It’s midweek, it’s five o’clock, it’s … time to write nonsense. The task is to link seamlessly several half-ideas for a post, because individually they don’t really stand up. So, let’s see if it can be done.
To begin, I’m truly relieved that, according to the official site and the daily email, our reserves ‘made amends’ for Saturday by trouncing QPR’s second-string. Honour is satisfied and everyone is happy. Bet those guys over at Loftus Road would happily swap the three points for bragging rights between the stiffs – and just wait until I can laugh at the next QPR supporter I meet for the misery he/she must have suffered trudging away from the reserves game (no disrespect intended, but I don’t think I’ve ever actually met a QPR supporter).
I don’t doubt that the wording from the club is deliberately a little tongue-in-cheek. But it seems to me there is a growing propensity, also noted by friends, for the ‘glass half full’ approach to go a little too far. It sometimes smacks of trying to talk up a venture before selling it. I see Ipswich are the latest to attract fresh investment – and it’s been very quiet on what developments if any there have been since the appointment of Seymour Pierce. Being no longer listed the club has no formal obligation to provide updates, but it does have shareholders who are not board members (I dug out my certificate recently) and there is a moral obligation to them.
Any statement would presumably come from Peter Varney. I read with interest what he writes in the match programme, but usually find myself disagreeing with him when he ventures opinions, especially on European issues on which he tends to come across as a dinosaur (to declare my interest, I am pro-EMU – which does not stand for European monetary union, strictly speaking we should refer to European EMU – and, while taking special delight in players coming through the youth system, have no problems with Charlton fielding a completely non-British team if it does the business on the pitch).
In the QPR programme Varney was advocating a defined number of homegrown players in a first-team squad and having seven substitutes, two of which must be young, homegrown players. It seems the rationale is that “this country must have structures that allow young English talent to get the opportunities to develop”. Leaving aside this all being completely unworkable and contrary to the whole spirit of free movement of labour within the EU, which in other areas the UK embraces and benefits from enormously, just what’s wrong with open competition and meritocracy?
Then there’s Sam’s three-match ban. I wasn’t at the game and haven’t seen any replays of the incident, so I have no idea whether or not Sam deserved a red card. Charlton’s appeal was fair enough and Varney’s criticism of the FA for being unnecessarily secretive and dismissive, providing only a cursory rejection of the appeal sounded like a campaign worth pursuing (even if only to get our own back over the Sankofa affair).
However, according to Varney the referee’s report stated that Sam “threw a series of punches to the head and upper torso of the Hull player”. If the referee had that impression, he had no choice but to show a red card. The disciplinary committee seems to have found that the DVD footage could not determine whether the referee was correct but that as the ref was “in a perfect position” they had no grounds to conclude that he had made a serious and obvious error. Varney, it seems, believes the referee was not perfectly placed. He therefore has a difference of opinion with the committee, nothing more. He also seems to believe that the DVD footage does not prove Sam was guilty. In the context of an appeal it doesn’t have to; it has to prove that he was innocent.
Varney concludes that “justice has not been served, and the application of a principle of ‘innocent until proven guilty’ is one that has my wholehearted support”. I’m sorry but this is just nonsense. On the pitch the referee is judge and jury and found Sam guilty. The appeal process is to determine whether he made an obvious mistake. Even from what Varney says the committee clearly could not do that (presumably unless the referee changed his view of the incident). Sam didn’t go into the appeal as someone not yet guilty. Can we please leave trying to play silly buggers with the law to a certain southerner called Jordan.
It is nevertheless of concern that Varney mentions the personal abuse he has had to put up with over the past year. There’s simply no justification for that. It’s just further depressing evidence that there is something seriously amiss with our fan base, not just that there aren’t enough of us and that we won’t be able to match the turnout that QPR and (especially) Plymouth managed. (Is this just a desperate attempt on my part to manufacture my first abusive comment?)
There are two abstractions from posts on the club site on the matter of booing the team: “You're telling me it's OK for Charlton to play like that and get no stick from the fans. They were simply awful in those two games, I would have rather stayed at home if I knew they were going to play like that.” And: “If people are paying good money week in week out and feel as if they aren’t getting the performance and commitment they deserve than they have every right to boo.”
I don’t recall a right to boo having been mentioned in the Magna Carta or any subsequent legislation. And let’s lobby the club to get Pardew and the team to text us all about how they are going to perform so we can decide whether it’s worth the effort. Maybe in this brave new world you do have a right to boo. Heaven knows we’re told every day we have ‘rights’ to everything else. But it’s one thing to have a right, it’s another to exercise it. You are not obligated to do so. Please just take a moment next time to consider what you are trying to achieve.
On rights and obligations, I have the proud record of never having voted in a UK general election. Indeed, were it not for the Valley Party my record would be spotless (I couldn’t ignore that one). And I actively encourage all I know not to vote. I have the right to vote (and I even get a postal ballot, which I decline to complete), I simply decide not to exercise it (and no, this does not mean I have no right to complain about our government).
This is a stance taken for what I believe to be positive reasons. I am in favour of reform of the UK electoral system and believe that there will only be change if the participation rate continues to fall, producing more independent MPs and threatening the major parties. It’s sometimes hard to get across to people what it’s like not just to live in a constituency that has voted the same way in living memory but also to live in a part of it which is not the natural support base of the winning party. Nobody bothers to campaign here; a few leaflets through the post is as far as it goes (which can of course be a blessing).
We seem to have embraced the principle of universal suffrage and one man/woman one vote. How can it not follow that the votes need to be of equal value? I am at least partially disenfranchised. It doesn’t have to be straight proportional representation; I happen to like the French system of voting over two rounds. If someone gets over 50% they are elected, if not there’s a run-off between the top two. So people vote for who they want, then for the lesser of two evils. And before anyone says the French system nearly let in the disgusting Le Pen it didn’t. The Socialists screwed up badly by not turning out in the first round and the system ensured that Le Pen would never have a chance of actually winning.
What we need is a blanket, nationwide debate leading to a referendum. Now blanket sounds a little like blanquette. And at least my Saturday is sorted now. No Southampton (what was that about not turning out for away games?). Instead I will serve my punishment devised by my French partner and cook a blanquette de vaux to her satisfaction. Disasters they say come in threes. We’ve had ours surely with the last three games. But food poisoning followed by defeat at Southampton and then accidentally sitting on a firework at the Blackheath display has to be a possible combination for the coming weekend.
Wednesday, 31 October 2007
Tuesday, 30 October 2007
Perspectives
Like other bloggers (I suspect), all I wanted to do after the QPR game was pen something quickly, get back to the red wine, and forget about football for a couple of days at least. To go from good game pity about the last-minute equaliser (Barnsley), to blip (Wolves), then to bad day at the office (Plymouth) and now to slump and crisis (QPR) in a short space of time requires a little distance before any perspective is possible.
You have to agree with Charlton North Downs that against QPR (but also in retrospect against Plymouth) we were far too slow in our play, and with New York Addick that it wasn’t that we were playing too much football but too little (on Saturday I texted a friend after 10 minutes asking when we became such a route one outfit). Defenders end up lumping balls forward if there’s nothing else on, usually after a few obligatory square passes between themselves.
If there is one possible reason it seems to me that a lot of the players are knackered, mentally and physically. There were moments against Plymouth and QPR when we moved the ball at pace and ran for each other, creating space and options for the player in possession. When this happened we looked dangerous. But they were all too rare - and became increasingly rare as the games progressed. The key requirement is midfielders and forwards making runs and making themselves available; if they don’t, the system breaks down and a ‘passing side’ becomes ineffectual. It’s hard work to do this for a full game – and it seems to me that in recent games we have been increasingly unable to play at the tempo that was evident a few weeks ago.
How can they be knackered, we’re only a quarter through the season? Well, if you look at the squad, especially the one currently available to Pardew, what stands out is the lack of experience of the sort of football in this division. Really only Iwelumo, Varney and Fortune, maybe also McLeod, can be said to be well enough acquainted with the speed at which one game follows another and the physical aspect of this division (I don’t know about Wolves but I’m increasingly annoyed by the possibility that Plymouth went out to do a job on us – Todorov and Semedo in particular).
Semedo has been outstanding for us so far. But has he ever before come close to playing 13 league games in 10 weeks? Zhi started seven games for us last season (he did of course come late); he has already chalked up 10 league starts. We all know about Andy Reid’s fitness doubts and I think we’re all agreed he should have been rested against Wolves. Two international games and three league games in a couple of weeks, making it 12 league starts, and he’s venting his frustration at the officials. Look at some of the others. Weaver: didn’t play much after being dropped by Man City; Mills: same story; Sodje: how many games did he manage for Reading last season? The sprightliest player for us on Saturday was Sam – whose just had an enforced break.
