If Swansea was reassuring, Reading was inspirational, and Wolves was sobering, this was a fully-fledged reality check. We weren’t terrible, on another day we would have won comfortably. But neither were we robbed. We were pretty ordinary and with the breaks going against us lost to a pretty ordinary team, one which had two shots all game but which defended a lead quite comfortably for more than half the game. It was depressing, with any notion that The Valley can become a fortress for us this season quite frankly already out of the window.
Contrary to prior reports both Linvoy Primus and Martin Cranie were in the starting XI – although neither would finish the game. This limited any perceived need for further changes of personnel, with the shape of the team the same as for previous home games at least, with Andy Gray returning in a basic 4-4-2.
The first 20 minutes or so I thought were poor and shapeless, on the part of both teams. But we could have been 3-0 ahead. First, a Primus header from a corner came back off the inside of a post. Then rather surprisingly from a scramble from another corner the ball broke to Luke Varney and he scored – apparently, I thought the keeper had saved it until everyone wheeled away in triumph. Then came the incident that seemed almost irrelevant at the time but, just like our failure to score a second against Wolves, came back to bite us. Varney turned well in the box but instead of planting the ball into the bottom corner of the net he picked out the same spot as Primus. The rebound fell to Gray and instead of putting it into an empty net he blazed over the bar.
Sheff Wed had done absolutely nothing in the game so far. But then a certain Wade Small picked up the ball and decided that if the defence is flat and you run at an angle you can slice through it. He did, running from around the centre-spot to the edge of the area without a real tackle, before scoring with aplomb. Having seen that, a few minutes later Marcus Tudgay decided to do something similar. I don’t think Nicky Weaver had much chance with either shot, but how two players were allowed to slice through our midfield and defence will be something for the training ground on Monday.
It was a little stunning to be behind at the break, given the balance of play. It was less surprising to be behind at the final whistle. We did create some openings. Lloyd Sam, who had another mixed game, put in another couple of delightful crosses, Darren Ambrose came on - the formation in the second half seemed to fluctuate as Primus and Cranie departed for Ambrose and Basey after Svetoslav Todorov had come on for Gray - had for and had a couple of good shots (in between a poor free kick on the edge of the box). Varney nearly broke through, helped by Todorov’s passes. But overall we just didn’t do enough and seemed unable to up the pace. Wednesday were able to sit behind the ball and run the clock down reasonably comfortably.
There was a wonderful cameo moment in injury time. We won a corner and Weaver sneaked forward to add the extra body. It has to go down in footballing history as the most pointless foray forward by a goalkeeper. The corner curled out of play for a goal kick.
If the first didn’t, the second half highlighted our weaknesses. It wasn’t a game for Todorov to make an effective return, with Sheffield packing the space in front of their area, and we weren’t really able to shake things up. There wasn’t much of a plan B, although whether Primus and Cranie were unable to last 90 minutes and that curbed our options I’m not sure. We looked short of real quality against a team which had been given a chance and had taken it.
I was a little disappointed that Jose Semedo had not come into the team in place of the injured Jonathan Fortune. He has filled in as a defensive midfielder and full-back and I thought this might be his chance. The case for Yassin Moutaouakil returning, despite defensive mistakes, is there, while Ambrose, Zheng Zhi and Jonjo Shelvey have to come into the picture. What has been a fairly settle side so far this season did not look impressive today. It’s up to Alan Pardew to decide whether the combinations can get better or whether there is a need for change. That’s what he’s paid for. Me? I’m off for more red wine in a desperate effort to forget.
Player Ratings:
Weaver: 7/10. I wouldn’t blame him for either goal and apart from those two shots had nothing to do – except kick better than he did against Wolves.
Cranie – 6/10. Adequate but uninspiring. May have been carrying an injury.
Youga – 7/10. I’m not sure whether to give him 4 or 8. Much of what he tried did not come off, and he may have been partially culpable for their first goal at least. But he was trying through the game and nearly made things happen going forward.
Hudson: 7/10. Seemed in control through the game, but we conceded twice.
Primus: 6/10. Nice to see him back, apart from the fish factor, but didn’t last the game and his header came back off the post.
Bouazza: 4/10. Disappointing. After some good runs and crosses in the first half faded completely out of the game. Should have been taken off.
Holland: 6/10. As it says on the box. Dropped back to central defence and did all he could, to no avail.
Bailey: 6/10. Not bad, but not a great game either.
Sam: 6/10. Mixed. Seemed unable to create space or make himself available when he didn’t have the ball, but delivered crosses that could have turned the game.
Gray: 5/10. Well policed by their defence and missed a great chance. Disappointing.
Varney: 7/10. Gets a point for scoring and caused them problems. Just not enough of them.
Subs: Ambrose (looked lively, hope he can play a real role for us this season as he has something that few have at this level); Basey (was as anonymous as Bouazza); Todorov (not the best of games for his return, but great to see him back on the pitch).
Saturday, 27 September 2008
Monday, 22 September 2008
P7, W3, D1, L3 - L'Entente Cordial
Even after seven games the table doesn’t really lie, in England or in France. Well, arguably it doesn’t really lie after one game (unless of course Palace aren’t bottom). I think I’m trying to say (and contrary to popular belief these thoughts are not always influenced by wine or puff) that I don’t know whether to be pleased that we have made a reasonable start to the season or disappointed not to be topping the table. It’s always the latter of course, but a more sober assessment would be it could be worse, could be better. I just really don’t know what is realistic to expect for this season (and the confusion is compounded by having the same ambitions at the start of the season as Simon Jordan – namely to see Simon Jordan leave football). At the moment we really do have to take each game as it comes and see where we are as January approaches. Hopefully we will be there or thereabouts and maybe there will be the opportunity to use the window to better effect than last time around.
To accentuate the positive, I think the players to date deserve some credit for the attitude they have displayed, at least in the games I have seen (which admittedly amounts to a derisory two from seven). Holland and Bailey together don’t look like a dream team combination, but they do ensure no shortage of commitment, while Hudson has impressed with his leadership and ability. It’s all well and good for the club to talk of still having the ambition to return to the Premiership, but financial reality holds sway at the moment. The players who remain will be well aware that a real promotion drive is not compatible with selling anyone who attracted a decent offer and it was possible that heads would drop. The way that the players have responded should at least work against some of the direst predictions for the season coming to pass.
On the other side of the coin, we have not made the sort of start and don’t have the sort of resources that suggest we will be able to contest a top two place. Wolves and Birmingham are bound to falter at some point, and Stoke and Hull are a constant reminder that anything can happen. It’s just that for us to be fighting it out at the top would require everything clicking into place and most if not all players performing around their peak week in, week out. In part due to injuries the spine of the team is actually settled at the moment, with Hudson and Fortune in front of Weaver, Holland and Bailey in central midfield, and Gray and Varney first-choice up front. Add in regular appearances by Youga, now Cranie, and Bouazza and, even allowing for the changed formation on Saturday, you have a near complete starting team. What may prove key is when Zhi, Ambrose, Primus, Moutaouakil, Todorov, Dickson, Shelvey etc get their chances and how well they take them.
It is a squad which with all fit in total stands up well against most of the rest of the division but one which is still, in my opinion, disjointed as regards key combinations. This is still more a reflection of the past couple of seasons than starting with a blank sheet of paper. There is still no obvious style of play or strengths to play to. Of last season’s promoted teams, West Brom played good football and had a proven 20+ goals a season finisher at this level in Phillips. Stoke had a (horrible) style of play but also forwards capable of exploiting it. Hull had .... OK, here the line of argument breaks down, but you get the gist.
If someone asked me today what is our main strength I would struggle to answer. I had thought that with Youga and Moutaouakil plus Bouazza and Sam we would be strong on pace and movement, especially down the flanks, with Varney running the channels. Maybe this will still work out as players get used to each others’ strengths and weaknesses, but you have to deal with reality rather than hope and I think Pardew can be forgiven for bringing in Cranie as Moutaouakil has not started the season well. I really hope he responds well to being dropped and comes back stronger. Just as I hope that Todorov is back in contention at least before long – and that Dickson doesn’t suffer from not playing enough football.
My attendance record so far this season is indeed miserable. Away on holiday for Swansea (and Yeovil) and unable to get outside London due to a mix of work commitments (well, it is an interesting time for the financial sector) and the need to placate la belle France. I honestly don’t know where people find the time to get to away games. Only I have now been to an away game this season. Andrezieux-boutheon v Lyon Duchere.
What started as a light-hearted suggestion to my French partner, that to round off a week’s stay in Lyon we should take in a Duchere game, morphed into a concrete plan. The absence of rain clinched it (don’t ask about my powers of persuasion or what this says about my partner Suzanne), so the Saturday morning visit to the market was shortened (only one pastis) and we drove the 90 minutes or so from Lyon to the town of Andrezieux. Of the town I would say little. Apparently there is a castle but we didn’t see it. There was a tourist office, but even an industrial estate in France has one of them. Basically we arrived in time for the game and not much else, so we made our way to the Stade Roger Baudras, capacity 2,500, along with a few hundred village inhabitants. Well, it wasn’t much different from Scunthorpe really (see picture).
A friend today asked me how the locals reacted to two people sitting in the stand wearing La Duchere scarfs, one of whom seemed to be rather vocal in his criticism of the referee but not making any sense – there is a certain liberty in being able to call the referee a complete tosser (et al) in the full knowledge that he could hear every word as he strode off the pitch but didn’t understand one of them. The locals weren’t exactly hostile, but they were completely bemused. I might not have been the first Englishman to visit Andrezieux, but I’m pretty damn sure I was the first Englishman to visit the Stade Roger to watch Lyon Duchere.
