Viewfinder, I understand the general theme/s of your post but feel that some of your observations or criticisms are fairly simplistic and unwarranted.
For example Jordan Cousins is a technically sound player. To say he can't trap the ball is incorrect. He has been with us since he was 11 or 12 and during that time has represented his country at different age groups. He played for a number of seasons at right back before converting to centre midfield. He has been brought into a struggling team, devoid of confidence and has looked one of our more assured players. He has been asked to play in a position that he seems to not enjoy which brings added pressure. Yet, he does not hide or shirk. He doesn't only play the ball laterally. In fact he has shown his range of passing recently with a number of cross field ball and through balls and is a real danger to the opposition when running at them through midfield. You are too harsh on him.
You list a number of clubs and ask why they beat us. Surely that's a rhetorical question that any supporter of any club in the world will ask on a regular basis. Many factors contribute to losing a football match. We do not have a divine right to win any game and nor do any other team. We are currently competing in the Championship with a League one squad. We will be outplayed, out thought and out muscled. At times we will do that to other teams.
Why did we beat Doncaster, Brighton, QPR, Bournemouth, Yeovil, Leicester...?
I'm not sure of the relevance of the reference to losing to Luton a number of years ago.
Our academy has produced a number of quality players in the last twenty years or so. Rufus, Turner, Primus, Bowyer, Parker, Solly to name a few. I would not describe any of these as tippy tippy. Actually, aside from Harriott and Sam I'm not sure we really do tippy tally at all. I certainly wouldn't consider Cousins, Poyet or Fox to be so.
In response to your question re Barnsley I can name Steele, O'Grady, Dawson, M'Vutu and Crainie. But I am a bit of a football nerd.
I suppose another question should be how many Charlton players can supporters of other teams in the Championship name? I fear that would show how much we have fallen in recent times.
I can deal with a few home truths. I can deal with facing facts.
But what I can't deal with is someone who won't concede that there are some positives to be taken from our current situation....Someone who rubbishes everything about the Club he purports to follow. NOTHING is black or white- he obviously hasn't heard that grey is the new black...
And to refer to his fellow supporters as possessing "daft conceit" & their encouragement being "sickening" takes the biscuit. What right has he to judge others & speak so disparagingly of them ?
His opinion of our Academy is also a revelation. Allegedly, we breed " weak, peripheral players " !! If I had their numbers, I'd point a certain Jonjo Shelvey, together with Scott Parker, Carl Jenkinson & Jermaine Defoe in his direction....oh and not to forget young Gus ! Maybe they could have a word to persuade him otherwise.
I am sick of reading the bile emanating from his posts - if he's on a wind up , then he's succeeded in my case. Of course, there's a lot wrong at our Club at this precise moment in time - my specs have distinctly lost their rosy hue at times this season - but to paint a picture so depressing & so lacking in hope and criticising EVERY cog in the Charlton machinery is just plain wrong.
So, who is this Lifer ? Will he be picking up the Lifetime Supporter award next Sunday ? Why is he still bothering to watch this ragtag bunch of no hopers when he clearly knows what's coming ?
Answers on a pc, please & I'll forward any comments to this "wordsworth". Actually, I have an idea where to find him .....
Of course he'll be at The Valley for his interview for either our next manager or for the No 1 post at the Academy when it becomes vacant!
No wait ! He'll definitely be able to handle BOTH with one of those "tippy tappy " hands tied firmly behind his back !!
The young players who have come through is the big positive from this season. If we manage to sign Poyet up - the season won't look half as bad. When you look at the young players coming through, it seems weird that something we should be positive about is criticised, along with the easier targets.
I can deal with a few home truths. I can deal with facing facts.
But what I can't deal with is someone who won't concede that there are some positives to be taken from our current situation....Someone who rubbishes everything about the Club he purports to follow. NOTHING is black or white- he obviously hasn't heard that grey is the new black...
And to refer to his fellow supporters as possessing "daft conceit" & their encouragement being "sickening" takes the biscuit. What right has he to judge others & speak so disparagingly of them ?
His opinion of our Academy is also a revelation. Allegedly, we breed " weak, peripheral players " !! If I had their numbers, I'd point a certain Jonjo Shelvey, together with Scott Parker, Carl Jenkinson & Jermaine Defoe in his direction....oh and not to forget young Gus ! Maybe they could have a word to persuade him otherwise.
I am sick of reading the bile emanating from his posts - if he's on a wind up , then he's succeeded in my case. Of course, there's a lot wrong at our Club at this precise moment in time - my specs have distinctly lost their rosy hue at times this season - but to paint a picture so depressing & so lacking in hope and criticising EVERY cog in the Charlton machinery is just plain wrong.
So, who is this Lifer ? Will he be picking up the Lifetime Supporter award next Sunday ? Why is he still bothering to watch this ragtag bunch of no hopers when he clearly knows what's coming ?
Answers on a pc, please & I'll forward any comments to this "wordsworth". Actually, I have an idea where to find him .....
