Happy New Year !

We can but hope !

I was toying with the idea of putting a question mark at the end of the headline instead of an exclamation mark.

On the pitch 2015 has been pretty depressing. I have witnessed some of the worst Charlton performances in all my time following the team. I think MK Dons away was a particular low point. Thankfully I missed Bristol City away as that sounds like it was on the same level. 

In terms of CAFC 2016 could be a good year with a couple of straight forward actions that ought to turn around our fortunes. That would be the appointment of an experienced Championship manager with a half decent pedigree and the acquisition of similar players. 

As I've said before it really is that simple. Sadly, all the signs are to the contrary with seemingly the sale of some of our prize assets and no change of manager.

Quite what Roly hopes to achieve by persisting with his present ( and I use the word lightly ) strategy is almost impossible to fathom. He is losing money and that is set to continue as things stand. in addition, with each passing day there's less likelihood of any potential buyer coming forward should he ever decide to sell the club.

What was the point of sacking Luzon ? At least under him I felt we might get the odd result. To a degree Karel has had some bad luck but I feel that any belief in him is fast evaporating. 

It is all quite bizarre especially given the he sold Standard Liege, a Belgian club with greater European pedigree whoever limited that may be and so much closer to home. Why he should want to hold on to CAFC is a mystery. Even more so when one considers the grief it must be causing him.

Should relegation happen and the ongoing decline continue then it is something that we may never recover from or it will take a long, long time at best. Our appeal to any potential buyer would be so greatly diminished despite the location and undoubted potential.

Come 31st December 2016 and a lot of water will have passed under the bridge and we'll know how it has all panned out. We can only hope that sense has prevailed and we are in a better place.

In the meantime, my thanks to Ketts for his ongoing support. Thanks to other too bloggers who invariably report on matters in a better and more erudite way than I. It's good to take comfort in what is becoming a misery shared !

My thanks also to all of you who have taken the time to read or comment on my nonsense.

I wish everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year !

Enjoy !

Merry Christmas !

Tis the season to be jolly ! Well, we can try can't we ?

It's hard to be too cheerful as an Addick at the moment but the Christmas celebrations will provide a welcome distraction.

As ever the lack of communication and action from those in charge at the club is staggering. How long does an interim manager last ? I guess that depends upon your definition of the word interim. Either we're looking to appoint Karel on a permanent basis or we're looking to recruit someone else. 

As has been observed by many others central to any potential success of Target 20k is results on the pitch. It really is that simple.

An acknowledgement that things are pretty s**t at the moment would at least be something. Letting us know whether the club intends to do anything about it would help and actually doing something would be even better.

Sadly, none of us really knows whether any or all of the above will happen. I'm struggling to see anything other than us playing in League One next season. I sincerely hope I'm proved wrong.

If a genie should come and visit then there are 3 simple wishes that I think the majority of us would ask for :-

1. The appointment of an experienced Championship manager with at least a half decent pedigree.

2. The recruitment of some decent Championship level players either bought or on loan.

3. Enough wins and points to ensure that we stay so that ( hopefully ) we start again with a better plan than we have now.

I'll not be at Bristol City nor the the Wolves game due to family celebrations so I have a break of sorts. Hopefully, my absence may bring about some better luck ( it seems to have made bu**er all difference most times this season ! ). This means a break for you who read the nonsense I occasionally write.

I hope that you and your families have a peaceful and enjoyable Christmas. Enjoy !

John Kettley is a................

Burnley fan !

For the second time in just over a week we let slip a two goal lead. Perhaps we have to be thankful that we didn’t lose the game.

I know his goal was something of a collector’s item but overall Emile Heskey was quite effective for the Trotters and when he went off I felt Bolton’s chances of getting a winner went with him.

Our own target man, Big Mak, wasn’t so great but scarcely deserved the mocking he received every time he won the ball. Clearly he isn’t the most gifted footballer ever to pull on a red shirt but he’s not going to get better if fans mock him.

To be fair he’s not played a lot in the last couple of seasons and has been out of the starting eleven for most of this. The ref, who was truly woeful on Tuesday night, did him few favours in seemingly penalising his every attempt to win the ball.

Overall this was a sloppy game where our passing and decision making let us down time and again. Had we played with a bit more invention and higher tempo we would surely have come away with the win.

We have players like Vaz Te who are not fully fit and at opposite ends of the scale Jacko and young Lookman understandably tired against Bolton.

A glance at the bench tells you that there was hardly anyone who could come on and improve things. Ba had a cameo ( I’m not sure that’s really the word for it ) that he’d rather forget. Big Mak struggled and KAG did his best.

How we could have used a fully fit Vaz Te from the start of the season. He will be more and more important the fitter he gets as we head into the second half of the season.

On to Saturday and a nice little trip up to play John Kettley's Burnley. No one is expecting anything there of course. We can only hope that the lads give it a go, there’s nothing to lose. At least Bauer returns and he should form a good partnership with Lennon.

Moving Diarra up to playing in front of the back four is a must and will bring some solidarity to midfield. The rest of that midfield perhaps save for Skip is up for grabs really with Cousins and JBG not having been anywhere near their best of late.

I shall try and avoid all news of the game until @ 4.50pm when I shall turn on the telly with my fingers very firmly crossed !

Come On You Reds !

Charlton Escape With A Point After 2nd Half Annihilation

Steve - his lies are bigger than his belly

It’s hard to take anything Steve Evans says seriously. Now manager of the “ Champions of Europe “ ( yes, really ! ) I'm sure I recall him saying he’d never take the job. This of course is aside from a chequered past best summed up by his time at Boston United.

Therefore, when Mr Evans says :-

“Charlton have lost games here this season – Ipswich came and won 3-0. I watched the full re-run of that but they never got the hiding they got in the second half today.

