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.
Friday, 8 July 2011
Wednesday, 22 June 2011
Unrealistic Expectations
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”.
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”.
Saturday, 7 May 2011
No Rain On My Parade
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.
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.
Monday, 25 April 2011
Forget the Table and the Future, Victory Is Sweet
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.
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.
Monday, 18 April 2011
Lessons From The Past
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.
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.
Saturday, 16 April 2011
Worthy Effort But No Points
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).
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).
Sunday, 10 April 2011
Reasons To Be Cheerful
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.
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.
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