Of course the players should in an ideal world be able to cope. But if you go for a style of play that emphasises passing and movement, creating space there must be a wearing effect when it isn’t clicking. You get what we had on Saturday: players too often standing still and waiting for something to happen, with the result that defenders are reduced to playing long, hopeful balls in Iwelumo’s direction (even when he’s been substituted) and midfielders get crowded out on the ball because of the lack of options (Sam ended up doing it all himself most times).
I tend to wax lyrical about the (all too) brief spell when Murphy, Smertin and Kishishev worked in tandem in central midfield, Thomas and Rommadahl operated as genuine wingers, and Darren Bent provided the finish. But there were times when it didn’t work (I remember Fulham at home, then losing to Spurs). When it didn’t we suffered because there was no effective Plan B (Murphy couldn’t operate in a two-man central midfield and we didn’t have a second striker worthy of the name).
I feel that in the past two games at least we needed a good back-up plan as we ran out of steam with the failure to get in front – both games would have been very different I’m sure if we had taken the lead; we could then have played more within ourselves. In the event Pardew’s changes left us badly unbalanced, with effectively four up front but no service and at least against QPR the defence being overrun.
As pointed out elsewhere, what we need at the moment is the sort of determination that Matt Holland would offer. Curbs’ usual response to a couple of bad performances was to batten down the hatches and grind out results. I don’t think we have to go that far this time (it’s a little premature to be thinking about avoiding falling into the relegation zone) but we should be looking to change a set-up that, for now at least, isn’t working.
We don’t have the players to make wholesale changes; if Ambrose is still out there’s really only Yassin and Racon pushing for a start. So to my mind either we switch to something more basic and less demanding – ie going longer but out of intention not lack of options – or we change the formation. I think given the resources available, and the fact that starting with two of only three recognised forwards leaves us short of option, it’s the latter, which means 4-5-1 with Zhi playing in the hole.
My only plea is that if we do this we have genuine wide men out there as the system needs width. That means Sam and Thomas playing, with Reid central, Zhi central but with a remit of getting forward to support Iwelumo, and Semedo or Racon playing the holding role. And I don’t know what happened to Mills on Saturday, but if he’s suddenly lost form then Yassin comes back in.
One other thing, guys. As fans, for a while at least we have to lower our expectations. We are not playing well enough to brush teams aside and the forwards look low on confidence, so let’s not make it worse for them by howling at each misplaced pass. And the players? They looked stressed out on Saturday. Determination and commitment are necessary, but what about having a laugh from time to time and giving the impression that the pressure isn’t getting to you.
You have to agree with Charlton North Downs that against QPR (but also in retrospect against Plymouth) we were far too slow in our play, and with New York Addick that it wasn’t that we were playing too much football but too little (on Saturday I texted a friend after 10 minutes asking when we became such a route one outfit). Defenders end up lumping balls forward if there’s nothing else on, usually after a few obligatory square passes between themselves.
If there is one possible reason it seems to me that a lot of the players are knackered, mentally and physically. There were moments against Plymouth and QPR when we moved the ball at pace and ran for each other, creating space and options for the player in possession. When this happened we looked dangerous. But they were all too rare - and became increasingly rare as the games progressed. The key requirement is midfielders and forwards making runs and making themselves available; if they don’t, the system breaks down and a ‘passing side’ becomes ineffectual. It’s hard work to do this for a full game – and it seems to me that in recent games we have been increasingly unable to play at the tempo that was evident a few weeks ago.
How can they be knackered, we’re only a quarter through the season? Well, if you look at the squad, especially the one currently available to Pardew, what stands out is the lack of experience of the sort of football in this division. Really only Iwelumo, Varney and Fortune, maybe also McLeod, can be said to be well enough acquainted with the speed at which one game follows another and the physical aspect of this division (I don’t know about Wolves but I’m increasingly annoyed by the possibility that Plymouth went out to do a job on us – Todorov and Semedo in particular).
Semedo has been outstanding for us so far. But has he ever before come close to playing 13 league games in 10 weeks? Zhi started seven games for us last season (he did of course come late); he has already chalked up 10 league starts. We all know about Andy Reid’s fitness doubts and I think we’re all agreed he should have been rested against Wolves. Two international games and three league games in a couple of weeks, making it 12 league starts, and he’s venting his frustration at the officials. Look at some of the others. Weaver: didn’t play much after being dropped by Man City; Mills: same story; Sodje: how many games did he manage for Reading last season? The sprightliest player for us on Saturday was Sam – whose just had an enforced break.
Of course the players should in an ideal world be able to cope. But if you go for a style of play that emphasises passing and movement, creating space there must be a wearing effect when it isn’t clicking. You get what we had on Saturday: players too often standing still and waiting for something to happen, with the result that defenders are reduced to playing long, hopeful balls in Iwelumo’s direction (even when he’s been substituted) and midfielders get crowded out on the ball because of the lack of options (Sam ended up doing it all himself most times).
I tend to wax lyrical about the (all too) brief spell when Murphy, Smertin and Kishishev worked in tandem in central midfield, Thomas and Rommadahl operated as genuine wingers, and Darren Bent provided the finish. But there were times when it didn’t work (I remember Fulham at home, then losing to Spurs). When it didn’t we suffered because there was no effective Plan B (Murphy couldn’t operate in a two-man central midfield and we didn’t have a second striker worthy of the name).
I feel that in the past two games at least we needed a good back-up plan as we ran out of steam with the failure to get in front – both games would have been very different I’m sure if we had taken the lead; we could then have played more within ourselves. In the event Pardew’s changes left us badly unbalanced, with effectively four up front but no service and at least against QPR the defence being overrun.
As pointed out elsewhere, what we need at the moment is the sort of determination that Matt Holland would offer. Curbs’ usual response to a couple of bad performances was to batten down the hatches and grind out results. I don’t think we have to go that far this time (it’s a little premature to be thinking about avoiding falling into the relegation zone) but we should be looking to change a set-up that, for now at least, isn’t working.
We don’t have the players to make wholesale changes; if Ambrose is still out there’s really only Yassin and Racon pushing for a start. So to my mind either we switch to something more basic and less demanding – ie going longer but out of intention not lack of options – or we change the formation. I think given the resources available, and the fact that starting with two of only three recognised forwards leaves us short of option, it’s the latter, which means 4-5-1 with Zhi playing in the hole.
My only plea is that if we do this we have genuine wide men out there as the system needs width. That means Sam and Thomas playing, with Reid central, Zhi central but with a remit of getting forward to support Iwelumo, and Semedo or Racon playing the holding role. And I don’t know what happened to Mills on Saturday, but if he’s suddenly lost form then Yassin comes back in.
One other thing, guys. As fans, for a while at least we have to lower our expectations. We are not playing well enough to brush teams aside and the forwards look low on confidence, so let’s not make it worse for them by howling at each misplaced pass. And the players? They looked stressed out on Saturday. Determination and commitment are necessary, but what about having a laugh from time to time and giving the impression that the pressure isn’t getting to you.
Sunday, 28 October 2007
Long Walk Home
It was a most enjoyable brunch in Legends, many thanks to CND for the organisation. On the way back we couldn’t agree on the quickest way to walk back to Blackheath; I was adamant that going straight up Charlton Church Lane and turning right at the top was the best option, while the others were in favour of cutting across via the back streets, emerging on Charlton Road closer to The Standard.
We’re not going to agree and it’s difficult to work it out for sure without some sort of pedometer. One advantage of the direct route is that if a 54 comes along you can jump on it; if not you just keep going. The train is quickest, of course, but getting on the first one out isn’t easy and you can end up waiting for more than half an hour.
In between there was a football match. If you were there I wouldn’t bother to read on; you saw it. If you weren’t I still wouldn’t bother unless you want to ruin your Saturday. Best just look away and get on with something else. One team was determined, committed, missed several good chances (including a penalty), defended well (especially against an over-used long ball up the middle), and could have won more easily. It wasn’t us.
The line-up was not controversial. Grant Basey came in for his debut at the expense of Moutaouakil, Sodje got his start and Bougherra was the one to drop out. With no Todorov Varney moved back inside.
The first half was disappointing but not a disaster. For the first 10 minutes we hoofed it up at every available opportunity, QPR looked lively. But as the match progressed we started to stretch them, with Zhi and Sam starting to feature. Varney blazed over from a good position and then instead of shooting tried to play in Iwelumo. QPR had their moments too, but the feeling was that we should prove too good for them. The complaint was a lack of movement and the impression that only occasionally did we play at the tempo necessary to disrupt their defence.
At half-time Pardew made a change, with Thomas coming on for Semedo, with Reid moving inside. It was an aggressive move and I remember saying it looks like sh*t or bust.