“It was an absolute annihilation, but they held on and got the same return as what we did.”

you know you can ignore it as total piffle from a pretentious piffler ( thanks Lady C ) !

I spoke to a couple of Leeds fans before the game and asked them for their views on the corpulent one. They said he was appointed because he was cheap………nuff said !

On my part and forgive me for not possessing as keen an eye for detail as Steve, I thought a draw the right result. Both sides had good chances to score but didn’t either as a result of good goalkeeping or poor finishing.

Skip and Vaz Te should probably have come off earlier as they tired although one understands why Karel would keep them on in the hope they could make something happen.

Whether that point from Saturday is a good one depends upon the result against Bolton tomorrow night. A win for us then and 4 points from the two games dictates that it is.

The Trotters find themselves in a right pickle at the moment with a points deduction looming if they go into administration. It is a right mess and no mistake. However, when one looks at the likes of Southampton then administration isn't always such a bad thing. 

Clubs like Bolton don't go under and I'm sure that someone will emerge from somewhere to buy them out and move them onto better things albeit that it may take some while.

A midweek game isn't exactly what we need but then Bolton are suffering to a similar extent in terms of injuries etc. We really do need to win this one and if our young and recently crocked players can sustain the full ninety then we ought to.

I can't envisage many Trotters making the trip to The Valley and so a rather empty stadium is in prospect. Hopefully those of us making the effort will be rewarded with a rare home win !

Come On You Reds !

Leads, Leads, Leeds !

He looks more like a rugby league manager.

Onto Saturday and we’re all hoping for better luck…….it can hardly get any worse !

Who’ll be fit and available is almost anyone’s guess. The timing could hardly be any worse as we enter an intense period of games. Whatever the outcome of these it’s clear that we need to recruit both in terms of numbers and quality.

Leeds have a managerial appointment policy similar to our own. Currently they are led by Steve Evans………he’s no oil painting. If he were it’d be something akin to And When Did You last See Your Father although in his case it’s a slightly different male member. I’d not be surprised if the “ pie tax “ wasn’t Steve’s idea…..” pass thy tokens to me ! “.

Steve has been managing Rotherham United who, to be fair, he did well to keep in the Championship. All the sweeter that it was at the expense of a club not too far away.

The lads preparation this week has involved a visit to the Queen Elizabeth hospital. At first one assumed this was to bring some pre-Christmas cheer to the rest of the squad and others who are sick. However, it also served a purpose in getting to know their fellow patients and to book a bed for themselves for Yuletide !

Leeds are about as inconsistent as you can get but that is of little wonder given the endless stream of bizarre owners and chairman. Risdale’s recruitment of Seth Johnson has long since passed into legend !

Had our own fortunes in the last couple of games been better then not only would we be better placed but we could be reasonably optimistic of getting something from the next two games.

As it is this will prove tough and the what sort of fare we’ll see served up from both teams in the following Tuesday night game doesn’t bear thinking about !

One has to hope that the players confidence isn’t too badly affected by losing on Saturday. To lose when you’re playing well as we did for most of the game is tough. Perhaps we can take some comfort from Huddersfield who dominated their game against Middlesbrough and lost but then beat Brum away last week.

Hopefully we can hold on to any lead we may get this week.

Come On You Reds !

A Lot Of Luck.......

and all of it bad.........oh bu**er !

For Charlton it seems that when your luck’s out, it’s really out !

Having selected what appears to have been the almost perfect starting eleven against Brighton the fates conspired against us to give us a good hard kick up the backside.

How Fox started ahead of Holmes-Dennis is anyone’s guess. Sadly, having been given a lifeline he failed to take it. His passing was woeful and he got beaten time and again on the left. Added to that his crossing remains really poor.

I didn’t think this was a game for young Lookman……how wrong I was ! His goal on 2 minutes was one of real quality and show exactly why a few big clubs are looking at him so early in his career. He really does have some talent and was the stand out player for many people. In a tireless performance he covered nearly every blade of grass on the pitch…..no wonder he was so gutted at the end.

That we had scored so early was barely believable and that we added a second a few minutes later was truly astonishing. Reza netting again to double the lead. Had we scored that with a minute to go then one could have relaxed but it was always going to be a tough ask without adding that killer third goal. Thus it proved to be !

The early loss of Lennon was a disruption and set the tone for the rest of the match. With so few options it had to be Sarr as his replacement ( why didn’t we snap up Lloyd Doyley ? ) he failed to convince again.

Had Vaz Te been fit enough to last the full ninety minutes would also have helped but his departure was another factor in our defeat.

We had two glorious opportunities to get that crucial third but neither were taken. I think most of us felt the writing was on the wall after that. Even then it has to be said that the sending off of Bauer was pivotal and injuries to JBG and more importantly to Henderson were big blows. I’m sure Hendo would have stopped their third had he been anywhere near fit. Clearly he was in pain and could barely move but he couldn’t come off and we had no subs and were already down to ten men.

I’m sure I read somewhere that the emergency loan window will be scrapped form next season. That has to be the right thing. Brighton hardly need James Wilson ! Fair play to them and they are not alone in getting players in but it really should only be used for goalkeepers.

I’ve seen a number of people moaning about losing from 2-0 up but in reality we played so well in that first half and suffered cruel luck as the game wore on and really paid the price for not getting that third as I said. It’s being really harsh on all concerned to complain too much.

Onto next week and the injuries and suspensions already make one fear for the worse against an indifferent Leeds side. One assumes that Lennon will recover from his clash of heads but Bauer is suspended. Cousins didn’t look good and JBG similarly didn’t seem great as he hobbled away.  Add to that the knock that Henderson got and it really does suggest a weakened side.