Andrezieux seemed as if they expected to win against a team promoted to CFA proper last season, even though before the start Duchere were just above them in the league (fifth against sixth, after La Duch’s excellent start – which after five games had seen them in third place – had been compromised by a home defeat against Martigues the previous Saturday, 2-1 to a goal in injury time). However, Duchere’s better passing and movement saw them have the better of the first 20 minutes, without creating a clear chance. As the first half wore on the strength and size of the Andrezieux players – who clearly spend a fair proportion of their day in the fields – wore down La Duch, while the referee came into his own as a complete homer (I like to think I only shout at a referee because he deserves it; in this case there was no doubt). Having flourished yellow cards at Duchere players for very little and ignored a couple of bad fouls by Andrezieux, he saw his chance with a rash challenge in the box. There was never any doubt that he would give the penalty.
Last season the hero for Duchere had been their goalkeeper. And he duly dived to his right to save the spot kick. Three people in the stand stood and cheered (as by now we had been joined by the woman who had sold us the scarves at our previous game and who seems to be Duchere’s one travelling fan – a fact explained by the fact that her son plays no 11). Relief was tempered by the fact that Andrezieux were increasingly dangerous from set plays, a la Stoke. To be fair the free kick that crashed back off the bar was a superb curling shot. And the fact that Duchere wasted their best chance as a two-against-one breakaway came to naught.
Even at the break there was the chance to mingle with the locals; and although by the time we made it to the bar the red had run out there was a passable rose available. (Charlton please note, white wine just doesn’t do it for me and if a place like Andrezieux can manage to serve red in a glass at half-time surely we can manage something drinkable.)
The second half panned out much like the first, with Duchere starting well but again getting pegged back as their forwards were unable to hold the ball and the midfield was getting outmuscled. Andrezieux had a couple of good chances but missed and as the clock ran down it was clear that Duchere were happy with a goalless draw. Unfortunately it was not to be. In stopped time a corner led to an almighty scramble and eventually the ball found its way into the net. Barely time for the game to resume before the poseur of a ref blew for full time and danced off to whichever madam in the stands he was trying to impress.
It was tough on Duchere, especially having suffered a similar fate the previous week, but they showed enough to suggest that they will hold their own at this level. They have dropped back to eighth in the table with a record of three wins, one draw, three defeats ...... OK, this is getting spooky. What other team has begun the season with that record? Is there a higher power at work? If there is, the message to me is clear. I may not have turned out to be a Jonah for Lyon Duchere last season, but my recent record for away games – Sheff Utd the season before last, Scunthorpe last season, Andrezieux this season – suggests in the interest of all I should confine myself to London or Lyon.
All that was left for us was to decline the offer (this time around) of a post-match drink with the team and to drive back to Lyon for a date with a bouchon and a bottle of red. First up a fois gras so sauvage that it seemed they had just put their hand down its throat and pulled it out (ie a bit too runny, even for me) followed by a horse steak. I kid you not. Now where after a Charlton game can you get uncooked innards followed by a steak from an animal not normally eaten?
To accentuate the positive, I think the players to date deserve some credit for the attitude they have displayed, at least in the games I have seen (which admittedly amounts to a derisory two from seven). Holland and Bailey together don’t look like a dream team combination, but they do ensure no shortage of commitment, while Hudson has impressed with his leadership and ability. It’s all well and good for the club to talk of still having the ambition to return to the Premiership, but financial reality holds sway at the moment. The players who remain will be well aware that a real promotion drive is not compatible with selling anyone who attracted a decent offer and it was possible that heads would drop. The way that the players have responded should at least work against some of the direst predictions for the season coming to pass.
On the other side of the coin, we have not made the sort of start and don’t have the sort of resources that suggest we will be able to contest a top two place. Wolves and Birmingham are bound to falter at some point, and Stoke and Hull are a constant reminder that anything can happen. It’s just that for us to be fighting it out at the top would require everything clicking into place and most if not all players performing around their peak week in, week out. In part due to injuries the spine of the team is actually settled at the moment, with Hudson and Fortune in front of Weaver, Holland and Bailey in central midfield, and Gray and Varney first-choice up front. Add in regular appearances by Youga, now Cranie, and Bouazza and, even allowing for the changed formation on Saturday, you have a near complete starting team. What may prove key is when Zhi, Ambrose, Primus, Moutaouakil, Todorov, Dickson, Shelvey etc get their chances and how well they take them.
It is a squad which with all fit in total stands up well against most of the rest of the division but one which is still, in my opinion, disjointed as regards key combinations. This is still more a reflection of the past couple of seasons than starting with a blank sheet of paper. There is still no obvious style of play or strengths to play to. Of last season’s promoted teams, West Brom played good football and had a proven 20+ goals a season finisher at this level in Phillips. Stoke had a (horrible) style of play but also forwards capable of exploiting it. Hull had .... OK, here the line of argument breaks down, but you get the gist.
If someone asked me today what is our main strength I would struggle to answer. I had thought that with Youga and Moutaouakil plus Bouazza and Sam we would be strong on pace and movement, especially down the flanks, with Varney running the channels. Maybe this will still work out as players get used to each others’ strengths and weaknesses, but you have to deal with reality rather than hope and I think Pardew can be forgiven for bringing in Cranie as Moutaouakil has not started the season well. I really hope he responds well to being dropped and comes back stronger. Just as I hope that Todorov is back in contention at least before long – and that Dickson doesn’t suffer from not playing enough football.
My attendance record so far this season is indeed miserable. Away on holiday for Swansea (and Yeovil) and unable to get outside London due to a mix of work commitments (well, it is an interesting time for the financial sector) and the need to placate la belle France. I honestly don’t know where people find the time to get to away games. Only I have now been to an away game this season. Andrezieux-boutheon v Lyon Duchere.
What started as a light-hearted suggestion to my French partner, that to round off a week’s stay in Lyon we should take in a Duchere game, morphed into a concrete plan. The absence of rain clinched it (don’t ask about my powers of persuasion or what this says about my partner Suzanne), so the Saturday morning visit to the market was shortened (only one pastis) and we drove the 90 minutes or so from Lyon to the town of Andrezieux. Of the town I would say little. Apparently there is a castle but we didn’t see it. There was a tourist office, but even an industrial estate in France has one of them. Basically we arrived in time for the game and not much else, so we made our way to the Stade Roger Baudras, capacity 2,500, along with a few hundred village inhabitants. Well, it wasn’t much different from Scunthorpe really (see picture).
A friend today asked me how the locals reacted to two people sitting in the stand wearing La Duchere scarfs, one of whom seemed to be rather vocal in his criticism of the referee but not making any sense – there is a certain liberty in being able to call the referee a complete tosser (et al) in the full knowledge that he could hear every word as he strode off the pitch but didn’t understand one of them. The locals weren’t exactly hostile, but they were completely bemused. I might not have been the first Englishman to visit Andrezieux, but I’m pretty damn sure I was the first Englishman to visit the Stade Roger to watch Lyon Duchere.
Andrezieux seemed as if they expected to win against a team promoted to CFA proper last season, even though before the start Duchere were just above them in the league (fifth against sixth, after La Duch’s excellent start – which after five games had seen them in third place – had been compromised by a home defeat against Martigues the previous Saturday, 2-1 to a goal in injury time). However, Duchere’s better passing and movement saw them have the better of the first 20 minutes, without creating a clear chance. As the first half wore on the strength and size of the Andrezieux players – who clearly spend a fair proportion of their day in the fields – wore down La Duch, while the referee came into his own as a complete homer (I like to think I only shout at a referee because he deserves it; in this case there was no doubt). Having flourished yellow cards at Duchere players for very little and ignored a couple of bad fouls by Andrezieux, he saw his chance with a rash challenge in the box. There was never any doubt that he would give the penalty.
Last season the hero for Duchere had been their goalkeeper. And he duly dived to his right to save the spot kick. Three people in the stand stood and cheered (as by now we had been joined by the woman who had sold us the scarves at our previous game and who seems to be Duchere’s one travelling fan – a fact explained by the fact that her son plays no 11). Relief was tempered by the fact that Andrezieux were increasingly dangerous from set plays, a la Stoke. To be fair the free kick that crashed back off the bar was a superb curling shot. And the fact that Duchere wasted their best chance as a two-against-one breakaway came to naught.
Even at the break there was the chance to mingle with the locals; and although by the time we made it to the bar the red had run out there was a passable rose available. (Charlton please note, white wine just doesn’t do it for me and if a place like Andrezieux can manage to serve red in a glass at half-time surely we can manage something drinkable.)
The second half panned out much like the first, with Duchere starting well but again getting pegged back as their forwards were unable to hold the ball and the midfield was getting outmuscled. Andrezieux had a couple of good chances but missed and as the clock ran down it was clear that Duchere were happy with a goalless draw. Unfortunately it was not to be. In stopped time a corner led to an almighty scramble and eventually the ball found its way into the net. Barely time for the game to resume before the poseur of a ref blew for full time and danced off to whichever madam in the stands he was trying to impress.