If we needed a demonstration of what Semedo contributes to the team it came with a vengeance. Suddenly every ball they played forward saw us stretched; all the time it seemed to be one-on-one. We were being overrun and the back four couldn’t cope. It became near farcical as QPR missed glorious opportunities, not just the penalty. And each time we thought we might have weathered the storm something else went wrong. Finally it was a Weaver flap.
As on Tuesday night the game degenerated (from our perspective). Iwelumo had had a frustrating time against their centre-backs, in part due to the poor quality of endless balls pumped in his direction, and gave way for McLeod. Late on Sam, who had picked up a yellow card but had looked likeliest to get us back on level terms, went off for Racon. But by this stage QPR were fighting for every ball and running down the clock, while the agitated and frustrated crowd contributed to a draining of confidence on the part of players like Varney.
The positives? Basey looked accomplished and didn’t get fazed after being beaten once by their winger in the first half. He got forward to good effect and I thought looked the part. Sam was lively, although too many crosses were easy pickings for their goalkeeper. Semedo shone by showing what happens when he’s not on the pitch.
That’s it. Just about everyone else contributed to a lousy afternoon. Player ratings:
Weaver – 5. He was set to get close to man-of-the-match, keeping us in the game in the second half. Then he goes and flaps at a cross.
Mills – 5. Looked excellent (again) in the first half but went to pieces in the second. Was at fault for the penalty in getting caught out of position and not getting back, leaving Fortune exposed. Then almost gifted a goal trying to turn out of trouble in his own box. After that he looked tired and was regularly beaten.
Basey – 7. Put under pressure in the first half and generally came through well. Didn’t look nervous and went looking for the ball. Promising debut.
Sodje – 6. Didn’t seem to do anything wrong. But we lost and I’m not feeling generous.
Fortune – 5. Gave away the penalty.
Reid – 5. Not one of his better games. Didn’t penetrate in the first half and his move inside saw us overrun in the second.
Semedo – 7. Thought he was having a disappointing game, but what a difference when he went off!
Zhi – 6. Some good runs, a couple of shots. But no decisive contribution.
Sam – 7. Lively and looked our best bet during an awful second half.
Iwelumo – 5. Felt sorry for him given the quality of the service, but was well marshalled by their defence.
Varney – 5. Tried hard, but his miss in the first half (on his left foot) cost us dear.
What next? Don’t know. Maybe with two away games coming up it’s time for 4-5-1. It’s not as if we have three or four players clamouring for a start. And my glass is empty. There’s a whole week ahead for perspective. At least all I had to do was walk home.
We’re not going to agree and it’s difficult to work it out for sure without some sort of pedometer. One advantage of the direct route is that if a 54 comes along you can jump on it; if not you just keep going. The train is quickest, of course, but getting on the first one out isn’t easy and you can end up waiting for more than half an hour.
In between there was a football match. If you were there I wouldn’t bother to read on; you saw it. If you weren’t I still wouldn’t bother unless you want to ruin your Saturday. Best just look away and get on with something else. One team was determined, committed, missed several good chances (including a penalty), defended well (especially against an over-used long ball up the middle), and could have won more easily. It wasn’t us.
The line-up was not controversial. Grant Basey came in for his debut at the expense of Moutaouakil, Sodje got his start and Bougherra was the one to drop out. With no Todorov Varney moved back inside.
The first half was disappointing but not a disaster. For the first 10 minutes we hoofed it up at every available opportunity, QPR looked lively. But as the match progressed we started to stretch them, with Zhi and Sam starting to feature. Varney blazed over from a good position and then instead of shooting tried to play in Iwelumo. QPR had their moments too, but the feeling was that we should prove too good for them. The complaint was a lack of movement and the impression that only occasionally did we play at the tempo necessary to disrupt their defence.
At half-time Pardew made a change, with Thomas coming on for Semedo, with Reid moving inside. It was an aggressive move and I remember saying it looks like sh*t or bust.
If we needed a demonstration of what Semedo contributes to the team it came with a vengeance. Suddenly every ball they played forward saw us stretched; all the time it seemed to be one-on-one. We were being overrun and the back four couldn’t cope. It became near farcical as QPR missed glorious opportunities, not just the penalty. And each time we thought we might have weathered the storm something else went wrong. Finally it was a Weaver flap.
As on Tuesday night the game degenerated (from our perspective). Iwelumo had had a frustrating time against their centre-backs, in part due to the poor quality of endless balls pumped in his direction, and gave way for McLeod. Late on Sam, who had picked up a yellow card but had looked likeliest to get us back on level terms, went off for Racon. But by this stage QPR were fighting for every ball and running down the clock, while the agitated and frustrated crowd contributed to a draining of confidence on the part of players like Varney.
The positives? Basey looked accomplished and didn’t get fazed after being beaten once by their winger in the first half. He got forward to good effect and I thought looked the part. Sam was lively, although too many crosses were easy pickings for their goalkeeper. Semedo shone by showing what happens when he’s not on the pitch.
That’s it. Just about everyone else contributed to a lousy afternoon. Player ratings:
Weaver – 5. He was set to get close to man-of-the-match, keeping us in the game in the second half. Then he goes and flaps at a cross.
Mills – 5. Looked excellent (again) in the first half but went to pieces in the second. Was at fault for the penalty in getting caught out of position and not getting back, leaving Fortune exposed. Then almost gifted a goal trying to turn out of trouble in his own box. After that he looked tired and was regularly beaten.
Basey – 7. Put under pressure in the first half and generally came through well. Didn’t look nervous and went looking for the ball. Promising debut.
Sodje – 6. Didn’t seem to do anything wrong. But we lost and I’m not feeling generous.
Fortune – 5. Gave away the penalty.
Reid – 5. Not one of his better games. Didn’t penetrate in the first half and his move inside saw us overrun in the second.
Semedo – 7. Thought he was having a disappointing game, but what a difference when he went off!
Zhi – 6. Some good runs, a couple of shots. But no decisive contribution.
Sam – 7. Lively and looked our best bet during an awful second half.
Iwelumo – 5. Felt sorry for him given the quality of the service, but was well marshalled by their defence.
Varney – 5. Tried hard, but his miss in the first half (on his left foot) cost us dear.
What next? Don’t know. Maybe with two away games coming up it’s time for 4-5-1. It’s not as if we have three or four players clamouring for a start. And my glass is empty. There’s a whole week ahead for perspective. At least all I had to do was walk home.
Friday, 26 October 2007
The Bishop Knew
Oh come on guys. Sure, somebody’s got to be to blame. But isn’t this questioning Pardew’s abilities, even his position, going a tad over the top? Three games ago he was getting praise from Ferguson as we marched towards automatic promotion, now he’s bought badly and can’t get the team formation right.
In pre-season I half-wrote a post titled ‘Shock Horror Exclusive, Pardew not yet god’. It outlined doubts about some of his signings (at West Ham and for us) and suggested that some of the gloss was bound to come off at some point. I scrapped it because it seemed unnecessarily negative at a time when optimism was building as the season approached. I feel the same way now about the carping.
What on earth do we expect? Perfection? Curbs wasn’t perfect, nor to the best of my knowledge has anybody been since JC (and he seems to have had his off days). What are we trying to achieve (other than to vent our spleen and/or massage our egos by assuming that anybody’s listening) if we start to question Pardew’s position? The bottom line for me is that everything should be geared around maximising the chances of going away from matches as often as possible feeling happy, which first and foremost means winning – which means booing players during the game (unless they are not trying) and undermining the manager are both strict no-nos.
(I feel a separate post coming on. At half-time on Tuesday a couple of friends who due to family commitments can no longer make many games commented that they were enjoying the game. I said it’s fine as far as it goes but we’re losing. I guess I haven’t reached that higher, detached state and it set me thinking have there been any games that we lost that I enjoyed? So far I can only think of two but will give it more thought.)
There can be no question that Pardew was, by some distance, the best available option when he became available. He still is. If we finish mid-table that would probably still be the case. What is important is that he continues to learn and develop as a manager. He doesn’t seem to have a problem with confidence, which is fine as long as it doesn’t stand in the way of learning from mistakes. I hope he stays for 10 years or more – because that will mean he and the club have been successful in that time. Lennie and Curbs did tend to deny us a pleasure that I had grown up with, namely calling for the manager’s head. But all that went before them was failure and given the choice ….
So, who should we blame? OK, I’ll take the rap. A lifelong atheist, I ventured into Southwark Cathedral on Monday evening (which explains the photo). I may be enlightened, but my family has been turning increasingly fish all around me. My mother got involved with the church and now my sister has been officially stamped as a licensed reader (whatever that means). I don’t know what I said or did wrong on the night, but since then we have been beaten at home, lost Todorov for the season, and seem to be bickering among ourselves. I thought the bishop had a smile on his face when he looked my way. Maybe he knew something I didn’t. I should always remember god might not exist but he does have a sense of humour to go with a mean streak.
