Addicks Make Their Point

As far as CAFC are concerned it can't be as bad as 2016, can it ?

The Addicks secured an unexpected point at Roots Hall this afternoon. It sounded like a familiar scenario of a poor first half with a slightly better second and the lads deserve some credit for battling away.

Phillips and young Aribo had fine games apparently and The Shrimpers appear to have miss some chances to extend their lead.

I do so hope that Robinson didn't go mad celebrating again post-match. It's good point but you've not won a league or anything.

4 points from the last two away games isn't bad and has arrested the slide although the team is a million miles away from producing decent football no matter what Robinson says.

Hopefully on Monday our new Chelsea loanee Dasilva will start and as a result I'd like to see Chicksen start at left back. I assume that Lookman will still have his mystery illness !

I'm not anticipating a repeat of the 5-1 scoreline against Rovers but if we can achieve a win we then have a near 2 week break before Millwall pitch up again. Who knows we may have got some players in by then. If so and Robinson has had a long lead in time to get the team playing the way he wants then there's no excuse for a poor and lacklustre performance.

I'd like to thank everyone who has read this nonsense again year and particularly if you've taken the trouble to comment.

My thanks also to fellow bloggers who do a better job than me at reporting on CAFC matters and putting their thoughts across.

Big thanks to Ketts for his half time chats and general discussion and information.

I hope you all have a great evening whatever you're doing and I wish you a peaceful and happy new year !

End Of The Year Show !

Lookman's last time in a Charlton shirt ?

It seems that a trio of personnel will be leaving S.E.7 in the next few days. Two being entirely predictable and one less so.

Our CEO made great play of the fact that Lookman would not be sold in the January transfer window but it would appear that his move to Everton is pretty much a done deal. The reported loan back to us for the remainder of the season seems highly unlikely and no one can blame the Toffeemen for not agreeing to that if they are shelling out £10m for him.

The move would complete a meteoric rise up the football leagues for Lookman. There's no doubt that he is a gifted and talented player. He might not have done as well in League One as we might have hoped but the team has been poor and for me he has been played out of position.

Better coaching and players will no doubt see him produce some quality and I'm really pleased that he is joining such a sound club as Everton. It is a decent club and has always played football the right way. I hope for him that his career flourishes at Goodison.

The other two departures apparently are Fox and Nugent. Sheffield Wednesday are renewing their interest and I've little doubt that the player himself would welcome the move. It's a league higher and he is not enjoying a great relationship with the fans.

If Fox does depart then there's a real possibiltiy that Chicksen may get to start a league game at left back ! Yes, really ! In a rare good move even Robinson might have to play one of our best players in their proper position !

Nugent it would seem is about to join up with Mr Slade in Coventry in a move that would very much be our loss and Coventry's gain. The failure to hold on and give him more time as interim manager and try to persuade him to take it in a full time capacity is a real missed opportunity.

To date there has been no news of the jolly boys outing to see The President in Belgium. How we'd love to have been a fly on the wall for that meeting eh ? The lack of information from that is not surprising, however, I guess all will be revealed in due course as the transfer window reaches its conclusion.

We keep getting told that lessons have been learned but to hold such a meeting so close to the opening of the window almost beggars belief. As I stated before I've no idea why so many people had to travel to Roly anyway. However, it's one aspect of the bizarre running of our club.

One suspects that Roly will trouser the vast majority of any transfer money if Lookman goes. Whatever plan Roly sold to Robinson, the talkative one is about to find out how intent he is on achieving it.

We now face two games in 3 days and after an awful Boxing Day performance against MK Dons it's hard to envisage too much joy from them. One assumes there's a real chance that both Fox and Lookman may not play thus further depleting our squad.

After those games we have a break until we face Millwall again. Oh Joy ! One hopes that we have both some new faces in and one or two players back from injury.

First up though are Southend who are now unbeaten in 11 games and haven't lost at home in the league for some time. The Shrimpers rather like Sheff Utd had a sluggish start to the season but their good run of results has seen them rise up into the play off places.

