Blackheath Addick

Not The Expected Script, But Decent Ending

2012-01-31T23:22:00.000Z

Just goes to show how unpredictable football is. We score a goal, of course, but we don’t win. What’s going on? What went on tonight was a reasonable reminder of some home truths: first, nothing’s perfect – and nothing’s entirely predictable; second, unless and until we rediscover our goalscoring touch we are vulnerable to at least the occasional setback; and third, sometimes you’ve got to tip your hat to the opposition. Bury worked hard, made few mistakes, and while not threatening much almost saw the game out for a notable victory. On the balance of play and chances created, we should have won. But after three 1-0 wins in a row, each a testament to the team’s defensive capabilities, perhaps a little of the bravery has gone out of our game in terms of players taking the risk of getting forward. That’s a bit harsh on a night when we could have won well if we’d scored first; a quick look at the stats shows we had 21 attempts on goal (against seven for Bury, with four notionally on target but only one real strike). But don’t you just love stoppage time goals to get something out of a game?

The team showed two changes. Stephens did indeed come back to replace Pritchard in central midfield. Harsh on him but I think understandable. Less predictable was the decision to give Wright-Phillips a rest (he wasn’t even on the bench) and the pairing of Kermorgant with Clarke rather than Haynes. I’d imagined that after a few very tough games in which we’ve not created that much BWP would have been licking his lips at the opportunity tonight. Also, I’ve been assuming that Clarke is the natural back-up for Kermorgant and Haynes for BWP. Perhaps tonight Sir Chris was expecting Bury to defend in depth and was looking for maximum muscle in the box. It didn’t work to the extent that Kermorgant and Clarke are not a natural pairing, looking used to playing a similar game. The lack of pace up front meant that Bury were seldom pulled out of position. That said, the chances did come; we just needed to convert one to go ahead. When Haynes did come on, with about 20 minutes left, he caused them more problems with his pace and greater mobility.

Powell talked about the different atmosphere at Exeter after the intensity of the two Sheffield games and tonight, with the crowd less than 14,000, the place didn’t exactly rock in the first half. Neither did the team, although after an indifferent start as we began to go up the gears it did seem that we would have too much for Bury to hold out. Wiggins was doing sterling work down the left; one cross went invitingly across the face (where were you Bradley?). And from set pieces their keeper looked dodgy on high balls (although perhaps too many through the night were put under his nose). The best opportunity created was when Jackson robbed their guy of possession and moved towards the box. Instead of shooting he slid it left to Clarke, but the space was a bit tight and the shot was blocked by the keeper. There were other moments and no sense of danger at the back, even though Bury played it around well enough. Then they scored.

It was a strange goal in that there were probably four, maybe more, almost 50:50 challenges in the build-up and each time we just failed to nick the ball or get in a block. It ended up getting played through and their guy put in a decent enough shot. Hamer got at least one hand to it but failed to keep it out. I remember thinking that if you have to win that many challenges to score against us there’s nothing wrong with our defending. Just that this time they did. By the law of averages it had to happen sometime.

The rest of the half was much as before, with us not exactly playing great football but showing enough to have confidence about the outcome. At the half-time whistle I swear I heard a few isolated boos. Just what are some people on? (for once whatever it is I don’t want any of it).

Attacking the Covered End in the second half raised the spirits but as the minutes ticked down and the chances came and went the crowd’s anxiety increased. The policy of putting corners under the nose of their keeper continued, but one delivered to the far post was hooked back by Kermorgant and Taylor coming onto it seemed sure to score but put it over the bar. Even a free kick outside the area was put over, by Kermorgant (it was the wrong side for Jackson). Bury’s not surprising time-wasting tactics intensified, to the extent of Hamer giving one of their guys a helping push towards the touchline. But the clock kept ticking.

The introduction of Haynes for Clarke did change the pattern of the game as there was someone on the pitch capable of getting in behind them. This made their clearances more hurried and helped us to increase the pressure. But still no goal. One dropped invitingly around the penalty spot but the shot went just wide, with claims that their guy had handled it; the ref gave a goal kick, so I guess he wasn’t convinced. Green had a decent enough shot, but still nothing was dropping.

Pritchard came on, for Hollands rather than Stevens, whose reintroduction to the team was steady to that point but unspectacular. And sometimes as a manger you either get lucky or have a moment of inspiration. Most people would have expected Stevens to make way, given he is feeling his way back. Heavens be praised that he didn’t. As after the board showed five minutes of stoppage time another race through the middle led by Haynes saw a desperate clearance which dropped to Stevens outside the box. I don’t know what went through his mind, but he executed it perfectly. Stayed over the ball to keep it down but absolutely leathered it, which gave their keeper and retreating defenders no chance whatsoever. There were still a couple of minutes left but no perfect ending. Just a decent enough one.

My overall impression of the game was that we didn’t play at a high enough tempo throughout to really stretch Bury. On most nights it probably wouldn’t have mattered as the game would have opened up if we had scored first, as we had opportunities to do so. We didn’t look like going behind but once we did there was a lack of guile and neither the passing nor movement was incisive enough, at least until Haynes came on. Let’s learn from it and move on. Ten points clear at the top and all is well enough, just some thinking about how we set up for Rochdale on Saturday.

Player Ratings:

Hamer – 6/10. Might have done better with the shot for the goal as he seemed to get hands to it, even though it was well struck. Otherwise seldom troubled.

Solly – 8/10. Even when he’s beaten he’s not beaten as his capacity to recover and win the ball back is outstanding. Was instrumental in keeping the pressure on them especially in the second half.

Wiggins – 9/10. It’s getting boring, but I’d give him the MoM award (again). Some of his interceptions, covering, tackling etc were exceptional and a couple of his crosses were begging to be put away.

Morrison – 8/10. Sterling work at the back as usual.

Taylor – 7/10. It’s not fair to dock a centre-back a point for missing a chance up front, but it was a very good one. No problems otherwise.

Jackson – 7/10. Didn’t feature prominently but linked up with Wiggins to good effect and generally sound.

Hollands – 7/10. Back paired with Stevens, our passing game still really didn’t get going; but I’m inclined to think that that was as much down to the forward combination and lack of movement than anything else.

Stevens – 8/10. Decent return if undramatic until stoppage time. When the chance came he did everything right.

Green – 7/10. Did threaten and some of the balls played in would have tested a keeper happy with the high ball. A shot or two as well, but tonight didn’t make the vital contribution.

Kermorgant – 6/10. I don’t think the pairing with Clarke did either of them any favours as it made us more inclined to lump it too often and as there just wasn’t the pace and movement to stretch them often enough.

Clarke – 6/10. Same thinking really; had the chance in the first half to make his mark but didn’t bury it.

Subs – Haynes (8/10 – his introduction changed the game); Pritchard (7/10 – only on for the last 10 minutes).

Be Prepared

2012-01-25T11:57:00.001Z

OK, gloating, smug satisfaction and staring at the league table over. It doesn’t need to be stressed that it would be criminal if the hard work of the past two games - and the outcome – was to be blown by any easing up as we look ahead to four games that look winnable on paper. It’s reasonable to view them as a batch, before MK Dons come visiting, and Exeter and Chesterfield away bracketing Bury and Rochdale at home has to be seen as the opportunity to drive home a hard-won advantage, not an invitation to indulge in any premature patting on the back. The league this season is likely to be exceptional in terms of the points needed to get automatic promotion, so it’s one game at a time and full focus.

Seven points clear with a game in hand is of course splendid, especially as we only have two more games against teams in the top five (three if we start to include Stevenage). It’s too soon to be in any way definitive, but the way things are panning out it looks as if the top five are going to continue to scrap it out for the two automatic places with the three missing out to be joined by Stevenage, Carlisle or Bournemouth for the play-offs. But we haven’t (yet) reached the stage where any of them have abandoned hope of a top-two finish, or whereby they’re assuming that we’re uncatchable. It’s up to us to make the latter happen. We can’t expect the others to slip up, although they will have to play each other from time to time and something will have to give. I’d be more comfortable if there was a decent gap between second and third, but that’s not in our hands.

For the season to date, we’ve averaged 2.31 points per game, a stat bettered only by Man City. West Ham top the Championship but have ‘only’ managed 1.96 and Southend are top of League Two with 2.0. To be pedantic, even though we are seven points clear with a game in hand, our current (notional) target of 111 points (or 2.55 points per game) to be indifferent to everything else is actually higher than the equivalent number for either West Ham (107) or Southend (110). That is a reflection of the relatively stretched division we are in (largely because of us there’s a 40-points spread from top to bottom whereas in both the Championship and League Two it’s 31).

Again, nobody needs telling but there’s still a lot of work to be done, starting Saturday at Exeter. The FA Cup games mean that aside from us only Huddersfield have a league match (away at Tranmere), while the following Tuesday, while we take on Bury, MK Dons will be hosting Sheff Wed. Two wins for us, plus defeats for Huddersfield and Sheff Wed (OK, a draw with MK Dons wouldn’t be bad), and we’re suddenly 13 points clear at the top (perhaps annoyingly the automatic promotion points target would be unchanged at 111). We can but dream, but only a little over a week ago I was dreaming about beating both Sheffield clubs.

I do think Sir Chris has one selection issue to consider for Saturday. Beating Brentford and the two Sheffields and not conceding a goal in the three games (Fulham was fun but irrelevant) hardly makes a case for any change. But in these games we I feel haven’t had the degree of control in midfield that we’ve previously enjoyed – and I don’t think it’s unrelated that the service to the front two has been poorer than before. Pritchard has taken his chance well, done nothing wrong, and of course it’s a factor that the three games have been against higher class opposition – also that in all three games we spent long periods protecting a one-goal lead rather than bombing forward. But just as the front two and central defence is about partnerships, so for central midfield. And I’m not yet convinced that Hollands and Pritchard are hitting it off together.

Partnerships can take time to gel, but Hollands and Stephens began the season together in fine style before the latter seemed to lose form and got injured. In the 13 games they started together they contributed four goals between them (although it was none in five before they were separated). Hughes came in and with more defensive cover Hollands was able to get forward more and notched three goals in the five games in which they were paired. Then Russell joined him, to good effect, and the pair added two goals.

It’s unfair to draw conclusions after three league games of Hollands and Pritchard, especially given their nature. And Pritchard has earned the right to keep his place and to see how the partnership works in games where we should get more midfield control. Of course, Russell is not available (I’ve not seen any indication we’re appealing the sending off, although looking at the replays the decision looks very harsh), but Stephens and Hughes are options. It’s in Sir Chris’ hands and I’ve no idea how things look in training. Whatever he decides is fine with me.

I don’t think there’s any case for changing the front two, despite BWP’s run of goalless games (eight) and none in four for Kermorgant. Wright-Phillips just needs one to go in off his backside. But we now have Clarke and Haynes to press them hard, plus Hayes, who was unfortunate to be dropped and must now be suffering from lack of competitive games. Same may start to apply for Wagstaff if he continues to get squeezed out of a spot on the bench to accommodate both alternative forwards. That’s the only downside to a squad that’s now looking very strong; there are of course going to be more injuries and suspensions and Cort, Evina, and the midfielders and forwards just have to make sure they’re prepared.

Prepared? Well, my partner Suzanne is coming to London for the weekend and Exeter was, I’m afraid, a coach trip too far to justify. At least as Santa brought an ipad I can be with her in the living room during the game and pretend to be paying attention instead of burying myself in the kitchen watching the screen. And if we’re making sure all the dates are kept open to celebrate the day, it’s worth noting that our current 111 points target means 51 points left to secure, or 17 straight wins. Now on that basis we could secure promotion at .... you guessed it, Carlisle away. Deja vu eat your heart out.

Got the Goal; Won the Game

2012-01-21T19:00:00.000Z

It would appear from Wyn Grant’s posts that the Sheffield papers have been labelling us a team that grinds out results while theirs play the beautiful game. It’s unlikely that that impression will have changed after this afternoon. We ground out a result for sure, which is testament to a defensive display that should be sung about for years to come. As for them, quite frankly there’s no point in playing neat, tidy triangles without a cutting edge and a change of pace when it matters. The stand-out statistic, according to the BBC, is that they had one attempt on target all game. As that was a shot from outside the box that Hamer turned away comfortably enough, they can have no complaints. We got the goal that mattered and after that protected it with aplomb – and the assistance of an idiot called Beattie.

It wasn’t pretty from start to finish. We struggled to get anything going up front, never had control of midfield, and failed to keep possession in a way that would have made things a lot easier. I really think that today the pressure of the game got to us a bit. We knew that a victory would leave us at least seven clear – the target for automatic promotion is now 111 points, or 51 from 20 games – and that getting over the line today would mean just two more games against teams in the top five. We just wanted to win. Having gone in front the priority was a clean sheet and that did affect how we went about the rest of the game. Absolutely no objections from me. We’ve just beaten both of our main rivals, home and away. Proud? I’m glad all over and it’s only going to get better with the Sunday papers.

The team contained no surprises, with Pritchard keeping the central midfield spot alongside Hollands. On the bench, Haynes and Clarke provided the back-up for the forwards, Russell in midfield, and Cort for the defence. The opening 20 minutes were edgy as both teams sized each other up, aware of the importance of the game. They had the edge in possession but gave no indication of making it count; we didn’t threaten, but kept the shape. Aside from one Kermorgant knock-down that Wright-Phillips almost got on the end of in the box, and a Green free kick that had too much curl to be on target, I really can’t remember a goal threatening. But we’ve seen all that before.

On 20 minutes we won a free kick in a central position. It was well set up as it could go either way, with Kermorgant and Jackson lining up, both having scored direct in recent games. In the end it was Jackson – and if last week’s was good this one was better. Bent to the keeper’s right and in off the post. Unstoppable.

After that it was about nerve and resolve. We gave them some encouragement as Hamer was having trouble with balls in the air in the blustery conditions. He elected to punch two when catching them looked easer and when the third came around, direct from a corner, tried to catch it and failed. The ball was dragged behind the goal-line, but the referee had seen enough of a push and the danger passed. It had me a little worried for a moment I have to say, but if you reach the break ahead and that’s the best the opposition have offered things ain’t bad.

There was no change in the pattern of play in the second half. If anything, we were committing fewer players going forward, which left Kermorgant to nod on balls to nobody, as BWP seemed out of sorts with little support. There was an entertaining few minutes as Green fouled his opponent, who hobbled around for the subsequent five minutes and allowed Green to get in two decent shots in quick succession. Otherwise it was tick, tock, clock running down. I have to say I thought we should have had a penalty for handball as their guy clearly raised his hands to one headed back rather than the ball just hitting him, but the ref was having none of it.

Sheffield had to do more to put us under pressure as aside from an occasional dangerous cross nothing was happening for them. They made two changes with about 15 minutes left, with the one Green crocked going off and the other seeing the appearance of the ubiquitous Beattie. We adjusted with Russell coming on for Green, with Pritchard moving out wide as Wagstaff wasn’t on the bench and we did need to stiffen up midfield as our inability to hold the ball was only encouraging them. The changes were to set the scene for the final drama.

The ref had already booked Wiggins for a perfectly good tackle and this hinted at a little over-reaction to anything that could be considered rash. Only a few minutes after the changes Russell made a tackle which looked fair enough to me at the time, but a red card was quickly shown. I’ll have to see it again on the highlights. But just as Sheffield should have been thinking this is the opportunity, in wades Beattie. I’m not sure what he did, but there were some afters and the ref duly sent him off too. If I was their manager I’d have him running up and down sand dunes for a week. If Russell was over the top (again, I really don’t know) Beattie was plain stupid as in an instant he sacrificed their advantage.

Both sides dropping to 10 suited us more than them as it disrupted play and if anything reduced their ability to turn the screws in the final minutes. Haynes made his debut for Wright-Phillips and in the little time he was on the pitch showed a zip which augurs well, winning one free kick on the edge of the area (which this time Jackson elected to hit hard and very wayward) and winning the ball back a couple of times. There was one cross of theirs which clipped the bar, a couple of corners, but we denied them any real sight of goal right through to the end. Five minutes of stoppage time came and went and it was just left to Sir Chris to conduct the celebrations.

We all know it’s not done and dusted; there’s 20 games to go for crying out loud. But the big challenges have been dealt with and surely only complacency – or some horrendous bad fortune – can cost us now. The management, the team, and us can enjoy Sunday looking at the table and get back to it on Monday. Have a nice day off guys, you’ve earned it.

Player Ratings:

Hamer – 6/10. Has to be marked down for the uncertainty he showed with high balls in the first half. Could have cost us.

Wiggins – 9/10. Picked up a booking for no good reason but defensively superb and showed the usual drive going forward.

Solly – 9/10. Never passed, played his part to the full in a near faultless defensive display.

Morrison – 9/10. It could have been a 10.

Taylor – 9/10. Same as Morrison. Just look at the stats for their attempts on target.

Jackson – 8/10. Solid game and the free kick was just sublime (we’ll forget about the second one).

Hollands – 7/10. This was a day for holding what we secured and there were no frills. That said, we didn’t control midfield at all today.

Pritchard – 7/10. Not a bad game, although the fact he was pushed out wide to accommodate Russell (for a few minutes) said that we needed to beef up central midfield.

Green – 7/10. Dangerous at times and could have scored with the couple of shots.

Kermorgant – 6/10. The service today to the front two was limited; it just wasn’t a day for them to shine. Won his fair share in the air, but to no effect as BWP didn’t get on the end of any of the touches.

Wright-Phillips – 6/10. Expected more from him outside the box in a tough game. Not much happened for him today.

Subs – Russell (well, what mark do you give for a guy that’s sent off after a few minutes? I’ll reserve judgement as the decision looked harsh to me); Haynes (no mark, but an encouraging cameo).

Man of the Match – No question. Beattie.

Song For Yan; And More On Fulham

2012-01-19T21:54:00.001Z

Funny where idle conversations can lead you. Last time my French partner, Suzanne, was in London I was trying to both extol the virtues of - and acknowledge the chequered previous career in England – of Kermorgant. Then on a boat near Charing Cross ahead of the Fulham game I was outlining why I blamed them for at least two of the six relegations I’ve suffered as an Addick (more later). Both streams of thought may, I hope, prove to be fruitful, not least as I’ve found it hard this season to post much other than match reports. This might be pressure of work, but may also relate to the fact that there’s been really nothing to take issue with regarding team formation, selection, tactics, signings (and departures) etc. I don’t profess any understanding of these things in any event, but the spleen venting of recent seasons (very happily) just doesn’t apply.

Taking these in turn, I was telling Suzanne about Yan’s rather unfortunate penalty for Leicester in their Championship play-offs semi-final and - in addition to unearthing a video of the strike (it’s hardly difficult) - came across the song that Leicester fans subsequently penned to sum up their feelings about him. I’m not going to include any links as it’s annoyingly catchy and totally inappropriate for a guy who’s been truly splendid for us (may he continue to be). I was decidedly uneasy when I saw the Mail’s piece on Celtic making a play for him (I wouldn’t read the obnoxious rag if you paid me but the BBC’s gossip page had the link), especially as it indicated that he was “available” for £1m. Just sloppy journalism I trust, but reassurance came with the SkySports report indicating that after Celtic made contact it won’t go any further. This report suggested he is happy where he is, as he should be.

Nevertheless, we do need to come up with a song for him and, as there’s a decent chance he’ll line up for us against Leicester next season, what better than to adapt their one, with more appropriate lyrics? They just might sing it next season and we should be prepared to drown them out with our version. They used the Bonnie Tyler ‘classic’ Total Eclipse of the Heart. This repeats ‘turnaround’, for which Kermorgant is substituted. The rest should remain unsaid and not listened to (the original and the Leicester version) but an appropriate ending for us might be ‘knocking ‘em in from the start’ So, for me it’s ‘Kermorgant, he’s been knocking ‘em in from the start’ (repeat ad infinitum).

Having failed miserably before to generate support for an adaptation of David Essex’s Rock On for Therry Racon (‘Racon .. ooh my soul’) I hold out no hopes, but we’ve a team to be proud of and they deserve more songs. (Should be said, Racon’s been doing a standout job since moving to Millwall; takes their money and so far one appearance, in the League Cup.) Surely we can redo the Nicky Bailey one for someone. It might help if the club site published the places of birth of all the first team. We don’t have to have someone from Portugal (or Senegal) to pin the Jorge Costa/Semedo one on; there’s Donegal for example. I thought if Michael Smith made an early breakthrough into the first team he might get it, coming from Newcastle (or thereabouts). OK, it’s stretching it, but if we can make Solly rhyme with quality .....

It’s a well-worn mantra, but as with the team’s focus the vocal support on Saturday has to be spot-on. It’s going to be a big crowd, a tough game, so pleeeeze no moaning, no howls of anguish at every misplaced pass. They deserve better.

So, back to Fulham and first clearing up the number of our relegations they should be held accountable for. Most of us were there for the linesman’s gaffe that did for us in the Premiership (yes, the blame could be spread around a bit but I’m content to continue to blame Fulham). One. Now our relegation from the Championship can be directly linked to the turmoil following eviction from the Premiership. Two. Before that, in 1971/72 a Fulham revival in the final third of the season (which admittedly coincided with us not winning any of our 10 games, including a 2-2- home draw against Fulham when they equalised with a couple of minutes left) saw us replace them in the bottom two after the final game (we were never in the bottom two until after the final game). Three.

Now it might be pushing it to blame Fulham for us going down from the old Second Division in 1979/80. We did finish bottom and seven points adrift of third bottom .... Fulham. But if you look at the stats we failed to win in our last 12 games and these included two 0-1 losses to Fulham. If we had instead won both, we would have stayed up. Four.

Just how we can point the finger for the 1989/90 relegation from the old First Division under Lenny Lawrence, or for the one from the Premiership under Curbs, is not so easy. Fulham weren’t in our division. So for now the count stands at four from six. If anyone has any good suggestions for why it should be higher I’m open to suggestions. (For the record, I have nothing but good feelings about Fulham, a splendid club with tremendous supporters.)

Anyway, the said onboard conversation about the 1971/72 season centred on my befuddled memory at the time telling me that Fulham’s revival that season was sparked by them getting Alan Mullery in on loan from Spurs at a time when this was exceptional (we’ll pass over us having borrowed a certain Swedish forward at an opportune time some years back). A fellow Addick checked the records and saw that late in the season Mullery turned out for Spurs in a European game, suggesting my recollection might have been faulty. This in turn prompted me to dig out the scrapbooks that I kept, from the mid-60s through to the mid-70s (can’t think why I stopped). This did confirm that Mullery didn’t play for Fulham against us in the game towards the end and further research suggests that Mullery did indeed go on loan to Fulham, was behind their upturn in fortunes, but was recalled by Spurs before the season ended.

The trawl through the scrapbooks threw up all sorts of reminders of past glories and I hope to put together a mini-series, not exactly reviewing the seasons concerned but perhaps highlighting some of the dafter cuttings that I kept and some of the more memorable moments (as I remember them, which must be the truth). After all, following victory on Saturday there’s going to be even less otherwise to carp about.

Proud Indeed

2012-01-15T14:48:00.000Z

Sod’s law again. Catching up after my usual monthly trip to Amsterdam, I decided that I just couldn’t spare the time to get to Sheffield yesterday. In the event I probably could have gone there and back twice in the total time that I spent in a state of suspended animation while the game was on – I had to resort to doing the washing up to avoid just watching the clock tick down - and subsequently staring at the league table with a silly, smug grin on my face. Haven’t stopped yet.

I can’t comment on the game, but looking at the reports of others the abiding feeling is that, as for the Huddersfield game, the focus was spot on. The home match against Sheffield Wednesday was the only one I’ve seen this season when the opposition were clearly on top in the final third of the game and the final whistle was something of a relief (you could I suppose add Scunthorpe at home, but we were then defending a two-goal lead late on). MK Dons outplayed us in the first half of that one, but we responded in the second. Sheff Wed will have remembered how the previous contest went, as after we wiped the floor with them in the first 20 minutes they gradually ground us down through sheer strength and lumping it up in the air (to be fair, ie playing to that strength). Just how the game would have gone had they equalised as at The Valley is a moot point; they didn’t. The evident frustration in Megson’s post-match comments only add to the delight. And yes, Sir Chris, you’re absolutely right about us being proud of the team.

The victory only serves to cement certain statistics. Everyone’s well aware that the top five in the division are there on merit; two of them are going up and three will be in the play-offs (sod’s law suggests that the team that sneaks the final spot will win through). Against the other four we’ve played five times, won three and drawn the other two. Tellingly, in the five games we’ve conceded just two goals while scoring seven (and not failing to score in any). Of course Sheff Utd could make a mess of these stats on Saturday; but as things stand the perhaps curious one is that our current average for the season is just 0.76 goals per game conceded and the average against the other top teams is even better (just 0.40). Focus and determination when it really matters.

It’s not tempting fate to start a ‘countdown clock’ for promotion; of course we take each game as it comes but we can hardly pretend that the end-goal isn’t automatic promotion. As things stand, 113 points would guarantee a top-two finish. That number will decline pretty much with each passing week (it’s already lower but I’m not sad enough to work out the actual number taking account of teams playing each other) but as of now it’s 56 points from 21 games to remain completely indifferent to the results of others.

Of the games left, only nine will be away from The Valley. It doesn’t mean much, but the other curious stat for me is that at present we have a marginally higher average points return from away games than those at home (2.29 against 2.27). We are going to face a number of games at The Valley where the opposition will just try to shut up shop. We will need to be patient sometimes and it doesn’t need underlining that the crowd has to play its part over the next few months. Let’s make the place rock.

I’ve no idea if there will be further transfer moves in January (or indeed through to March apparently), but with Cort and Russell staying with us and effectively Benson and Euell exchanged for Clarke and Haynes we’re looking strong enough. It’s tough on Hayes (and the younger forwards) to slip down the pecking order, but with the changes we’ve addressed the ‘fourth forward’ issue and perhaps also, with Haynes, the poser of what would happen if Wright-Phillips became unavailable. With Pritchard, Russell, Hughes and the returning Stephens competing for the central midfield spot alongside Hollands (I heard talk of Alonso being released but don’t know if that’s happened/happening), the only positions I can see us possibly wanting back-up are right-back (Solly is playing so well that it seems almost heracy, but as things stand if he’s out we have to rejig the back four) or conceivably the wings. I imagine we’re waiting to see how things pan out at QPR regarding Ephraim, but with Green, Wagstaff, Jackson and Evina we’re not exactly stretched.

A final tribute is that someone asked me who I’d vote for player of the season right now. That Hamer wouldn’t top the list is more down to the effectiveness of the defence in front of him than anything wrong on his part, the ever-present Morrison would have a strong case, Wiggins could edge it for pure consistency of excellence (with Solly close behind), Hollands has been immense (especially considering the number of partners he has had), and BWP might be having a temporary drought but remains the cutting-edge. People talk about successful teams having a strong spine; we have one (and the ones around it ain’t doing bad either).

Forgotten It Already

2012-01-07T19:27:00.000Z

Today’s not about blame. It wasn’t my fault that everyone else congregating on the boat off the Embankment before the game didn’t want any of the bottle of syrah I’d purchased, obliging me to consume the lot; it wasn’t my fault that having been in the first two in the queue at The Valley for tickets for the game they decided to sell us ones working from the outside in, such that we were to watch proceedings closer to The Thames than the pitch; and the team wasn’t really to blame for a scoreline that really didn’t present an accurate picture of events. You might argue that it did, to the extent that Fulham demonstrated the difference in quality (and strength/physique) and ran out easy winners. But all games turn on moments and at 1-0 down during our purple patch in the second half we created the chance to level the score. It wasn’t easy and Wright-Phillips didn’t take it, but when that one went and Fulham scored again it was pretty much game over. Their two extra goals counted for nothing; we just have to make sure that with two key games coming up the defeat and scoreline count for nothing too.

It was a draw which offered a pleasant day out at a good price; but especially with hindsight a contest against a Championship team would have provided a better measure of where we are. I kept trying to remember (having passed on the recent Spurs cup tie) when was the last game I’d watched when we were so clearly the underdogs. Fulham, barring an unlikely slump into a relegation struggle, have nothing to play for apart from the Cup and were never going to take it lightly, as reflected in their team selection (and although I couldn’t bring myself to boo Murphy that’s the nicest I’m going to be about a club that I still view as responsible for two of our relegations in my lifetime). They will probably look back on the afternoon as something of a stroll – and undoubtedly it ended that way, with the substitution of Wiggins and Hollands a fair indication of our priorities once the game was beyond us. Just that nagging thought at the back of the mind that if we had levelled things when we were clearly on top the story would have been very different.

The team saw Taylor return in defence after his rest against Brentford, Green back from suspension, and Hamer taking his one-game ban; but otherwise no changes/surprises, with Pritchard keeping his place alongside Hollands in central midfield and Sir Chris opting to play his strongest available side. With 7,000 supporters making the trip across town this wasn’t the time for resting players. The opening minutes were nervy as Fulham passed it around and buzzed rather dangerously around our box; the priority was clearly to settle into the game and not concede. But concede we did, rather unfortunately. A ball through seemed to be overhit and on its way to Sullivan before it took a deflection, leaving him stranded and their guy able to nip in and score.

There’s seldom a positive slant to be put on letting in the early goal, but in this case there was the hope that it would induce some complacency on their part and the thought that if we could make it to the break without conceding again we could give it a proper go after the break. That proved to be the case. Fulham not surprisingly kept the ball better, had most of the play, and periodically looked dangerous, but if anything we had the half-chances, with one nod back from Kermorgant that might have been converted and one that went into the side-netting from wide left after some lacklustre defending on their part. At the break you felt that we hadn’t done ourselves justice in terms of playing as we can, even against higher quality opposition, but that we were still in the game and capable of raising it.

And raise it we did. The first 20 minutes of the second half saw us if not in control of the game at least having the upper hand. More contested balls were being won, the passing and movement were better, and there were signs that Green – who was finding more space - could deliver some telling balls in and that Kermorgant and Wright-Phillips had the ability to get in behind two ponderous central defenders. The chance came when Kermorgant managed to weight a flick on to BWP who got there ahead of the keeper but saw his shot blocked by the outrushing keeper. Shortly after Green had a shot turned over and from a corner another effort was blocked, while the linesman mysterious gave a foul against Wright-Phillips when it seemed he’d got beyond the defender and was held back. But the goal didn’t come and, forced to reassert themselves, Fulham killed off the game with a second. I don’t like to dwell on the opposition’s goals; suffice to say the ball was played across the box and their guy shot into the net, giving Sullivan no chance.

That was effectively game over. A third came from a penalty after Sullivan was adjudged to have brought down their guy and towards the end Fulham scored again. We didn’t deserve to be on the end of a 4-0 scoreline, but we live with it. I’ve already forgotten the game (if it had taken longer to get back I’ve no doubt I’d remember even less of their goals than I already have). As a measure of where we want to get back to it was a little sobering, but such thoughts are irrelevant. We’ve had a good day out and can take comfort from no distracting fixtures over the next few months. We all know we have two crucial games coming up next and if we play to the same level as we did today we’ll be fine. Some of our stuff was a marked improvement on Brentford, not least the much better hold-up play and overall involvement from Wright-Phillips. Sure, he needs one to go in off his backside, but that happens to all goalscorers; there’s no excuse for not maintaining today’s much better performance in the Sheffield games. What gives me confidence is the focus and determination we showed in the Huddersfield game; if that’s repeated I’ll be more than happy – and when it is we’re more than a match for anything else in this division, probably for a good deal of the Championship.

No player ratings today as there’s a major takeaway with my name on it; and I don’t want to judge us this season against anything other than what we need to compete against. But it’s another game where the mention in dispatches has to go to Solly. Outstanding.

Not Pretty But Ultimately Effective

2012-01-02T19:31:00.001Z

Errors are made and there’s a need for some latitude at this time of the year. But I thought the club would have known that the best I could do was to get to The Valley by around 15.30, given that the flight back was scheduled to arrive at Gatwick at 14.10. Delaying the kick-off for 15 minutes was appreciated, but was just never going to be enough. Apologies accepted. By the time I’d settled into the seat, sherry-laden bag in hand, all I really wanted was a win by whatever means, especially after New Year’s Eve in Seville had been ruined by events at Orient (and witnessed in the Texas Lone Star bar; I promised to buy a T-shirt if we won but that just didn’t happen).

So I cannot comment on the first 15 minutes, having been informed that Cort and Pritchard would start in place of Taylor and Russell. A bit surprising it has to be said, not because Pritchard hadn’t earned a chance but rather that, with Jackson coming back and being asked to play a second game in a matter of days, the option of the reliable Hughes wasn’t taken if Russell needed a break. That said, with games in a short space of time you just don’t know what niggles have been picked up and who’s not really available. So no problems, but you have to say that through the remaining 75 minutes or so we struggled to put passes together and to control the game in any meaningful way. You have to give some credit to Brentford, who are no mugs – and if they could shoot would surely have taken something from the game. I’m happy enough to write the game off as a hard-won victory, just as Orient has to be dismissed as just one of those days. But, while happy, let’s just say that in terms of passing, movement and control we were second-best for most of the game. Instead, with Wright-Phillips starting to look out of sorts in a more worrying fashion than before, we seemed happy to rely on additional aerial power from set pieces, with Cort, Morrison and Kermorgant, plus Jackson, undoubtedly a threat all afternoon. From a footballing perspective it wasn’t great. But a win in a congested period means a good deal is forgiven, especially as a failure to pick up three points would have meant one victory in five. As it is, we’ll take being five points clear, have some fun at Fulham, and then gear up for the two Sheffield games.

Brentford played it around well enough and had mobile forwards, but ultimately they lacked the firepower and composure up front to emerge with anything. While having the bulk of possession in the first half, all they had to show for it was a couple of shots from outside the box and a moment of panic when Hamer came and punched out a lowish cross only to see it rebound and fortunately settle back in his arms. We had one moment when Green got through, but the absence of midfield dominance meant we were feeding off scraps in a pretty ordinary game of football.

The opener came out of nothing. A ball dinked into the box should have been headed clear; instead their defender slipped, leaving Morrison alone but with his back to goal and the ball hovering around his head. Their keeper made the poor decision to try to claim it and instead became stranded as Morrison made the necessary contact to nod it home. That was about it for the first half.

The second period had two fairly distinct periods. After a mixed opening we did finally put them under some sustained pressure and had the chances – nearly all of them involving high balls in, arguably justifying the selections and approach - to kill off the game. Jackson drifted in beautifully late to a ball in only for his steered header to go just wide, I along with the rest of the East Stand thought another had been nodded in only for it to become apparent that the header went into the side netting, and finally another header crashed back from the upright and somehow wasn’t buried. Amidst all of this, Wright-Phillips was having something of a mare, not proving as effective as Kermorgant in harrying when out of possession and seeming out of sorts, as demonstrated by a left-foot shot after Green had set him up which went for a throw.

The goal didn’t come and Brentford, having survived the storm, came back into it, having made three substitutions in a short space of time. We had to endure two free kicks awarded just outside the area, one perhaps harshly given for handball and the second one for a shove (apparently by Kermorgant) which was a bit tough to argue with. Both saw one of them try to unsettle Hamer by standing in front of him as he lined up the wall; both were wasted, with the first shot blocked and the second well over the bar. Solly picked up a yellow for deliberate handball to stop one going over his head and Cort was to suffer a similar fate. And finally their guy was played in on the left side of the box only for him to hit the shot over the bar.

Just as they weathered the difficult period, so did we. The newly arrived Clark came on for Wright-Phillips and Wagstaff replaced Jackson and by now we just wanted the clock to run down. Instead we were happily deprived of a worrying stoppage time as a ball in from the right was cleverly protected by Kermorgant (he didn’t touch it but made sure the defender didn’t either) and fell to the onrushing Green. He took it to the keeper, checked inside onto his right foot, and slotted home. Hughes came on for the final few minutes and it was job done.

We’re top of the league, we’re five points clear, and we have nothing to complain about. OK, it wasn’t pretty and the bucketload of sherry purchased in Seville has gone back to Lyon with Suzanne (she had the bag checked in). In the greater scheme of things, I’ll live with it.

Player Ratings:

Hamer – 6/10. All considered, he didn’t actually have a serious shot to save (he should have done, but that’s their problem). Missed badly one cross in the second half and his strange punch in the first could have cost us. It didn’t, I assume he sits out the cup game if that covers his suspension.

Solly – 7/10. Basically fine; picked up the yellow for one that would have gone over his head.

Wiggins – 8/10. Read the game very well as usual and dealt with all thrown at him.

Morrison – 8/10. Notched another and generally commanding in defence. No problems.

Cort – 7/10. Not sure why Taylor was rested, but did well enough and may have made a decisive challenge to put off their guy when he seemed to be in.

Jackson – 7/10. Tough ask to come back and play a second game in a few days but looked cultured and assured, nearly scored.

Hollands – 7/10. Not a bad game, but at no stage did we dominate midfield. Deserves credit for playing with a variety of partners of late, which can’t help him.

Pritchard – 7/10. Here too not a bad game, but you can’t expect everything to be fluid when new combinations are tried.

Green – 7/10. Gets the extra mark for the goal, but otherwise a bit peripheral as the service to him was lacking.

Kermorgant – 8/10. I thought he strived tirelessly in the cause today and deserves some credit for our second.

Wright-Phillips – 5/10. Disappointing. Dry spells happen to all goalscorers and you just get on with it. Today there was too much shrugging of the shoulders and complaints, while his hold-up play was weak. Has shown – and is obviously capable of – much better.

Subs – Clark (6/10: rusty start, so we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt; looks like back-up for Kermorgant); Wagstaff (6/10: no real impact coming on late); Hughes (can’t give a mark for a couple of minutes, bit unlucky not to start as he did well alongside Hollands before Russell came in).

Rest(?) Ye Merry Gentlemen

2011-12-21T14:07:00.000Z

‘Tis that time of the year, apparently. When everything is in abundance, especially stress. If it’s not trying to finish off the last hundred things to do before the supposed break, while still finding time to play with the new things that you just had to add to the online Xmas ordering process, it’s the anxious wait to discover whether Santa’s bag to be lugged around the relatives will be filled with actual gifts or just promissory notes/email confirmations (‘I ordered it in plenty of time, honest, the bits I bought for myself have been delivered, including the essential radiator shelf’). And you’d think that with the fixture list having been available for a little while at least the preparations for our upcoming games would have been simple. Not so.

Yeovil on Boxing Day will have to be passed up, I’m afraid. Although the recent minor contretemps between the UK and France has not (yet) soured personal relations, with my partner Suzanne flying into London that day I suspect a message from me saying ‘we’ve just gone past Bristol, make yourself a cup of tea and I’ll join you later’ might get the Gallic fur flying (some people just have no sense of priorities). If she’d planned properly she could have flown in the day before and we could have gone together.

Orient away on New Year’s Eve ought to have been a breeze and a delight. However, when asked some months back whether I’d like to usher in 2012 in Seville I forgot to check. Seemed like a good idea at the time (basically anywhere easyjet flies to given the Lyon connection). To her credit she’s trying hard to repair the damage by scouring lists of bars in Seville which might be willing and able to tune into Sky on New Year’s Eve for a League One game to satisfy one forlorn Addick. Ah, come on. I’m confident that all of Seville will be putting the festivities on hold to watch the game and I’ll find myself surrounded by well-wishing Addicks-at-heart singing Valley Floyd Road (with a slight accent) and keeping my sherry glass topped up as we stroll to victory. The alternative scenario sees me plonked in front of a screen in some Irish bar with hushed conversations all round about the sanity of some strange Englishman. Either way, as long as victory is delivered I won’t give a monkeys.

