Thursday, October 16, 2008
Back to The Future!
We are very excited, but no, it still isn’t definite; due diligence does take time. We fans (and shareholders) must be patient. But it’s really difficult in the "I want it and I want it now" life most of us live...but that’s the way of the City (not Citeh!).It’s also funny that, as I own quite a few shares, I inwardly feel that I am about to become a millionaire, but actually that isn’t the case. Maybe it is just the excitement of a major financial injection to the club I love; I equal Charlton to a lot of my friends, and therefore what happens to Charlton (good or bad) happens and affects my life deeply too. But I’m not the only one - it probably means just as much to you too?
Anyway, Charlton have over 63 million shares in issue, plus a £15m bond issue that forms most of the company debt. If Zabeel Investments do offer around £50m for the club - lock, stock, and JonJo Shelvey - then the shares will be bought with around £35m of the offer sum; that works out at about 55p a share. OK, the printed share value is 50p each, and the sales price when last quoted on the stock market was between 22 and 28p a share I seem to remember, so it’s not surprising that the major shareholders on the board are willing to recommend acceptance of the offer. I must admit if the offer is anywhere near 50p a share, then I will wholehearted support the acceptance (I do anyway...) and will probably sell most of my holding. I say most of because it would be nice to keep hold of a few shares; maybe one, or 10, or 100? Just for old-times sake; just to say I’m still a shareholder... you know.
After what most of us thought would be a couple of quiet weeks during the international break, our minds can at last return, mainly, to the football. Forget Zabeel; forget Dubai. We have to concentrate on Ninian Park and Cardiff on Saturday!
So what can we expect? Well, a tough game on paper. Last year we may have completed a double over the Welsh team, but this year they are a much tougher side, and haven’t lost many times so far this season. Dave Jones is doing a decent job, but they aren't really setting the world on fire, even though they sit two points and a lot of places better off than the Addicks.
Alan Pardew (and who knows what he is thinking at the moment?) will have a few options to consider, mainly in formation and also filling the midfield. He does also know that a win takes us above them and onto the fringe of the play off places.
His goalkeeper will be Nicky Weaver, and also certain to play (barring injury) are Luke Varney, plus Mark Hudson, Linvoy Primus, and Matt Holland. But that’s about it - nobody else is certain!
At the back, Jose Semedo’s explosive performance in the last match may be enough to oust Martin Crainie at right back; Crainie failed to make it onto the pitch during either England Under-21 game recently, so he may be either slightly crocked or well rested. Similarly, Kelly Youga was far from inspiring against Ipswich and Grant Basey, who sat on the opposite bench to Crainie in those two U-21 matches, is also pushing for a place. Of course, the other alternative is for Semedo to play at left back...?
Who will play alongside Matt Holland in midfield now? Holland himself would not have been a shoe-in (he was only sub versus Ipswich) but he must be considered thus now, as Nicky Bailey lasted just ten minutes in the last match due to a hamstring strain, and he is not sure to have recovered, while Zheng Zhi has had a foot operation and is out for at least two months. With Josh Wright still out on loan, and JonJo Shelvey only available for this game before he jets off to play for England’s Under 17’s, options suddenly got thinner. This may mean that both Lloyd Sam and Hameur Bouazza get to start, or maybe Varney will be asked to play wide (while we are level at least) with Andy Gray leading the line? There is then the option of playing Darren Ambrose in the “hole” to support Gray (or Varney) or out wide. Or we could go 4-1-2-2-1 (my choice)!?! The variables are quite immense for a team that could be considered settled just a few weeks ago.
This is my guess at who the tinker-man will start with in Welsh Wales on Saturday –
Nicky Weaver
Martin Crainie
Mark Hudson
Linvoy Primus
Kelly Youga
Jose Semedo
Matt Holland
Nicky Bailey
Darren Ambrose
Hameur Bouazza
Luke Varney
Subs from Elliott, Moutaouakil, Basey, Shelvey, Sam, Gray, Todorov, Dickson.
At least Cardiff will also be short of their best player, as Joe Ledley is injured, and this year we don’t have to worry about JFH...just Jay Bothroyd instead!