Robinson will need to set the team up in a more positive manner than we saw on Monday. On occasion it's ok to see out the game but I'm still dumbstruck by the refusal late in the Dons game to have a strike at goal from a free kick on the edge of the area. Why you would not try for the second goal as time was almost up and with virtually nothing to lose is a total mystery.

Those that witnessed it will be as baffled as I was I'm sure.

Against the background of all the above the lads will do to come away from Roots Hall with anything. Let's hope they can and in the process reward the loyal band of travelling Addicks.

I understand that there will be a minute's applause in memory of two young Southend fans who sadly lost their lives recently. I'm sure our fans will observe that impeccably.

Come On You Reds !

Christmas Cracker !

Trump is meeting with Robinson and his entourage today.

It certainly wasn't a cracker yesterday - no hat ( trick ) certainly no joke other than the one on us for paying to watch such bilge and the only novelty was us winning.

I keep thinking I have watched the worst football Charlton has ever played and then hey presto along comes another contender. In making tenuous connections to our American cousins another Charlton, Heston wouldn't have approved of yesterday's insipid game as there was hardly a shot.

As has been observed elsewhere the game hinged on two things.......one the removal of Bowditch due to injury and a moment of quality from Lookman that was out of keeping with the rest of what the Addicks produced.

The oppo spurned a couple of good chances to score and that was to cost them dear. I'm not sure they even had a shot on target in the second half. They were as poor as us in a game that featured two poor sides. 

Almost any other team in the league ( and few from leagues below ) would have beaten us yesterday. 

The atmosphere ( if you can call it that ) was awful and was even worse than ours is at the moment. 

Post match and Robinson was celebrating like we'd won the league with high fives all round. Not unusual scenes in that stadium and an indication of how high or perhaps low Karl is setting the bar.

Again we were not allowed to sit in the lower tier which is ridiculous. If this is done with a view to lessening the impact the away fans have then it's not working as the Dons have one league game since March.

I suggest that we do the same in the reverse fixture and only open the upper part of the Jimmy Seed or even better put their fans down the far end of the East Stand. 

The subsequent interview saw Robinson spout his usual nonsense. Blah blah passion....blah blah desire.....blah blah this football club......blah blah playing for the badge.....blah blah.....pride.

It was the usual rubbish that most of us have now tired of listening too. He even pledged his life tot he club ! My God ! Just for once think before you speak.

He even referred to meeting some Millwall fans in a pub and looking forward to seeing them again. Er how about you meet with our fans first as you promised although when time allows of course !

Laughably he referred to meeting the President today. The Commander in Chief no less ! Of course he's not really seeing Trump but another septuagenarian with bad hair and silly views !

He is travelling with Barker, Miere and Skip. Thus the rest of the lads will no doubt be having a laugh as Jacko has to spend a couple of days listening to Karl babble on whilst the lads back home have a break. 

It is worrying that they are watching a Sint Truden game. What is the purpose of that other than to look at a couple of their players. Surely that's all it can be because otherwise why doesn't Roly come over here rather than all that lot go over there.

In any case why bother at all as in all football matters he usually defers to his niece, Katrien. If he does feel the need to be consulted then surely a meeting via a videolink would suffice for the man who doesn't give us more than 1.5% of time.

Robinson has stated what players he wants and if he gets them then he'll have to get them producing some good football. I find it hard to understand why he can't get better of the existing squad.

As you'll have gathered I don't think he can deliver despite all his talk. The January transfer window will be " massive " for him but very few clubs ever enjoy any success. He'll need an awful lot of luck.

Merry Christmas ( nearly everyone ) !

Merry Christmas folks !

I hope all Addicks enjoy the festive period even if the Scrooge-like figure of Duchatelet still looms large over out club.

I'm posting late as even in the pre-Roly era there was a sacking and new appointment on Christmas Eve and there may have been something to report. 10 Years later and Pardew finds himself out of work at Yuletide rather than in it. Such a shame for one of the most obnoxious people in football.