Of course he'll be at The Valley for his interview for either our next manager or for the No 1 post at the Academy when it becomes vacant!
No wait ! He'll definitely be able to handle BOTH with one of those "tippy tappy " hands tied firmly behind his back !!
There's a bloke sits near us in North Stand Upper. He moans throughout every game - even when we're winning or have won. My mate saw him renewing his ST the other week. Clearly some folk just love to be negative - feel sorry for them. Saw some positives yesterday - some folk have lolled my posts because they hate Church & Reza and always will. That's their choice. Have faith, this game is about money and we haven't had any - things CAN get better and soon - and will. Please, all of you, get to The Valley on Tuesday night and get behind the lads. I was pleased to see the crowd applaud the players off both at HT & at FT.
The young players who have come through is the big positive from this season. If we manage to sign Poyet up - the season won't look half as bad. When you look at the young players coming through, it seems weird that something we should be positive about is criticised, along with the easier targets.
When I saw the new earlybird ST prices I actually saw it as a negative because it suggested that the Club have low aspirations. If we sign Poyet then that would definitely send out positive signals. We want to see CAFC in the Premiership again and we can only get there if we have the best players. - that simple. Time will tell whether RD has such aims in mind or can finance the charge to get there.
We are of course still in danger, but I would say that danger is a lot lower than some seem to be worrying about. The way I see it, we have 5 chances to stay up. 1) We get a result against Watford - possible - a game that could go either way in all honesty 2) Get a Result at Blackpool - probably a 1in 3 chance. But of course, being in 19th place, we can lose them both or draw one and still be ok. The third chance 3) is Leicester beat Doncaster - or it is a draw and we don't lose our next two games by a total of 4 goals. I think Leicester having the chance of 100 points will ensure they give their best and they are a much better team than Doncaster - this has a very strog chance of happening. They had to get a result at home to Readingfor me, and failed to do it on Saturday. Then you have 4) Millwall losing to Bournemouth or drawing if we get a point from our last two - Millwall have picked up, but Bournemouth are on form - I wouldn't fancy playing them on the last day. And finally 5) Birmingham. They can't buy a win at home and they have Wigan on Tuesday. Wigan really do need a win to secure their play off place. Then they have a tough game away to Bolton on the final day. No teams let up on the final day. If we get a draw, they will need a win to overtake us from those two.
So to go down, it is pretty much going to need a perfect storm. And whilst it is possible, you have to say it isn't likely. We need us to totally cock up, and 3 others, who are at the bottom for a reason, to do the business for the storm to occur.
Once we are in a position to collectively breath a sigh of relief, we need to appreciate how close we came to relegation and address it. That turn around against Wednesday was probably the biggest result we have got in one game for a long, long time. We could have easily lost that. 2-0 down with our goal scoring accumen. Scoring so soon after their second saved us and was probably due to their unprofessionalism as mush as our abilities. I can't quite still work out how we won it! But we did and if - as is likely - we stay up. Is the summer activity in the transfer market going to be as crap as it has been since RD took over? Some signings of our better current players would be a good sign of things to come, but I won't be holding my breath. I am at a point where I will need to see it to believe it. I don't want to be told about all these great players we missed out on. I want to see some good players - who will improve us next season- coming in.
Finally, I would like to see - given the circumstances - some unconditional support on Tuesday night. It doesn't matter whether it is deserved or not - this is a season we need to get away with and put to bed. So whatever is happening, we get behind the lads - no moaning (resurrect that Cardiff spirit). If the bloke next to you is having a go, tell him to shut up or pi** off home. We have a job to do for our club. Then, when we are really safe, we can have a good old moan.
Viewfinder, I understand the general theme/s of your post but feel that some of your observations or criticisms are fairly simplistic and unwarranted.
For example Jordan Cousins is a technically sound player. To say he can't trap the ball is incorrect. He has been with us since he was 11 or 12 and during that time has represented his country at different age groups. He played for a number of seasons at right back before converting to centre midfield. He has been brought into a struggling team, devoid of confidence and has looked one of our more assured players. He has been asked to play in a position that he seems to not enjoy which brings added pressure. Yet, he does not hide or shirk. He doesn't only play the ball laterally. In fact he has shown his range of passing recently with a number of cross field ball and through balls and is a real danger to the opposition when running at them through midfield. You are too harsh on him.
You list a number of clubs and ask why they beat us. Surely that's a rhetorical question that any supporter of any club in the world will ask on a regular basis. Many factors contribute to losing a football match. We do not have a divine right to win any game and nor do any other team. We are currently competing in the Championship with a League one squad. We will be outplayed, out thought and out muscled. At times we will do that to other teams.
Why did we beat Doncaster, Brighton, QPR, Bournemouth, Yeovil, Leicester...?
I'm not sure of the relevance of the reference to losing to Luton a number of years ago.