None of the above was on any Addicks’ Christmas list ! Life never gets any easier for the club’s physios as they appear to have a workload almost on a par with that at Arsenal.

Having dropped back into the bottom points are desperately needed and Karel and Co will be hoping they come soon.

I Do Like To Be..............

the seaside.............or do I ?

An away trip to Brighton on Saturday isn’t exactly what the doctor ordered. They remain unbeaten in the league this season under the excellent stewardship of Chris Houghton ( how we could use a manager like him eh ? ).

Their unbeaten run extends further back than this season I believe. Looking for a positive though and that run must sometime. I’m sure we all remember when put a stop the one Huddersfield did under Lee Clarke.

Further to that remember our wonderful run on the way to winning the Championship that came to an abrupt halt at home to lowly Swindon ! Pre-match and we surely only needed to turn up. Sadly a rare error from Deano plus the sight and sound of Willie Carson on the pitch made it a day to forget.

Is playing on 5^th December an omen ? Probably not but there aren’t enough straws to clutch at present !

Brighton already had a strong squad but that was further strengthened last week by the “ emergency loan “ signing James Wilson from Manchester United. He is a good prospect and not someone we need to be facing right now. Like a team unbeaten all season were desperate for another player !

For our part I’d like to see Holmes-Dennis start in the back four with Bauer, Lennon and Solly. Reza really ought to come in for the great Dane. Hopefully, Skip will be fit to play.

For me, Vaz Te has to start if fit. Whilst I appreciate Lookman’s precocious talent games like this need experience and nous and his time will come.

Karel has said we’re going there to play for a win but in reality I suspect that he will aim to get something on the break if his previous away efforts are anything to go by.

One hopes that confidence wasn’t too badly affected by last week’s result. We didn’t play as badly as the scoreline suggests and Ipswich certainly weren’t that good !

Anything from this game will be a result. Let’s hope the lads are up for it.

I shall be there tomorrow as this is a rare away day for me. Here’s hoping for some pre-Christmas cheer !

Come On You Reds !

Something To Lift The Gloom

At this time of year with long dark nights and on Saturdays seemingly long dark days anything that can lighten the mood and general gloom has to be a good thing.

Step forward then Steve Bridge’s wonderfully evocative book Charlton Athletic in Pictures – 1975 to 2015. This is not only guaranteed to lift your mood but also to bring back some splendid memories for any Addick.

The book is a collection of 123 photos over 128 pages.

Amongst the superb collection of photos are some of long forgotten players and also kits that are best forgotten. There’s the iconic one of Killer drinking a pint although it’s never been clear if that was pre or post match !

Even better news is that all the photos from the book are available to buy from Steve although be warned you’ll be spoilt for choice !

In recent years there have been some terrific books about Charlton, this is the latest addition to that collection.

Christmas is now less than 4 weeks away……another reason as to why there’s no better time to go and buy this great publication!

All details relating to the book and purchase of photos are available from the following website :-

http://www.youralbumonline.co.uk/sbridge.htm 

If you have any queries you can email Steve at :- bridge.s@talk21.com

Enjoy !

Take Me To Your Leader

The omens weren’t good on Saturday when I discovered that York café was closed and I was denied my favourite S.E.7 brekkie ! Things didn’t improve from there.

Following the two rather unexpected victories hopes were high that the lads would get something from the game. Sadly, they failed to garner even a point and the previous mood of disillusionment returned.

Karel named an unchanged side, something of a rarity this season with all the injuries and chopping and changing. Holmes-Dennis certainly deserved to keep his place but why he didn’t start in his preferred position is a mystery that deepened further Fox returned another sub-standard performance.

Why Solly didn’t start is another enigma. It made little sense. After a really good effort against Wednesday it was further puzzling to understand why Reza didn’t feature in the starting eleven.

Given the physical nature of McCarthy’s side the selection of Big Mak didn’t make a lot of sense. One assumes that Karel had done his homework. The Dane got little change out their back four all afternoon.

Reza’s constant hassling allied to young Lookman’s skill would seem to have been the better option. Vaz Te proved he ought to be starting soon and I understand why he didn't on Saturday given that he’s short of match fitness.

When Skip suffered his hamstring tweak he disappeared along with our chances of getting anything from the game. The subsequent substitution and passing on of the captain’s armband highlighted a couple of issues.

Firstly, we have no leader in Johnnie’s absence. Goalkeeper’s are rarely made captains and for good reason. Their ability to motivate and generally gee up the team is made somewhat difficult when you’re mostly many yards away from the team. Clearly there’s no one else in the team deemed worthy and I couldn’t see any leaders out there.

Secondly, that Holmes-Dennis had to move to left midfield ( ultimately he played in three different positions ) put to bed Karel’s claim that the squad is big and good enough. We all know it isn’t.

Despite the 3-0 scoreline I don’t think the performance was quite as bad as many believe. I thought we started quite brightly and in the end were denied a few times by some splendid saves from Gerken. It wasn’t as though we didn’t create anything and it was streets ahead of the woeful display at MK Dons.

We weren’t helped by the indifferent display from the referee. He got taken in by the antics of some of the Ipswich players. Some cynical and rather depressing behaviour but to be expected to some degree.

One would like to think that our owner would take a look at the manager in the opposition dug out and take note of what can be achieved by having a manager who is experienced at this level. He consistently achieves a top 10 finish on a budget not totally dissimilar to our own. 

Town also lost a very promising youngster in the summer but don’t seem to have suffered to the same extent as us !

One assumes that a few players most notably Fox, Sarr and Big Mak will be fearing for their places. If not, they ought to be. Vaz Te, if fully fit, deserves a start as does Lennon who can surely only improve the back four.

