Testing Times

Fearing travel disruption following Friday’s storm I set off earlier than usual on Saturday. After all, I didn’t want to miss a cracking game!

Ironically, the journey down was to prove the best part of the day as I got to Charlton at 10.40am! This afforded me plenty of time to get breakfast at the Valley Café breakfast. That was excellent.

A few pre-match drinks followed and that was pretty much the end of the fun!

The writing was on the wall when the team was announced and whilst I appreciate we’re light on strikers (a huge understatement) the way we set up was always doomed to failure.

I did feel we shouldn’t have got Burstow loaned back when he signed for Chelsea. I didn’t think we’d need him. How wrong I was!

Whilst I accept our problems up surely we should start with the aforementioned Burstow? In addition, why we left 3 central defenders on the bench is a mystery.

The main thing Jackson should have been looking at was to make the defence solid and us as difficult to beat as possible.

We started brightly but after Oxford scored from the only chance they had upto that point. After that we just got outplayed with Cameron Brannagan leading the way.

A second goal soon followed and that was pretty much it as no way could you see us scoring two let alone three.

The second half saw Baldock score a well taken third followed by the sending off of Clare. Brannagan then capped a great performance by scoring a goal that even eclipsed Baldock’s.

We have seen some below par displays in recent weeks but this was the worst especially given that we were at home.

Games against MK and Wednesday are coming up and it’s hard to see us getting a point from either.

A season that was seemingly over in terms of play off aspirations is slowly coming back to life for all the wrong reasons. We now find ourselves looking over our shoulder again and it’ll get serious if we don’t improve soon.

Where a few weeks ago we appeared to be making plans for next season and importantly getting some momentum going into it we’ve now stalled.

Added to all this there are concerns over Sandgaard’s company with the shares dropping and the alleged loss of a major customer.

It was rumoured that he was seeking some investment but it’s hard to envisage anyone doing so whilst The Valley and training ground remain in Duchatelet’s ownership.

The ongoing uncertainty over Jackson being manager next season doesn’t help of course.

At the very least in the short term Jackson needs to know that he’s in charge next season and has to be backed in his plans for who he and Gallen want to recruit.

Given that a massive rebuild is required that can’t start soon enough.

I’m not sure that we can afford another season not challenging up the top of this league assuming we remain in it.

With a number of fans questioning whether they’ll renew season tickets for reasons outside of this poor campaign it’s a pretty bleak picture given that many unlike me won’t blindly renew.

The lack of an experienced CEO is not helping either. Clearly, so many issues need addressing and fast.

Thomas has from now and the summer to show he has nous, determination and wherewithal to sort it all. He has done a good job with many aspects of the club but now he really needs to back the rhetoric.

I’ll be there tomorrow for what is a rare midweek game for me. I’m not expecting much but can only hope that I witness a more spirited and better organised effort than Saturday.

Come On You Reds!