I am after all defending a proud recent record of not having seen us lose when I’ve watched the game from a foreign bar. In Madrid I watched with delight as Bryan Hughes stooped low at the far post to notch the winner against Aston Villa (come to think of it that was over New Year too). In Amsterdam I cheered as BWP’s shot found the back of the net. But at the risk of going back a few years (before the advent of texting and internet access) it doesn’t yet compare with reaching San Franciso after a few months of hitch-hiking around the States during a gap year, going to the library to scour the English newspapers and discovering that while away we’d beaten Chelsea 4-0 (among other results which haven’t stuck in the mind).

The flight back from Seville is apparently scheduled to land at Gatwick at 14.10 on 2 January. I hope Suzanne isn’t counting on any assistance with her bags, or company while she waits for her flight on to Lyon. Nobody’s going to see my tail for dust (unless I have to wait for a bag full of sherry) as at best I’ll be hard-pushed to get to The Valley much before half-time. I shall forgive the lads if we’re 3-0 up and game over before I get there. Note to easyjet: an early arrival would be much appreciated.

Then it will be a (hopefully) more relaxed sojourn across town for Fulham in the cup. Splendid draw, dire statue. I did manage to get up at sparrow’s fart that Wednesday to be at the head of the queue when the shutters opened. Apologies to all those in line who must have been hoping for a quick turnaround. The logistics of getting tickets for nine adults, two U-21s and four U-16s were challenging.

So basically my upcoming footballing experiences, after a relaxed boozy day watching the score from Yeovil, will involve scouring Seville for an accommodating bar, haring back from Gatwick, then slogging across town. God rest ye merry gentlemen. But it is all in a good cause; it had bloody better be as two consecutive draws amounts to a second hiccup which needs to be addressed before the Sheffield matches. Sir Chris had better pull his socks up and take a good look at himself. I was advised on Saturday that he was wearing a suit with a sweater underneath. This inexcusable sartorial error did for Parky a year back (similarly after getting Manager of the Month for November). You’ve been warned.

All that remains is to wish all and sundry a splendid Xmas and a healthy, happy 2012!

One Not Enough

2011-12-17T18:31:00.001Z

Today, even more than usual (if that’s possible), all we wanted was (in order of priority) an easy win, pay respects to Peter Croker, stay warm, stay dry, and get home. It didn’t turn out that way, but there’s not a lot to carp about. There was nothing wrong with the players’ attitude or commitment and nobody took it too easily. It just proved to be one of those days when we should have won but didn’t. Against a team that would have embraced 0-0 from the start, if it had ended up that way you would have thought ‘hard lines, credit to Oldham for riding their luck, move on’. Having made the breakthrough in a game where we were patently better than the opposition it does, however, it does feel worse as I doubt that any Oldham fan would have put money on them squaring it. They did, with a decent enough goal, and if there is any criticism it’s that we didn’t show enough composure in the closing minutes to carve out a stab at a winner; indeed, thinking about it I don’t think we created a serious chance after we’d gone ahead. Perhaps the feeling in the crowd that one would be enough extended to the pitch. Learn from it and move on.

The team pretty much picked itself, the only mild surprise for me was that neither Hayes nor Benson made the bench, leaving Euell as the only available replacement forward. That seemed more pertinent as a nasty clash of heads saw both Kermorgant and their defender both leave the pitch for some stitches and both return bandaged up. That injury break didn’t help the flow of the game in the first half, which was more detrimental for us than them, as we had a spell of 10 against 10, leaving both teams not sure how to adjust; and Kermorgant must have started bleeding again as he had to take another break. What became clear through the first half was that we were by a distance the more potent force and when we got it right they couldn’t cope. A Morrison header from a set piece went wide, Wright-Phillips saw an overhead kick go just wide (although he was flagged offside), and after a delightful pass by Hollands Green found himself clear but put the shot just the wrong side of the post. It wasn’t a case of just a matter of time, but leaving aside the extensive use of the long throw Oldham had really just one moment in the first half when the ball flashed across the box.

Attacking the Covered End in the second half you hoped that the intensity would increase and that one chance would be taken. It seemed to arrive as Wright-Phillips was played in but having rounded the keeper BWP allowed said keeper to thrust out a paw and prevent him from putting it in the net. Wright-Phillips had another that went into the side-netting, while Green shot narrowly wide from a free kick, although in both cases their keeper probably had it covered. Finally on the hour the goal came. A decent ball in from the right saw Russell time the run right and get on the end of it to head home. Celebration and relief all round, but still a third of the game to go.

The fact that Oldham had caused us next to no problems was only a qualified comfort. They made two substitutions in response and clearly they would have nothing to lose. This was the time for the wingers to make more of an impact in exploiting the space and for the forwards to finish off the game. That proved not to be the case as neither Ephraim nor Green managed to come up with telling contributions and, although Kermorgant was chasing and competing for everything, seemingly locked in a battle of the headbands with their centre-half, our play with the ball became a little sloppy when the requirement was to keep possession and not give them encouragement.

None of this looked like mattering as the clock wound down. But they worked a move down their left which seemed to catch Solly out. It came to nothing but just a couple of minutes later there was something of a repeat and having been pulled out of position Solly lost his man, who squared it for another to hit home well from around the edge of the area. Wagstaff came on for Ephraim for the final five minutes or so, but during that period the anxiety set in as Oldham sat back again and happily headed away balls coming into the box. No final chance, no last-minute winner.

Disappointing for sure, but really only in terms of the result. Fact is it was a decent game of football played in a good spirit by both teams, only slightly marred by a ref who was overly fussy from the start (albeit consistently, giving free kicks to both sides for innocuous challenges). On the balance of play and chances we would have won it nine times out of ten, but today it wasn’t to be. A second consecutive draw makes it a little more difficult to just shrug off; you’re tempted to say don’t be greedy, we’re still five points clear at the top. Nothing wrong with being greedy this time of the year and nine would have been nice.

Player Ratings:

Hamer: 7/10. Didn’t have a serious shot to save aside from the goal, for which he had no realistic chance. Handled the crosses well enough and an unremarkable rating only reflects the fact he had little to do.

Solly: 6/10. Has to be at least partially culpable for the goal as he was caught out and that led to the ball being squared and finished off, just a couple of minutes after a similar situation. Didn’t really get forward either. So be it, he’s been outstanding this season.

Wiggins: 8/10. Another superb game; he took the ball out of defence twice in a fashion which showed how on top of his game he is.

Taylor: 8/10. He and Morrison covered and cleared just about everything through the game, not giving their forwards a look-in. That included dealing with the long throws.

Morrison: 8/10. As for Taylor.

Ephraim: 6/10. Struggled to have a real impact today and our lack of penetration down the flanks, with two genuine wingers out there, was apparent.

Hollands: 8/10. Might just get edged out for man-of-the-match by Kermorgant, but it’s a close call for me.

Russell: 7/10. Timed the run into the box well for the goal and generally competent.

Green: 6/10. Perhaps a little harsh, but today I felt we didn’t get enough going down both flanks. No shortage of effort, however.

Wright-Phillips: 6/10. Didn’t come off for him today in front of goal and after scoring in five league games in a row that’s three consecutive without one. So what, the guy’s a natural. He could easily have had a couple today.

Kermorgant: 8/10. Absolutely full marks for commitment as he went for everything despite the head injury. Crying out for a decent ball into the box from the flanks (the one that did come in saw Russell get ahead of him to score).

Subs: Wagstaff (no time to make an impact).

'Keen' Enough

2011-12-03T18:07:00.000Z

Sir Chris pretty much summed it up in his programme notes. We were indeed “keen” to get to the third round; not desperate, but not entirely indifferent. The first-half performance didn’t get much above indifferent, but by raising the effort in the second period we did enough. You can’t expect the same level of commitment as we saw on Monday night, not from the players - with changes to the team but Wright-Phillips and Kermorgant on the bench if required – nor from the fans. With the crowd down to around 7,500 the atmosphere was missing until we attacked the Covered End. But again, we did enough. And we’re still happy.

Enforced and optional changes to the team were always on the cards. Sullivan started in goal, Wiggins and Solly were retained, but Cort came in to partner Morrison, with captain Taylor taking a break. Evina started wide-left in place of the unavailable Ephraim, with Green on the other flank and Pritchard alongside Hollands in the centre. Up front Hayes was partnered by Wagstaff rather than either Euell or the not-departed Benson. It looked like a decent enough mix, with a chance to look at Evina playing further forward and the opportunity for Wagstaff to show he can do a forward’s role if required.

However, when the work-rate drops and players aren’t fully focused, it’s hard to make things happen. Through the first half there were flashes and moments when we threatened, but I can’t remember their keeper being forced to make a save. I did see Wiggins get caught out trying something he wouldn’t in a league game and Hollands robbed of possession. That summed things up. After a wobbly start Cort settled into what he likes best, heading the ball clear – and almost getting on the end of a couple of corners at the other end – but it was telling that Sullivan was by far the more active custodian, making a couple of more than decent saves and leaving those in front of him in no doubt if they’d erred – especially when a back pass or two put him under pressure.

The second half brought a more determined approach and with the effort raised suddenly players who had looked peripheral in the first half – Green, Evina, Hayes, Wagstaff and Pritchard – were suddenly involved. Hayes had a good spell in linking up play, Wagstaff managed to control well a through ball to get in, but stretching the shot was saved. And their keeper splendidly turned one over the bar. It wasn’t all one-way traffic and Sullivan added to his tally of decent saves. But we were looking the more likely and the break came from a set piece, with two or three attempts blocked before the ball sat nicely for Morrison to plant it into the net.

After that Carlisle didn’t exactly go for it with all guns blazing, perhaps still stung by their recent league reverse at The Valley. There wasn’t a great deal of conviction about their play after going behind and, while we looked comfortable – especially with Solly blocking off their left side - with just one, we were more likely to add to the total. Evina managed to wriggle his way through and provided one delicious cross which was nearly converted. Kermorgant came on for Green, with Wagstaff moving back out wide, and then Wright-Phillips was obliged to break sweat for Hayes. His first involvement was to run onto a through ball, but the angle wasn’t good as he declined to shoot with his left and the chance was gone. Finally Euell came on for Evina and as the clock ticked around to 90 minutes Kermorgant made progress inside the area and squared it for Euell to slide in and round things off.

So, we’re in the bag for the FA Cup proper. Any one of three options will do for me: home or away to one of the big boys, home to a decent Championship team, or home to one of the remaining minnows (I’ve nothing against sneaking into the last eight playing no-one of note; after all, Millwall made it to Wembley that way). Equally, I’ll not have many gripes if the cup run ends in the next round, although I will be ‘keen’ that we go through whoever we’re against. The games come thick and fast after Christmas; a cup run mixed with a couple of postponements and we’ll have an unwanted problem. But it’s not such a bad problem to have.

According to the recent ONS study, apparently about three-quarters of people in the UK are satisfied with life. But the survey was conducted between April and August. If it had been done between August and November the reading would surely have been much higher, given our season to date and the effect this must be having on the mood throughout the country. It couldn’t of course be 100% as it’s impossible for a Palace or Millwall fan to be happy, whoever they roll over in secondary competitions.

No player ratings from me for today, given the proverbial game of two halves. Suffice to say that Sullivan should take the man of the match award, with special mention in dispatches for Solly and Cort. On to Walsall on the back of seven straight wins since the Stevanage game, including five clean sheets. May it continue. I just can’t help worrying that this time around Powell might just get that manager of the month award.

Plaudits All Round

2011-11-28T23:43:00.000Z

Ahead of tonight’s game for me it had all the echoes of when Sheff Utd were putting together an impressive run and came to face us at Selhurst Park in what proved to be Lennie’s promotion season. That day we did a job on them and came away with a 2-0 victory, one that said that the side he’d put together had the backbone, will and ability to get us up. I only have one truly warm memory of that place (it involved Paul Kitson; Dennis Rommadahl’s doesn’t really count as I was in The Crown watching that one), but if I look back on any game there with affection that was it. I didn’t want to tempt fate before by drawing comparisons, but tonight turned out much the same. A genuine rival, full of confidence, turned up at our place (this time) for a real top-of-the-table clash and to a man our team more than matched them. Sure, the last 20 minutes or so were a struggle; it’s hard to play the game when you’re winning 2-0 and only want the final whistle. It might even have turned out differently if they’d pulled one back. They didn’t, it didn’t, and the team deserve all the plaudits, especially for a first-half performance that had everything you could want.

With Jackson missing, Powell went for it by bringing in Ephraim from the start. The surprise was that the other loanee just arrived, Russell, also began the game, with Hughes unlucky to be on the bench. The first five minutes were a blur as I was waiting outside in the queue, having lingered too long over the pre-match wine. But once in the early exchanges were not surprisingly somewhat frantic, with both sides trying to establish some sort of dominance in the key areas. What seemed apparent was that Huddersfield could clearly cause us problems, especially from set pieces, but they lacked the pace or individual ability to turn the game. By contrast, when we made openings they either did or nearly did count. It wasn’t going to be a game for pretty football, there was too much at stake and no shortage of effort or commitment on either side. But by the break, in every department we’d come out on top.

The first real opening saw Wright-Phillips spring an offside trap (which he played with all night), but having cut inside opted to shoot instead of squaring it and the keeper made the save. Huddersfield had corners and a couple of shots, but they produced nothing to match that moment of quality. Then the ref began giving free kicks for 50-50 challenges; three to them, which came to nothing, then one for us, which Green curled in and Kermorgant made it all his own. The first goal was always going to be very important and we had it. The game continued as before, but once again we manufactured a decisive moment and made it count. A fair challenge – which seemed to be contested by them – produced a throw which was quickly taken to BWP, who turned the defender and despite a heavy touch got the strike in. It was well blocked by their keeper, but bounced out to Ephraim, who buried it.

Three moments, two goals. The rest was contested, but with our defence more than holding solid at the break they’d been restricted to some corners, a few shots, with Hamer having no shot to save. It was as close to the perfect performance as you could wish for at this level.

At the break Russell was replaced by Hughes (no idea if it was an injury or tactical) and nobody was in any doubt that there was still all to play for. Huddersfield had a very proud record to defend and had nothing to lose. The first chance – which had it gone in might have finished the game – saw a long throw in met superbly by Kermorgant, who managed to take a ball from behind him and get a meaningful header in, only to see it come back off the bar. They followed up with one off the woodwork too, although it looked to me like a cross which went wrong rather than a deliberate attempt.

As the game wore on it was hardly surprising that we came under more pressure. Kermorgant and Wright-Phillips, having worked their socks off, were tiring and looked increasingly disjointed; without a regular outlet we gave away possession too easily. Again, we wanted it to be over. The half-chances for them were becoming more frequent, with one ball across that somehow wasn’t converted, and then what proved to be the crucial moment. A ball in and for once our central defender (the TV can say whether it was Morrison or Taylor) slipped, allowing their forward to get in the shot. Hamer managed to get a glove on it and turned it on to the post and safety. He’d had no real saves to make before then, but when it mattered he – like everyone on the night – rose to the occasion.

Thereafter it wasn’t done and dusted, but their moment hadn’t produced a goal and it showed. Ephraim was replaced by Wagstaff and then Kermorgant fell awkwardly in the box and was stretchered off (have to wait to see if that was serious), with Hayes coming on. I’d been trying not to look at the watch and didn’t even realise we were playing stoppage time, so when the ref blew the whistle I was surprised – and delighted. No doubt the players are too (we know Sir Chris is, by the end-celebrations) and they have every right to be.

There’s no player ratings tonight as it would have to be a 10 for each and every one. Some may saw that Wright-Phillips wasn’t at his most effective, but he was instrumental in the second goal and worked hard until the last spell of the game. Kermorgant won headers all night, scored superbly and nearly had a second. Green provided telling contributions; Ephraim was excellent in the first half before tiring. And I just don’t have the time to sing the praises of Solly, who was almost inspirational, Wiggins (just another excellent game for him), Morrison and Taylor, who were magnificent, and Hollands, who worked tirelessly (as did Russell and Huges). Hamer made the save when it mattered. I think that’s everyone.

Planning Departments

2011-11-23T08:17:00.006Z

The week in Lyon is going splendidly, helped of course by the marvellous result at Brentford (a fellow Addick at the game gave his man of the match award to Green for the ball in for the goal). I’m quite happy that their manager feels they didn’t deserve to lose. As far as I’m concerned, Hamer had the one that hit the post well covered (no, I haven’t seen highlights I just know it to be the case) and we were unlucky to only beat them by one. It’s a useful time to pull out the old Shankly quote about the best team always wins and the rest is just gossip. However, it seems that my planning department is leaving a bit to be desired.

First, having arranged to fly back to London on Saturday morning in time to get across London for Huddersfield (in fact in time to get home, changed, and to the pub before Huddersfield) it has been pointed out to me that the game has been moved to Monday night. I’m sure I noticed this before, but in the rush hadn’t put the two together. I now have to explain to Suzanne that had I known when I booked the flights I would have chosen a relaxed trip to the Croix Rousse market for food and pastis followed by an afternoon of wine and the smells of French cooking over getting up at sparrow’s fart to be herded onto an easjet flight now in time for a forced trip to the supermarket (I’ll explain it in those terms but I’m increasingly inclined towards assuming a takeaway curry on Saturday night, come what may).

Second, I had hopes of taking in a Lyon Duchere game while here. I know they played away the previous weekend, but the France Football site seemed to be finding it difficult to list the fixtures. I checked out the Duchere site instead and was pleased to inform Suzanne that, although there was no Saturday evening match, the following day it was a cup game against Annecy. The site is in French (how inconsiderate) but even I can work it out. So, just before 15.00 on Sunday we set off for the five-minute stroll to the ground, wearing our Duchere scarves. Turns out the cup game was at Annecy. If I’d realised the previous day we just might have gone; it’s no hardship to spend some time at the town and the lake, although thoughts of the drive back might have ruled it out. As it was, La Duch duly won 4-1 and we ended up comprising probably about 10% of the crowd which watched Duchere’s reserves take on Valence reserves. A full report on a Duchere reserves game might be stretching it, so suffice to say it was a 2-0 win for the home side (a penalty in a first period that Duchere dominated and a breakaway second in stoppage time at the end after an increasingly tough contest).

Third, I’m in France, with a French woman. And somehow I’ve been lined up to cook a boeuf bourguignon. Hardly the natural order of things, I hope you’ll agree. I’m not sure how I was talked (conned) into this, but I’ll have my revenge. I’ll call it an English dish of beef stew with red wine. Suzanne managed to unearth a recipe, in English, which didn’t involve the essential and natural use of carrots in the dish. She is French, which means that she doesn’t not like carrots, she is ‘allergic’ to them. A harmless carrot for heaven’s sake. When I explain that I’m not allergic to cheese but merely have a natural disgust at the thought of consuming something that has so obviously gone off (at best; at worst it’s still alive), smells like it, and has the gluey consistency of clotted vomit it is deemed to count for less. I have a plan to buy a carrot for said beef stew and dye it another colour. I can say it’s a special English delicacy.

All of which leads us seamlessly on to another, rather more important, planning department. We’ve had the confirmation that Jackson will be out for some weeks. Bad news for sure; he’s really taken on the captain’s role this season, chipped in with goals (including impeccable penalties), while Wiggins and when called on Evina have compensated for the fact that he’s not an outright winger by getting forward beyond him to great effect. Just as the introduction of Kermorgant for Hayes and Green for Wagstaff (even to a less effect Hughes for Stephens) have changed the way we play, how we cope without Jackson will involve a change. If Sir Chris opts to bring in Ephraim and make no other changes, we will be playing with two genuine wingers. Exciting, but it also has to affect the way that Wiggins and Hollands approach the game as the scope to get forward may be compromised for fear of being stretched. Powell could of course opt for Evina and keep Ephraim in reserve, or balance the team by starting with Wagstaff on the other flank instead of Green.

At least the team and management have all week in training to work out what’s best; I’m sure they’ll get their necessary planning right. As for the captain’s armband, I’m assuming it’s between Hollands and Morrison. Just who takes on the penalties is another matter. I’m usually in favour of a team’s main goalscorer stepping forward. The guy should want to score come what may and should have enough swagger and confidence to do the necessary. I never thought that Killer was an especially good penalty taker, but he knew he’d score more often than not and, like all great forwards, regarded missing from time to time as an occupational hazard. But given Wright-Phillips’ last effort, the dire penalty away at Notts County last season, either he’s been getting in some practise or he gives the job to someone else. I hope he’s been planning too.

Getting Ahead Of Myself

2011-11-16T20:03:00.002Z

I don’t know if it’s just pressure of work or the absence of anything to complain about (or a mix of the two), but I’ve not felt the urge to write much recently. Sir Chris even managed to get the balance right on Sunday, between ensuring no repeat of the Northwich embarrassment and giving some a run-out to some, most obviously Hayes and Euell but also Evina. Perhaps tellingly he kept the central defence and midfield partnerships intact. I assumed everyone saw it for themselves on the telly and with my laundry causing some post-match delays (I don’t own a washing machine so take it to my mother’s – no carping please, it provides regular contact and enables me to do all the necessary and strenuous bits around her place, like changing the clocks) didn’t rush to print.

I guess I don’t need to add my note of sympathy for the Carlisle supporters. A repeat of their recent trip to London probably wasn’t quite what they hoped for. Suffice to say that for the past couple of seasons I really didn’t care about the Cup. The last thing I wanted was to draw Premiership opposition (I gave the Spurs away tie a miss), which would only serve as a reminder of what used to be the norm. This time around, while glad that the Carling Cup and Johnstone’s Paint Trophy are out of the way, I’m actually feeling up for it. While by no means taking the Carlisle game for granted, some luck with the draws and sneaking through to the later stages before a plumb tie would be good, or failing that a home game in the third round against a decent Championship team would be good (I said ‘decent’, so that rules out near neighbours), to get a taste of how the team might shape up against what we hope will be the norm next season.

We are, however, getting a little ahead of ourselves. One thought I did come away with after Sunday was whether – and if so where – we might need to strengthen in January and (honest) whether we might opt for a loan signing or two. The Powell goes and signs one on loan, Ephraim from QPR. Loan signings aren’t ideal, as we have found out all too often of late, but it might not be easy to make the right permanent signings. It’s far too soon to contemplate what we might need for next season if we go up, and anyone who comes in would need to be at least competing for a starting place but probably having to wait as no-one merits replacement. It’s a nice problem to have.

Going on Powell’s comment on Ephraim’s arrival, that “I have two players in more or less every position”, it seems to be a process of elimination. With Francis having departed, cover for Solly at right-back is a possibility. The option of switching Morrison there and bringing in Court is fine if we have to, but breaking up the central defensive partnership isn’t ideal if you don’t have to (Court and Doherty will no doubt get their chance through injury and suspension sooner or later). I know nothing about Ephraim, but from what I’ve read he will be a useful option at least from the bench. Jackson wide-left has worked even better than I’d hoped for, largely because the outstanding Wiggins and when required the exciting Evina have both done excellent jobs of overlapping him going forward. At some point in some games having an outright left-winger will be handy.

With Hughes a real bonus of late, Hollands in excellent form (and scoring goals, perhaps helped by the industry of his recent partner), Stephens waiting for a fresh chance, and Pritchard returning from injury with a bang, we don’t look short in central midfield either. Of the signings, Bover from what I’ve seen doesn’t look ready for the first team, but he undoubtedly has promise and time on his side. The only disappointment to date is Alonso, for so long the invisible man and then he failed to grab the opportunity in the Brentford cup game. Where he stands in the pecking order now I have no idea; but I hope that, like Hughes, if the chance comes along he’s up for it.

It still seems to me that it’s the fourth forward that should be our main concern. I can’t comment about whether Smith, who came on for a debut on Sunday, or even the developing Sho-Silva and Azeez, can be considered ready to make a first-team contribution. Otherwise of course Wright-Phillips is a shoo-in and Kermorgant his current chosen partner. As pointed out by others, the Breton has made a difference, even if it was harsh on Hayes to make way. Hayes can as we’ve seen partner BWP, or at a pinch Kermorgant, but if there was a negative note from Sunday it has to be that, harsh as it sounds, Euell’s usefulness as the fourth striker is questionable. A moment late on in the Preston game stuck in my mind. In a tight space he jinked beautifully past a defender but just didn’t have the legs to take advantage. That of course leaves Benson. I still see him as the natural replacement for Wright-Phillips should disaster strike, and think he can do the job if called on. But if Powell has doubts and/or if he’s going to depart, as looked likely through the summer, I hope it’s sorted quickly in January. If he goes, I think we’ll need the cover – and here especially a permanent signing might not be easy, given the job spec (good enough but ready to wait for the chance).

Of course, injuries could change the picture. What’s nice about our situation as January approaches – in addition to being five points clear at the top – is that it would be surprising were we to lose someone we didn’t want to. All of them have the realistic prospect of playing Championship football with us next season and, excellent as the signings have been, the risk of a Premiership club coming knocking on the door doesn’t look high. Never say never, but I’m assuming the focus in January will be on whether we want to strengthen, not watching the deadline day news with dread.

And I thought it would be a quick, short post as I had nothing to say (I’m not suggesting that I’ve actually said anything, but there’s enough words to be going on with). It’s Lyon for me on Friday (and the possibility of a Lyon Duchere game; after two creditable 0-0 draws they’re looking good in second place, behind OL’s B team), so Brentford will have to be passed on. I’m back (easyjet permitting as before) in time for Huddersfield. By 4.45 that afternoon (if not before) I trust we’ll all be on our feet singing ‘stand up for the champions’. Getting ahead of ourselves? Wny not; just as long as the players aren’t.

Happy Bunnies

2011-11-05T18:43:00.002Z

You can always find something to complain about. To nobody’s surprise my appeal against a ridiculous parking fine (I don't even have a car) has been rejected by some jobsworth in the council (who probably doesn’t have the authority to actually make a decision), the gents in the East Stand hummed rather worse than usual at half-time, and just before the break we had a goalkeeper utterly unable to deal with any cross but in quick succession a corner failed to clear the first man and then Green sent a free kick sailing into the South Stand. But that’s about it. And in the greater scheme of things, after our blip, four straight wins, 15 goals scored, two homes games in the bag before half-time, we’re entitled to be happy bunnies. I’m trying anyway, but the hangover just won’t let me.

No surprises with the team, or the subs. All as before. The first 10 minutes proved to be decidedly cagey, with Preston having the greater possession but doing nothing with it, then getting back behind the ball. It looked like being a tough encounter during which we would have to be patient to break down strong opposition. However, we hadn’t counted on the absence of Preston’s regular keeper, with a certain Arestidou filling in. Apparently he played against us in the Carling Cup game, but that night we didn’t test him at all. This time around he did a passable impression of Rabchuka, who it seems was responsible for four scored by Blackpool at Leeds before half-time and was then substituted for an apprentice. I don’t think Preston had another keeper on the bench; it would have been an act of mercy had the ref correctly sent him off for the penalty. I can only assume he didn’t because he consulted the Charlton players and the unanimous verdict was that it was to our advantage to leave him on the pitch.

During the first 10 minutes I worried that we would be sucked into playing their sort of game as the absence of movement saw us hit too many long balls and give up possession too easily. The only moment of note was a nasty challenge on Solly which got the deserved yellow. But the game changed with something out of the blue, all the work of Green. He picked up the ball and sped past their defenders before sending in a decent enough shot which the unfortunate Arestidou managed to palm not to safety but just within reach of Jackson, who planted it into the net. That settled us down, ruffled them, and we quickly found their Achilles Heel. The second was soft as from a corner Arestidou’s uncertainty saw a bit of head tennis before it fell to Morrison, who slotted home well.

Preston did manage a shot and a tricky run down the wing, but as against Carlisle the game was put to bed before the break. First, Kermorgant managed to get his foot to a ball played through before Arestidou arrived and was duly clattered. The ref had no doubts about awarding the penalty, but seemed to take a decidedly lenient (or sadistic) approach to brandishing a card. I can’t say what the logic was of not sending him off, but it really didn’t matter. Jackson was never going to miss from the spot. And while last time around we had to wait until a few minutes into the second half before adding the fourth, this time another corner was headed back to Wright-Phillips who duly nodded it into the net.

Just what was said in both dressing rooms at half-time I can only guess. I would imagine that our bunch were discussing whether to go to the Blackheath fireworks and where to eat afterwards; Phil Brown may have had some more contentious matters on his mind. Not surprisingly we found it a little difficult to get truly motivated when play resumed and Preston, having made two substitutions, at least stuck to their task to prevent total humiliation. We had to wait until around 70 minutes for the next goal, but it was the best of the bunch. Wiggins won a ball down the left that he had no right to and delivered a delightful cross met perfectly by the inrushing Hollands whose header flew into the top corner. Arestidou can’t be blamed for that one.

His plight was summed up by Green deciding to cross from the right to the near post, where there was just their keeper and a defender. They nearly managed between them to bundle it into the net. The substitutions saw Hayes and Wagstaff on for BWP and Green, before Euell came on to allow Jackson to get his merited applause. Another player on two goals denied a hat-trick. Oh, and Carlisle scored two late goals, one a centre-back header from a corner and the other a quite delightful strike on the turn by someone. It gave their fans something to cheer about, but by that time we were more concerned with the other results, which went very nicely thank you very much.

So, on to Halifax for the FA Cup (presumably a few changes for that one, although we could do without a repeat of last season) and then Brentford away, which I shall miss by going to Lyon. I’m going to have to wait for the visit of Huddersfield for my next match. I didn’t make it to Wycombe either as the logistics fell apart when nobody took up the mantel and decided to drive (I listened live on the BBC site and the commentator was remarking about people leaving at 21.30 when there were still five or more minutes left and the game still in the balance; fact is that was the only way to get back in time for a train to return to London with a chance of getting back home – which is exactly why I didn’t go). That five-point gap at the top is reinstated and we’ve 40 points in the bag after 17 games (which puts us on course for 108 for the season). I’m going to struggle to find something to complain about tomorrow, or for a few days.

Player Ratings (looking at them again they seem perhaps a bit mean, but when the opposition's blown away by four goals in 20 minutes a mark covering 90 isn't easy):

Hamer – 7/10. Can’t be blamed for either of their goals, but did have a few iffy moments clearing the lines.

Solly – 7/10. Undemostrative but decent enough game.

Wiggins – 8/10. He did misplace a pass in the first half and once or twice was tested in defence, but the way he works down the left with Jackson – usually overlapping to actually provide the crosses – is a delight.

Morrison – 8/10. Got the overdue first of the season from a centre-back and not even with his head. Until late on Preston offered little threat.

Taylor – 7/10. Only gets a lower mark because it wasn’t him that scored. No mistakes I saw, and that’s plenty good enough for me.

Jackson – 8/10. I think he’s really grown into the captain’s role and provides calm, assured leadership. His goals don’t go amiss either, while he and Wiggins have it seems worked out how to compensate for the fact that he’s not a flying winger.

Hollands – 8/10. Won the midfield battles and notched an excellent goal. The change of partners for him hasn’t affected his form and if anything gives him greater license to go forward.

Hughes – 8/10. I’ve got to phone my Norwich mates and tell them that they were wrong. He’s taken his opportunity very well, plays the game simply but effectively.

Green – 8/10. His break set up the first goal and looked lively throughout, with some decent crosses (except for the couple just before the break). Might easily have scored.

Wright-Phillips – 7/10. Not the greatest of games, but who cares? Notched another, which is what he’s there for, and with six in four games he’s flying.

Kermorgant – 7/10. Perhaps lucky not to be booked in the first half (and the second) but won his share of headers and won the penalty. The debate about him and Green v Hayes and Wagstaff is settled for now (although I’d give the latter two the start next weekend).

Subs – Can’t really mark them as the game was more than won before any of them set foot on the pitch; Euell did work a lovely position near the by-line but didn’t have the legs to make it count.

No Contest By Half-Time

2011-10-22T18:43:00.000+01:00

Having just moaned about the failure in the past four league games to score in the first half, you can hardly complain about anything – team selection, tactics, attitude etc – when this time around we reach the break 3-0 up and are playing against 10 men. And indeed, I have no complaints, even if I did have to get up at sparrow’s fart with a sore head from the previous night’s excesses in a Lyon buchon to make it to the game. After the flight back, dash across, and a few glasses I didn’t want a nailbiter. And this turned out to be as relaxed a game as you could want. The final 40 minutes were totally irrelevant, once their keeper had gifted us a fourth.

It would be tempting to conclude that after a defeat and doubts about team selection we went out and took the game by the scruff of the neck from the start. But that wouldn’t be the truth. Truth is, after an even first 10 minutes Carlisle gave us the game by conceding two quite soft goals. That they went on to concede a third, then had a player sent off (quite rightly), before the break meant that I went home perfectly content. But I don’t think today told us anything about the challenges that lie ahead. We should take the credit for winning very, very comfortably. And I’ve no complaints that we didn’t go on to score more. There’s another game coming up on Tuesday night and if Carlisle needed convincing that it wasn’t going to be their day not converting a soft penalty just about drove the message home.

In the event Sir Chris stuck to the Kermorgant and Green option over Hayes and Wagstaff. Solly was reinstated at right-back, as was to be expected, and the only change was that Hughes came in for Stephens, who was it seems away on family duties. With Stephens not available, the choice was perhaps more straightforward. Nevertheless, there was some pressure to show that the changed set-up could work from the start. And the first 10 minutes were inconclusive. The play was even, but perhaps ominously we had two decent chances, with Green putting in a decent shot and then Wright-Phillips played in only to be a bit slow off the starting blocks – perhaps thinking he was offside – and the defender getting back.

The breakthrough when it came was simple – and pointed to defensive frailties that were to make the game a non-contest. Wiggins and Jackson played a one-two down the left and the former’s cross found Kermorgant effectively unmarked. He did the decent thing and headed it into the net. Ten minutes later Hamer picked out BWP with a long clearance, but the defender had it covered, until he weakly headed back in the direction of their keeper and poacher that he is BWP nipped in to convert from a narrow angle. After 20 minutes, without being especially convincing, we were 2-0 up. Suddenly the world seemed back to rights. There were a few tricky moments, mostly coming from them down their left, but as the break approached you thought one more goal and it’s all over.

Wiggins again did the business. He took the ball down the left and instead of crossing kept going before squaring it. A couple of efforts were blocked before the ball fell to Kermorgant, who fairly hammered it into the roof of the net. If that wasn’t enough, their guy – who had already been booked for his second foul on Green – was caught out by Wright-Phillips and responded with a kick/trip that earned a second yellow. If that wasn’t enough, shortly into the second half Hollands intercepted a pass just inside their half. As he advanced you thought he’d lay it off, but instead kept going and hit a shot that ... went through their keeper’s legs. 4-0 and the game was truly up. Their embarrassed keeper’s next contribution was to lay out his own defender when taking a cross.

Carlisle kept playing and not surprisingly we eased off, but there was never any suggestion that they could get back into the game. Not even when the linesman had a bad moment and gave one of those penalties for the ball stricking a hand as the cross is made, when there’s no intent at all. Poor decision, but it really didn’t matter as Hamer dived to his right to save the spot kick. That the referee – denied the get-out of a linesman’s flag – failed to give us a penalty when a ball crossed in was virtually caught by their defender didn’t matter at all. The final 40 minutes or so were played out as something of a training ground exercise. Wagstaff came on for Green, then Euell for Hollands, and finally Hayes for Wright-Phillips. Other chances came and went, but when the sign went up for three added minutes – despite five substitutions and a few lengthy injuries – the feeling was it might have well have been one. There was a glass with my name on it and a takeaway still to come.

The way the game turned out could be interpreted as us responding well to our first league defeat. In truth, we just didn’t find out as Carlisle’s defensive failties meant the game was if not handed to us made very easy. There’s no criticism implied, you can only beat what’s in front of you – and we had the weapons to do that. So let’s worry about Wycombe and others to come tomorrow and be happy bunnies tonight.

Player Ratings:

Hamer – 8/10. Has to get an extra mark for a penalty save; otherwise everything through the afternoon was routine.

Solly – 6/10. Was given some troublesome moments by their guy down their left, and may have been a little uncertain having been dropped for a game, even if this was tactical. But nothing to worry about.

Wiggins – 8/10. On actual performance he should be man-of-the-match; laid on two of our first three goals and otherwise, apart from being ridiculously penalised for an inadvertent handball, once more didn’t put a foot wrong. Evina must be tearing his hair out.

Morrison – 7/10. He and Taylor, restored as the central defensive partnership, made no mistakes and handled all that was thrown at them. That it didn’t amount to much is not their fault.

Taylor – 7/10. As for Morrison.

Jackson – 7/10. Effective without being demonstrative, instrumental in the first goal, and threatened to score.

Hollands – 7/10. Can’t really give him the extra point for his goal, splendid as it was. This wasn’t a game that ended up testing us.

Hughes – 8/10. Perhaps a generous mark, but he’s my man-of-the-match. At the start of the season you’d have thought he’d be behind Pritchard, Alonso and perhaps even Bover. But he came in and did a calmly effective job. Just what you want from a guy waiting for the chance.

Green – 7/10. Not explosive, but after what seemed to have been a poor display against Stevenage he did the basics well, which meant getting in good crosses.

Kermorgant – 8/10. The guy scored two goals. Barely featured in the second half, but the game was over by then.

Wright-Phillips – 7/10. Scored a goal he had no right to; otherwise a bit lacklustre but again, today we didn’t need him to be firing on all cylinders.

Subs – Wagstaff (6-10 – had the opportunity to make a real nuisance of himself against a side already beaten; didn’t really take it, but again the game was already over); Euell (7/10 – came on to play in central midfield and played the ball around well enough); Hayes (6/10 – no real chance to impress as all around him were playing at 50%).

Five To One

2011-10-21T11:30:00.001+01:00

Five to one in a couple of weeks. Having viewed the October fixtures following Sheff Utd away as on paper at least less challenging than those coming up in November, offering the opportunity to drive home the advantage, we’ve obviously stuttered. That the stumble has coincided with the first material changes to the team to date hasn’t helped the cause and there’s no doubt that Sir Chris faces a selection dilemma for tomorrow’s game. Reinstate Hayes and Wagstaff for Kermorgant and Green and if we win it looks as if it was a mistake to have made the change; stick with the same starting X1 and .... well, we all know the permutations.

I would suspect that if we were playing away tomorrow there would be no question – barring injury, mishap etc – that Hayes and Wagstaff would be back at the start. But we’re not and there’s a trickier decision to be made if we expect Carlisle to play it tight. We’ve seen the references to Carlisle looking to take advantage of our ‘nerves’ and to be going for the win, but that doesn’t mean some gung-ho approach to the game. Bottom line is we have to focus on ourselves and how we want to play the game from the start. Powell is undoubtedly correct to suggest that you need Plans A, B, C and D; but the danger is forgetting just what Plan A is. If we start with Kermorgant and Green that is by definition Plan A. The point about B, C and D is that they come into play if things are not working out and changes need to be made. As has been pointed out elsewhere, the problem with starting with these two is that the back-up plan doesn’t look strong if we find ourselves chasing the game.

Let’s start with the statistics. First one, which we mustn’t lose sight of, is that after more than a quarter of the season we are top of the league. We are in the position everyone else, including Huddersfield, wants to be. We have earned that. Forget Brentford, it was irrelevant. A disappointing home draw followed by away defeat doesn’t amount to a slump; for the time being it’s a hiccup. It becomes a slump if we don’t win tomorrow. But the more meaningful statistic for me is that in our last four league games we’ve failed to score in the first half; and in the ones that I watched (MK Dons and Tranmere) we didn’t look like scoring; from others’ accounts the same could be said of Sheff Utd and Stevenage. And it’s not as if the switch to Kermorgant and Green is responsible. At MK Dons we were quite simply outplayed in the first half; against Tranmere we were equally lacklustre before the break.