Next Saturday won’t see things get any easier for us……Good Old Sussex By The Sea is about the last place we want to be going at present ! 

Live At The Valley !

Another Saturday is spoiled by the kick off moving from the traditional 3pm…arghh ! I don’t like it but will just leave that there whilst my blood pressure is still manageable.

Live on telly and we all know what that usually means. Let’s hope that on this occasion we might defy the odds and at least avoid a defeat.

Ipswich always have teams that compete in the top half and under Myopic Mick they can usually expect to be challenging for a play-off spot. They are a fairly stable club who’ve had only 10 managers in the last 46 years. We of course, are going for 46 managers in 10 years !

They’ve been inconsistent this season which explains their position just outside the play-off places. In the last 8 league games they’ve won 2, drawn 4 and lost 2. They have only once scored more than twice in a league game and that came in a 5-2 demolition of Rotherham. On the flip side they don’t concede many but hey, we’d take a 1-0 any day of the week !

In a complete reversal of fortunes we have, of course, won our last two games. If we do complete a hat-trick of wins on Saturday then it’ll be surprise given the presence of the Sky cameras.   

One obviously points to Skip as the main catalyst for our upturn but looking past him and the change in formation they are a couple of others who deserve some recognition.

Diarra has clearly impressed since moving up into midfield. That has been aided by the vast improvement in Narby Sarr. One must also acknowledge the emergence of Lookman and Holmes-Dennis. These two have shown great promise and their performances belie their tender age.

JBG is obviously enjoying somewhat of a freer role that allows him a greater impact.

The return of Henderson with all his experience and organisational nous makes such a difference and instils a greater confidence in the back four. Good to see him have an early word with young Tareiq last week following an early blip from the young man.

Tareiq’s excellent performances and the rather poor ones of Fox ought to mean that Tareiq retains his place in the side. I don’t think Fox can complain albeit that he had a better game against Birmingham.

All of the above has helped to secure those last two results. However, it must be said that a large of any success from the new system and change in personnel will only last as long as injury or suspension allows or possibly we’re required to produce a Plan B……..that will be the real test.

Sadly, I can’t agree with Karel when he says we have a good enough squad. I think the rest of us are clear that it could use some more quality and depth. I find it hard to believe that he really meant that. The absence of just one or more of those players who are integral to our current system will really put us at a disadvantage.

As ever more transparency is needed especially surrounding the departure of Watt. I understand that the club may not want to say if he’s been a disruptive figure as has been alleged in some quarters. To suggest that he moved purely to get fit is an insult to our intelligence.

Any player, especially one of your better ones recovers from “ injury “, gets fit and then fights to regain his place in the side. It really is that simple anything else particularly given our league position suggests something else and that benefits no one.

We need to get behind Skip and the lads. It’s to be hoped that the planned protests don’t have a negative impact on them. They shouldn’t because they’re not designed to do so.

Let’s hope our earlier than usual journeys to The Valley can be rewarded with 3 points. A good display too would be a bonus !

Come On You Reds !

Two Wins and A Rather Splendid Book

My mood has improved significantly since my last post. A couple of wins and unexpected ones at that often have that effect.

Enough has been written about those victories over Wednesday and Brum that I have nothing of value to add ( as usual I hear you cry ! ).

It’s not just those results that have brought an upturn in my outlook and like a couple of other bloggers I would draw your attention, if it hasn’t already been drawn, to Steve Bridges’ rather splendid book, Charlton In Pictures 1975-2015.

My order was delivered on Friday and upon arriving home I couldn’t resist a quick browse…..well, by quick I mean 30 to 40 minutes !

The book contains some lovely photos from the last 40 years and will no doubt stir a lot of memories and overwhelmingly good ones at that ! It has the advantage also of being one of those books that you can pick up every now and then to have a quick read.

Steve has now secured enough orders / interest to be able to authorise another print run so further copies will now be available. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

Again as others have said the book will make a decent Christmas present for any Addick. If you check out Steve’s website ( there’s a link on Wyn Grant’s blog ) you'll find full details and you can also order copies of the photos should you wish.

What ? Not The Doctor Ordered ?

Oh Matron !

Having been suffering from man flu for over a week now the last thing I need is a follow up to the pathetic MK Dons display. However, it’s hard to believe that we’ll witness anything other than a repeat performance and maybe worse against a Wednesday team that is bang in form.

It’s worth a punt on 3-0 but I fear it may be more than that.

I needed to see the doctor at the start of the week. He advised me to use a nasal spray for my cold but tells me there’s no drug in world to cure me of my strange addiction to Charlton.

Talking of medical folk, the rumours of former Chelsea doctor Eva Caneiro joining the club remain strong. Unlike some of our more recent appointments she’ll have plenty to do and would no doubt be a more than useful addition to the medical team.

Oh Roly !

However, whatever problems we have at the moment I don’t think the recruitment of the good lady doctor should high on the list. Roland seems keen on adding another young filly to the fold. What a Carry On ! It’s not hard to envisage him in the Sid James role !

As I said in my previous post I don’t think I’ve a Charlton side so dispirited and at odds with itself. There were plenty of disagreements and we appeared totally unorganised. On several occasions two of our boys challenged for the same ball….a sure sign that there’s trouble at mill !

Aside from the unnecessary booing of Poyet the chanting of “ you’re not fit to wear the shirt “ was as depressing for me. Whatever you think these boys are all we’ve got and we need them to go out and play again for us tomorrow…….there isn’t anyone else !

It’s all counter-productive and it doesn’t do any good or change anything. Give the lads what support you can and leave it at that. I’m too down anyway to boo them !

I see our present manager has urged us to do our job ! Hello ? Since when did supporting your team become that ? Much like our recent job holders I don’t remember the interview. Depending on how you look at it it’s an accident of birth although I wouldn’t change it for the world.

