Charlton Athletic Online

Charlton Athletic 2 Queens Park Rangers 2

A real game of two halves this one - for forty five minutes, it was more interesting to watch the vapour trails made by the high altitude jets flying overbove than watch Charlton struggle to get anywhere near par with a confident Rangers team. Apart from Jose Semedo's first minute shot which went wide, the Addicks had little to offer as the hoops sat back, absorbed Charlton's weak attacks, and then broke with speed and purpose.

Such was the half time gloom that it did seem a better option to sit in a warm place than brave the now regular cold weather and another 45 minutes of rubbish football. So to be able to come away with a draw after a rousing second period was great, even if we still didn't win and even if we have fallen to the bottom of the league once more.

Although the referee had a pretty good game in my opinion – letting the game flow whenever possible and being very consistent with his decisions - it was two contentious refereeing decisions that led to both of Rangers goals.

After 19 minutes, Hameur Bouazza contested a bouncing ball on the edge of the Charlton penalty area but was deemed to have raised his foot too high, or so I thought. It was a debatable decision originally, though the referee did not give an indirect free kick (which he should have for foot up) so maybe he saw something else that we didn't? The result was that ex-Addick loan reject Lee Cook curled the ball over the wall and into the top corner of the net.

Even at that early stage, Rangers seemed to think that a one-nil lead would be adequate, and though they pressed and threatened at times, they were not exactly pushing for the key second goal that would have killed the game off. Rob Elliott had to be alert on a couple of occasions but he didn't have to extend himself to keep the score close.

One hilarious moment came when the Rangers fans sang for their new Portuguese manager to give them a wave. Paulo Sousa knew that they were singing his name, but not what else he could hear, so he rather sheepishy asked his "interpreter" and then did what he was asked.

Charlton for that matter offered little, though I'm sure that they could understand the fans shouts. With defenders unwilling to take much responsibility (bar Jay McEveley who was a welcome addition to the starting line up on his return from injury - for Grant Basey - even if he was a bit rusty at times...), all we seemed to get were high punts towards Andy Gray or Martyn Waghorn that are meat and drink (seasonal fare!) for the tall Rangers defence. The booking count did favour Charlton at half time three to one, including a yellow for Connolly for stupidly kicking the ball away just before half time.

Out early in the second period, and no doubt with a flea in their collective ear for being so lacklustre, the Addicks started brightly, and quite soon got a deserved equaliser. Lloyd Sam had seen plenty of ball in the first half and though he had the beating of Connolly, he had failed to make best use of his possession - a usual failing for Lloyd. This time though, a flowing move from wing to wing - mainly along the ground for a change too! - came to Sam who created space for his cross and - heavens above - he picked out a Charlton midfielder breaking into the box, where Nicky Bailey headed home (top pic).

All of a sudden, the Charlton side were hunting in packs: Bailey and Semedo snapping at the ball and ankles; Sam tracking back and helping Crainie; McEveley surging forwards to overlap Bouazza; and Hudson and Fortune looking solid.

Sam put over plenty of crosses, and his were the more accurate than Bouazza's who seemed to over hit nearly all of his efforts. Bailey had an effort blocked, and even Semedo threatened to have two shots in a match for the first time in his Charlton career.

Then the referee made his second crucial decision against Charlton: a red throw deep in own territory was headed on but then knocked high back toward the Charlton area. Hudson jumped but Blackstock seemed to get under him and ease him out of the way. This wasn't the first time this had happened in the match, with all players getting away with it, and the ref, if unsighted, did not get any help from the linesman at this or any other time. Hudson fell to the ground, allowing the Rangers forward a clear run in on Elliott in the Addicks goal. No Charlton defender covered possibly due to expecting the whistle for the foul that never came. Blackstock curled the ball around and under Elliott to give the away team the lead once more.

This knocked some of the stuffing (sorry!) out of the fans, but not the team, who continued to fight and attempt to get something from the game. Man-of-the-match Sam carried on his good game, and soon another of his teasing crosses saw Cerny blocked by his own player, and his punch drop for Bailey to dive forward and head into the empty net from 12 yards . Bearing mind Gray's penalties, Bailey is by far the highest scorer for Charlton this season from open play.