And talking of blame and punishments, this morning a package arrived from Lyon. I had forgotten about my penitence for the England v France rugby. Seems Suzanne hadn’t. What she has chosen is devilish in its construction. It seems my task when she is over next weekend is to cook blanquette de veau from an enclosed book of Lyon recipes. Not too bad you may think, even for someone of my limited culinary abilities. The problem is that it has to be as good as cooked by her favourite grandmother – and if not the punishment continues and escalates. So please, can anyone tell me of a restaurant/takeaway close enough to Blackheath that can do a perfect blanquette de veau?
They really are a breed apart these French. I remember a line from one of those comedy improvisation programmes: one of the things you’ll never hear a French person say – ‘and this part of the animal we throw away’. Of all the Lyon sausages I have tried I had decided that the classic rosette was my favourite (although asking for and eating a jesus was always amusing). Perhaps no more as I read the book's description: "the rosette is a sliced sausage, made in the rectum of a pig's entrails, whose anus is said to resemble a small rose".
In pre-season I half-wrote a post titled ‘Shock Horror Exclusive, Pardew not yet god’. It outlined doubts about some of his signings (at West Ham and for us) and suggested that some of the gloss was bound to come off at some point. I scrapped it because it seemed unnecessarily negative at a time when optimism was building as the season approached. I feel the same way now about the carping.
What on earth do we expect? Perfection? Curbs wasn’t perfect, nor to the best of my knowledge has anybody been since JC (and he seems to have had his off days). What are we trying to achieve (other than to vent our spleen and/or massage our egos by assuming that anybody’s listening) if we start to question Pardew’s position? The bottom line for me is that everything should be geared around maximising the chances of going away from matches as often as possible feeling happy, which first and foremost means winning – which means booing players during the game (unless they are not trying) and undermining the manager are both strict no-nos.
(I feel a separate post coming on. At half-time on Tuesday a couple of friends who due to family commitments can no longer make many games commented that they were enjoying the game. I said it’s fine as far as it goes but we’re losing. I guess I haven’t reached that higher, detached state and it set me thinking have there been any games that we lost that I enjoyed? So far I can only think of two but will give it more thought.)
There can be no question that Pardew was, by some distance, the best available option when he became available. He still is. If we finish mid-table that would probably still be the case. What is important is that he continues to learn and develop as a manager. He doesn’t seem to have a problem with confidence, which is fine as long as it doesn’t stand in the way of learning from mistakes. I hope he stays for 10 years or more – because that will mean he and the club have been successful in that time. Lennie and Curbs did tend to deny us a pleasure that I had grown up with, namely calling for the manager’s head. But all that went before them was failure and given the choice ….
So, who should we blame? OK, I’ll take the rap. A lifelong atheist, I ventured into Southwark Cathedral on Monday evening (which explains the photo). I may be enlightened, but my family has been turning increasingly fish all around me. My mother got involved with the church and now my sister has been officially stamped as a licensed reader (whatever that means). I don’t know what I said or did wrong on the night, but since then we have been beaten at home, lost Todorov for the season, and seem to be bickering among ourselves. I thought the bishop had a smile on his face when he looked my way. Maybe he knew something I didn’t. I should always remember god might not exist but he does have a sense of humour to go with a mean streak.
And talking of blame and punishments, this morning a package arrived from Lyon. I had forgotten about my penitence for the England v France rugby. Seems Suzanne hadn’t. What she has chosen is devilish in its construction. It seems my task when she is over next weekend is to cook blanquette de veau from an enclosed book of Lyon recipes. Not too bad you may think, even for someone of my limited culinary abilities. The problem is that it has to be as good as cooked by her favourite grandmother – and if not the punishment continues and escalates. So please, can anyone tell me of a restaurant/takeaway close enough to Blackheath that can do a perfect blanquette de veau?
They really are a breed apart these French. I remember a line from one of those comedy improvisation programmes: one of the things you’ll never hear a French person say – ‘and this part of the animal we throw away’. Of all the Lyon sausages I have tried I had decided that the classic rosette was my favourite (although asking for and eating a jesus was always amusing). Perhaps no more as I read the book's description: "the rosette is a sliced sausage, made in the rectum of a pig's entrails, whose anus is said to resemble a small rose".
Come On Martin, Make My Day
Confirmation in the press that Todorov will be out for the rest of the season with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament is dreadful news, for him personally and the club. He has looked a class above others in his ability to link play (greatly helping Reid and others) and create space by dropping deep and taking defenders with him – as well as score goals. I was really looking forward to seeing him play more.
In practical terms it leaves us with three strikers (assuming no repeat of the less-than-successful experiment last season of using Sam as an outright forward), with two for the future, Walker and Dickson, and a failure, Marcus Bent, out on loan (Yeovil for three months, Gillingham for another month, and Wigan for the season respectively).
Maybe we can get a quick call in to Martin Jol at Spurs. ‘Come on, Martin, you know you’re on your way out. Why not have a laugh before you go. You know that striker you paid £16.5m for in the summer and have barely used, and who your supporters don’t seem to like, well he could use the games and …. ‘ Barring such salvation, and assuming we can’t bring back Dickson early, it’s a case of Hobson’s Choice for now: Iwelumo and Varney with McLeod as back-up.
If there is a silver lining it could be Dickson. Of course we’ve only seen him in the reserves and in pre-season and are aware he’s not the finished product. But he gave the impression to me, albeit only at Welling, that along with lightening pace he loves scoring goals and isn’t (yet) scared of missing. Rough diamond indeed. The club obviously saw something special in him – and if through circumstances his chance comes earlier than expected so be it. We should be saying the same about McLeod, but aside from the impressive cameo against Norwich against a tiring defence he has struggled – and was poor on Tuesday night.
I don’t tend to like doing match previews. It might be that I’m much more comfortable pontificating over where it all went wrong than conjuring up some revolutionary and instantly successful formation. But I hope/think it’s rather down to three good reasons.
First, in the cold light of day I’m well aware that Pardew and his ilk have forgotten more about football in a day than I will ever know. Getting the best out of the players and choosing the right combinations and tactics are what they get paid for and in general I’m happy to bow to their better judgement. (It’s just that it seems so different during and just after a game; maybe they put something in the wine in the pubs close to the ground – that might after all explain why it’s so bloody awful.)
Second, for all I know a team formation that I have carefully thought out is based around a player who the previous day staggered into training one step ahead of the rozzers having pranged his Porsche on the way back from an all-day/night bender. Or rather, as it might be outlined in the programme notes, he’d picked up a slight knock. (As an aside, it would be nice if Pardew and others were a little more forthcoming, after a game, about the thinking behind the line-up; then we could really lay into them for getting it wrong.)
Third, most of the time I know next to nothing about the team we are playing. I turned into a true Premiership snob and in recent years would just catch the Championship highlights on a hazy Sunday morning for a chuckle. I’m assuming that QPR will be pants on Saturday simply because of their league position, not because I could name their players or their likely formation. They will come and defend because in an open game we would be vastly superior; they will be happy to leave with a 0-0 and will fail to do so because we will take some of the many chances we create – all pure prejudice on my part.
So with those caveats …
Not so long ago I thought we had good cover in all positions and would be able to tinker with the team while keeping the same shape. I still think that’s the case, but injuries have severely limited the options available at the moment. Holland, Powell, Thatcher, Gibbs and Todorov are all out. Added to that, McCarthy has not yet shown the ability that Pardew clearly believed he has when he bought him, Thomas may still have his head in the clouds (maybe he has got his mind right, I don’t know), Ambrose still flatters to deceive, and McLeod doesn’t yet look ready to start a game.
With Sinclair, Dickson, Walker and Youga out on loan, who are the players who didn’t start on Tuesday night who could come into the equation? Well, Randolph, Sankofa, Basey, Sodje, McCarthy, Racon, Ambrose, Thomas, Christensen, possibly Arter, and Sam (available again) would seem to be the sum total. But apart from Sam (whose return will presumably keep Christensen out of Pard’s thinking) there’s no compelling case to be made for the alternatives.
Instead I think it’s a case of Pardew picking pretty much the same team and telling them to prove to him (and us) they are as good as he has said they are. We are assuming that QPR will be weaker than Plymouth – so if a youngster came in and did OK we may not learn much about his ability to stand up against the better teams – and there is no midweek game coming up, so no need to think of resting players (Reid is the only real doubt on that front). So put a rocket up their arses and push ‘em out on the pitch.
With Sam back and assuming Reid continues, it’s the bench for Thomas and/or Ambrose. And as the only experiment at the back on Tuesday (switching Mills and bringing back Moutaouakil) worked pretty well, in that Mills was excellent and Yassin got better as the game progressed, it’s reasonable to assume that it will be repeated, at least ahead of a mooted loan signing.