Should Mr Fraeye start to show one iota of passion himself then maye he’ll have earned some right to ask us fans of more. Until then or we start getting some results then best keep schtum mate.

It is entirely possible that tomorrow will be the only home game that Karel manages. That’d be some record eh ? Maybe take the opportunity for an autograph or selfie before it’s too late !

They've probably got more answers.

Will the international break be used to address some of the issues surrounding the club ? Unlikely I guess but one can hope. In the meantime a  “ randomly “ selected group of fans will meet with Richard and Judy. Ice-cream and jelly will be provided and they all get to take home a Charlton stationery set after.

They'll no doubt get a good grilling. As Sid would say " you'll need a stiff one after that ! "

I travel to The Valley tomorrow with expectations at an all time low and I’m not looking forward to it. Almost anything other than a right spanking will be a positive….that’s how bad it is !

Come On You Reds ! 

Feeling Like...........

A Limbo Dancer........and that's really low !

If ever there were a performance or result to indicate just how far we’ve fallen then it was duly delivered last night. An inability to score, never mind get any kind of result against a poor Dons side was about as bad as it gets.

No other side is going to keep losing games like us and that we now find ourselves 4 points adrift of the sides above us is no surprise.

In all my years supporting the club I don't think I can recall such awful football. Allied to that I've not seen one of our sides with players so clearly at odds with each other. 

This is about as depressing as it gets because I really can’t see things changing. Whatever the plan is with Fraeye it needs to end now because it’s clearly not working. That may seem harsh over just two games but one can’t help but think that had Luzon stayed then it couldn’t have been worse…………at least Guy had some passion !

However, I’m not naïve enough to believe we’ll see any response, immediate or otherwise.

Lloyd Dolyley was watching from the stands yesterday, I doubt he’s chomping at the bit to sign up now !

Karl Robinson can have no complaints about last night’s officials. The ref couldn’t wait to award fouls against us and usually this was followed up by a yellow card. In addition, he failed to award us anything for the most blatant of fouls. Added to which the lino got at least 4 offside decisions wrong that really angered our boys.

On a night where everyone and everything seemed to be sponsored I half expected to hear that the officials were sponsored by the MK Citizen !

One wonders if they read Robinson’s comments from the weekend where he criticised the referee. Whatever, it was a truly shocking display that managed to match that of our players !

                                                                                                                    

The proposed meeting with Katrien and Murray ( whenever it occurs ) will no doubt be a non-event. Lip service will be paid in large amounts. Sod that ! We need actions not words !

Clearly we need a proven Championship manager and players. They don’t have to cost the earth. There are plenty available if there’s the desire to get them.  What wouldn’t you give to see Roger Johnson, Eagles, Ben Haim, etc. out on the pitch now ?

The decisions and rush to get rid of them was more short-sighted than even Mr Magoo could manage !

We seem to have picked up some injuries yesterday to further add to the woe. I’m really not looking forward to Saturday. At least a couple of beers may help to numb the pain.

I’ve tried to remain optimistic but I’m really struggling now. This morning I contacted some builders to enquire about that study and the revolver is on order !

P.S. I see that Chris Powell has been sacked by Huddersfield. That is ludicrous. They were only a few minutes away from an away win at Reading last night. Proof, I guess, that the madness isn’t confined to S.E.7 !

Consistency !

Ain't that the truth Christine !

If you were seeking greater consistency from the Addicks then you can’t say you haven’t been rewarded in the last 3 games. Each of them has been lost 3-0. However, we can do without consistency of that kind thank you very much.

Tuesday sees us playing the Dons and the closest away game for me. Even if my efforts to support the lads only involves a 10 minute car journey I don’t think anyone would deny it’s still a big ask ! At the moment most of us wouldn’t bother to draw the curtains if the lads were playing in the back garden !

Never mind, as I said in my last post, the players do need our support and with that in mind I shall be cheering them on. No matter what the outcome I’ll not be booing our boys. I never have despite being severely tested on many occasions over many years of supporting Charlton. There really is no point.

Saturday’s 3-0 loss had an air of inevitability about it and I doubt we’d have won even had we been on a good run. Sadly, there don’t appear to be any positives to take from the game with a number of Boro fans citing us as the worst team to play the Smoggies for many a year ! Oh dear !

My optimism that Karel may not be as bad as many fear looks somewhat misplaced. Talk of smiling faces, getting fit and only being able to field eleven players at any one time really isn’t cutting the mustard, On the contrary, it’s more like cutting the cheese…it stinks.

Whether Roland and Co are desperately seeking a more qualified and suitable replacement is unknown but the silence speaks volumes so it’s probably safe to assume they’re not.

We’ve been here before of course and most will remember Parky’s “ trial period “ where he garnered 3 points from a possible 24 which was sufficient for him to get the job ! Those 3 points, you may recall, did not come about as the result of a win, I believe they were 3 draws……..boy, they must have been good ! At least at that time I think it’s safe to say there really wasn’t any money to get anyone else in.

Rumours that many managers wouldn’t touch us with a barge pole whilst Poirot’s countrymen remain in charge is concerning although understandable. Anyone worth their salt won’t be considering a move to S.E. 7…………..cue Malky Mackay !

That a number of our normally reliable players are now regularly turning in sub-standard displays is a further concern. If Skip managers to rally the troops and gets us out of this mess then it will be his most remarkable achievement to date.

Tuesday’s opponents are not on a great run themselves. Manager Karl Robinson will bleat on about having a small budget, limited squad whilst at the same time bemoaning every referee’s decisions……..on occasions he makes Mourinho sound quite balanced !

