Sunday, April 29, 2007
And so, the end is near…
Blackburn Rovers 4 Charlton Athletic 1Reflections and thoughts on yesterday…
I was proud to see the directors checking in at Gatwick alongside the fans who were on the same flight. How many other clubs would that have occurred at?
The Monarch Airlines cabin staff were very efficient.
The take off at Gatwick was a little bit hairy!
Did the pilot really try to give the left hand side of the plane a view of the Valley (albeit twenty miles away)?
Flying slowly over Luton, Coventry, Stoke, and The Wirral. Coming into land over the Mersey…
The amount of police waiting for us at the airport! Luckily, they didn’t seem too bothered once they’d seen the passengers.
Why did people complain at having to walk 300 yards to the coaches at John Lennon Airport?
Why did people moan when we were held for five minutes on the edge of town while other coaches caught up? We were lucky that the police didn’t insist we couldn’t get to the ground before two pm as they usually instruct!
The Fernhurst did a sterling job in catering (booze-wise) for several thousand thirsty fans.
It was too packed for me (and knowing how many more fans were to arrive), so I headed for the Bear Hotel up the hill; for some reason, they were not expecting anyone, so the hundred plus fans who drank there watching the lunchtime football match on TV really made their day!
Leaving the bar with Manyoo 2-0 down; why can’t we score four goals in the last half hour to win?
Being remembered as one of “The Blackburn 12” by Paul Winton…
The meat and potato (or potato and meat as they call them up there…) pies were lovely!
The crowd were fantastic; even better than last year against Middlesboro, and better than the glory-hunters who went to Forest a few years back on freebies. Who was the blonde woman on the pitch introduced to the crowd beforehand? Growllll…
When the teams walked out, the response from the Darwen End was tremendous and breath-taking.
The tickertape welcome...
Thinking Blackburn missed far too many chances that they should have scored from, and that the game had no chance of finishing scoreless...
Thatcher was booked for a late tackle, though he didn’t actually seem to touch the guy…intent anyone?
How long does it take Marcus Bent to go in a game before he starts to hold his hamstring? Answer - slightly more than a fitness test session obviously!
How long does it take Marcus Bent to go in a game before he starts to hold his hamstring? Answer - slightly more than a fitness test session obviously!The ball was changed after half an hour; prior to that, it seemed to be made of lead, as both teams (and mainly our defence) seemed to have trouble kicking it more than twenty yards!
Why did Luke Young go off for thirty seconds and sit on the bench?
At half-time, we could still do it; although they had the better of the half, Charlton finished the stronger, and looked to have settled. A win was not impossible at that stage…
Matt Holland should have shot across Freidel when he had the chance early in the second half; he probably wouldn’t have scored, but at least he wouldn’t have been slagged off on MOTD for aiming at the near post (and hitting the side netting). Holland provided a good balance in the game, and was possibly our MOM.
What, apart from the customary shirt holding, was Hermann appealing for (left) when he let Roberts turn and run away from him prior to his shot?Carson’s fumbling Roberts subsequent shot into the corner of the net; I don’t know who was more surprised – 6000 Charlton fans wondering what had happened, or 18000 Blackburn fans who didn’t expect him to score!
Thatcher getting mugged into a late tackle and getting sent off. The ref seemed to be happy with just the foul, but the rigorous flag waving from the lino suggested a foul worse than it was, so no surprise the cards followed. On TV, the forward actually falls over Thatcher’s leg, and he doesn’t even kick him…who’s the mug now Ben?
What did Warnock think he was doing heading the ball back toward his own goal? Dazza did great to finish the chance, which wasn’t as easy as it may have looked.
The euphoria that surrounded that goal – false hope, false optimism.
The shock of conceding just a couple of minutes later – having seen the goal on TV, El Karkouri deflected the cross onto Hermann’s thigh, and he had no chance.
Carson diving over the ball for Robert’s second goal, just minutes later. The real killer…
Carson thumping the ball straight upfield to a Blackburn defender, who’s header went to unmarked Derbyshire, and he finished clinically. He looks like he may be a very good player in a couple of years time…
El Kak wandering (limping) off injured to leave us with just nine players for the last ten minutes.
Dazza heading against the bar in injury time from an excellent Rommedahl cross…
The final whistle...
One fan chucking his Operation Ewood t-shirt off the top tier into oblivion (I doubt anyone picked it up and took it home as a souvenir…).
The chaos trying to find the right coach to get on afterwards! (Well done stewards!)
The chant that went up in the bar at Liverpool airport when a barman dropped a glass – “Are you Carson in disguise?”
Being ushered out of the airside bar on the promise that the last plane was going to leave early - it didn’t!
The man berating his wife for not noticing that they should have been on the first flight out, as she thought it was gate 5 which wasn’t boarding yet, when he was equally responsible! Luckily, they were fitted onto the last flight, as it had about twenty empty seats.
A quicker flight home in the twilight.
The directors asking my wife where the car parks were on exiting Gatwick…
One fan chucking his Operation Ewood t-shirt off the top tier into oblivion (I doubt anyone picked it up and took it home as a souvenir…).
The chaos trying to find the right coach to get on afterwards! (Well done stewards!)
