?

Up Against It

2010-04-19T08:09:00.004+01:00

Charlton Athletic 0 Norwich City 1

At about 6pm on Saturday, not long after I got home from the game, my father-in-law telephoned me. He is a long-time Norwich supporter, having been born and brought up on the Suffolk-Norfolk border, but very much a Canary. He was away in his caravanette for the weekend, far from radio or TV coverage, and wanted to know what the score was. I told him it was 1-0 to Norwich and that meant that they were promoted. A slight laugh and chuckle, and then an “Oh well, I’m sure Charlton will go up too. Was it a good game?” I said it was rather one-sided, which brought another chuckle and then told him we had murdered ‘em. He didn’t believe me, but that is the truth.

You can look at the statistics, where Charlton had over two-thirds of possession and lots more shots (on and off target), corners, and fouls for, but the only stat that matters when we look in the history books is the goals for column, and we lost that.

Sometimes you just have to accept that a team comes along and mugs you; without their two best players (Holt and Hoolahan), Norwich did set up for a smash-and-grab afternoon, and it all worked out perfectly for them. An offside goal chalked off already, Nelson headed in for the visitors from a long, deep, corner, and despite the best efforts of Nicky Bailey, Charlton just could not score during that first half.

With Akpo Sodje winning balls in the air, it was disappointing to se him withdrawn due to injury, but at least we were able to witness the return of Deon Burton after a month out. Burton came closest in the second half to notching an equalizer, but once more he was thwarted by lanky on-loan ‘keeper Forster.

Too often though, Forster was able to count his blessings as Charlton players snatched at shots and saw the ball bobble along the ground to him, when firmer contact and timing could have seen the net bulge. With the visitors wasting time from early in the second period, you knew that they wouldn't venture forward too often, and that proved the case. Despite five minutes injury time, Charlton just couldn't score, and a fifth 1-0 scoreline on the trot ensued.

I didn't hang around for the Canary celebrations, as this win guarantees them Championship football next season (unless they fall into administration).

Charlton played pretty well throughout, but didn’t have the confidence or cutting edge that Norwich had, despite all the possession. The performance does still suggest an upward curve, and with the results of the other teams chasing that second spot also poor, all is not yet decided though a play-off place is almost guaranteed now.

It should also be noted that the crowd played a full part in the game, willing on the side at every opportunity, and maybe it helped that recent fall-guys Dave Mooney (who wasn’t even a sub) and Miguel Llera didn’t make it onto the pitch.

Now with just three games to go, if that second spot is to be reached, they all need to be won; even then, it may not be enough, so I’d better get those play-off dates in my diary and hope it doesn’t clash with other duties.