Robinson has for some time been telling anyone who’ll listen that Simon Church is a prolific goal scorer and he’s about to explode ! Clearly he never watched Churchy last season then. Of course sod’s law dictates that he’ll bag a goal or two against us…he won’t get a better opportunity.

Another old player we come up against tomorrow is Diego Poyet. Nearly all Champ sides would love to have him in their squad ( another reason to dismiss Robinson’s comments about his squad when you see a player of that calibre in their team ) and it’ll be sad to see him not wearing the famous red shirt.

I know some have issues with the manner of his leaving but I understand he wanted to stay but wasn’t given a serious offer and the departure of Riga also played a big part in his decision to leave.

Even playing another side on a poor run I can’t see us getting anything from this one and let’s not even think about Saturday ! Fortunately, I’m devoid of both a study and a revolver ! However, I do own three cats, it’s just a question of which one to kick. I’ll probably end up kicking all three, one for each goal in Church’s hat-trick !

Come On You Reds !

Interesting Times

Was it one of Jonathon's ?

Interesting times indeed. Life is never dull in S.E.7. Not for us season after season of mid-table obscurity. If we have haven’t replaced at one manager during the season then it just wouldn’t be the same.

There is certainly a vast amount of unrest with the sacking of Luzon being the latest catalyst for that. However, what has really changed and wasn’t his dismissal what a lot of fans wanted ?

I liked Guy and it was to a degree sad to see him go as I thought he had us playing some good football at times. Rather like Bob Peeters things started to go awry and he seemed incapable of turning things around. Of course injuries ( mostly long term ) took their toll on our paper thin squad. Throw in the odd suspension or two and you really are hampered. Interesting to note that Igor is now near a return btw…..

However, as I said earlier, what has really changed. As at the end of August having beaten QPR and Hull at home we still had a weak squad in terms of numbers at least. We still hadn’t heard from Roland or indeed very much from Katrien. It was safe to assume that Roland’s ambitions / aims or whatever you want to call them hadn’t changed much if at all.

Fast forward to October and the removal of Luzon and the appointment of our one time assistant manager and it’s Armageddon. There was no surprise that Roland was going to make an internal appointment, for the interim manager at least.

That some folk are angry that the appointment would be made permanent if successful is surprising. There has to be some incentive for Karel and his right hand man, there’s little point in giving them the jobs otherwise.

I’m not fussed where he’s come from and if you pressed me I couldn’t say other than it’s a Belgium team of course. However, he was part of a successful duo before and I’m for one would have been very happy if Jose Riga had come over with him.

No one knows how this is all going to pan out. May be it’ll be the big disaster that many are forecasting. On the other hand we may have acquired Morecombe rather than Wise or Skinner as opposed to Baddiel !

                                        

We ought to be reassured that Jason Euell has been brought into the management team, that is important. Hopefully that was Fraeye’s decision and if so, it’s to be applauded.

Karel does at least know most of the team and will be aware of individual strengths and weaknesses. In addition,  his previous experience at the club and this very same situation ought to stand him in good stead……he’s been here before. Despite rumours to the contrary Karel is quite able to converse in the mother tongue.

I’m not a Duchatelet apologist, far from it but in reality as I said at the beginning, what has really changed from those heady days in August ? That's not me ignoring all the issues surrounding Roland's ownership and if fans want to protest then I understand that.

I think rather than voice any dissatisfaction during the games, support for the players remains important and the priority. Any negativity will no doubt affect them and they don’t need telling or reminding about the current situation or the general view of Duchatelet.

I can’t subscribe to the view that it’d be good if Fraeye’s tenure is a disaster and we get someone else in. For one there’s no guarantee that will happen and by its end we may be cut off and it’ll be too late to avoid the dreaded drop.

Hopefully we can get something from Middlesbrough and MK Dons on the Tuesday. That at least will be something to build on for whatever follows. 

Come On You Reds !

Michael v Johnnie

Not all Jacksons are going to get you points !

Thankfully since we aren't owned by Al Fugger we're more likely to see a statue erected to Johnnie rather than Michael Jackson.

One should never write off our Skip. Yesterday once again he came off the bench to inspire the team to a draw that seemed most unlikely after we'd gone 2-0 down.

Looking like we would never score not matter how much time was added on Johnnie Jackson had other ideas. Destiny is sometimes dictated by others but our leader likes to write his own. Good for us as no one else seemed likely to inspire the team. Indeed such was the impact of our captain that we might have snatched a late winner. Truth be told that would have been undeserved but such was his impact that it could have happened !

Our lack of a goal scorer is hitting us hard at the moment and as is the absence of a left sided midfielder. I'm sure I'm not alone in preferring it if McAlney, our Everton loanee, played as a striker despite his early miss yesterday.

Neither team played any really decent football and Kit Symons is deluded if he thinks that Fulham deserved to win. I think Kit is trying to paper over the cracks of his team's inability to go on to win from being 2-0 with ten minutes to go.

No doubt he's upset at conceding an equaliser in time added on but if his side hadn't been timewasting from so far out then it might not have happened.

Hopefully the point gained has a morale boosting effect on the team. Normally an international break would not be welcome but given our injury crisis it could be quite timely. It'd be good if the next time the lads take to the field we have pretty much all our injured back and available. Certainly how much we miss Henderson has been highlighted in the last few games and others have pointed out it's as much for his organisation as anything else.

It'd be good to get another player like Jacko although unlikely.........perhaps a sculptor could to make the next best thing.

Black Sabbath

You got no trains ! Do you want some ?

Not much to look forward on the Sabbath. It is, of course, traditionally a day of rest. Sadly for us Addicks that's what the lads have be doing on most other days of the week of late !