That really only leaves whether Sodje should be given a start at the expense of Fortune or Bougherra, whether Racon should get the nod over Semedo or Zhi, and whether Randolph is chosen over Weaver. I haven’t seen enough of Racon to venture an opinion on that front (he looked good against Stockport) and to drop Weaver would be harsh, although something’s wrong with the defence and Weaver still doesn’t seem to command the box or communicate enough to his defenders.
Maybe it is time to bring in Sodje. Neither Fortune nor Bougherra could complain if dropped (and what has happened to those storming runs forward that Magic used to make for Sheff Wed?). We are assuming that QPR will not put us under that much pressure, so would a clean sheet with Fortune and Bougherra together really tell us anything about their ability to cope against better teams?
My team (injuries and other wildcard factors notwithstanding):
Weaver, Moutaouakil, Sodje, Bougherra, Mills, Reid, Semedo, Zhi, Sam, Iwelumo, Varney. Subs: Randolph, McCarthy, Racon, Thomas, McLeod,
In practical terms it leaves us with three strikers (assuming no repeat of the less-than-successful experiment last season of using Sam as an outright forward), with two for the future, Walker and Dickson, and a failure, Marcus Bent, out on loan (Yeovil for three months, Gillingham for another month, and Wigan for the season respectively).
Maybe we can get a quick call in to Martin Jol at Spurs. ‘Come on, Martin, you know you’re on your way out. Why not have a laugh before you go. You know that striker you paid £16.5m for in the summer and have barely used, and who your supporters don’t seem to like, well he could use the games and …. ‘ Barring such salvation, and assuming we can’t bring back Dickson early, it’s a case of Hobson’s Choice for now: Iwelumo and Varney with McLeod as back-up.
If there is a silver lining it could be Dickson. Of course we’ve only seen him in the reserves and in pre-season and are aware he’s not the finished product. But he gave the impression to me, albeit only at Welling, that along with lightening pace he loves scoring goals and isn’t (yet) scared of missing. Rough diamond indeed. The club obviously saw something special in him – and if through circumstances his chance comes earlier than expected so be it. We should be saying the same about McLeod, but aside from the impressive cameo against Norwich against a tiring defence he has struggled – and was poor on Tuesday night.
I don’t tend to like doing match previews. It might be that I’m much more comfortable pontificating over where it all went wrong than conjuring up some revolutionary and instantly successful formation. But I hope/think it’s rather down to three good reasons.
First, in the cold light of day I’m well aware that Pardew and his ilk have forgotten more about football in a day than I will ever know. Getting the best out of the players and choosing the right combinations and tactics are what they get paid for and in general I’m happy to bow to their better judgement. (It’s just that it seems so different during and just after a game; maybe they put something in the wine in the pubs close to the ground – that might after all explain why it’s so bloody awful.)
Second, for all I know a team formation that I have carefully thought out is based around a player who the previous day staggered into training one step ahead of the rozzers having pranged his Porsche on the way back from an all-day/night bender. Or rather, as it might be outlined in the programme notes, he’d picked up a slight knock. (As an aside, it would be nice if Pardew and others were a little more forthcoming, after a game, about the thinking behind the line-up; then we could really lay into them for getting it wrong.)
Third, most of the time I know next to nothing about the team we are playing. I turned into a true Premiership snob and in recent years would just catch the Championship highlights on a hazy Sunday morning for a chuckle. I’m assuming that QPR will be pants on Saturday simply because of their league position, not because I could name their players or their likely formation. They will come and defend because in an open game we would be vastly superior; they will be happy to leave with a 0-0 and will fail to do so because we will take some of the many chances we create – all pure prejudice on my part.
So with those caveats …
Not so long ago I thought we had good cover in all positions and would be able to tinker with the team while keeping the same shape. I still think that’s the case, but injuries have severely limited the options available at the moment. Holland, Powell, Thatcher, Gibbs and Todorov are all out. Added to that, McCarthy has not yet shown the ability that Pardew clearly believed he has when he bought him, Thomas may still have his head in the clouds (maybe he has got his mind right, I don’t know), Ambrose still flatters to deceive, and McLeod doesn’t yet look ready to start a game.
With Sinclair, Dickson, Walker and Youga out on loan, who are the players who didn’t start on Tuesday night who could come into the equation? Well, Randolph, Sankofa, Basey, Sodje, McCarthy, Racon, Ambrose, Thomas, Christensen, possibly Arter, and Sam (available again) would seem to be the sum total. But apart from Sam (whose return will presumably keep Christensen out of Pard’s thinking) there’s no compelling case to be made for the alternatives.
Instead I think it’s a case of Pardew picking pretty much the same team and telling them to prove to him (and us) they are as good as he has said they are. We are assuming that QPR will be weaker than Plymouth – so if a youngster came in and did OK we may not learn much about his ability to stand up against the better teams – and there is no midweek game coming up, so no need to think of resting players (Reid is the only real doubt on that front). So put a rocket up their arses and push ‘em out on the pitch.
With Sam back and assuming Reid continues, it’s the bench for Thomas and/or Ambrose. And as the only experiment at the back on Tuesday (switching Mills and bringing back Moutaouakil) worked pretty well, in that Mills was excellent and Yassin got better as the game progressed, it’s reasonable to assume that it will be repeated, at least ahead of a mooted loan signing.
That really only leaves whether Sodje should be given a start at the expense of Fortune or Bougherra, whether Racon should get the nod over Semedo or Zhi, and whether Randolph is chosen over Weaver. I haven’t seen enough of Racon to venture an opinion on that front (he looked good against Stockport) and to drop Weaver would be harsh, although something’s wrong with the defence and Weaver still doesn’t seem to command the box or communicate enough to his defenders.
Maybe it is time to bring in Sodje. Neither Fortune nor Bougherra could complain if dropped (and what has happened to those storming runs forward that Magic used to make for Sheff Wed?). We are assuming that QPR will not put us under that much pressure, so would a clean sheet with Fortune and Bougherra together really tell us anything about their ability to cope against better teams?
My team (injuries and other wildcard factors notwithstanding):
Weaver, Moutaouakil, Sodje, Bougherra, Mills, Reid, Semedo, Zhi, Sam, Iwelumo, Varney. Subs: Randolph, McCarthy, Racon, Thomas, McLeod,
Wednesday, 24 October 2007
Pick The Positives Out Of That One
In the cold light of day it still seems very, very disappointing. There were factors/excuses but no getting away from the fact that we didn’t play well enough, individually and collectively, to overcome a determined, organised and (in key areas) skilful Plymouth. Overall the game for me had echoes of the match against Sheff Wed, the difference this time being the higher quality of the opposition, at least defensively, which prevented us from turning things around.
The excuses? Their goalkeeper played a blinder (having an own goal against his name was poor reward for him). Awful performance by Styles, undoubtedly the worst I can remember, complemented by an inept linesman (although as a mate pointed out, he couldn’t keep up with the speed of Plymouth’s attacks in the first half and missed offsides but had no problem in the second given the pace at which we went forward). It wasn’t that Styles got key decisions wrong; it was the lack of consistency and his endless whistling that helped to disrupt the game.
Styles managed to book 10 players. If he had been consistent it should have been about 20 – or it would have been three or four if he had been up to the job early on. The foul which led to Todorov’s departure went unpunished and, worst of all, was the lenient treatment of Hales (who isn’t worthy of the name). He clashed with Semedo early on and the ref had a long talk to them both. Hales continued to use elbows in every challenge and to go through late when he had no chance of getting the ball. After the next scything down of Semedo Styles had another chat with Hales rather than booking him. Finally he was given a yellow card. After that Hales behaved himself – except for milking it in front of the East Stand when he scored what proved to be the winner. Styles failed to control the game early on and thereafter players had no idea if a challenge would produce a yellow card and the fans lost confidence in all his decisions.
The reasons? The formation which Pardew put out, with Todorov and Varney playing either side of Iwelumo in a 4-3-3 or Varney playing on the wing in a 4-4-2 (depending on your interpretation) didn’t work. Or rather it wasn’t really working in the first half-hour before Todorov was carried off. Bringing on Thomas and moving Varney back inside would, in retrospect, have been the better move (although who knows what Thomas’ attitude is at the moment?). McLeod coming on so early left us short of options later in the game – and let’s face it he put in a poor display, as did Varney (his excuse being the position he was asked to play). Nobody really played off Iwelumo (who again failed to score with his head) and we missed Todorov’s ability to link play and to create space.
The first half was flawed, with our central defenders not coming to terms with the lively pairing of Hales and Ebanks-Blake, Zhi looking anonymous and Reid struggling to impose himself. But at least we were fairly coherent and when we upped the tempo put them under pressure and created chances. The failure to take them then cost us dear and a soft second for Plymouth left us frustrated but not despondent at the break.