Pedro45 is not too confident I have to admit about this game; too many minds may have been focussed elsewhere in the last week, and I think we may well slip to a 2-0 defeat. Basically, until we are bought, until we do have funds available, until we do buy some better players, we are still the same team, managed by the same guy, and therefore still susceptible to the same sort of indifferent results; Ipswich may have been a win, but did we turn many corners? We will see...
My one-to-watch in this match should be the English guys in the directors box; I guess if they are smiling then we might be too in the near future, but realistically it will be Luke Varney. We all know that Varney works his socks off in every game – you cannot fault his effort or heart. What we would really like to see though is more goals from him, especially when he is leading the line rather than running the channels or working out wide. He is capable of delivering – we have seen that in spurts over the last 15 months; what we want though is consistency, deadly finishing, and that great celebration slide more often. Come on Luke – you are good enough; believe your own press!This match is the first of four games in eleven days for the Addicks. While the result from this one match may not have a bearing on how Charlton fare come next May, the combined points tally from the four fixtures may well do...If we can get between seven and ten points from these games, we will be well placed to march on and rise higher up the table if and when funds become available in the transfer window. We just need to make sure that the players want to get us there.
Oh, and just so everyone knows, Second Division and Proud does not recognise this weekends game as it concerns Charlton and a non-English club; you will see his league table shows the old fashioned 22 clubs, and none of the results reflect games against the Swans or Bluebirds. I’m not sure how he will explain Charlton not getting into the play off should we finish at least eighth but behind them two...we'll just have to do better than that then!
Up the Addicks!
Join the Redvolution!
Labels: Cardiff, Charlton, Luke Varney
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Press on To Preston
I suppose that two wins and a close loss can be considered a good start to the new season, but if that three game run becomes two wins and two losses after Saturday’s game at Preston, then Charlton would seem to be looking for another mid-table season in the Championship. I know that it is probably far too early in a campaign to state the above with any certainty - it’s Charlton so anything (ANYTHING!) is possible, but we all have our beliefs of how good we really are this year.
Of course, if the Addicks do come away with a win or draw, neither will that mean that a good season is upon us; a win would definitely see us back near the top of the division, and hopefully push the management and directors into taking a (small) chance prior to the end of the transfer window on Monday night. Whether that is something major (like not selling Zheng Zhi) or minor one (like taking another player on loan for a few months) remains to be seen.
Last season, it was ZiZi who scored the all-important first goal up at Deepdale, while I sat in my soaking wet coat and dripping wet trainers, courtesy of a rogue Blackpool wave some hours earlier. I really did think at that point that our Chinese international would be the man to take Charlton back to the promised land of the Premiership, but it was not to be. Sadly, ZiZi slowly ran out of steam (something my wet coat took weeks to do!), and with that, Charlton faded down the league. Now China’s captain is likely to join another struggling Premiership team - West Brom - though when he will be fit to play is anyone’s guess, as he hasn’t had anything like a summer break for three seasons!
Back to Saturday...
Alan Pardew is unlikely to want to make any changes to the team that played so well against Reading last weekend, but his hand may be forced a little. Kelly Youga will be urging for a return following his one game suspension, and I do expect him to usurp Grant Basey at left back. Pards also said on Thursday that Lloyd Sam is doubtful, and I guess the only viable alternative is to bring in Darren Ambrose on the right side of midfield. This may be a bit too soon for Ambie, who had surgery in the summer and is well behind everyone else in his pre-season training schedule. He did get fifteen minutes on Saturday in the first team, and another hour in a midweek friendly, so maybe we can get two-thirds of a match out of him, but I’m not expecting miracles (and nor should travelling fans!). If we can sneak in front then Jose Semedo and JonJo Shelvey are well equipped to step in and plug any holes for the residue of the game.
Preston have had a good start to the season, and are unbeaten in the league; after starting the season with two wins, they had to come from behind last week to draw at Hillsborough. They clawed their way slowly out of relegation trouble last season, but haven’t made any big signings, and simply look like a well-organised and tough Championship team. If you give them a chance to play as they want, they will have a chance, but the "new" all-passing, and all-moving Charlton could have too much skill for them if they play as they can and are allowed to.