Robinson has given the players ( or maybe himself ? ) the day off tomorrow. Only time will tell if that proves to be a productive move or not. At least the lads won't have to listen to him blathering away and filling their heads with nonsense.

We've had a little break from him too as another corpulent red-faced figure takes centre stage.

One suspects the respite won't last long and Karl the Parle will find himself behind a mic pre-match on Boxing Day telling us all about his cunning plan to beat his old club.

No doubt Robinson will be welcomed back in MK. Naturally, fans of any club would be delighted to see him in the dugout........as long as it's the opposition's.

He finds himself coming under some pressure now and almost all self-inflicted. Talking up players and endless babble about playing expansive football has led to that. Now we find ourselves at the point where he's hanging his hat on working some miracles in the January transfer window.

Good luck with that !

As I pointed out some while ago if they current players don't fit the system, don't use it. Play to your strengths. Sadly it would appear that Robinson can't see that.

I'm not sure any failure on his part that led to him being dismissed would greatly damage his career. After all, he can cite a clueless owner, not given enough time and / or money etc. etc. In that respect he has nothing to lose and a decent sum of money to gain.

Following Wednesday's defeat and our previous two games against the Dons I'm not expecting a result of any kind on Boxing Day.

Surely Chicksen can't be overlooked again and ought to start in his natural left back position. I fail to understand how he can't get the nod over Fox.

I shall be making the short trip to see the game but won't be expecting a Christmas Cracker !

Anyway forget all that if you can and have a good day tomorrow with whoever you are celebrating with.

Come On You Reds !

No Christmas Cheer !

How long before Robinson gets the sack too ?

Defeat at Millwall is never a surprise and sadly, it was even less so under our media luvvie manager. 

I had a wry smile yesterday when in one of his many interviews Robinson expressed the view that talk is cheap and action on the pitch is what is needed. I didn't view this as a road to Damascus moment for Karl. Old habits die hard and this leopard won't have changed his spots.

Aside from that we didn't see any action or result on the pitch of note tonight. This set of players and indeed the manager to be fair aren't alone in expressing their understanding of the importance of this game only going on the succumb all too easily.

You have to feel for all those Addicks that went tonight. Never a nice place to go and given the re-arrangement of the game at this time of year an extra effort was needed. Sadly that wasn't matched by the players.

However, the typical Millwall defeat, whilst always  hard to take, can usually be forgotten as the next game offers a chance of redemption. Sadly given Robinson's impact to date none of the upcoming games offers any such hope.

As ever post-match and shooting from the hip the manager says he's going to sit down with every players and demand the truth........whatever that means !

Now apparently there are certain aspects of this club that he's not happy with. Please enlighten us Karl ? Perhaps it is the massive management team or perhaps the massive PR team. I'd love to know.

The players are rightly getting stick ( the defending was awful ) but one wonders what has happened since Nugent handed over to Robinson. In these last two games it's been dire. Have the players lost all faith in him already ?

Of course the malaise goes well beyond this squad and manager and as we know it won't disappear until Roly and co leave. It does however, get worse every time you don't believe it possibly can.

I don't believe the arrival of Barker and the probable departure of Nugent is about to make matters any better. Someone ought to lock The Valley gates and stop Kevin leaving the building - it might just be our only hope !

God help me I'm going to the Boxing Day game and in the meantime I'm going to try and enjoy Christmas. I suspect there'll be a collective wish as we pull the wishbones on Christmas Day and we'll only know if it's worked when Roly has packed his bags !

Talking Tosh !

Calm Down ! Calm Down !

A truly woeful performance from The Addicks was not what the doctor ordered ahead of three successive away games the first of which is the Millwall game that means just a bit to us stupid customers.

There’s no doubt that the players should take the lion’s share of responsibility for the poor fare that was served up on Saturday. Fans will pretty much forgive even the most inept player if they feel they are giving 100%. Indeed, this is something Robinson told us was a given when he was appointed.