The match really turned on a chance for Iwelumo early in the second. The cross proved a little too high and the header ineffective. We didn’t create another chance worthy of the name (remember Thomas cutting inside against Spurs and curling in a beauty; last night he found himself in the same position and delivered a back pass). The final 30 minutes saw a degeneration into a frustrated mess, with a line of four up front barely seeing the ball as Plymouth passed it around at will.
The positives? Hard to find, but Mills was outstanding once more. He managed to get his intimidation in first and after that Plymouth shied away from him. Yassin not surprisingly looked rusty in the first half but looked threatening going forward in the second. But that’s about it. Fortune and Bougherra still look like an uneasy pairing, Sodje didn’t cover himself in glory when he came on, the passing in midfield mostly looked laboured, and the formation (plus the loss of Sam) left us without genuine width. Weaver had little to do but may have been a little at fault for the second as he seemed undecided about coming out for the ball.
Player ratings? Weaver(6), Yassin(6), Mills(8), Fortune(5), Bougherra(5), Semedo(6), Zhi(5), Reid(7), Varney(5),Iwelumo(6), Todorov(5). Subs: Sodje(5), McLeod(5), Thomas(5)
What next? We need to forget about league positions, talk about promotion etc and focus on playing better before confidence starts to go. We will have Sam back for Saturday and QPR but otherwise are short of options to change things around (we are now without Thatcher, Powell, Gibbs, Holland, and presumably Todorov). The fringe players, especially Racon, maybe McCarthy (a big disappointment so far), could come into contention. But by and large I would expect more of the same – which hopefully will be enough against a weak team. Thoughts of whether we have already been sussed by the better teams can wait.
The excuses? Their goalkeeper played a blinder (having an own goal against his name was poor reward for him). Awful performance by Styles, undoubtedly the worst I can remember, complemented by an inept linesman (although as a mate pointed out, he couldn’t keep up with the speed of Plymouth’s attacks in the first half and missed offsides but had no problem in the second given the pace at which we went forward). It wasn’t that Styles got key decisions wrong; it was the lack of consistency and his endless whistling that helped to disrupt the game.
Styles managed to book 10 players. If he had been consistent it should have been about 20 – or it would have been three or four if he had been up to the job early on. The foul which led to Todorov’s departure went unpunished and, worst of all, was the lenient treatment of Hales (who isn’t worthy of the name). He clashed with Semedo early on and the ref had a long talk to them both. Hales continued to use elbows in every challenge and to go through late when he had no chance of getting the ball. After the next scything down of Semedo Styles had another chat with Hales rather than booking him. Finally he was given a yellow card. After that Hales behaved himself – except for milking it in front of the East Stand when he scored what proved to be the winner. Styles failed to control the game early on and thereafter players had no idea if a challenge would produce a yellow card and the fans lost confidence in all his decisions.
The reasons? The formation which Pardew put out, with Todorov and Varney playing either side of Iwelumo in a 4-3-3 or Varney playing on the wing in a 4-4-2 (depending on your interpretation) didn’t work. Or rather it wasn’t really working in the first half-hour before Todorov was carried off. Bringing on Thomas and moving Varney back inside would, in retrospect, have been the better move (although who knows what Thomas’ attitude is at the moment?). McLeod coming on so early left us short of options later in the game – and let’s face it he put in a poor display, as did Varney (his excuse being the position he was asked to play). Nobody really played off Iwelumo (who again failed to score with his head) and we missed Todorov’s ability to link play and to create space.
The first half was flawed, with our central defenders not coming to terms with the lively pairing of Hales and Ebanks-Blake, Zhi looking anonymous and Reid struggling to impose himself. But at least we were fairly coherent and when we upped the tempo put them under pressure and created chances. The failure to take them then cost us dear and a soft second for Plymouth left us frustrated but not despondent at the break.
The match really turned on a chance for Iwelumo early in the second. The cross proved a little too high and the header ineffective. We didn’t create another chance worthy of the name (remember Thomas cutting inside against Spurs and curling in a beauty; last night he found himself in the same position and delivered a back pass). The final 30 minutes saw a degeneration into a frustrated mess, with a line of four up front barely seeing the ball as Plymouth passed it around at will.
The positives? Hard to find, but Mills was outstanding once more. He managed to get his intimidation in first and after that Plymouth shied away from him. Yassin not surprisingly looked rusty in the first half but looked threatening going forward in the second. But that’s about it. Fortune and Bougherra still look like an uneasy pairing, Sodje didn’t cover himself in glory when he came on, the passing in midfield mostly looked laboured, and the formation (plus the loss of Sam) left us without genuine width. Weaver had little to do but may have been a little at fault for the second as he seemed undecided about coming out for the ball.
Player ratings? Weaver(6), Yassin(6), Mills(8), Fortune(5), Bougherra(5), Semedo(6), Zhi(5), Reid(7), Varney(5),Iwelumo(6), Todorov(5). Subs: Sodje(5), McLeod(5), Thomas(5)
What next? We need to forget about league positions, talk about promotion etc and focus on playing better before confidence starts to go. We will have Sam back for Saturday and QPR but otherwise are short of options to change things around (we are now without Thatcher, Powell, Gibbs, Holland, and presumably Todorov). The fringe players, especially Racon, maybe McCarthy (a big disappointment so far), could come into contention. But by and large I would expect more of the same – which hopefully will be enough against a weak team. Thoughts of whether we have already been sussed by the better teams can wait.
Tuesday, 23 October 2007
Five For Fun
As we are all still depressed after the weekend and in light of the injuries, and can't agree on whether Basey should be given a start, maybe it’s time for another of those annoying (and probably already done elsewhere many times over) ‘my favourite …’ items. This one is the funniest five moments I can recall during a Charlton game that I watched. Some of what follows is lifted from previous posts, but it’s the beauty of the prose that counts (and if we can’t plagiarise ourselves who can we?).
1. Peter Hunt, Charlton v Oldham October 1972
This proved to be a very disappointing season, with early hopes of a quick rebound to the Second Division on the back of goals from new signing ‘King’ Arthur Horsfield (he was to score 25 in the league) and a young Mike Flanagan (12) fading and the campaign ending in some disarray as only one of the last nine games were won, leaving us in 11th place at the finish. And the next time we look around at the stadium that The Valley has become and laugh about attendances at Selhurst Park, remember that on a cold, windswept March evening, in a vast open arena, we had a crowd of 3,015 for a league game (against Halifax). It was one of the few occasions when I questioned the wisdom of supporting Charlton.
However, it contained a real gem, at a time when the sun was still on our backs. At home we scored goals for fun at that stage, having seen off Swansea 6-0 and Notts County 6-1 – and shipped them just as easily. So 2-2 at half-time was no great surprise, with Horsfield levelling the scores just before the break. A Flanagan goal gave us the lead and just when a nervy finale seemed on the cards the ball ran through to Peter Hunt, another player brought in by then manager Theo Foley (Colin Powell being the third) - and one whose claim to fame as the best beard at Charlton would be topped the following season with the arrival of a certain Derek Hales.
Hunt shot, the ball hit the side-netting, and both teams lined up for a goal-kick. Meanwhile, the referee was running back to the centre-circle and it slowly dawned on all concerned that he had given a goal. What was impressive was the unanimity shown by the team and the bulk of the 7,348 in attendance. The players ran to congratulate Hunt and the fans picked up with applause. Nobody said a word. The Oldham players did, of course, while the crowd started to express their (mock) displeasure at the delay in restarting the game. But after consultations with the linesman the goal stood.
There was no video replay, no photo evidence (that I know of), no admission of guilt in the next programme (let’s face it, in those days they contained next to nothing, being a few sheets either side of a Football League Review). I kept a scrapbook then (yes, sad is the word – I still have them, alongside my Valley grass cuttings) and the match reports refer to a ‘controversial’ goal (one also suggested that Hunt was in an offside position when he got the ball). The Mercury’s Andrew Gardiner reported that “I must say from my vantage I had to agree with the Oldham players”. Fact is everyone in the ground knew exactly what had happened – except the two that mattered.
2. Colin Powell, Palace v Charlton November 1974
OK, the fun came the following day watching The Big Match. The game was actually lost 2-1, although there was a happy end to the season as we secured promotion back to the Second Division (on that glorious night at home to Preston), with Killer and King Arthur netting 30 league goals between them. In doing so we had edged out Palace, which was some payback for them having pipped us for promotion to the top flight back in 1968/69. But in truth there was no rivalry; we knew they were there, we knew what sort of a place Selhurst/Norwood was, but our paths seldom crossed.
Paddy had equalised, getting the ball wide right and cutting in across a couple of defenders before unleashing an unstoppable shot into the top corner (it's on all the collection videos). The fun came when Malcolm Allison came clean to Brian Moore on TV. He said that he had instructed his defenders to force Powell to go inside, ‘because he’s got no left foot’. To be fair he had the style and good grace to see the funny side; he only turned into a whining cry-baby later on when we were promoted and they weren’t, accusing us of having watered the pitch following the return match at The Valley - when we slaughtered them 1-0.