It was tough on Duchere, especially having suffered a similar fate the previous week, but they showed enough to suggest that they will hold their own at this level. They have dropped back to eighth in the table with a record of three wins, one draw, three defeats ...... OK, this is getting spooky. What other team has begun the season with that record? Is there a higher power at work? If there is, the message to me is clear. I may not have turned out to be a Jonah for Lyon Duchere last season, but my recent record for away games – Sheff Utd the season before last, Scunthorpe last season, Andrezieux this season – suggests in the interest of all I should confine myself to London or Lyon.
All that was left for us was to decline the offer (this time around) of a post-match drink with the team and to drive back to Lyon for a date with a bouchon and a bottle of red. First up a fois gras so sauvage that it seemed they had just put their hand down its throat and pulled it out (ie a bit too runny, even for me) followed by a horse steak. I kid you not. Now where after a Charlton game can you get uncooked innards followed by a steak from an animal not normally eaten?
Saturday, 13 September 2008
We Lost
And today’s annoying cliché is: goals change games. There were a lot of similarities with the game against Reading. The differences were the approach of the opposition – Wolves were determined and cohesive rather than the sulky, sullen appearance of a team which feels they should not be here – and the fact that last time around at home we scored when we needed to. At half-time I thought it was a case of next goal wins it (either we would score again and go on to win or Wolves would get back on level terms and be more likely to take the points). And in the second half we had a golden chance to take a 2-0 lead. We didn’t take it and paid the price. I’m not saying we would have won if Luke Varney had converted the chance, with Wolves having the lion’s share of possession through the game and always looking capable of scoring. Neither am I saying that we would have won if the referee had not given them a penalty. But it’s a percentages game, especially at this level.
The Charlton line-up was entirely predictable, with Martin Cranie coming in a right-back to replace Yassin Moutaouakil, who unfortunately after the Preston games seems to need a spell working on his game, with Kelly Youga returning at left-back and Lloyd Sam returning out right. The only mild surprise was no Zheng Zhi on the bench, with Darren Ambrose keeping his place there. And we were denied the opportunity of giving Chris Iwelumo a decent welcome back as a late injury saw him sit this one out.
The game started sluggishly, but soon sprang into life as a clearance fell over the shoulder of Nicky Bailey some distance outside their box. His controlled and powerful volley was a masterclass of technique. If their keeper hadn’t got a hand to it the decision for goal of the season would have already been done and dusted. He nearly repeated the trick a little later when from a decent position shot just wide with the keeper nowhere. And with Hameur Bouazza buzzing around and creating shooting opportunities it was looking promising.
However, Wolves are made of strong stuff, at least their midfield and attack are. Their defence looks far too ponderous to support a promotion bid, but you have to expose them first and we failed to do that consistently. Bailey and Matt Holland were gradually losing the central midfield battle, with Wolves Karl Henry starting to dictate the play and demonstrating an ability to go past players. And with Ebanks-Blake a constant threat we were being ground down, losing the physical battle, and surrendering possession too easily. That was down to not working hard enough when we had the ball and creating space. We started to look like the away team, relying on pace and breakaways.
A couple of half-chances for Wolves, a run through by Ebanks-Blake, and close to half-time a complete miskick in front of goal by Keogh and we had made it to the break still in front. But there was nothing comfortable about it, with Mark Hudson holding the back line together but Youga having an erratic game (some good things but some worrying errors too) and the midfield proving unable to hold the ball.
No matter, we were winning. Just a feeling that we needed another. Lloyd Sam had a mixed game, looking threatening at times but also a little rusty. But early in the second half he put in a peach of a cross from the right. We had claims for a penalty as Andy Gray appeared to be manhandled, but the ball went over him and his marker to Varney. A decent contact on target and the keeper would have had no chance. But Varney put it wide. It came to him quickly, but it should have been buried.
Not long after the referee gave a foul for a challenge on the edge of our area. Others thought our guy (Bailey or Holland) got the ball, but I thought it was a foul. We were still discussing the incident when the ball was played quickly and suddenly their guy got brought down (apparently). I’d have to see it all again to have a real opinion, but I can’t say it was a travesty. (In truth I thought the officials collectively had a good game; challenges by Sam and by Jonathan Fortune could have seen red cards delivered rather than yellow – yes, officials not sending off our players counts as a good display as far as I’m concerned – and in particular the linesman in front of us close to the North Stand was immaculate through the game.) Ebanks-Blake dispatched the penalty and the momentum was all with Wolves.
Echoes of Reading. Except that then after having been pegged back we scored. And then scored again. This time we didn’t really get a look-in. Alan Pardew decided it was time for some changes, which was a fair decision, but they didn’t work out. Sam was replaced by Grant Basey, with Bouazza switching to the right, while Dickson came on for Gray. I was surprised it wasn’t Ambrose coming on for Sam or Varney (not Gray) making way for Dickson (Gray and Dickson looks viable to me, not Varney and Dickson). But there you go.
A cross from the right to the far post and Nicky Weaver seemed indecisive. I thought he could have come for it but didn’t. Having switched wings Bouazza was absent in defence on that side. And we conceded a soft goal. Once behind we seldom looked as if we could turn things around and Wolves scored a third, with Henry carving through midfield and a splendid save by Weaver falling to someone on a gold shirt. All that was left was to cheer Michael Gray coming on as substitute and think of better days.
It was a game we could have won, but you can’t say we deserved to win it. If we had taken the points it would have been a steal – but if we had gone 2-0 up who can tell how the game would have panned out? On the balance of play and chances Wolves were worthy winners. It’s just that they are not world-beaters. That’s what still hurts.
The worrying things for me were that Holland and Bailey were outmuscled and outpaced in central midfield. They looked good together against Reading and maybe against most teams they will be effective. Maybe there is a case for Zhi and/or Ambrose coming into the equation. Also, it is adventurous but can we play both Sam and Bouazza? Ditto re Zhi, Ambrose, and Jonjo Shelvey. Is Cranie a right-back or a central defender filling in? With Linvoy Primus finally arriving (after all the fuss until December) presumably he will take his place alongside Hudson when ready. But we still have work to do finding the right blend in front of them – and perhaps selecting teams to do a job in particular games. We waited until Wolves had equalised before trying to address problems.
Oh, crap. It’s one game. We have two more coming up next week. On another day we would have won. Three or four points from the next two games and things look differently. It just hurts (for me) that at the end of the game one club looked as if it was expecting to mount a promotion challenge, the other looked like it hoped it would.
Player ratings:
Weaver: 6/10. Not obviously to blame, but seemed a little hesitant through the afternoon. Forget about the poor kicking, it’s irrelevant.
Cranie: 7/10. Looked accomplished in defence but seldom got forward. Looks more like a (possibly very good) centre-half in waiting than a right back.
Youga: 6/10. He can do better. In the first half in particular he was erratic and nearly cost us with a couple of bad mistakes. I had hoped that he and Yassin would be cornerstones of our team – and our style of play – this season. But so far it’s not working out.
Hudson: 8/10. My man-of-the-match this time. Strong and composed.
Fortune: 6/10. Would have had a better mark had it not been for a mistake in the first half that almost saw Ebanks-Blake run through to score. I think he could play with Primus, but we have chosen Hudson. So if Primus is ready it looks like Fortune will be back on the bench.
Bouazza: 7/10. Had a very good first half but seldom threatened in the second.
Holland: 6/10. He and Bailey looked excellent against Reading. Today they were exposed for lack of muscle and lack of pace and mobility. Maybe they won’t come up against better central midfielders than those of Wolves, but today they were, together, second-best.
Bailey: 7/10. As for Holland – except he gets another point for a truly splendid goal.
Sam: 6/10. Mixed. Almost won us the game with that cross in the second half, but could have seen red for a rash lunge in the first half.
Gray: 7/10. I thought he had an excellent first half, but as we lost midfield became isolated and less effective as we kept looking for the ball over the top.
Varney: 6/10. Less would be unfair. But, come on Luke. Bury the chance when it comes. You are a forward and you get judged on these things, not your workrate.
The Charlton line-up was entirely predictable, with Martin Cranie coming in a right-back to replace Yassin Moutaouakil, who unfortunately after the Preston games seems to need a spell working on his game, with Kelly Youga returning at left-back and Lloyd Sam returning out right. The only mild surprise was no Zheng Zhi on the bench, with Darren Ambrose keeping his place there. And we were denied the opportunity of giving Chris Iwelumo a decent welcome back as a late injury saw him sit this one out.
The game started sluggishly, but soon sprang into life as a clearance fell over the shoulder of Nicky Bailey some distance outside their box. His controlled and powerful volley was a masterclass of technique. If their keeper hadn’t got a hand to it the decision for goal of the season would have already been done and dusted. He nearly repeated the trick a little later when from a decent position shot just wide with the keeper nowhere. And with Hameur Bouazza buzzing around and creating shooting opportunities it was looking promising.
However, Wolves are made of strong stuff, at least their midfield and attack are. Their defence looks far too ponderous to support a promotion bid, but you have to expose them first and we failed to do that consistently. Bailey and Matt Holland were gradually losing the central midfield battle, with Wolves Karl Henry starting to dictate the play and demonstrating an ability to go past players. And with Ebanks-Blake a constant threat we were being ground down, losing the physical battle, and surrendering possession too easily. That was down to not working hard enough when we had the ball and creating space. We started to look like the away team, relying on pace and breakaways.