No team can dominate for 90 minutes and I can’t point to a game so far this season (having missed a number) in which we’ve been in charge throughout. For me the best starting period to a game was at home against Sheff Wed. For the first 20 minutes or so we mullered them and could well have put the game to bed then. But thereafter we deteriorated and we undoubtedly second-best after the break. Perhaps the message is that we are, at least as yet, not good enough to be able to play at the right tempo, sticking to a game plan, through a full game. But compare the absence of goals in the first half in the last four games with the remarkable statistic previously of the number of matches in which we have gone 2-0 ahead (yes, I know we ended up in that position against Sheff Utd). If you add away at Bury, when Powell said we weren’t at the races in the first half, and you get a picture of very uneven performances through the season.

That perhaps leads us to the obvious conclusion: when we’re good we’re very, very good and when we’re not we’re ordinary. I rather doubt that there’s some magic formula to being good which can be periodically applied (unless it’s down to the pre- and during-match supplements), but there has to be something in the attitude of the team starting a game. Powell has stressed the need to be patient, especially in home games. No question. But being patient means neither the crown nor the team getting unsettled if we’re not quickly ahead; it doesn’t mean that it’s OK to be ponderous and unambitious in our play from the start, seemingly on an assumption that all will be fine as and when we get going.

As the song goes on to say, ‘five to one, baby, one in five; no-one here gets out alive; now you get yours baby, I’ll get mine; gonna make it baby; if we try’. Plan A for me this season is about the pace and tempo at which we play and the message from recent games is that we need to begin games with greater conviction and sense of urgency (not panic). We’ve shown we’re able to play better football than most others if not all others in this division for spells. But these spells are a damn sight less effective if we’re losing and the opposition can play to their strengths. So yes, for me it’s back to Hayes and Wagstaff to start tomorrow, with a genuinely effective Plan B ready and waiting, but whatever the decision let’s see the first half not wasted.

Point Rescued

2011-10-08T18:55:00.000+01:00

I have to admit to a slight sense of foreboding ahead of the game. If France can beat England in a rugby World Cup and if Wales can reach the semi-final of anything, the world’s turned upside down – and on a day like that Tranmere turning us over might be par for the course. In the event the football proved to be similar to the rugby in that we put in a first-half display that was well below par and found ourselves deservedly behind. But at least it wasn’t 16-0. We improved in the second and on another day might have taken all three points – undeservedly on the balance of play and chances over the 90 minutes, but with Wright-Phillips of all people failing to convert from a couple of yards out and according to others another penalty denied . We might have lost it too, with Tranmere carrying a threat throughout and Hamer and Morrison grateful that after a failure to communicate and a collision the ball bobbled behind for a corner rather than their guy getting a tap-in. Also, I felt one of theirs should have seen red. By the same token our goal came from the sort of penalty you only get once or twice a season. So, strange day, take the draw and move on.

There were rare changes to the team, with Green and Kermorgant getting the nod ahead of Wagstaff and Hayes, who were on the bench (with Doherty included there as Cort was unavailable). Both had earned the starting places with cameo substitute contributions, and there was an obvious logic to picking Green to provide the crosses if the threat in the air of Kermorgant was to be used. But fact is they didn’t really work. A lot of Hayes’ work involves making himself available and linking up play, helping to get the midfield engine room of Hollands and Stephens going. Without that, we had a tendency to go long towards Kermorgant, and Tranmere were up for that challenge, with an experienced centre-back in Goodison. The related problem in starting with these two is that the options to turn a game around with impact players on the bench were lacking.

With Green struggling to find space and get in the game, we failed to create anything meaningful in the first half. I can only remember a shot from Wiggins on his right foot which went wide. By contrast, Tranmere didn’t look blessed with pace but had a game plan and generally bossed midfield, were in control of our forwards, and with Showunmi carried a threat going forward. They’d already bungled a great opportunity as two went for the ball in the area and got in each other’s way, but after a couple of harmless long-range efforts they took the lead with something of a fluke. Their guy shaped to cross from the left and either he sliced it or it took a deflection (consensus on the way back was that it did indeed come off Solly) and Hamer was left stranded having come a bit off his line, with the ball squirting in at the near post.

At the break we’d given a passable impression of underestimating our opponents and, whatever the line-up, not putting in the drive and effort needed to win the game. It left me thinking that this was the third game in a row in which we’d failed to score in the first period, the second of which we’ve gone in behind. Something for Sir Chris to ponder since as England found out sometimes the game is lost in the first half.

The workrate had to improve in the second half and it did. And we started to see some cracks emerging as once put under pressure Tranmere looked less than comfortable, especially with a goalkeeper who when not timewasting – just why do refs give a guy a warning for this in the first half and when it’s repeated go and have a chat to them instead of just brandishing a yellow? – seemed likely to spill anything that came his way. We nearly had a farcical own goal to celebrate as two defenders managed to contrive to bundle a harmless cross just wide, then said keeper nearly let a shot through his grasp. The play was still fairly even, with midfield keenly contested, but at least we were making some things happen.

Green was more involved in the second half and delivered one excellent cross, but it wasn’t surprising that he gave way for Wagstaff, who nearly had an immediate impact, running through before being blocked off (and Tranmere’s tackling was keen through the game). It was around this time that we were denied a penalty. The ball was being seen out for a corner when their guy clearly shoved ours off the ball. The ref gave a free kick just outside the box where our guy fell, but those I talked to in the North Stand say the challenge was inside. The free kick itself should be glossed over as a training ground move saw it squared straight to a defender.

The penalty when it came was a surprise. Wright-Phillips was doing good stuff outside the box and he won a corner. The ball was crossed and in the usual melee somebody must have climbed on somebody. The ref had no doubts and clearly indicated climbing, but you don’t get them often. Tranmere tried every trick in the book to unsettle Jackson, playing around with encroachment and their keeper even going forward and picking the ball up off the spot. To absolutely no avail as Jackson simply buried it low to the keeper’s left.

That still left around 15 minutes to win the game and our golden opportunity came as the ball bobbled in the box and Wright-Phillips twisted round to bury it a la Mendonca. Unfortunately this time around he made minimal contact and from a couple of yards out it looped up for their keeper to collect. There were other moments, but nothing to compare – except for the Hamer-Morrison misunderstanding that left both in need of treatment and their forward cursing his luck that he couldn’t catch up with the ball. Just one more incident to mention. Just how does their player not get a red card when after a midfield tussle which left him and our guy on the deck and, with the ball 20 yards away, as ours gets to his feet is clearly kicked? The ref gave us a free kick but took no further action.

So, a game we could have lost but which if we’d turned up in the first half might well have won. We’re far from perfect and, after we all indulged in some deserved back-slapping after the Sheff Utd game, this afternoon served as a reminder that there aren’t many walkovers in this division. They didn’t come to shut up shop and more than matched us for passing and movement in the first half. We’ve got where we are by hard work and if the tempo of our play drops we are a shadow of the team that we can be – and need to be if we are to retain our current position. As in the rugby, we gave our opponents hope and something to fight for with a below-par first-half display. That in turn raises the question for Powell as to the best starting X1 as on prevailing form the changes made were justified but sometimes, like a rowing team, the boat goes faster with a different combination. All to be sorted out on the training ground before Stevanage.

Player Ratings:

Hamer – 7/10. Don’t think he can be blamed for the goal, despite being beaten at his near post, but has to share the fault for the incident with Morrison which could have cost us the game. Otherwise dealt with the high balls well.

Solly – 7/10. Was caught out a couple of times and picked up a yellow for a late tackle, but for the most part held up well once more against much bigger opponents. Their goal may have deflected off him, but that’s just one of those things.

Wiggins – 7/10. Another calmly effective game. Doesn’t seem to like passing or shooting with his right foot, however.

Morrison – 7/10. For the most part he and Taylor dealt well with an evident threat in the air and the physical presence of Showunmi. Just that collision again.

Taylor – 7/10. As with Morrison, no nonsense and effective against a big team.

Jackson – 7/10. I’d just about make him our man of the match for the calmness with which he waited for and then took the penalty. Otherwise mixed game as we seldom had control of midfield and didn’t pop up in the box as he often does.

Hollands – 6/10. We struggled to get our passing game going and central midfield has to be a key part of that. Didn’t play badly, but didn’t stand out either.

Stephens – 6/10. As with Hollands. They are the engine room of the team and for much of the game it didn’t get out of a low gear.

Green – 6/10. He was in the team to provide the ammunition and came up short today. Still seems to be feeling his way back after the missed games.

Kermorgant – 6/10. Again, won a fair share of headers and almost played people in once or twice. But by and large was shackled by their defenders.

Wright-Phillips – 6/10. You wouldn’t have wanted that chance to fall to anyone else, but for once he failed to convert.

Sub – Wagstaff (7/10 – caused them problems when he came on; he and Green are I hope going to contest the spot through the season and it may well be a case of one starting and one finishing a game).

First-Quarter Report: Bloody Hell!

2011-10-02T15:27:00.002+01:00

As the first quarter of the season is effectively completed, it’s time to draw breath and assess progress to date. It’s a difficult task for a natural-born contrarian. We’re five points clear at the top, unbeaten, won eight out of 11, with the exception of a couple of outfits based in Manchester have the best points-per-game return in the country, have not just scored in every game but have only failed to score at least twice in two, and have kept four clean sheets. Some concern that we might be rabbit-killers who would struggle against the better sides in the division (as with the exception of Sheff Wed we hadn’t played them) were dispelled by getting a deserved point away at MK Dons and then winning away at Sheff Utd.

In addition, with Green back from his virus, Alonso hopefully getting close, and Cort and Kermorgant brought in, we have much better options from the bench and to cover for inevitable injuries and suspensions, nobody in the first team is playing badly enough to merit being replaced, and we are playing (albeit not yet for full games, which may be a little too much to ask) with panache and style, as well as determination when things are not going to plan (as in the first half at MK Dons). We have the division’s best finisher in Wright-Phillips, who’s notched seven in 10 starts, Hayes and Kermorgant have contributed five between them, and the midfield has more than chipped in (in fact the only statistics against us are the penalties count and the absence so far of goals from the central defenders). And to round things off for me we have a Frenchman scoring goals (which might ease Suzanne’s pain next Saturday when England demolish France in the funny-shaped ball game) and a philosophy fan (Alonso) waiting in the wings.

The season to date consequently amounts to a massive success for Sir Chris and his staff, for everyone involved in the selection of the players brought in, and directly or indirectly for the new owners. It’s been rightly pointed out by New York Addick in particular that the actual net investment made in new players looks quite limited, taking account of the fee received for Jenkinson. And as outlined in the recent Evening Standard piece we are guessing over most of the fees paid, while we still see references to the club having been close to administration without adequate explanations. These concerns will linger, but for the time being at least pale in comparison with the delight in how things have gone. They couldn't have gone any better if we'd shelled out millions. Just how Powell, Dyer et al have shaped an effective and entertaining team almost from scratch in such a short space of time leaves me speechless. I think given the new influx at the start of the season we would have settled for a top six spot and signs of improvement for this point. I know I would have.

So what can go wrong? Well, for a start Powell is a shoo-in for September manager of the month, just 10 months after Parkinson picked up his award for last November. Injuries and suspensions are bound to arise, we have yet to see how the team might respond to a setback (during games they’ve turned things around, especially against Bury and MK Dons, but we will lose sooner or later), and there’s always the Epicurean Swerve (the unpredictable). Of course there’s no room for any complacency; this division is too competitive for that not to be punished. Perhaps the biggest concern is that from now on we are going to be targeted. Other teams will by now have a good idea how we play and will start to better assess how to stop us. The only game I’ve seen so far where we were effectively neutralised and ended up looking second-best was the Sheff Wed home game, where their physicality and desire to play the game in the air wore us down. We can expect more of the same, especially at The Valley.

This division may be competitive – and will become a scrap when the league fixtures come thick and fast in January-March – but it’s not one in which teams tend to dramatically improve. Apart from Scunthorpe, who I thought would be up there, there are no real surprises regarding who stands where. Huddersfield, Preston, MK Dons, and both Sheffield clubs would have been among most people’s pre-season predictions to be in or around the top six, with Brentford Notts County and Colchester perhaps in the mix. We haven’t played Preston or Huddersfield yet (forget the Carling Cup).

If the season goes in stages it’s fair to say that October looks like a month in which we have the potential to drive home our current advantage. Games against Tranmere and Carlisle at home and Stevenage and Wycombe away all appear winnable (no, not grounds for complacency) before November brings what on paper are stiffer tests – Hartlepool, Preston, Brentford and Huddersfield. After these two months we will have played 19 games and be approaching the halfway mark and there might then be the occasion for a fresh assessment. May it be as positive as the one for the first quarter.

For me, this time around the Amsterdam trip threatens to rule out the vital clash against Brentford on Wednesday night. I’m not against the principle of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy, but for us it has absolutely no value or interest. Even so, with the return flight due to land at City Airport at 18.30 I might just take leave of my senses (it has been known to happen) and turn up in a suit with luggage. After that and Tranmere, Lyon rules out any thoughts of a trip to Stevenage (I believe Suzanne has booked us in for a wine fair for the afternoon; I just hope the French don’t mistake intermittent howls of joy followed by a dance round the hall as necessarily a reflection of the quality of the sample I’m quaffing), but barring disasters the flight back the following Saturday has been planned to allow time to get across London for the Carlisle game. And after that Wycombe away looks entirely doable. That’s as far ahead as I’ve ever managed to plan.

Tougher Test, Happy With The Point

2011-09-28T16:42:00.000+01:00

The need for a little beauty sleep (well, nearly everything is relative) after the return from Milton Keynes and a few work commitments mean that I’m probably last to post thoughts on last night’s game. For once this means checking out the club report and trying to make sure some of the ‘facts’ included are correct, or at least clear howlers are minimised. And to begin with let’s clear up any doubt. I hope our goal remains credited to Kermorgant, but it was right in front of us and it came back off the post before hitting the keeper’s leg and going in. If the dubious goals committee get their mitts on it, it will be an OG.

How you feel after the final whistle is usually a fair guide to a game – and last night I was more than happy with the point. From the opening minutes it was apparent that MK Dons were a cut above any other team I’ve seen us up against to date. They were comfortable on the ball, from back to front, had threat down the flanks, possessed the pain-in-the-neck Morrison who was annoyingly effective in holding up play, broke with nasty efficiency, and in Chadwick had the stand-out player of the first half. He tended to bypass our midfield when supporting their front two, which seemed to encourage Stephens and Holland to hang back for fear of being caught out. Through the first half we saw precious little of the ball, gave away possession too cheaply, didn’t get anything going out wide, and ended up managing one shot in anger. I counted five efforts on goal from them before they went ahead with the penalty; it was a soft one in that their guy saw a leg stuck out and went for it (I thought the leg belonged to Solly, but the reports say Taylor, who I mistook for Wagstaff on Saturday), but in the context of the modern game there was no doubt that the leg was there to go over.

That’s not being over-critical. MK Dons were at home and after four games without a win were clearly up for it – to the extent of some cynical game-disrupting fouls which were not punished sufficiently by the ref and one disgraceful lunge which didn’t even get a yellow. The onus was on them and perhaps we were reasonably content to try to see off the storm in the first period before upping the effort in the second. And the penalty aside, their attempts on goal, while well dealt with by Hamer, only involved one good save. The others were routine. More worrying was their ability to get into scoring positions and our failure to create.

The break was necessary for us and the second half was to prove a different affair. In fact it was open, pretty even, and could easily have produced a hatful of goals. Good fare for the neutral, but they had too many openings for comfort – and this time Hamer’s saves were of a different nature. He undoubtedly earned his corn. The same cannot be said of their forwards, who somehow failed to score, especially with a few clean headers and a one-on-one. But this time we created a similar number of our own, with the midfield while not in control at least competing on equal terms and with equal effect.

Although our team continued to pick itself, there’s no doubt we carried much greater threat after the two obvious changes were made. Wagstaff had an indifferent first half and in the second it was still a struggle as he wasn’t able to go past his man and his crossing again let him down. One from a good position just hung in the air in the centre of the goal for their keeper to collect. To his credit he stuck to the task and was getting more involved before giving way to Green. Not long afterwards Kermorgant replaced Hayes. Hayes had a decent game, but our new Breton added much more of an aerial threat, even if the direction of his headers was just a bit askew.

The equaliser proved to be a thing of both beauty and farce. The ball was played down the right to Green with his back to goal and their defender in close attendance. A superb flick one side and turn away the other and he was clear away. The cross was sublime, just asking to be buried. If Kermorgant had put it in the net unaided it would have been a goal of the season contender. But again it did come back off the post (and with two other headers from good positions Kermorgant won the ball in the air but didn’t find the net).

Of our chances, one ball flashed across the face of goal without getting a touch, one squared to Stephens (I think) saw the shot fly just over, their keeper pulled off a couple of good saves, one cross to the far post saw Jackson for once mistime (and misdirect) the header, and at the death a ball in the box didn’t quite get the connection it needed and dribbled through to their keeper. We could easily have scored three in the second half, but so could they; and they could have been out of sight at the break.

So let’s concentrate on the fact that we’re still unbeaten, the impression that the team did well not to buckle when under pressure and to show enough courage and conviction to get a hard-earned point, and move on to Sheffield. No point in worrying about what Preston are up to either, we have to just focus on ourselves. And for once Sir Chris will have some thinking to do when it comes to picking the team for Saturday, given the impact that Green and Kermorgant had. Personally, without any consideration of Sheff Utd’s strengths and weaknesses and player fitness (will Wright-Phillips be fit after picking up a knock last night?), I’d be inclined to start the game with the same X1. Green may not yet be ready for a full 90 minutes and Wagstaff does have the defensive qualities he may lack for an away game, while Hayes played well enough last night before giving way. Kermorgant may well prove to be a key signing (not surprisingly I hope he does) but having him to come on may for now still be the best choice. The good news is that with these two – and hopefully soon Alonso (who has to be a star, having read his programme interview and myself having been a philosophy graduate) – ready and available we have more options now.

Before we do move on, you’ve got to laugh a little at MK Dons. Their stadium is quite splendid, but far too big for them. Their programme was also impressive, but suffered from the content. Their manager’s column had the headline “we will not underestimate the task ahead of us tonight”. Leaving aside the pedantic comment that by definition it is a mistake to underestimate anything, the fact that we are top of the league and had won every away game to date sounded like Mans City saying they would respect Bayern Munich. That followed the wonderful statement from chairman Pete Winkelman – “in recent years we have had some memorable night games at stadiummk”. Beyond recent years you didn’t have any night games at stadiummk.

Player Ratings:

Hamer – 9/10. Did everything asked of him, especially in the second half.

Wiggins – 7/10. Far tougher match than the recent home games; stood up well and more effective getting forward in the second half.

Solly – 7/10. Was going to be a 6 until I saw it wasn’t him that gave away the penalty. Was asked a lot of questions last night as MK Dons had a winger (Balanta) who was strong and fast. In that context he had a good game, seldom getting exposed.

Taylor – 6/10. Has to lose a mark for the penalty (apparently); more worrying for me was their ability to win free headers in the box.

Morrison – 6/10. Perhaps harsh, but fact is they created enough chances to have scored 3 or 4.

Jackson – 6/10. Much more effective in the second half when we worked the ball forward, but did miss that header from a good position.

Stephens – 6/10. Fact is through the first half they played the ball around in midfield much better than us. Chadwick seemed to unsettle both him and Hollands with his movement.

Hollands – 6/10. As for Stephens, the midfield didn’t really function in the first half.

Wagstaff – 5/10. Harsh mark, but he didn’t have a good game and seemed a little out of sorts in the first half. Was improving before taken off.

Hayes – 6/10. Not his most effective game, but I’m disconcerted by some fans dislike of him. A lot of intelligent work seems to go unnoticed.

Wright-Phillips – 6/10. Didn’t score. But was instrumental in us getting back into the game as when we pushed them back he always looked a threat; failed to get a shot away from a decent position late on with the challenge possibly meaning he’s picked up a knock.

Subs – Green (8/10 – really didn’t do much and saw little of the ball, but his moment that led to the goal was sublime); Kermorgant (7/10 – some may have given a higher mark as you could argue his introduction changed the game; fact is he had three headers from goal-scoring positions and didn’t put one between the sticks; but a great start); Hughes (oh come on, he was on the pitch for all of five minutes).

Basically Splendid

2011-09-24T20:04:00.002+01:00

2-0 up again! It is getting weird. This afternoon we did more than enough to see off a decent Chesterfield team, who deserve credit for coming and playing football, but once more delivered a period of angst when it was possible we would throw away points. We didn’t; I’m happy. At times we simply steamrollered them and a quick glance at the BBC statistics shows 14 attempts on target and 11 off target; that’s an attempt on goal every 2.7 minutes. Our only problem was that having achieved that 2-0 lead half time came and, with two tough away games coming up, we took our foot off the pedal. From what I’ve seen, when we do that we get a bit sloppy, vulnerable and sure enough we conceded, to threaten to let Chesterfield into a game that should have been beyond them. No team can play with full intensity for the entire game. Let’s just ensure that when it does drop we keep a clean sheet.

That is perhaps too negative an opening paragraph for a game that we won, deservedly. There were some excellent performances, not least from both full-backs, and we’re clear at the top of the league. Happy days. And even a column in the programme from chairman Michael Slater that I could not agree more with. It seems so good that before long I’m going to have to watch the DVD of last season that’s been sitting by the TV for over a week. Maybe after MK Dons on Tuesday night. There is a lot to like about the team and the way we are playing, not least the evident spirit (perhaps because the players have not been associated with the failures of the past five seasons). But we seek perfection, so don’t see them as grumbles, just warnings – which I’m sure Sir Chris doesn’t need to be told.

The team was entirely as expected and basically continues to pick itself, with Green still recovering and Alonso working his way back from injury. The early exchanges were even, with Chesterfield looking more capable than most, especially with the physical presence of Clarke up front. But quite promisingly they displayed an uncertainty at the back which promised rewards and after the first 10 minutes we took more of a grip on the game and embarked on a period of sustained pressure. This saw a series of corners and various free headers that might have been buried, before the pressure told. A low shot seemed to get various deflections, possibly a rebound from their keeper, before Hayes provided the decisive deflection. Chesterfield did have once decent chance in the first half, but the ball in came at waist height to Clarke and that’s not easy for him to deal with and he put it over the bar. At the other end Wright-Phillips robbed a defender and squared to Hayes, who failed to control it, but it mattered little as a free kick was squared to the inrushing Jackson who put us two up.

At the break it did have an air of job done and for a large part of the second half we played as if that was the prevailing view. The intensity, desire to win the ball back, and movement going forward just wasn’t there any more and Chesterfield took encouragement from that. It opened the game up to some decisions by the ref that threatened to turn things around. He got the first decision right – a cross which may have struck a hand but with no intent. No penalty and their manager seemingly sent to the stands for a futile protest. Then Wagstaff had the ball down the right and clearly felt he’d been fouled, only for nothing to be given. It went forward and as their guy checked back in the box his leg was taken for a stonewall penalty. That was dispatched and suddenly it was truly game on.

We had to raise our game and after a fashion we did. Chesterfield had an opportunity, with the crowd and the team more hesitant, but they didn’t take it as instead of pressing forward they seemed happy to be back in the game and we did respond. By upping our game when necessary the chances started to flow again. One advantage played by the ref saw a header come back off the bar and Wright-Phillips cut inside, only to hit the shot in the centre of the goal for a comfortable save. They also had one where the guy attempted a curler only to find the middle of the goal. We seemed to be doing enough to be just about in control, but at 2-1 you never know. The ref’s next decision came when Wagstaff seemed to be felled in the area, but when all and sundry thought he’d given the spot kick he instead flourished a yellow card for Scottie for diving. Of course, at the time I thought it was a penalty, but at least the ref was decisively and called it as he saw it.

In the event it didn’t matter as after four minutes of added time were announced we rounded things off with a splendid goal. Kermorgant had come on for Hayes (tellingly rather than Euell) and he and Wagstaff fashioned a move down the right, Scott put in the cross, and BWP stooped to bury the header. Angst over and a couple of minutes left to celebrate. Hughes came on for a quick cameo and at the final whistle any complaints were entirely relative. Big crowd, good win, now we have two tough away games to see whether we deserve to be where we are. I’d just prefer us to have the option of calling games done when we go 2-0 up; don’t the opposition realise it’s done?

Player Ratings:

Hamer: 8/10. Actually had very few saves to make, but did everything competently, took crosses well when required, and merits the mark for controlling a difficult back pass with consummate skill.

Solly: 8/10. Another excellent game. There were challenges against bigger guys which he didn’t have a prayer of winning, but was never exposed and quite frankly didn’t put a foot wrong.

Wiggins: 9/10. I made him my man of the match. Every challenge I saw he won, was effective going forward. Splendid stuff.

Morrison: 7/10. Seems it was his challenge for their penalty, which has to count against him, but otherwise absolutely no complaints. They managed two decent attempts on goal other than the penalty and that in itself means the defence did a fine job.

Taylor: 8/10. Much the same as for Morrison. Neither of them stand out, but centre-backs who do their job with efficiency and without mistakes make such a welcome change from what has gone before.

Jackson: 8/10. Gets the extra mark for the goal, which was taken with aplomb. Not outstanding otherwise, but quietly effective.

Stephens: 7/10. No complaints at all; he and Hollands seem to be forging a very effective partnership as the engine of the team. But when we go off the boil the spotlight inevitably focuses on central midfield as that’s the area that matters.

Hollands: 7/10. As with Stephens, good game and no complaints other than how we play when the intensity drops.

Wagstaff: 7/10. Could have been a five or an eight; his cross for the third goal was a peach that just invited the finish, he might have won a penalty. Equally, he convinced the ref that he was a diver and when he didn’t get a free kick for a challenge and lost the ball it led to their goal.

Hayes: 8/10. Had a better game than some around me seemed to think. Intelligent play and movement and when we play with pace and movement he’s involved in it. Took his goal well. But yes, there were times when his touch and pass didn’t work.

Wright-Phillips: 8/10. Passed when I’d have bet my house on him shooting, failed to bury the shot when he’d done all the hard work, but scored ... again. He gives us an edge that ensures that is priceless.

Calmly Reassured

2011-09-23T17:57:00.000+01:00

There’s something calmly reassuring about a post late on a Friday ahead of a Saturday game, especially when one’s mood has been soothed by a liquid lunch (networking, as they say). It will quickly be buried under match reports, so there’s no danger of anyone actually reading it (which of course begs the point about posts at other times). I was trying to mentally justify writing nothing since the Exeter game (and let’s face it after we scored there was nothing to write about then) and the Preston reserves run-out, on the grounds of the inordinate time taken in trying to sort out a new oven, new boiler, roof repairs (which morphed into brickwork), ordering new cowboy boots from the US (not as easy as it sounds), and a little diversion caused by work (there have been a few wobbles on financial markets of late). But none of this really stacks up. Fact is, when there’s nothing to complain about there’s not much to say.

Sir Chris has this truly annoying habit of saying things that I agree with. That may just mean I’m gullible, but how can we quibble about the start we’ve had and the way we’re playing? We’ve even managed to renew the French connection by bringing in Kermorgant, which will keep Suzanne happy (he’s a Breton and she says they are stubborn; but then I did read that people from Lyon are cold and only care about money). Of course it’s early days and there are concerns about our ability to overcome teams full of lumps playing head tennis. But fundamentally things can only get ... well, worse. It is a splendid initiative to try to fill the ground for tomorrow’s game with entry for a fiver (and I wouldn’t for a second gripe about the net value of my season ticket having been further eroded, having managed to attend just one home league game to date) and I don’t mind us tempting fate in view of last season’s attempt to do the same. Pressure is something to be welcomed and this year’s batch look so much better placed to cope with heightened expectations.

What we won’t know for a while is whether they have what it takes when the games come thick and fast after the turn of the year. The stable, key partnerships to date – when did we last play the same full-backs, central defenders, central midfielders, and forwards so consistently? - are bound to get disrupted sooner or later. The news that Pritchard is sidelined for 4-6 weeks means that Hughes is the only viable cover in central midfield, given that Alonso will be some way short of match practise when available (it was nice to see the club site give an update on his progress), unless Euell is pressed into service in that area. In other areas we look well covered, especially defence, provided Green is getting over his virus. Clearly Kermorgant’s arrival does push Benson (and Euell) down the pecking order, with fresh speculation that he will go out on loan once his pinkie’s OK.

If there is a quibble so far, it’s to do with the possible mental effect of going 2-0 up in a game. If there’s a statistician out there (maybe the work’s already been done) I’d like to know if there’s been any other season in our history, or period of games, like the season so far. Eight games played and we’ve gone 2-0 ahead in six of them. In only one of the six have we gone on to extend the lead, while we’ve been pulled back to 2-1 in one and to 2-2 in two (one of which we did score again to win of course). I’m not suggesting that we’re so good that we’ve been taking our foot off the pedal, that we have consciously started to play differently, or even that we are able to play at the same intensity for a full 90 minutes. Rather that with only three clean sheets in the first eight games we’ve not to date proved adept at shutting out the opposition, so there’s absolutely no good reason to think or play any differently when ahead (OK, 4-0 up with five minutes on the clock and it’s a different story).

Of course, when we look back on our times as Addicks it’s the tight games that feature uppermost in the favourites list; I wouldn’t change them for all the tea in China (except for the ones we lost). But I have absolutely no complaints about rolling over teams (off the top of my head slaughtering West Brom comes to mind as far as competitive games are concerned). I like calm, reassuring games where we run out easy winners.

We do of course have another game coming up shortly after Saturday – and I’m expecting to be there for that one. Milton Keynes isn’t far away and with friends driving it’s all doable. It will be another ground on my list for ‘Doing The 92’ (check out the website and you never know possibly the next series of Eggheads). I expect I’m one of the few football supporters in the country that bears no ill-will towards MK Dons (over and above hoping that they don’t interfere with our promotion campaign). The rebirth of Wimbledon is something to be admired and applauded; their fans reacted to what for them was a terrible development in exactly the right way and it’s great to see them moving up the leagues. But if I owned the old Wimbledon I’d have felt obliged to move the team as once they’d lost their ground and been relegated there was no feasible turnaround for them (other than going down the leagues, perhaps stabilising, and starting to move back up to where the new Wimbledon are now). I’m old enough to have been around when there was speculation that we would have to up sticks to Milton Keynes in order to survive. There was never a risk that the move would lead to a US-style franchise approach (there’s more danger on that front if Spurs were permitted to move to east London) and MK Dons now have no links with the past. Good luck to them, no more or less to others. Of course, I reserve the right to call them all the names under the sun if Tuesday doesn’t go to plan.

We Lost And We're Top Of The League

2011-09-13T22:47:00.001+01:00

As trade-offs go, it was fair enough. Sitting through a game in which we were second-best pretty much throughout and watching our first defeat of the season, in return for avoiding thinking about having to travel to Southampton for the next round of a competition we don’t care about and being elevated by other results to the top of the league. I’m a happy bunny, albeit not an ecstatic one. As encouraging as Reading had been for the second string, this time around the omens were not so positive. Preston proved bigger and stronger than us and won the key battles, with Benson and Euell well shackled up front and the service to them patchy at best as Pritchard and Hughes weren’t able to control the game, while Green and Bover on the flanks produced only moments.

The team was almost unchanged from the Reading game, except for Cort partnering Doherty in central defence in place of Mambo. But whereas that game, perhaps thanks to Reading, was open and entertaining, this time we failed to reproduce the fluidity as Preston didn’t stick to the relaxed rules. An indifferent first-half display seemed if anything to suggest that a number of players are suffering from lack of match practise. Francis I thought was excellent against Reading, but nobody’s going to pretend he didn’t have a mare tonight. He began uncertainly, was partly to blame for their first goal (their winger cut inside him and although he got a block on the shot it ran through for another to score), picked up a yellow card and was perhaps lucky not to get a second for a foul on the edge of the box, and appeared hesitant throughout. Getting replaced at half-time by Mambo was something of a relief all round. I’ve been one of his supporters, but comparing tonight with Solly’s display on Saturday leaves no doubt about who merits the place in the first team. Just hope he puts tonight behind him as nobody can tell when he will be needed to fill in.

Of the game itself, having taken the lead Preston continued to look more likely to add to it than us to get back in the game. The introduction of Wagstaff for Benson at the break did liven things up for a while, but before we could build up any real head of steam they extended their lead with a decent shot from around the edge of the area. Our best chance to score, once Euell have been ruled offside after putting the ball in the net, came at the death when two at the far post failed to convert one of the few decent crosses, most of which were provided by Evina. News of Colchester’s late equaliser raised the spirits.

Of the positives from the night, Sullivan looked capable. No worries if he has to start. Evina was lively, but he too is clearly going to have to bide his time as Wiggings has done nothing wrong to date. Cort and Doherty both looked capable of heading the ball away all night and either could slot into the first team as and when injuries and suspensions start to take their toll. Hughes doesn’t exactly excite, but knows his way around a football pitch. Otherwise, neither Benson nor Euell presented a compelling case for a league start, neither did Green, although he’s been under the weather. Perhaps the major disappointment – relative to the Reading game – was Pritchard. It wasn’t that he played badly, but he found it hard to have an impact on the game, in contrast to the previous outing. Bover showed flashes, but he looks as though he has a way to go before fully adjusting to this sort of English football. So basically most of the old hands looked reliable but not much more (no sign yet of Alonso, while Smith didn’t come off the bench).

So, some readjustment from the post-Reading optimism regarding the second string. They had a bit of a lesson tonight in how to control a game. Clearly a number of them are going to get called up before long, even if only for the odd game, as just how far into the season we can go with effectively no change to the first team remains to be seen. No matter, tonight let’s enjoy the league table.

It Looked Over The Line To Me

2011-09-10T19:01:00.001+01:00

It’s not often I feel sympathy for the opposition. Usually they have either been dog meat for the forward march of the mighty Addicks or they have somehow robbed us of victory. But today was as close as it comes. The TV replays will presumably shed some light on whether their effort went over the line. From where I was sitting there was no question the whole ball was over. And a team which came to The Valley with no great expectations then saw the injury compounded by a chance remark to the linesman resulting in a red card. After that they conducted themselves admirably, continuing to make a game of it until our second removed any lingering doubts. Exeter, I think you were robbed. The developments meant it was hard to assess our performance as we did enough, without ever producing the compelling football of the first 30 minutes of Monday night. After two home draws the win was all-important, so no real judgements can be made. But we’ll try anyway.

We started sluggishly, in direct contrast to Monday night. Pass and move is all about how quickly you do it, and if you do it slowly you don’t create the space. My impression watching the first 15 minutes was that we thought we could win the game without exerting ourselves unduly. We weren’t playing badly as such, but not with a real edge. In retrospect that applied for the full game. The movement off the ball wasn’t crisp, so we kept possession but didn’t stretch them before the major incident of the game.

They had the ball out wide, the cross was half-blocked but fell to their forward, who managed to get the shot away. After that it all happened in slow motion. The ball squeezed past Hamer and my impression was that he wasn’t going to get back in time. It was so slow that I started to think that going behind might buck us up. But the North Stand and East Stand did exactly the right thing by staying completely quiet – and the linesman did his duty and must have seen a sliver of the ball that hadn’t gone over the line. He had a better angle than me. The replays might decide. I thought at the time it was a clear goal. When their guy continued to berate the linesman and a certain M. Webb called over the ref I jokingly said ‘come on, give us a laugh, make it red’. He did. 20 minutes gone and we’re against 10 men and have got out of jail.

After that it was really a question of whether we could score against a side not surprisingly keeping the remaining 10 behind the ball. Solly crashed one against the bar (now here was a real case for goalline technology) but in general it was mildly frustrating until just before the break when Wright-Phillips was put into the sort of position to do what he does best. No messing about, he scored.

At the start of the second half I thought it we just put in the effort in the first 10 minutes and get another the game was done and dusted and we could relax. It didn’t really happen. We did have chances here and there, with BWP sending in shots that went just past the posts, but the surprise was that Exeter kept their discipline and threatened once or twice. The second goal didn’t come until the 81st minute, when the excellent Solly fed Wright-Phillips and he pulled it back for the inrushing Stephens to sweep it home. Game over.

I’m not really sure how to assess the game overall. We needed a home win after the two draws and there’s nothing wrong winning while playing within yourselves. But it wasn’t entirely convincing. Given the circumstances, another early in the second half and we could easily have gone on to win by 4 or 5. Nothing wrong with improving the goal difference (one more and we’d be top tonight). Equally, the circumstances demanded a win and we didn’t care too much how it came. We didn’t cause the linesman’s decision, or the ref’s. Taking the three points was fine, but the fact is we didn’t play at anything like the same level as the first 20 minutes of Monday night. The fact that we didn’t before the major incident suggests that we approached the game in a different mindset and that no judgements about our prospects going forward can be made.

No matter, I’ve seldom been upset after a home win. Preston and I hope the second string on Tuesday night and then back to business. No player ratings for today as it doesn’t really seem fair in the circumstances; I don't really know how to judge performances when the game is handed to you on a plate and when the win was all that was required. Just enough to say that Solly deserves the mention in dispatches for an outstanding display.

And So It (Finally) Begins

2011-09-09T19:48:00.001+01:00

It’s getting closer, we’re almost there. OK, for most it began some weeks ago, but all being well tomorrow I actually get to watch a game in anger. I did see the second X1 take on Reading and on Monday I was able to view the splendour that is The Valley from three different vantage points: going past on the train at sparrow’s fart on the way to Amsterdam, from the air after taking off from City airport, and finally – praise be to Irish pubs around the world – on the box for the Sheff Wed game. But tomorrow I should be able to take up my seat and howl in proper fashion (not that there was any shortage of howling in a foreign field when BWP buried the shot in the opening minutes).

It goes without saying that the pressure is on for a home win. I’d be happy gaining promotion by winning all our away games and drawing at home, but it’s not the most reliable template for success and we don’t want to start getting a complex about not taking maximum points at The Valley. And we do owe Exeter one after they ruined the party last year (come to think of it, a Dutch work colleague was in London at the time and came to the game and also watched Monday night’s game with me; 0-1-1 might suggest another Jonah). Of course when on holiday as the news of three straight wins came through you start to contemplate heading the league through the entire season. That may no longer be possible, but as things stand 4-2-0 is a start we would all have taken with open arms. 5-2-0 and that still very much applies; anything less and we start to worry more about whether we have the necessary strength (and strength in depth) to win promotion, especially if victory is not secured by being outmuscled.

I’m sure others have given the appropriate analysis of Monday’s game. From a distance the first 30 minutes was a rout, albeit helped by the early goal. Excellent pressing in midfield when out of possession, some lovely passing, decent supply to the forwards, and every prospect of a second goal. But as everyone saw they wore us down with football of a different sort. They were only ever a threat from set pieces, but whether or not we like it that was a weapon which ended up paying off. And our inability to respond in the final 25 minutes meant we couldn’t really complain about the outcome over the full game.

Without the option of bringing on Green to provide a fresh spark, we were short of options. Replacing Hayes with Euell was understandable; Hayes did well enough, but by then the problem wasn’t up front but rather the service from midfield, where we had lost control of the game. Passing our way forward went out of the window as they pressed harder. Yes, a big target man might have been an option, given the way the game was going, but fresh legs in midfield seemed the priority. Pritchard was on the bench, but perhaps Sir Chris didn’t want to take the risk (same presumably applies to Bover as yet). Perhaps I’ve missed something, but where is Alonso? I’d assumed he’d be first-choice back-up in central midfield. I assume he’s still not available, but without him we did look short of good options when it came to winning back midfield. It seems that neither Green nor Benson will feature tomorrow, so the onus could be on getting the game secured before legs might start to tire towards the end.

For me, it’s just a pleasure to be contemplating being there. It’s been a while.