Our academy has produced a number of quality players in the last twenty years or so. Rufus, Turner, Primus, Bowyer, Parker, Solly to name a few. I would not describe any of these as tippy tippy. Actually, aside from Harriott and Sam I'm not sure we really do tippy tally at all. I certainly wouldn't consider Cousins, Poyet or Fox to be so.
In response to your question re Barnsley I can name Steele, O'Grady, Dawson, M'Vutu and Crainie. But I am a bit of a football nerd.
I suppose another question should be how many Charlton players can supporters of other teams in the Championship name? I fear that would show how much we have fallen in recent times.
I think you've grasped my point, sirjohnhumphrey - most of the posters on CL have a vastly deluded overestimation of the quality of our players. Do you think the fans of the other lower-Championship teams puff up their players with all the unconditional love you give to ours? I look at other clubs' forums from time-to-time, and I never see the sort of sickly goo that gets trotted out here. Blind loyalty is not a particularly virtuous quality.
Oddly enough, the sanctification afforded to Chris Powell by many Lifers is precisely what he does not want. He is a very intelligent man: all his good work as the chairman of the Professional Footballers' Association is proof of that, and now his study for the UEFA coaching licence. By extension, he wants us, the fans, to question things, to be discerning, to expand our knowledge and vision. Around the time Powell took us up from League One, Norwich and Southampton came up too - and then shot straight through to the Prem with the same squads and without investment.
After the last home game of last season, against Bristol City, Powell came on to the pitch and apologised for the bad football we had endured for nine months: he was actually in tears. And it was bad, mostly even worse than this season - yet there's a vast constituency here that waves the flag and shouts proudly: "We finished ninth." Perhaps some people forget that only a few weeks from the end we were in very serious danger of being relegated.
Riga has improved us slightly - we are more mobile and more positive. But the standard of play remains dire: poor in the most basic of skills. I got chatting to a couple of fellows after a game recently: it was their first time at The Valley and they asked me, full of curiosity: "Why can't you pass to each other?"
You know I always enjoy your posts, Mundell. Haven't you noticed the daft conceit: many Lifers are certain that Jordan Cousins is worth six million pounds and will play for England in 2018.
Meanwhile, he can't trap the ball. Our lack of basic technical ability is jaw-droppingly bad. Off the top of your head, name a single player in the Barnsley team that beat us at The Valley a fortnight ago.
Poyet for Barcelona! Cousins for Arsenal! Hang on! - all they've done is move the ball laterally. Yet, thousands of spectators applaud when they receive and control a ten-yard pass. It's quite sickening - I don't give my plumber a standing ovation when he puts a washer on the tap.
It's the obverse that's important: all those dull teams that we play - Barnsley, Donny, Bournemouth, Millwall, Brum, et al - they lack technical skills, too. They hate their chairmen, they are insulted by their salaries, their children are subnormal, they are worried by their wives - and yet somehow, they beat us. Why is this?
Our academy breeds weak, peripheral players: tippy-tappy wingers who watch too much television and imagine they are Wilfried Zaha. Four or five years ago at The Valley we played an FA Cup tie against Luton: our team was a seemingly healthy mix of seniors and U21s, yet we couldn't beat a bunch of agricultural carrot-crunchers from the backwoods of the Conference. We had no physical strength - this defeats us now, still. Look at Saturday, the imposing presence of Gestede and Rhodes, lithe and muscular, contrasting with our attack - Marvin Sordell.
We were at home, with just one up front. That is weak, fatally, right from the start. Where is Ajdarevic? - He ought to be good for us: he looks strong and powerful. But he's "had the flu" and disappears after twenty minutes. Call me old-fashioned, but I was brought up when a group of 15 men did 42 games on crappy pitches in the top flight and played them without complaining.
These last few months we have retained more possession, created more goal chances albeit many of them wide of the goal and reduced our chances of relegation from 50% down to 5%. On Saturday these chances improved even further not because we did ourselves any favours but because Barnsley lost and are down and other teams lost. There are several teams below us and they have virtually run out of time - just one game left. The bookies are being exceptionally mean quoting 25-1 on going down as it's more like double that.
The only two things that matter for the club are staying up and a radical improvement to the squad over the summer. I sincerely hope part 1 occurs on Tuesday.
I have no inside knowledge but it sounds like Ajdarevic might have glandular fever or something similar? IMHO he puts in a decent 50 minutes and more than happy for him to be subbed then. the other players are getting older and better and every week we are getting closer to a c. 30% change in the first team squad.
The bottom line is that we shouldn't be fighting it out with clubs that have 10,000 fans and stadia not much bigger. The owners knew what was needed to repeat a finish of 8th - 12th but they refused to buy in older talent to see us through.
They knew how good the current younsters were like Poyet, Cousins and what they also knew is the quality of the next batch who have just won the U18 league yet again. Not saying we are too good to be there, just that the previous owners either refused or were unable to paper over the cracks...