This is the team I expect Pardew to send out at Deepdale -
Nicky Weaver
Yassin Moutaouakil
Kelly Youga
Mark Hudson
Jonathan Fortune
Matt Holland
Nicky Bailey
Darren Ambrose
Hameur Bouazza
Luke Varney
Andy Gray
Subs from Elliott, Semedo, Basey, Shelvey, Wright, Fleetwood, Dickson.
My one-to-watch in this match is going to be the seemingly revitalised Luke Varney. You could all see how much the goal he scored last week meant to Varney, as he leapt in to the managers arms (left), and provided he didn’t catch the managers flu symptoms, he should be up for another good game. When Luke is good, he is very good, but when he isn’t, he can drift and take the wrong choices and channels. Some of that apparent "poor" play may have been a result of him not being seen when he does make good runs, and Nicky Bailey has immediately shown that he has the vision to see payers who do get down the channels in the short time he has been an Addick. I am therefore hoping, and predicting, that Varney will get better over coming weeks as those passes come through to him quicker and he gets the chance to use the undoubted pace that he has.Pedro45 is quietly confident in this game, but doesn’t want to get too cocky so early in the season. A lot will depend on whether Sam and Ambrose are fit enough to pull their weight on the right side of the pitch, and hopefully not expose Mad Moots too much. I’m going to plump for a 1-1 draw, but have a sneaking feeling that it might be a better result.
A win and we will be getting over-excited; a draw and we will have smiles on our face; and a defeat, well, it’s what we kind of expect really, so no harm done. I’m all for getting over-excited!
Up the Addicks!
Labels: Charlton, Luke Varney, Preston, Zheng Zhi
Thursday, March 27, 2008
The Upturn Starts Here
Things just cannot go any lower, so Pedro45 is going to start by being optimistic rather than pessimistic about the season from here on in – why not, it won’t do any harm!This weekend’s game against Wolves is quite obviously now the biggest game of the season for Charlton and their fans. Failure will leave the Addicks stranded well behind the Wanderers, and others no doubt, and with just sixth place now to aim for, a loss is too painful to contemplate. One player (Sinclair) has already jumped ship and hopefully he will now ruin his new clubs play-off hopes, as he certainly did nothing to help Charlton’s cause in his brief tenure in SE7, the whingeing little git.
Alan Pardew knows that this game is crucial, and he has stated that he wants (for “wants” read “needs”) four or five wins to get to that elusive sixth place. What he hasn’t said is that unless one of those wins is on Saturday, the other wins will not matter, as we will struggle to catch Wolves if we don’t beat them this weekend.
You can just imagine the confidence that a win will bring, as would a goal or two for our strikers.
When you look at the season as a whole, the defence has been pretty sound (even with the collective chaos at the beginning of the season, and the blip at Blackpool); the midfield is solid too, with whoever plays giving everything they have; our wingers are skilful and pacey, though lacking in crossing ability; and our strikers do have proven pedigree, even if that isn’t obvious at the moment. We also have a goalkeeper who can be very good. So all is not lost...
What we need now is to get back to the type of game that allows other clubs to be worried about us, rather than us having to worry about them.
I remember back in the early 1990’s, when Gritt and Curbishley had been in charge for a short while, other managers started to complain because our duo would counter whatever they tried to do on the pitch tactically, thereby nullifying the game. The obvious fact that this is part of the game aside, it did show that they (Curbs and Gritt) were often more bothered with how the oppo would play, rather than allowing Charlton to project their flair and skill onto the team they were faced with. I am not criticizing this, as with a very limited squad to chose from, this was a key element in allowing Charlton to progress in those hairy scary not-much-money years. But now, now, we have the players, the ground, the coaching staff, and the set-up, to be the big boys in this league (in much the same way that Arsenal or Chelsea don’t really bother with how Birmingham or Wigan line up against them).
Are we worried about Wolves, or should they be thinking about how to stop us scoring and somehow scraping a point? We know what it should be like, but it isn’t there at the moment, and that is the problem.