A couple of half-chances for Wolves, a run through by Ebanks-Blake, and close to half-time a complete miskick in front of goal by Keogh and we had made it to the break still in front. But there was nothing comfortable about it, with Mark Hudson holding the back line together but Youga having an erratic game (some good things but some worrying errors too) and the midfield proving unable to hold the ball.
No matter, we were winning. Just a feeling that we needed another. Lloyd Sam had a mixed game, looking threatening at times but also a little rusty. But early in the second half he put in a peach of a cross from the right. We had claims for a penalty as Andy Gray appeared to be manhandled, but the ball went over him and his marker to Varney. A decent contact on target and the keeper would have had no chance. But Varney put it wide. It came to him quickly, but it should have been buried.
Not long after the referee gave a foul for a challenge on the edge of our area. Others thought our guy (Bailey or Holland) got the ball, but I thought it was a foul. We were still discussing the incident when the ball was played quickly and suddenly their guy got brought down (apparently). I’d have to see it all again to have a real opinion, but I can’t say it was a travesty. (In truth I thought the officials collectively had a good game; challenges by Sam and by Jonathan Fortune could have seen red cards delivered rather than yellow – yes, officials not sending off our players counts as a good display as far as I’m concerned – and in particular the linesman in front of us close to the North Stand was immaculate through the game.) Ebanks-Blake dispatched the penalty and the momentum was all with Wolves.
Echoes of Reading. Except that then after having been pegged back we scored. And then scored again. This time we didn’t really get a look-in. Alan Pardew decided it was time for some changes, which was a fair decision, but they didn’t work out. Sam was replaced by Grant Basey, with Bouazza switching to the right, while Dickson came on for Gray. I was surprised it wasn’t Ambrose coming on for Sam or Varney (not Gray) making way for Dickson (Gray and Dickson looks viable to me, not Varney and Dickson). But there you go.
A cross from the right to the far post and Nicky Weaver seemed indecisive. I thought he could have come for it but didn’t. Having switched wings Bouazza was absent in defence on that side. And we conceded a soft goal. Once behind we seldom looked as if we could turn things around and Wolves scored a third, with Henry carving through midfield and a splendid save by Weaver falling to someone on a gold shirt. All that was left was to cheer Michael Gray coming on as substitute and think of better days.
It was a game we could have won, but you can’t say we deserved to win it. If we had taken the points it would have been a steal – but if we had gone 2-0 up who can tell how the game would have panned out? On the balance of play and chances Wolves were worthy winners. It’s just that they are not world-beaters. That’s what still hurts.
The worrying things for me were that Holland and Bailey were outmuscled and outpaced in central midfield. They looked good together against Reading and maybe against most teams they will be effective. Maybe there is a case for Zhi and/or Ambrose coming into the equation. Also, it is adventurous but can we play both Sam and Bouazza? Ditto re Zhi, Ambrose, and Jonjo Shelvey. Is Cranie a right-back or a central defender filling in? With Linvoy Primus finally arriving (after all the fuss until December) presumably he will take his place alongside Hudson when ready. But we still have work to do finding the right blend in front of them – and perhaps selecting teams to do a job in particular games. We waited until Wolves had equalised before trying to address problems.
Oh, crap. It’s one game. We have two more coming up next week. On another day we would have won. Three or four points from the next two games and things look differently. It just hurts (for me) that at the end of the game one club looked as if it was expecting to mount a promotion challenge, the other looked like it hoped it would.
Player ratings:
Weaver: 6/10. Not obviously to blame, but seemed a little hesitant through the afternoon. Forget about the poor kicking, it’s irrelevant.
Cranie: 7/10. Looked accomplished in defence but seldom got forward. Looks more like a (possibly very good) centre-half in waiting than a right back.
Youga: 6/10. He can do better. In the first half in particular he was erratic and nearly cost us with a couple of bad mistakes. I had hoped that he and Yassin would be cornerstones of our team – and our style of play – this season. But so far it’s not working out.
Hudson: 8/10. My man-of-the-match this time. Strong and composed.
Fortune: 6/10. Would have had a better mark had it not been for a mistake in the first half that almost saw Ebanks-Blake run through to score. I think he could play with Primus, but we have chosen Hudson. So if Primus is ready it looks like Fortune will be back on the bench.
Bouazza: 7/10. Had a very good first half but seldom threatened in the second.
Holland: 6/10. He and Bailey looked excellent against Reading. Today they were exposed for lack of muscle and lack of pace and mobility. Maybe they won’t come up against better central midfielders than those of Wolves, but today they were, together, second-best.
Bailey: 7/10. As for Holland – except he gets another point for a truly splendid goal.
Sam: 6/10. Mixed. Almost won us the game with that cross in the second half, but could have seen red for a rash lunge in the first half.
Gray: 7/10. I thought he had an excellent first half, but as we lost midfield became isolated and less effective as we kept looking for the ball over the top.
Varney: 6/10. Less would be unfair. But, come on Luke. Bury the chance when it comes. You are a forward and you get judged on these things, not your workrate.
Thursday, 4 September 2008
Bullshit Detector
I don’t remember having wandered into any of the coffee shops in Amsterdam during the past few days (although just walking down some of the streets and breathing the air can be enough). But I can’t come up with any other explanation on my return to the UK that everyone is suddenly talking, well absolute bollocks.
Sarah Palin. Actually we’d better include John McCain, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden; oh, and just about every US citizen who has stood for public office in living memory. Come to think of it, as this particular piece of nonsense is usually greeting with wild cheers across the nation, it applies to most citizens of the USA. It is of course the statement that the USA is the ‘greatest nation on earth’. Sorry guys, it isn’t.
Robhino. We thought that drama queen Ronaldo (‘he dives to the left, he dives to the right ...’) had taken the biscuit with his allusion to being treated like a slave, before that Ashley Cole with his account of how stunned he was with the (seemingly miserly) weekly pay offered by Arsenal in a new contract. Now we have a Brazilian, one who has just shunned Chelsea and Champions League participation for a stint with perennial losers, defending his actions by saying “I think that only someone who suffered as I suffered at Real Madrid may have something to say on this”. You don’t even need to pose the rhetorical question of just how he suffered. The guy just doesn’t know what planet he’s on. He should fit in well at Man City.
Unfortunately the prize has to be awarded to our very own Steve Waggott. And he was doing so well when talking about our decision not to sell/inability to offload for the right price Zheng Zhi. He was honest in acknowledging that there had been the very real prospect of him being sold to West Brom (although it would have been very strange to have said anything else) and understandably focused on the upside, namely the prospect of a very good and possibly influential player staying with us (well, at least until January). According to the Charlton email, Waggott went on to say that “I think what this instance shows is that we were only prepared to let players leave if it was the right deal for the club, and the player in question ... the deal for ZiZi wasn't right, and we're delighted he's still a Charlton player”. All good stuff. Unfortunately he then added “... particularly because he loves the club so much."
Now keeping Zhi clearly does increase the chances of us being in contention in the months ahead (always assuming that the club hadn’t been about to use the money on someone else). And given that he will still be a saleable commodity come January it doesn’t look like a big financial gamble to hold onto him for now at least – assuming he is up for the fight. I’m glad he’s not been sold – and I hope he goes on to have a long and successful stay with us (ie he oversees our entry to the Champions League within five years – well, everyone apparently has to have ambitions, even West Ham). Also, I hope he has some affection for our club, feelings which could deepen over time. But please do not expect us to think that he loves the club, let alone loving it ‘so much’.
There is no danger of Zhi being booed for almost leaving. We’re not so daft as to not know the score. To the best of my knowledge he’s not openly thrown his toys out of the pram and demanded a move. The picture does change if he were to say that he doesn’t want to play for Charlton, but I think generally the supporters have appreciated his efforts, even his absences, and would have understood if he had been sold. But if there’s one thing that would incline me towards howling derision at the mention of his name it is, I’m afraid, our chief executive’s misguided attempt to talk total bollocks to us.
Maybe in today’s parlance and standards Zhi does indeed love Charlton. At the recent meeting Richard Murray talked of Andy Reid having a real affection for the club, to the extent that he would have stayed if we had matched the wages that Sunderland were offering. At least that notion only prompts a wry smile. It’s just that I thought (hoped?) we were a little above that artificial badge-kissing, ‘love the club’ garbage. Sorry Steve, we just don’t need it. If Zhi loves us it will show on the pitch.
At the same time the prize for honesty and sticking to principles in a corrupt industry goes to ... Alan Curbishley. Walking away from a job at a Premiership club, even one which bought itself out of relegation, without (I assume) any pay-off takes some doing. Anyone watching him being interviewed could tell that he wasn’t having fun (although to be fair indications that Curbs is having fun always did seem hard to discern) and he seems to have just decided that enough is enough. Compare and contrast with the way that Sven Goran Ericksson, Claudio Ranieri and others put their self-respect in their back pockets and stayed at clubs when they knew it was only a case of negotiating their pay-off. I’m not blaming them for acting that way (heaven knows I would have done), only applauding someone prepared to take the high road and not try to squeeze every penny out of every situation. It’s a good reminder that life really is too short.
So, will Alan Pardew be checking Murray’s mobile phone records today? I hope not. It is not inconceivable that Curbs will return one day, but there’s a time for everything and this isn’t it (even leaving aside the cost of such a change). Nevertheless, it is strange how the balance shifts. Not long ago our assumption would have been Pardew leaving to manage a team higher up the pecking order. His stock now is such that I can’t imagine a Premiership team having him top of their list. This is not to suggest that he won’t end up back in the Premiership, with or without us. Rather it is to say that what Pardew achieves/doesn’t achieve with us this year is just as important for his own future as for that of the club. That’s usually a happy coincidence of interest.
