can't remember the reason he left us, i think, midway through the season but remember thinking what a good signing for us. could have been one of the best if he'd stayed?
Murphy kish and smert were a decent midfield until it all came crashinh down
At this point this was down to Curbs 1) losing interest/believing his own hype (England job etc) and 2) very poor man-management, I'm afraid.
With a manager that played to that squad's strength, we could have had our best ever finish imo. That midfield with Rommedahl and Bent should not have been ordered to play 10-man defend after our first handful of great wins (especially taking into account the football we played in those early games).
That was the year we won our first 6 on the bounce wasn't it?
Smertin was a good player. The fact he turned up at Fulham 6 months after leaving us though means he is a massive toss pot. Was not happy.
We won our first 5 away games, but we were playing the best football I've ever seen at Charlton during that run. The first half at West Brom was unbelievable - unfortunately it all started going wrong when we were 2-0 up and started showboating, we won the game if memory serves but we were nowhere in the second half and we never reached the same levels again.
Didn't it all go wrong for Murphy when he took his 'Christmas card' against Liverpool was it?
We had a fantastic midfield at that time with Smertin. I thought we looked really good, but it didn't seem to last long. Smertin went off to Russia (cos he was missing the cold or something) if I recall correctly and Murphy went off the boil when he didn't get picked for England.
Sunderland 3-1 Middlesborough 3-0 Brum 1-0 West Brom 2-1 ("It's just like watching Brazil" sung with genuine gusto in first half) Pompey 2-1
All went wrong when we played defensive at the next away game and lost 1-0 at Villa due to an Andersson cock up. Curbs inexplicably dropped Murphy that day and he was never the same again culminating in the worst performance ever seen from him at Wigan away (0-3) before he got sent off against Liverpool or Arsenal at Xmas time.
That was the best football I have ever seen a Charlton team play in my 46 years of watching, especially the 1-0 massacre of Wigan and unbelievable 3-2 defeat at home to Spurs when coasting at 2-0 before a freak Sol Campbell goal changed the course of the game. Darren Bent was on fire at the time.
Sunderland 3-1 Middlesborough 3-0 Brum 1-0 West Brom 2-1 ("It's just like watching Brazil" sung with genuine gusto in first half) Pompey 2-1
All went wrong when we played defensive at the next away game and lost 1-0 at Villa due to an Andersson cock up. Curbs inexplicably dropped Murphy that day and he was never the same again culminating in the worst performance ever seen from him at Wigan away (0-3) before he got sent off against Liverpool or Arsenal at Xmas time.
That was the best football I have ever seen a Charlton team play in my 46 years of watching, especially the 1-0 massacre of Wigan and unbelievable 3-2 defeat at home to Spurs when coasting at 2-0 before a freak Sol Campbell goal changed the course of the game. Darren Bent was on fire at the time.
It wasn't inexplicable - Murphy was poor at Pompey and gave up when he didn't get the England call.
Comments
With a manager that played to that squad's strength, we could have had our best ever finish imo. That midfield with Rommedahl and Bent should not have been ordered to play 10-man defend after our first handful of great wins (especially taking into account the football we played in those early games).
A real waste.
Rommedahl (who was looking a real player that season), Murphy, Kish (holding), Smertin, Ambrose (who was also looking good).
Smertin was a good player. The fact he turned up at Fulham 6 months after leaving us though means he is a massive toss pot. Was not happy.
Didn't it all go wrong for Murphy when he took his 'Christmas card' against Liverpool was it?
Sunderland 3-1
Middlesborough 3-0
Brum 1-0
West Brom 2-1 ("It's just like watching Brazil" sung with genuine gusto in first half)
Pompey 2-1
All went wrong when we played defensive at the next away game and lost 1-0 at Villa due to an Andersson cock up. Curbs inexplicably dropped Murphy that day and he was never the same again culminating in the worst performance ever seen from him at Wigan away (0-3) before he got sent off against Liverpool or Arsenal at Xmas time.
That was the best football I have ever seen a Charlton team play in my 46 years of watching, especially the 1-0 massacre of Wigan and unbelievable 3-2 defeat at home to Spurs when coasting at 2-0 before a freak Sol Campbell goal changed the course of the game. Darren Bent was on fire at the time.