Belated Thoughts On A Positive Night

2011-08-24T12:57:00.000+01:00

I haven’t as yet quite managed to shake off the holiday cobwebs (the process usually lasts as long as it takes for Palace to fall back to the bottom of their division after an early flourish), so when returning from last night’s unexpected treat I’m afraid that the attractions of food, drink and sleep proved too much. Consequently all I’m going to offer up are some reflections on what proved to be a thoroughly entertaining Charlton v Reading reserves match. I’ve no gripes at all about Sir Chris putting out the current second eleven (only wish we were allowed to do the same for the Johnsons thingy), nor even for shelling out £2 on the outdated programme; after all, that still leaves me £198 ahead on the season to date as the points from the first four games ensured I collected on the first bet with my friend (whether I see the readies is another matter as he’s currently arguing that the bet involved us getting specifically eight points rather than eight-plus; I have the emails to prove otherwise).

So, what did we learn last night? First and foremost, that some footballing clichés (if not all clichés) usually have an element of truth. Never make a substitution when the opposition has a corner. Chris, that’s any substitution. Replacing a centre-half when the opposition has a corner, even if the guy has picked up a strain, is just asking for trouble. I said as much when the move was being made and the resulting confusion let Reading back into the game and ensured a rather different final 15 minutes or so than might otherwise have been the case (although in truth they were enough chances at either end through the game to have kept us guessing; on chances I reckon we should have won 5-3). Second, can the fans please not encourage a sense of panic if and when we get pegged back (to date we’ve gone 2-0 up in each of the five games, extended the lead in one, held it in one, conceded but held on in two, and pulled back to a draw in one). It’s a time for increased support but not suddenly groans at errors and outrage at refereeing decisions against us, all of which cannot help nerves on the pitch.

Third, as things stand we can be satisfied (in a number of cases more than satisfied) with the ability of those waiting in the wings to do a job when called on. Clearly we don’t know whether there will be further comings and goings, with continuing doubts about whether Elliot, Francis and/or Benson will end up staying. Quite frankly in each case I hope they do. Last night I had Francis as my man of the match (I don’t know if he was trying to impress the boss or someone else in the stands), while Benson took his goal very nicely and still looks to me like the back-up goalscorer in the event of Wright-Phillips not being available (I’m pleased we’ve signed Euell but am inclined to see him as another option rather than the one we turn to first if – perish the thought – BWP gets injured or suspended). We may now be well covered if Elliot does go, but if either of the others do we would need to bring in a replacement.

Individually, these are my comments (rather than any ratings) on last night’s players:

Hamer – Sensible selection as Sullivan is something of a known quantity and it gave him the chance to show Reading what they’ll miss. Looks big and strong and made a couple of outstanding saves. Only negative for me was some indecision and uncertainty with crosses.

Francis – I thought he was excellent. One very dangerous ball in was cleared behind wide of the goal, tackled well, and was key to our second goal getting forward. I haven’t seen Solly so far this season, but on last night’s display Francis should be pushing him hard.

Evina – Clearly a different option to the more reliable Wiggins. Reading seemed to target his lack of height and he did get caught out a couple of times by their winger in the second half. But undoubtedly offers something fresh going forward and as we saw can operate left-midfield (Solly came on late in the game). Only problem for him (and others) may be getting and staying match fit without reserve games.

Doherty – Impressed in that he played well and was up for the game, despite having to accept not being first choice, and seemed to have a positive influence on Mambo alongside him. We know he’ll do a decent job as and when required.

Mambo – Undoubtedly positive as he gave every indication that he is maturing as a player. Didn’t stand out, but for a centre-half that’s usually a plus as it means no bad mistakes. If he continues in this vein he can be included as the fourth centre-back.

Bover – Interesting game for him, being asked to play wide left when I’m sure he’d rather be in central midfield. Part of the learning curve as he gets used to English League One football. No doubt he’s one for the future, but not just yet. Struggled to get truly involved and in a league game would probably have been taken off sooner than he was, but did manage to end with a flourish, cutting in and hitting the post before going down with cramp.

Hughes – By accident I spoke to a Norwich fan at the start of the week and he was less than complimentary about his abilities. Looks set to play the role of Spring, who came in to play the role of Bryan Hughes – unlikely to be first choice but reliable when needed. Looked like a sensible addition as a squad player (especially if Alonso remains the invisible man).

Pritchard – Lively, enthusiastic, nearly scored. Hopefully will press the current central midfield pairing, although here too the absence of reserve games may not help his progression.

Green – Had the opportunity last night to show Powell that he should get the nod over Wagstaff and didn’t really take it. Nearly scored with a couple of wicked corners (although presumably other clubs will pick up on that trick) but missed the target early on having cut back to open up the goal and wasn’t all that involved through the game. I think we’re going to have fun as the two wingers battle it out through the season to show who should be first choice.

Benson – Took his goal well, ghosting in late and undetected. For me our major vulnerability as of now is what happens without BWP and Benson is the best alternative natural goalscorer.

Euell – Good game against some big defenders and he too arrived in the box at the right moment to score. I’m not sure he signed up in anticipation of having to chase for 90 minutes, but it will have done him good. I felt years ago that converting him to an attacking midfielder was a mistake and having him around undoubtedly increases our options.

Anything else? Well, only to add that in the years to come there will no doubt be the question posed on sports and general quizzes ‘what links the Italian towns of Longoio, Colico and Stresa?’ The answer is that a certain daft English holidaymaker was in each to receive news of a glorious Charlton victory at the start of the 2011/12 promotion season. And I’ve got the embarrassing photos to prove it.

Irrational Exuberance

2011-08-03T11:43:00.001+01:00

So that’s it. While everyone else’s mouths are starting to salivate and shiny new, full season tickets are waiting expectantly on the shelf (mine arrived almost by return post, before the cheque had cleared; the fools!), I’m obliged just as it’s got hot in London to don jeans and cowboy boots plus a jacket which I’ll never use and tote a bag full weighed down by Suzanne’s spare shoes (and we are covering every possible angle here, just on the off chance that global warming hits over the next couple of weeks and produces either Saharan heat or Arctic freeze) to struggle across London and onto a train for France, before assuming my full donkey duties on Friday to pack a car full of all those not quite essentials and head off for Italy. With luck we’ll be installed on the terrace (of a different sort) basking in Tuscan sun when the first texts confirming glorious goals and inevitable victory begin on Saturday afternoon. Without it we’ll be stuck on an Alpine pass or struggling round an Italian supermarket as texts confirming the bursting of bubbles begin.

We do have a pressing need to hit the ground running this season. It comes in the form of two bets I’ve struck with an Irish friend (he is not an Addick, so knows nothing about football other than that Dean Kiely and Mark Kinsella were true gods). A sporting bet between friends is normally a mutually respectful way of testing differing opinions (I did win one such with another friend as a result of which I own every shirt he has and will ever have, which gives me the option of taking the shirt off his back if I wish each time we meet, or just requesting him to send them in the post; trouble is he’s crafty and wears shirts you wouldn’t wrap your dog in). A bet with this friend is a usually futile attempt to try to scale things down to something within the realms of reality which ends up being an attempt by both parties to screw as much as possible out of a recalcitrant and belligerent opponent (with balances seldom settled as he refuses to acknowledge how much in debt he is over previous unpaid bets). Well, he does make his living as a day trader. Having been cruelly robbed in a Wimbledon bet, I gained revenge with the Open (two of his three picks didn’t make the cut and he didn’t have the gumption to select another Irishman as the third). And now I’ve well and truly got him. He thinks a new team will take time to gel and doesn’t realise we’ve signed 15 worldbeaters (and counting).

The first bet, £10 at 20/1, requires us to get eight points or more from our first four games. As we’re going to get 12 that’s £200 in my bank. The second, for £10 at 25/1, requires us to get 13 or more points from the first six. As we’ll have 12 in the bag after four, it’s the proverbial candy from a baby. With a prospective £450 coming my way, the season ticket cost is more than covered. This friend’s hedging strategy amounts to perpetually doubling up on ever less likely related bets to try to head off the big pay-outs (I believe Nick Leeson tried something similar and feel I should inform the Irish equivalent of the FSA, although they have other irrational exuberance-related issues to worry about at the moment). With that in mind, I have declined his latest offer – £10 on Charlton to win the league by 10 points or more at 50/1. The prospect of raising his exposure to £950 was tempting, but by the time we’re confirmed as champions by such a margin he will no doubt have deleted the emails and done a runner.

As the first four games will have been completed before I return to Blighty (and the first six will have run their course before I actually get to see one as confirmation of an early September Amsterdam trip has ruled out Sheff Wed for me), I see the money I will be due as a welcome home present. In the interim I hope he’s stocking his piggy bank and the players realise just what is resting on their early performances. (And for those inclined to feel sorry for me over my enforced travels, a birthday card from Suzanne was a photo of a bottle of recently recommended Lirac waiting for me in Lyon.)

Calendar Girls

2011-07-24T14:32:00.001+01:00

As we wait for the identity of the new striker(s) to be brought in – unless it is felt that Williams, Poppo and possibly Euell can do the necessary to support Hayes and Wright-Phillips – we can only fondly recall the days when speculation over our moves would make the BBC and other sites and we could ponder the merits of possible options. I assume that on Tuesday at least those attending will get the chance to see how the current only available front two shape up together. In the interim, with all the comings and goings since May, it’s perhaps about time for a belated thumbnail personal assessment of those that have moved on – in part to cover for an inability to predict who might still be coming in and also to make a belated plea for the club, if it is intent on recycling entire teams each season, to stop the practise of issuing a calendar for the year ahead in December.

I realise the commercial motivation, but some of us have birthdays in August and a summer 12-month calendar would at least have some shelf-life. As it is, since May I’ve had to stare at the unfortunately crocked Fortune paired with Doherty, followed by a month of pondering the uncertainty of Dailly’s position. There’s only a few days left of Benson and Sodje (one on the point of going and one who left before his time on the wall came due), after which I’ll have Llera (effectively gone) and Mambo (hopefully coming to the fore this season as it’s time), then a month of Worner (gone without troubling the scoreboard as they say). October will bring to the fore Fry and McCormack (both departed), before Solly and Anyinsah (gone) in November. At least December will have Elliot in splendid isolation for a month. (For the record, January featured Martin and Abbott, February Wagstaff and Reid, March the combination of Racon and Semedo, and April Jackson and Francis.) I doubt that it’s going to have much resale value on ebay come January, although for the truly sad there might be interest in assessing whether any other club calendar, ever, has featured such a low combined total of games. Reality is I’m the sad one as I tend to keep these things.

So, here we go, loosely in order of positions:

Worner – what’s there to say? Parkinson obviously saw potential in him, but Powell and presumably others didn’t, presumably after the three-game spell he had in goal in March (whether that just coincided with or was instrumental in that bad patch is uncertain).

Jenkinson – Got the boos late last season for his poorly-advised decision to leave us for Arsenal, but that’s done now. Seems he was instrumental in us getting the best possible deal, and around £1m for a kid just coming through has helped to fund the restructuring. Good luck to him now.

Francis – Of course he is back in the fold and may remain so (if he does still end up at Bournemouth or somewhere else we will need a replacement). I thought last season he was a better player than some others did. He wasn’t great, his crossing often disappointed, but I really struggle to see why many fans turned against him, to the extent where one admittedly bad mistake seemed to virtually end his Charlton career. We were shopping in the bargain basement a year ago and only four players had more starts for us last season.

Youga – Does anyone know if he’s done enough to be offered something (and while we’re dealing with uncertainties, what’s happened with Alonso)? Here too the signing of two new left-backs suggests not. I don’t think there’s any doubt that were it not for injury he would have been a fixture in the team; he brought attacking flair and had the added advantage for me of maintaining the French connection. If he’s fit I wouldn’t be surprised to see even a Championship team take a punt on him (if not, if he heads back to France maybe there’s a spot at Lyon Duchere?).

Fortune – Can’t say for sure we’ve seen the last of him; if he gets fit by the end of the year I guess there’s always the chance we’d offer him a short-term deal as cover. We know what he will forever be remembered for; it might not be enough for true Charlton legend status but ... oh hell, of course it is (just as Kitson earnt his place in our hearts).

Llera – Some have commented that his mistakes always seemed to be picked on more than those of others. For me, the problem was less about mistakes but his reaction to them. He often seemed to go to pieces. I shall always remember with affection his first appearance at Welling. We’d been told about his ability to spread the play, but nobody had told him the pitch was a postage stamp and his first efforts sailed over the stands. When he was good he looked imperious (and was always a threat from set pieces), but Parkinson gave up on him and Powell clearly thought he couldn’t be relied on. Goes with best wishes but no regrets (at least until the first howlers from Taylor/Morrison).

Semedo – From player of the season to the exit door (a bit like Parkinson’s November manager of the month). Never any doubting his commitment and ability to do a job, but given the limited nature of that job needed either a 4-5-1 formation or an exceptionally good player alongside him in a central two. Assured of a warm welcome when he comes back with Sheff Wed, but here too no regrets from me that last season’s failed midfield has been cleared out.

Racon – When we played 4-5-1 and passed and moved he was instrumental in it all. When it was 4-4-2 he simply didn’t have the strength or outright ability to compete, even with his minder Semedo, with his tackling often a liability. I hope he goes on to find a decent club after the one he’s gone to.

McCormack – Might be argued that he didn’t get the chance to really show us what he could do. But that wouldn’t be correct. He did get the chances and what he showed wasn’t good enough. Seemed the sort of player that needed to be (and was used to being) the boss in midfield but singularly failed to play effectively with Racon while his pairing with Semedo (which was first choice at the start of the season) was too limited.

Reid – For me the biggest disappointment of last season. Getting him on a free seemed a real coup at the time, but just didn’t cut the mustard, for whatever reason. Started the first six games of the season but proved entirely peripheral after that. A waste of potential is never that; if you don’t fulfil your potential it was never really there. Time for Reid to prove (somewhere else) that he has what it takes.

Anyinsah – Just too injury-prone. Often looked as though he would make the best partner for Wright-Phillips, but there was never the possibility of finding out.

Benson – In the circumstances we were in, he was a decent (and necessary) signing. Took a while to get going, but had a purple patch with six goals in five games (and eight in 13). Once Wright-Phillips was bought he had to adapt to being more of a target man and that’s not really his strength. Clearly had his limitations, and perhaps lacked the real strut and self-confidence that a really good finisher needs.

Stewart/Parrett/Nouble/Eccleston/Bessone – Of the loan signings now departed, Stewart seemed to be using us to put himself in the shop window and our signings mean he isn’t returning. Whether he finds a club above our status remains to be seen. Three others go back to their Premiership clubs with thanks but only one regret from me – that we sadly underutilised Eccleston. He may have been a bit cocky, but he has pace and ability, even playing him wide right. Bessone brought a touch of flair with him, but he came to us short of match fitness and struggled with injuries. I’ve no idea if we ever tried to get him on a permanent basis, but with Wiggins and Evina brought in we’ve clearly seen the last of him.

Dailly – I’ve kept the best to last; and at the moment we still don’t know if he’s staying or going. I’m not privy to the talks, the money etc. But I can’t help thinking that his eventual decision will be more down to whether he wants at least one more season as a lynchpin somewhere else or whether he is ready to be used more sparingly – and perhaps ease his way into a training/management role. Perhaps he’s the sort of player who needs to be totally involved (anyone who has the clash of heads that he had – which echoed around the ground – just before half-time in a Johnstone’s Paint Trophy game and comes out for the second half, before later discovering a cracked eye socket, clearly has a screw loose). I actually hope he ends up doing what’s best for him in that respect. He’s been nothing but a model professional and an outstanding player, somebody whose intelligence and understanding of the game shone through even in his programme notes. Time catches up with everyone (except me) and only he can decide if the legs are up to another full season.

It goes without saying that best wishes go to the youngsters released. But they, like most of the above, are history now, for us at least. And let’s face it recent history hasn’t been glorious. For those lucky enough to be able to attend the Tuesday friendly, these are the comments of a Dutch colleague:

From 1983 to 1990, FC Den Bosch were consistently in the first division (eredivisie) but have always struggled to get to the top ranks. In the 1990s, the team struggled to raise enough money as the team attracted less visitors. The club has even been forced to sell players with very good potential for almost nothing to other teams in the Netherlands. Ruud van Nistelrooy started his career there (he played four years in the main team of Den Bosch) and was sold in 1998 for 650,000 guilders (EUR 300,000) to SC Heerenveen. One year later, Heerenveen sold him for 12 million guilders (EUR 5.4 mln - a record amount for a football player at that time) to PSV, after it turned out that he was brilliant on the pitch in the first division. Since the 1990s, FC Den Bosch have been promoted to the first division four times (in 1993, 2000, 2002 and 2005), only to get relegated the next year (ed – shades of a certain Palace here?). The team usually play in the top ranks of the second division and every year they have reasonable chances to get promoted to the first division (OK, not like Palace), but never make much of an impression there.

Sun, Bars and Seamless Links

2011-07-19T22:02:00.001+01:00

Starting off I’m struggling to find a Charlton angle - or just a seamless link to matters Charlton - with this one. But on the grounds that no issues/events are completely unconnected, I’m confident that if I rabbit on long enough the necessary will reveal itself; just a question of whether anyone else will be able to spot the join when it comes.

If you’ve been struggling through the cloud and rain of the past few days, spare a thought for those of us who took the option for a sun break. For some it involved nipping over to Spain for a couple of workouts and some team-bonding; for me it was a case of my partner Suzanne having a family party on France’s national day in Crest, just south of Valence. This provided the opportunity for a little exploration of the region, or rather selected parts. And you can hardly blame me. I don’t pretend to be a wine expert (more a consumer than a connoisseur), but a seminal moment was some years back in a good bar du vin in Lyon. I outlined as best I could what I like and the obliging gentlemen came back with a glass and said ‘try zis’. I quickly realised I could spend the rest of my life happily swimming in the glass’ contents. It was a St Joseph.

The reputation here of the wines of the Rhone Valley have not surprisingly been harmed by the propensity of the French over the years to offload on us trucks of cheap Cotes du Rhone that they wouldn’t willingly touch themselves. But when the northern part of the area offers St Joseph, Cote Rotie, Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage and Cornas (which I was not previously familiar with but took the opportunity to sample and tuck away a couple of bottles for the future) I’m not sure there’s a better concentration of desirable options anywhere else on the planet, at least not for someone who to date hasn’t managed to acquire a taste for the subtlety of a Bourgogne or the wallet for good Bordeaux. That said, I’ve bought quite indifferent bottles of St Joseph in London and having seen some of the vinyards you can understand why. Dotted on the hillside it would seem that the variations in sunshine and rain can result in ordinary years (the woman in one cave responsible for selling the stuff visibly turned up her nose at the 2008 vintage, which was correctly set at half the price of a 2009 or 2007), while the different terroirs of the various producers deliver different variations of flavour despite the pure Syrah origins. I’m just going to have to do a lot more serious (practical) research; but I’m learning and am full of enthusiasm.

By spending a little time in the area I managed to unearth the best bar in the world – and the best school. Taking a leaf from the French, who are nothing if not sneaky when it comes to hiding their true assets, I’m not going to state where the bar is. As the picture shows, it appears nondescript, but when I asked for a glass of red wine the response was ‘we only serve St Joseph’. I’m not sure I will ever find a bar to compete. And just along the road was the Ecole St Joseph. The mind boggles as to what the curriculum entails. A bit of colouring and spelling then off for the day’s tastings of vintages. Pre-Thatcher English schooling gave me curdled milk.

So, we now know where to find the best bar and best school in the world. But do we yet know if we have the best team in League One? Clearly at least not yet, but it is possible this will prove to be the case. I don’t think anyone would have made such a claim a year ago. At the Welling game a fellow Addick was sounding quite downbeat on the signings made by Sir Chris, seemingly on the grounds that they were players largely drawn from our current peers rather than attracted away from a higher level and that they pointed to a standard playing formation rather than the adoption of a Barcelona approach (or more realistically Brighton). I often have my rose-tinted glasses on (La Vie en Rose once more) but I don’t agree. For me there’s a good balance among the incoming of youth and experience and the indication that we will play a consistent and increasingly familiar (for the players) 4-4-2 week in, week out, with the emphasis on tempo, fitness and balance. Then it’s about getting the best partnerships in the key areas and ensuring we have sufficient cover.

It might be argued that we have lost players to either teams in the top two divisions (Racon, Jenkinson, quite possibly Llera and Reid, along with the loanees returning to Premiership clubs – Parrett, Nouble, Eccleston) or those around us (Semedo, Anyinsah, still possibly it seems Francis). At face value that might suggest a loss of (relative) quality. Fact is they didn’t work out for us in the way we’d hoped and while the process isn’t complete – and can’t be until we know what will happen with Francis, McCormack, Dailly et al and whether there will be further additions – it seems to me on the admittedly thin evidence so far that a number of those brought in are on an improving path with a good attitude. It’s a bit unfair on the two, but I remember being struck by the programme notes early last season from Benson and Abbot. The former mentioned that as a trained accountant he had a career to fall back on if it didn’t work out in football, while the latter acknowledged his journeyman status (adding that he thought he’d always done a good job for his many clubs, except Swansea). We’ve already heard rather more ambitious comments from the new batch.

It does have to be pointed out that despite the addition of 13 new signings (including Sullivan returning on a permanent basis and Pope), the exit of an equal number (more if Dailly, Llera, McCormack and Francis) means we are no stronger in terms of actual numbers. But of those having departed, five were loan players. While we presumably avail ourselves of the odd loanee this season too, it is hard to see us depending on them to the extent we did last season (or the season before). Should help with consistency and continuity.

If you had to pick a team right now to kick things off, some things would seem clear. I don’t know which of Elliot or Sullivan will get the nod in goal, but at least we’re covered (barring any substance to the rumours that Elliot might not be happy if he begins as number two). Clearly right-back’s an area of uncertainty, with speculation of a new signing but Francis’ inability to agree terms with Bournemouth complicating things, with these rumours suggesting that Powell doesn’t want to rely just on Solly. Left-back seems a straight choice between Wiggins and Evina, presumably the former (with the latter perhaps cover for both left-back and wide-left); I haven’t seen any confirmation but presumably Youga isn’t coming back. Central defence is currently two from Morrison, Taylor and Doherty, with Dailly maybe still making up the numbers (and Mambo still developing).

The clean sweep approach to central midfield suggests that the two places will be contested by Alonso, Hollands, Stephens and Pritchard, with Izquierdo also a contender on the evidence to date. What I do like the look of is the prospect of Jackson and Green providing the width (with Wagstaff appearing for now to be the back-up, Harriot developing as well). One outright winger able to cross well and one more of an all-rounder, both capable of making a decent contribution to the goals tally. Does it carry echoes of Robinson and Newton (if not the old Man Utd combination of Coppell and Hill)?

The obvious problem is up front, ie what happens if Wright-Phillips gets injured? Hayes and Benson are shaping up as possible partners for him, but without BWP would we have the necessary cutting edge? Benson was brought in as the outright goalscorer but now seems to be being asked to operate as more the provider/target man, while it remains to be seen whether the trialist Williams will come on board. Again, its early days, but a Hayes-Benson partnership up front if Wright-Phillips is unavailable looks unlikely (and pertinently hasn’t been tried by Powell in the friendlies to date). If there’s one more important addition to come this would seem to be the area.

So now the sun is a distant memory, which for me means back to work and for the players a trip to Aldershot. The recently-confirmed replacement of Reading for the 26 July Valley friendly with FC Den Bosch would be an attractive prospect – had not various factors combined to ensure that next week will see me make a work-related trip abroad, to Amsterdam of all places. Reminds me of the only possible definitive proof of the existence of God (and his sense of humour), the true story of how some nuns in Ireland saved for years to fund a trip to Rome to see the Pope, only for it to turn out that the week they were so looking forward to was the one he spent visiting Ireland. He/she is said to move in mysterious ways.

3-0 To The Second-Half Team

2011-07-09T19:13:00.000+01:00

So, 3-0 to the second-half team. The complicated task of monitoring the teams was intensified by Welling selling out of programmes by the time we made it inside the ground but then made a little easier by Sir Chris’ decision to play two different teams – each a mix of the old and new – for the two halves. From my notes it seems we managed to identify eight or nine of both 11s, and I’m still waiting for the club site to sort out its link to the report on the game to fill in the gap, so this might be a work in progress, especially as one of the unidentifiables scored.

First-half team was Elliot in goal, Wiggins at left-back, Mambo partnering Morrison in central defence, Jackson and Wagstaff providing the midfield width, and I think Izquierdo and someone else in the centre, while Hayes made his debut up front alongside a lively but unidentified by me partner. The second saw Sullivan take over in goal, with I think trialist Andersen at left-back, Solly on the left, Doherty and Taylor in central defence. I think it was Hollands and Pritchard in central midfield, with Green wide-left and Benson alongside another guy.

The game itself saw Welling start brightly, hitting the bar and then their forward rounding Elliot before being crowded out. But aside from one bad slip from Morrison – which did coincide with a decent downpour - which nearly let in their guy. But that was as good as it got for them and their substitutions seemed to diminish their threat as the game went on. Jackson hit the bar from a free kick in the first half and one of a series of delightful crosses from Wiggins – which it has to be said contrasted with those that came in from Wagstaff on the other flank – saw Hayes decide to head back rather than go for goal. It might have been a reasonable decision, but you wondered whether the concept of not going for goal would have occurred to the absent Wright-Phillips.

Goalless at the break the second-half team began with a good deal more energy, which seemed to be down to the promptings of Hollands and the initial energy of Green, who was to provide a good deal of entertainment with his shooting, which ranged from the sublime to the awful. I didn’t really catch the first goal as it came from our guy robbing theirs of the ball and playing in an unidentified new boy to put it in the net. The second was as simple as it comes, with a corner seeing Taylor outjump and outmuscle their defenders and keeper to head it in. Then just as I was remarking to a friend that Green had faded after his bright start, he collected the ball and languidly sent it flying into the net from distance.

Game over and what did we learn? In terms of style of play, we put out two teams and both were straight 4-4-2, which left the impression that we’re not going to muck about with the system. We play this way and Plan B will involve changes of personnel, not formation. By mixing up the two teams we don’t know yet the key partnerships that Powell sees as first-choice, especially with Alonso not around yet and Wright-Phillips not playing. But reading between the lines – and ahead of further changes - I’d say if I had to pick a team to start the season we’re looking at Elliot and Sullivan scrapping it out to be number one in goal, with the former really the incumbent, Solly and Wiggins as the full-backs, Morrison or Doherty alongside Taylor or Dailly (if he signs), Jackson and Green out wide, Hollands and Alonso in central midfield, Hayes and Wright-Phillips up front. But that’s tentative at best, with no sign yet of Evina (unless he actually played) or Alonso (ditto).

Individually, for me Andersen impressed at left-back in the second half, but having signed Wiggins and Evina, and with Youga still a possibility, if that’s his position you wonder if that’s a priority for us (especially with Solly the only recognised right-back, in the absence of a name for the guy who played the first half). Hollands looked useful and made things happen, while Izquierdo in the first half (if it was him) impressed me by always seeming to look for something more than the safe ball. Hayes showed he knows his way around, but whether it’s a positive or a negative to see him make himself available for everything, including taking corners, remains to be seen. He and Benson did a passable impression of each other and as things stand the requirement of a centre-forward for us is to provide the best foil for Wright-Phillips. Neither is a real target man or especially physical, so how this pans out remains to be seen. And if the comparison is made on this game alone between Wagstaff and Green to play wide-right, Green clearly emerged the winner, not least because of Wagstaff’s crossing. Needs to work on it and continue to improve. With Green I doubt you have a lack of confidence, and if he can score goals regularly and provide the more genuine winger option with presumably Jackson on the other flank that looks good.

Best moment of the afternoon? Well, it ought to be Green’s strike for the third goal, but I’d give it to Sullivan’s auto-response to use conceding a free-kick. Standing behind his goal in the second half you realise he doesn’t stop shouting instructions to his defence or providing his assessment of situations, and a simple “fck off ref” might in another game have seen a yellow card produced but this time around just served as an amusing reminder where he came from.

I’ve had a final check on the club site and the link now works, so I can acknowledge that Taylor played the first half alongside Mambo, not Morrison, which means that Taylor made the howler and Morrison scored the goal; Warren played right-back in the first half, it was indeed Izquierdo alongside Stephens in central midfield, while Popo was the lively forward alongside Hayes. In the second, trialist Williams was alongside Benson and scored the first, while Davisson was the final missing player. But the wine’s out, England are still 1-1 against France in extra-time, and I’m far too lazy to make corrections.

Time Running Out

2011-07-08T14:21:00.002+01:00

Oh, this just keeps getting better! Having resigned myself to the prospect that after Welling tomorrow it would be early September and the visit of Sheffield Wednesday before my season can begin (in terms of actually being there), with no sign of a replacement for the cancelled Reading friendly, I see today that game has been put back to the following Monday – when I will probably be making my regular work-related trip to Amsterdam. The chances of finding a bar there that might be screening the Wednesday game are remote (although I can go on a trawl of the centre to either be pleasantly surprised or sufficiently anaesthetised to compensate) and it means Exeter on 10 September being my first match in anger. Bloody marvellous (although some may wish to point out that it’s my decision to naff off on holidays for two weeks and to stick to certain resolutions, such as retaining my sense of purity by never actually stepping inside the New Den, having done my time in the old one).

The fact that three home games are now written off for me did set me thinking as to whether if it was a purely monetary issue it was worth buying a season ticket or paying by game and waiting for the second-half ticket offers around the turn of the year. That actually encouraged me to look at the fixture list for the first time and realising how distorted it is. Because of the Carling Cup and the Mickey Mouse JPT I assume, perhaps other reasons (internationals?), we are scheduled to have five league games in August and September each, followed by six in October. Then it gets weird. Just three in November and only four in December (and just three home games in the two months). January and February see some return to normality, with five games in each month, but then seven in March (including four at home)! Throw in a few cancellations for bad weather and an FA Cup run (I know, but it’s always possible) and it has all the ingredients for a congestion disaster – and/or a repeat of last season when then too the games came thick and fast and we were on a dire run and unable to pause for breath. We will reach the end of December having played exactly half the season (23 games) or less (if there are postponements) in five months, then cram the second half (or more) into four.

I’m sure there are reasons for the season to be planned this way and it was probably the same last season and I didn't notice (we ended up playing just two league games in December). But I doubt they have a lot to do with the interests of the teams concerned – and their fans. To play seven serious games in two months at a time when the weather is likely to be no problem, then eight in one when there may well be a need to fit in games postponed in January-February, increasing the risk of games added in April (when there are five planned), seems to me from a purely footballing perspective plain daft. It risks turning the season into a patchy and inconclusive first half followed by a desperate slog to the finish, especially when injuries and suspensions are thrown in. But it’s only League One, so who cares?

I had a quick check on another team’s fixture list and it does seem it’s the same for everyone. The only problem for us is that not every club in this division is starting the campaign with a completely new team. It’s reasonable to suppose that it will take a bit of time for squad to gel and if this translates into a slow start in August-October the low number of games in November-December may not work to our advantage. It does also suggest that while the JPT is an irrelevance (I have no wish to go to Wembley to see us in that competition) Sir Chris may be well advised to treat it seriously as part of the team bonding process and as the players will be getting plenty of rest from league games prior to Christmas.

I was about to say it has been getting rather boring of late on the player front, with no new signings for a week (aside from the youngsters). But I had a quick check on the club site to make sure and I see that another centre-half has been added to the ranks, bringing the total to 11. That’s a nice round number, and the day’s not over yet. Welling is usually a challenge in terms of keeping track of who’s on the pitch and this time around it’s going to be near impossible. We could field a starting X1 containing no players on the books last season. I’m going to have to scribble a note to myself listing the new players to take along just to try to be able to avoid obvious howlers if there’s to be a post-match posting, although I hope nobody expects any real match report as for all its merits it is little more than a training session. At least with enough additions to choose from I’ve been assuming we won’t have repeats of previous years’ rabbits coming out of the hat (I remember Fortune surprising us all last time around by pulling on a Charlton shirt again), but I see from Chicago Addick’s latest post Jason Euell is training with us (as well as a German trialist).

We have also seen confirmation of the departure of others, including Semedo, Francis and Anyinsah to add to Racon, Reid et al (with rumours of McCormack also leaving). Seems Dailly’s future remains unclear, while the addition of Michael Morrison from Wednesday to add to Matt Taylor from Exeter suggests that even with Fortune out of the picture and Llera seemingly headed for pastures new he and Doherty go from first-choice partnership to back-ups if they stay.

As I’ve said before, I’m not the person to make any meaningful assessments of the new guys (other than to add that while my partner Suzanne’s normally good judgement seems to become rose-tinted when it comes to me, I’ve always had a certain inclination when watching someone make their Charlton debut to think we’ve got a world-beater on our hands). But the overall impression has to be that we’ve brought in a whole batch of players with years ahead of them and what looks like a good mix of experience at this level and potential to develop; and while gelling may be a problem, the clearing of the decks should mean a squad unencumbered by the baggage of the failure of recent years. It does all seem in keeping with Michael Slater’s stated goal of creating a team/squad ready to hold their own in The Championship if we can get promoted. And on that optimistic note I guess it’s time to stop quibbling about missing games and put that cheque in the post.

Unrealistic Expectations

2011-06-22T21:59:00.001+01:00

When you’ve taken a break to try to recharge the batteries, and catch up on a little work, you can’t help feeling that you need to deliver something punchy, insightful and original, like New York Addicks’ piece on our owners. But after a while I realised that for me at least it’s never going to happen, so I might as well dive back in with the sort of aimless nonsense that will probably continue through the coming season. No point in raising unrealistic expectations.

If anyone’s looking for some angle on or assessment of the players we are signing please look elsewhere. In the Premiership I occasionally noticed an opposition player; at this level after a quick scan through the team sheet to confirm I don’t recognise any lining up against us, my only interest in them amounts to hoping they fall over. Many moons ago I went to a game with a friend and his then girlfriend, a rather erratic if spirited young lady over from the US (I’d drawn the short straw as her friend promised much but ended up giving me only a bad case of the flu). She claimed credit for having ‘white-lighted’ Don McAllister, who popped up in the last minute to score the winner. I’ve tried many times since to master the art, or perhaps the black art of putting the mockers on the opposition, but the results have been inconclusive. So while others may talk with knowledge of the attributes of Alonso, Evina, Hayes, Hollands, Pope, Pritchard and Sullivan (OK, I’ve seen a little of him), all I can say is I hope with every fibre they all overachieve and become legends.

My ignorance does mean that when they (and presumably other new arrivals) trot out at Welling on 9 July they have a clean slate as far as I’m concerned. No doubt after a couple of games we will all have formed at least our initial prejudices, which will be hard to shake off thereafter (and I’ve already got a good feeling about Pritchard as this is my mother’s maiden name; nice to have one at the club, although I’m not sure he’s one of the Bermondsey Pritchards).

As for the departures, Racon I’m just gutted about, for a number of reasons. First, it means the Covered End will never be able to adopt (as it should have done) David Essex’s Rock On as a tribute song (‘Racon ... ooh my soul’). Second, it threatens an end to our French connection (which for me counts for something as my partner Suzannne would delight in shouting ‘allez Therry’ from the East Stand), unless Youga does manage an unlikely comeback with us (I know he’s not French but he hailed from Lyon). But most disappointing was the manner of his departure, the sort of missed opportunity that probably summed up his time with us. I remember the dramatisation of Eamon Dumphy’s autobiography, the moment when he was consoling a youngster who’d just been released from Millwall (unlike the fans he had served his sentence) with the words that “it could be worse, you could have had to go to Charlton like me”. I suppose I can’t blame Therry for perhaps not being aware of the opportunity to square the books, but instead of saying what he must have been feeling (something along the lines of ‘I’m heading for the toilet but they’re paying me more’) he felt obliged to offer up the nonsense that “Millwall are a big club”.

It was clear that the midfield (and the defence and the attack) had to be remodelled and that for me meant Sir Chris either deciding that Racon was the lynchpin (and bringing in partners to complement him and adopting a style of play best suited to him) or that it was time for him to go. He departs with my best wishes and regrets, the overall impression being that he flourished in a fluid midfield five but couldn’t hold his own in a four and in that formation having to have his minder, Semedo, alongside him just left us short in most aspects. It was good to see the comments from the club about the nature of Jenkinson’s exit and the terms secured. He got his fans’ telling off when his name was read out among the substitutes at the end of the season and that’s fair enough. Good luck to him now. No doubt we’ll be making similar assessments as confirmation comes through that others have departed.

So, that’s enough of the bonhomie, now for some gripes (some justified, others perhaps not). The fixture list didn’t send tingles down my spine (all I ever hope for in this division is the last game to be away at Carlisle); rather it confirmed that for me at least my first chance to see a game in anger will have to wait for early September. I just knew there was a good reason for telling Suzanne that I needed to return from holiday early on a Saturday, but for some reason it escaped me when I booked the tickets. So I’ll be heading off shortly before we take to the field against Bournemouth, checking the texts for Notts County and Colchester away, and returning to London just after we’ve played Scunthorpe at home. I can’t see me getting to Bury the Saturday after, which means it’s Sheff Wed up first. Just something for the owners to bear in mind when setting April deadlines for season ticket renewals. Paying four months ahead of being able to use it – and having to write off 8.7% of its face value – doesn’t fill me with joy (I still haven’t sent in my renewal, but it will be done).

It’s perfectly understandable that the Reading friendly has been called off; I think even for me it might have been unreasonable to point out that some of us are going to miss the Carling Cup game against them in any event. Hopefully Barcelona can fill the breech; if no-one does I’ll just have Welling to keep me going (although trying to stay on top of whose on the pitch during that one is usually the biggest challenge).

Finally, and not least following NYA’s post about the owners, I have to say I found the reported comments of Michael Slater and Peter Varney in the BBC Radio Kent programme a little strange. Slater has impressed to date, saying the right things and seeming genuinely enthusiastic about his role. But the claim that “fans are saying, regardless of results, we are playing better football”. Even if we’d finished last season playing like worldbeaters it would have been irrelevant – both because the campaign was already lost and because we knew the team would look completely different come August. He previously been reported as saying that fans might have viewed last season as an “opportunity missed”. It wasn’t. It was a case of false dawns – at the start, in November, and after Powell took over. Those periods raised our hopes, as it turned out unrealistically; at the start of the campaign, given the position we were in and signings we were making (for which Parkinson can’t be blamed, given the constraints), I suspect most of us would have predicted mid-table.

More serious was Varney’s claim that the club came very close to administration. I don’t suggest for a second he was being misleading, but if that sort of claim is made it needs to be backed up by more information. You don’t simply go into administration, somebody puts you there. I might still be missing something, but the club’s debts – according to the annual reports we used to receive as shareholders – were overwhelmingly to the bank (secured against The Valley) and to the directors. If we’d started not paying the taxman, all experience with other clubs shows that you can drag that out for ages after the first court summons – and I’m not aware of that first threat having been lodged. If not the taxman, who else? While welcoming the takeover of the club, for obvious reasons, we do have to accept not being privy to the full details of the new ownership and the likely absence of any meaningful information on the state of the club’s finances. Just making the statement about administration isn’t good enough in itself.

Things could be worse. We could be QPR supporters. Their rise in season ticket and match prices, without concessions for those who continued to turn up through recent years, is, as Paul Finney of the Independent Rs website reportedly said, “an absolute disgrace”.

No Rain On My Parade

2011-05-07T19:23:00.001+01:00

Well, it was never going to be much of a parade, especially given the prevailing gloom after the electorate’s aberration on AV. Jose’s gong and the issue of whether we could manage to avoid our lowest league finish since the 30s (it seems we have) weren’t exactly burning issues, while Hartlepool were suitable opposition for the occasion; big, strong and entirely limited (with fans to boot), they looked like a team that had as a man voted ‘no’.. But it managed to rain on it anyway.