Sarah Palin. Actually we’d better include John McCain, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden; oh, and just about every US citizen who has stood for public office in living memory. Come to think of it, as this particular piece of nonsense is usually greeting with wild cheers across the nation, it applies to most citizens of the USA. It is of course the statement that the USA is the ‘greatest nation on earth’. Sorry guys, it isn’t.
Robhino. We thought that drama queen Ronaldo (‘he dives to the left, he dives to the right ...’) had taken the biscuit with his allusion to being treated like a slave, before that Ashley Cole with his account of how stunned he was with the (seemingly miserly) weekly pay offered by Arsenal in a new contract. Now we have a Brazilian, one who has just shunned Chelsea and Champions League participation for a stint with perennial losers, defending his actions by saying “I think that only someone who suffered as I suffered at Real Madrid may have something to say on this”. You don’t even need to pose the rhetorical question of just how he suffered. The guy just doesn’t know what planet he’s on. He should fit in well at Man City.
Unfortunately the prize has to be awarded to our very own Steve Waggott. And he was doing so well when talking about our decision not to sell/inability to offload for the right price Zheng Zhi. He was honest in acknowledging that there had been the very real prospect of him being sold to West Brom (although it would have been very strange to have said anything else) and understandably focused on the upside, namely the prospect of a very good and possibly influential player staying with us (well, at least until January). According to the Charlton email, Waggott went on to say that “I think what this instance shows is that we were only prepared to let players leave if it was the right deal for the club, and the player in question ... the deal for ZiZi wasn't right, and we're delighted he's still a Charlton player”. All good stuff. Unfortunately he then added “... particularly because he loves the club so much."
Now keeping Zhi clearly does increase the chances of us being in contention in the months ahead (always assuming that the club hadn’t been about to use the money on someone else). And given that he will still be a saleable commodity come January it doesn’t look like a big financial gamble to hold onto him for now at least – assuming he is up for the fight. I’m glad he’s not been sold – and I hope he goes on to have a long and successful stay with us (ie he oversees our entry to the Champions League within five years – well, everyone apparently has to have ambitions, even West Ham). Also, I hope he has some affection for our club, feelings which could deepen over time. But please do not expect us to think that he loves the club, let alone loving it ‘so much’.
There is no danger of Zhi being booed for almost leaving. We’re not so daft as to not know the score. To the best of my knowledge he’s not openly thrown his toys out of the pram and demanded a move. The picture does change if he were to say that he doesn’t want to play for Charlton, but I think generally the supporters have appreciated his efforts, even his absences, and would have understood if he had been sold. But if there’s one thing that would incline me towards howling derision at the mention of his name it is, I’m afraid, our chief executive’s misguided attempt to talk total bollocks to us.
Maybe in today’s parlance and standards Zhi does indeed love Charlton. At the recent meeting Richard Murray talked of Andy Reid having a real affection for the club, to the extent that he would have stayed if we had matched the wages that Sunderland were offering. At least that notion only prompts a wry smile. It’s just that I thought (hoped?) we were a little above that artificial badge-kissing, ‘love the club’ garbage. Sorry Steve, we just don’t need it. If Zhi loves us it will show on the pitch.
At the same time the prize for honesty and sticking to principles in a corrupt industry goes to ... Alan Curbishley. Walking away from a job at a Premiership club, even one which bought itself out of relegation, without (I assume) any pay-off takes some doing. Anyone watching him being interviewed could tell that he wasn’t having fun (although to be fair indications that Curbs is having fun always did seem hard to discern) and he seems to have just decided that enough is enough. Compare and contrast with the way that Sven Goran Ericksson, Claudio Ranieri and others put their self-respect in their back pockets and stayed at clubs when they knew it was only a case of negotiating their pay-off. I’m not blaming them for acting that way (heaven knows I would have done), only applauding someone prepared to take the high road and not try to squeeze every penny out of every situation. It’s a good reminder that life really is too short.
So, will Alan Pardew be checking Murray’s mobile phone records today? I hope not. It is not inconceivable that Curbs will return one day, but there’s a time for everything and this isn’t it (even leaving aside the cost of such a change). Nevertheless, it is strange how the balance shifts. Not long ago our assumption would have been Pardew leaving to manage a team higher up the pecking order. His stock now is such that I can’t imagine a Premiership team having him top of their list. This is not to suggest that he won’t end up back in the Premiership, with or without us. Rather it is to say that what Pardew achieves/doesn’t achieve with us this year is just as important for his own future as for that of the club. That’s usually a happy coincidence of interest.
Thursday, 28 August 2008
Keep Your Distance, Linvoy
Funny how easily you get out of the habit of penning anything. This may have been down to work commitments and holidays, plus the feeling that it was difficult to get a handle on prospects for the season until the procession of players exiting had more or less come to a close and one or two new faces had arrived – and before actually seeing a game. Maybe we all just run dry sometimes. Whatever. As I’m out of practise there’s no theme to this post, just a series of random observations.
Linvoy Primus. Seems he’s not coming after all (OK, I've just seen according to the BBC that he is on his way after all, on a three-month loan). What a bloody relief that is. Richard Rufus is of course an Addicks legend and his early retirement is still a source of overall regret. But at least since he hung up his boots we have been able to live without (to the best of my knowledge) an out-and-out born again bloody born-again God-squader. The stream of athletes/footballers who declare that they have ‘given their life to Jesus’ is depressing (note to Kaka, stay in Italy, you’re just not wanted here) and needs to be stopped. Why do they seem to think this is something positive? I would much rather Andy Gray and Luke Varney come out and say ‘I’ve sold my soul to the other lot in return for a guaranteed 20-plus a season while I’m at Charlton’. Now that’s what I’d call commitment.
Barring a change of heart on the part of ‘Arry (am I the only person left in this country who thinks he comes across as a charmless nerd?) it seems we have to look elsewhere for another central defender. Presumably Sonko’s sending off and Duberry’s injury mean it is even less likely that Reading will allow Sam Sodje to leave. There’s no point speculating on who might come in, just the hope that if Zheng Zhi does depart before the window closes we have the opportunity to draft in one or two. I would have thought Jose Semedo could provide some cover at centre-back if necessary (well, he’s covering for almost every other position). But it would be nice to know exactly why we let McCarthy leave (we know why Bougherra went) if we have to pay to bring in a replacement.
The only other departure I actually regret, taking on board the club’s financial position, is that of Iwelumo, especially with Marcus Bent finally offloaded. In my simplistic way of looking at the game you have to have a few options and possible combinations. One of those for the forwards is bringing on the big lump when you’re behind and chasing the game with 20 minutes left (Liverpool got away with it last night, but if I was a fan I would have been wondering where was Crouch when you needed him?). I don’t know whether Stuart Fleetwood is seen as that sort of option, but my first impression from the Athletic friendly was that isn’t his game. Assuming Varney and Gray remain first choice, Svetoslav Todorov when fully fit looks like the other option to Gray (I can’t see how they could play together), while Chris Dickson and Fleetwood would seem to provide the alternatives alongside Gray as and when needed. Presumably Izale McLeod will come back into contention at some stage. But these three at least are really untested at Championship level. Consequently reports linking us with Helguson might seem strange given the money presumably involved, but from the perspective of striking options it wouldn’t look completely daft.
Just how Gray and Varney might react to another forward being brought in would be another matter. Gray was meant to be the man to revive a flagging promotion bid, only for Lita to arrive shortly after. None of it worked out. It’s another reason why I wish they would scrap the transfer window. Why is it necessary to push clubs into thinking about covering for possible requirements over the next four months? Similar thinking regarding Jonathan Fortune. It is clear that Pardew will for the foreseeable future play Mark Hudson in every game. Primus was not going to be coming here to warm the bench. To be fair it’s a bit of a clue when you’re given the number 24.
And for those who have been eagerly awaiting news of Lyon Duchere following their dramatic promotion last season to CFA Groupe B (and who can’t be bothered to look it up elsewhere), I am pleased to report a satisfactory start to their life in the French equivalent of a regional third division. After three games they sit 10th out of 18 with a win, a draw and a loss. The season opener produced an uncharacteristically high-scoring contest, a 4-3 defeat away at Toulon, before something like business as before as Agde were turned over 1-0 back at Lyon. The third match was away at Villefrance-sur-Saone, the team they were promoted with from CFA2. The result was a 1-1 draw, with La Duch probably a little disappointed not to take all three points having taken the lead and with their opponents having a man sent off.
Next up on Saturday is a home game against Jura Sud, a team which has lost its first three games. High hopes then for a surge towards the top. I had hoped to coordinate my visits to Lyon to try to take in some games this season, but I’ve made a poor start. My next trip to France sees Lyon Duchere playing away at Andrezieux. Now what are the chances of my persuading my French partner that what she really wants to do on a Saturday is to drive over to Andrezieux for a football match? I suppose finding out where it is would be a good first move; first look seems as if it might be close to Saint Etienne, which is reasonably close. It could prove to be my first away game of the season; well, I’m ashamed to say that (due to work commitments) there’s more chance of me getting to that game than to away at Preston on Saturday.
