Wednesday, December 26, 2007
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
Charlton Athletic 1 Hull City 1Norwich City 1 Charlton Athletic 1
Having been away for Chirstmas, I missed posting anything about the Hull home game on Saturday. I'm not sure I could have written anything sensible about the game immediatley afterwards; suffice to say it was a very poor game.
The "highlights" were, firstly, Madjid Bougherra's equaliser, which was a long way from my seat and scored from a crowded penalty area where I have no idea what happened except that Magic was announced as the person who stabbed the ball high into the net; and secondly, Danny Mills sending off.
Today, Charlton picked up their second draw of the week, away at Norwich, and again saw a defender sent off - this time Sam Sodje. Charlton's goal was scored by Zheng Zhi (above), but the ten men couldn't hang on and honours ended even. I was travelling home in the car at the time of the match, and luckily Radio five kept me abreast with developments, and the point was welcome if not fully deserved.
Bearing in mind the current injury crisis, plus the suspensions, a couple of points from these two games is no bad thing, and it does keep Charlton in fifth place in the league, and hopefully safe from relegation by the end of January.The other good points to come out are ZiZi playing through his calf injury, which threatened to keep him out of both matches; The Magic Mans (left) first goal for the club on Saturday, and his reasonable (it seems) performance at right back today; Nicky Weaver making important saves at last, which have won points in both games; McCarthy coming back into the team and looking a better player than he did in August; and skipper Matt Holland leading in exemplary fashion.
The bad points are obviously having to play around 90 minutes in the two games with only ten men on the pitch; not a good thing when half the team are carrying injuries, and the rest look quite simply tired! Pardew needs to ensure that discipline starts in the changing room, and not just when the ref bandies cards about! Chris Iwelumo has valiantly limped through most of both games though he came off at half time today. Hopefully, he can make another appearance at Leicester on Saturday. The bad continues with the other injuries; Ambrose was missing today physically, and he might as well have been on Saturday too for all the work he put in; Varney was ill on Saturday but played 90 minutes today, mainly out wide right; Sam missed the second half on Saturday but came back as a sub today; Racon was a sub too, having recovered enough to be named. We still need others to come back - Basey, Moutaouakil, Reid, Thatcher, and Gibbs - if we are to mount any sort of challenge at the top of the league.
Also without much good in them must be the refereeing performances; nobody is questioning the two sending off, but overall, the level of the men in black is fairly poor, and bordering on farcical at times. One wonders what the refs in the two lower leagues are like?
And then we get to the plain ugly...
I haven't yet seen Sodje's two footed lunge from today which led to his red card (left), but it did seem like a pretty dumb thing to do. Thankfully, Jon Fortune is available again after his suspension at the weekend, so it shouldn't hurt the team too much. I remember reading something by a prominent player who said that they used to get sent off on purpose around this time of year so that they didn't have to worry about being away from family at Christmas; with Fortune and Mills not having to travel today, I hope Pards made sure they were required to do double doses of training!By far the ugliest thing though, was Danny Mills "performance" against Hull on Saturday. Dis-Misses Mills should be ashamed of himself, but although he says sorry on his website, that really doesn't come close to appeasment.
Mills played for Hull last year on loan, and there is obviously "history" with some of the players. Maybe they didn't like him, or maybe he doesn't like them. Whatever. On Saturday, he became involved with Caleb Folan early on, shouting out in agony well before any elbow came near him. Bryan Hughes outrageous kick just before half time wasn't deserved, but Mills milked it by staying down as if shot, then lashing out when a Hull player tried to "help" him to his feet.
Eventually, another second half altercation led to his booking, and then he finally got himself sent off. I didn't see anyting wrong with the Hull players challenge on Mills which left him in a crumpled heap, and when it was obvious the ref didn't either, Mills was soon on his feet and walking in the referee's direction. I don't know what he said, but the referee had been lenient with him all afternoon, until Mills over-stepped the mark. Red card; carry on walking Mrs Mills!Mills had "announced" before the game on his own website, that he throught that this would be his last home game in a Charlton shirt. Apparently the money men couldn't agree anything, so he would not be staying after his loan ended on 31st December. I doubt Manchester City wanted much in the way of a transfer fee (maybe £500,000?), so it seems it was down to signing on fee and wages. With the club in no way guaranteed to go back up to the Premiership, his current salary of, I guess, around £20 - 25,000 a week was not feasible, even though I'm sure he was offered decent terms (maybe £15k?).