That was the cute intro I’d planned before the game, on the basis of a forecast of rain or the prospect of a last-minute winner for Hartlepool. Like the UK electorate deciding in favour of a move towards democracy, neither happened. Instead we sat through what was the very essence of a final match devoid of meaning. We secured a 2-1 moral victory in terms of crossbar strikes – Wright-Phillips’ deft touch over the keeper just failing to come down enough and Bessone’s blistering drive in the second half coming back off the bar against one for them – but nobody was really that bothered. Their keeper made a good second-half save with his feet and for a while before the break it got tasty after Semedo and one of theirs clashed with boots raised. The free kick was given our way, but Jose picked up a yellow along with two of theirs, including the muppet that tried to make more of it. That made a case for taking Semedo off at half-time, just on the grounds that the last thing we wanted was him banned for the start of the next campaign; but he stayed and played out the game sensibly.

They offered nothing bar height and strength from set pieces, we offered guile and greater intricacy but without the change of pace or drive to make it count. In my book Stewart and Wright-Phillips looked a class apart for most of the game (Stewart did tail off badly towards the end, spending more time moaning at the ref) in terms of control and vision, Semedo had the sort of game we expect of him, Bessone stood out again with interceptions (and the shot), while Harriot was a threat with his pace and unpredictability before tiring and giving way to Racon.

There’s no point in ratings or details. It’s done. Just like the referendum. Who stays, who goes and who comes in are now the focus. All we can do is sit and wait – and of course naff off to the Continent (where most countries have decent electoral systems), drink wine, smoke cigars. We all know what next season’s about and with that in mind all I want to see is that when it all kicks off we have a structure to the team (in terms of good partnerships in the key areas), a style of play, and the courage to stick to the plans. Plus total commitment, motivation and fitness, and a winning mentality. And luck. Cheers to all. May it come to pass.

Forget the Table and the Future, Victory Is Sweet

2011-04-25T19:53:00.001+01:00

Ah, now that was nice. Sunny day, sufficient to revive the practise of wine and bread on the Heath (somebody always has to spoil it by bringing cheese), entertaining game, and a victory. Then back on the Heath for more of the same (well, wine anyway). A lovely afternoon for once not spoiled by the football match in the middle. Only a pity that Suzanne, who was here for the weekend, made a mess of her timings and had to fly back to Lyon instead of being able to watch us trounce the mighty Rochdale. But she went home happy (of course she did I here you say, she was with me) as I – like any sensible male – remembered it was the Festa di San Marco and followed the tradition of giving a red rose (debit £2.50, credit enough brownie points to carry me through the months ahead).

Without the services of Elliot, Dailly, Jackson, Semedo, Reid and Wagstaff, the team today didn’t quite pick itself – but basically if you had a pair of boots you’d make the bench at least. Sullivan, Bessone, Francis (a welcome return to The Valley for him), Fortune and Doherty, Stewart and Parrett in central midfield, Racon and the mystifyingly underused Eccleston out wide, with Benson and Wright-Phillips – made captain for the day - up front. Llera, Nouble and McCormack were the other senior players available and sat on the bench, alongside Solly and Worner, plus Harriott and Jenkinson (who go the reception he deserves). You did wonder if we had to name another sub just who it might be.

Given the two additional suspensions from Saturday, you had to wonder about the motivation of the players. But that proved to be in no doubt, to their credit. We started brightly and through the first half outplayed a strangely subdued Rochdale. Tellingly, we were winning the important contests in midfield, Racon was finding space to good effect, and on the other flank Eccleston was a constant menace. At the back, Bessone’s interceptions, from intelligent reading of the game, broke up countless attacks. It wasn’t perfect, with Stewart and Parrett sometimes getting it right and sometimes not, but through the first period Sullivan didn’t have a serious attempt on goal to deal with. They did work a couple of positions, helped by a linesman so consistently behind the play he couldn’t spot offside, but wasted them – especially a free kick in a decent position after a clumsy challenge by Benson, which like many of their passes was simply overhit.

At the other end, the chances didn’t exactly flow, but there were enough of them. After the positive start things went a little quiet, but then Racon moved onto a ball and drilled a shot from the edge of the box into the net. Then their keeper somehow turned one over the bar, only for the header from the corner to be cleared off the line. At the break there was no question we deserved the lead, the only issue being whether one or two up was a fair reflection.

There was the fear that Rochdale’s players would get a rollicking at half-time for a lame performance and they did seem to have more purpose from the start of the second half. Even so, for them to get level with their first serious attempt was harsh. A corner was met at the far post only for Sullivan to pull off an outstanding block. Unfortunately the ball ballooned up for their guy to bury the rebound. But the crowd responded well and before we had a chance to get depressed we were back in front. A ball across their box – and throughout the afternoon they struggled to deal with any decent delivery – was met by the incoming Parrett who shot low into the corner. I can’t say I’ve ever enjoyed a goal scored against us, but when you respond within a minute it gives you a nice warm glow.

After that, it was game on – and Rochdale threatened in a way that they had singularly failed to do through the first half. We didn’t exactly sit back, but they were getting more joy through midfield, perhaps aided by a couple of substitutions. They had what I thought was a nailed-on penalty not given as their forward went across Fortune or Doherty and seemed to be brought down; the ref obviously saw it differently and I have to defer for once to his better judgement. Set pieces were their main threat and a couple of shots went wide before we put the game to bed. The hard-working Benson got the ball wide right and chipped in an absolute peach of a cross which Eccleston made his own and buried the header.

3-1 up and that was fine. Solly came on for Benson to tighten things up, with Eccleston moving inside, then Nouble replaced Bessone, with Solly dropping back and Eccleston going back out on the flank. But by then it was just a case of seeing out the game, which was achieved without too much fuss. Rochdale seemed to accept it wasn’t their day and although the second half was much more evenly contested than the first we ended up winning both – has that happened before this season?

The fans were supportive and happy, Sir Chris had to do the victory leap from the tunnel given the absence of a viable alternative, and the train left on time to allow us to refill the bottles and lie down again in contented mood (although can someone please tell the morons who frequent the Heath and seem to think it’s OK to leave their rubbish it just isn’t). The game said little about next season; we started with five loan players after all, none of which are guaranteed to reappear. Was the midfield better without Semedo? Who knows, and given that the two that played in the centre are both on loan the answer may be irrelevant. But the spirit was good and we played well – and we got what we deserved. That will do for me for today.

Player Ratings:

Sullivan: 8/10. A couple of iffy moments, but was desperately unlucky to pull off one of the saves of the season only for the rebound to be put it. Otherwise dealt with a number of crosses well.

Bessone: 8/10. I like the guy. He broke up so many attacks with intelligent reading of positions to make timely interceptions. Not much going forward, but that will do for me.

Francis: 7/10. Has been unlucky to find himself behind Jenkinson and Solly after one bad mistake and was under pressure on his return in front of home fans. Good, solid game, sufficient to wonder why he was out of the team for so long.

Fortune: 7/10. Decent enough. He and Doherty kept things reasonably tight at the back. Under more pressure in the second half, when they started to create chances.

Doherty: 7/10. As with Fortune. I’d have to see replays to assess whether one was better than the other as plenty of balls were headed out.

Racon: 8/10. Lively and effective game, scored a goal and could have notched another. He seemed to benefit from the movement of others (Stewart, Parrett and Eccleson) and the work of the front two.

Stewart: 7/10. Caught out a few times, some passes didn’t come off, but overall not bad as he was constantly involved.

Parrett: 7/10. Much as Stewart, with the added bonus of a good strike for the second goal. I just don’t want to build up our hopes as I’ve no idea if he’ll be back.

Eccleston: 8/10. For me it’s been a mystery why he sat on the bench for 11 games on the trot. Caused them problems all afternoon and scored an excellent goal by attacking a great cross.

Benson: 7/10. Lot of hard work with intelligent lay-offs. Just thought as the game progressed that he was doing all his best stuff outside the box, then he chipped in the cross for the third, for which he deserves as much credit as Eccleston.

Wright-Phillips: 7/10. Nothing fell for him in the box today, but no shortage of effort and played his part.

Lessons From The Past

2011-04-18T09:46:00.002+01:00

There is perhaps one advantage to being a gnarly old git, especially if there’s a bit of sad thrown in. It’s that when you ponder life’s great questions, such as just why did we lose on Saturday (aside from the obvious, ie an inability to build and maintain a wall) and what will it take to get promoted next season (aside from the obvious, ie spending the GDP of Switzerland on new players), the supporting research materials are close at hand, in a shrine containing my CAFC programmes, books and memorabilia.

On the former, on reflection what set Huddersfield apart from us (and it did come down to margins) seems to me to have been down to their desire and expectation, reflecting their position. They certainly weren’t gung-ho, but with a dependable defence they must have felt that a chance would come their way at some point and that could be enough. Although we did well enough, there was always in the back of my mind, possibly the players’ too, that an honourable 0-0 draw wasn’t a bad result. We went forward, but not with great conviction or belief. Once they got their goal they saw out the game fairly comfortably. Winning mentality.

That in turn set me thinking to whether we could learn anything from the last time we finished in this situation – yes, that season again, 1973/74, our second consecutive in the old Third Division when we ended 14th. That campaign ended in abject misery; it wasn’t a happy time, with the board threatening to leave for Milton Keynes if Greenwich council continued to block plans for a sports centre; headlines talked of ‘The Valley of Despair’ and a football club dying on its feet. But the following season we were promoted (we did nearly blow it remember by picking up only two points from four games in the run-in, only to triumph at home to Preston in the final game, the first time I learnt that supporting Charlton didn’t involve just suffering). We edged out Palace that season (they finished fifth, failing to rebound having been relegated the previous season), so assuming that Scunthorpe or Preston do the business this time around, history should be set to repeat itself – if we can pull ourselves around.

So I dug out the programmes for the final games of the final games of the 1973/74 season to see what might be inferred. Theo Foley achieved a great deal in the game and still comes across as one of the most astute thinkers around. Like a certain Chris Powell, he started in a blaze of glory. Taking over from Eddie Firmani with four games left of the 1969/70 season left, we won two and drew one of these to avoid relegation. But it didn’t last. A 20th place finish was repeated the following season, then 21st to take the fall. After a second season without a rebound Foley was sacked just before the end of the campaign (indeed, before a managerless team won the final two games we were lying 19th in the table, albeit with no danger of relegation). So his final notes as Charlton manager were in the programme for the penultimate home game, against Watford.

You didn’t get quite as much insight from the programme in those days. It was back-to-back 12 pages, including adverts, fixtures, statistics etc, with the Football League supplement thrown in. But even then what did you expect for 7p? For those wanting comparisons, the final programme of the season (Aldershot) contained ads for the coming concert at The Valley. The Who, Lou Reid, Humble Pie, Lindisfarne, Dave Mason (who?), and Bad Company, 1pm to 11pm, and the entrance fee? £2.50. I regret I didn’t go, preferring instead to sit in the back garden and listen. Well, in those days £2.50 was £2.50 and pocket money was just that.

Foley’s Talking Points in the Watford programme nevertheless still sound apt. He highlighted inconsistency through the season, adding that “inconsistency stems from a lack of desire to fight against the odds, or against a lesser known team in the division”. During the season he had said the team had “too many cowards”. Sounds familiar? It has to be kept in mind that in the season we went down (1971/72) Foley brought in Mike Flanagan; the following season he signed Arthur Horsfield, Peter Hunt, and Colin Powell. In his final campaign in came Derek Hales, together with Eamonn Dunphy. It’s been stated often before, but a manager who signed Flanagan, Horsfield, Powell and Hales alone ought to have been successful. He wasn’t – and just from the tone of those programme notes it sounds as if Foley knew that for whatever reason he wasn’t getting things right and that his time was up.

So what went right? It wasn’t changes to the team that made a difference. Andy Nelson only made one important signing before the start of the following season – the excellent David Young – and one during it – the legendary Harry Crips. It might be said that Foley had done the work for him with his signings as Hales, Flanagan and Powell blossomed, while Nelson still had the services of Peacock and stalwarts such as Phil Warman and Bob Curtis to rely on, plus the emerging Richie Bowman. What is perhaps remarkable is that of the twelve who were listed for the final game of the 1973/74 season, no less than 10 made up the squad for the Preston game a year later (the two who dropped out were Mark Penfold, whose promising career was cut short by injury, and Peacock, with Young and Cripps brought in).

Although Nelson signed a man to marshall the defence, we didn’t go up by playing it tight. In the 46 games in 1973/74 we scored 66 goals, bettered by only three teams in the league (at the top), but shipped 73, also only topped by three others (at the bottom). The following season we still conceded 61, more than any other team in the top 10. But we scored 76 (bettered only by Plymouth, who finished second), with Hales bagging 20 and Horsfield 10.

Nelson didn’t write programme notes, so to get some indication of his approach I had to turn to the scrapbooks (I said there had to be some sad thrown in). In one article Nelson talked of a conversation with chairman Michael Gliksten before a game against Port Vale. Apparently Gliksten had said “we can’t expect to win here can we?”. Nelson told him “I expect to win every game” and commented that “I realised that his attitude was the result of getting so many kicks in the teeth over the years”. It seems that Nelson, who perhaps tellingly played under Sir Alf Ramsey at Ipswich, installed all sorts of disciplinarian measures (swearing, being late etc) and stressed respect and honesty. Perhaps the most telling comment I found from my records came from the late Bob Curtis. He said in an article: “I’ve been here 10 years and I’ve never known a time when everybody was working so hard for everyone else. What the manager has done is to make us all believe in ourselves and the atmosphere down here has not been better in my time.”

OK, football’s changed a bit since the mid-70s. But I do think there are lessons to be learnt – and with Hales and Powell(Colin) still around perhaps they can have a quiet word with Sir Chris about what happened then.

First, winning mentality. For me the biggest disappointment following the first four wins after he came in – which we all know came with huge dollops of luck – is that the run failed to develop a winning mentality. I’ve never heard a manager say ‘we’ve got a lousy bunch of lads here who don’t like each other’; equally I doubt if there’s a happy dressing room anywhere when the team isn’t winning. Five years of failure have badly affected the club, but they’re over, done. I want to see Charlton next season going into every game not just expecting to win (not because we’re Charlton but because we’re better than the opposition) but ready to do so and to do what it takes in terms of graft, determination and mental courage. If we have players not ready or able to do this, sideline/sell/dispose of them (Nelson seemed to be brutal in his treatment of some players, such as Dunn and Shipperley). Of course this is easier said than done; every team wants to win. But it comes down to margins and who wants it more.

Second, know your strengths and play to them. Nelson inherited a side including Horsfield, Hales, Powell, Peacock and Flanagan. It surely wasn’t rocket science to conclude that our best option was to outscore the opposition. This season I haven’t had a clue what our real strengths were – and that’s reflected in the statistics (indifferent home record, average away record, too many conceded, not enough scored etc). We’ve been neither an effective passing side nor a long-ball team. I honestly don’t care whether next season we get promoted by having the tightest defence or the most effective attack. There’s no perfect formation in football (even Plato would have struggled to define one), but surely it’s clear that to succeed you have a clear pattern of play. Yes, you need a Plan B to call on, but for a Plan B you have to have a Plan A.

It’s an advantage and a disadvantage for Sir Chris to have almost a blank sheet to work from. If I was to start to write a team for next season I’d struggle to go beyond Elliot and Wright-Phillips. But it’s a start. BWP is a goalscorer, someone who given the ammunition is likely to get 20+ in this division. Then you define the type of partner he needs. He can’t play alone up front (unless we play a midfield five and the sort of approach that worked for Spurs when Clive Allen’s only task was to get on the end of things). On the books are Anyinsah and Benson; for me, Benson is another goalscorer and his role is as back-up to BWP. We’ve seen them play together and, while not bad, it isn’t great. If Anyinsah and BWP doesn’t work either (and Anyinsah does seem to be injury-prone), we need to bring in the target man (I’ve no idea if that could be Nouble). I’ve been mystified by our reluctance to use Eccleston, if the priority is still getting points, but that’s over now too; he’s not going to be here so unless we want to keep Liverpool happy (in the hope of others coming our way) he’s out of the picture.

For the defence, Powell has to look at Dailly, Doherty, Fortune and Llera and decide, right now, who has the legs and the desire. If Dailly has the former, there’s no question about the latter. He remains the main man. But if he hasn’t (oh come on, this isn’t sitting on the fence, I’m not the bloody manager) then make the decision now. Then, like Ramsey with Moore and Charlton(Jack), you decide on his partner. And for me you tell the others, whoever they are, that they are back-ups. If they don’t like it, tough. Either go or prove the manager wrong (and to be fair to Llera he’s been doing that this season). I don’t think we can determine the midfield set-up until there’s a decision about how we want to play. Let’s face it, nobody currently makes a case for being automatic selection, even the admirable Semedo.

There’s always a lot more to say but time enough for another day. But after losing on Saturday I don’t think the final games are about getting as many points as possible, they’re about preparing for decisions. By the start of next season we should know the style of play and the key four or five players on which the team will depend. Then work on the mentality (overachieving is only possible when people are bullshitted into believing they are capable of more). All wishful thinking I know, but I’ve had enough of failure.

Worthy Effort But No Points

2011-04-16T19:21:00.000+01:00

Before we start, I’ve got two gripes, one pertinent to the game. First, turning over the front page of the programme we see an outline of pre-season friendlies shaping up and the statement that “Addicks boss Chris Powell has reiterated that the team remains firmly focused on finishing the current campaign with the maximum number of points possible”. If so, why are we supposed to have been firmly focused on renewing season tickets for next year? Having to do so in early April rankled last season and it does even more this time around. Second, just what are we trying to achieve in the games left? We can’t plan for next season as we don’t know who stays, who goes and who comes in. So the stated priority is to achieve as many points as possible. There’s a lot to be said in other circumstances for consistency in team selection, and for retaining players who perform, but today we had on the bench Nouble, Eccleston and Reid. And we select a team with a central midfielder wide left and two finishers up front.

The team selection meant we were compact and competitive – and once again there was no lack of effort and commitment from those selected. It turned out to be a game we were unlucky to lose, but also one that at especially at half-time you wondered whether the fire-power on the bench would, if utilised, had contributed to a much more enjoyable experience. Fact is we played hard and ended up losing. Couldn’t have turned out any worse and the alternative might have been more fun. Huddersfield, after all, were not exactly world-beaters.

This for me was the interesting discussion after the game. Is it a positive that Powell is rewarding players who come in by keeping them in the team, or is it a negative that he doesn’t seem to be selecting on perceived merit/ability when available? Llera came into the side when Doherty was unavailable and played nine in a row. Now Fortune, who was on the bench for that spell, is given the nod with Dailly absent. Francis made a bad mistake nine games ago and hasn’t featured since. Eccleston hasn’t started a game since the start of March, nor has Reid. Nouble came straight into the team but now, apparently fit, isn’t first choice. I wish I could see the pattern, but I can’t. Eccleston and Nouble probably won’t be around next season, but we knew that when they came here and I thought the priority is to get as many points as possible.

Huddersfield proved to be big and strong, organised, but nothing to get excited about. They looked like a slightly poorer version of Southampton. Good luck to them if they go up, but I’d rather this division loses Southampton for next season as there’s nothing there to fear for the next campaign. Their attacking threat seemed to amount to trying to find Kilbane out wide at every opportunity – and overall Bessone handled that threat well, leaving aside the first-half trip that wasn’t given – and a big guy in the middle. No change of pace, no real intricacy, just another team full of worthy endeavour. That said, there were a couple of periods, one in each half, when they raised their game and the pressure they put us under might have produced results.

As for us? I don’t want to be too critical as with some luck we could have won and deserved a point. The defence, protected by Semedo, coped well with almost everything thrown at them. The midfield competed, with Stewart showing he has more in his locker than McCormack, although it’s not yet clear whether he is looking to stay or to get fit to impress someone else. He got on the end of two moves early in the second half to get shots in, the first decent the second, from a better position, fluffed. Wagstaff had a much better game for me than of late, being involved both halves, while Racon continued to apply himself in a position not suited for him. Benson acquitted himself well, with intelligent and effective play with back to goal – but lacked conviction when it came to shooting opportunities – while Wright-Phillips did more work outside the box than I expect. What was missing, throughout the game, was effectiveness where it mattered. We had shots and half-chances but nothing you could say that really tested their keeper. The same could be said about them.

For much of the game the teams cancelled each other out. The longer it went on, the more intruiging it became as at 0-0 it was there to be won. In the end they scored. An aimless ball forward was miscontrolled by Wagstaff and fell to their guy, who was fouled. The free kick was parried by a hand being raised by someone in the wall (or so the ref decided) and was advanced to the edge of the area. What happened next I’d have to see again, but when someone can blast a shot through what was supposed to be a wall into the centre of the net someone hasn’t done their job. No blame attached to Sullivan in goal.

That left about 10 minutes to get something out of the afternoon. Reid came on for Racon, but surprisingly that was the last change. We had to resort to going longer, but the option chosen was Doherty moving up front. Perhaps too many things about this season were summed up in the final seconds, when Reid took the ball in space going forward. It looked like right place, right guy. He trod on the ball and the moment was lost.

The guys on the pitch deserve credit for their effort. But the result means that the focus shifts from one win, one draw, one defeat in three to three games without a goal, and one win (and six points) in 15. Four left to play and, sorry to say, none of them matter a damn. It will be over soon.

Player Ratings:

Sullivan: 7/10. What rating do you give a keeper who’s dealt with all the minor stuff competently and had no chance with the goal?

Bessone: 7/10. Decent game as he was up against their main attacking threat. Caught out a couple of times, but is doing enough to suggest his name on the teamsheet next season would be welcome.

Solly: 7/10. Nothing wrong. I’m just at a loss to what happens next season in a choice between him and Francis, who’s unlucky to be out of the side.

Fortune: 7/10. The defence as a whole did little wrong today; aside from a poor job by a wall it would have been a clean sheet. Fortune played his part in this.

Doherty: 8/10. For me he’s disappointed a little this season; I expected more in terms of leadership and drive. But with Dailly absent he played his part and was effective in breaking up many of their attacks.

Racon: 7/10. What to do with Therry is one of the decisions for next season. Last campaign Bailey ended up playing out wide because he couldn’t nail down the central position. Stuck to the task through the game, wasn’t substituted because he was playing badly.

Semedo: 7/10. Solid and effective. An inspiring early tackle to win the ball, even got forward a few times and had a header on goal. Maybe he’s got the taste for scoring goals.

Stewart: 7/10. Decent but not great. One of the two shots early in the second half might have produced a different result.

Wagstaff: 7/10. For me, much better than of late. No histrionics and instead he was involved and often effective.

Benson: 6/10. Good work with back to goal. But for me him we took one look at Eccleston and Wright-Phillips together and decided that wouldn’t work and him and BWP isn’t the combination either. He was brought in to score goals and his efforts on goal lacked conviction.

Wright-Phillips: 6/10. It was that sort of game where chances were few and far between. He’s shown what he can do and just needs to be fed.

Subs: Reid (5/10 – not really his fault, but that moment in the final seconds summed things up; how much football has he actually played in the past six months and to expect him to come on and deliver immediately is unrealistic).

Reasons To Be Cheerful

2011-04-10T12:23:00.000+01:00

Sir Chris may have his objectives for the remainder of the season. For the rest of us I suspect it’s a case of grabbing what fun can be had, plus a series of minor issues/goals which we might as well focus on in the absence of anything else. A while back the run-in, after away at Southampton, looked like a series of winnable games during which we should cement at least a play-off spot, with dreams of nicking second. We all know what happened from mid-February to the end of March (when we managed to cram in 11 games) and when your game comes up last on the division’s highlights round-up you know the fat lady isn’t just singing but has exited stage left with a sore throat. Bournemouth losing at home to Tranmere does mean that five wins and collective implosion from six teams above us ..... OK, in reality all it means is a nasty reminder that any sort of return from those 11 games and we’d have been delaying those May travel plans. That we are not is down to us not having been good enough.

I still want us to finish above 14th – or perhaps in that spot, to mirror our previous low for my lifetime. The inevitable subsequent fresh churning of the squad means that we will have to wait some time for meaningful assessments of our promotion chances. We could dwell on the fact that our most valuable asset at the end of this season is a kid who came in to make seven appearances before deciding to decamp to the Gooners. But more positively, it is reasonable to expect us to begin the next campaign with a stronger squad than at the start of this one. Parkinson was obliged to go bargain-hunting to fill in the gaps, given our financial position, whereas this time around, although nobody can expect big-money signings, the emphasis should be on improvement. The new owners have stated as much and, after all, next season is if not promotion or bust promotion or a good deal of uncertainty and misery.

Dailly’s sending off (having seen the highlights you can have sympathy with him for his reaction but can hardly question the decision) and the prospect of him missing the rest of the season may at least clarify the outcome of the player of the season. Christian, the deserved winner last time, would have had a reasonable shout again, but his absence and the tears shed over his goal against Orient surely means that Semedo is a shoo-in. Nobody will have played more games for us this season and nobody will have tried harder. Wright-Phillips for his strike rate (albeit bettered by that of Sodje), Jackson for his goals (we have ended up missing him more than I thought we would), Elliot and even (for me) Francis deserve mention in dispatches but no more. There are downsides to having a predominantly destructive central midfield player in a 4-4-2 (and it’s not as if as a result we’ve been tight at the back), but that’s not his fault.

Last weekend also lifted my spirits. The win against Orient obviously helped, but the key was the wonderful unveiling of that statue at Fulham. Leaving aside the dubious merits of having a statue for Wacko anywhere on the planet, there is no doubt that there is only one living being who feels that it belongs at a football club. He owns the club and can do with it what he likes, irrespective of the wishes of Fulham supporters. But to have that message driven home, especially with his tasteless response to criticism of the monument, must make those fans pause before signing up for another season when their love of their team means so little to its owner. ‘Here’s my money, love me’ seems to be the mantra. Well, ‘can we just have your money and pretend to love you, just like you pretend to value our opinion’ might be the appropriate response. So it was with absolute delight to see when the covers were pulled off an utterly ghastly, plastic caricature. It is an appropriate tribute, reflecting the dire ‘artwork’ that Wacko himself apparently used to collect (and reminiscent of the treasures unearthed in Saddam Hussein’s lair). The fact that Al-Fayed can’t see it adds to the pleasure. When Fulham eventually have a new owner, and those supporters are still there, it would be a nice gesture to allow them to haul it down.

Richard Murray used to draw comparisons with Fulham and the amounts that Al-Fayed was prepared to pour into their club. Those millions have kept them in the Premiership, but you don’t get owt for nowt. When he tires of it Fulham will be in trouble, knowing that one bad season could be curtains. Yes, it still rankles that we went down instead of them – and instead of West Ham. I’ve nothing against either club or their supporters, but you still hope for belated justice. And I doubt that Sheffield Utd fans staring at another relegation will have any sympathy if the Hammers go down. Justice for the Tevez scandal and fair return for their unlovable new owners; I just hope (forlornly) that Orient get the Olympics stadium decision reversed.

So, at the risk once more of putting too positive a gloss on things, we can take heart from the prospect that unlike last summer we can feel more secure about the club’s financial position (not the size of the losses, just the ability to fund them) and broadly reassured by the actions and intentions of our own new owners. We’ve read the reports about their questionable past, don’t know how much money is really available, and can’t be sure about whose money it is (and whether we are just an acceptable laundering operation). But we still have Murray’s pledges and to date they’ve done everything to deserve the benefit of the doubt. I didn’t agree at the time with the decision to sack Parkinson, but we avoided the unpalatable Wise, have a decent man as manager who we all hope proves himself, Slater impresses with his appearances and comments, and the signing of Wright-Phillips (plus bringing in the criminally underused Eccleston) was a move that might have been the key to promotion.

Hopefully these factors will be the launching pad for getting us back up. Personally, I’m going to stop talking about hating this crap division; as Powell has said, we have to put together a team capable of thriving in it, whatever that entails. And by the way, the (unsafe) assumption that the deadline for season ticket renewals would be extended and the priority of a work-related Amsterdam trip meant that I didn’t get around to renewing mine in time. The cheque consequently isn’t in the post, but it will be.

Victory

2011-04-02T20:40:00.001+01:00

Well, what to make of that one? Before the game we’d have taken a win of any kind; before the game I just wanted to see a decent game of football. At the break neither seemed in prospect. After a bright start, we’d fallen off the pace, conceded a goal (and might have gone two down), looked tired, dispirited and out of sorts. Like many other teams visiting The Valley this season, Orient will have gone off at half-time thinking that they’d not had an easier time of it defensively and that the game was theirs for the taking. I don’t think there was one single factor that turned things around. Attacking the Covered End gave us some impetus, as the effort level just had to be raised, we got an equaliser when we needed one, and then the referee made his best call of the game to (correctly) deny them going in front again. Two minutes later we’d been gifted the lead – and as gifts go this one was a beauty – and we made the game safe with a third, scored memorably by Semedo. Victory, glorious victory.

The team was pretty much as before, with Benson rather than Nouble getting the nod to start alongside Wright-Phillips to replace the injured Anyinsah. That meant pretty much the same team that has played two games a week through March without a win. It also meant Eccleston, Nouble and Reid – three players presumably itching for a start and with fresh legs - on the bench. And through the first half we seemed to suffer for it. We had our fair share of the play, but I can’t remember a meaningful attempt on goal (I do remember their goalkeeper chesting down an effort and wondering if that counted). Again, the start was bright, but all the limitations of the set-up of the team seemed to be on display. Racon operating wide-left, trying his best to be effective in a position which doesn’t suit him; Benson, the man brought in to score the goals for us this season, having to operate more as a target man; Wagstaff buzzing on the right to no great effect; and in central midfield Parrett looking like a duck out of water in a league he’s not accustomed to.

Orient sat back, got men behind the ball, and waited for their moment. It came when we lost possession badly in the middle (Semedo I think) and were stretched. The ball went wide right and when played in their guy hit a miserable shot but one which was deflected in by former Addick McGleish. There were cries for offside, but without the benefit of replay it looked as though we had a couple back on the line playing him on.

The goal further deflated us and the effort levels dropped. Players with the ball – often Racon - found themselves isolated as the support wasn’t there and with everything one-paced Orient looked comfortable. Our only note of encouragement was that they insisted on trying to faff around with it at the back, sometimes outrageously. They got away with it, in the first half. Orient felt under no pressure to chase the game and just before the break another break down the right saw the ball delivered in for a shot which went over the bar. If they’d scored then the boos at half-time would have been resounding and the game possibly over.

There was no immediate change early in the second half – ie it wasn’t evident that Powell had given the team the roasting that they deserved for the lacklustre effort – but spirits were to be raised by a moment which changed the game (well, to be fair there were further twists and turns). Racon picked up the ball wide left and drifted inside. An exchange of passes saw him venture further and then deliver a reverse ball in which Wright-Phillips met on the volley. The keeper made the save, but with all their defenders static and seemingly indifferent the rebound fell to Benson who scored.

The crowd were lifted and suddenly the game was about Orient’s defensive frailties when put under pressure. Benson ghosted in to connect with a cross only for their keeper to stick out a hand and somehow deflect it wide; and he followed this up by turning a smart drive over the bar. For some reason the game was now entertaining and open, especially as Orient brought on a big guy up front and almost immediately Llera’s calm assurance went out of the window. We wondered if they had seen off our purple patch with the two saves and then the game turned again. Their ball in and I thought Llera was set to head it clear, only for him to fail to do so. The ref got that one spot on as the shove on him had cleared the way for the ball to be headed into the net. Relief all round was to turn to celebration and laughter as their keeper did something which really should appear on ‘what happened next a few times’. I can’t say I saw it that well because as he had the ball I looked the other way. Next thing I know the ball is at Wright-Phillips’ feet. Seems he threw it straight at SWP and paid the price as after some hesitation Wright-Phillips slotted it past him.

I’d forgotten what it was like to be ahead at home, but it felt good. And although Orient’s substitute was causing us problems at the other end we were to score again. A corner was taken short and Semedo gambled on going to the far post. When the cross came in he was unmarked and duly scored, which sparked not just the normal celebrations but seemed to be too much for Jose, to finally score at The Valley.

With Stewart having come on for Parrett, Wright-Phillips limping off to be replaced by Eccleston (please let it not be serious), and Benson departing for Nouble, there was no need for Doherty to make the last-minute appearance. Orient did hit the bar twice in the final moments, but we weren’t going to concede two and it didn’t really seem to matter. Elliot, who seemed to have crocked himself just before half-time, was able to do the necessary after the final whistle and life seemed good on the stroll back from the ground.

As turgid as the first half was, the second half was great fun. It was a contest, we saw goals (proper goals, ie not those scored by the opposition), and we had the truly edifying sight of their keeper – who was turning time-wasting into an art form – getting his just deserts. Just how one of their forwards’ awful tackle went unpunished is a mystery, but I’ll forgive the ref a good deal for getting that call on their headed ‘goal’ right.

I can’t remember the last time we went 11 without a win. But it’s over now and Sir Chris is on course for April manager of the month. Surely there will have to be fresh legs for Tuesday as we nearly paid for this today; and we shouldn’t gloss over a truly poor first-half display. If Orient had shown more ambition they could have finished us off. But I don’t care. The history books will record a win, with both our two main strikers scoring, and Jose netting at The Valley. Having not won the Euromillions lottery (yet again), I’ll settle for that.

Player Ratings:

Elliot: 7/10. Thought he was going to have to be substituted at half-time, but carried on. No great saves but nothing wrong either (except a strange back pass incident which might have been costly).

Solly: 7/10. Looked more of a winger than Wagstaff for much of the game. Decent performance.

Bessone: 6/10. Cultured and effective defensively but can’t remember him getting forward. Might still be feeling his way back.

Llera: 6/10. Found life much more troublesome when their substitute came on; suddenly he was second to balls in the air.

Dailly: 8/10. Superb reading of the game, especially when we came under pressure. Held the line, instrumental in Orient having few scoring chances until the final moments.

Racon: 8/10. My joint man-of-the-match as he always tried to make things happen, even in the first half, and was key to our equaliser, which turned the game. Made a goal out of nothing. What do we do with him? Wide left is clearly not what he wants.

Semedo: 8/10. Got to make him the other MoM for his reaction to the goal. Was probably culpable for their goal, but what can you say about someone so overcome by scoring?

Parrett: 6/10. Strange. Clearly a gifted player but as against Southampton I felt much of the play passed him by and he struggled to make an impact. Tough ask for a young player finding his way to come into this division and in our situation.

Wagstaff: 6/10. More influential in the second half but along with many others was poor in the first.

Benson: 6/10. I’m still inclined to see him as a poacher rather than the best foil for SWP, but stuck at it, scored one, and could easily have had a second.

Wright-Phillips: 7/10. Mostly contained, but you just can’t argue with the goalscoring record, even if this one was a gift. Hope the knock isn’t serious.

Subs: Stewart (7/10 – looks a better bet than McCormack); Eccleston (not enough time for a rating, same with Nouble).

Full Circle

2011-03-30T18:36:00.005+01:00

I’ve really nothing against Rochdale. Honest. After all, I’ve never actually been there (not for the want of trying, when we made it as far as Walsall before hearing the game had been called off). It might be a lovely place (although somehow I doubt it). But their football club will now, for me, forever be associated with the two worst points in my time as a Charlton supporter.

On 6 January 1973, on a freezing evening, I watched us play Rochdale at the old, open-plan and vast Valley. One of a crowd of 5,048 (yes, it is useful having the Essential History to hand). We’d been relegated from the second flight the previous season (by one point, having picked up three points from the final 10 games, rounding things off with a 0-5 defeat at Blackpool) and this was my first taste of the third division. It didn’t seem pretty. We actually won, 1-0 (King Arthur, who was to bag 29 for us that season, his first with us), but looking around the empty East Terrace and the isolated pockets of huddled fans for the one and only time in my life I questioned the wisdom of being an Addick. To my eternal shame, I briefly contemplated the idea of switching to Palace. I’d been taken there for a game and I was struck by the fact that their fans actually seemed to be enjoying themselves. It was a temporary aberration; I soon realised that they weren’t really happy. They couldn’t be.

That was the first three seasons we had in the third flight, marking what was then the worst period in the club’s post-30s history in terms of league position. For the record, that stands as finishing 14th in 1973/74). It wasn’t exactly plain sailing thereafter, as we all know, but to say there have been more highs than lows is something of an understatement, at least excluding the past six seasons (including this one). But now, having gone down 0-2 away to Rochdale to stand 13th in the division, there’s a feeling for me at least of having gone the full circle. But this time around, perhaps not being the callow and impressionable youth that I was (some may say not much has changed regarding mental age), there’s no question about the allegiance.

Yes, it does mean that the season ticket application will be filled out. On that front, I do think the new owners – who so far have impressed with their comments and actions - missed a trick, albeit one that would have cost some money. Renewing a season ticket in March/April and shelling out the cash for something that you only start utilising in August is something done grudgingly when there’s a real chance of having your seat nicked or when (as a year ago) we were clearly broke. It would have been a modest and appreciated gesture this time around to have announced that the deadline for renewals had been put back to, say, end-May. That would at least give a little time for us to take a break and start the process of self-delusion. The end-result in terms of actual renewals would I’m sure have been the same and the loss of interest on the revenue for one month might have been a price worth paying for making us feel better.

I declined the opportunity to use my ticket yesterday to make a fresh attempt to reach Rochdale. As I never got around to getting a refund either, this does raise the question whether I have in my possession an asset which has appreciated or depreciated in value. Notionally, until a few days ago it had a face value of £20, being the refund available. But if you factor in the cost of a trip to the ticket office, including the time taken, maybe it might have been worth a tenner. As a saleable item I think it would have gone for less (in fact I’m claiming the greatest waste of time in the history of emailing from having offered it to fellow Addicks). But now, an unused ticket for a game that will come to be seen as the trough of the current cycle, surely its value can only increase over time? I plan to hold onto it as a reminder of tough times until we are back in The Premiership; then I’ll flog it on ebay for a small fortune.

For the record, two colleagues (both currently on the run from men in white coats) did make the trip last night and this is what came in from one of them, stuck somewhere in the north on a wet night in March: “Just heading back down M6. Decent enough performance tonight, despite the result. Team looked better with lots of quick passing and several attempts on goal. First goal was shot from outside box when we should have closed player down quicker. Second was close range knock-in from disputed corner. Wagstaff had a good first half then was marked more closely. Parrot had good second half - lots of challenges & kept running. Elliott hardly had a save to make. BWP had best chance at 1-0 but lob of keeper didn't have enough pace to beat defender on line. Can't really believe we lost as we deserved at least a draw. Guess that's what happens when you're on this sort of run. Oh well, if we play with this much energy on Saturday we’ll tonk Orient”.

I’m actually looking forward to Saturday. Orient will bring a few with them and it might be a decent game. No pressure on us, nothing except pride (and contracts) to play for. Sir Chris might be talking in terms of a mini-season remaining, but his thoughts must be turning to who he wants to keep and who’s for the chop. Personally I hope he picks Jenkinson. I don’t really blame the kid for wanting to take up offers from elsewhere; he is, after all, a callow and impressionable youth. But it might help his character development if he gets a taste of the fact that all actions have consequences. Put him in the starting X1 and substitute him after 5 minutes.

As others have written before this post, last weekend was marked by news of the death of Paul Weaver, aka Charlton North Downs. I’d sent him an email wishing him a Happy Xmas with the hope we’d meet up before a game before too long. When on Saturday there was a reply I thought great, he must be planning on a game. But it was from his sister informing me of his death. I can’t say I knew Paul well; we’d met at one of the bloggers’ lunches and a couple of times for drinks before a game. But what came across was both his enthusiasm for all things Charlton (and tennis) and his good nature. I can’t imagine anyone meeting him who might not have liked him. All our condolences go to his wife and all of his family. And as others have suggested, whatever location we find ourselves in this Saturday there will be glasses raised to him.