Linvoy Primus. Seems he’s not coming after all (OK, I've just seen according to the BBC that he is on his way after all, on a three-month loan). What a bloody relief that is. Richard Rufus is of course an Addicks legend and his early retirement is still a source of overall regret. But at least since he hung up his boots we have been able to live without (to the best of my knowledge) an out-and-out born again bloody born-again God-squader. The stream of athletes/footballers who declare that they have ‘given their life to Jesus’ is depressing (note to Kaka, stay in Italy, you’re just not wanted here) and needs to be stopped. Why do they seem to think this is something positive? I would much rather Andy Gray and Luke Varney come out and say ‘I’ve sold my soul to the other lot in return for a guaranteed 20-plus a season while I’m at Charlton’. Now that’s what I’d call commitment.
Barring a change of heart on the part of ‘Arry (am I the only person left in this country who thinks he comes across as a charmless nerd?) it seems we have to look elsewhere for another central defender. Presumably Sonko’s sending off and Duberry’s injury mean it is even less likely that Reading will allow Sam Sodje to leave. There’s no point speculating on who might come in, just the hope that if Zheng Zhi does depart before the window closes we have the opportunity to draft in one or two. I would have thought Jose Semedo could provide some cover at centre-back if necessary (well, he’s covering for almost every other position). But it would be nice to know exactly why we let McCarthy leave (we know why Bougherra went) if we have to pay to bring in a replacement.
The only other departure I actually regret, taking on board the club’s financial position, is that of Iwelumo, especially with Marcus Bent finally offloaded. In my simplistic way of looking at the game you have to have a few options and possible combinations. One of those for the forwards is bringing on the big lump when you’re behind and chasing the game with 20 minutes left (Liverpool got away with it last night, but if I was a fan I would have been wondering where was Crouch when you needed him?). I don’t know whether Stuart Fleetwood is seen as that sort of option, but my first impression from the Athletic friendly was that isn’t his game. Assuming Varney and Gray remain first choice, Svetoslav Todorov when fully fit looks like the other option to Gray (I can’t see how they could play together), while Chris Dickson and Fleetwood would seem to provide the alternatives alongside Gray as and when needed. Presumably Izale McLeod will come back into contention at some stage. But these three at least are really untested at Championship level. Consequently reports linking us with Helguson might seem strange given the money presumably involved, but from the perspective of striking options it wouldn’t look completely daft.
Just how Gray and Varney might react to another forward being brought in would be another matter. Gray was meant to be the man to revive a flagging promotion bid, only for Lita to arrive shortly after. None of it worked out. It’s another reason why I wish they would scrap the transfer window. Why is it necessary to push clubs into thinking about covering for possible requirements over the next four months? Similar thinking regarding Jonathan Fortune. It is clear that Pardew will for the foreseeable future play Mark Hudson in every game. Primus was not going to be coming here to warm the bench. To be fair it’s a bit of a clue when you’re given the number 24.
And for those who have been eagerly awaiting news of Lyon Duchere following their dramatic promotion last season to CFA Groupe B (and who can’t be bothered to look it up elsewhere), I am pleased to report a satisfactory start to their life in the French equivalent of a regional third division. After three games they sit 10th out of 18 with a win, a draw and a loss. The season opener produced an uncharacteristically high-scoring contest, a 4-3 defeat away at Toulon, before something like business as before as Agde were turned over 1-0 back at Lyon. The third match was away at Villefrance-sur-Saone, the team they were promoted with from CFA2. The result was a 1-1 draw, with La Duch probably a little disappointed not to take all three points having taken the lead and with their opponents having a man sent off.
Next up on Saturday is a home game against Jura Sud, a team which has lost its first three games. High hopes then for a surge towards the top. I had hoped to coordinate my visits to Lyon to try to take in some games this season, but I’ve made a poor start. My next trip to France sees Lyon Duchere playing away at Andrezieux. Now what are the chances of my persuading my French partner that what she really wants to do on a Saturday is to drive over to Andrezieux for a football match? I suppose finding out where it is would be a good first move; first look seems as if it might be close to Saint Etienne, which is reasonably close. It could prove to be my first away game of the season; well, I’m ashamed to say that (due to work commitments) there’s more chance of me getting to that game than to away at Preston on Saturday.
Saturday, 23 August 2008
Welcome Back Team Spirit
Having sacrificed the Swansea and Watford games for the death-defying roads of Chios and the sweltering heat of Athens, I was wondering what to expect today, with the Athletico friendly having thrown up more questions than answers and the interim having confirmed the departures of Faye and Thomas, plus the long-term injury to Racon. More than anything else (with the possible exception of a decent seat for the new season ticket) I wanted to see a return of real team spirit. OK, more than anything else I wanted three points, but after that team spirit. After that an indication that we have combinations in key areas that look capable of gelling into a team that can mount a promotion challenge. Then came all the subsidiary desires, such as a referee and assistants capable of making reasonable decisions. In the event we got most of the above.
First off it should be said that referee Mason and his assistants might have got every decision right this afternoon. It may have been correct to award Reading a penalty for a soft challenge in the box; it may have been correct to give us a penalty for the challenge on Varney which could have been outside the box (although having given a penalty for what is deemed a professional foul why no card for the Reading defender, who was clearly beaten for pace? What’s good for Youga .....); there may have been a reason for deciding on two extra minutes at the end of the first half, during which there were no substitutions and no injuries, allowing the time for Reading to pull one back; there may have been a push on the Reading forward for their second penalty; Weaver may have moved to necessitate a retake; and Bouazza may have been onside to volley in our fourth goal. It’s just that each debatable decision mounts up and by the time of the penalty retake we were all prepared to see every decision as wrong. The belated award of a free kick for one of numerous foul challenges on Andy Gray and the sending off of Sonko (when Mason should have allowed play to continue) didn’t really even up the score. But it doesn’t matter ‘cos we won.
The game could easily have turned out differently; indeed, it proved to be a hard one to call all the way through, at least until the last five minutes, with a number of key moments. Reading created enough chances to have scored more, without Mason’s assistance, including a penalty which came crashing back off the bar. But in the end they paid the price for some sloppy defending and a game that was always competitive but played in a good spirit went our way, despite our losing a two-goal lead. What was most important is that the sense of injustice at Reading’s equaliser didn’t result in the players looking for excuses. Too much nonsense is talked about football teams’ character if they come from behind or win through adversity. After all, scoring goals and preventing the opposition from scoring are the point of the game. But the team should feel justifiably proud of itself tonight. It wasn’t perfect, but we know it isn’t going to be. It was more than encouraging.
In the first half for some time it looked a matter of whether Hameur Bouazza’s terrorising of their right-back could compensate for Reading’s Kebe running Basey ragged. Our first came from a long cross from the right which nearly caught out Hahnemann, with the ball going to Bouazza who crossed low to allow the Reading keeper to fumble it into the path of Matty Holland. Reading’s penalty came as Basey cut inside but lost possession and the result was some confusion and a poor challenge in the box allowing the Reading forward to conveniently fall over an outstretched leg. Soft it was, but probably a correct decision. Basey had already been turned inside out by the Reading winger and there was a threat every time the ball went in that area, with Weaver having to make one smart save. To his credit Basey stuck at it and the threat was much less apparent in the second half.
What seemed to be a real turning point came late in the half as a Reading attack was broken up and Lloyd Sam advanced down the right. He moved it on to Varney, in a position which is his strength, running at flat-footed defenders. Having moved past the last one he was taken down and – seemingly with the help of the linesman – Mason pointed to the spot. Andy Gray tucked away the penalty with no fuss. We deserved to be ahead on the balance of play, with Holland and Nicky Bailey working together effectively and John Fortune and Mark Hudson dealing well with Reading’s aerial threat. But instead of getting to the break with a two-goal cushion a Reading corner in mystery ‘additional time’ was cleared but the Charlton players held in the box and only Holland tried to close down the player returning the ball. The result was a decent cross and a header buried into the bottom corner by someone in a Reading shirt (sorry, I just never care who). Weaver had no chance.
The fear was that a lacklustre Reading performance had not been fully punished and that after a Coppell earbashing they would be stronger in the second half. And for a while that looked like being the case. However, they drew level with a near farcical sequence of events. There seemed little danger when a ball was crossed, with Weaver coming out to punch clear. But Mason had obviously seen something and another penalty was given. This time Weaver pulled off a super save, only for it to count for nothing. There wasn’t much chance of Reading failing for a third time on the retake.
At 2-2, the crowd upset and hostile, the Charlton players could have looked for excuses. Instead to their credit they went out and won the game. Absurd howls for a Charlton penalty were followed by a decent ball into the box and Luke Varney displayed a centre-forward’s nous for getting on the end of a cross which I haven’t seen from him before. A glorious header and we were in front again. And not long after Yassin Moutaouakil – who had a splendid game, including a crucial defensive header late on (OK Suzanne, France do have some sportsmen capable of winning) – played in Sam to cross to the left, with Bouazza scoring on the volley with some aplomb. Of course he was onside.
After that it was a case of job pretty much done, as long as Reading didn’t get one back. They nearly did on a few occasions, but their shooting was, well, like ours last season. Long may it continue. Once Sonko had his marching orders it was pretty much game up, with Darren Ambrose coming on for Sam and Jose Semedo replacing Moutaouakil. There was still time for Gray to almost round off a lovely move – and what I think was his best performance to date in a Charlton shirt – with a goal, only to see his header crash back off the bar. The linesman flagged for offside anyway, but in this game that would only have been the starting point for discussions.