One can have a pop at them but they are gone now and in their three years they bought a new squad, recruited Chris Powell and Paul Hart, and of course saw us move up a division. From various comments it appears they probably lost £5M in the process. Yep that's right we pay our ST money and buy the odd beer, coffee and programme but they have lost millions on the deal.
Viewfinder, I understand the general theme/s of your post but feel that some of your observations or criticisms are fairly simplistic and unwarranted.
For example Jordan Cousins is a technically sound player. To say he can't trap the ball is incorrect. He has been with us since he was 11 or 12 and during that time has represented his country at different age groups. He played for a number of seasons at right back before converting to centre midfield. He has been brought into a struggling team, devoid of confidence and has looked one of our more assured players. He has been asked to play in a position that he seems to not enjoy which brings added pressure. Yet, he does not hide or shirk. He doesn't only play the ball laterally. In fact he has shown his range of passing recently with a number of cross field ball and through balls and is a real danger to the opposition when running at them through midfield. You are too harsh on him.
You list a number of clubs and ask why they beat us. Surely that's a rhetorical question that any supporter of any club in the world will ask on a regular basis. Many factors contribute to losing a football match. We do not have a divine right to win any game and nor do any other team. We are currently competing in the Championship with a League one squad. We will be outplayed, out thought and out muscled. At times we will do that to other teams.
Why did we beat Doncaster, Brighton, QPR, Bournemouth, Yeovil, Leicester...?
I'm not sure of the relevance of the reference to losing to Luton a number of years ago.
Our academy has produced a number of quality players in the last twenty years or so. Rufus, Turner, Primus, Bowyer, Parker, Solly to name a few. I would not describe any of these as tippy tippy. Actually, aside from Harriott and Sam I'm not sure we really do tippy tally at all. I certainly wouldn't consider Cousins, Poyet or Fox to be so.
In response to your question re Barnsley I can name Steele, O'Grady, Dawson, M'Vutu and Crainie. But I am a bit of a football nerd.
I suppose another question should be how many Charlton players can supporters of other teams in the Championship name? I fear that would show how much we have fallen in recent times.
I think you've grasped my point, sirjohnhumphrey - most of the posters on CL have a vastly deluded overestimation of the quality of our players. Do you think the fans of the other lower-Championship teams puff up their players with all the unconditional love you give to ours? I look at other clubs' forums from time-to-time, and I never see the sort of sickly goo that gets trotted out here. Blind loyalty is not a particularly virtuous quality.
Oddly enough, the sanctification afforded to Chris Powell by many Lifers is precisely what he does not want. He is a very intelligent man: all his good work as the chairman of the Professional Footballers' Association is proof of that, and now his study for the UEFA coaching licence. By extension, he wants us, the fans, to question things, to be discerning, to expand our knowledge and vision. Around the time Powell took us up from League One, Norwich and Southampton came up too - and then shot straight through to the Prem with the same squads and without investment.
After the last home game of last season, against Bristol City, Powell came on to the pitch and apologised for the bad football we had endured for nine months: he was actually in tears. And it was bad, mostly even worse than this season - yet there's a vast constituency here that waves the flag and shouts proudly: "We finished ninth." Perhaps some people forget that only a few weeks from the end we were in very serious danger of being relegated.
Riga has improved us slightly - we are more mobile and more positive. But the standard of play remains dire: poor in the most basic of skills. I got chatting to a couple of fellows after a game recently: it was their first time at The Valley and they asked me, full of curiosity: "Why can't you pass to each other?"
Norwich and Southampton were not promoted with us and they both signed a fair amount of players and spent money to achieve promotion. Huddersfield and Wednesday were promoted with us. All three of us are still in the division.
Dress it up how you like but whatever league we are in next year drastic measures are needed because that group of players will not be good enough to stay up or a promotion push from league one Blackburn put the foot to the floor every so often and cruised past us , we have too many players not good enough
Anyway it's too depressing thinking about that but it's all about Tuesday and for once can our support as suggested above get behind the team unconditionally for the whole 90 mins not for ten mins and then flat cos we haven't scored some goals or the opposition are tearing us a new one Come on Charlton bores get a personality , throw the rugs away and sing , scream and shout for your team , bounce a bit , it will prolly make no difference but it's better than nothing and I'm sure it's better than hearing the collective groans as another shit pass goes to the oppo
90% Championship football for another season hoooorah
The match is well covered on here, but I have to point out that Reza is a one trick pony which any decent defender will soon suss out. He goes left when confronted every time to get a shot in with his only foot, send him home at the end of the season. Young Fox has started well, but got skinned a couple of times, a coaching requirement. This Summer needs to see a huge clearout, with at least some investment.
Bloodyhell Oohaah - you percentage is optimistic.. I reckon 65% -35% at this moment in time!
If Doncaster lose at Leicester, we are safe - let's call this a 70% probability.
If Charlton beat Watford, we are safe - let's call this a 35% probability.
Thus even ignoring all of the other ways we can stay up (eg. Birmingham failing to pick up at least two points, Millwall losing to Bournemouth, Charlton winning at Blackpool etc.), just based on the two facts above our probability of staying up must be at least 80%.