Now it was a question of whether Charlton could hang on for the last fifteen minutes or so. Waghorn had been replaced by Burton by now, and Basey came on for the frustrating Bouazza. Rangers threw on all their forwards, and as the four minutes injury time board went up, you hoped we would not have a repeat of the Derby game heartbreak.

Semedo - who had an excellent second half - then made way for Holland, as he was pushing his luck a little having already been booked.

It was one of the subs - Helguson - who nearly did precipitate a spate of SE7 suicides. Good work along the edge of the area gave him a chance to control and shoot past Elliott. Luckily, the shot hit the post and bounced out, but after a brief scramble, it was rocketed into the top of the net off the bar. I must admit to not really knowing what happened next, as my head was buried in my hands looking down, but a brief cheer indicated that the goal was chalked off (offside?), and then after consulting with the fourth official, the referee sent Phil Parkinson to the stands (although he only went back a few rows in actual fact!) for what I do not know.

That stoppage seemed to add plenty of extra injury time, and Charlton survived a few close shaves in those added minutes, until the final whistle sounded to Addicks relief.

A definite point won, but unless we get a result in Sheffield, we will start the new year at the bottom of the league.

Labels: Charlton, QPR

The Boxing Day local derby is something that all football fans look forward to most years, especially if it a home game. But this year, Charlton fans are not looking forward to very much such is the gloom surrounding the clubs relegation battle. Incredibly, some fans have already seemed to throw in the towel, with still 22 matches to go in the marathon 46-game season. I’m not saying that Charlton are certain to pull themselves out of trouble, but to concede that the club is going down at this stage is an extenuation of the negative atmosphere that has pervaded the club ever since relegation for the Premiership nearly two years ago.

Sure, mistakes have been made, but the Board do have the best interests of the Club at heart, and we fans have to respect them for that.

In Phil Parkinson, we have an honest and upfront caretaker-manager; Parky insists that we have an honest and professional bunch of players, that all try their collective best for the club. That may be true, but without any points being won, it is not enough. The bare fact is that unless Parkinson wins one of the next two games – Boxing Day versus QPR or on Sunday at Sheffield United – then it does not seem that the club can “afford” to keep him in the post unless they too are accepting that tier three football is extremely likely. I’m not going to get into the guess-the-manager lark that the media love, but it is probably fair to say that whatever direction the club want to go, there are plenty of options.

The teams that Parkinson picks for the two Xmas games may well differ; not through choice, but simply because some players may not be capable of giving 100% twice in 72 hours, and also that the closeness of the games is unlikely to allow for any knocks picked up against Rangers to heal properly. At Loftus Road a few weeks back, my opinion was that they were one of the dirtiest teams I had seen for quite some time, and I expect that they will be even more so in an away match. They may have a Portuguese legend as manager (don’t bow too low Jose!) who wants them to play a pure passing game, but the niggly asides that come with continental football may well be on view at The Valley in this match too.

Rangers will have Heidar Helguson available, and he has scored in his last two games since joining on loan from Bolton. The Icelander missed the game between the clubs in November and at that time was the subject of some wrangling in the media over who he would sign for – Rangers or Charlton. Of course, with the Addicks taking all and sundry on loan it was unlikely that he would have wanted to be the seventh or eighth loanee at The Valley, so he now lines up against us. As with other players with even a smidgeon of a grudge against the Addicks - like Leroy Lita at the weekend - he will be desperately wanting to score against Charlton I’m sure!

Parkinson is likely to field an unchanged team in this home game I feel, with squad players like Matt Holland, Svetislav Todorov, Kieth Gillespie (his final game on loan is the Rangers match), Kelly Youga, and possibly the youngsters Wright and Shelvey getting bench or starting places in Yorkshire at the weekend?

This is the team I feel Parky will send out at The Valley –

Rob Elliott
Martin Crainie
Jonathan Fortune
Mark Hudson
Grant Basey
Jose Semedo
Nicky Bailey
Lloyd Sam
Hameur Bouazza
Andy Gray
Martyn Waghorn

Subs from Weaver, Moutaouakil, McEveley, Youga, Wright, Shelvey, Holland, Gillespie, Todorov, Burton, Dickson, McLeod.