The chant that went up in the bar at Liverpool airport when a barman dropped a glass – “Are you Carson in disguise?”Being ushered out of the airside bar on the promise that the last plane was going to leave early - it didn’t!
The man berating his wife for not noticing that they should have been on the first flight out, as she thought it was gate 5 which wasn’t boarding yet, when he was equally responsible! Luckily, they were fitted onto the last flight, as it had about twenty empty seats.
A quicker flight home in the twilight.
The directors asking my wife where the car parks were on exiting Gatwick…
Labels: Blackburn Rovers, Charlton, Darren Bent, defeat, relegation
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Imagine...
The tickets are bought, the coaches and planes almost full, and almost 6000 Charlton fans will head up to Blackburn for the next must-win Premiership game on Saturday.I plan to fly, and I was a little worried when my flight ticket (or any details of the trip) did not arrive along with the match ticket on Wednesday. Thankfully it was in the post at home today. I had heard rumours of early starts, and it was good to have this finally confirmed, just so I can get to Gatwick at the right time.
We will be flying up to John Lennon Airport, at Speke near Liverpool, and then a generous supporter has financed the coaches that will take the plane-loads of fans on across Lancashire to the northern mill town that is Blackburn. Arriving early, during the late morning, I hope there is enough to entertain the fans as several hours. If we are just left to sit in the pub by the ground (even though it is a very nice pub from memory, last visited in 1994!) that amount of time may lead to a few sore heads and some raucous behaviour.
I have happy memories of flying to Charlton matches; Newcastle in the early nineties, when we triumphed 3-1, and Ancona in the Anglo-Italian cup for a 1-1- draw were good times.
The fans all seem ready for the trip, and once again the club has been very generous in subsidising the travel. It really is fantastic that we, Charlton, do this for our supporters, as not many other clubs would contemplate such an option, eith er because they don;t have the finances, or maybe they just don't care.
Hopefully, the players will also be ready for this match, as they really don’t have many options if this one goes pear-shaped.
Alan Pardew will need to pick the best eleven that he can, and then ensure that they play with passion, heart, commitment, and skill; anything less, and Charlton can wave goodbye to the Premiership.The defence is unlikely to see a major changes, although the fit again Hermann Hreidarsson may replace Ben Thatcher, if Thatcher’s hip injury picked up last weekend has not cleared.
Up front, Pards needs to decide if he wants to play with someone alongside Darren Bent. His options are Marcus Bent, pictured fagging it with his latest girlfriend earlier in the week (which suggests that he may know he will not be facing yet another of his former clubs this weekend…), Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, or Kevin Lisbie. None of these players will strike fear into the Rovers defence!
In midfield, the options seem unlimited; all the wide players are fit, even if not playing consistently; and the central midfield also has few problems, with Song, Holland, Faye, Hughes, and Zhi all in contention.
This is the side I think Pardew will want to take the field at Ewood Park –
Scott Carson
Luke Young
Talal El Karkouri
Souleymane Diawara
Hermann Hreidarsson
Alexandre Song
Matt Holland
Darren Ambrose
Dennis Rommedahl
Zheng Zhi
Darren Bent
Subs from Randolph, Thatcher, Sankofa, Faye, Hughes, Thomas, Lisbie, Hasselbaink.
I expect Pards to stick with his recent formation of playing one up front and one just behind Dazza; for this game I'd like to see Zheng Zhi pushed up again, and Ambrose restored out wide. Jerome Thomas should make way in my opinion, as his last couple of games have been pretty awful. I'd also like to see Matt Holland back in midfield, as he gives the side balance, and comes with plenty of experience.
Blackburn are pushing for a UEFA cup spot, although they are currently way behind Reading and need to make up six points on Spurs. Goal-scoring goalie Brad Friedel is talking up their chances, but they look sure to miss out unless they can win all four of their remaining games. They have been in reasonably good form of late, but have won just one of their last three games, and couldn’t beat Fulham last weekend, so we do have some hope.
Ok, I know. I shouldn’t have mentioned the “H” word, but it was always likely to slip out sometime in this preview.
For Charlton the equation is pretty simple; unless we win at least one of the remaining three games, then we will undoubtedly be relegated. Saturday is possibly the best chance to get the win, as Blackburn may not be too “up-for-it”, and/or over-confident. Even these three points may not be enough for keep the Addicks in the top flight, but what may happen is that these three points could lead to more, and that may be enough…?
My one-to-watch in this game is Darren Bent. Dazza is the one player above all others that can win the game for us. We need to score goals, and Dazza is the man most likely. He hasn't been 100% fit since before Christmas, but hopefully he will be fitter than he seemed last weekend.Pedro45’s score predictions haven’t been too close recently, although I did predict the goalless Easter. When I’ve hoped for wins, we have lost or drawn; when I’ve given us no chance we have scraped out a result. I do know that 6000 fans making the trip will be a whole lot happier if Charlton do win, and so I just have to carry on that belief in my score forecast - I’ll go for a 1-0 victory.
This will be a very tough game, more so if we fall behind early on…We, all 6000 who are going to be there, and the other twenty-odd thousand who cannot make the game, desperately want Charlton to get a result in this game.
Please boys, do it for us.
Come on you reds!
Labels: Blackburn Rovers, Charlton, Premiership
