Champions !

Flying High ! Our Lord and Master........Sir Chris Powell

Lo it came to pass, the Messiah returned to S.E. 7 and it truly was Heaven.

What a fantastic day on Saturday and for once, it went according to the script if not, indeed, scriptures !

It had to be like that as senior ANEM reporter Clive, will not be at the Valley on May 5th and would have missed a chance to celebrate. Why won't he be there ? A good question and I'm glad you asked. Well you've only got yourself to blame if :-

a) your better half is booking your holiday

b) you're not really paying attention when she tells you the date

A + B = disaster ! Oh dear !

Never mind, as we know it doesn't matter as much now that the lads have done the necessary. I always felt we'd keep our part of the bargain in beating Wycombe and also felt that MK Dons would at least get a draw against the Blades. United were always going to struggle, not so much that Evans wasn't playing, more the circumstances that surrounded his omission and the impact that was and is going to have on the club as a whole. The ramifications of that may continue for some time to come.     

Anyway, I digress and we shouldn't fuss or bother over other clubs. What Sir Chris and the team and the whole club has achieved has been absolutely fantastic. This is a season that will live long in the memory. Many records have been broken and may be one more too that would be nice but I won't worry too much if we don't.

Saturday was pretty perfect and the weather too, played its part. A few leisurely beers in the Liberal club before the game helped put us in the party mood and we weren't to be let down.

I could review some player performances with some negative thoughts on a couple of the lads but it seems rather churlish. I will just say how immense Yann was yet again. I, like most others it appears, have cast my player of the year vote for Chris Solly. This was based on his consistent, excellent performances. Allied to that is his gritty determination and no little amount of skill. Solly being home grown had a lot to do with it too.

Many players in any other year would have won player of the year and Yann almost certainly would. I can't imagine where we would have been without him. His has truly been outstanding. He runs his socks off, his heading and first touch are second to none and he takes a mean free kick. There you go and I've not even mentioned the never say die approach of probably the league's most fouled man !

As we seek to build for next season Yann is a player we most definitely need to keep. We'll do well to keep the wolves ( could be the club too ! ) from the door for a number of players. We also live in fear that someone might try and tempt Sir Chris away of course.

The foundations for our success has been laid in our defence and that was acknowledged with 3 of our back 5 in the PFA's League One team. Given what's happened why a certain Blades player was included beggars belief. That aside it was good to see Skip included......we all know how valuable he is to our team.

Post match and all the celebrations, and yes, a few more tears, it was back to the Liberal Club. The place was rocking to We Are The Champions. After a swift beer it was off to Greenwich. We went to the Spanish Galleon, a Shepherd Neame pub and so a few Spitfires were in order. The pub has an in house chip shop too, Ketts would have been in his element ! We didn't eat there but it looked very nice fayre. Plans are in place to visit Greenwich again after the Hartlepool game. 

Docklands light railway sped us onto London Euston via Bank. Back in Milton Keynes a visit to our favourite curry house completed a rather special day.

What a day, what a season and it's not finished yet ! There's so much to reflect on and I feel that may need to be done at a later date. Suffice to say we finally again have a manager and team to be proud of.

Thank you ! 

Are We There Yet ?

Hopefully we will secure the title tomorrow and will be helped if the referee's a homer

Three to go then and all being well and right with the world then we'll wrap up the title following last week's promotion. We really ought to keep our part of the bargain and MK Dons have every incentive to at least stop the Blades from winning. It shouldn't be overlooked that the 12 good men and true may also have some say in events.

Sadly, no Doherty for the Chairboys ( wouldn't have minded see him lumbering round the Valley turf one last time ! ) despite the moaning from Ben Strevens et al. No good doing that, it was, as is customary, part of the loan deal. If they get relegated at the end of the season then it won't be on the strength of tomorrow's result alone will it ? I've no real wish to see Wycombe go down and have nothing against BBC's Bill whatshisface who supports them, this is just how it is and I want to see my boys complete the job on Saturday.