My one-to-watch in this match is going to be Nicky Bailey. Out of sorts since Alan Pardew left the club by mutual consent (a coincidence?), it’s about time that Bailey regained his form, as he has shown that he can perform well in this league, and we need players like him to drag us out of the depths of despair. Likened in his early Charlton career to Mark Kinsella, we should remember that Kins took a year to settle and become the great player that he was for the Addicks; hopefully Bailey will do similar?
Pedro45 is optimistic for 2009, but we are not quite there yet. Certainly I doubt next year can be as bad (either personally for me or) on the football pitch and I still have hope and a modicum of confidence that we can all haul ourselves out of this undoubted mess. As for the Rangers game, I predict a 1-1 draw, which will be some sort of improvement if we can also gain a result at Bramall Lane.

With Gillespie going soon, Primus gone, and Burton to sign permanently in January, whoever is manager will have some wheeling and dealing to do if Charlton are to continue with the loan arrangements over buying policy.

Happy Xmas!

Come on you Reds!

Labels: Charlton, Nicky Bailey, QPR

Queens Park Rangers 2
Charlton Athletic 1

Well, Phil Parkinson’s brave new world started with a defeat, but I have to admit, I was extremely pleased to see the difference the new manager made after just a few days in charge.

The first thing I noticed at Loftus Road, apart from the smell, and the ridiculous situation where you had to walk half-way round the ground to get in, was that the players were on the field well over 45 minutes before kick off. There we saw the first impact of the new regime, with Mark Kinsella on the pitch leading the players through various warm-up routines. You could tell from the players attire that some were in, and some were out, but all looked in quite a happy mood which was a change and nice to see.

When the team was announced, Parky had dropped Moutaouakil, Holland, and Sam, while Nicky Bailey was also missing (presumed injured?). Back in came Crainie at right back, Therry Racon in a new look central midfield pairing with Jose Semedo, and Keith Gillespie; Dizzy had signed on loan late on Monday. The new look 4-4-2 formation also saw Martyn Waghorn make his full debut up front alongside Andy Gray.

Charlton started brightly, and seemed content to try to keep possession, often passing the ball around at the back, and drawing Rangers on in an effort to make space for the forwards. Semedo and Racon hustled and bustled, and won plenty of ball, but the creative element was a little lacking at times. Rangers did have one shot early on from the half-way line (it went wide…), so you can imagine the pre-game team-talk telling them the level of Nicky Weaver’s confidence at present!

Then Rangers scored from pretty much their first attack. A ball was played down the left wing, and all and sundry seemed to think that it was on its way out for a Charlton throw-in. All except the blue shirted winger who controlled it, got a wave on from the referee, and proceeded to get to the bye-line and cross for the unmarked Dexter Blackstock to knock home past Weaver. Just sixteen minutes gone, and Charlton behind to an awful goal once more. I don’t know if the ball did go out, but as the linesman had at least two players between him and the ball, he couldn’t or wouldn’t, and most definitely didn’t, flag for a throw; yet Addicks players just stopped. Schoolboy stuff really?

Thankfully, heads did not drop, and with Youga, Primus, Hudson, and Crainie all battling to win the ball before it got into danger areas, and with Racon and Semedo finally finding outlets for won ball in Bouazza and Gillespie, things were looking up. Gillespie (left) had the ball out wide right, and cut in past two defenders and into the penalty area; he could have shot with his left foot but crossed the ball to Bouazza on the opposite side of the area, who took it to the bye-line and thumped over a cross which Racon somehow knocked in and celebrated (top pic). It was a long way away, and the crowd were unsure for a while who had scored (Racon or Semedo), but it was just the lift the team and fans needed.

Now with some confidence, there was simply one team in it, and they were playing in red for a change! Corners were won; Gillespie and Bouazza took there men on, and the midfield was completely dominated, though sometimes the Frenchman and Portugeuser got in each others way. Sadly, the tough ankle tappers in hooped shirts couldn’t cough up any further chances to the Addicks, and the sides went in at half-time level.

Rangers changed things a little at half-time, and brought on Agyemang as an extra forward. That resulted in the opening minutes being more like a cup tie, as both sides attacked and counter-attacked in a very open game. It certainly warmed the fans a bit on a bitter night. Bouazza cut in and crossed for Waghorn, but his shot was blocked, then Primus scooped a shot onto the top of the net after a corner; even an improved Rangers were playing awfully.