So how does Pardew crack the nut? Well, the whole club – players, management, directors, fans, and tea-lady – all need to start to believe that we can get the club back on track (and this season) and win the race for sixth place in this league. It is not possible to get any lower (mentally) than we are now – we are not going to get relegated, so we might as well try for that last available place, starting on Saturday. If we are going to fail, let it be in an absolute effort in gaining sixth pace, and not just feeling sorry when we come ninth or tenth. Pardew needs to lift the players, and to do that we need to get back to a few basics.
What do we want from a Charlton team? One that wins!
And how can we win? Play a pass and move game that other Championship teams cannot live with!
To do this, Pardew needs to resort to many of those players that showed it could be done early in the season, though with a few changes brought about through the loan/transfer system that Pards has dabbled with all season.
With Nicky Weaver in goal, the defence is not bad, and unless Madjid Bougherra is fit again, we can assume that this part of the team will comprise of Greg Halford, Paddy McCarthy, and Sam Sodje. At left back, I would like to see either Kelly Youga restored to the starting line up or, preferably, Chris Powell brought back for one last hurrah! It’s not that Ben Thatcher has done anything wrong; it’s just that one of these other two players offers more going forwards. Powell has the experience to know when to attack, and when to defend; he has only really been shown up once this season (by Gera in the Albion away game), and if he is fit, he could be great in the dressing room and on the pitch (he would certainly lift the crowd!). Alternatively, we could play Youga, with the hope that he keeps his high thumps to just clearances, and appreciates that it is no good running down blind alleyways when bombing forwards. Positive focus please Kelly!
With the midfield, Pards has no option but to play Mr Consistency Matt Holland, but Zheng Zhi has been to China and back this week, so he should not play from the start. That leaves just Jose Semedo to come in and do the cleaning up job he did prior to Xmas; he doesn’t have a yellow card suspension threat hanging over his head anymore, so let him play, and do the job that allows others to press forward. He links play so well between the defence and midfield and midfield and attack, that he should be playing the lynchpin each game.
The wingers available include Lloyd Sam (who should have recovered from his latest injury), Jerome Thomas, Lee Cook, and Darren Ambrose. Now shorn of Sinclair messing with people’s minds, Pardew needs to confirm that Darren Ambrose has free reign to score goals and cross the ball into danger areas (free-kicks, corners, or even from open play Dazza, get them in where it hurts!), and that Jerome Thomas should beat his man and attack the goal. Cook or Sam can be left on the bench to provide back up in case of injury, tiredness or poor form.
Our striking situation has undergone a massive change since last August; without Todorov or McLeod due to injury, we have seen Andy Gray and Leroy Lita brought in. The favourites to start last summer were Chris Iwelumo, and Luke Varney. Both have had varying success, and scored a few goals, but both have been undermined by Pardew trying other options, and playing when chasing games from behind. Gray and Lita have yet to score this year (for any of their clubs), so unless Pardew has a realistic expectation that they will this weekend, I suggest that we go back to the original plan, and keep the new guys for plan B.
This is the team I would like Pardew to pick for this massive game –
Nicky Weaver
So how does Pardew crack the nut? Well, the whole club – players, management, directors, fans, and tea-lady – all need to start to believe that we can get the club back on track (and this season) and win the race for sixth place in this league. It is not possible to get any lower (mentally) than we are now – we are not going to get relegated, so we might as well try for that last available place, starting on Saturday. If we are going to fail, let it be in an absolute effort in gaining sixth pace, and not just feeling sorry when we come ninth or tenth. Pardew needs to lift the players, and to do that we need to get back to a few basics.
What do we want from a Charlton team? One that wins!
And how can we win? Play a pass and move game that other Championship teams cannot live with!
To do this, Pardew needs to resort to many of those players that showed it could be done early in the season, though with a few changes brought about through the loan/transfer system that Pards has dabbled with all season.