It'll be good to see Grant Basey playing at the Valley again, I bet there was a time when he thought might never happen again. I don't believe that Wycombe are bringing that many tomorrow despite their proximity to SE7 or the importance of the game to them.

One assumes the same starting eleven and bench as per last week barring injuries and illness. With the pressure of promotion off the lads ti'd be nice to see them go out and put on a polished performance, scoring many in a free flowing display of quality football. They couldn't have asked for a better opportunity to do so.

I know we're getting greedy now but hopefully with the title in the bag come 5.55pm or whenever the game finally completes then it'd be great to go on and beat Fulham's record league one tally of points.......think it's 101.

My wishes for tomorrow clearly outlined then with just one more if I can.............please God, can player of the year Solly score ? I don't care how, a Sir Chris special off the knee will suit me fine, it'll just complete a rather special season !

Come On You Reds !

Gary Doherty Will Not Playing for Wycombe On Saturday.....

" Oh bugger ! "

One Small Step For Yann, One Giant Leap For Our Club

I was going to make a joke about a wooden step in the corner of a field that doesn't belong to me but that's not my stile.........

I'm typing this quietly as I know there'll be a few sore heads today that won't appreciate a lot of noise.

There have been a few times when Charlton Athletic has made me shed a tear or two, yesterday was one such occasion. What ultimately made me do that was seeing our fans stream on the Brunton Park pitch. It happened again when I heard and saw Sir Chris give his interviews. This is what football is about, not so much the success, God knows we're aware of that ! No, it's the emotions, memories, passion that your club can evoke. 

Other occasions include the return to The Valley, the play-off final and our first relegation from the Prem. I wasn't so upset the second time for some reason, probably because it was a long time in coming, similarly with for our following descent into the third tier.

Sir Chris paraphrased Neil Armstrong in it being one small step for our club but a giant leap forward, he is so right. Everything he said and did after the game was typical Chris Powell..........pure class and you find yourself agreeing with every word. He even summed up my feelings by referring to how the fans who were not there would be feeling....what a man. Just when you think you couldn't love him any more than you do already !!

Mr Powell took his time to shake the hand of Greg Abbott and the other Carlisle staff before going on to celebrate. He really knows how to conduct himself and sets such a great example........I wonder if Mr Megson was watching ?

Yesterday was just reward especially for all those who made the long trip up to Carlisle and had invested in a train ticket or made plans to be there some time ago. Well done to you all.......I'm very jealous and like many others wished I'd been there too of course.

For the second away game running I followed events on twitter and think I will continue to do so as it again resulted in a win. That victory at Oldham was a vital one and its significance isn't lost on any Addicks fan I'm sure. A number of folk had long predicted promotion at Carlisle and how right they were. Something had to give with one of the Sheffields and it did so at Colchester yesterday.

I've only seen the customary brief highlights from the football league show and know little of the game but suffice to say we scored, they didn't and the Owls could only draw. The rock and indeed foundation that is our defence again stood firm and another clean sheet.

What a truly magnificent season this has been and I doubt any of us has seen the like. So many away wins, so few defeats, so many clean sheets........it could be a long time, if ever, before we witness that again !

To clinch promotion this early means that the club can start making plans for next season's campaign........it's never too soon ! We can all relax a bit although there's a league title to be secured first of course. We really need to do that. Again this could be completed at home next Saturday and how marvelous that would be.

Sir Chris has been superb in galvanising the whole club, not just the playing staff and his team ethos has worked wonders. We were already proud to support such a great club but he has enhanced that.

My brother went to watch Leicester City a couple of seasons ago with his Foxes supporting mate. Wearing his Charlton hat my brother passed Sir Chris, " you're in the wrong place " quipped Sir Chris........." no, I think you are ! " replied my brother.

Well, thankfully Sir Chris is now very much in the right place and long may it continue !

Yippee !

Sometimes a blog just writes itself !!!