Hard-Earned Point

2011-03-22T23:25:00.001Z

When at 0-1 Llera’s effort came back off the underside of the bar and we didn’t get the penalty for him being manhandled to prevent a clean contact, most of us thought it was going to be another of those games of late where whatever else might be said we didn’t get the breaks. Instead we did manage the equaliser –and a very nice goal it was too. If the game had gone on another 10 minutes we might well have won it, although bringing on Doherty for the final couple of minutes to shore up the defence was a fair indication that, given our circumstances, it was more important not to lose it at the death. It was a merited point, earned through effort and commitment, with Southampton for all their poise and organisation not creating much themselves in the way of goalscoring opportunities and ending up paying the price for wanting the game to be over once they’d gone ahead.

The team saw the first three names changed, with Elliot surprisingly fit to return in goal, Solly given the start ahead of Jenkinson and Francis, and Bessone returning at left-back to replace the now departed Fry. Llera and Dailly were retained, with Doherty as back-up, as were Semedo and Parrett in central midfield and Nouble and Wright-Phillips up front, while the wide berths saw Wagstaff keep his place but Racon chosen over McCormack on the right. Still no place from the start for Eccleston or Reid, so again genuine attacking threat down the flanks was sacrificed for solidity.

The plus side of this approach was our generally being able to contain Southampton, especially with Bessone doing splendidly defensively to neutralise the threat of the much-vaunted Oxlade-Chamberlain. The downside was inevitably little or no service to the front men, who had to feed off scraps. And through a rather edgy first half you had the impression that we were one mistake away from again finding ourselves in a position from which it would be hard to get anything from the game. They looked dangerous from set pieces, with one or two nasty moments, while Racon flashed a low ball across the face of the goal. But for the most part, with Semedo and Parrett not surprisingly still working out how to play together, obliging Racon to keep moving inside, the play was scrappy. No bad thing to make it to the break on level terms, but again there was that fear that we would let one in sooner or later; after all, you have to go back to early February and nine consecutive games for our last clean sheet.

There was no real change in the second half as Southampton continued with their own measured approach and both defences generally on top. But the deadlock was broken after about an hour, with an element of controversy. Parrett I think had gone down with a knock but like Southampton it appeared from where I was sitting that Llera had simply overhit a pass into touch. We tried to claim it was deliberate, but they weren’t buying it and from the throw worked their way down the line to win a corner. A half-clearance dropped inside the box for one of their guys to volley in a low shot. There was an air of inevitability about it, not from the flow of the game but from our recent experience.

However, there was no getting on the players backs. It’s a different situation when you’re up against a strong Southampton side with a large following to going behind at home against Exeter, Carlisle, Tranmere and Brentford – or anywhere against Dagenham & Redbridge. Instead the players’ heads didn’t drop and with Solly and Wagstaff getting more joy down the right and Racon influential we were at least still competing, without creating much. But to get something out of the game we did need more of a threat, so Eccleston duly replaced Wagstaff. Wright-Phillips had fluffed his only opening to date, miscuing a low cross, and again it seemed that the Llera effort would end up being the decisive moment. But with about 15 minutes left Eccleston picked up the ball, moved inside and played a square pass to Parrett, who dinked it over the defenders and into the box for Wright-Phillips to toe-poke it past the keeper. It’s what the guy does, we just need to supply the ammunition.

With the fans’ spirits raised and the momentum with us, for a while that we might even win the game. Anyinsah came on for Nouble and I think most of us expected Reid to make another late appearance. However, Southampton regrouped towards the end and went in search of a winner of their own – including a loud shout for a penalty which left me and the ref unmoved and a near disaster as Dailly directed a header back which Elliot had not been anticipating - and by the end, with Doherty on, we were ready to take the point. It’s not as if we harbour thoughts of a play-off spot any more and in the run we’re on the priority was not to give up what we’d won back.

The most encouraging thing about tonight was that players’ heads didn’t drop and the supporters responded in kind. That attitude, if sustained, should be enough to truly stop the rot after the false dawn of a home draw against Tranmere.

Player Ratings:

Elliot: 7/10. In truth he didn’t have much to do and had no chance with the goal. If the Dailly back-header had resulted in a late winner for Southampton the ratings for them both might have been different.

Solly: 7/10. Decent game, as he compensated for the lack of physical presence with good work going forward in the second half.

Bessone: 8/10. My man of the match for coming back from injury and seeing off their main attacking threat, who was replaced in the second half. Some iffy passes early on, but hopefully he’s due for an injury-free run.

Dailly: 7/10. No complaints here, especially as he ensured that his header back was weak enough to be gathered by a prone Elliot.

Llera: 8/10. A game without howlers in defence is a good one for Mig and, as against Brentford, he was within a whisker of scoring. Deserved to keep his place tonight despite Doherty being available again.

Racon: 7/10. Influential in most of our better attacks and helped out when needed in the centre. No lack of effort despite being asked to do a job which clearly isn’t the one he wants.

Semedo: 6/10. Struggled in the first half especially as he and Parrett looked like strangers, but worked his way through it and more dominant in the second half, which helped to turn things back our way.

Parrett: 6/10. It is clearly asking a lot for a young player to come into a struggling team and be expected to make the play. Opinions afterwards were mixed, but I thought he struggled throughout. However, gets an extra mark for the decisive contribution to the goal.

Wagstaff: 5/10. Came into it more in the second half, but still for me isn’t providing much more at the moment than nuisance value, especially with the goals having dried up.

Nouble: 5/10. Was well contained by their central defence. Had little in the way of service but expect a bit more in the way of causing problems. Still too early to judge.

Wright-Phillips: 7/10. Overall contribution limited and picked up another silly booking. But the guy scores goals and that’s more than enough for me.
Subs: Eccleston (8/10 – high mark for a 15-minute cameo, but unsettled them from the off and helped fashion the goal); Anyinsah (6/10 – no time to make any real impact); Doherty (played a blinder for the two minutes he was on).

Bad Choices

2011-03-12T18:19:00.002Z

I could have flown to Lyon on Friday evening and had a relaxing weekend; wine, food and a laugh at the rugby (no, I wouldn’t have laughed). Instead I chose to delay departure to be able to take in today’s game, despite the prospect of having to surface at 03.30. We all make mistakes (and live with the consequences). Before the match, after Tuesday’s defeat, I really just wanted to watch a good game of football. After 20 minutes it was clear that wasn’t going to be the case, so I’d settle for a narrow, scrappy win. As that prospect faded there was at least 0-0, the scoreline both teams deserved. But such is our luck at the moment we didn’t even get that. It meant the game could be summed up by three headers from corners: our two from Llera hit the bar and brought out a superb save by their keeper, their uncontested one found the net. Brentford hardly deserved the win, apparently their first at The Valley since 1926 or something. But they’ll take it, as we would in their place.

The team - in the absence of Elliot, Bessone, Doherty, Jackson, Anyinsah and Benson (and Youga) – saw Fry return at left-back, with Jenkinson switching to the other side in place of Francis, Dailly and Llera in the centre, McCormack and Semedo in central midfield, Racon and Wagstaff taking the wide positions, and the incoming Nouble partnering Wright-Phillips up front. As a combination it was perhaps understandable, but I’m old enough and daft enough to think that you begin a game with your best team. Exactly why the two wide players we chose were considered better options than Eccleston and Reid (or at least one of those two) mystifies me. And the problems of looking to make changes were to be compounded as first Dailly (at half time) and then Jenkinson (replaced by Fortune and Solly respectively) had to depart through injury, leaving Powell with only one further change to try to win the game.

The first half was a case of poor football from two competitive but struggling teams punctuated by the occasional half-chance, usually the result of an error. Brentford had two early shots, one well saved by Worner, and then we had a couple, with Racon unlucky with a decent strike and then Wagstaff shooting over from a good position inside the box. Neither side had any sort of ascendency and for most of the time the defences were in control. What was worse was that both teams seemed to think that was OK. The game was one-paced and quite frankly dull.

It really didn’t change in the second half. Nouble you might say was having trouble finding his feet, having just arrived, but he gave the impression of having that problem period. To be fair he stuck at it and did have some moments. Our best period saw Racon well placed inside the box, but this time the shot was on his right foot and went over the bar, and then the corners, with Llera causing some mayhem as they just couldn’t handle him. If one of the two headers goes in at least the ending would probably have been different. But they didn’t and after that we failed to fashion a decent strike on goal. Brentford managed to smother Llera from further set pieces and the referee was never going to give the penalty rather than the free kick against us for the wrestling that went on. Reid came on for Racon, but to little effect. All that was left was the corner for them in the last minute of normal time to round off the day.

One point from seven games means that the rest of the season is about forgetting the league position and just focusing on improving. I want to see the players look as if they’re enjoying themselves; sure, it’s not easy when you’re losing, but the pressure and expectations have disappeared. We’re all resigned to another season at this level (although I can’t say I’ve rushed to fill out the season ticket application form) and I just want to try to enjoy what’s left. If the midfielder from Spurs is half-decent he has to start in the next game, along with Eccleston and/or Reid. At least there’s a week before the next one.

Player Ratings:

Worner: 8/10. Couple of decent saves and dealt with high balls much better than I’ve seen from him before. Didn’t seem to have a chance with the goal.

Jenkinson: 7/10. Another decent game before having to go off. But I have to say I don’t agree with those happy with Francis being dropped. Maybe he can use a break, but dropping to third-choice is harsh.

Fry: 6/10. No real problems but didn’t feature much going forward. I thought we might have switched him inside when Dailly went off.

Llera: 8/10. Deserves a good mark as he almost won us the game and managed to go through a game without a defensive howler (although someone has to take the rap for not picking up their guy for the goal).

Dailly: 7/10. No problems here either, hope there’s no serious problem.

Racon: 5/10. Playing out of position, some decent moments, including the first-half shot, but blew the chance with his right foot in the second.

Semedo: 5/10. In a game when we were never going to get caught for pace at the back he wasn’t able to contribute much. Worked hard enough.

McCormack: 4/10. Just ineffective. I’ve been in favour of him getting a run in the team, given the problems of the Semedo/Racon combination, but quite frankly we’ve had a good look and there doesn’t seem to be much there.

Wagstaff: 4/10. Came into it more in the second half after shooting over in the first when he should have hit the target, but still not a sufficient contribution.

Nouble: 5/10. Surprised on occasions and unfair to judge the guy just yet; no lack of effort.

Wright-Phillips: 5/10. No real service and generally contained.

Subs: Fortune (6/10 – OK, just want to see their goal again); Solly (6/10 – Good to see him getting a run, but tough on Francis); Reid (4/10 – I’m not sure he actually touched the ball; if he did I don't remember it).

Glass At Least Half-Full

2011-03-05T19:02:00.000Z

This proved to be a glass half-full one, which at least ended the drought. Times are hard when a home draw against Tranmere is something not to be disgruntled about, but at least this time we weren’t beaten and after a disappointing first half managed to raise our game sufficiently to come away with something. We might have even nicked it, which would have been due reward for both the effort made after the break and for an utterly unpleasant Tranmere performance. There’s was a mix of time-wasting from the start, cynical fouls when in danger, and no shortage of shoves off the ball, all of which overall wasn’t punished sufficiently, but the ref or us. But they were coming off a bad run themselves and you can’t moan too much. If anything their lack of ambition when ahead was what cost them the extra two points.

There was no 4-4-3 today. Instead, with Llera getting the start instead of Fortune for the injured Doherty, McCormack returned in central midfield, with Racon moved wide left to replace Reid and Wagstaff on the other flank. Powell squared the circle by dropping Eccleston to the bench, with Benson partnering Wright-Phillips. It was a tighter set-up, one which addressed the problem in midfield against Carlisle, but also one which could be questioned for the choices out wide; we’d seen Racon play wide left before and it hadn’t been great. But most important, having set out a more protective stall, the sin was in still conceding first.

The first half was far from any sort of classic. Tranmere were for the most part content to sit behind the ball, having a central forward and a fast wide guy capable of causing us problems on the break. And with our football far too one-paced (and that pace was very slow) there was a great deal of passing the ball around in our own half to no great effect. It was better than hoofing it forward, but there was seldom any suggestion of sufficient movement to try to pull Tranmere out of position. They sat back and watched most of it. All might have been OK had we made it to the break scoreless, but Francis made the error, being dispossessed as we were moving forward. The ball was played through to their forward. It looked to me like he might have gone too soon and was offside, but it was close and wasn’t given. Instead he moved on to beat Elliot.

Having been gifted the lead, the remainder of the period continued as before, the only incident of note being Elliot getting injured (he seemed to twist his leg/ankle). He made it to half-time, but was replaced by Worner after the interval. Half the game had passed and we hadn’t tested their keeper, with Racon struggling to get involved in any meaningful way and Wagstaff anonymous. Tranmere will have felt very comfortable.

There was no real change early in the second half, although if anything Tranmere seemed even less interested in trying to kill off the game with a second. As they ceded even more ground, and we raised the effort, winning more second balls, we progressively pegged them back, which in turn saw Racon and Wagstaff feature more prominently, with Semedo and McCormack taking a grip on the game. The danger seemed to be a repeat of their first goal gift, as defenders bringing the ball forward occasionally got it badly wrong, Llera giving the ball away in a bad position and even Dailly guilty of the same crime. But the balance of play was shifting in our favour and we managed to level things up. Wagstaff was fouled and Llera strode forward to hit what looked like a beautifully curled shot into the bottom corner, with their keeper not moving. If there was a deflection I didn’t see it.

That encouraged the crowd and lifted the team and the momentum was clearly with us. There were still enough bodies back for Tranmere to limit actual chances, but the rest of the game was about two crosses. First, they worked a position and the ball was squared in the box in the direction of an unmarked player. Fortunately for us, it went a couple of yards ahead of him. Later, Francis delivered the ball of the day, a curling ball in which saw three Charlton players in turn lunge at it and fail to make a decisive connection. McCormack and Wright-Phillips had by then been taken off for Reid and Eccleston (with Racon moving back inside) and the niggling thought was whether if SWP had still been on the pitch he would have been there to score. That’s what he’s in the team to do – and what he has done to date.

Eccleston broke forward on the right side in a promising position, given his pace, and was hacked down. We had a late shout for a penalty as the ball seemed to strike an arm in the box, but while I screamed as well, and would have welcomed it being given with open arms, it would have been harsh, with no obvious intent. Four minutes of stoppage time and some curious final decisions by the officials ensured the ref being booed off, but more important the players deserved and received applause, for the effort and application if nothing else.

Only a point, but we have to see it as if not a real step forward at least not another one backwards. Two more games coming up in short order and, while there are going to be tired limbs, the one on Tuesday night is looming large if we are to retain serious play-off ambitions. Today we were without Jackson, Anyinsah, Doherty, Bessone (and Youga) and lost Elliot, hopefully not for a spell. Testing times.

Player Ratings:

Elliot: 7/10. Have to see the goal again to see if he had a chance of stopping it. Otherwise a couple of decent saves, although did drop one high ball.

Francis: 6/10. Deserves a higher mark than some others might give him. Made a mistake, a bad one. Others did too without the same end-result and his ball into the box in the second half should have given us the winner.

Jenkinson: 7/10. Continues to quietly impress. If Bessone is coming back, with him and Solly around you can see why Powell is thinking about whether extending Fry’s loan is the best available option.

Llera: 7/10. Could have been man-of-the-match and at least deserves credit for coming in and making the most of it. And he scored the goal. But bundled over their guy to give away a free kick on the edge of the box and made a mistake playing the ball out that could have cost us. I guess with Big Mig there’s always going to be the occasional hairy moment but showed courage and commitment despite having had to sit and wait for months.

Dailly: 7/10. Generally assured and tried to take the game to them when bringing the ball out of defence.

Racon: 8/10. For me gets the nod as MotM. Struggled with the wide role early on but stuck at it and became increasingly influential as the game progressed.

Semedo: 7/10. Held things together well and was instrumental in ensuring that once we’d got a grip on the game we kept it.

McCormack: 7/10. Didn’t get everything right, but decent enough game with some good moments. Better.

Wagstaff: 7/10. Poor first half when we were crying out for some creativity down the flank, but made more space in the second half and made enough of a pest of himself to make things happen.

Benson: 6/10. Took on more of the target man role and his play outside the box was better than earlier in the season. But he was one of the three who failed to convert the cross and that should have been his moment.

Wright-Phillips: 7/10. Didn’t score for once, but was involved and caused some problems; just wasn’t able to be there for the cross.

Subs: Worner (6/10 – one decent save but did drop one cross and got away with another when he was fouled); Reid (6/10 – didn’t turn the game when he came on but that’s not easy; a bit unlucky to have to start on the bench); Eccleston (7/10 – might have won us the game with the late break had he not been taken out).

Desperate Stuff

2011-03-01T23:04:00.003Z

If I was a cantankerous old git this afternoon it just got a lot worse, although I'm too depressed to be angry. If it was better balance we were seeking tonight, to say the least, didn’t provide it. Half the team looked jaded from too many games while others were rusty from too little involvement of late (perhaps no reserve games is costing us). By the end there was uniformity of a sort: in lack of confidence and effectiveness. When the Carlisle fans started singing ‘your ground’s too big for you’, with a sub-13,000 attendance it was hard to disagree. And we now have balance with two runs of four in a row.

This one’s going to take a while to digest and four consecutive defeats – against Hartlepool, Exeter, Notts County and Carlisle for heaven’s sake – even longer. For me, the drawbacks of 4-3-3 were made even worse than before by changes to the team, presumably enforced. No Jackson or Anyinsah and, with Abbott having gone home, Reid came in for a start on the left while Wagstaff joined Wright-Phillips and Eccleston up front. It was a sort of 4-3.5-3.5 with I guess the emphasis on pace and movement. The trouble was Carlisle swamped central midfield. This meant that Racon and Semedo were overwhelmed and the service to the front men was cut short, with defenders too often having to try to play something over the top or in the air, where we had no chance. We clearly had the potential to trouble them in their half, as shown by the opening goal, but were entirely unable to play through midfield or exert any sustained pressure and eventually that told as Carlisle turned possession into goals.

Carlisle started tentatively and for a while became more scared as Eccleston and Wright-Phillips showed what they could do. An excellent run by the former saw the ball delivered to the latter, who had the time to put the ball away with some aplomb. That should have been the cue for more to exploit their weaknesses. Instead Carlisle, while showing no real threat, found themselves able to hold and pass the ball by sheer weight of numbers in the key area. The service forward became more sporadic and with Reid taking time to get into the game the possession statistics must have made poor reading for us. They grew in confidence and we committed the cardinal sin of letting in the equaliser before the break. Again there seemed no real threat, but too much time and space was given to them down their left and when the ball was squared, while the shot took a nasty deflection to take it wide of Elliot.

Give a dog a bone and what do you expect? Their hopes were raised and at the break the game was going away from us. I thought there would be a change made then, but with Doherty having limped off (to be replaced by Fortune) it carried on as before. I’m honestly struggling to remember the two more goals that they scored. I think I’m already in a process of trying to blank it all out. Both were poor defensively, but the abiding memory was more our inability to get anything going through the second half – which wasn’t helped by the referee’s failure to punish cynical fouls by Carlisle when danger threatened. They’d already had a couple booked and perhaps one of those two might have seen red. The fouls merited yellows, but the only further time the card was used was for a player kicking the ball away to waste some time. Them going down to 10 might have provided some balance.

Of course once we were behind players became more nervous of mistakes, given the crowd reaction to each misplaced pass. There wasn’t a lack of effort through to the end, but lack of confidence usually shows up in being scared to make mistakes and insufficient running off the ball. Reid got more involved as the game went on and there were some moments when we threatened. But not enough of them and we failed to turn good positions into real scoring chances. I don’t think their keeper actually had a shot to save in the second half, which given the potential firepower we had out tonight said a lot. Benson came on for Eccleston and with Wagstaff moving wide and Benson at least in with a chance in the air the shape looked better – although Eccleston had again looked the class act when on the pitch. And in any event by then the game was up as Carlisle were prepared to chase and harry to keep what they had.

There’s another three games in a week coming up, two at home, so no respite or real chance to pause for breath and consider options. As a friend remarked after the game, you can’t even really point at one or two players; neither can you fault the effort. It really wasn’t the fault of Semedo and Racon that they were overrun, or of Wagstaff for trying to play through the middle and it not working. We are in a crisis now and for me the simpler gameplan is to play Reid and Eccleston on the flanks, Wright-Phillips and Benson or Anyinsah up front, and Semedo and McCormack in central midfield – with the brief to protect the defence and move the ball out wide. If we’re not able to play through midfield it’s not Racon’s game. If we decide to do that, with Jackson available, you have to choose between Wright-Phillips or Eccleston up front – and that’s a difficult one. I’m afraid, Sir Chris, the onus is on you to come up with the answers.

Player Ratings:

Elliot: 7/10. Some very good saves and no criticism from me for the distribution. May have been culpable in one of the goals, I just don’t remember.

Francis: 6/10. Loses a mark again for the quality of balls into the box, which was disappointing.

Jenkinson: 7/10. It’s been an impressive introduction.

Doherty: 6/10. Nothing much wrong before he had to go off.

Dailly: 6/10. Creaked a bit tonight but not really sure whether that was due to trying to hold the defence together as we came under pressure through weight of numbers coming forward.

Semedo: 6/10. Tackled and covered manfully, but in an area of the pitch where we were outnumbered.

Racon: 5/10. Against Notts County the pitch was impossible to play football on and tonight Carlisle ran over or through him.

Reid: 5/10. Looked short of match practise and low on confidence but grew into it as the game progressed. Just failed to make it count.

Eccleston: 7/10. Laid on the goal and looked lively throughout. Our most potent threat going forward.

Wright-Phillips: 7/10. Could be a 5 for the work outside the box, although he did put in a shift tonight, or a 9 for the finishing. Just can’t argue with the goals ratio.

Wagstaff: 5/10. Played down the middle before but with different partners. Tonight it didn’t work. More involved when moved out wide.

Subs: Fortune (5/10 – looked very rusty and that may have cost us); Benson (7/10 – did improve the picture but by then it was too late).

Time-Wasting

2011-03-01T13:13:00.001Z

We all know that everything in life is Kafka. I just wonder what Kafka would have made of the modern world; he might have preferred being a gigantic insect. Sometimes I would. In a previous incarnation I employed a former UK ambassador to East Germany. He’d spent most of his life analysing the minutiae of Kremlinology, the meaning behind who stood next to whom on the balcony. Then the Wall came down and all you needed to do was ask. He would have torn his hair out had there been any left. But of course, while everyone was suddenly passing on information now you didn’t know what was true and what was spin. You just can’t win, at least not in this life (and there isn’t another).

There was a simpler time, before the internet, when you made decisions based on trust. You had no choice. They might be lying but there was no way of telling. Now, not only is everyone a bloody expert but you’re expected to become an expert given all the information to hand. I have certain areas of expertise (I hope), but when your boiler conks out and someone tells you to choose a Worcester Greenstar 28i only for the next guy to go for a Vaillant EcoTec Pro 28kW life begins to get not just complicated but desperately dull. There’s no shortage of websites telling you which one is best: either, depending on which posts you read. Seems Worcester used to be the bee’s knees but have got worse since Bosch took them over, while the Vaillant uses a steel something instead of an alloy, which apparently is good. Then O2 tell you you can have a Samsung Wave 525 free on £10 tariff, a Samsung Wave 723 free on a £15 one (unless you tell them you are leaving and that becomes £10), or a Samsung Wave 2 on a £15 tariff but with a £60 charge (extra £60 per year over two years plus charge equates to £180, roughly the difference between the cost of buying that or the older ones).

Oh, and there’s trying to buy a new sofa, which - according to friends and the power that is - is long overdue (I managed to get a couple more years out of my old friend by sawing it in half and bolting the good half to the armchair). Only my living room is wedge-shaped and nothing in the wraparound options fits (except a build-it-yourself option which would mean writing off a day to construct it). Then there’s decisions on fabrics and colours ....

Men can’t help acting on impulse they used to say. Sorry, but I’m not one of them (well, of course I hope I am if you know what I mean) – unless you include making rash decisions based on pure exasperation and despair at the time taken to accumulate and digest the information. I like to pretend to make considered decisions but I’m not sure this is possible any more, if you want to have enough time to work, sleep and eat (never mind trying to update hopelessly out of date links from this site and other essentials, all of which does rather beg the question of why this post and the time taken?). Perhaps I’m just not wired for the modern world and maybe there’s a solution. A review of a book in the Sundays provided an account of someone who had a serious blow to the head and after surgery awoke to find that he could speak fluent Italian after having struggled for months previously to get past first base. Maybe before long we can all go to the quacks – who will after all have nothing to do except doll out pills to wrinklies as everyone self-diagnoses these days – for regular, focused, administered blows to the head to reprogramme us to adjust.

This ramble may have something to do with having emerged from the banks results season and seeing a window of opportunity to pause for breath before Amsterdam early next week and Lyon a couple of days after (and having ended the task of converting videos to DVDs – except two Charlton seasons highlights which refused to copy – which followed last year’s vinyl and cassettes to CDs; you see, I am getting there). Thank heavens for the escape to a Charlton game and the chance to discuss the merits/drawbacks of 4-3-3 and rant/cheer without the slightest possibility of influencing the outcome. And I don’t have to check anything on the internet to be able to talk endless bollocks about Charlton over a pre-match glass.

So where’s the link? Well, as transconfiguration goes waking up and finding that Pawel Abbott may have morphed into Benni McCarthy is as good as it gets. Until of course we discover that McCarthy might do a passing impression of Ralph Milne, being out of condition and out of favour at West Ham and having apparently run up some £200k in ‘fat fines’ there. Seems Sheff Wed passed on the option of taking him on loan. Still, surely even a fat Benni couldn’t be slower than a fit Abbott – although let’s not carp. When they come to write the next history of Charlton and our brief enforced spell in the third flight he will get a mention in dispatches for at least not pretending to be anything other than he was. I just can’t see him featuring in an all-time Charlton ‘top anything’ chart.

Which brings us back to tonight. With luck this nonsense will get buried under yet another match report, never to see the light of day. But it will be interesting to see whether Sir Chris sticks with 4-3-3 – and if so, and if it doesn’t work (ie we are losing), whether the end of the honeymoon period morphs into polite calls from the crowd for a change of formation. We’re simple souls (or at least I am) and victory is all that counts tonight; then at least it’s five wins out of eight rather than four and four and something of a crisis.

I do hope to avail myself of the opportunity when in Lyon to take in another Lyon Duchere game, a home fixture against Auxerre B. And at the moment I’ve never been prouder of my growing affiliation with Duchere. I’ve been following the fortunes of another club in their league (CFAB), a certain Louhans-Cruiseux. They’ve set out their stall this season by not only losing every game (badly) but seemingly having failed to turn up for one match. They’d run up 20 straight defeats and secured 19 points (you get a point for being there). But I looked the other day and, glory be, they’ve won one. And yes, it was against Lyon Duchere. Don’t ask me what happened (if I had the time ...perhaps the other Charlton/Duchere supporter out there?) but the results show a 2-1 home win for L-C. They now have the record of played 20, won one, lost 19, goals for seven, goals against 55 (seems the defence is tightening up as they were averaging three in per game). Duchere are coasting along in mid-table and must have felt generous. Carlisle are coasting along in mid-table ......

Bad Luck But Also Some Things Deeper - Part 2

2011-02-25T23:42:00.000Z

Life is, undoubtedly, sometimes a bitch. Just as on Saturday, we created enough chances to win, even aside from the penalty, and another referee might have sent off their goalkeeper before the break. Were we unlucky? For sure. We call for the return of Racon and the dropping of Abbott and Notts County serve up a pudding of a pitch which would have been tailored to suit Abbott and McCormack. Haven’t seen worse since Stamford Bridge. I bemoan the fact that our main strikers previously didn’t want to take a penalty and tonight up steps Wright-Phillips (with Jackson having been replaced at the break) to put in an effort was the worst I’ve seen since a certain Gray at Wembley. But did we deserve to win? As on Saturday, no, even though video highlights of the game will make it look like another day when nothing goes for you. Well, after Sir Chris was appointed we had four in a row when they did.

People talk about good teams having a spine which runs through the main areas. Tonight it was in evidence at the back, for most of the game, but was missing in other areas. We all love players with attitude; John Robinson was a prime example. But attitude (or character) isn’t just about whining at the ref when a decision goes you (Wright-Phillips was booked for it on Saturday and only just escaped another card for the same reason tonight), or pushing the ball past a defender, pulling him back by the shoulder, and throwing your arms up in horror and whining when the decision goes against you (Wagstaff). We expect better.

It was a game which deserved to be settled by something off someone’s backside deflected off a defender, because the common theme was the dire quality of finishing from both sides. With the exception of one effort from them, the shooting was uniformly awful, as were crosses and free kicks (we had two in good positions in the first half and wasted both). But within all this, the game had distinct periods and when we were on top we didn’t take the chances and once behind, aside from the penalty, we didn’t test their keeper. County adjusted after being too open in the first half and once in front did a good job of closing out the game. Not scoring first perhaps did for us again, but what you looked for was a response; instead the longer the game went on the more you felt like players were ready to use the pitch as an excuse.

Powell’s post-match comments were appropriate in that in recent games it’s been little things that have cost us, like not putting the ball actually in the net and giving away silly goals. As he said, we have to get better. That recalls Doherty’s remarks at the start of the season that what you’re looking for is steady improvement and to kick on around the turn of the year. We’re now at the end of February and we’ve shown no consistent improvement. We’ve strengthened the squad and it’s time for them to deliver.

The pitch was enough to ensure the game was messy and not suited to playing through midfield. But after an uncertain and hesitant start to the game the 4-3-3 formation (which was retained, with Anyinsah replacing Abbott as the focal point up front, Francis returning at right back, and Jenkinson switching to the left instead of Fry, and Racon instead of McCormack in central midfield) looked for a while like it would pay off. Every now and then the front three would combine to good effect, at least until the bag came into view. Anyinsah, Eccleston and Wright-Phillips all created and spurned opportunities we’d expect them to take. They didn’t often come from great play through midfield, it wasn’t the night for that. But in the first half at least there was enough space behind their defenders to ensure that running at people, or a long ball over the top, caused problems.

The defence, Doherty in particular, seemed hell-bent on no repeat of Saturday’s errors – and that’s fine with me. The simple options were usually taken and after the initial flurry from County and some dangerous balls across the face of the box we generally got a grip of their attacking threat. We just failed to make our chances count. When Anyinsah was flattened outside the box by their keeper and the ref reached for a card I thought it had to be red, even though there didn’t seem any Schumaker-like intent. But there was at least an element of doubt, given that Anyinsah had knocked the ball forward and was unlikely to get on the end of it. Whatever the outcome (and the outcome was another waste of a shot from the free kick) we went into the break thinking that we should have been at least one goal to the good and that our forward power should settle matters in the second half.

That proved not to be the case. Instead County again started the half the brighter and more purposeful of the sides and this time made it count, albeit with a joke goal. Racon was a little unfortunate to be penalised for the tackle, having played the ball, but may have gone through the player first. Ball in, backside, deflection, goal. That cried out for greater effort and intensity, or changes to the team. Wagstaff had replaced Jackson at the break and Reid was to come on for Eccleston (to revert to 4-4-2) but once in front County did all they could to hold what they had. I don’t think there was much doubt about the penalty, with Anyinsah cutting inside only to be taken out by a tackle which if repeated in tomorrow’s rugby would still have been penalised. If their keeper had dived the wrong way all would have been well (I think the ball would still have crossed the line). But he didn’t.

After that County became more and more determined and we became increasingly frustrated. We didn’t create another chance of note (sorry, an overhead kick from Wright-Phillips didn’t amount to one). Dailly almost thighed the ball in from a corner but the game was up.

The hope was that the four wins in a row, while involving considerable good fortune, would encourage a winning habit. That hasn’t proven the case. Now, with two home games coming up, we just, as Powell said, have to get better.

Player Ratings:

Elliott: 7/10. Goal was a fluke and apart from strange hesitation after a poor back pass dealt with most things well enough.

Francis: 7/10. Can’t blame him for the deflection for their goal, efforts to get forward were often frustrated by the inability to move the ball on that surface. But loses a mark for the quality of balls into the box he delivered.

Jenkinson: 7/10. Didn’t seem a problem for him to switch to the left and for a young guy coming into the side put in another good display, even allowing for that back pass.

Doherty: 8/10. For me he played like a man who knew he’d cost us on Saturday. The priority was no silly mistakes and no chances taken. It wasn’t pretty but fair play to him.

Dailly: 8/10. The problem tonight wasn’t the defence. Did have problems with Hughes when he came on as the wily old git knows how to work a centre-back.

Jackson: 5/10. No great influence in the first half and disappointing effort with our first free kick in a good position. Would have got better mark if he’d stayed on and scored the penalty.

Semedo: 7/10. I thought he was excellent for a period in the first half when we rested the initiative away from them after their bright start. But became increasingly peripheral as the game wore on and they were holding onto their lead.

Racon: 5/10. Neither the night nor the pitch were for him. No real opportunity to play through midfield and when we tried there were too many misplaced passes. Evening summed up by playing a throw in back into touch and gave away the free kick for the goal.

Wright-Phillips: 5/10. I watched Mans City in midweek and all the talk after the game was about Ballotelli and how miserable he looks during games. Seemed the same for SWP tonight. Nottingham on a wet Friday night isn’t where anyone wants to end up. Showed flashes of real class but has to be judged on goalscoring and tonight fluffed the main chance.

Anyinsah: 6/10. Some storming runs and plenty of effort, but his shooting too, from good positions, was lamentable and became increasingly ineffective through the second half. It was a night for Abbott to come on.

Eccleston: 6/10. Also great in parts, but also wasted scoring opportunities with dire shooting.

Subs: Wagstaff (5/10 – Didn’t have the impact we were looking for); Reid (5/10 – didn’t have any impact).

Bad Luck But Also Some Things Deeper

2011-02-19T20:54:00.001Z

The pain of shattered illusions. Last Saturday Peterborough had the temerity to score against us (not once but twice); on Tuesday night Hartlepool went so far as to inflict actual defeat; and today Exeter showed that even under Sir Chris we can lose at home. Sorry, but whatever deity was working before just ain’t now. You just know it’s not your day when you see the rain coming down (special occasions for us always see the sun shine) and when after the game you pass on the train back to Blackheath in favour of a another glass of commiseration only to return to find the train you want cancelled, walk up the hill to see a bus pass the other way, then approach the top and watch a 54 complete the scene. So was today bad luck – and we all know we’ve had the breaks in Sir Chris’ previous games – or something deeper?

The game was a lot about tactics, combinations and formations, but also luck. We can talk ‘til the cows come home about whether the 4-3-3 set-up worked, whether the starting line-up was the best available etc. For me it was a game that if we played it 10 times we would have won perhaps eight; if we’d scored first – and we had the chances - I have no doubts we would have gone on to win comfortably. But did we deserve to win? Not when you concede three goals at home, one which was bad and two which were awful. It could have been so different but it wasn’t. So there are lessons to be learnt.

In the pub before the game we were musing on how would Powell accommodate both Wright-Phillips – who clearly has to start – and Eccleston, given that the two together up front had misfired in the first half against Peterborough. Powell’s decision was to play a real 4-3-3, with the two either side of Abbott. If we had put away one of the two excellent chances in the first half, which we dominated, it might have been a master-stroke, even allowing for the fact that neither Wright-Phillips nor Eccleston seemed comfortable with the set-up and we seemed to be falling into the trap of playing too many balls up to the big guy (Abbott) and hope something would happen. Neither of the two either side of him seemed sure whether to go wide or tuck in. And if there’s a bottom line to that formation it’s the need for full backs to provide the width going forward. Fry and Jenkinson both played well, but it was asking an awful lot of them to make the formation work.

Nevertheless, in the first half Exeter managed to lull us into a false sense of complacency by showing precious little ambition going forward. It didn’t seem to matter that too often we wasted possession and had no real width. One ball broke to Eccleston in the box and was blocked well on the line and another chance went begging. It wasn’t perfect, but it was surely good enough to win the game – if we could just get ahead. The goal didn’t come in the first half, but at the break I don’t think we were unhappy, just expectant.

However, two things happened. First, Exeter showed greater ambition after the interval. Second, we seemed to switch off defensively. Early in the second half, before any goals were scored, we were sleeping when they took a short corner and again when they took a short free kick. Neither led to anything but both gave the impression that all we were thinking about was how to score, not about how to keep a clean sheet. Suddenly we were open and they took advantage.

I’m not going to dwell on the details, but even though we outplayed them in the first half their first goal in the second came as no surprise. We just weren’t closing people down. Big wake-up call, but before we had time to adjust and get things going we were 2-0 down. I’m back late enough to see that the header was attributed to Doherty; as gifts go it was wrapped as nicely as you want them to be. If that wasn’t bad enough, suddenly Elliot was exposed and took down their guy. I thought it was outside the box (and that a yellow card and free kick was OK) but the ref thought otherwise and the spot kick was awarded and dispatched. That was effectively game over – and the cue for a lot of £5 wasters to depart the scene. That served as a reminder that a full ground is great but no substitute for a ground full of supporters.

The goal back from Wright-Phillips came shortly afterwards (before I’d had the time to text Suzanne that the day was going from awful to something a notch below), but it wasn’t that difficult for Exeter to see out the remainder. We hit the woodwork twice in the second half, had other chances (although sorry, their keeper didn’t take the ball outside his box on either occasion and Wagstaff should get an award for the worst dive for a penalty for many years, not even good enough for a yellow card), and had created enough chances to win on most days. But when you’ve not scored first and conceded three what the bloody hell do you expect to get out of a game?

Today’s first lesson is an obvious one, that we can’t expect to coast to victory in every game and promotion on the magic touch of Sir Chris. It was good while it lasted. The second one is less clear-cut and points to some deep thinking on his part, on three key issues. First, how do we stop giving away silly goals? Watching the video highlights of Harlepool was bad enough (watching Jackson get out-muscled for a routine cross); today was worse. The error for their second goal was almost enough to kill off the game. There’s work to be done and possibly changes to be made, if Fortune or Llera are up to the task. Doherty has been good overall (although I must say I expected more of a leadership role from him than we seem to be getting), but mistakes change games . Something for Powell to think about.

The second and third related points at issue are how to get the best out of what compared with the start of the season is an abundance of riches going forward. Abbott, Anyinsah, Wright-Phillips, Eccleston, Benson, Reid, Wagstaff, even leaving aside the goals we get from Jackson, plus the decision over which two from Semedo, McCormack and Racon. For me the key (unanswered) question is just what are our strengths? Every good team plays to them and it’s been a long time since we knew just what our real strengths are. It’s time for decisions; Powell has had a look at what’s available. We know that it’s about more than a starting XI, with options needed. If you want to play a real passing game you go one way; if you want to rely on longer balls another.

For me the choice is now to say, OK, we’ve got players good enough to dominate games and outscore the opposition. In Wright-Phillips we have the proven goalscorer, with Benson now the back-up. And if firepower up front is the key, we go for Racon now over McCormack, and to give Reid the starting position and run in the team. If it’s Wright-Phillips, who plays best alongside him? Abbott made a real difference against Peterborough, but starting games if Anyinsah is available doesn’t look right. Use Abbott as the battering-ram change in a game if it’s required. If that means telling Eccleson to play wide right, so be it, he’s good enough. If Chris feels that Wagstaff is worthy of a place above these guys, that’s fine too. But if you start the game with the battering ram on the pitch you can’t easily change things if they aren’t going according to plan.