With Nicky Weaver in goal, the defence is not bad, and unless Madjid Bougherra is fit again, we can assume that this part of the team will comprise of Greg Halford, Paddy McCarthy, and Sam Sodje. At left back, I would like to see either Kelly Youga restored to the starting line up or, preferably, Chris Powell brought back for one last hurrah! It’s not that Ben Thatcher has done anything wrong; it’s just that one of these other two players offers more going forwards. Powell has the experience to know when to attack, and when to defend; he has only really been shown up once this season (by Gera in the Albion away game), and if he is fit, he could be great in the dressing room and on the pitch (he would certainly lift the crowd!). Alternatively, we could play Youga, with the hope that he keeps his high thumps to just clearances, and appreciates that it is no good running down blind alleyways when bombing forwards. Positive focus please Kelly!
With the midfield, Pards has no option but to play Mr Consistency Matt Holland, but Zheng Zhi has been to China and back this week, so he should not play from the start. That leaves just Jose Semedo to come in and do the cleaning up job he did prior to Xmas; he doesn’t have a yellow card suspension threat hanging over his head anymore, so let him play, and do the job that allows others to press forward. He links play so well between the defence and midfield and midfield and attack, that he should be playing the lynchpin each game.
The wingers available include Lloyd Sam (who should have recovered from his latest injury), Jerome Thomas, Lee Cook, and Darren Ambrose. Now shorn of Sinclair messing with people’s minds, Pardew needs to confirm that Darren Ambrose has free reign to score goals and cross the ball into danger areas (free-kicks, corners, or even from open play Dazza, get them in where it hurts!), and that Jerome Thomas should beat his man and attack the goal. Cook or Sam can be left on the bench to provide back up in case of injury, tiredness or poor form.
Our striking situation has undergone a massive change since last August; without Todorov or McLeod due to injury, we have seen Andy Gray and Leroy Lita brought in. The favourites to start last summer were Chris Iwelumo, and Luke Varney. Both have had varying success, and scored a few goals, but both have been undermined by Pardew trying other options, and playing when chasing games from behind. Gray and Lita have yet to score this year (for any of their clubs), so unless Pardew has a realistic expectation that they will this weekend, I suggest that we go back to the original plan, and keep the new guys for plan B.
This is the team I would like Pardew to pick for this massive game –
Nicky Weaver
Greg Halford
Paddy McCarthy
Sam Sodje
Chris Powell
Matt Holland
Jose Semedo
Darren Ambrose
Jerome Thomas
Chris Iwelumo
Luke Varney
Subs from Elliott, Moutaouakil, Fortune, Youga, Thatcher, Basey, Zheng, Cook, Sam, Gray, Lita, Uchechi.
Wolves have been on a good run, and will be no push-over; ex-Addick and pre-season target Freddie Eastwood scored twice for Wales in midweek, and so did Michael Kightly for his club last weekend. Charlton should also be concerned about Sylvan Eubanks-Blake, who scored for Plymouth at The Valley early in the season. The gold shirts have other injury worries (especially in defence it seems), but will probably be at an overall strength comparable to Charlton’s. For them, a point maintains the one-point lead over Charlton (still with a game in hand), but a win will be good enough to dismiss at least one of the six or so clubs vying for that last play-off place.
My one-to-watch in this match is going to be one of the forwards, as it is them that will possibly fire Charlton up the table (draws no longer being good enough, and certainly not in this match…) – I fancy Luke Varney to fire up the crowd with a goal or two against the midlands club (he’s from the East Midlands, so playing against a West Midlands team should gee him up enough?). Varney has had a bit of a raw deal this whole season; it seems that when he is in form, he has tended to be shifted out wide so other players can be brought in to a particular shape, and when he has not been in form, he has been either left out or substituted at half-time. Varney is a good player; one who will run all day, and create opportunities for himself and others. His channel running has not been utilised enough by Pardew this season, and provided he is fully recovered from his ankle strain, he should be given the nod to go out and run, run, run, at the goal and get his shots away.
Pedro45 has turned the corner emotionally after a very depressing first three months of the year. I had a great weekend away last week in Luxembourg – a lovely small city in a small country pushing boundaries in a big continent. The people were nice, and the vibe excellent. It reminded me so much of supporting Charlton – a small club in a big city, punching above their weight. It is possible – we know that. And it would not take much for Charlton to get back in with the heavyweights of the Premiership.