What was best? Overall, the team spirit. This bunch looked as though they wanted to play (good luck at Portsmouth, Thomas). In particular the pairing of Holland and Bailey. I know next to nothing about the latter, but the two were talking to each other and seemed to understand their roles and how to play together. It’s just one game, but it was good to see – especially as without Racon and presumably Zheng Zhi we have only Jonjo Shelvey and Semedo as alternatives in central midfield. Also, Gray was excellent. He contested every ball and won a number of them, reading the game well to steal back possession and looking committed to the task. Varney scored an excellent third goal. If they can deliver the goals we are in with a shout.
Player Ratings:
Weaver: 9/10 (assuming the second penalty was not given for a foul against him). Made smart and important saves, could have been the hero with the ‘penalty’ stop. No chance with the goals.
Moutaouakil: 7/10. Got forward well and covered well in defence. Semedo in my view does a competent job covering at right-back, but Yassin gives us more, as evidenced in his role for the crucial third goal, as long as there are no silly mistakes. He loses a point because it was his challenge for Reading’s first penalty. Otherwise excellent.
Basey: 6/10. Exposed badly a few times in the first half by Reading’s most dangerous player. Could have been expensive. But for whatever reason the threat wasn’t repeated in the second half and he didn’t fall apart after a very difficult early phase of the game.
Fortune: 7/10. Same thinking as Moutaouakil. For most of the game he was excellent, but he gave away the second penalty. It may have been harsh, but don’t give the ref the chance to make a mistake. Otherwise he was committed and effective.
Hudson: 8/10. Same as Fortune except for not having a point deducted for giving away a penalty.
Bouazza: 8/10. Especially in the first half he was the obvious outlet and gave Reading a torrid time. Scored a splendid fourth goal (from a clearly onside position) and looked as though he will give defences at this level a very hard time. Also did good work covering back.
Holland: 8/10. Some players just make a team play better. Matty wrote the script. Seemed to tire late on, but we just have to get used to that.
Bailey: 8/10. Excellent. I must admit coming back I had doubts about another signing from a lower division, but the guy looks to have ability and honesty in his approach. More of the same please.
Sam: 6/10. Had a tough time against an experienced Reading left-back. But played a key role in our second goal and never stopped trying. He will find himself up against weaker opponents in most games, but will we end up opting for Bouazza and Ambrose as the wide pairing?
Varney: 8/10. In my opinion Varney was a major disappointment last season. Today he scored the sort of goal I didn’t think he had in him. Nobody doubts his effort and running. Give us the goals and we’re happy.
Gray: 9/10. Not an obvious man-of-the-match, but I thought he put in an excellent example of how to lead the line against tough and big opponents. I saw it as his best game to date in a Charlton shirt.
First off it should be said that referee Mason and his assistants might have got every decision right this afternoon. It may have been correct to award Reading a penalty for a soft challenge in the box; it may have been correct to give us a penalty for the challenge on Varney which could have been outside the box (although having given a penalty for what is deemed a professional foul why no card for the Reading defender, who was clearly beaten for pace? What’s good for Youga .....); there may have been a reason for deciding on two extra minutes at the end of the first half, during which there were no substitutions and no injuries, allowing the time for Reading to pull one back; there may have been a push on the Reading forward for their second penalty; Weaver may have moved to necessitate a retake; and Bouazza may have been onside to volley in our fourth goal. It’s just that each debatable decision mounts up and by the time of the penalty retake we were all prepared to see every decision as wrong. The belated award of a free kick for one of numerous foul challenges on Andy Gray and the sending off of Sonko (when Mason should have allowed play to continue) didn’t really even up the score. But it doesn’t matter ‘cos we won.
The game could easily have turned out differently; indeed, it proved to be a hard one to call all the way through, at least until the last five minutes, with a number of key moments. Reading created enough chances to have scored more, without Mason’s assistance, including a penalty which came crashing back off the bar. But in the end they paid the price for some sloppy defending and a game that was always competitive but played in a good spirit went our way, despite our losing a two-goal lead. What was most important is that the sense of injustice at Reading’s equaliser didn’t result in the players looking for excuses. Too much nonsense is talked about football teams’ character if they come from behind or win through adversity. After all, scoring goals and preventing the opposition from scoring are the point of the game. But the team should feel justifiably proud of itself tonight. It wasn’t perfect, but we know it isn’t going to be. It was more than encouraging.
In the first half for some time it looked a matter of whether Hameur Bouazza’s terrorising of their right-back could compensate for Reading’s Kebe running Basey ragged. Our first came from a long cross from the right which nearly caught out Hahnemann, with the ball going to Bouazza who crossed low to allow the Reading keeper to fumble it into the path of Matty Holland. Reading’s penalty came as Basey cut inside but lost possession and the result was some confusion and a poor challenge in the box allowing the Reading forward to conveniently fall over an outstretched leg. Soft it was, but probably a correct decision. Basey had already been turned inside out by the Reading winger and there was a threat every time the ball went in that area, with Weaver having to make one smart save. To his credit Basey stuck at it and the threat was much less apparent in the second half.
What seemed to be a real turning point came late in the half as a Reading attack was broken up and Lloyd Sam advanced down the right. He moved it on to Varney, in a position which is his strength, running at flat-footed defenders. Having moved past the last one he was taken down and – seemingly with the help of the linesman – Mason pointed to the spot. Andy Gray tucked away the penalty with no fuss. We deserved to be ahead on the balance of play, with Holland and Nicky Bailey working together effectively and John Fortune and Mark Hudson dealing well with Reading’s aerial threat. But instead of getting to the break with a two-goal cushion a Reading corner in mystery ‘additional time’ was cleared but the Charlton players held in the box and only Holland tried to close down the player returning the ball. The result was a decent cross and a header buried into the bottom corner by someone in a Reading shirt (sorry, I just never care who). Weaver had no chance.
The fear was that a lacklustre Reading performance had not been fully punished and that after a Coppell earbashing they would be stronger in the second half. And for a while that looked like being the case. However, they drew level with a near farcical sequence of events. There seemed little danger when a ball was crossed, with Weaver coming out to punch clear. But Mason had obviously seen something and another penalty was given. This time Weaver pulled off a super save, only for it to count for nothing. There wasn’t much chance of Reading failing for a third time on the retake.
At 2-2, the crowd upset and hostile, the Charlton players could have looked for excuses. Instead to their credit they went out and won the game. Absurd howls for a Charlton penalty were followed by a decent ball into the box and Luke Varney displayed a centre-forward’s nous for getting on the end of a cross which I haven’t seen from him before. A glorious header and we were in front again. And not long after Yassin Moutaouakil – who had a splendid game, including a crucial defensive header late on (OK Suzanne, France do have some sportsmen capable of winning) – played in Sam to cross to the left, with Bouazza scoring on the volley with some aplomb. Of course he was onside.
After that it was a case of job pretty much done, as long as Reading didn’t get one back. They nearly did on a few occasions, but their shooting was, well, like ours last season. Long may it continue. Once Sonko had his marching orders it was pretty much game up, with Darren Ambrose coming on for Sam and Jose Semedo replacing Moutaouakil. There was still time for Gray to almost round off a lovely move – and what I think was his best performance to date in a Charlton shirt – with a goal, only to see his header crash back off the bar. The linesman flagged for offside anyway, but in this game that would only have been the starting point for discussions.
What was best? Overall, the team spirit. This bunch looked as though they wanted to play (good luck at Portsmouth, Thomas). In particular the pairing of Holland and Bailey. I know next to nothing about the latter, but the two were talking to each other and seemed to understand their roles and how to play together. It’s just one game, but it was good to see – especially as without Racon and presumably Zheng Zhi we have only Jonjo Shelvey and Semedo as alternatives in central midfield. Also, Gray was excellent. He contested every ball and won a number of them, reading the game well to steal back possession and looking committed to the task. Varney scored an excellent third goal. If they can deliver the goals we are in with a shout.
Player Ratings:
Weaver: 9/10 (assuming the second penalty was not given for a foul against him). Made smart and important saves, could have been the hero with the ‘penalty’ stop. No chance with the goals.
Moutaouakil: 7/10. Got forward well and covered well in defence. Semedo in my view does a competent job covering at right-back, but Yassin gives us more, as evidenced in his role for the crucial third goal, as long as there are no silly mistakes. He loses a point because it was his challenge for Reading’s first penalty. Otherwise excellent.
Basey: 6/10. Exposed badly a few times in the first half by Reading’s most dangerous player. Could have been expensive. But for whatever reason the threat wasn’t repeated in the second half and he didn’t fall apart after a very difficult early phase of the game.
Fortune: 7/10. Same thinking as Moutaouakil. For most of the game he was excellent, but he gave away the second penalty. It may have been harsh, but don’t give the ref the chance to make a mistake. Otherwise he was committed and effective.
Hudson: 8/10. Same as Fortune except for not having a point deducted for giving away a penalty.
Bouazza: 8/10. Especially in the first half he was the obvious outlet and gave Reading a torrid time. Scored a splendid fourth goal (from a clearly onside position) and looked as though he will give defences at this level a very hard time. Also did good work covering back.
Holland: 8/10. Some players just make a team play better. Matty wrote the script. Seemed to tire late on, but we just have to get used to that.
Bailey: 8/10. Excellent. I must admit coming back I had doubts about another signing from a lower division, but the guy looks to have ability and honesty in his approach. More of the same please.