I felt a lot more comfortable after I looked at the odds as well.
I don't want to bet against Charlton, doesn't seem quite right. But on SkyBet I think for £5 you could get a £130 return. In all likelihood it will by Donny going down - so I was going to factor that on by placing a bet on Doncaster to go down, whilst calculating it so the return would be the initial bet + £5; cancelling out the Charlton bet when we stay up.
I think Doncaster are the most likely to finish below us given their last match, but I have a feeling Birmingham will go.
Even with their game in hand, like us? I'm not so sure, they may have lost 4 on the trot - but Wigan seem to be doing a great job of helping relegation threatened teams at the moment, although Bolton may present a bit of a fight. That said, if they can just manage one point their goal difference will see them good.
I can see Doncaster getting tonked to be honest; which would be a shame with Birmingham being the Millwall of the Midlands. That said, there was some feckin' ridiculous comments from the Doncaster fans after our replay game, and not to mention the cringey publicity stunts with the kid out of one direction.
It would be a little unfortunate if Doncaster go down and can point to the abandoned game being the difference. You would have to feel for them a bit! 2 defeats will send Brum down and the pressure on them must be enormous. Is Lee Clark the sort of manager you want in that situation. I’m not so sure.
It would be a little unfortunate if Doncaster go down and can point to the abandoned game being the difference. You would have to feel for them a bit! 2 defeats will send Brum down and the pressure on them must be enormous. Is Lee Clark the sort of manager you want in that situation. I’m not so sure.
If the abandoned Doncaster game had been played to completion and the score had remained 3-1, then the table would currently look as follows:
It would be a little unfortunate if Doncaster go down and can point to the abandoned game being the difference. You would have to feel for them a bit! 2 defeats will send Brum down and the pressure on them must be enormous. Is Lee Clark the sort of manager you want in that situation. I’m not so sure.
If the abandoned Doncaster game had been played to completion and the score had remained 3-1, then the table would currently look as follows:
It's really remarkable what a difference it could have made - what would the odds be of us staying up if the table looked like this?
I was at the Donny game, my first in 5 years, and 2 of their goals were down to the water in the goalmouth at the covered end so I don't feel too sorry for them as it was called off at HT and we would have been attacking that end 2nd half.
It would be a little unfortunate if Doncaster go down and can point to the abandoned game being the difference. You would have to feel for them a bit! 2 defeats will send Brum down and the pressure on them must be enormous. Is Lee Clark the sort of manager you want in that situation. I’m not so sure.
If the abandoned Doncaster game had been played to completion and the score had remained 3-1, then the table would currently look as follows:
It's really remarkable what a difference it could have made - what would the odds be of us staying up if the table looked like this?
I was at the Donny game, my first in 5 years, and 2 of their goals were down to the water in the goalmouth at the covered end so I don't feel too sorry for them as it was called off at HT and we would have been attacking that end 2nd half.
...and we'd just scored and they'd had a man sent off.
Viewfinder, I understand the general theme/s of your post but feel that some of your observations or criticisms are fairly simplistic and unwarranted.
For example Jordan Cousins is a technically sound player. To say he can't trap the ball is incorrect. He has been with us since he was 11 or 12 and during that time has represented his country at different age groups. He played for a number of seasons at right back before converting to centre midfield. He has been brought into a struggling team, devoid of confidence and has looked one of our more assured players. He has been asked to play in a position that he seems to not enjoy which brings added pressure. Yet, he does not hide or shirk. He doesn't only play the ball laterally. In fact he has shown his range of passing recently with a number of cross field ball and through balls and is a real danger to the opposition when running at them through midfield. You are too harsh on him.
You list a number of clubs and ask why they beat us. Surely that's a rhetorical question that any supporter of any club in the world will ask on a regular basis. Many factors contribute to losing a football match. We do not have a divine right to win any game and nor do any other team. We are currently competing in the Championship with a League one squad. We will be outplayed, out thought and out muscled. At times we will do that to other teams.
Why did we beat Doncaster, Brighton, QPR, Bournemouth, Yeovil, Leicester...?
I'm not sure of the relevance of the reference to losing to Luton a number of years ago.
Our academy has produced a number of quality players in the last twenty years or so. Rufus, Turner, Primus, Bowyer, Parker, Solly to name a few. I would not describe any of these as tippy tippy. Actually, aside from Harriott and Sam I'm not sure we really do tippy tally at all. I certainly wouldn't consider Cousins, Poyet or Fox to be so.
In response to your question re Barnsley I can name Steele, O'Grady, Dawson, M'Vutu and Crainie. But I am a bit of a football nerd.
I suppose another question should be how many Charlton players can supporters of other teams in the Championship name? I fear that would show how much we have fallen in recent times.