As I write I should be post-Wetherspoons and pre-match. However, Sky have dictated that this isn't the case and moved the game to tomorrow with a ludicrous noon kick off. With total disregard for the fans of both sides it is a day when there are no trains to Charlton. 

Still all that matters are the armchair fans and Sky TV itself as after all, they are the lifeblood of the game eh ?

I couldn't believe that some of our fans were moaning about not being on Sky and some went further and wrote to them about it. Well done if they were influenced by that because aside from tomorrow the kick off for the Ipswich game is also moved.

Football should be 3pm on a Saturday, end of ! It's what season ticket holders and the majority of other fans sign up for and expect. 

I might have a more favourable view of things if I could see any real evidence of the Sky money permeating its way down to the grass roots of the game. Sadly, all I see is players across the Prem and many football league clubs lining their pockets and driving nice cars with homes to match.

Good for them but not for the future of the game both at domestic and international level. The money available to clubs only serves to deliver the odious characters that we see week in, week out on our television screens.

I gave up hoping that the bubble might burst years ago and with every passing year it seems further away than ever. A return to the " good old days " when fans supported their local teams and could watch games at an appropriate time and price have gone for good I fear. 

You don't need to be overly perceptive to detect a downbeat mood from me ! It's not helped by our current run. I can readily acknowledge our bad run of injuries albeit that some of them are self-inflicted. The club still seem to be rushing players back too soon..........I'm sick of reading that so and so probably returned to the side too early !

We all knew our squad was paper-thin before a ball was kicked in anger but we lived in the hope of recruiting another decent centre-half and left sided midfield player. I appreciate the need to stick to a budget but the outlay would have be recouped in terms of points and money as improved results would inevitably bring more bums on seats.

One has to question the idea of sending Lennon out on loan and our apparent willingness to loan out Igor but not until he's regained fitness and confidence........a very different way of playing your way out of the team !

It all smacks of muddled thinking whilst money is more sensibly spent in other areas. Great for the long term future but please don't take your eye of the here and now !

Given all of the above I have a lot of sympathy for Luzon. He has managed to get the team playing some of the best football we've seen for some time. I don't think he's been backed at the right time. I'm sure none of us wants to see another managerial casualty, it's not the Charlton way or at least, it didn't used to be !

Other commitments prevent me from being at the game tomorrow although I'll be watching on tv. I can't see any reason for any optimism and even a point appeals. I hope I'm wrong of course.

Come On You Reds !

Blackburn

Let's hope for better oop north on Saturday !

I know we are a friendly club and we all like Chris Powell but we didn’t need to lie down and have our belly rubbed on Tuesday. Especially so after the poor result against Rotherham.

Some disappointing performances and odd decisions from Tuesday night.

·         I’m led to believe that Diarra was “ rested “. Er, why after an international break ? In any case Diarra is a lean and fit player and as a centre half doesn’t do much running. Goalkeeper aside, the central defenders do the least running in a football team.

·         Why didn’t JBG take that free kick in the first half. Just outside the area and to the right surely it was tailor-made for him.

·         How did Tony Watt stay on after such an insipid performance ?  It is even more baffling that the Great Dane came off. Ok he wasn’t doing that well but come the last 10  to 15 minutes when we were banging balls into the box then he was needed……….odd !

·         Why is Cousins still starting on the left ? I fail to see what Ba does that Jordan couldn’t do and better. Surley Bergdich could start there although I suspect our Everton loanee may do so on Saturday. The absence of a natural left sided player resulted in Watt drifting out the left many times meaning there was little chance of him linking up with Simon.

·         How did Sarr get selected ahead of Lennon ? He was shocking.

Many questions and mysteries and we will probably never know all the answers !

I can’t believe that the players are getting caught up in all the hype ahead of the Palace game. That is looking like a real disaster waiting to happen…….I hope I’m wrong.

On to Saturday and Blackburn away. Being my usual pessimistic self I can’t see us doing anything other than us continuing to help kick start another team’s season. Again, I hope I’m wrong.

Good luck to anyone going on Saturday especially Ketts…….enjoy those pies !

Come On You Reds !

Friends Reunited

Chris Powell but not as we know him

There aren't too many ex-Charlton bosses still in gainful employment and those that are certainly wouldn't receive the warm welcome that Chris is assured of tomorrow night.

Last season we got it dead right in applauding the Valley legend  just prior to seeing off his Huddersfield side and later giving him a good send off. A repeat scoreline would be most welcome although one does fear for our former boss if so. Naturally we wish him all the best after tomorrow night.

If we are to avoid a repeat of Saturday's frustrating match against Rotherham then we need to be more incisive and clinical. If fit, then the Great Dane deserves to start ahead of Igor who seems a long way off from the player who started last season.

I hope that Tony Watt can get back to scoring. We've seen glimpses of his talent again this season and on his day he has real quality. He'll have been disappointed at not finishing his chance when through on goal at the weekend when only a good save from Camp denied him.

Hopefully it's not too much to ask that we get a decent ref for this one. Stroud was awful and to say got rather angry with him is only hinting at how I reacted to some of his decisions. 

It's pleasing to see that we've got a striker in on loan as Conor Mcalney has joined us from the Toffeemen. I understand that he had a good pre-season especially away at Swindon and ought to score goals in the Champ my source tells me.

I'll have to make the most of tomorrow's game as I'll not be at the Fulham game now that's been moved to the Sunday....don't get me started on that ! As a result I'll have to wait until the visit of Preston for next home game if you'll forgive for not knowing when the date of the fourth round of the league cup should we get a home tie.

Come On You Reds !

Jeremy Corbyn

There was a delicious irony on the day that Jeremy Corbyn was celebrating a victory, Charlton were left to rue their lack of an out and out left winger that might have secured one for them. That position was largely filled by another JC, Jordan Cousins. I always like to see him in the team but he really needs to be in centre mid.