Sam: 6/10. Had a tough time against an experienced Reading left-back. But played a key role in our second goal and never stopped trying. He will find himself up against weaker opponents in most games, but will we end up opting for Bouazza and Ambrose as the wide pairing?
Varney: 8/10. In my opinion Varney was a major disappointment last season. Today he scored the sort of goal I didn’t think he had in him. Nobody doubts his effort and running. Give us the goals and we’re happy.
Gray: 9/10. Not an obvious man-of-the-match, but I thought he put in an excellent example of how to lead the line against tough and big opponents. I saw it as his best game to date in a Charlton shirt.
Saturday, 2 August 2008
Some Positives But No Sign Of Key Partnerships
As pre-season friendlies go, it was half-entertaining – in that the second half was fun after a sterile first 45 minutes. How many times last season did the break come and we were left to reflect on a total absence of goalscoring chances created? We lost with no complaints to a more accomplished side – and could easily have lost by more. The game would have been a better contest had we equalised in the first half from the penalty spot, a gift from out of nothing, but Thomas hit the post. Otherwise it was a case of what did we learn from the contest.
Given that the list of absentees included Weaver, Ambrose, Holland, Dickson, McLeod, Sinclair, Todorov, and Zheng Zhi it was hard to draw any conclusions about the season to come (even leaving aside thoughts of who may still go and who might come in). Most of the crowd treated it for what it was: a chance to try out a few things and to look at certain combinations in a relaxed atmosphere. There were two exceptions: the obligatory moron who insisted on screaming abuse at the referee (and anyone else who was unfortunate enough to be within earshot), including when play was stopped for a clash of heads, and Athletic’s engaging manager, who seemed to care a good deal more than many of the players. Oh, and one Athletic player obviously had his eye on the showers by managing to get a red card for some silly shoving late in the game.
We started with Elliot starting in goal, Semedo and Youga as the full-backs, and Fortune and Hudson in central defence. Central midfield paired Shelvey and Racon, with Thomas and Wagstaff providing the width and Gray and Varney up front. The second-half substitutes included Sam, Moutaouakil, Basey, Wright, Fleetwood, and Faye (I never thought I would see him pull on a Charlton shirt again). There may have been others.
First, the good news. Elliot looked comfortable and accomplished. No chance with the goal and one excellent save (albeit the forward was offside). If we have to rely on him at the start of the season it’s a plus. The other positives are qualified. Shelvey was anonymous for much of the game and a partnership with Racon was not a success. Both looked as if they would benefit (as Shelvey did late last season) from the steadying influence of a Holland alongside them, allowing them the freedom to do the box-to-box role. However, individually both had reasonable games. Racon was behind some of our best moments and Shelvey continued to look as if he has the knack of being in the right place for loose balls in the box. So a plus for both individually, but not as a pairing. Semedo looked as if we can rely on him as back-up for Moutaouakil if needed, but isn’t a natural right-back. Defensive midfielder or central defence looks best for him, but it was a capable enough job.
Youga and Moutaouakil are likely to be the first-choice full-backs. Nobody is happier about that than me. But they can’t afford the sort of mistakes they made today. The only goal of the game came from Youga losing possession and there could easily have been a repeat in the first half. Moutaouakil added vibrancy and drive when he came on in the second half, but he too gave away the ball and nearly cost us a goal. We just have to hope they both keep these sort of mistakes to a minimum.
Fortune and Hudson didn’t seem to be a natural pairing. There was no sign of communication. And wouldn’t you just have scripted it, for a general that Napoleon would not have favoured. No sooner had Pardew said how important it was that Hudson stays fit than we see him hobbling off injured. Hopefully it was just a precaution. Fortune must feel decidedly cheesed off at Charlton. We don’t seem to trust him and are not prepared to regard him as first-choice. Personally I think he can do a job if his partner is exceptional. We started last season in pretty much the same situation and paid the price.
Wagstaff will know he had a poor half and was rightly substituted. He has plenty of time. Sam looked lively when he first came on, but became increasingly ineffective against accomplished defenders. Thomas. Ah, Jerome Thomas. We need you badly this season. My heart sank the first time he lost the ball, displayed petulance in squaring up to their player after a poor effort to win it back. But thereafter he was involved in most of the good things that we did.
As for Gray and Varney, in their defence their service was almost non-existent. But Gray in particular offered nothing; Varney offered strong running but delivered no more, like last season. We need both to perform better this season and to become a pairing. This was the only pre-season game I’ve seen and maybe in others they were more impressive. Fleetwood had little chance to impress (coming on after Thomas had been moved inside). I left hoping that Gray and Varney are still feeling their way into the season – and that Todorov and Dickson can push them hard.
The two major negatives for me were: first, there was no sign that we were playing to any sort of style or system that indicated we knew our strengths and would play to them. Second, I know it was a pre-season friendly but in the first half in particular there was no sense of urgency or determination. This was a collection of many fringe players with an opportunity to make a case for inclusion in the first team. Leadership and collective spirit were not in evidence. I hope it will be come the time of Swansea, because they are vital for our coming season. Finally, I don’t want to hear Pardew giving any indication of being disappointed. Quotes are always taken out of context. But I want to hear that we are ready and up for the fight ahead – and to see evidence of this on the pitch. Today was a day for reserving judgement and to focus on the pluses. Elliot and Racon. Well, the latter’s French after all.
Given that the list of absentees included Weaver, Ambrose, Holland, Dickson, McLeod, Sinclair, Todorov, and Zheng Zhi it was hard to draw any conclusions about the season to come (even leaving aside thoughts of who may still go and who might come in). Most of the crowd treated it for what it was: a chance to try out a few things and to look at certain combinations in a relaxed atmosphere. There were two exceptions: the obligatory moron who insisted on screaming abuse at the referee (and anyone else who was unfortunate enough to be within earshot), including when play was stopped for a clash of heads, and Athletic’s engaging manager, who seemed to care a good deal more than many of the players. Oh, and one Athletic player obviously had his eye on the showers by managing to get a red card for some silly shoving late in the game.
We started with Elliot starting in goal, Semedo and Youga as the full-backs, and Fortune and Hudson in central defence. Central midfield paired Shelvey and Racon, with Thomas and Wagstaff providing the width and Gray and Varney up front. The second-half substitutes included Sam, Moutaouakil, Basey, Wright, Fleetwood, and Faye (I never thought I would see him pull on a Charlton shirt again). There may have been others.
First, the good news. Elliot looked comfortable and accomplished. No chance with the goal and one excellent save (albeit the forward was offside). If we have to rely on him at the start of the season it’s a plus. The other positives are qualified. Shelvey was anonymous for much of the game and a partnership with Racon was not a success. Both looked as if they would benefit (as Shelvey did late last season) from the steadying influence of a Holland alongside them, allowing them the freedom to do the box-to-box role. However, individually both had reasonable games. Racon was behind some of our best moments and Shelvey continued to look as if he has the knack of being in the right place for loose balls in the box. So a plus for both individually, but not as a pairing. Semedo looked as if we can rely on him as back-up for Moutaouakil if needed, but isn’t a natural right-back. Defensive midfielder or central defence looks best for him, but it was a capable enough job.
Youga and Moutaouakil are likely to be the first-choice full-backs. Nobody is happier about that than me. But they can’t afford the sort of mistakes they made today. The only goal of the game came from Youga losing possession and there could easily have been a repeat in the first half. Moutaouakil added vibrancy and drive when he came on in the second half, but he too gave away the ball and nearly cost us a goal. We just have to hope they both keep these sort of mistakes to a minimum.
Fortune and Hudson didn’t seem to be a natural pairing. There was no sign of communication. And wouldn’t you just have scripted it, for a general that Napoleon would not have favoured. No sooner had Pardew said how important it was that Hudson stays fit than we see him hobbling off injured. Hopefully it was just a precaution. Fortune must feel decidedly cheesed off at Charlton. We don’t seem to trust him and are not prepared to regard him as first-choice. Personally I think he can do a job if his partner is exceptional. We started last season in pretty much the same situation and paid the price.
Wagstaff will know he had a poor half and was rightly substituted. He has plenty of time. Sam looked lively when he first came on, but became increasingly ineffective against accomplished defenders. Thomas. Ah, Jerome Thomas. We need you badly this season. My heart sank the first time he lost the ball, displayed petulance in squaring up to their player after a poor effort to win it back. But thereafter he was involved in most of the good things that we did.
As for Gray and Varney, in their defence their service was almost non-existent. But Gray in particular offered nothing; Varney offered strong running but delivered no more, like last season. We need both to perform better this season and to become a pairing. This was the only pre-season game I’ve seen and maybe in others they were more impressive. Fleetwood had little chance to impress (coming on after Thomas had been moved inside). I left hoping that Gray and Varney are still feeling their way into the season – and that Todorov and Dickson can push them hard.
The two major negatives for me were: first, there was no sign that we were playing to any sort of style or system that indicated we knew our strengths and would play to them. Second, I know it was a pre-season friendly but in the first half in particular there was no sense of urgency or determination. This was a collection of many fringe players with an opportunity to make a case for inclusion in the first team. Leadership and collective spirit were not in evidence. I hope it will be come the time of Swansea, because they are vital for our coming season. Finally, I don’t want to hear Pardew giving any indication of being disappointed. Quotes are always taken out of context. But I want to hear that we are ready and up for the fight ahead – and to see evidence of this on the pitch. Today was a day for reserving judgement and to focus on the pluses. Elliot and Racon. Well, the latter’s French after all.
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