Personally, I don’t care if we get promoted, finishing tailed off bottom of the league next season, provided we use the money we will get in a positive way to build the club bigger and better. In the nineties, it was very apparent that each year, each season, whatever the finishing position in the league, the club improved overall. It may have been the capacity of the ground (8,773 onwards..); it may have been standing in the division (play –offs every third season?); it may just have been the amount of capital that the directors and management had to spend (from free transfers to million pound players in ten years…) – we got better every year. Sadly, despite the efforts of the great set of directors that we still have, we have failed in the last couple of seasons to get any better as a club or as a team.
We have good set of players, but they need to be nurtured, and brought through in a manner that affords confidence – I predict a 3-1 win on Saturday that will be the result of this new found confidence. We have to turn the corner, and where better than to do so at this stage of the season.
We, as fans, must support the team – our team. All of them! We cannot have supporters screaming abuse at substitutes when they are simply warming up; we cannot have fans whingeing after ten minutes because we’ve conceded a corner kick; we cannot have the crowd booing at the end of a game when the players have given everything for the club we love. We need all and sundry who have the Addicks at heart to be pulling in the same, sane, direction.
This is the big one – give it all you’ve got!
Come on you reds!
Wolves have been on a good run, and will be no push-over; ex-Addick and pre-season target Freddie Eastwood scored twice for Wales in midweek, and so did Michael Kightly for his club last weekend. Charlton should also be concerned about Sylvan Eubanks-Blake, who scored for Plymouth at The Valley early in the season. The gold shirts have other injury worries (especially in defence it seems), but will probably be at an overall strength comparable to Charlton’s. For them, a point maintains the one-point lead over Charlton (still with a game in hand), but a win will be good enough to dismiss at least one of the six or so clubs vying for that last play-off place.
My one-to-watch in this match is going to be one of the forwards, as it is them that will possibly fire Charlton up the table (draws no longer being good enough, and certainly not in this match…) – I fancy Luke Varney to fire up the crowd with a goal or two against the midlands club (he’s from the East Midlands, so playing against a West Midlands team should gee him up enough?). Varney has had a bit of a raw deal this whole season; it seems that when he is in form, he has tended to be shifted out wide so other players can be brought in to a particular shape, and when he has not been in form, he has been either left out or substituted at half-time. Varney is a good player; one who will run all day, and create opportunities for himself and others. His channel running has not been utilised enough by Pardew this season, and provided he is fully recovered from his ankle strain, he should be given the nod to go out and run, run, run, at the goal and get his shots away.Pedro45 has turned the corner emotionally after a very depressing first three months of the year. I had a great weekend away last week in Luxembourg – a lovely small city in a small country pushing boundaries in a big continent. The people were nice, and the vibe excellent. It reminded me so much of supporting Charlton – a small club in a big city, punching above their weight. It is possible – we know that. And it would not take much for Charlton to get back in with the heavyweights of the Premiership.
Personally, I don’t care if we get promoted, finishing tailed off bottom of the league next season, provided we use the money we will get in a positive way to build the club bigger and better. In the nineties, it was very apparent that each year, each season, whatever the finishing position in the league, the club improved overall. It may have been the capacity of the ground (8,773 onwards..); it may have been standing in the division (play –offs every third season?); it may just have been the amount of capital that the directors and management had to spend (from free transfers to million pound players in ten years…) – we got better every year. Sadly, despite the efforts of the great set of directors that we still have, we have failed in the last couple of seasons to get any better as a club or as a team.
We have good set of players, but they need to be nurtured, and brought through in a manner that affords confidence – I predict a 3-1 win on Saturday that will be the result of this new found confidence. We have to turn the corner, and where better than to do so at this stage of the season.
We, as fans, must support the team – our team. All of them! We cannot have supporters screaming abuse at substitutes when they are simply warming up; we cannot have fans whingeing after ten minutes because we’ve conceded a corner kick; we cannot have the crowd booing at the end of a game when the players have given everything for the club we love. We need all and sundry who have the Addicks at heart to be pulling in the same, sane, direction.
This is the big one – give it all you’ve got!
Come on you reds!
Labels: Charlton, Luke Varney, Wolverhampton Wanderers
Friday, February 08, 2008
Meat and Two Reg!