I think you've grasped my point, sirjohnhumphrey - most of the posters on CL have a vastly deluded overestimation of the quality of our players. Do you think the fans of the other lower-Championship teams puff up their players with all the unconditional love you give to ours? I look at other clubs' forums from time-to-time, and I never see the sort of sickly goo that gets trotted out here. Blind loyalty is not a particularly virtuous quality.
Oddly enough, the sanctification afforded to Chris Powell by many Lifers is precisely what he does not want. He is a very intelligent man: all his good work as the chairman of the Professional Footballers' Association is proof of that, and now his study for the UEFA coaching licence. By extension, he wants us, the fans, to question things, to be discerning, to expand our knowledge and vision. Around the time Powell took us up from League One, Norwich and Southampton came up too - and then shot straight through to the Prem with the same squads and without investment.
After the last home game of last season, against Bristol City, Powell came on to the pitch and apologised for the bad football we had endured for nine months: he was actually in tears. And it was bad, mostly even worse than this season - yet there's a vast constituency here that waves the flag and shouts proudly: "We finished ninth." Perhaps some people forget that only a few weeks from the end we were in very serious danger of being relegated.
Riga has improved us slightly - we are more mobile and more positive. But the standard of play remains dire: poor in the most basic of skills. I got chatting to a couple of fellows after a game recently: it was their first time at The Valley and they asked me, full of curiosity: "Why can't you pass to each other?"
Fook me. There's so much incorrect information there, I haven't got the time to bother.
If you're gonna keep ranting at least try and get some correct facts.
Viewfinder, I understand the general theme/s of your post but feel that some of your observations or criticisms are fairly simplistic and unwarranted.
For example Jordan Cousins is a technically sound player. To say he can't trap the ball is incorrect. He has been with us since he was 11 or 12 and during that time has represented his country at different age groups. He played for a number of seasons at right back before converting to centre midfield. He has been brought into a struggling team, devoid of confidence and has looked one of our more assured players. He has been asked to play in a position that he seems to not enjoy which brings added pressure. Yet, he does not hide or shirk. He doesn't only play the ball laterally. In fact he has shown his range of passing recently with a number of cross field ball and through balls and is a real danger to the opposition when running at them through midfield. You are too harsh on him.
You list a number of clubs and ask why they beat us. Surely that's a rhetorical question that any supporter of any club in the world will ask on a regular basis. Many factors contribute to losing a football match. We do not have a divine right to win any game and nor do any other team. We are currently competing in the Championship with a League one squad. We will be outplayed, out thought and out muscled. At times we will do that to other teams.
Why did we beat Doncaster, Brighton, QPR, Bournemouth, Yeovil, Leicester...?
I'm not sure of the relevance of the reference to losing to Luton a number of years ago.
Our academy has produced a number of quality players in the last twenty years or so. Rufus, Turner, Primus, Bowyer, Parker, Solly to name a few. I would not describe any of these as tippy tippy. Actually, aside from Harriott and Sam I'm not sure we really do tippy tally at all. I certainly wouldn't consider Cousins, Poyet or Fox to be so.
In response to your question re Barnsley I can name Steele, O'Grady, Dawson, M'Vutu and Crainie. But I am a bit of a football nerd.
I suppose another question should be how many Charlton players can supporters of other teams in the Championship name? I fear that would show how much we have fallen in recent times.
I think you've grasped my point, sirjohnhumphrey - most of the posters on CL have a vastly deluded overestimation of the quality of our players. Do you think the fans of the other lower-Championship teams puff up their players with all the unconditional love you give to ours? I look at other clubs' forums from time-to-time, and I never see the sort of sickly goo that gets trotted out here. Blind loyalty is not a particularly virtuous quality.
Oddly enough, the sanctification afforded to Chris Powell by many Lifers is precisely what he does not want. He is a very intelligent man: all his good work as the chairman of the Professional Footballers' Association is proof of that, and now his study for the UEFA coaching licence. By extension, he wants us, the fans, to question things, to be discerning, to expand our knowledge and vision. Around the time Powell took us up from League One, Norwich and Southampton came up too - and then shot straight through to the Prem with the same squads and without investment.
After the last home game of last season, against Bristol City, Powell came on to the pitch and apologised for the bad football we had endured for nine months: he was actually in tears. And it was bad, mostly even worse than this season - yet there's a vast constituency here that waves the flag and shouts proudly: "We finished ninth." Perhaps some people forget that only a few weeks from the end we were in very serious danger of being relegated.
Riga has improved us slightly - we are more mobile and more positive. But the standard of play remains dire: poor in the most basic of skills. I got chatting to a couple of fellows after a game recently: it was their first time at The Valley and they asked me, full of curiosity: "Why can't you pass to each other?"
I did grasp your point but didn't agree with much of what you wrote. I think you have a very simplistic view of the game and expect to see almost perfect football all the time.
I don't think most posters in here overestimate our player quality. I would argue that most are very honest and realistic in their comments and expectations. We are currently relatively excited about a couple of our younger players.
People go to football to support their team. This will include applauding some basic actions such as passing the ball ten yards. This is not necessarily in recognition of the skill involved, more encouraging them to keep passing the ball well.