Waghorn retired after an hour of honest endeavour, and was replaced by Luke Varney. A new manager, and a new chance for Luke to redeem himself, but sadly, very sadly, the same end product. A free kick wasn’t cleared properly and the ball came in to an unmarked Varney just eight yards out. As the ball dropped over his shoulder, the crowd, just feet away, could see the chance that this was. Just the keeper on the line to beat; no other player would be involved anywhere near; the linesman’s flag stayed down. Varney swivelled and volleyed as he had to but the ball ballooned high over the bar and into the electric scoreboard behind the goal. If Varney ever needed a confidence boost form a goal, he will not get a better chance…Luke stood, checked over with the linesman to see if (or more likely hope that) the flag was up, then stared at the dark sky, listening to the disappointment behind the goal.

Sadly, you knew that this may be the games turning point, though it wasn’t that Rangers went up the other end and scored straight away. Hudson had two chances from corners but failed to get enough purchase on the ball, and Primus had another shot, as did Racon. Charlton pressed forwards.

Then the inevitable; an innocuous cross from the right wing, and up leapt Dexter again to power a header into the top corner from about twelve yards out. Weaver had no chance again; it was good goal. A third goal almost came soon after (a header went wide) but Charlton did not buckle, and with sub Lloyd Sam (on for Crainie) working space to cross the ball, all was not lost. Sadly Andy Gray, who worked his socks off all night long and chased down everything that was anywhere near him, couldn’t get on the end of anything. Varney went AWOL after his miss, and now needs some time in the reserves before seeing another first team match in the near future.

Despite the urgings of the fans, Charlton just couldn’t get another clear chance, and the whistle finally went.

At least the team showed heart and endeavour, and also a different style and formation. One of the recent problems has been lack of possession, but last night I suspect that Charlton had the vast majority (maybe 60%?), and this is all down to how Parky set them up to play. Saturday will be a serious game though, and despite the better performance, the Addicks need a creative spark to go along with the more solid display. Kinsella will get the team warmed up again I’m sure, and his heart (amply displayed on his sleeve) was nice to see again after a few years, and will get a good response from Addicks fans at The Valley I’m sure.


Parkinson certainly stamped his mark on his first game in charge of the Addicks, but still couldn't get the right result. Even if he is not the longer term choice of the board to manage the club, I am confident he will do decent job and we certainly loook a bit better now than we did at this time last week.

Labels: Charlton, QPR

Phil Parkinson, manager of Charlton Athletic. Bet he loves that. No more second fiddle to Alan Pardew; it’s his team now! Phil gets to write the names on the team sheet; Phil gets to choose the tactics, and formation. Phil gets the plaudits when we win, and the stick when we lose. Phil (left) needs a hard hat, as it could be a tough baptism!

Away to QPR is one of those games that in some seasons is tough, and in others it’s one where the “old Charlton” would look to gain all three points. I think I may have seen Charlton win more times away in Shepherd’s Bush than I have at any other London football ground. But then again, I remember the 5-0 drubbings on plastic that we used to get in the eighties too!

The hope is that having a new manager will sweep away all the angst and rustiness that has pervaded the Addicks line up over recent months, but the reality may be a little different.

Rangers have a decent home record this season, though anyone who thought that the mega-rich owners would bank-roll the club super-fast into the Premiership is very mistaken (Mittal was on the radio on Sunday morning and said promotion is a three-year plan and that it has to be self-funding…). Sitting in mid-table, the club has just appointed a new manager – Portugal legend Paulo Sousa – though he started with a thumping 3-0 loss to Watford at the weekend. Hopefully, that sort of form will continue, and Charlton can get some sort of return from the match. It's probably a shame that Iain Dowie got sacked a few weeks ago, as that is two seasons running that he has been sacked prior to playing Charlton...