Charlton Athletic 2 Losers 0Oh, that was sweet. A very one-sided game, with Nicky Weaver a spectator for almost the whole match, and the points going where they belonged thanks to two second-half Luke Varney goals.
Varney (left) had a fantastic game and really is bang in form at present. He was unlucky to hit the post in the first half, where his trade mark cut in from the left wing left yet more defenders in his wake, but sadly he couldn't beat the keeper at the near post and the ball thudded back into play.
His first goal came on the hour mark after a half way line free kick from Matt Holland was flicked on by Andy Gray and Varney steered it home from ten yards.
Five minutes from time, Varney repeated his trick of cutting in from wide left, and this time blasted a right footed shot at the far post; the fact that it deflected in off a defender takes nothing away - it was Varney's goal!
Nor was Varney the only Addicks player to go close to scoring.
In the first half a Varney cross was met by a powerful Zheng Zhi shot from eight yards that unluckily hit the keeper. Earlier, Greg Halford showed superb skill to turn his marker on the edge of the box, but shot across goal and narrowly wide.
Halford (left) had a very good game at right back in place of the dropped Moutaouakil, and looked absolutely at home. His support play was excellent in the first half, and he was always trying to set Lloyd Sam, ZiZi, or Varney free through the channels. He also has an enormous long throw which Charlton failed to harness in this match, but will in forthcoming games I expect. The throw also relieved a lot of pressure when used from defensive positions.The defence did an admirable job; Paddy McCarthy and Madjid Bougherra didn't win much first phase ball, but with the help of the midfield and full backs always cleaned up anything that needed to be afterwards. A mention too for Kelly Youga who had another fantastic game; always looking to get forward, his defensive play was at it's peak in this match, and he made one very important shot saving tackle early in the second half when the scores were still level.
Holland, as always, was inspirational, running and running all game long, and covering so much ground, and once more he was well supported by ZiZi (suffering no obvious jet lag ill-effects thankfully).
The only down side was the lack of performance from Darren Ambrose, who was anonymous in the first half and eventually withdrawn with ten minutes left. Yet again, some of his corner taking, passing and dithering left a lot to be desired!
That just leaves Sam and Andy Gray from the starting eleven, who both toiled manfully without much space. Both nearly scored, Sam shooting just over and Gary having a good effort saved near the end.
Substitutes Jose Semedo and Chris Iwelumo came on to shore things up during the last few minutes, and big Chris almost made a goal with one late towering header.
The performances of the two full backs were very good, but man of the match has to go to Luke Varney, who got up off the floor when felled by an awful over the top lunge to bury the opposition. I just hope he is fit for next Tuesdays game!
Labels: Charlton, Luke Varney
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
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Less Means More!
Charlton Athletic 2 Leicester City 0Up to second place in the league, following another two-nil home victory, the Charlton promotion-chasing machine rolls ever onwards. This victory was nowhere near as sweet as that of Tuesday’s game against Norwich, with some of the football quite often dour and cluttered, but Charlton were still way too strong for Leicester.
The goals came from Chris Iwelumo, after 18 minutes, and a first Charlton goal for Luke Varney (left), just five minutes later. The Foxes’s only noteworthy attack came early on when Clemence’s shot was tipped onto the outside of the post by Nicky Weaver.
Alan Pardew, unsurprisingly, named the same starting team, plus the same bench, as he had in midweek. Sadly, the first twenty five minutes of glorious open football that we witnessed then was not to be repeated, as Leicester retained the ball, and stifled anything that Charlton tried to create. Ironically, whereas against Norwich Charlton had failed to score during the early period, they found themselves two goals up thanks to some generous defending in this match.
First, a long Danny Mills throw in from the right was not dealt with as Zheng Zhi challenged. The ball actually bounced over ZiZi and the defenders head and fell to Iwelumo, who gleefully thumped the ball into the net unchallenged from just six yards.
Five minutes later and a long diagonal ball in from the right wing had Iwelumo’s knock-down falling to the unmarked Varney, and he knocked home his initial Charlton first team goal into the net of the team of his birthplace.
After that, Charlton went into a lower gear, possibly wary of how the defence has gifted opposition goals earlier in the season, and mistakes were kept to a minimum.