Happy Days

Carlisle - the home of Ken Dodd

Those Addicks travelling up to Carlisle will, of course, be happy as the team is top of the league. This is increased not only by our current position and the recent history of promotion success associated with Brunton Park but that Carlisle has just been voted the happiest place to live in England.

However, given this week's news of injuries to two of their players allied to a recent dip in form, the natives level of happiness will no doubt have dropped down a notch or two. Sadly for the Blues top scorer Lee Miller ( 14 league goals 2011-12 ) and Chris Chantler have both been ruled out for the season. As a result some United fans have written off the club's play-off chances. I'm sure the rest of the squad and manager, Greg Abbott won't have done.

Carlisle is the birthplace of the custard cream but it's a ginger nut in the form of Jordan Cook who'll pose the biggest threat on Saturday. Cook is on loan from Sunderland and has been their most impressive player in recent weeks.

I fully expect Carlisle to be up for it as one can't imagine they'll give up now having come so close. Not only that the other clubs around them still face some tough fixtures.

They have some experienced players on their books in the shape of Tony Caig ( remember him ), Graham Kavanagh and JP McGovern. Mind you they are mostly used in a coaching capacity these days but Kavanagh or JP may be called into service at some stage.

We have of course beaten United twice this season with a comfortable 4-0 in the league and an equally untroubled 2-0 win in the FA Cup with a weakened side that saw Jason Euell score probably his last ever goal for us. The league fixture saw goalkeeper Collin gift us the fourth goal.......a repeat of that at the weekend would be most welcome.

That counts for nothing on Saturday of course and we'll need to be at our best to overcome a decent side for whom Abbott has worked wonders in my view. A win would be great of course especially given how nervy our boys have been at home of late but a draw would be fine by me.

As ever one can't see Sir Chris making many changes. He may opt to bring back Wagstaff for N'Guessan and leave the rest of the side as it was against Walsall. I'd bring back Green if fit and have N'Guessan start ahead of BWP. In addition, I'd have Cook on the left with Hughes replacing Stephens to partner Jackson in midfield. 

Please, please, please can we have a decent ref ? God knows we're long overdue one. There must be one somewhere. What ever happened to Jurnal Singh ? He was one of my favourites as we always seemed to do well when he officiated our games. 

Good luck to all those Addicks making the very long trip up there. Let's hope the lads get the three points, play well and send you all home.............happy !

Come On You Reds !

Come On You Reds !

The successful Solly, wearing red of course

Premier League

1st. Manchester United

Championship

1st. Southampton

League One

1st. Charlton Athletic

League Two

1st. Swindon Town

We've always known it of course..............successful teams wear red.

Come On You Reds !

Hard Slog

Players leaving the boundary Park pitch on Saturday

Obviously Saturday's vital win took a lot out of our boys. Sadly we never really got going yesterday against a side we'd realistically expect to turn over quite comfortably. However, they have proved hard to beat of late and as I said, Saturday was a draining experience.

Although the three members of the ANEM team left feeling a bit deflated after the game, I guess the saying that the result is everything is what we must hold on to. Nerves, as well as physical and mental fatigue are no doubt playing their part.

Yann was his usual self and was full of running whilst getting hacked on a frequent basis. Player of the year, Solly, again turned in a polished performance and dealt with whatever came his way. In fact, the defence as a whole was its usual efficient self and one couldn't really see Walsall scoring.

I believe that Stephens had a good game on Saturday, however, he was largely anonymous yesterday and for me isn't deserving of his place at present. Pritchard continues to impress seemingly to have more time on the ball than most. He is calm, rarely panics and makes good, simple use of the ball.

BWP had another poor game for me. No excuse of tiredness for him. He had two or three poor attempts at goal. In addition, he also seems to be caught offside all too often. He needs to work on that and generally work harder if things aren't going for him. At present N'Guessan should start ahead of him as Yann's strike partner.

The midfield remains the one problem area in the team. It shouldn't be with the players we have now. Jackson should partner Hollands ( when not suspended ) or Hughes or Pritchard in midfield with Cook left and Green / Wagstaff on the right. It appears clear to me so why we don't see it I don't know.