If we’d scored first today and won the game we’d be having a different debate. But we didn’t and we know we’ve had the breaks in previous games. Now we need consistency and players to know the formation and just how we intend to play. There’s a bit of time to nurse the wounded and draw breath after the run of games and work on things on the training ground. But they come thick and fast after next Friday. We should know we need to improve if we are to secure a play-off spot, let alone the top two. We haven’t to date this season shown that improvement and consistency. For me it has to start with clarification of how we intend to play – and perhaps trusting people going forward, while also cutting out those bloody mistakes at the back.

Player Ratings:

Elliot: 7/10. Having for once looked at the club site report before posting this I’ve seen Powell’s comments about the first goal. I’d have to see it again to think it was his error – and to assess his role in the penalty; but I wouldn’t forget either one splendid save in the second half to turn around a shot that had been deflected.

Jenkinson: 8/10. May have been culpable in part for the penalty (it was in his area of the pitch) but otherwise showed enormous promise, not least going forward in the second half.

Fry: 7/10. Some indifferent balls into the box from decent positions, which made their keeper’s life easier, but generally sound.

Doherty: 5/10. The howler for their second goal was the sort of error that just has to go; Dailly made one against Swindon let’s not forget. Just can’t be tolerated.

Dailly: 7/10. Generally excellent, especially in the first half when we completely contained them. But we conceded three goals.

Jackson: 5/10. Asked to play in a midfield three rather than wide left and didn’t look especially comfortable; dropped back to full-back to accommodate Reid.

Semedo: 7/10. Jose does a job and does it well. Today we suffered from the defensive partnership in central midfield and the formation meaning no genuine wingers.

McCormack: 5/10. A real mixed bag of a game. He did some things well, but some poorly, not just some passes but sometimes being totally static when we have the ball. We have to get more out of him to control the game, or we need to play Racon. Does himself no favours with his histrionics when (possibly) fouled and was lucky to escape a silly booking for petulance. That said, those that cheered when he was replaced should take a good look at themselves. We are going to need him.

Eccleston: 8/10. Of the two playing either side of Abbott for much of the game he was the one that adapted by far the best in the first half especially. He clearly has class (his involvement in that goal against Peterborough and his strike against Hartlepool) and has to play, even if not in what I assume is his normal role as an outright striker.

Abbott: 6/10. Pave earned a good deal of respect for his performance against Peterborough, enough to suggest he can play a role in the rest of the season. Could easily have scored today. But I’m not convinced by the formation and for me his physicality is best employed by coming off the bench if we need to change things.

Wright-Phillips: 7/10. Someone asked the very reasonable question after Peterborough what does BWP have to do to get a higher mark? For a start he has to not get himself booked for petulance, and not look distracted during the first half playing in a system which might not suit him. But he’s scored again and I look forward to a better mark when we find his best partner and play a system that’s geared around his abilities.

Subs: Racon (7/10 – game had gone before he had the time to turn things around, but like Reid perhaps it’s time to just trust him); Reid (6/10 – must be fed up coming on to try to change games; give him the run); Wagstaff (6/10 – tempted to give a higher mark just for the sheer optimism of the dive for the penalty).

Winner Takes It All

2011-02-12T19:00:00.001Z

And so it continues. At half-time we could have been forgiven for thinking that nothing had changed as the players were booed off as we found ourselves behind against a team playing better and more incisive football and had failed to create a decent scoring opportunity. The only difference from Plymouth and Colchester was that in those games we’d kept a clean sheet in the first 45 minutes whereas this time we’d got away with only conceding one. Obviously nobody had told the referee the script as he failed to find a reason to disallow the goal – and paid the price. Some sort of divine intervention saw him stretchered off shortly after his aberration. But we should have known better. All it took was a rollicking at the break, a change or two, and suddenly we’re 2-1 up and go on to win the game, helped by substitute Abbott playing out of his skin.

Of course it wasn’t that simple and another victory won’t disguise some of the limitations. In the first half Peterborough were first to the ball and used it to good purpose. With Anyinsah absent we’d started with Wright-Phillips and Eccleston paired up front, Wagstaff and Jackson taking the wide berths, Semedo and McCormack the central midfield positions, and with Bassone returning the defence as was expected. But we struggled to keep possession or to do anything with it. Early mistakes by McCormack and Jackson nearly cost us and with no obvious attacking threat down the flanks the service into the front two was poor. Most of the time we were on the back foot, with Semedo repeatedly called upon to do the equivalent of putting fingers in the dykes to stem the wave of Peterborough attacks. For the most part he did the job and the defence just about held firm, but whereas we’d not troubled their keeper Peterborough had hit the post, wasted a couple of inviting opportunities, and had finally taken the lead when their guy had time and space in the box – as a result of willing runners either side – and held onto the ball long enough to curl in a shot which gave Elliot no chance.

It’s fair to say that the midfield just wasn’t functioning and at the break we were pleased to still be in the game. Things needed to change and the first alteration was the subdued Wagstaff being withdrawn; surprisingly Abbott was the man brought on, with Eccleston moved out wide right. And after a mixed start to the half within the space of a couple of minutes we’d scored twice, both goals coming from work down the right. First Francis takes the plaudits for an excellent run and cross, which saw Jackson time his run to perfection to meet it and score. Then Eccleston worked some magic and delivered a ball in which found Wright-Phillips in space. He made no mistake. Peterborough, having controlled the game, were suddenly behind and we were able to play a different game, with a real threat on the break.

They still posed plenty of threat and at 2-1 I don’t think anyone would have bet on no further goals. An injury to Bassone, which saw him stretchered off, but we seemed to make the game safe as Abbott fired in a shot from the edge of the area that took a couple of deflections but found its way into the net. It was just deserts for a player who had come on and made a real difference with his ability to win headers and hold up play. Perhaps more important he competed for everything. It looked like an object lesson in how a player needs to be ready to make a contribution when called upon and for that he deserves credit. With us by now happy for the game to finish, Wright-Phillips was withdrawn for Reid, with Jackson stiffening central midfield. The various stoppages saw six minutes of added time and that was enough for Peterborough to pull one back as a corner was not dealt with and their guy had ample space in the box to score. But mercifully enough the final whistle came before it became truly frantic.

So, a team has scored against Sir Chris but hasn't stopped his winning run. We once more had the breaks, primarily as Peterborough didn’t move as far ahead in the first hour as their dominance might have suggested and as we came back to score a couple of very good goals. The third gave us the breathing space we needed. It ain’t perfect by a long shot, but for me the credit today goes to the defence, Semedo, and Abbott. The real plus point today is that we didn’t lose it when Peterborough were dominating play and took our chances when they came. Winning is a very nice habit. But Powell said for some reason we weren’t at the races in the first half against Yeovil; today we weren’t either. Sooner or later that’s going to cost us unless we put it right, which means getting the best combination in midfield. That's for tomorrow. Today Suzanne has seen five goals and a Charlton win. That's enough for me.

Player Ratings:

Elliott: 8/10. No chance with the goals and dealt once more with everything else capably.

Francis: 7/10. Perhaps deserves higher as he made the vital contribution for the first goal; just wonder about their second goal and who allowed their guy that much space.

Bassone: 6/10. Distribution in the first half wasn’t great and got crocked in the second. Hope it’s not serious.

Doherty: 8/10. The midfield deficiencies saw the defence under a lot of pressure today and he and Dailly were largely responsible for us staying in the game. Excellent.

Dailly: 8/10. As for Doherty. They threatened all game and the central defence held up well.

Jackson: 6/10. Gets an extra mark for the goal, but otherwise subdued. With Wagstaff ineffective, we suffered in the first half especially from having no serious threat down the flanks.

Semedo: 8/10. Countless tackles and interceptions when we were under the cosh, which was much of the game.

McCormack: 5/10. He’s been playing better of late in my view, but today he struggled. The choice between him and Racon is still a difficult one.

Wagstaff: 5/10. Once more failed to provide a real outlet or serious threat as an out-and-out winger. Can’t complain at being replaced at the break, after which the threat down the right came into being.

Wright-Phillips: 7/10. Didn’t seem to work in the first half alongside Eccleston, but that was probably down to the poor service. Scored again – and who can ask for more?

Eccleston: 7/10. Far more of a threat when moved out wide for the second half and played his part in turning the game around.

Subs: Abbott (8/10 – whatever his limitations, today he came on, helped tilt the balance in our favour, and scored what turned out to be the winner; deserves a big pat on the back and my man of the match); Fry (7/10 – did the job required to replace the injured Bassone); Reid (7/10 – not much time or opportunity to sparkle but helped to run down the clock when the final whistle was all we wanted).

No Problem, Mr Nice Guy

2011-02-03T17:05:00.000Z

Well, the BBC highlights of Tuesday night are now available and some things are clear. First, I should have given Elliot an even better mark than 8/10; somehow I seem to forget opposition attempts on goal. Second, while we know the full explanation for the goal that wasn’t, I think we can quietly forget the idea that we stopped playing when the ref blew his whistle. Dailly does put a hand up to claim for offside – and he may have helped to encourage the ref to blow (extra mark there as well; who says play to the whistle as refs are never influenced?) – but he wasn’t going to get to their guy. And I don’t think Elliot gave up on the shot because of the whistle; his first reaction is to pick the ball out of the net and to get on with things.

So it goes down as a dreadful mistake by the ref and him alone. One compounded by trying to get away with it by giving the goal, only to have to be told what the rules are. As others have commented, the reaction of the Colchester manager and players does them credit; in fact I think both teams deserve credit after an incident like that as it could easily have spilled over (if Man Utd or Arsenal had been involved I’m sure things would have got out of hand on the pitch). Let’s even give the ref a little credit for not trying to balance things up by giving them a soft penalty (and he had the chance to). I think we’ll all support the inquiry into the incident – just so long as there’s no suggestion of a replay (which there won’t be; if we start replaying games because of a ref’s howler seasons will never end).

Onwards and if not immediately upwards (due to the other results on the night) we are feeling a good deal happier than either side of the Swindon game. No imposition on us of Wise, a manager we all respect and like (all of which has at least in my book greatly eased doubts about the new owners), two home wins and two clean sheets – and saints preserve us we’ve even now got a positive home goal difference. But after the aborted Rochdale trip and with my usual Amsterdam trip starting Monday, a trip to Yeovil on Saturday isn’t possible for me (although no doubt the necessary work on Saturday afternoon will be shelved by staying glued to the scores updates). Instead the next task is to get back on Wednesday evening in time for the Slater & Powell Q&A. Ticket for that has arrived and with luck I’ll land at City Airport on time (18.20), get home to dump bags and make it back out to The Valley before 20.00 (failing that I might have to go straight there suited and booted).

No doubt Sir Chris will be asked to expand further on whether he’s too nice to be a successful manager (even the BBC site has taken up the theme). It’s nonsense. There is no one successful style of management, in football or anything else. I’ve tended to view myself through the years as a decent enough bloke, but I never worried or lost sleep about sacking people (of course, others may suggest that this is evidence enough that I am in reality a complete bstard). If you’re clear on the reasons and are going to make such a change, and do it fairly, in my book it’s self-indulgence to pretend to go through the agonies. Nobody in their right mind enjoys doing it, but it doesn’t exactly help the person on the receiving end (no, it doesn’t hurt you more than it hurts them). Rather the danger (I believe) is that people keep going on about how nice he is and that plants seeds of doubt. There’s never been a shortage of indecisive people who under pressure make all sorts of ‘decisions’ to try to prove that they are nothing of the sort, or ‘nice guys’ who over-react because they start to feel that they’re being taken advantage of. I have no doubt that Powell is intelligent and experienced enough to know that consistency is far more important. There will be times for rants, but rants for good reason (when players are doing what’s asked of them). If being nice means people are inclined to work harder for you, use it.

I’ve no idea what further changes to the squad may come as a result of the opening of the loan window. I think it’s fair to say that with Sodje exiting but Eccleston and Wright-Phillips coming in no new forwards will be added, and if Fry’s loan is extended to the end of the season (as has been indicated) it would be surprising if another defender was introduced following the addition of Bessone.(By the way, I might have missed something but is Fortune staying? I thought his deal only lasted until January.) Although Martin has gone, with Wagstaff, Jackson and Reid we aren’t too stretched in that department (especially if McCormack can fill in again if necessary and the reserves guy is ready to step up). The area that still worries me is central midfield. All season we’ve operated with two from three (Racon, Semedo, McCormack). I guess Jackson could do a job there, but with injuries and suspensions likely to take their toll – and the games are going to come thick and fast – it’s a risk.

What am I talking about? The way things have gone so far under Powell we could put out the academy team and not get beat (or concede a goal). Long may it continue.

Finally, I’ve never felt comfortable with the song about ‘they’re turning Selhurst Park into a public lavatory’. It always has been, and will remain, a public lavatory. I swore I’d never go back there, but if they need volunteers with picks and shovels to help demolish it, I’m available. A copy of The Mercury came through the letterbox today. The letters page has a headline ‘Palace will always be a thing of beauty’. Well, they say it’s all in the eye of the beholder, but you’d have to be a pretty daft beholder to agree.

Scoring Against Sir Chris Not Allowed

2011-02-01T23:07:00.000Z

Some day Chris Powell is not going to win a game as manager. A 100% record for two clubs is unlikely to prove sustainable. But until then I want to know which deity he prays to, which brand he smokes, and whether he’s available to sort out the Egypt crisis. Parkinson must just watch and wonder, as did the rest of us. Just what the Colchester manager, players and fans made of it remains to be seen and heard. We won, we’re happy, but if we thought we had the breaks against Plymouth, when their shot whistled over the bar and we get gifted a goal to break the deadlock, Sir Chris took it up a notch tonight.

A reasonable explanation for the second-half incident which saw the referee first disallow a Colchester effort, then consult at length with his linesman and give a goal, and then after further protests and discussions rule out the goal and restart play with a contested drop ball will have to come from somewhere else. To restart in that fashion can only point to the ref having blown his whistle by mistake, prompting defenders to stop, but then why on earth did he give the goal? For now I prefer the alternative, that he realised that nobody scores against Chris’ team, a point underlined by a last-second clearance off the line. I can honestly say that apart from Peter Hunt’s side-netting goal I haven’t seen anything stranger at a football match. I expect Colchester may be a little miffed.

I’ll try to keep it short tonight as I’m feeling lousy (one problem with a visit to the doc’s is that the place is full of sick people) and as I have no insight into the incident on which the game turned, one which resulted in seven minutes of stoppage time announced (and at least eight played). From where I sat it looked like a goal as their guy (was it Mooney? And just why did some Charlton fans boo him?) slipped the defender and shot home into the corner. There was no flag for offside and clearly the linesman thought it was a fair goal. It’s one that deserves some airing on the box.

The team saw both Bessone and Wright-Phillips included, with Fry (who presumably is wanted back by West Ham) dropping to the bench, McCormack and Semedo getting the central midfield berths over Racon, Wagstaff and Jackson operating wide, and Anyinsah paired with Wright-Phillips up front. It did mean a solid set-up, albeit one with some limitations creatively. And some indication of our current resources came from the fact that on the bench were Racon, Reid, Benson and Eccleston as well as Fry and Worner.

It was a lively start, with the front two injecting pace and movement and we carved out an early opportunity with some good play. But Colchester replied with an effort of their own and after the early exchanges the game settled down to something of a war of attrition, with both sides cancelling each other out. Some of the early quality went missing and the abiding memory of the first half was that both sides were looking to play football but that both lacked the precision to pull it off. Perhaps that was encapsulated by an incident late on when they stretched us and the ball broke to their guy running in on the right side of the box. We were in trouble and any decent delivery could have produced a goal. Instead he put it behind. As against Plymouth, no complaints about a clean sheet at the break but some concern that we weren’t creating much going forward, especially with Wagstaff struggling to get into the game.

The second half also started brightly before both midfields again took a grip. It looked as though the first goal would prove crucial and for all the world it seemed as though Colchester had it. No they hadn’t, yes they had, then oh no they hadn’t again. It was the break we needed, now to complete the job. Benson came on for Anyinsah but the deadlock was broken by the one piece of quality wing play all night. Francis had shown Wagstaff how to do it minutes earlier, with a good run and cross, but finally Scotty received the ball in a decent position, ran forward with it and picked out his man. Wright-Phillips had moved away from the defender and with the ball delivered just behind him still had a lot to do. But he hit it sweetly on the turn to give their keeper no chance.

That was all we wanted, but the final whistle was still some way off. Fry came on for Bessone and towards the end Eccleston replaced Wright-Phillips. For the most part we coped with the closing stages well, with Semedo and McCormack providing good protection for the defence and with Dailly and Doherty outstanding. But there was still that last-gasp corner and a header that looked like a goal before being kicked off the line. Enough we cried, only for the ball to break to Eccleston, who might have added another substitute’s goal had the ref not blown for the end of the game.

Overall reflections included delight at a second consecutive clean sheet at home, albeit with the realisation than in both games we could easily have had to come from behind. Bessone looked good, especially moving forward with the ball, while Dailly and Doherty excelled, with Mooney a threat all night but not someone likely to expose them for pace. Semedo and McCormack together worked hard and did the basics very well. Up front it was unrealistic to expect Anyinsah and Wright-Phillips to click immediately, but there was enough threat from each of them to suggest promise. I’m sad that it didn’t work out here for Sodje (I really thought he was going to be a key player for us this season), but with Benson and Eccleston (and Abbott) at least we have options. Getting the best combination and improving the understanding is for the training ground tomorrow. For now, if they could bottle Sir Chris’ good fortune I’d swap it for a crate of my best red.

Player Ratings:

Elliot: 8/10. Good saves in the first half and dealt with everything that needed to be dealt with effectively, including a couple of dodgy early back passes.

Francis: 7/10. Iffy start when it came to distribution, but defensively sound and got forward more in the second half to good effect.

Bessone: 7/10. Decent start having just arrived yesterday. Looks comfortable in possession.

Dailly: 8/10. Excellent.

Doherty: 8/10. No mistakes, plenty of headed clearances. Aside from the ‘goal’ Colchester were limited to half-chances.

Jackson: 6/10. Had no great impact on the game; did find himself in a good position inside the box late in the first half but rather surprisingly put the shot wide of the post.

McCormack: 7/10. Did an effective job. He’s not going to set the world alight, but when placed in his natural position did what we can expect of him. Time for some to get off his back as we will need him.

Semedo: 8/10. Decent shout for man-of-the-match. Combative and involved, helped ensure that we matched up to a decent Colchester midfield.

Wagstaff: 7/10. What can you say? Overall disappointing in terms of his contribution as a winger; but made the chance that won the game after scoring to break the deadlock against Plymouth.

Anyinsah: 6/10. Lively start but did fade through the game as it closed down.

Wright-Phillips: 7/10. Gets the extra mark for his excellent strike for the goal.

Subs: Benson (6/10 – poor early touches but got more into it after that); Fry (7/10 – did well in the time on the pitch, especially moving their guy out wide from a dangerous position); Eccleston (not enough time for a mark, but if the game had gone on another 30 seconds he might have added another).

25 Miles From Rochdale

2011-01-30T17:54:00.002Z

In years to come we will sit around the fireplace, laughing through the DVDs of the horror years when we dipped back into the third flight, and compare notes on how close to Rochdale we made it before hearing the game had been postponed. If truth be told it wasn’t really 25 miles, that just made a better headline. But having set off around 08.00 we’d gone past Walsall and were resuming the relentless drive north after a coffee break, sometime after 11.00. In fact we were just debating whether this game could attract the least media attention in the club’s recent history, given the cup ties going on, when the radio mentioned Rochdale. It couldn’t be a special report on Sir Chris’ second game in charge, so we didn’t really need to hear confirmation.

My immediate thoughts turned to ‘back to bed by 14.00’ (followed shortly after by wondering why on earth I had made the late decision to go to The Valley on Thursday to buy a ticket; I’d even missed the train I went for, someone had been trying to tell me something). But sometimes you find yourself in a situation you can’t control. I was in a car with two fellow Addicks (and two of their offspring), both committed to the cause of taking in as many football grounds as is possible in the space of one lifetime. In fact, one is involved with the site dedicated to doing the lot (http://www.doingthe92.com/). Without a moment’s thought their reaction was: another game and another ground. The most I could do was turn thoughts to somewhere south of where we were rather than continuing north, in the interests of the eventual return time. We managed to narrow the choice to Stevenage v Reading in the cup (but with some doubt about getting in), Walsall v Bristol Rovers (and another chance to boo a certain Blizzard), or Oxford v Cheltenham in League Two.

We’d all done the old Manor Ground (for a game that led to my receiving a letter from a certain Ian Maxwell when the club had dodgy owners and I was indirectly working for Captain Bob). But the Kasaam Stadium meant another tick in the table all round and for me represented the second-best option after an afternoon on the sofa. So that’s how a photo of the functional but rather non-descript – save for it being a three-stand ground, with a car park behind one of the goals - Kasaam Stadium finds its way onto this site.

It proved to be an enjoyable enough game, albeit it was a tad on the cold side (and timings meant that thoughts of a decent pub lunch in the centre of Oxford, to at least partially compensate for being deprived of the Rochdale pie I was anticipating, went by the board). It doesn’t merit a full report, but the spoils were shared as Cheltenham, who started both halves the brighter and had the livelier forwards, saw an early lead wiped out. Oxford had enough of the second half to have won the game, forcing a couple of excellent saves from Chelthenham’s Elliot-lookalike keeper, but ended up being grateful to their own custodian for saving a penalty late on, awarded after one of the said forwards turned well in the box and got flattened.

All that was left after that was to sit in the car while every other vehicle funnelled out of the one exit of the designated parking area. Ah well, another Saturday in the life of an Addick.

Eat Your Heart Out, Bony

2011-01-22T19:21:00.000Z

After the game we were all trying to remember exactly what Napoleon said about generals and luck. I’ll look it up tomorrow. I’ll do a lot of things tomorrow. But tonight I’m a bit jaded and just want to enjoy the moment. We can think then about formations, combinations, options etc. Today it’s about Chris Powell and his 100% success rate as Charlton manager – and ordering a takeaway before I fall asleep. It’s been a long day, but I’m happy. It doesn’t take much to make me happy, a win of any sort will do.

We could reflect on a first-half performance that were Parkinson still in charge would have seen the team booed off at the break. We could ponder on the fact that Benson missed a good chance before Walsall scored and that today Plymouth had a shot on the volley at 0-0 that could have gone under the bar, only for them to gift us a goal that came out of the blue. But, in the words of the immortal Lee Hazelwood, I’ve been down so long, it looks like up to me. And I really do want to be up – and stay up.

In his first game in charge, Sir Chris opted to keep the formation utilised by Keith Peacock in two difficult away games, with Jackson and McCormack occupying the wide berths and Wagstaff supporting Anyinsah up front. There’s nothing wrong with keeping things tight as we’ve conceded too many goals at home. But the limitations of the formation were on full display in the first 45 minutes, which after the enthusiasm of the start must rank as the most mundane for some time. The only notable effort from them was a cross which should have been headed home but glanced off their guy’s head (only for the ref to give a corner), plus a mix-up which nearly let their only real threat, Bolasie, in, with the otherwise superb Dailly taking one for the team by pulling him back. The only notable effort from us was a ball played in for Wagstaff to attempt to chip their keeper, who proved to be bigger than the effort required. Otherwise, all that was notable was the dire quality of our crossing, with at least four set pieces seeing balls sent in down the throat of that keeper.

Things seemed to be getting worse early in the second half as that volley whistled wide. It was the sort of effort that Malcolm Allison said if it goes in you blame the tealady. Elliot could only watch and, like the rest of us, hope. They also had a shot and a header and if they’d scored at that time who knows what would have happened. But whatever deities Chris prays to were on our side and having survived we took the lead in the daftest of fashions, albeit with Wagstaff deserving much credit for chasing a lost cause. A poor pass backwards was followed by a worse pass to the keeper and Wagstaff just followed the ball and nudged it past a helpless keeper into the net. Crowd lifted again and something to hold on to.

The only problem, if it was one, was that the changes we could make would make our set-up more attacking. The first was enforced as Jackson was flattened after getting on the end of a cross. For me it looked like a penalty as their defender was nowhere near the ball, although Jackson had got his header in. He struggled on for some minutes but departed, with Reid coming on. The next change saw Racon withdrawn and Eccleston coming on for his home debut, with McCormack moved inside to partner Semedo, and Wagstaff moving out wide. We now had the attacking 4-4-2 formation that promised a greater attacking threat when all we really wanted was the final whistle. The final alteration saw Abbott replace the hard-working Anyinsah and as the clock wound down a ball through found Eccleston with the chance to show us his pace and ability. Again luck was on our side as the tackle saw the ball fall kindly for him, but there was no luck about the finish, with the shot dispatched into the corner of the net.

Glory be, victory and no nail-biting moments to end with. Instead we were able to enjoy the final moments of a game that for its quality and goalmouth incident will not live long in the memory. But for the occasion and the outcome, I’ll cherish it for some time to come. I made it to the pub, I made it for Sir Chris’ arrival, and we won. Oh happy days.

Player Ratings:

Elliot: 7/10. Standard mark for a keeper that had very little to do other than deal with back passes. That may owe something to a greater emphasis on keeping a clean sheet, or the fact that Bolasie aside Plymouth offered little threat and seemed strangely subdued. Who cares?

Francis: 7/10. Decent enough game, although I think he was involved in the mix-up with Dailly which nearly cost us.

Fry: 6/10. Not bad, but loses a mark for taking a couple of the poor free kicks in the first half. Crosses which hang in the air in the middle of the goal are food and drink for a big keeper.

Doherty: 7/10. Didn’t feature much, but that’s fine for me for a centre-back when we’ve had a rare clean sheet.

Dailly: 8/10. The mix-up aside, he was superb. His reading of the game struck me through the match, plus the fact he was our most effective carrier of the ball out of defence to help get things going.

Jackson: 7/10. Did threaten to get in a couple of times and has a great habit of appearing in the box. Not a natural winger as regards attacking threat, which is a problem when the same applies on the other flank.

Semedo: 6/10. Decent enough, just sometimes hope for a bit more than being combative when we’re looking to create going forward.

Racon: 6/10. Worked hard but made no telling contribution. Fact is we look to him for inspiration going forward and in the first half especially it was in short supply.

McCormack: 8/10. Looked like a fish out of water wide-right in the first half, but deserves credit for sticking at it. More involved and more effective in the second half, won headers, and did the necessary job when moved inside.

Wagstaff: 7/10. Generally ineffective in creating space or getting the combination right of dropping deep and providing a threat. But gets the extra mark for a goal which changed the game and which was reward for sheer enthusiasm.

Anyinsah: 7/10. Worked tirelessly with little support. Not enough time to see whether he and Eccleston will be the best combination.

Subs: Reid (6/10 – loses a mark for having got in good positions adding to the list of poor crosses); Eccleston (8/10 – if a guy comes on and scores he has to get a good mark, let’s see more); Abbott (7/10 – wasn’t on for long enough for a proper assessment).

Man of the Match: Who else? Sir Chris. Enjoy the day, now the work really begins.

Wishful Thinking

2011-01-20T10:34:00.001Z

My main wish for the weekend is that the 08.27 from Lyon Part Dieu to Lille departs and arrives on time. If it does, I can get the 12.05 (French time) from Lille to St Pancras, arrive in time to make it back home to drop bags, get to the pub for a slug of crap wine, and most important to be there to cheer Sir Chris on his return. We cheered him out and I want to be there to cheer him back in. But if the 08.27 doesn’t run to schedule .... When I booked the tickets I thought it might be a close call, but at the time the risk of being a bit late for Plymouth didn’t seem so important. Events, dear boy, events.

The week in Lyon got off to a good start. I had three wishes then: pastis at Croix Rousse (which was pretty much guaranteed), glorious victory at Sheff Wed, and a win for Lyon Duchere. It proved to be two out of three (and if I were being honest I would have sacrificed the two for the third). I’ve missed the two games of the Peacock Charlton managerial era so can’t comment on them, but Saturday evening produced a thoroughly entertaining contest between Duchere and Sochaux B, albeit one played out in front of a disappointingly small crowd.

Sochaux are currently mid-table in France’s equivalent of The Premiership and the first thing that strikes you about their reserve team is that they’re bloody big. It seems to be a familiar theme when Duchere mix it with the big teams’ second strings (of which there seem to be four in CFA B, including this year Paris-SG but not Olympique Lyonnais). We missed the first 10 minutes, having been glued to the BBC site in the hope of a late winner at Hillsborough, and arrived to groans from the crowd as Sochaux took an early lead. What was apparent from the early play was that Sochaux had a couple of forwards who were bigger, stronger and faster than their opponents. If there was space behind the defenders, all they needed to do was knock it forward and bulldoze their way through. And although Duchere had weapons of their own, especially a very sprightly if erratic winger, there was no real surprise that they fell further behind. Their excellent keeper of recent years seemed to be missing and the new guy was also, well erratic. He pulled off a blinding save to turn away a shot for a corner, but when the ball was half-cleared it fell nicely for the Sochaux guy to volley it back. There should have been no problems, but the Duchere keeper did a Carson/Green and let the shot pass under his body.

However, we all know that 2-0 is the most dangerous lead and as Sochaux started to knock the ball around in defence with little intention they seemed to relax, believing the job was done. Come on, draw your own parallels, although perhaps they were just getting cold as without ballboys play was not exactly continuous. Whatever, before the break Sochaux played a pass too many and said nippy winger latched on to the ball and fairly rifled it low into the net.

So, 1-2 at the break, but it still looked as though Sochaux could score more at will. The next goal would prove crucial. They had the chances to score it early in the second half, but a combination of slack finishing and good fortune for Duchere kept the game alive. Despite their air of assurance Duchere were causing Sochaux some problems and the crowd’s spirits were surprisingly lifted when a silly tackle in the box, on a Duchere player going away from goal, resulted in a penalty. I’ve seen Curtis, Hales, Mendonca and Jackson (and others) put them away from the spot, but I swear I’ve never seen a better penalty. Drilled shot into the top corner. (Note on penalties: I cannot for the life of me understand a forward not wanting to take them; Killer wasn’t a great penalty-taker but he knew he’d score more times than not. It’s understandable that any team has a designated penalty-taker who might not be one of the forwards, in our case Jackson; but for me Benson and Anyinsah declining to take one even in a shoot-out is disappointing. If they’re not confident in their ability to score from the spot something is wrong. Chris, make them practise until they drop.)

Sochaux seemed offended that Duchere had the audacity to equalise and set about putting things right. But as so often the case Duchere raised their game, with something to hold on to (and stiffened the midfield with a substitution and generally compressed the game). Sochaux started to struggle to turn possession into scoring opportunities. Duchere seemed more than content with a point, but glory be Sochaux made a mess of clearing a corner and the loose ball was smashed home. French regional third flight it may be, but it meant three of the cleanest strikes I’ve ever seen in one game.

There were still 15 minutes to go and the question was whether Duchere would hold on. Sochaux pressed, but there just wasn’t the space they enjoyed in the first half and as their frustration grew – not least over the reluctance of Duchere players to go and get the ball when it went out – La Duch managed to play out the game reasonably comfortably. They even had the opportunity on the break to make a pigs ear of a three-on-one of the like not seen since Charlton v Fulham in a different era.

Cue the final whistle and joy for the 100 or so of us in the crowd, hearty congratulations between the Duchere players on winning a game that for most of the time they had no right to, and the Sochaux giants creeping off to the dressing room for a well-deserved bollocking. Just goes to show, whatever level there’s always hope (or despair) when the score reaches 2-0.

This post was going to be on what I would say to Powell were I Keith Peacock filling him in on the squad etc. But that will have to wait for another day as Morgan Stanley’s results are looming large (after Goldman Sachs yesterday) and, this being France, I’ll have to get to the shops before they all decide to decamp for lunch and turn away customers just as they’re getting hungry. What’s the point of offering great food if the shop’s shut? This post will have to just be about wishful thinking. The Cote Rotie has been qwaffed, along with a majestic offering from the Ventoux region and one from Languedoc. Tonight I hope it will be a Croze Hermitage and with the restaurant booked for Friday night my wish is for it all to be rounded off with a good St Joseph. But if I had one wish it would be to make it to the Rose of Denmark by 2pm on Saturday for a small bottle of red vinegar.

Welcome Back Sir Chris

2011-01-13T20:48:00.003Z

From the ridiculous to the sublime! Sir Chris set to return to The Valley as manager, a true ex-England saint taking over rather than the ex-England sinner we had feared. For sure it’s a risk, but sometimes gut instinct is a good guide. I had to stop and think exactly why I would have despaired had Wise been brought in, even leaving aside conspiracy theories, after someone asked the question in a comment. The instinctive reaction was that Wise was all wrong, which you can then try to explain in more prosaic terms. Hearing that Powell is about to be confirmed for me prompted a smile and a good feeling. That’ll do for now, especially as the creative juices aren’t exactly flowing at the moment (how would you feel after an extra night’s stay in Amsterdam prompted by a celebration bash the downside of which was having to surface at 04.00 for the flight back so that I can unpack and then pack again to go off to Lyon tomorrow?)

The process of finding a new manager also seems to have been conducted well. It was pleasing to see that Howe said that the two clubs which wanted him to decamp (us and Palace) did it by the book (the fact that he seems to be off to Burnley is a matter between him and Bournemouth). Tracking the news from abroad it seemed clear that the fact that Curbs didn’t get the Ipswich job but wasn’t ushered in as our new manager closed the book on that one, with the bookies going on to make Johnson favourite. That in my view would have been a reasonable option, although I’d been pondering on the outside possibility of Dailly being persuaded that the time might be right to take on the job, with Peacock retained to carry some of the load. Instead we’ve got someone with a cast-iron guarantee of the fans’ complete goodwill, whatever the reservations about experience.

(Note to players: if things go badly in the coming months don’t think that the crowd will be turning the heat on the new manager; we all desperately want him to succeed and it’s far more likely that those on the pitch will take the rap; so make bloody sure you do all you can to make it work.)

What does the appointment say? My first reaction is that it suggests that the new owners are taking a realistic approach to the chances of promotion this season. We’re in with a shout, given our position, but with Brighton some points ahead and Southampton having ominously moved through the field, plus the fact that we haven’t been playing like world-beaters, I think we’d all grab a play-off spot now if that was on offer. Bringing in Powell should give the place a lift, which we hope will extend to performances on the pitch, but it’s not the sort of appointment that suggests a ‘promotion or else’ attitude. Barring abject disasters, Powell will have to be given next season as well as this to prove himself, which points to the sort of steady progress that the owners have talked about (which is not to say that the objective for this season doesn’t include promotion if possible and more enyoyable football).

I should add that in previous posts I wasn’t trying to say that I believed there was a conspiracy going on regarding sacking Parkinson – rather that if Wise had been given the job I would have belived that and that for me it wouldn’t have reflected well on the new owners. He hasn’t so there’s an end to it (of course for those who like conspiracy theories they had lined him up only to be taken aback by the strength of the fans’ opposition to the idea and changed plans). Instead we have a new manager we like, admired as a player and as a person (see, we long ago forgave him for his unwise dalliance with Palace, which must have been forced upon him as an unsuspecting youth). I do believe I even shook his hand at the Champions dinner (along with Keith Jones). And yes, it will feel good to get some positive media coverage rather than the ‘fresh evidence of Charlton’s slide’ of recent seasons. So well done the new owners.

Saints preserve us, if that wasn’t enough we’ve even got something concrete out of a promised deal, with Liverpool’s Eccleston coming in on loan for the rest of the season. Fast, young, eager forward who one assumes will be able to play alongside Anyinsah or Sodje and putting the pressure on Benson, hopefully also providing the sort of movement and threat to get the best out of Racon and Martin. If that means, as Wyn Grant for one has mentioned, Abbott going out on loan, well I don’t think there will be too many tears.

You see, just the appointment of Powell and we’re coming over all optimistic again. That will do for now for me. Just the dream ticket on Saturday to look forward to: couple of pastis at the Croix Rousse market, some port to get me through the scanning of the BBC website to track our trouncing of Sheff Wed, then off out to watch Lyon Duchere win in the evening. May it come to pass.

Waiting And Hoping

2011-01-08T14:22:00.000Z

The past few days have I guess gone as well as we could hope for, although having put Keith Peacock in temporary charge it would have been rather churlish to deny him the opportunity to clock up at least one game in charge of Charlton. I just hope we’ve gone overboard in our fears that Wise will get the job; the new owners can’t be blamed for the bookies making him odds-on favourite (it is nice to see that he’s eased back in the betting from 1/4 to 2/3), although the cliché is that you are judged by the company you keep. We continue to wait and hope that it isn’t him.

So who do we want? There are it seems now two names that are entirely to be desired but extremely unlikely to be tempted by the opportunity, or to fall within our price range. Curbs for me would be a shoo-in if he expresses an interest; I’d go so far as to suggest that the first task last week should have been for Murray, Varney et al to at least put it to him. Of course there are drawbacks in going back, but even if he’d never been at Charlton he would be by some distance the best manager currently whiling away the hours that we could hope for. And if Martin O’Neill can be currently cited at only 33-1 anything has to be possible. Roy Hodgson would be a marvellous alternative. It’s disappointing that he’s not been successful at Liverpool, especially since it would appear to remove another obstacle in the way of the Rednapp getting the England job. And I can’t imagine that he would be interested in dropping this far. I can only hope.

Those aside, do we want a gnarled old campaigner who might have an immediate galvanising effect on the players or do we look to rebuild more with a younger alternative? It would help if the new owners’ comments on their objectives were more consistent. Michael Slater has been quoted as saying that “what we won’t do it create unrealistic, pie-in-the-sky expectations”, that “we will always live within our means”, and that the aim is “to make steady upward progress”. That’s fair enough (although I doubt we are currently as a club living within our means), but what about the other comments cited elsewhere to the effect that nothing less than promotion will do and that given the position we are in sacking Parkinson was geared around going up? The positions aren’t contradictory, but overall I think the impression is that we’re in with a decent shout of promotion and that the new manager has to hit the ground running and be available quickly, especially if we want to make a couple of signings. That for me suggests a bias for experience and motivation rather than long-term potential.

In that context I don’t think you can rule out the likes of Coleman, Southgate, Taylor or Hart or Waddock, even though they’re don’t currently have the shortest odds. I also think the current odds of only 3/1 for Howe look much too short. It’s worth stressing that I have no problem with a suitable manager who has Palace or Millwall connections. That’s not why Wise is unacceptable. Of the longer shots, I’ve always liked (in the non-Biblical sense) Wilkins. He’s measured, thoughtful and would, like Poyet at Brighton, establish a pattern of play for the team. Of course his knowledge of the third division would be limited, but if we want an ex-England player I’d choose him over Hoddle any day. I have to say that there are some others in the betting I’ve never heard of (I could look them up to disguise my ignorance but life’s too short).

Perhaps KP will lead us to victory tomorrow and over the next couple of weeks establish a claim for the job. The Spurs game has acquired more interest, given that another man has to assess what is our strongest available team (without the suspended Benson). But as I said before I won’t be there. I just don’t care about the cup as long as we are languishing in this awful division. There’s also the small matter of having to get to Amsterdam on Monday morning and then at the end of the week to Lyon, returning – Eurostar permitting – in time for the Plymouth game. I do expect to be able to take in a Lyon Duchere home game next weekend; it might make a welcome break. The Valley half-full to watch dire football isn’t a treat and a lot of good supporters have decided to jack it in. It’s not surprising that Wise is viewed by a good number more as the final straw. All I’m asking is that it is anyone else and that he takes us up, however it’s done.