3. Derek Hales, Chelsea v Charlton 1975
This was Killer’s season, when he almost scooped the £10k for 30 league goals, ending with 28 from 40 games (Flanagan was our next highest scorer with six) and prompting a campaign for him to be picked for England. He scored almost half of our goals in the league that season – and in the following one netted 16 in 16 before being sold. In two-and-a-half seasons he scored 64 goals in 100 league starts.
Why is there no biography of Killer yet? Had he gone to a club that played to his strengths I have no doubt he would have made it in the top flight. Instead he found himself alongside Charlie George and other individuals in a team in decline. You just didn’t ask Hales to make smart runs, come deep to get the ball, or play one-twos. You just unleashed him in the penalty area.
He might have scooped the money that year had he not been sent off in the game at home against Sunderland (who went on to be champions). As I remember it, having scored (we lost 2-1 in a nasty encounter, on and off the pitch) he delivered the most blatant and premeditated sending off I have ever seen. From a Sunderland throw-in he launched himself into the back of the defender, got up first and kicked the prostrate player. He was well on the way to the dressing room before the ref had the chance to formally send him off.
The game in question was just after Christmas. My father and I, sensibly wearing nothing to give away our identity, decided to stand a little away from the cluster of Charlton fans in the away end, to avoid any trouble. But five minutes before the kick-off a swarm of Chelsea fans descended on our contingent, only to be beaten back by the police. We found ourselves in amongst a packed group of Neanderthals. I remember them talking about one of their mates who was being sent down for shooting someone at Orient.The game went well, Charlton taking a 2-0 lead. We tried to look glum while feeling warm inside. But Chelsea came back to level it up. Then quite late on (I think) there was a ball hoofed upfield. Bonnetti and Harris set off to collect, giving one of those wonderful occasions when you can see it coming almost in slow-motion, both shouting ‘mine’. They collided and the ball ran loose to Killer, who duly passed it into an empty net.I couldn’t help it. I burst out laughing. There followed a stunned silence during which you could sense the wheels slowly turning in the minds of those around us. My father and I decided to make a tactical withdrawal, quietly and calmly.
4. Jim Tolmie – Carlisle v Charlton 1986
Despite leaving The Valley, we needed just a point from our penultimate game to secure promotion to the top-flight for the first time in my life. The reality of this was slowly dawning; I can’t say through the season I expected us to go up; I didn’t really want to think this was possible, especially after the shock of the move. But after losing at Shrewsbury (still one of the most enjoyable away trips I can recall, especially with our car having wedged itself between the team bus and the police escort) we won four and drew two of our next six games, including beating Fulham twice, while rivals were falling away (‘Alan Ball has f***ed it up again’).
The train journey there was long and boring, and outside even Michael Fish might have been moved to describe the conditions as blustery. Carlisle desperately needed to win to try to avoid relegation and came out fighting. Of course, before long we were 2-0 down and struggling. Then just as half-time was approaching, with an urgent need for us to regroup, Tolmie gets the ball and plays a back-pass from at least 30 yards (or so I remember it). It was going out for a corner before a providential gust of wind caressed it into the bottom corner of the net.
We come out for the second half rejuvenated, equalised, and went on to score what proved to be a totally unnecessary winner. So it was the top flight for us – and Division Three for Carlisle, followed by near-extinction. I still feel a little guilty - and sometimes find myself wondering if those who jumped off the train half-way home (to try to find an offie) ever made it back to London.
5. Paul Miller – Chelsea v Charlton 1988
This one didn’t seem funny at the time, but makes me laugh when I watch the video, being one of the two best fouls by a Charlton player (the other being Peter Shirtliffe’s knee in the back of the head during the play-off final). In our second season back in the top flight we would continue our steady progress – survival by the play-offs in year one, avoid the play-offs in the last game in year two, stay up with a game to spare year three (who can forget the joy and relief throughout that totally meaningless 4-0 defeat at Notts Forest?).
The game itself had long degenerated into a series of individual and collective feuds, which towards the end undoubtedly favoured us as football went by the board. A Chelsea team containing Dixon, Durie and Nevin (as well as McLaughlin and Pates, who both went on to better things) was reduced to launching long balls and indulging in off-the-ball incidents (no, I didn’t actually see Carl Leaburn being laid out).
The goals were a reflection of the football: a Chelsea penalty for a Humphrey foul - it was a good foul, straight red these days, but was well outside the box; then that Maxie’s hook/shot that seemed to take a deflection off everyone on the pitch before going in. We seemed to have made it through, Bob Bolder keeping them at bay. Then, as Durie tried to break through Miller either stood his ground or poleaxed him with a chop across the throat, depending on your interpretation. I remember a sharp intake of breath by all the Charlton fans. With just a few minutes left surely Miller hadn’t handed them a lifeline? The ref, bless his cotton socks, saw nothing (or more likely found it impossible to separate this foul from many others).
Miller was to make only a few more appearances for Charlton before covering himself in disgrace and a Newcastle (I think) player in spittle. But it’s hard to think badly of him. You can still see him at his best in one of the season highlights videos. He was bundled into the boardings by an attacker and everyone held their breath and watched for a reaction. Maxie did nothing and ran back alongside the player. As soon as the ref turned away he kicked him.
For me there has to be a number six – Don Givens, Sheff Utd v Walsall 1980 (I think). Nothing much to do with Charlton but a match I attended and which might get my award for the best moment.
The previous season had seen Charlton survive in the second flight by a single point (for the second successive season), not so much because we ended on a roll (we were dire) but because the Blades blew it. I went to Bramall Lane to see us in our penultimate game (I was at university in Sheffield at the time). We lost 2-1 and looked gone. United only needed three points from their last three games (two at home) to be sure of staying up. But they blew it and we somehow survived, winning our last game – only to go down with a whimper the following season.
In the (old) Third Division Sheff Utd had a torrid time and ended up facing the unthinkable of being relegated to Division Four for the first time in their history. But they went into the last game with their fate in their own hands. They were up against Walsall, at home. The Blades needed a point to stay up and (almost certainly) send Walsall down; Walsall had to win.
An understandably fraught 30,000-plus crowd sat through 80-odd minutes of pure tension (yup, it does happen to others). Then Walsall were given a penalty. Player-manager Alan Buckley stepped up and scored. Suddenly it was bedlam as the crowd urged the home team forward. And with seconds left United were awarded a penalty of their own. They had veteran forward Don Givens on loan at the time and he took on the responsibility – and missed.
At the final whistle those in the stands not crying or tearing their hair out poured onto the pitch (at the time the ground was pretty open) and started to set about the Walsall players (it was that era and they had started to celebrate instead of legging it for the safety of the dressing rooms). A few minutes of mayhem followed before the stadium announcer blared out that due to an unexpected combination of results elsewhere United had in fact stayed up, together with Walsall! Despair turned to joy on the pitch and the Walsall players were able to make their way off the pitch.
It was only on the way back home that we learnt the truth. The announcer had made it all up in order to try to get the pitch cleared without further incident. United were indeed relegated. Oh, how we laughed (in private). For me it doesn’t erase the painful memory of Bramall Lane last season; but every now and then it helps.
1. Peter Hunt, Charlton v Oldham October 1972
This proved to be a very disappointing season, with early hopes of a quick rebound to the Second Division on the back of goals from new signing ‘King’ Arthur Horsfield (he was to score 25 in the league) and a young Mike Flanagan (12) fading and the campaign ending in some disarray as only one of the last nine games were won, leaving us in 11th place at the finish. And the next time we look around at the stadium that The Valley has become and laugh about attendances at Selhurst Park, remember that on a cold, windswept March evening, in a vast open arena, we had a crowd of 3,015 for a league game (against Halifax). It was one of the few occasions when I questioned the wisdom of supporting Charlton.
However, it contained a real gem, at a time when the sun was still on our backs. At home we scored goals for fun at that stage, having seen off Swansea 6-0 and Notts County 6-1 – and shipped them just as easily. So 2-2 at half-time was no great surprise, with Horsfield levelling the scores just before the break. A Flanagan goal gave us the lead and just when a nervy finale seemed on the cards the ball ran through to Peter Hunt, another player brought in by then manager Theo Foley (Colin Powell being the third) - and one whose claim to fame as the best beard at Charlton would be topped the following season with the arrival of a certain Derek Hales.
Hunt shot, the ball hit the side-netting, and both teams lined up for a goal-kick. Meanwhile, the referee was running back to the centre-circle and it slowly dawned on all concerned that he had given a goal. What was impressive was the unanimity shown by the team and the bulk of the 7,348 in attendance. The players ran to congratulate Hunt and the fans picked up with applause. Nobody said a word. The Oldham players did, of course, while the crowd started to express their (mock) displeasure at the delay in restarting the game. But after consultations with the linesman the goal stood.