For large parts of the game The Addicks attacked well down the right with Solly and JBG linking up well. However, Fox lacks Wiggins attacking prowess and fails to deliver the same quality of cross. Things altered slightly in the second half when Bergdich came on and last season's player of the year moved inside.

The addition of the great Dane ( I can't spell it off the top of my head ! ) also improved our attacking intent. Igor seems still to be struggling to regain the form and impact of early last season. I hope that is entirely down to fitness or the lack of otherwise our striking cupboard looks very bare.

For the first 15 to 20 minutes we looked good and moved the ball around well but didn't trouble debutant Camp too much. As ever, the seasoned Addick will have had a sense of foreboding and the sucker punch duly arrived.

Referee Stroud, who had an absolute shocker, awarded a corner instead of a free kick and of course The Millers went on to score from that. Whilst a sense of injustice was appropriate we only had ourselves to blame for defending the corner so poorly.

Fortunately our changes in the second half and general all round improvement saw us garner an equaliser. That left Steve Evans ( below ) looking really fed up but to be fair even from high up in the East Stand he looked REALLY fed up !

Evans may not have to worry about the fortunes of Rotherham for much longer as he is currently being linked with the Peterborough job. It is felt he may take it as it nearer his home in Sodor.

Had we lost yesterday it would have been unfair but whether we deserved the win isn't that clear cut. After all Pope was called upon to make two fine saves with the one from the header being an outstanding piece of goalkeeping.

There's little doubt that Rotherham came for a point but we can't be too uptight about the time-wasting etc as we've done it many times ourselves when the need arises and wouldn't be complaining ourselves. We'd probably cite it as a professional performance.

The last two matches have slightly taken the edge off our fine start to the season. To be successful we really do need all our players to be fit such is the thinness of our squad. I'm not convinced the midfield is what it should be and the left sided player would go some way to addressing that.

Up front we lack fully fit players and options too. I feel that Watt and the Great Dane can form a successful partnership given time. Igor and Ahearne-Grant remain very much back up options.

Post match there was time for a couple of beers in Crossbars and I couldn't help but notice how worn and dull the sign on the Jimmy Seed stand looked. In fact, when viewed from that end of the ground one realises how outdated and tired the stand looks and it isn't in keeping with the rest of the stadium.

In fact so tired, lethargic and out of place does it appear that it wouldn't be stretching things too far for it to be renamed the Jimmy Floyd-Hasselbaink stand. Hopefully the powers that be will at least consider a new sign.

Huddersfield up next on Tuesday then and whilst one would naturally welcome a repeat of last season's scoreline it could be a nail in Chris Powell's managerial coffin. Of course, a win for us on Tuesday followed by an upturn in fortunes for the Terriers after would be the ideal scenario.

The Millers

Windy Miller - he wasn't called Windy because he owned a windmill.......that was a cover to obscure the fact that he suffered from extreme flatulence. He once tried it on with Miss Lovelace who told him in no uncertain terms to " get off me you smelly bastard ! ". Appropriately Windy lived in Trumpton.

Roger Milla - no he didn't ! Even the Cameroon footballer wasn't shagging the whiffy one !

Arthur Miller - despite his slightly geeky looks Arfur married Marilyn Monroe. United could use someone who could score like that !

Jon Miller - see here on bottom left with the other members of How. For youngsters viewers in How the team used offer answers to some difficult questions although even they'd struggle to explain how Steve Evans is still employed as a football manager.

Glenn Miller - with an uncanny resemblance to Arthur, Glenn had an impressive slide technique. Could he have arrested United's slide down the table ?

Jacob Miller - the rugby player has an impressive tackle (oh err ! ) but even he would struggle to bring down Steve Evans. The Rotherham manager will probably manage that himself. 

Charlton play Rotherham United on Saturday.

Wovles Test

Can The Addicks come away from here tomorrow with a point or three.

Life is far from dull in S.E. 7 at the moment. An excellent start to the season was maintained on Tuesday as a youthful Addicks' side emerged victorious from London Road ( I'm not calling it whatever sponsor it has attached to it ).

As Ketts from Doctor Kish pointed out a few records must have been set in not just that match but with Saturday' late, late winner against Hull.

An early goal from Kennedy and a wonder strike from Kashi are the two standout events. Where a number of other Champs and Prem sides either went out of the league cup or made hard work of it, our boys put on a professional and ruthless display.

I was pleased to see Jordan Cousins rewarded with the captain's armband on Tuesday. He leads by example and appears to be very much the team player doing whatever is asked for him and with some aplomb too. Good for him !

Wolves had not had a great start to the season but I'm in agreement with Dave from Drinking During The Game. I believe that the Wolves game will be tough. Kenny Jackett alone will want some sort of a result against us given his connections with Millwall ( remember them ? ). Wolves will want a response especially at home.

It is to he hoped that Henry isn't playing as it means that a good player is absent from their line up and more importantly, raises hopes of his transfer to us completing. Henry is almost the missing link in our squad. Another centre half is, I believe, essential but a winger of his quality really will add something. 

Solly and Watt may be in contention but if there's the slightest doubt over the fitness of either then it seems folly to risk them ahead of an international break. The same should even more be the case with Vetokele. He's struggled to return from his injury problems and a place on the bench should be the limit of his exertions this weekend.

Hopefully our defence can remain tight to give us a good chance. Then it's up to the rest of the side to do their stuff and get us a goal or two. Thankfully out goals have come from a number of different sources and that bodes especially given our current dearth of fit strikers.

I didn't catch the third round draw of the League Cup, I suspect it's another lacklustre tie away to some lower league non-entity. At least it shouldn't distract the lads from the main task on Saturday.

Come On You Reds !