It’d be disappointing if amongst all Robinson’s hyperbole he didn’t take time out to slate the team for that sub-standard effort.

There are many things that baffle me Lookman on set pieces is one but of greatest concern is not playing Chicksen. The lad could play wide left or his preferred left back position.

He has been the stand out player in recent weeks but the gaffer couldn’t find a place for him in the starting eleven. Even then whilst Fox was having an awful game he didn’t feel the need to get him on until the 69^th minute whilst Morgan stayed on.

Whilst Posh will be mightily pleased with their second goal, The Addicks can only view it as terrible defending. Not least a cynical foul was needed to stop their player’s run well before he got into a shooting position.

Many will argue that Robinson should be allowed the January transfer window to get in the players he needs and that injuries aren’t helping. That has to be acknowledged of course. However, there has not been any improvement in the team since the Liverpudlian’s arrival.

A battling display against Bradford aside it’s not been good. Nugent had the team playing well and scoring goals. Why is it that Robinson doesn’t seem capable of getting a performance anywhere near that ?

He continues to talk, talk and talk ! A lot of the time I don’t think he even pauses for thought. In one post-match interview he nearly swore but just corrected himself in time.

We are now treated to him given us his plans pre-match. Karl, I don’t care because when it all goes t**s up you look a mug.

He continues to talk up every player and everything about the club including the claim that transfer fees for players go through the roof when Charlton come calling. Should we be surprised that clubs want to get the best fee for their players ?

Robinson has expressed the desire to meet fans but when time allows. Fair enough I’m sure he’s busy but don’t be so naïve as to go out in Greenwich the night before the game. It sends all the wrong messages especially in light of that “ when time allows “ comment.

More arrant nonsense from him when in attempting to assure us that he understands what the Millwall game means as he describes it as a battle. Eh ? It’s a game of football albeit a significant and meaningful one. However, a battle it is not !

I fear that with that sort of talk he’ll over-excite the players ( and some fans too ), discipline will be lost and it’s not hard to envisage someone getting a red card.

Right from the start Robinson has shown little understanding of the club’s situation declaring himself a footballing Henry Kissinger who can heal all rifts. At the same time we will be witnessing this expansive brand of football that will have us on the edge of our seats.

On occasion he seems overwhelmed and increasingly he looks out of his depth. He’ll need to keep a lid on things on Wednesday and that means himself as much as the players. A calm and rational approach is needed in what is guaranteed to be a hostile atmosphere.

What has played out so far is exactly what I feared when Robinson was appointed. I’ve little doubt that he will spout some more guff in the next two days. If this is followed by a gutless and poor performance then the pressure ramps up, even at this early stage of his tenure.

Results are all important and that is never more true than when playing the Lions. I hope for his sake and the club’s that he can somehow get a result and claw back some credibility.

Come On You Reds !

Talking Posh

The 2^nd round cup tie with MK produced the worst outcome as having already gone to a replay it went into extra time, something our depleted squad really didn’t need.

I felt our best opportunity was to win it at home but we failed and the rest was almost a forgone conclusion.

I didn’t go but one of my lads did and as he was sitting on the opposite side of the ground apparently had a different view to Karl who talked up our performance.

I’m all for putting a positive spin on things ( that’s right eh, Si ? ) but a little too much and folk will start to wonder. Nothing wrong with talking up players etc. but it all seems a bit over the top.

I’m in agreement with Blackheath Addick in his recent post (http://blackheathaddicted.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/the-sound-of-silence.html ) I don’t care how animated, passionate or otherwise our manager appears to be the bottom line is results. All that bluster will only take you so far.

Robinson has repeatedly said that he needs to recruit a certain type of player to enable the team to play the type of football he wants to see. That’s fair enough and perfectly understandable. However, in the meantime if you believe you haven’t got the players to deliver that it seems more than a little naïve to attempt to do so.

I think he understands that you can’t change things overnight but I sense a bull in a chine-shop approach. As much as Allardyce was criticised for his style of football he took a pragmatic view that delivered the aforementioned results.