Wrong Decision For Me, But All Down To Choice Of Successor

2011-01-05T10:46:00.001Z

We’ve all had the chance to sleep on it, although imperfect information means that no definitive judgement can be reached. To know whether the decision to sack Parkinson was the right one we would need to know what the new owners’ real thoughts were at the time they put in the offer, whether they already know who they want to be manager, what was said and done after the Swindon game – and most important whether the change sees us go on to secure promotion. If it does, it will have been the right move; if it doesn’t, it wasn’t. As removing the last imponderable would require a certain divinity, it is reasonable to see the decision as one that we might on balance agree or disagree with – personally I’m in the latter camp - but one which we as supporters should in principle back.

However, in this case the choice of new manager will go a long way towards cementing first impressions of the new owners – and first impressions can be lasting. I have absolutely no problem with new guys coming in and deciding that Parkinson was not the man to take us forward. They’ve bought the club and they are writing the cheques, while Parkinson’s record in charge is hardly such that there would have been howls of outrage.

On Parkinson’s record, I don’t really blame him for relegation from The Championship. The failure to rebound first time after relegation from The Premiership was the real disaster, when despite being unbalanced we had a squad that should have gone back up. Pardew carries the can for that. With the subsequent intention to try to balance the books and shed the better (overall) and highest paid, Pardew then failed to produce a team capable of holding us steady in The Championship, with Parkinson taking over a club in decline. However, last season was a failure as once more we had greater quality than those around us and didn’t make it count. If Parkinson had been sacked at the end of last season there could have been no complaints, but we all knew the situation. That would have cost money and, given that so many players were going to depart, he looked as good an option as any we might have attracted to build a new, cheaper team. Keeping him on then was a reasonable decision, albeit one borne out of necessity.

That leaves this season. Let’s not forget as it began we had no idea if we would be facing another relegation battle. From the squad that was printed in the Swindon play-off game we’d lost Richardson, Youga, Bailey, McKenzie, Burton, Sam, Basey, Spring, Dickson, Sodje(S), Sinclair, Fleetwood, Mooney, Randolph, Borrowdale, Forster and of course Shelvey. Good riddance in some cases, but nobody in their right mind could pretend that those brought in would give us similar quality. The best we could hope for was that a new team would gel quickly enough and have the desire and commitment to allow us to compete. In that context, Parkinson’s real problem this season has been expectations raised by a better-than-expected start, plus the fact that our best performances have been away from The Valley. Suddenly we were back to demanding promotion – and attractive football. That we are where we are in the league is a reflection of the lower quality of the other higher-placed teams than last season and a good job by Parkinson and his staff.

I don’t think it’s an accident that especially of late we have struggled at home. Other clubs do do their homework after all. In Racon, Martin, Reid and Wagstaff, and Benson, we have players who thrive on space. When teams are disciplined and get behind the ball quickly, these players tend to be ineffective. This does raise the reasonable point that in this division, against average defenders, we might have played the percentages more at home and made more use of the physicality of Sodje and, yes, even Abbott. And yes, Parkinson’s decisions for the Swindon game were poor, but that doesn’t excuse the attitude and performance of the players on the pitch. One bad night at home every now and then is inevitable, but Brighton, Walsall and Swindon in short order are enough to raise concerns about our tactics. But sufficient to get the manager the sack? Not in my book, in isolation. Manager of the month to dismissal a few weeks later.

This backdrop leaves me in the camp that is of the opinion that sacking Parkinson is on balance, at present, a poor decision – unless of course what comes next is better. Basically I don’t think Swindon was enough to conclude that change of any kind was needed, even though the atmosphere at The Valley for Swindon fluctuated between dead and poisonous. What gives me additional concern is the tone and content of the statements made by the new owners. The references to not winning since November and ‘recent performances’ etc simply smack of trying to justify a decision already taken. And the clear reference to sacking Parkinson being a board decision – implying that Murray was in favour – also at least sounds duplicitous. Perhaps he was, but it certainly wasn’t his decision to take. He was in no position to disagree, unless he was prepared to resign from the board. Retaining Murray on the board is a positive move by the new owners, but I would bet my life savings on him not being around for long.

The new owners don’t need to win a popularity contest. They’ve bought the club and are entitled to make whatever decisions they feel will bring success to Charlton. That is what we all want and that is what they will be judged on (if they fail it’s their money lost). We can all accept a degree of double-talk in suggesting wanting to keep Parkinson only to sack him days later. But that leads us back to his replacement. If it is Wise, recent events will have been nothing more than a farce and we would discover that our club is now in the hands of people whose word cannot be trusted. If by some miracle it is Curbs I will cheer them to the rafters. If it is someone else, we accept the change and get behind him and the team – and hopefully whatever money is available will not have already been spent.

Parky Gone; What's The Sub-Plot?

2011-01-04T15:01:00.000Z

Life’s a bitch. Many’s the time I’ve tried to stay awake for the League show after Match of the Day to bask in a glorious victory and failed miserably. Last night for some reason there was no problem in staying wide awake for more punishment, as well as to hear the rumours of a big bust-up after the game. And after rumours through the morning there’s confirmation on the club site that Parkinson has been sacked, along with Breaker and Kinsella.

According to Slater, “clearly improvement is needed on the field ... recent performances have simply not been good enough” and “last night’s defeat convinced us as a board that change is required now while we are still in the hunt for promotion and that we must appoint a new manager to give us every chance of going up”. The only further comment is that a caretaker management team will be announced “in due course”.

Initial reactions are seldom accurate and perhaps a good deal might come out about post-match exchanges (I did write last night that it was the time for some home truths to be expressed but had no idea they were at the time). And clearly the case for Parkinson to go was strengthened last night. But I have to say I’m deeply sceptical that the new owners, who following the takeover were expressing support for Parkinson, came to some sudden decision as a result of one game, however bad it was. To sack him and say ‘recent performances’ have not been good enough doesn’t sit with taking over and talking about discussing with Parkinson how to strengthen the team etc.

We will only know I guess when the caretaker team is unveiled. If a certain D.Wise is involved I for one would be inclined to conclude that the new owners were just looking for an excuse.

Depressingly Bad

2011-01-03T20:40:00.001Z

Some days nothing goes right. When you look back on a match during which we’ve played 4-5-1, 4-4-2 and 3-4-3, when your most reliable defender makes a horrible ricket to gift a goal, and when you take off a centre-half and then concede two headed goals from corners, you know it’s been bad. But when you add in insufficient effort and commitment and lack of basic skills (control, passing and movement), plus the fact that aside from a deflected shot and a decent strike when the game was lost the only other near miss was another crazy deflection, you realise that luck wasn’t by a distance the most important factor. The only excuse for today was fatigue, being the third game in less than a week. But if players find extra energy for an irrelevant cup game against Spurs on Sunday I’m going to be furious. Today’s game was far more important and we blew it.

Parkinson did make changes, with Fry and Doherty dropping out (I don’t know if injuries were involved), meaning Jackson dropping back and Fortune coming in. We’d all thought that Benson would be unavailable, but presumably the club is appealing against his red card and he took his place on his own up front, despite the availability of Sodje and Abbott, who were both on the bench. McCormack came into a five-man midfield, along with Semedo and Racon, with Reid and Martin the wide men.

You can’t say the formation worked. While Martin and Reid threatened down the flanks in the first half, the system left McCormack as the spare man. That was a real case of square peg in a round hole. I felt sorry for him as he tried to move around to little effect, with no indication that the other two in the centre were able to link up with him. Despite this, the first 30 minutes were pretty even and weren’t too bad, even if as against Walsall at home we weren’t showing the sort of pace and movement to unravel a team looking to get men behind the ball. It was all too slow – and when we did get the movement right, with Racon threading a delightful pass to Martin, the linesman mistakenly gave it offside. We did take the lead, with Jackson getting into the box and despite Swindon appeals for handball got the shot in, only for a strong deflection to take it up and over the keeper into the net. The problem was the goal didn’t force Swindon to change their shape or approach and encouraged us to sit back a little. If we had held the lead to the break the game may have turned out differently, but after a couple of dangerous balls in from their left which might have been converted a third found their forward. His shot was well saved by Elliot but the rebound went straight to him and the scores were tied.

The second half began in similar fashion and we continued to struggle to make things happen, often because the necessary (and elementary) control of the ball and passing just wasn’t good enough for any level. Reid (who had been a little fortunate in the first half only to get a yellow for a bad challenge after he overran the ball) and Martin were becoming more peripheral and changes were necessary. McCormack went off for Abbott to revert to 4-4-2 and Wagstaff replaced Martin on the right side. However, before we had a chance to see how that might work we went behind. Dailly received the ball facing his own goal and with players bearing down seemed to realise he was in trouble. But it was one of those occasions when the head sends incomplete messages and instead of hoofing it anywhere he ended up miscuing and falling over, leaving their guy to take it on and score.

Parkinson’s response was to take of Fortune and bring on Sodje. It was a gamble, with still perhaps 20 minutes to play; and obviously it backfired. In the space of a few minutes two corners found us short of markers. The first was simply nodded home at the far post, the second headed back for their guy to score with his head. Game up, embarrassingly. With everything from us understandably by now going long, we did have the sight of Abbott swivelling well in the box to hit one home. But there was never a suggestion that this would be the springboard for a dramatic turnaround.

Enough people had left well before the end to spare the team heavy boos at the final whistle. But this time they were merited. I thought we were better against Brighton than the scoreline suggested and that losing to Walsall was worse. This one was worse than Walsall. Please don’t tell me that the dressing room is full of committed, happy players and that the team spirit is all that it needs to be when we are outbattled and outpassed by Swindon, as we had been in our previous two home games. There’s a lot of thinking and a lot of work to be done, maybe some home truths to be said about some players who today weren’t up to the task, if that is to challenge for promotion. To add to the misery, Parkinson chose an initial formation that didn’t work and went on to change things in a fashion that contributed to a very bad defeat.

I’ve been away for a delightful New Year jolly to Porto with my partner Suzanne. So any belated thoughts I might have on the takeover news will have to wait. Suffice to say that if there was a cheque involved Murray had better hope it cleared before the new guys watched today’s game.

Player Ratings:

Elliot: 7/10. No blame for him as the goals weren’t his fault. Just one thought that he seemed reluctant to come off his line for crosses in the first half and with a centre-half taken off might have decided to go for subsequent corners. Couldn’t have turned out any worse.

Francis: 6/10. Worrying that their dangerous crosses in the first half came from his side, but it did seem that their most effective players were down the left.

Jackson: 6/10. Notched his 12th of the season, assuming he’s credited with it. Quite remarkable, even allowing for the penalties. Felt today that Reid was often isolated but the blame for that has to be in midfield.

Dailly: 5/10. Has to be marked down for the mistake. They’ve been few and far between, so we just have to forget it. He was actually our best player when it came to bringing the ball out and trying to get things moving in front of him.

Fortune: 7/10. Actually thought that he and Dailly in the first half played well and contained their threat. Taking him off was just a gamble that cost us.

Martin: 6/10. A lot of good and nearly productive work in the first half, was involved in most of our good moments. But he faded. Why was he not used as the spare man in midfield when that role requires movement and speed of thought?

Semedo: 5/10. In a game where the opposition is content to retreat behind the ball when they lose possession his combative skills were seldom in evidence; that in turn tended to show up limitations when it comes to creating space and making telling runs/passes.

Racon: 4/10. Just an all-round poor game. With the extra body in midfield we should have dominated that area. We didn’t. We needed him to be lively and penetrative, but today he was ineffective.

McCormack: 4/10. His saving grace is that he was asked to play a role that he is clearly not suited to. Was redundant in the first half and substituted in the second.

Reid: 5/10. Became progressively less influential through the game. They marked him tightly and the inability of those alongside him to create space meant he usually found himself with too much to do.

Benson: 4/10. Just not suited to play as a lone front man as he has doesn’t have the necessary aerial ability, speed or strength. He’s a goalscorer.

Subs:

Abbott – 6/10 (It couldn’t have turned out worse if he’d started alongside Benson and did take the goal well); Wagstaff – 4/10 (no impact at all); Sodje – 4/10 (can’t remember him touching the ball).

No Deal Today It Seems

2010-12-24T17:34:00.000Z

Like everyone else, I’ve been watching and waiting for news today on the takeover front. And it looks like they’ve finally all decided to head off for Christmas without everything quite signed and sealed (just where is their sense of priority?). According to the club site, the acquisition is at an “advanced stage”, with Richard Murray commenting that “we expect to make a more substantive statement very soon”. So, the pre-Xmas notional deadline seemingly hasn’t been met, but there’s no reason to read anything into it. There’s no indication of problems, the weather may have interfered with planned meetings, and aside from keeping to the previously indicated date it really doesn’t matter whether it’s done today or next week (unless of course Dennis has something booked for new year – and no, I don’t have any idea if he is involved; and yes, like everyone else I hope he isn’t).

Maybe there will still be some announcement at the Southampton game, if it goes ahead (although the Walsall programme still brings a wry smile to my face: inside front page news story about the takeover confirming the details released but at the bottom “more on the potential takeover can be found in managing director Stephen Kavanagh’s column on page 11”; turn to page 11 and “unfortunately there is little more I can reveal regarding the potential takeover of the club”). Hopefully it will, if not just to reward those who turned up on Thursday to help.

The situation through the day did raise the question of who amongst us is sad enough to be hanging around pencil poised through Christmas Eve to be the first to comment. I guess at least some of the overseas contributors would have had some time advantage here, but I wasn’t going anywhere and wrapping the prezzies could wait (especially as Lyon only arrives in London on Sunday – silly girl didn’t realise there was an earlier kick-off and, even assuming there are flights in, won’t be able to accompany me if it goes ahead). Then there’s the ‘tree falling in the forest’ problem: just who might be sad enough to be looking for anything written on Christmas Eve when the news is actually that there isn’t any definitive news?

I’ve been reading other bloggers’ posts on the takeover and not surprisingly most comment seems to centre on a certain Mr Wise. Maybe the point to make is that the two things we know are first, that the buyers are a consortium, not an individual; and second, it’s headed by Peter Varney. Unless he is just a temporary front man, it’s fair to assume that he’ll be the new chairman and the major operational participant. If that’s the case, I don’t think we should be overly concerned just whose cash is involved. Murray’s pledges are good enough to provide as much guarantee as can be hoped for that there’s no asset-stripping involved (ie selling the ground in the event that things don’t work out as planned). There are potential downsides in being owned by a consortium, but looking on the positives a consortium has to have an agreed plan of action which brought it together. It may all unravel further down the line (which would raise the issue of whether members of the consortium would be ready to sell up to anyone on any terms), but we can’t think that far ahead.

I’m continuing to assume that the new owners will have just one priority in mind – getting us back to The Championship. It’s wrong to say we can’t survive in this league, but we have a ground too big now for the third flight and despite the Walsall setback we’re still in a position to make the rest of the season all about whether we can secure promotion. That’s all I care about; it’s why going out to Brentford left me indifferent and why I won’t be going to Tottenham for the cup game.

So, at least we can all clock off now and devote a day to other matters. Apparently it’s someone’s birthday tomorrow and we all get presents. Three points on Sunday, followed by three more on Wednesday, three more on Saturday and three more on Monday will do very nicely thank you. I can’t tell Santa I’ve been good, but I promise I’ll be better if that helps. A Merry Christmas to all and sundry.

Played Crap And Lost

2010-12-12T17:46:00.000Z

Having been embarrassed for 44 minutes by a non-league side on Thursday evening, just why we thought we should beat a third-tier team, albeit one propping up the table, is a mystery. Parkinson’s excuse for the first-half against Luton was the disruption to training and rustiness; presumably today it will be about fatigue. Fact is there was no good excuse for a dire display that got what it deserved, just possibly a reason. Call it what you will: complacency, arrogance, poor mental attitude. Make no mistake, this was a far worse defeat than Brighton. We’ve just come off the back of two regrettable performances against Luton, albeit with the second one partially redeemed in the second half, and we’ve seen it before this season against teams at or around the bottom. Football isn’t that complicated a game. If the commitment and energy levels drop and players don’t work hard enough to create space, you’re running risks against determined opposition with something obvious to play for. Played crap and lost.

I don’t know if the recent run and going second has encouraged a view among the players that we are good enough to play within ourselves and still grind out a result. But through the first half today I kept remembering how the first season in the Championship went and a period during it when we managed to win games by fairly narrow margins and without going flat out. I thought then for a while that that team had enough about it to get away with it. As it turned out it didn’t and the end-result was a loss of momentum and failure. If you want an easy ride in a game against lowly opposition you impose yourself and win the game, then coast if you must. You don’t amble around for much of the game expecting something to happen. Today far too often the player with the ball, often a defender, looked up to see nobody moving, coming short, making available an easy pass, or making runs further up the pitch. The result was usually a hoof forward because that was the only available alternative. Avoiding aimless balls forward isn’t about instructions; it’s about players putting in the graft and making space.

Walsall played the better football, passed the ball, had forwards who held the ball up and laid it off to willing runners, and had midfielders and defenders ready to hussle us and scrap for possession. It isn’t rocket science, just basics. Our recent run was sparked by reaction to the Brighton game and if today is to become just a bad day at the office there needs to be a similar reaction, starting at Hartlepool (what happens at Brentford is irrelevant, what happens at Spurs is only relevant for the bank balance).

With Elliot and Benson passed fit and Dailly still suspended, the team lined up as would have been expected, the same as the starting X1 against Luton. That meant Martin, Reid, Sodje and Abbot on the bench, alongside a goalkeeper with a number 40 according to the announcer (presumably Worner wasn’t fit, which meant Elliot being pressed into service come what may). And the first half bore a passable resemblance to Thursday night. Walsall had more of the play and showed some good movement, although Fortune and Doherty seemed in control in and around our area. With us struggling to get anything going, the period rather came and went. Wagstaff had an early shot from a good position which went wide, Jackson hit a decent strike but the save was routine. It basically added up to a wasted 45 minutes, a period which encouraged Walsall to believe that they could get something out of the game.

Parkinson had seen enough and at the break Anyinsah and Fry were replaced by Martin and Reid, with Jackson dropping back to full-back. It promised a more creative approach and for a period it seemed as if it might work. Reid clearly worried them, but they’d done their homework, doubled up on him when necessary, and gradually regained the control of midfield they had enjoyed in the first half. Martin initially made a difference through his mobility, but after a while he and Benson just got outmuscled.

The outcome of the game turned on two chances within a minute – and despite our overall performance we could have won the game if we’d taken the first proper chance that came our way. A ball was played through for Benson to run on beyond the defenders. The angle wasn’t great, but he only had the keeper to beat. He put the shot wide of the post. I’m a fan of Benson on the grounds that he’s a goalscorer and should be judged on that rather than his hold-up play, which hasn’t been great so far. But the miss proved costly. The ball went up the other end, their right-winger got in a decent cross to the far post which was nodded back to their guy running in to score.

That was the cue for Sodje to replace a disappointing Wagstaff, who as on Thursday night failed to provide the basics of a winger’s job. His goals have been a big bonus, but neither against Luton nor today did he give the impression of being able to beat his man, make a telling delivery, or create space. Martin moved wide right and Sodje’s greater physical threat held out the promise that we could still get something out of the game. However, as play became increasingly stretched nearly all the decent chances were created by Walsall, who might easily have scored a couple more. Elliot saved well in a one-on-one after their guy had waltzed through, other chances went begging. There was a last-gasp opportunity which fell to Benson, but when the ball dropped to him in the box he tried to lay if off instead of shooting.

In the programme, one of the Walsall commentators remarked that “if the Saddlers are to get anything today, they will need veteran keeper Jimmy Walker to be on top form”. How wrong can you be? He had to make one basic save in the entire game. Not good enough; even in the final desperate minutes there was no great sense of urgency. It’s for Parkinson to assess whether certain players are tired and whether those in the wings provide a better option. Nobody expects champagne football every game, but the past couple of weeks suggest to me that we aren’t as good as some might have started to think. Time for another response because today was a setback in every sense of the word.

Player Ratings:

Elliot: 8/10. His kicking clear, especially in the first half, was poor, but I don’t know if that can be put down to whether he was truly fit. No chance with the goal, couple of good saves after we’d gone behind.

Francis: 6/10. Distribution wasn’t great, but again I’m inclined to blame those in front of him and others for that.

Fry: 6/10. Like Francis, could have got forward more but was only around for the first half. He’s done nothing much wrong, but there has to be a case for Jackson dropping back to allow in Martin or Reid, especially for home games.

Fortune: 7/10. I thought at least before the defensive side of our game went awol towards the end he had a good game. Commanding in the air and seldom troubled.

Doherty: 7/10. Much better today than in the rather shocking first half against Luton. A couple of excellent interventions from crosses and generally assured. Today wasn’t about defensive lapses for most of the game.

Jackson: 5/10. Seldom featured as an attacking threat in the first half, although he had one decent shot. With Wagstaff not finding space, our threat down the flanks was muted.

Semedo: 5/10. Put in the expected harrying and tackling when we didn’t have the ball, but this was a game where we failed to exert any control of midfield and I can’t remember him doing anything in possession.

Racon: 4/10. Disappointing game as he was generally crowded out and the game passed him by. I don’t know if he’s tired, but he looked it today.

Wagstaff: 4/10. Perhaps we’ve become over-reliant on the goals coming from him and Jackson and they’re viewed from that perspective rather than their contributions as wide men. Today he was completely contained by their defence and too often wasn’t there out wide to make space.

Anyinsah: 5/10. Some effective running in the first half and had to work on scraps, but looked rusty and I doubt whether their defenders will have an easier first half all season when against him and Benson.

Benson: 4/10. He was poor against Luton and poor again today. Missed the chance that could have won us the game and he has to be judged as a goalscorer.

Subs: Martin (5/10 – Added more movement when he came on, but also struggled against a well-organised defence); Reid (5/10 – Much the same as Martin; the fans expect a lot from him when he comes on and today, after early promise, he was contained); Sodje (6/10 – Did at least unsettle them in a way that hadn’t happened before he came on).

New Owners, Second, Time For Fans To Raise The Game?

2010-12-03T10:56:00.001Z

No World Cup then, but the news that Richard Murray has accepted “an indicative and legally binding offer” for Baton 2010 from an “investor group” headed by Peter Varney is far more important – although as others have already commented there’s not a lot to be said at this stage. As usual, I have no inside information and nothing to go on other than the short statement released.

In principle it’s welcome news in that Varney is of course no stranger (and his knowledge of the club must indicate that the chances of the deal folding are slim), we have confidence in Murray’s pledge only to pass on the club to suitable new owners, the timing of the deal (expected to close before Christmas) holds out the possibility of activity in the transfer window, and any new owners would have to be aware that continued funding will be required, whether or not we return to the Championship. But as yet we have no idea how deep are the pockets of the new people or just what their plans are. Hopefully that will all make for a good Xmas prezzie when such information is made available. Torres may be having a tough time, but I think he could still do a job for us.

Consequently there has to be potential upside. Barring a lousy December, new owners will come in with the team in a league position we would have grabbed with both hands at the start of the season. For that, despite the horrors of Brighton, Parkinson and the players deserve credit, even if the division this season seems a good deal poorer in quality than previously. We all remember Curbs bringing in Mills and Youds to give us fresh impetus and a couple of additions this time around – in addition to securing new contracts for Racon and Semedo - could hopefully have the same effect. Downside risks? You can’t rule out that the new guys don’t like Parkinson and that a change would cause at least short-term disruption. I hope I’m justified in ruling out the nightmare scenario of renewed talk of finding a new ground (I can’t remember Varney’s position on that one). To me these would amount to unwanted distractions when the stage is set for a real promotion push. And again it’s reasonable to suppose that new investors know that all future development hinges on promotion.

I’ve no insight into exactly why Murray is selling up, whether it’s for commercial or personal reasons. But I do remember my state of mind when selling a company I’d created: once the decision to sell is made there’s really no going back, and it would seem that Murray made that decision some time ago. I’ve been spending a little time recently converting numerous Charlton videos to DVDs and I must admit it’s had a strange effect. A concentrated reminder of the Leeds play-off, the Chelsea away game, the Battle For The Valley, the Greatest Game, and the Premiership years left me with two thoughts. First, it probably will never be that good again, period. Second, these matches/seasons/events are history and it’s up to a new generation to forge new experiences. Might Murray have similar thoughts? I’ll always be a Charlton fan to my bones, but like any relationship there has to be renewal every now and then. If it isn’t there any more, it’s time to move on; if it is, make it work.

Second in the league, prospective new owners - now its promotion or if not bust a fifth successive season of failure. That leaves what us, the fans, can do. It’s going to be difficult now not to drift into grumpy old man territory (and to avoid going over well-trodden ground), but I’ll try to work against my nature. After all, no sooner has Killer in his programme notes commented that us Charlton fans “are pretty damn good from what I can make out” than a lifelong fan has to be taken to hospital after some loser in the crowd threw a coin and a cup tie produces a paltry crowd. On the key issues – behaviour and pressuring/encouraging the team - are we good or are we bad?

On the coin-throwing, of course I hope the person is identified and held to account. But I hope even more the guy responsible has the character to come forward voluntarily (which of course begs the question whether someone who feels able to throw a coin in the manner assumed has any character or courage). It might be asking for the moon, but if the person did come forward, offered some explanation and apology, and did his/her best to make it up to the lady who was injured, I hope the club would take that into account before considering action. We’ve all done very stupid things, sometimes things which had consequences we would never have wanted, which we regret. But unless and until the person does come forward (and I’m not aware of anything to date) you have to assume he/she is the kind of moron for whom we should have nothing but contempt.

So, we ain’t perfect to begin with. But that was never on the cards. When you’re doing the video conversion for highlights of the Cup replay against Spurs in 1985 and hear monkey chants from the East Terrace you get a sad reminder of how things used to be. We do like to think we’re pretty good in general on the behaviour front. We do after all have the benchmark just down the road (no, I don’t wish to tar all Spanners with the same brush or decry that club’s efforts to clean up their supporters act, especially as some are if not friends periodically required – for fixing the boiler etc; I don’t want to get fitted up in any way other than outlined in the manual). But there’s never room for complacency.

On support of/pressure on the team, we have to do better from now on. I don’t mean in terms of attendance; these are hard times. But to delve from the archives again the noise generated by 8,000-odd for the first game back at The Valley and that truly iconic moment of Sasha arms aloft and a sea of baying fans in the background after Newton scored against Ipswich have to be our own benchmarks. Parkinson and the players are obliged to comment favourably on the level of support during games (and of course sometimes it’s merited, especially at away games). But let’s take it to another level and really get behind them.

Are we, collectively, capable of this? I was struck during a recent game by a boy, who might have been about 10, a couple of rows behind me. I didn’t hear him sing or cheer once, but with monotonous regularity there were shouts of ‘mark up’ or ‘pass’, ‘defend’. Aside from the absurdity of any of us passing on useful advice to professional footballers, and allowing for the fact that we’re all guilty of not being able to keep our gobs shut and of offering up comments that might at best travel a few yards, just what is the mentality behind feeling that it’s acceptable to moan and carp and offer up nothing in return? My dictionary definition of ‘supporter’ is “one who or that which supports or maintains; defender, partisan”. Being partisan and supportive, without this spilling over to unacceptable behaviour, is what it’s about. Maybe it is a generational thing, with everyone believing their entitled to their opinion (yes, pot, kettle, black etc); if I need brain surgery I’d prefer to rely on a brain surgeon. But perhaps we’ve lost sight of supporting in the true sense being in our own best interests. I’ve never come away miserable from a Charlton victory and if increasing the chances of winning involves being partisan, at least during the game, amen to that.

Sub-Par All Round

2010-11-27T18:39:00.001Z

I can’t get enthusiastic about our fortunes in the FA Cup this year at least, and the paltry Valley crowd suggests that many others feel the same. The surprising thing was that the players must like it, as they managed to engineer another game in it to play. If I was Parkinson I’d make sure (injuries permitting) that the same X1 start on a cold evening in Luton. It would serve them right. I’ve nothing against playing within yourself, conserving energy etc; and the run of recent games has left us with some tired legs, along with some injuries. But that’s no excuse for just playing poorly and making a team like Luton look half-decent. On the balance of play, quality of passing, chances created, a replay was the least Luton deserved. But quite frankly if they were any good they would have won, so patchy and uninspired their opposition proved to be. Were it not for their boorish fans and their players’ dire attempts at diving (well, one worked as they got a penalty) we might even have felt like cheering them at the end.

Our only excuse, if there is one, is that for most of the game we were actually winning. At half-time I think we would all (players included) have taken the final whistle there and then. Instead it proved to be a game that we simply didn’t take the opportunity to do enough to kill it off. We were lulled into a false sense of security by the early first goal and the fact that after their penalty equaliser we regained the lead quite quickly, giving the impression that we could score as and when we wanted to. For too long after that it looked like a case of get the ball to Reid, or someone else, something will happen, we’ll score again and it will be all over. Well, we didn’t and proved unable to raise it after they levelled it again. Also, by putting all the kids on the bench and not playing a couple from the start, Parkinson wasn’t really able to change things around with substitutions, at least not without taking risks. Not smart, making it an afternoon that nobody comes out of with any credit, including the fans (those there and those not).

With Semedo presumably at least doubtful and not risked, Dailly still suspended, and Martin not available, Parkinson put out what was just about the strongest possible side. Anyinsah returned to partner Benson up front, McCormack predictably came in to play alongside Racon, both Reid and Wagstaff started, giving us two genuine wingers, while Llera came in alongside Fortune, with Jackson and Francis at full-back. It looked like a line-up that would have too much attacking threat for Luton to cope with. However, when commitment levels aren’t what they should be and players don’t work hard enough to create space a lot can go wrong, especially when the two central midfielders play like complete strangers. For a lot of the game it would have been good to see us string one pass together.

It all looked too easy early on. Luton started brightly, but in our first serious attack Reid crossed well and Anyinsah was standing all alone in the box. He had enough time to read War and Peace before unchallenged planting the header in the net. I don’t think he even had to get off the ground. Luton continued to play what football there was, but their inability to time runs and stay onside suggested that the threat was limited. There was a scare when a shot came back off the post, plus an unfortunate moment when Benson gave the defender the usual shove when the ball was running out of play, only for him to go headlong into the advertising board. It could have been nasty and Benson was yellow carded.

The relative calm was shattered as Luton were awarded a penalty. I’d have to see it again to be sure; it looked like a soft one, but there was a clumsy challenge and their guy took full advantage. Elliot saved the kick well, but the rebound fell kindly for them and the taker headed it home. It only took a few minutes to regain the lead. Decent work down the right produced a cross which seemed to get deflected and looped up. Jackson did what he has been doing often of late in midfield, timing a run into the box to perfection. There wasn’t a big gap between the post, the goalkeeper and a defender, but he found it. Scare over, that should have been the cue to impose ourselves. Instead it provided the excuse to lapse back into indifference.

The second half progressed much as the first, with Luton having no problem in finding a pass and us struggling to retain possession, but with the threat to our goal looking slight. Fortune and Llera were dealing well enough with anything in the air; on the ground both looked less assured. The main attacking outlet was Reid, who on several occasions looked as though he could break through to kill off the game. But nothing quite worked well enough. Benson seemed to get through only to fall over. It looked as though it wouldn’t matter at the end of the day, especially when Luton lost their second appeal for a penalty (just why the ref didn’t book the guy if he saw it as a dive I can’t say). But another Luton move forward saw us covering the box well enough, with plenty of bodies between the ball and the goal, only for their guy to latch onto a loose ball and curl an absolute beauty across the goal and into the net.

It was no more than Luton deserved. By then Sodje had come on for Anyinsah, who faded in the second half, but the change didn’t make much difference. The game ran its rather dismal course and the final whistle couldn’t come soon enough. The flying jacket may keep the body warm but the feet were suffering. There will be a midweek replay, but I suspect we won’t take as many there as they brought to us. The team will be pretty much on its own for that one, but for that they only have themselves to blame.

Player Ratings:

Elliot: 7/10. Unlucky to save the penalty kick only for the rebound to sit up for their guy. Can’t remember any other difficult saves, once more can’t be blamed for those that went in.

Francis: 6/10. Passing was often wayward, but got in a number of decent crosses and did the defensive stuff well enough.

Jackson: 7/10. Linked up well with Reid and got in the box for a very well taken goal. Should take less of the blame than most others.

Fortune: 6/10. They actually created few decent chances and he and Llera weren’t really responsible for what went on in front of them.

Llera: 6/10. Generally good game, but still looks fragile and makes the occasional serious mistake. Was turned in the first half but got away with it by getting a free kick, made a similar mistake in the second half by going for a ball and not getting it.

Reid: 7/10. Failed to make the decisive contribution (although the cross for the first goal was good enough), but seemed to carry the attack almost single-handed at times.

Racon: 5/10. At no stage of the game did we control midfield. No shortage of effort, but may have made the challenge for their penalty and more important showed no sign of being able to play with McCormack. I hope the two of them sort it out as Semedo is bound to miss other games.

McCormack: 5/10. Some good work, but same issue as with Racon. Sort it out.

Wagstaff: 4/10. Just a poor game all round. Struggled to find space or get past his man. Has much more to offer than he showed today.

Anyinsah: 5/10. Looked rusty and faded in the second half. Took his goal well enough. We have missed him and I hope today was a useful work-out to get back to full swing.

Benson: 4/10. Fell over when in his best position of the game, picked up a silly yellow card, and was otherwise ineffective in holding up the ball or winning balls in the air. He is the goalscorer we’ve been craving, but today was a bad game for him.

Sub: Sodje – 5/10. Didn’t have the same impact as with other recent sub appearances, but the team wasn’t working well enough for him to make a difference.

Sometimes I Just Hate Opposition Keepers

2010-11-23T23:27:00.000Z

No especially happy endings tonight and the run ends at five. There should have been – and would have been had it not been for two outrageous saves by their keeper. Elliot’s been very instrumental in our post-Brighton run, so we can’t complain too much about a goalkeeper earning his side a point. But we didn’t win, so we can. After the spate of games of late both the team and the crowd were somewhat subdued, especially with the second home game running having to attack the Covered End in the first half. It never helps. We played well enough in patches to have won and if we’d scored first could have won comfortably, against a very ordinary Bristol Rovers. But tonight we weren’t clinical enough when the chances came and committed the sin of falling behind. Some tired legs, along with tired fingers from all these bloody match reports. So let’s try to keep it short (by my standards).

With Dailly starting his suspension Fortune got the nod over Llera to replace him alongside Doherty, which he deserved after Saturday’s substitute appearance (although when Doherty was injured in the second half it raised the question whether Llera might be overtaken in the pecking order by our new Dutch loan signing Siep). And with Wagstaff available again but Anyinsah not, Reid dropped back to the bench, with Martin and Benson continuing up front.

We started very brightly, with Martin featuring in most of the moves and Racon and Semedo getting the sort of grip on midfield that they never really managed against Yeovil. Some decent interplay produced a couple of shots, but the early breakthrough didn’t come and the game settled down to a more patient pattern, with Bristol not causing any real problems (a bit of pace and trickery here and there but nothing else) and us trying to carve out openings. The quality of a lot of the approach play too often wasn’t matched by the end-result, however, especially as at the first sign of a decent position created everyone seemed to run away from the man with the ball and into the box rather than continue with what had been working well.

The first half was notable for one of the daftest bookings I’ve seen for a while. The ball had gone out for a throw but rebounded back onto the pitch and when their guy went to knock it back Fry ‘fouled’ him. I wasn’t aware you could be yellow carded for a foul when the ball isn’t in play. But what do I know about the rules except when the ref gets it wrong?

The decisive moment of the first half and perhaps the game came late on when it seemed for all the world we had scored as a cross was connected with, by Wagstaff I think. But their keeper instinctively thrust out a hand and turned it wide. It didn’t seem to matter too much at the time, but as the second half continued in much the same vein as the first and we were struggling to create clear-cut chances it started to, especially as they turned the game on its head by scoring. A corner was headed out but only to their guy, who invited the challenges and instead of shooting himself slipped the ball square to another. He had the time and space to measure his shot into the bottom corner.

Still plenty of time to turn things around, but the onus now was on upping the effort and doing things quicker. McCormack had already replaced Semedo, who seemed to have picked up a knock; Reid came on for Fry, with Jackson dropping back to full-back as on Saturday, then shortly after Sodje came on for Wagstaff, with Martin moving wide right. As in the previous game, Sodje in particular made a real difference in terms of making things happen, through his running and physical presence. But his evening was to prove the complete curate’s egg as he could, perhaps should, have had a hat-trick.

By now Bristol had something to hang on to and the crowd were getting a little restless. Groans started to accompany misplaced passes, especially when the ball started to go long. I don’t think there was any intention to do that, but when defenders have no easy available outlet you can’t always blame them. It’s incumbent on those in front of them to create the space. However, before things went sour we did get the equaliser. A low cross was driven in from the left and must have come off somebody as it went in. Reid was initially given the credit but the BBC site at least has given it to Benson – which would be good as it breaks his Valley duck.

Still about 15 minutes to go and time for the winner. A good cross from the right found Sodje in space and his header was to produce their keeper’s second superb save to deny him. But thereafter Sodje was to make a pig’s ear of the opportunities that came his way. He found himself goalside of the defender and seemingly with only the keeper to beat but seemed to be waiting for a repeat of Saturday’s pull back for a penalty and the defender took the ball off him. And late on he was in a great position inside the box but instead of shooting passed it to Martin, who had a tighter angle and shot wide. McCormack also had a shot well saved, but at the other end Bristol should have scored again, with their guy clean through only to shoot wide of the goal.

The BBC stats show us having had 12 attempts on target during the game (plus three off target) against three for them. That pretty much summed it up, but tonight we didn’t get the breaks that we have had in recent games and their keeper’s saves mean that, while disappointed, there’s no feeling of having been robbed. Might need some fresh legs for Saturday, though, as the number of games may be taking its toll.

Player Ratings:

Elliot: 7/10. The standard score for a game in which he did nothing wrong but had very little to do. No chance with the goal.

Francis: 8/10. I thought both full-backs were excellent tonight. Not every pass was accurate, nor every cross, but got forward in support well enough and solid defensively.

Fry: 7/10. Decent game and as with Saturday no reflection on his performance that he was substituted.

Doherty: 7/10. Much more solid game than on Saturday, although Bristol’s limited attacking ambitions probably helped the cause.

Fortune: 7/10. Slotted in for Dailly to good effect, may be benefiting from getting the match practise he needed.

Jackson: 6/10. Not among the goals tonight; no complaints over a reasonable display, but of course he doesn’t provide a genuine winger’s contribution when the opposition are sitting back.

Semedo: 7/10. Another consistent and effective contribution. Hope the knock isn’t serious.

Racon: 7/10. Excellent first half in particular, in defence and attack; didn’t come up with a decisive contribution but threatened to do so, especially when linking up with Martin.

Wagstaff: 6/10. Thought he should have been capable of more in exposing a rather pedestrian full-back, but nearly added to his goal tally.

Benson: 7/10. Without Anyinsah he’s having to bear the brunt of the target man’s job and he did it OK, but as on Saturday we needed a more physical presence up front in the latter stages as he and Martin were getting outmuscled. Hope he did score the goal to break the home duck.

Martin: 8/10. I’d give him man of the match for us tonight (reluctantly their keeper would get it overall); he was excellent in the first half especially, took the knocks that came his way, and almost nicked it at the death.

Subs: McCormack (7/10 – he looked better for me tonight than against Barnet in the cup; worked hard enough and one decent shot); Reid (6/10 – probably his cross for the goal, livened things up initially when he came on); Sodje (6/10 – I don’t know whether to give him an 8 for the impact he had or a 4 for his finishing; he started the first game of the season, scored, and hasn’t started one since; is he suffering from lack of match practise?)