Sunday 2 April 2017

The Fools !


Another quiet week in S.E.7 culminated in another poor defeat appropriately on April Fools Day. However, every day seems like a fools day at present with our club.

At the start of the week the club managed to doing something right with its plan to acknowledge the life of Keith Palmer and to honour his memory.

Come 6pm on Saturday night and we'd had the following :-

  • A dreadful set of financial results confirming just how bad the mismanagement of the club has been in a financial sense
  • Robinson assuring us of his planned summer targets and how if we started pre-season two earlier and in Ireland all would have been fine and dandy
  • Meire smirking at supporters again alongside Sue Parkes who not only stayed on after the final whistle to antagonise supporters but took to social media to make some ill-judged remarks towards them
  • The final part of Getting To Know The Network providing further evidence of the incompetence that has surrounded the club for the past 3 years.
  • A defeat to another average League One side following a full two week preparation for it.
What a mess !

Overlooking most of the above let's focus on the match alone. Robinson had a full two weeks to prepare for it and bizarrely opted not to start most of those players who forced the postponement of the MK game from the previous Saturday.

Admittedly Konsa was injured but probably would have been anyway. Of the other 3 Magennis came on after 66 mins and Botaka after 72 mins. Dasilva as ever stayed on the bench.

Neither Magennis nor Botaka appear to have made an real impact. Therefore, one has to ask ( as I did when we called it off what benefit we got from doing so ). It should be noted that MK were going to be without one of their players.

Now we face playing again on Tuesday. Robinson will probably talk it up as an early chance to put things right. Make no mistake though the remaining games are becoming increasingly must win ones. The players will be under enormous pressure on Tuesday now as we are almost effectively 2 points above relegation when one considers other teams games in hand and how things may look come 10pm on Tuesday night.

Pre-match and Robinson again spoke of the playing for the shirt intimating that he had a wealth of riches in terms of players available. Post-match and he criticised their mentality. I recall he tried this tack before and it didn't work then either.

The man is increasingly being described as a chancer and it's hard to disagree. He won't get a better club or job than this I'm sure. Let's hope he's not allowed to blow a whole heap of money in the summer where he may well be preparing for life in League Two.

It should be noted that one of his main targets, Chuks Aneke, has now committed to another year with MK so that's one deal that definitely ain't happening.

Some folk believe that Robinson should be allowed a transfer window asking who could do better. This is on a par with Sue Parkes warning that any new owner could be worse. Perhaps but they have to be going some to do any worse, This is very true of Robinson and Duchalelet - who could do worse ?

Let's hope we somehow manage to get the points we need to prevent our great club sinking any further.

I'll not be at The Valley on Tuesday as I am away having booked a break before the game had been re-arranged.

Perhaps more important than securing those points is that on Tuesday the life of Keith Palmer is suitably remembered and honoured in equal measure. I'm sure that everyone present will be doing their utmost to ensure this is the case.

He paid the ultimate sacrifice in doing what he probably considered to be just doing his duty. He is an absolute hero and someone we can be proud to call a fellow fan.

My thoughts at 7.45pm on Tuesday will be with everyone in S.E. 7.

RIP Keith.

17 comments:

  1. Martin Edwards3 April 2017 at 12:03

    As you know Phil haven't been to see them play for a while and what struck me about Saturday was the basics. Half chances we had could have been so much better if a pass two or three passes earlier had been in front of the man or a bit more pace on it, better choice of pass etc. As we all know league one (dive 3) is 'in your face' football. You are not given the luxury of time on the ball. So quick accurate passing is the key. It just doesn't seem to be there. Plus of course you have to do your share of hassling. A diamond needs a cutting edge. As to the Ms Parkes debacle all tis could have been avoided if she had not engaged the fans and just walked in with KM and her husband. Have a good break

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    1. Cheers Martin. The football has been dire and for no reason other than the manager. Owner aside this is a pretty good squad that ought to do a whole lot better. Sue has overstepped the mark.

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  2. Will be interesting to see what sort of attendance we get tomorrow night and whether the club disclose the amount given to the family of PC Palmer. As for the match fees players receive, I have no idea what these are at League 1 level.

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    1. Anon, I hope a good turnout and I assume the club will announce the amount.

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  3. It would be rather ironic if our fate was decided by a defeat to Swindon and the winning goal scored by Ajose ! At least it would secure the manager's fate.

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    1. Indeed it would although might our saving grace Trevor as I assume he can't play against us. However, he might have already done enough in other games to seal our fate!

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  4. Ajose will not be permitted to play against us but is apparently our only fit striker!

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  6. I'll be there tomorrow as I always am but will thinking about Keith more than anything. Loosing faith in the manager by the week now. Anyone who plays Novak need he's head seeing to. Playing him 2 games on the trot and you must be seriously demented We have loads of teenagers chomping at the bit so give them a game. What's the worst that can happen! I threw my renewal in the bin as I await a change in everything. Everything is wrong at the club but I feel for those behind the scenes trying to do their best but the club I love is dying. Tomorrows game for me is simply remembering one real Charlton hero....RIP Keith

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  7. Every other observer I have read has said Ms. Meire kept looking straight ahead, not responding to the abuse, so where did your version about her smirking come from? Did you see it yourself? I wasn't there, so would appreciate accuracy.

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    1. Ken, no not there either but it was what I was given to understand and certainly looked that way from a couple of photos I saw. At least she didn't provoke like Sue.

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  8. Ken - I wasn't there either but she may well have been looking straight ahead and smirking. She has form for this. It may even just be nerves but she only has herself to blame. As for Sue Perks,,,

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  9. Martin Edwards4 April 2017 at 08:49

    Ken Yes she spent almost if not all the match looking forward. The picture that appeared on social media when she did look was at the end of the game. By then the chants (mainly "Just sell our club" but a few more choice ones) had escalated as we were losing and Charlton supporters realised how close they were to the Directors box. KM and Chris Parkes just ignored them but Sue Parkes stayed on for at least 5 minutes to banter with the fans. With a Steward in close attendance. I still maintain that she should have left with KM and Chris. No comment is always best in these situations no matter whether you are right or wrong you cannot win. Especially with Social media as it is now everything is recorded so you have to be totally clear with what you say and post. You cannot deny it if someone has recorded it. I am afraid a lot of high level people these days forget that this is the reality of the situation now. World leaders are finding it out to their cost.

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