Parky’s first team sheet could, quite honestly, be anything. Not knowing if he had much input into who played each week, we don’t know if he preferred Youga to Basey, for instance, or thinks JonJo Shelvey should be starting every week? So based on what I (and most of you) will have witnessed on Saturday, this is the team I would pick if I were Parky to take on QPR at Loftus Road –

Nicky Weaver
Yassin Moutaouakil
Mark Hudson
Linvoy Primus
Kelly Youga
Nicky Bailey
Matt Holland
Jose Semedo
Keith Gillespie
Hameur Bouazza
Andy Gray

Labels: Charlton, Join The Redvolution, Phil Parkinson, QPR

That wasn’t really what we wanted, or expected, even following two previous defeats. Basically, the Rangers players wanted it more; they stifled out any early enthusiasm, rode their initial luck, and when presented with the opportunity to grab all three points, they took them - albeit at the third time of asking!

Alan Pardew has accepted some of the blame, and it did look obvious to me that the main problem during the second half was the lack of possession and protection centrally in front of our wobbly centre backs. I can see why Pards wanted Andy Reid to see more of the ball; he had a very quiet first half, and the close marking he got was a reflection of the influence he has on games when left to roam free. Sadly, taking off Semedo and bringing on Jerome Thomas simply gave the away team way too much open space to exploit.

Other reasons for the loss were the lack of confidence up front; just what has happened?

Sure, teams now know how to play against this revised Charlton team (that is still gelling and probably will be until May…) – press and close down the defence and midfield when they are in possession; attack the central defence when you have the ball; win second phase when defending. If you do those three things well, then Charlton have no chance!

But worryingly, Varney, Iwelumo, and McLeod really have all gone off the boil at once and none look like ever scoring again. Varney thrashed his left foot at a great opening midway through the first half (after a fantastic through ball from Lloyd Sam) and the ball sailed over the bar. Iwelumo messed up a fairly routine header shortly after (from Varney’s good run and cross), and McLeod did very little once he had come on for big Chris with a quarter of an hour to go.

The midfield worked hard but looked jaded, with only Semedo (in the first half) and Sam playing anywhere near their potential.

In defence, Sam Sodje did provide a better option than Bougherra, especially against man-mountain Mark Nygaard, but all together still looked far from sound. Jon Fortune gave away a (blatant) penalty (thankfully missed!) but did OK otherwise. The left back position was filled by debutant Grant Basey, who reminds me quite a lot of Anthony Barness – unhurried and calm. The Count did the simple things well, but was reluctant in going forward when that was what was needed. As for Danny Mills, he was great for an hour, but then lost all his composure after almost gifting Leigertwood a goal.

Rangers finally grabbed the points after Bolder knocked home unchallenged after Weaver failed to hold a cross under pressure from Nygaard.

At least the referee had a reasonable game for once!

I guess this will be a big week on the training pitch. With no midweek game and no internationals, Pardew will be making sure that the players know that the last week is not good enough , and if they cannot raise their play and standards, then they won’t be in the team for very much longer once the troop of experienced players start to get fit once more after injury.

Labels: Charlton, QPR

Not a good week to be a Charlton fan; two consecutive defeats, and the team have slipped down the table to sixth. Add to that disquiet in the ranks about team selection, tactics, formation, and a lengthening injury list that has a number of experienced professionals out for significant periods. The latest injury is a season ending one for Svetislav Todorov. Sadly, Toddy has ruptured his cruciate knee ligament and he will not be seen again this season.

So how can Alan Pardew turn things round and get the side back to winning ways aganst QPR on Saturday? In my humble opinion, he doesn’t have to do too much in terms of team selection, but he does need to be firm with the players and direct them on formation and tactics.

The goalkeeping position isn’t really a problem, even though we are conceding too many easy goals. We can all probably remember the good saves Nicky Weaver has made since August, simply because there haven’t been that many. It’s not like it was with Scott Carson last year, where he made great saves every game and every point we won was pretty much down to him. Weaver seems to have had no (or little) chance with any of the shots that have gone past him, even though soft goals are horrible to let in. There is no pint playing Darren Randolph, good as he may be, when Weaver isn’t making mistakes.