Sadly, the everlasting memory of Mills in a Charlton shirt will be that of a man who was a decent player, but one who got sent off when he stopped winding up the opposition players and crowd, and started on the officials. In a few choice words, he undid all the good that he had brought in over the last twenty games or so. How can Alan Pardew go back with a better offer now? See ya Danny Boy! I guess the next time he plays at The Valley, we will be the ones boo-ing him...
Half way through the four game Christmas league programme, and we are unbeaten. A result on Saturday plus a win against bottom club Colchester next week will look good, and when we think of the apparent problems we have (which, reading the message boards are - a poor defence, lots of injuries, and no decent strikers...), maybe it's not so bad after all.
Labels: Charlton, Danny Mills, Hull City, Madjid Bougherra, Norwich, Sam Sodje, Zheng Zhi
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Siberian Weather Greets the Tigers
It’s been a cold week in South London; one where every Addicks fan has been trying to warm themselves up in preparation for the seasonal festivities, and five crucial games (Hull, Norwich, Leicester, Colchester, and WBA) in two weeks that will determine how this season might pan out. It's so cold even Alan Pardew (left) may need an overcoat as he stands rigid in the techical area on Saturday afternoon!First up, on Saturday, we have a return fixture against Hull City at The Valley. The away game a couple of months back was one of the crunch games of the season and had a big effect on that October period; Charlton won 2-1, (Chris Iwelumo and Luke Varney scoring), but Lloyd Sam was sent off and the ban he received crossed the first three games of a subsequent four-game winless streak. Interestingly, Sam is available on Saturday following another suspension (this time for accruing five bookings…) and I’m sure he will be looking forward to acquainting himself with red-card buddy Barry Ashby.
Hull are an up-and-down sort of team; capable of winning enough games to stay comfortably within the division, but never really looking like threatening either the top or bottom. Hopefully, after a home win last weekend, they will fall victim on their travels and give up six points to Charlton in the season.
Who Alan Pardew picks to face the Tigers is going to be interesting, as last weekend, he was without three suspended players, two of whom can return this weekend (Danny Mills and Sam), but Pards also looks to have lost at least three other players through injury since the game against the Baggies.
Definitely out are Andy Reid (left, with a knee injury, till February), Zheng Zhi (calf, for two weeks) and Darren Ambrose (groin, two weeks), while Iwelumo would surprise everyone if he was fit after turning his ankle last weekend, and Varney is ill and may not recover in time. Pardew is therefore limited in some areas in whom he picks, but not in others. Hopefully, the changes necessary will bring a welcome hot streak!In goal, Nicky Weaver will carry on, untroubled by Darren Randolph being on the bench. Weaver is doing OK this season, without setting the world alight. He hasn’t really won Charlton many points (in the way Carson did last year, and Kiely and others have previously), but he cannot really be blamed for losing points either. It would be good to see him in control of his penalty area, but after five years of Deano failing to come for crosses, I don’t know why we are too bothered.
The defence will no doubt welcome peace-maker Mills back on the right side, with Sam Sodje and Madjid Bougherra likely to continue in the middle. Chris Powell, who had a poor game last week after being cruelly exposed, may have been in danger of losing his place, but injuries elsewhere may save him.
The midfield is where the biggest changes are likely. Sam will come back on the right; Matt Holland will stay in the middle and will be captain; and Jerome Thomas is likely to feature on the left. Three options to play alongside Holland are among the injured (Reid, Ambrose, and Zhi), and rumour has it Therry Racon, another obvious choice for the vacant central midfield option, is also injured (though that hasn’t been confirmed) which is probably the reason Harry Arter was left out of the reserves game as a precaution on Tuesday. Unless Pards takes a big punt, I cannot see anyone other than Jose Semedo playing alongside Matty.
Without too many other options to go with the 4-5-1 formation used during away games, that leaves two places to fill up front. If Big Chris is fit, he will undoubtedly play, but it must be a concern as to whether he will last 90 minutes of this game on a strapped up ankle, and then be fit for the other forthcoming matches too? Izale McLeod came on as a straight replacement last weekend, so I would expect him to feature, and it all depends if Varney recovers whether he can play with Iwelumo or McLeod? If Chris and Luke are out, McLeod will lead the line and Pards only option is to promote from the youth set up – Danny Uchechi? A week later and Chris Dickson will be back; just in time it seems!