At half time, Radostin Kishishev came on for Leicester, and he got a warm reception from The Valley faithful in recognition of his seven years as an Addicks player. He actually had a couple of shots, one of which warmed the hands of Weaver, and therefore showed more attacking intent than he did during a large proportion of his Charlton career.
Kishishev’s introduction, plus that of another defender in N’Gotty, meant a change of tactics for the away team as they engaged damage limitation mode, and less option for Charlton to play expansive football. Little of note happened in the second half therefore, as the midfield became clogged, and the two Charlton forwards were marshalled by three central defenders.
The only other really notable things from the game were bookings for Izale McLeod (on as a sub for Varney) plus, in the first half, one too for Chris Powell. It has to be said that Chrissy fully deserved his yellow card, as his foul was an absolutely shocking and atrocious piece of shirt-tugging that could have caused some serious damage to the cotton material! Luckily, both the shirt and player involved were able to finish the match.
My man of the match award went to Jose Semedo (left, congratulating Iwelumo on his goal) who really did look a classy player all day long. His work rate is exceptional, his passing generally accurate, he tackles well, and challenges at every opportunity. If I have to make one criticism of him (which is harsh, I know…), it is that he might want to think about shooting from 25 yards every now and then when he has a chance, rather than passing. If he started to hit the back of the net occasionally, we would have a very, very valuable player on our books!Others who had very good games were Danny Mills (with no nasty stuff this match thankfully!), Chris Powell (apart from that booking!), and the central defensive partnership of Fortune and Bougherra.
Those who didn’t shine were Lloyd Sam, who was marked tightly and had little chance to impress, and Andy Reid who looked like he had had a few Guinness’s too many watching the Irish rugby team the night before.
Up to second place and into the automatic promotion places, the team must guard against complacency and continue to gel and push on; they can definitely get better! Thankfully, the next match is a midweek league cup tie against Luton, and the great squad that Pardew has built will be used to the maximum. This should ensure that those currently in the starting eleven for league games cannot sit back as there is always another player pushing for their place.
The future is a rosy Charlton red, and most definitely bright!
Labels: Charlton, Chris Iwelumo, Jose Semedo, Leicester, Luke Varney
Monday, May 21, 2007
The Strike Pair
Alan Pardew at last got the chance today to right one of Iain Dowie's cardinal sins - he bought a couple of forwards. This thereby went some way to repairing the shortage that Dowie failed to address at the end of last season (when he let five strikers leave the club and only bought one as a replacement). First through the door was 28-year-old Chris Iwelumo (left), a big tall centre forward who has been playing for Colchester for the last couple of years. Chris has scored a few goals in recent seasons, and formed a prolific partnership at Colchester with Jamie Cureton that almost got Colchester into the Championship play offs. I have seen Chris play, and being honest, I wasn't that impressed. It was on TV last season (05/06) when he had been out injured but returned to lead the line. He seemed slow and lumbering to me, but maybe he wasn't match fit; he did score though, and maybe that's the point! He joins the club on a Bosman, and is reunited with Phil Parkinson who was his boss and signed him for Colchester. Parky will know exactly what drives him on, and if he does play regularly, he could hopefully form another prolific partnership with our other new signing, Luke Varney.
Varney joins the club from the conveyor belt of Crewe, for a couple of million quid. Hopefully he will be better than those other £2m players that Frankie Valley identified as always being useless in a Charlton shirt.Varney, who is 24, also got as potful of goals in the lower leagues last year, and has the attributes of Darren Bent (pace, an eye for goal, and a great work ethic).
Varney was also wanted by quit a few other teams it seems, so Charlton do still have some pulling power, even now we are a Championship club.
It does seem that the signings will signal the departure of Darren Bent, but none of us really think Dazza will be at The Valley next year, barring a miracle.
Both the new players will probably be on significantly lower wages than others have recently been earning at the club, but I expect the bonus clauses in the contracts to both be considerable should they and the team do well.
Now we just have to wait to see who is next through the revolving door that is swinging wildly at the bottom of Floyd Road...more in or more out?
Labels: Charlton, Chris Iwelumo, Luke Varney