You will see mistakes at our games because we are currently not a very good team and confidence is fragile.
Keep supporting them though and hopefully things will improve in time.
Comments
Very good point actually. Although I felt the reaction by us against Blackburn was mostly positive.
For example Jordan Cousins is a technically sound player. To say he can't trap the ball is incorrect. He has been with us since he was 11 or 12 and during that time has represented his country at different age groups. He played for a number of seasons at right back before converting to centre midfield. He has been brought into a struggling team, devoid of confidence and has looked one of our more assured players. He has been asked to play in a position that he seems to not enjoy which brings added pressure. Yet, he does not hide or shirk. He doesn't only play the ball laterally. In fact he has shown his range of passing recently with a number of cross field ball and through balls and is a real danger to the opposition when running at them through midfield.
You are too harsh on him.
You list a number of clubs and ask why they beat us. Surely that's a rhetorical question that any supporter of any club in the world will ask on a regular basis. Many factors contribute to losing a football match. We do not have a divine right to win any game and nor do any other team. We are currently competing in the Championship with a League one squad. We will be outplayed, out thought and out muscled. At times we will do that to other teams.
Why did we beat Doncaster, Brighton, QPR, Bournemouth, Yeovil, Leicester...?
I'm not sure of the relevance of the reference to losing to Luton a number of years ago.
Our academy has produced a number of quality players in the last twenty years or so. Rufus, Turner, Primus, Bowyer, Parker, Solly to name a few. I would not describe any of these as tippy tippy. Actually, aside from Harriott and Sam I'm not sure we really do tippy tally at all. I certainly wouldn't consider Cousins, Poyet or Fox to be so.
In response to your question re Barnsley I can name Steele, O'Grady, Dawson, M'Vutu and Crainie. But I am a bit of a football nerd.
I suppose another question should be how many Charlton players can supporters of other teams in the Championship name? I fear that would show how much we have fallen in recent times.
But what I can't deal with is someone who won't concede that there are some positives to be taken from our current situation....Someone who rubbishes everything about the Club he purports to follow. NOTHING is black or white- he obviously hasn't heard that grey is the new black...
And to refer to his fellow supporters as possessing "daft conceit" & their encouragement being "sickening" takes the biscuit. What right has he to judge others & speak so disparagingly of them ?
His opinion of our Academy is also a revelation. Allegedly, we breed " weak, peripheral players " !! If I had their numbers, I'd point a certain Jonjo Shelvey, together with Scott Parker, Carl Jenkinson & Jermaine Defoe in his direction....oh and not to forget young Gus ! Maybe they could have a word to persuade him otherwise.
I am sick of reading the bile emanating from his posts - if he's on a wind up , then he's succeeded in my case. Of course, there's a lot wrong at our Club at this precise moment in time - my specs have distinctly lost their rosy hue at times this season - but to paint a picture so depressing & so lacking in hope and criticising EVERY cog in the Charlton machinery is just plain wrong.
So, who is this Lifer ? Will he be picking up the Lifetime Supporter award next Sunday ? Why is he still bothering to watch this ragtag bunch of no hopers when he clearly knows what's coming ?
Answers on a pc, please & I'll forward any comments to this "wordsworth". Actually, I have an idea where to find him .....
Of course he'll be at The Valley for his interview for either our next manager or for the No 1 post at the Academy when it becomes vacant!
No wait ! He'll definitely be able to handle BOTH with one of those "tippy tappy " hands tied firmly behind his back !!
Rant over .
Clearly some folk just love to be negative - feel sorry for them.
Saw some positives yesterday - some folk have lolled my posts because they hate Church & Reza and always will. That's their choice.
Have faith, this game is about money and we haven't had any - things CAN get better and soon - and will.
Please, all of you, get to The Valley on Tuesday night and get behind the lads.
I was pleased to see the crowd applaud the players off both at HT & at FT.
If we sign Poyet then that would definitely send out positive signals.
We want to see CAFC in the Premiership again and we can only get there if we have the best players. - that simple. Time will tell whether RD has such aims in mind or can finance the charge to get there.
Oddly enough, the sanctification afforded to Chris Powell by many Lifers is precisely what he does not want. He is a very intelligent man: all his good work as the chairman of the Professional Footballers' Association is proof of that, and now his study for the UEFA coaching licence. By extension, he wants us, the fans, to question things, to be discerning, to expand our knowledge and vision. Around the time Powell took us up from League One, Norwich and Southampton came up too - and then shot straight through to the Prem with the same squads and without investment.
After the last home game of last season, against Bristol City, Powell came on to the pitch and apologised for the bad football we had endured for nine months: he was actually in tears. And it was bad, mostly even worse than this season - yet there's a vast constituency here that waves the flag and shouts proudly: "We finished ninth." Perhaps some people forget that only a few weeks from the end we were in very serious danger of being relegated.