It seems a bit silly to try to pre-empt the team that Pards will pick, bearing in mind all the problems he has but let’s give it a go –
Nicky Weaver
Danny Mills
Sam Sodje
Madjid Bougherra
Chris Powell
Matt Holland
Jose Semedo
Lloyd Sam
Jerome Thomas
Izale McLeod
Luke Varney
Subs from Randolph, Moutaouakil (if fit), Sankofa, McCarthy, Racon (if fit), Arter, Iwelumo (if fit), Uchechi, and anyone else who volunteers!
In fact, if you look down the list of first team players on the official website, only youngsters Josh Wright, Aswad Thomas, and Martin Christensen are not listed above when you take out the injured (11), suspended (1), and those out on loan (6). Let’s be thankful for a big squad!
My one-to-watch this week should really be Steve Allen, the physio (!), as he could be the most influential person during the next two weeks, but I’ll go for Izale Mcleod (left). Izzy is almost certain to start, and if he doesn’t, he will definitely play at least half an hour. His first goal for Charlton last weekend will have helped settle him down a bit, after a fairly lukewarm start to his Addicks career. He has played lots of last ten minutes, so the statistic of taking 13 games to get his name of the board is a little misleading. He has pace, is very direct, and as long as fellow players can get the ball to him in the right areas, he should be a handful. Yes, he is raw, but I don’t understand why some blogs are quite negative about a new recruit who hasn’t had much of a chance yet. He did, after all, win Charlton their first four penalties of the season! Izale also has the knowledge that fans are clamouring for Chris Dickson to be given a chance after his on-loan goalscoring exploits down the road at Gillingham when he returns to the club after this weekend, and that might just gee him up a bit more.Pedro 45’s score prediction versus Hull is a 2-1 home win; we seem to have fallen out of the win-away and lose-at-home sequence, so a home win is due once more. Hull will tough it out as they did in October, and the defence had better not give too many chances to the young Caleb Folan and the (much) older Dean Windass or the Addicks will suffer. We should have just a little too much for them, and if the new look team fire - with Thomas and Sam key to creating opportunities and supporting the forwards – then we should be OK. As everyone knows, Tigers are dangerous when injured, and so just might be the Addicks!
Pedro45’s own Xmas plans will prevent a report being written, or indeed a preview of the Norwich game, although the likelihood is that fans may be asked to bring their boots if the injuries increase much more! My score prediction for the Carrow Road match is a 1-1 draw.
I would therefore like to wish all my readers a happy Xmas and prosperous New Year, with the hope that my next blog will report six points and a full (or fuller) squad going up to Leicester with confidence.
Come on you reds!
Labels: Charlton, Hull City, Izale McLeod
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
The Longest Game
Hull City 1 Charlton Athletic 2No quiet Tuesday night game this one! With a player from each side dismissed just before half-time, the referee close to losing control and not wanting to end the game, plus the crowd going mad, Charlton did well to win by two goals to one.
Alan Pardew picked the same League eleven that he has for the previous three games, obviously hoping that defensive mistakes would be a thing of the past, and the team would revert to winning ways. The only change from Saturday’s squad came on the bench, where Jerome Thomas was given a seat in place of Matt Holland; JT has, it seems, been forgiven for his poor attitude that saw him dropped for several games.
Hull started with the ancient front line pairing of Pedersen and Windass, but two games in a week was too much for Jay-Jay Okocha, and he was conspicuously absent. In his place came ex-Addick Bryan Hughes.
It was fairly quiet start to the game, with few chances, and Charlton’s front line being caught offside all too often. Weaver had to make a couple of decent saves and later, Bougherra was booked for a foul.
Charlton’s first goal came in the 40th minute when Reid whipped in across and Boaz Myhil, the Hull keeper, punched the ball into one of three onrushing Charlton forwards. The ball fell for Luke Varney (top) to stroke home his second goal for the Addicks.
This set up the next highlight, if it can be called that, with the crowd vexed, and Hull deciding to dish out some Northern hospitality and kick anything that moved. Ashbee clattered into Lloyd Sam, who fell on the City player. Thereafter all hell broke loose with Sam and Ashbee trading blows, and almost all the rest of both teams, plus some of the management getting involved in breaking up the melee. The referee didn’t gain control very quickly, but once he had, he sent off both the players involved in the original incident.
The second half was mostly Hull pressure, then a great Danny Mills drive hit the bar after an hour or so, but bounced to safety. It was one of the few chances during this part of the game. Hull used all their subs in an effort to claw them selves back into the game, or possibly so that the veterans had something left for Saturday? Hull’s Marney and Windass were booked for whingeing, and Andy Reid had a shot saved.
Chris Powell then got a whack on the head from a Hughes free kick and needed treatment for possible concussion; he stayed on the pitch though but with a left back shortage, let’s hope he is fit enough to start again on Saturday.