That doesn’t mean that we need to win ugly. However, I think I would have continued with whatever Nugent was doing. That was working and I can’t see why that couldn’t have continued in the meantime until Robinson’s players arrived.

The temptation as a new boss in almost any walk of life is to make changes for change’s sake. The desire to make an impact in an attempt to justify yourself. It’s a mistake I made myself in a previous job.

If things are working well then the smartest of cookies will not make many, if any, changes. Robinson would do well to do the same.

One thing he has been successful with is bringing Chicksen into the team. I’ve no idea what Slade was thinking in not playing him. The lad has been great. He should be offered a long term deal now but we know what our CEO is like so don’t hold your breath !

Fox should be feeling the pressure and the need to up his game accordingly. Let’s hope he responds.

The Posh offer a tough test tomorrow. We will need to be at our very best tomorrow to beat them.

It’s sad to see that Pearce will almost certainly miss the rest of the season. I’m sure he’ll be aiming to get back as soon as he can. Thankfully, at present we are well covered in the centre back position short term injuries and suspensions aside.

A confidence building win is essential on Saturday not just for Robinson’s sake but ahead of the Millwall game. A gutless performance there will do no good at all ahead of the next MK Dons encounter.

Come On You Reds !

Top Effort at Bradford

A well earned point on Saturday was secured at some cost. Injury to Pearce and a red card for a very dubious second yellow for Bauer. It must be assumed that Pearce will not feature in addition to the BFG at MK tomorrow night.

The Addicks were hit by a bug before Saturday’s game thus further depleting the squad whilst some such as Bauer played despite being far from 100%.

Against that background it was truly was great performance form the lads and from what I’ve seen and heard it seems that we deserved to be ahead at the interval. The second period appears to have needed a truly cohesive defensive approach and walls were not breached !

Stand out performance from all and Josh, Phillips and Chicksen it seems. Many had Adam down as their man of the match. Why on earth he’s not got a chance before or a chance ahead of a fit Fox remains a mystery.

I’ve felt all season that Fox ought to be well above average in this league but without any sense of pressure and feeling his place is secure I don’t think we’ve seen the best of him. I trust that now we’ll see a real battle for that left back berth.

It’s pleasing that the last two away games have rewarded our loyal away following. It’s good to see their efforts reap some return.

Tomorrow’s unwelcome cup replay is one that doesn’t matter an awful lot in my view. I don’t think we need the bother and distraction of extra games especially with our injury and fixture list such as they are.

I’m sure that Robinson won’t take that view irrespective of the opposition. He will surely go all out to win.

Already the difference in his approach to Slade’s is clear to see. I’m sure we’d all rather see an attacking formation and attitude. That’s the one positive thing I can say about Robinson to date.

Only At Charlton !

MOTM nominee - Kevin Nugent.

It’s been a relatively quiet week in S.E. 7 although it’s not been totally without an egg on the face moment for the club’s management team.

Kevin Nugent was nominated for the League 1 manager on the month. Hmm can’t be many managers who that happens to only for them to no longer be in charge. It’s not as though he’s taken up a post elsewhere.

How long did we endure the previous interim ? It would be funny if it weren’t so sad. Still lessons have been learned eh ?

The only lesson I think these goons have learned is that  they’ve noticed in Katrien’s case she says it best when she says nothing at all !

I’m sure the PR company is having an effect. A new manager has been installed and she was nowhere to be seen. In fact, as far as I can see she’s not even commented on the appointment and certainly not the process.

Katrien has virtually retired from public life. Even comment on the links to the child abuse scandal was issued as a club ( or cloob ) statement.

Don’t get me wrong I’ve no real desire to hear from her but what is she doing I wonder ? After all she is supposed to be running the show and that means more than just being filmed pre-match in the tunnel sharing a joke with the latest stooge !

A less than thrilling goalless draw in the cup last week and as we now know no big game awaiting in Round 3 even if we do overcome Robinson’s former team.