Riga has improved us slightly - we are more mobile and more positive. But the standard of play remains dire: poor in the most basic of skills. I got chatting to a couple of fellows after a game recently: it was their first time at The Valley and they asked me, full of curiosity: "Why can't you pass to each other?"
The only two things that matter for the club are staying up and a radical improvement to the squad over the summer. I sincerely hope part 1 occurs on Tuesday.
I have no inside knowledge but it sounds like Ajdarevic might have glandular fever or something similar? IMHO he puts in a decent 50 minutes and more than happy for him to be subbed then. the other players are getting older and better and every week we are getting closer to a c. 30% change in the first team squad.
The bottom line is that we shouldn't be fighting it out with clubs that have 10,000 fans and stadia not much bigger. The owners knew what was needed to repeat a finish of 8th - 12th but they refused to buy in older talent to see us through.
They knew how good the current younsters were like Poyet, Cousins and what they also knew is the quality of the next batch who have just won the U18 league yet again. Not saying we are too good to be there, just that the previous owners either refused or were unable to paper over the cracks...
One can have a pop at them but they are gone now and in their three years they bought a new squad, recruited Chris Powell and Paul Hart, and of course saw us move up a division. From various comments it appears they probably lost £5M in the process. Yep that's right we pay our ST money and buy the odd beer, coffee and programme but they have lost millions on the deal.
Oddly enough, the sanctification afforded to Chris Powell by many Lifers is precisely what he does not want. He is a very intelligent man: all his good work as the chairman of the Professional Footballers' Association is proof of that, and now his study for the UEFA coaching licence. By extension, he wants us, the fans, to question things, to be discerning, to expand our knowledge and vision. Around the time Powell took us up from League One, Norwich and Southampton came up too - and then shot straight through to the Prem with the same squads and without investment.
After the last home game of last season, against Bristol City, Powell came on to the pitch and apologised for the bad football we had endured for nine months: he was actually in tears. And it was bad, mostly even worse than this season - yet there's a vast constituency here that waves the flag and shouts proudly: "We finished ninth." Perhaps some people forget that only a few weeks from the end we were in very serious danger of being relegated.
Riga has improved us slightly - we are more mobile and more positive. But the standard of play remains dire: poor in the most basic of skills. I got chatting to a couple of fellows after a game recently: it was their first time at The Valley and they asked me, full of curiosity: "Why can't you pass to each other?"
Norwich and Southampton were not promoted with us and they both signed a fair amount of players and spent money to achieve promotion. Huddersfield and Wednesday were promoted with us. All three of us are still in the division.
Blackburn put the foot to the floor every so often and cruised past us , we have too many players not good enough
Anyway it's too depressing thinking about that but it's all about Tuesday and for once can our support as suggested above get behind the team unconditionally for the whole 90 mins not for ten mins and then flat cos we haven't scored some goals or the opposition are tearing us a new one
Come on Charlton bores get a personality , throw the rugs away and sing , scream and shout for your team , bounce a bit , it will prolly make no difference but it's better than nothing and I'm sure it's better than hearing the collective groans as another shit pass goes to the oppo
90% Championship football for another season hoooorah
10% Wassamatter Roland boooooooo
sentimental hedge time !
If Doncaster lose at Leicester, we are safe - let's call this a 70% probability.
If Charlton beat Watford, we are safe - let's call this a 35% probability.
Thus even ignoring all of the other ways we can stay up (eg. Birmingham failing to pick up at least two points, Millwall losing to Bournemouth, Charlton winning at Blackpool etc.), just based on the two facts above our probability of staying up must be at least 80%.
In reality it's well in excess of 90%.
She may not be referring to his cardiovascular qualities.....
Blackpool 0.7
Charlton 3.4
Millwall 8.7
Birmingham 29.9
Doncaster 57.4
I don't want to bet against Charlton, doesn't seem quite right. But on SkyBet I think for £5 you could get a £130 return. In all likelihood it will by Donny going down - so I was going to factor that on by placing a bet on Doncaster to go down, whilst calculating it so the return would be the initial bet + £5; cancelling out the Charlton bet when we stay up.
I can see Doncaster getting tonked to be honest; which would be a shame with Birmingham being the Millwall of the Midlands. That said, there was some feckin' ridiculous comments from the Doncaster fans after our replay game, and not to mention the cringey publicity stunts with the kid out of one direction.
One draw and one loss would give us a 1 in 45 chance of being relegated and two draws means a 1 in 1000 chance of playing in League One next year.
Three points or more from our two games and we are safe.
Doncaster P45 Pts 47 GD -26
Blackpool P 45 Pts 46 GD -25
Millwall P45 Pts 45 GD -29
Birmingham P44 Pts 43 GD -15
----
Charlton P44 Pts 42 GD -29
Barnsley P45 Pts 39 GD -32
Yeovil P45 Pts 37 GD -28
It's really remarkable what a difference it could have made - what would the odds be of us staying up if the table looked like this?
If you're gonna keep ranting at least try and get some correct facts.