The team did well in trying to run the clock down, seemingly settling for a 1-0 win. Then in the last minute, with Hull pushing forward, Zheng Zhi was found by Reid, drew the defence, and slipped the ball to Chris Iwelumo who finished easily to make it two-nil to the Addicks. The referee indicated five extra minutes of play, and Hull continued to press, but Weaver was a match for anything they threw at him initially. Sodje and Thomas came on to waste some of the added on time, with Varney and Zhi being removed. Then, with still two minutes of additional time to play, Hull scored when a Hughes corner was headed home by substitute McPhee.
This should have set up an uncomfortable last 90 seconds but the referee played well over six minutes more than planned; Charlton hung on (just), and even had time to send on Izale McLeod for Semedo. The referee played over 14 minutes additional time in total (including five in the first half), so the players may feel that they have undertaken extra time as the reserve did last week!
This result leaves Charlton in second place in the table, at least until West Brom play tomorrow night.
This result leaves Charlton in second place in the table, at least until West Brom play tomorrow night.
Labels: Charlton, Chris Iwelumo, Hull City, Luke Varney
Monday, October 01, 2007
To Hull and Back
This midweek it's yet another Tuesday night game, for the third week on the trot, and sees Charlton travel to Hull City for an important Championship match. Although unbeaten in the league for six matches, the team have also gone two games without a win (Luton and Coventry), and have yet to hit the heights on the road this season. Hopefully, a game at the KC Stadium will change all that.Alan Pardew seems to have nearly all the players fit once more, with just Bougherra, Zhi, and Fortune taking knocks on Saturday (none should be out injured though), and only Thatcher on the treatment table. We may still see some changes from Alan Pardew as he seeks the right formula that will bring three more precious points on the road back to the Premiership.
Hull will be no mugs, and have had a solid looking, if unspectacular start to the season. They currently sit in mid-table, but are only four poiints behind the Addicks, and will be looking to close that gap by the end of the match. They have a number of good-if-veteran players - notably ex-Bolton duo Jay-Jay Okocha (so good they named him twice?) and Henrik Pedersen, and Dean Windass - plus ex-Addicks Michael Turner and Bryan Hughes. Indeed, it will be something of a reunion once more for Phil Parkinson, as he returns to yet another club where he was manager last season, albeit for just five unsuccessful months. It's also a return to Humberside for Danny Mills (top), who played on loan at Hul last year under Parky. You would like to think that Charltons much younger squad (barring Chrissy Powell) would be able to cope with 30-somethings Pedersen and Windass, but you never know!
Pardew will probably go for a team that looks like this -
Nicky Weaver
Danny Mills
Sam Sodje
Jon Fortune
Chris Powell
Jose Semedo
Zheng Zhi
Andy Reid
Lloyd Sam
Chris Iwelumo
Svetisvlav Todorov
Subs from everyone else barring Thatcher (and probably Randolph, Moutaoukil, Ambrose, Varney, McLeod).
For me, the two inconsistent areas are central defence, and attack.
Madjid Bougherra is having a bit of an up and down time - excellent one game (Leicester) and awful the next (Coventry); in between, he gave away a goal at Luton (OK, it didn't make any difference...). Will Pardew give him the chop (or a rest as he may call it)? I think he may, as Sam Sodje should be fresh and really hasn't been able to show his value since joining on loan from Reading yet, and he is more preferable than Paddy McCarthy.
Up front, we have four good players, all of whom could do with a run in the team. Iwelumo is the only real target man among them though, and adds to the defensive cover at set pieces, so I think he'll play, even after that glaring miss late on at the Ricoh. Luke Varney has done well since coming back into the side after injury, but he has run out of pace in the last couple of matches, and it might be the right time to give him a breather and introduce him from the bench if need be. That might let in Todorov, who only really dropped out of the side due to a minor injury in the game against Norwich. Izale McLeod seems to be a favourite substitute option for Pards, coming on when legs around him are tired.
Pedro45's score prediction is another tough one; I'd love us to get back to winning ways, and I know we could do it, but I have a nagging feeling that Okocha, Pedersen and Hughes, who have all scored against Charlton in the past, may think otherwise. I'm going for a 2-1 reversal, but desperately hope I'm wrong so we get back into the top two places in this league.
This was a tough run of three away games on the trot, and if we can come out with a win (Hull), draw (Coventry), and loss (Luton), I'll be a very happy man.
Up the Addicks!
Labels: Andy Reid, Charlton, Hull City