Now I think we’re better off losing next week’s replay and winning the Boxing Day encounter. We certainly don’t need extra games.

Saturday sees a trip oop North to take on the former charges of another ex-Charlton manager.

City are 4^th and are unbeaten at home in the league so this will be a tough test. Hopefully having had to play on Wednesday in the prestige Check-A-Trade pot will have taken something out them.

Robinson has had a further week with his team and whilst I appreciate that he might cite the fact that he hasn’t got his own players in yet - he needs to deliver. After all, talk is cheap and a certain manager of the month nominee managed to get results with the self-same squad.

Come On You Reds !

Another New Dawn !

Just waiting for Skip to lift it up next May !

Another quiet week in S.E.7 then !

Mind you, it wouldn’t be the same if there were a week where pretty much nothing happened. As far as I can see a week where Roly and Katrien are exposed for further ridicule would appear to be de rigueur.

Emails from Roly to Sir Chris are made public and clearly demonstrate that the owner was interfering with team selection. However, Roland confirms that he hasn’t ever interfered with team selection - just made a couple of suggestions as you do ! Hmm !

However, we knew all this before of course because Katrien told us, so it must be true ! Oh ye of little faith !

Aside from the team selection, the man offers up advice on formations and is patronising in the extreme. I very much doubt Roly treats his immediate managers in the businesses in which he’s made his fortune in this fashion. Anyone would be off like a shot if so ( unless you’re the CEO of a London football club )..

We really ought to try and break down the 1.5% of his time that he allegedly devotes to our club. Clearly none of it is spent of planning ( he does have a plan doesn’t he ? ) and it would appear it is almost entirely spent on explaining the mess he and his sidekick have created.

With each passing day he becomes more of a public laughing stock. His credibility is on a par with Katrien’s. How he ever succeeded in business is a bigger mystery than why he bought our club.

Anyway back to the manager and Robinson is the latest person to keep the seat warm in the  greatest game of managerial musical chairs sans la musique – there’s nothing to sing about !

This is an odd game with a potential conflict of interest. Robinson allegedly wants Barker ( the current MK Dons boss ) to join his managerial team. If so and you’re in Barker’s shoes what do you do ?

Hmmm ! A right old dilemma and no mistake.

If Barker does join Robinson’s team he’ll find himself working alongside Chris O’Loughlin. He’d be forgiven for asking “ Chris who ? “.

At this week’s press conferences Robinson said that he had personally asked for CO’L to stay on as he was scheduled to leave. I’m finding it hard to believe that he wants someone retained whom he’s barely met as far as I know. In any case managers usually prefer to bring in their own team.

Possibly even more remarkable is that CO’L was originally appointed to the football management team for about a month ? Really ? How very odd !

I’m sorry I’m not buying that and let’s just see how long he sticks around “ dahn our gaff ! “. I’m sure that a2c can explain it all in his or her usual Jabberwocky style.

We now enter the world Robinson’s tippy tappy football. Sadly, a great amount of possession won’t win you games – goals scored is still the key factor. Let’s see if Karl’s changed his ways at all.

If he doesn’t berate referees and blame them for everything that goes wrong then we’ll know he’s changed a bit at least.

Robinson has talked very excitedly about his new job. He’s been acting like a kid in a sweet shop. Therefore, as a number of people have observed, it seems strange that he deferred starting the role until this Monday.

Sheff Utd in the league or MK Dons in the cup………you decide !

I’m not going tomorrow and it won’t be until 17^th December that I get see to Robinson’s brave new world.

Good luck to those attending and I hope that you are rewarded with a win like the one in the previous round. 

A plum tie at home in the 3^rd round would be good. It would offer a platform to further highlight our current situation.

I know not everyone is studiously following our club but I never cease to be amazed at the number of people who are ignorant of our plight. Mention of Charlton to some folk gets the response of “ How are you doing ? You’re in the Championship arent’ you ? What do you mean about your terrible owner ? “

Clearly plenty still to be educated then !

Come On You Reds !