The defence is a problem however, and can directly be to blame for nearly every goal that has bulged (or not) our net. With no experienced left back available, Danny Mills played brilliantly to calm left side nerves on Tuesday and that allowed Yassin Moutaouakil to come back into the team after injury and do a good job on the opposite flank. It was the first time I’d seen Yassin play live, and he started quietly before coming good later in the match. More games and experience at this level will help him progress, though he is better going forwards than defending. Centrally is where the problems really lie; looking back, all Plymouth really did was run at Bougherra and Fortune with the ball. Totally unable to cope, we can expect the scouts present to have reported this back to about every other Championship club! Both have looked quite solid at times this year, but not against teams whose strikers are agile. Hopefully Rangers have a couple of lumbering Carlton Cole’s. The only option available is to play Sam Sodje instead of one of the incumbents. I don’t know if it will happen, or who should be dropped; both have had ‘mares at times so far this season! The one thing I do know is that Paddy McCarthy doesn’t look to be the answer either!

The midfield does look to be settled, and provided they are all fit, we can expect to see Semedo, Zheng Zhi, Andy Reid, and a back from suspension Lloyd Sam strung across the park. The question though is, good as they are going forward, are they giving enough to protect the back line? Sam and Reid have certainly tried desperately at times to track back and cover any opposition attackers, much more so than Ambrose or Thomas generally do (although both have their good moments). So is the problem the middle? We have all been extolling the rise of Semedo, and he does make plenty of tackles and use the ball pretty well. I am concerned though that he may go missing at vital times, being dragged toward the ball out wide when a static central position may be a better option for the team. I still like him and think he is a player with enormous potential; I’m just worried that the goals seem to come from central drives right through where he should be… ZiZi also tackles as much as he can and should, but he does ball-chase a lot, and agin if he and Semedo get dragged away from the middle, there is little protection for Forch and Boogey.

In attack, the loss of the Toddy option means we are left with Iwelumo, Varney and McLeod. Sure, Dickson may come back and help at some point in the season, but he cannot be guaranteed success and more than those currently plying for the team. Sadly, the confidence that Dickson may have is lacking from the three strikers left; Iwelumo tries hard but looks like he doesn’t want high balls into him all the time, while Varney runs the channels well, but has looked a little weary after missing most of pre-season. McLeod is quick, and direct, but missed a hatful of chances early in the season, and his head visibly dropped after his awful pass that led to the winning goal on Tuesday evening. All three could do with a couple of goals to cheer them up!

Tactically, I think Pardew’s flirtation with playing Varney wide has to be dropped (forever) from what we saw against Plymouth. He isn’t the best crosser of the ball, and actually prefers cutting back in from wide left to allow him to shoot right footed. The potential for playing 4-5-1 is there, but that surely cannot be on the table for a home game against a team near the bottom of the table like Rangers.

Where Pardew can help is to instill the team with belief that if they are being bullied (a claim against Wolves) then they feel able to stand up for their collective rights, and dish out some stick in equal measure. We do have experience, and some players who know how to foul! What we don’t want is a whole bunch of bookings like Styles gave for silly little fouls and dissent. If we are being kicked (as Semedo and ZiZi have recently), let’s kick back. If the oppo are being wound up, stand back and smile!

So really, it is about getting the right players in the team, playing to an agreed suitable formation, and with enough confidence to show that some of this team should be playing in a higher league (as they showed in parts of early season games).

This is the team I think Pards will pick for Saturday –

Nicky Weaver
Yassin Moutaouakil
Madjid Bougherra
Jonathan Fortune
Danny Mills
Jose Semedo
Zheng Zhi
Andy Reid
Lloyd Sam
Chris Iwelumo
Luke Varney

Subs from Randolph, Sodje, McCarthy, A Thomas, Basey, Racon, J Thomas, McLeod.

My one-to-watch for this televised match is going to be Andy Reid. Our little Oirish fella has played his socks off over the last few weeks, for both Charlton and Ireland. He looks in desperate need of a rest, but he can have a few days off after Saturdays game, as we have the luxury of a midweek lacking a fixture! We just need one more massive effort from him and with three points in the bag, he can get off home early if that nice Mr Pardew allows him.

Pedro45 has had a feeling for a while now that a team is going to get a pummeling from the Addicks, and I do feel it is very imminent. My score prediction is a resounding 4-0 win. It may simply paper over some of the cracks (the defence for instance), but hopefully it will allow confidence to return and things to start moving in the right direction once more.

Come on you Reds!

Labels: Andy Reid, Charlton, QPR