There was no video replay, no photo evidence (that I know of), no admission of guilt in the next programme (let’s face it, in those days they contained next to nothing, being a few sheets either side of a Football League Review). I kept a scrapbook then (yes, sad is the word – I still have them, alongside my Valley grass cuttings) and the match reports refer to a ‘controversial’ goal (one also suggested that Hunt was in an offside position when he got the ball). The Mercury’s Andrew Gardiner reported that “I must say from my vantage I had to agree with the Oldham players”. Fact is everyone in the ground knew exactly what had happened – except the two that mattered.
2. Colin Powell, Palace v Charlton November 1974
OK, the fun came the following day watching The Big Match. The game was actually lost 2-1, although there was a happy end to the season as we secured promotion back to the Second Division (on that glorious night at home to Preston), with Killer and King Arthur netting 30 league goals between them. In doing so we had edged out Palace, which was some payback for them having pipped us for promotion to the top flight back in 1968/69. But in truth there was no rivalry; we knew they were there, we knew what sort of a place Selhurst/Norwood was, but our paths seldom crossed.
Paddy had equalised, getting the ball wide right and cutting in across a couple of defenders before unleashing an unstoppable shot into the top corner (it's on all the collection videos). The fun came when Malcolm Allison came clean to Brian Moore on TV. He said that he had instructed his defenders to force Powell to go inside, ‘because he’s got no left foot’. To be fair he had the style and good grace to see the funny side; he only turned into a whining cry-baby later on when we were promoted and they weren’t, accusing us of having watered the pitch following the return match at The Valley - when we slaughtered them 1-0.
3. Derek Hales, Chelsea v Charlton 1975
This was Killer’s season, when he almost scooped the £10k for 30 league goals, ending with 28 from 40 games (Flanagan was our next highest scorer with six) and prompting a campaign for him to be picked for England. He scored almost half of our goals in the league that season – and in the following one netted 16 in 16 before being sold. In two-and-a-half seasons he scored 64 goals in 100 league starts.
Why is there no biography of Killer yet? Had he gone to a club that played to his strengths I have no doubt he would have made it in the top flight. Instead he found himself alongside Charlie George and other individuals in a team in decline. You just didn’t ask Hales to make smart runs, come deep to get the ball, or play one-twos. You just unleashed him in the penalty area.
He might have scooped the money that year had he not been sent off in the game at home against Sunderland (who went on to be champions). As I remember it, having scored (we lost 2-1 in a nasty encounter, on and off the pitch) he delivered the most blatant and premeditated sending off I have ever seen. From a Sunderland throw-in he launched himself into the back of the defender, got up first and kicked the prostrate player. He was well on the way to the dressing room before the ref had the chance to formally send him off.
The game in question was just after Christmas. My father and I, sensibly wearing nothing to give away our identity, decided to stand a little away from the cluster of Charlton fans in the away end, to avoid any trouble. But five minutes before the kick-off a swarm of Chelsea fans descended on our contingent, only to be beaten back by the police. We found ourselves in amongst a packed group of Neanderthals. I remember them talking about one of their mates who was being sent down for shooting someone at Orient.The game went well, Charlton taking a 2-0 lead. We tried to look glum while feeling warm inside. But Chelsea came back to level it up. Then quite late on (I think) there was a ball hoofed upfield. Bonnetti and Harris set off to collect, giving one of those wonderful occasions when you can see it coming almost in slow-motion, both shouting ‘mine’. They collided and the ball ran loose to Killer, who duly passed it into an empty net.I couldn’t help it. I burst out laughing. There followed a stunned silence during which you could sense the wheels slowly turning in the minds of those around us. My father and I decided to make a tactical withdrawal, quietly and calmly.
4. Jim Tolmie – Carlisle v Charlton 1986
Despite leaving The Valley, we needed just a point from our penultimate game to secure promotion to the top-flight for the first time in my life. The reality of this was slowly dawning; I can’t say through the season I expected us to go up; I didn’t really want to think this was possible, especially after the shock of the move. But after losing at Shrewsbury (still one of the most enjoyable away trips I can recall, especially with our car having wedged itself between the team bus and the police escort) we won four and drew two of our next six games, including beating Fulham twice, while rivals were falling away (‘Alan Ball has f***ed it up again’).
The train journey there was long and boring, and outside even Michael Fish might have been moved to describe the conditions as blustery. Carlisle desperately needed to win to try to avoid relegation and came out fighting. Of course, before long we were 2-0 down and struggling. Then just as half-time was approaching, with an urgent need for us to regroup, Tolmie gets the ball and plays a back-pass from at least 30 yards (or so I remember it). It was going out for a corner before a providential gust of wind caressed it into the bottom corner of the net.
We come out for the second half rejuvenated, equalised, and went on to score what proved to be a totally unnecessary winner. So it was the top flight for us – and Division Three for Carlisle, followed by near-extinction. I still feel a little guilty - and sometimes find myself wondering if those who jumped off the train half-way home (to try to find an offie) ever made it back to London.
5. Paul Miller – Chelsea v Charlton 1988
This one didn’t seem funny at the time, but makes me laugh when I watch the video, being one of the two best fouls by a Charlton player (the other being Peter Shirtliffe’s knee in the back of the head during the play-off final). In our second season back in the top flight we would continue our steady progress – survival by the play-offs in year one, avoid the play-offs in the last game in year two, stay up with a game to spare year three (who can forget the joy and relief throughout that totally meaningless 4-0 defeat at Notts Forest?).
The game itself had long degenerated into a series of individual and collective feuds, which towards the end undoubtedly favoured us as football went by the board. A Chelsea team containing Dixon, Durie and Nevin (as well as McLaughlin and Pates, who both went on to better things) was reduced to launching long balls and indulging in off-the-ball incidents (no, I didn’t actually see Carl Leaburn being laid out).
The goals were a reflection of the football: a Chelsea penalty for a Humphrey foul - it was a good foul, straight red these days, but was well outside the box; then that Maxie’s hook/shot that seemed to take a deflection off everyone on the pitch before going in. We seemed to have made it through, Bob Bolder keeping them at bay. Then, as Durie tried to break through Miller either stood his ground or poleaxed him with a chop across the throat, depending on your interpretation. I remember a sharp intake of breath by all the Charlton fans. With just a few minutes left surely Miller hadn’t handed them a lifeline? The ref, bless his cotton socks, saw nothing (or more likely found it impossible to separate this foul from many others).
Miller was to make only a few more appearances for Charlton before covering himself in disgrace and a Newcastle (I think) player in spittle. But it’s hard to think badly of him. You can still see him at his best in one of the season highlights videos. He was bundled into the boardings by an attacker and everyone held their breath and watched for a reaction. Maxie did nothing and ran back alongside the player. As soon as the ref turned away he kicked him.
For me there has to be a number six – Don Givens, Sheff Utd v Walsall 1980 (I think). Nothing much to do with Charlton but a match I attended and which might get my award for the best moment.
The previous season had seen Charlton survive in the second flight by a single point (for the second successive season), not so much because we ended on a roll (we were dire) but because the Blades blew it. I went to Bramall Lane to see us in our penultimate game (I was at university in Sheffield at the time). We lost 2-1 and looked gone. United only needed three points from their last three games (two at home) to be sure of staying up. But they blew it and we somehow survived, winning our last game – only to go down with a whimper the following season.
In the (old) Third Division Sheff Utd had a torrid time and ended up facing the unthinkable of being relegated to Division Four for the first time in their history. But they went into the last game with their fate in their own hands. They were up against Walsall, at home. The Blades needed a point to stay up and (almost certainly) send Walsall down; Walsall had to win.
An understandably fraught 30,000-plus crowd sat through 80-odd minutes of pure tension (yup, it does happen to others). Then Walsall were given a penalty. Player-manager Alan Buckley stepped up and scored. Suddenly it was bedlam as the crowd urged the home team forward. And with seconds left United were awarded a penalty of their own. They had veteran forward Don Givens on loan at the time and he took on the responsibility – and missed.
At the final whistle those in the stands not crying or tearing their hair out poured onto the pitch (at the time the ground was pretty open) and started to set about the Walsall players (it was that era and they had started to celebrate instead of legging it for the safety of the dressing rooms). A few minutes of mayhem followed before the stadium announcer blared out that due to an unexpected combination of results elsewhere United had in fact stayed up, together with Walsall! Despair turned to joy on the pitch and the Walsall players were able to make their way off the pitch.
It was only on the way back home that we learnt the truth. The announcer had made it all up in order to try to get the pitch cleared without further incident. United were indeed relegated. Oh, how we laughed (in private). For me it doesn’t erase the painful memory of Bramall Lane last season; but every now and then it helps.
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