I was again frustrated by the use of the subs yesterday. BWP for the second home game running should have come off a lot earlier leaving Haynes to attack a tiring defence. Stephens should have been replaced by Hughes too. Sir Chris needs to appreciate and learn that as I feel we've got away with our poor employment of the subs.

I shouldn't moan really as we are in a position that all other League One teams would love to be in. It's just that we can make life so much easier for ourselves and we do need to look to next season when, if we do go up, the oppo won't be so forgiving.

Carlisle's recent faltering hasn't helped us in my view. I had hoped that they would have cemented their play-off spot by now. We travel up there next Saturday in the hope that we can keep them quiet and that nerves will get the better of them. We have played better away from home this season so let's hope another good display will bring home the 3 points. 

In reality 4 points from the remaining 4 games should be enough see us promoted automatically. I'd love it if we could seal that at home to Wycombe. I can't see either of the Sheffields losing any time soon so the title will have to wait a while longer.

The ideal scenario is promotion secured at home to Wycombe, the title away to Preston, leaving the final game at home to Hartlepool for a big celebration. However, this is Charlton Athletic F C............ !!!

   

That's Champion !

Trevor Kettle, as always making blood rather than water boil

For the third consecutive Saturday the Addicks were presented with another incompetent official. Looking at the number of cards dished out you'd assume it was a dirty game with players at each other's throats all afternoon. Look at the highlights and listen to the views of all those present and you'll soon realise that this was far from the case.

The dismissal of Wagstaff was probably the icing on the cake. One wishes he did show more aggression so when I heard he'd gone too it only served to confirm what I was reading. 

Appropriately, for the first time, I followed the game via Twitter. It was with great trepidation that I clicked on the latest tweet as each time I was fearing another booking or dismissal. There were only two that gave me any joy.........Yann's goal and the final whistle.

Surely someone should be reviewing the performance of these officials. I read early on how bad the pitch was and yet Kettle didn't seem to take that into account. Nor did he consider that it wasn't a dirty game. All he did was ruin it as a spectacle for the paying public.

Fortunately the lads put in a Champions performance and came away with the 3 points. Possibly the most important 3 points of the season. This will enhance self-belief and is a major step forward as we seek to get over the line.

We all love Sir Chris of course and his post match interviews were both emotional and dignified. No over the top ranting about Kettle but wholesome, sincere praise of " my players " and " my club ". What class, what passion, what a man !

With both the Sheffields winning this was a vital win. Victory over the Saddlers tomorrow would be another massive step towards promotion. Again it really is another must win game as Carlisle will prove to be a very tough fixture.

Walsall are battling against relegation and come to the Valley in fine form. It won't be easy. They've lost only once in their last 12 games to put themselves 4 points above the relegation zone. In Emmanuel Ledesma they possess a real goal scoring threat from midfield. The talented Argentinian bagged a brace yesterday against Chesterfield.

 I don't believe that the recent display of red cards will hurt us that much. If anything it will help force Sir Chris's hand in making the changes that he's been reluctant to make on occasion. 

Hopefully Green will be fit enough to come in and play on the right, a change I'd have made anyway. Hollands should have been rested yesterday in my view and now of course will miss the next three matches. If Skip is fit to return then he can play in central midfield alongside Hughes or Pritchard. 

I'm N'Guessan ( ho ! ho ! ) that BWP will return in place of Dany up front. I say that only because that's what I believe Sir Chris will do. If so, let's hope that Bradley is truly up for it. He always carries a goal threat but on occasion doesn't work hard enough for me. 

It would be good if Haynes is fit to return to the bench as I like the look of him and his pace will always be a threat. 

A win tomorrow would really make it a happy Easter. Let's hope the lads can deliver that before we see out the season with the remaining games mercifully being on Saturdays.

One final wish for tomorrow..........please can the powers that be find us 3 competent officials, surely there must be some.

Come On You Reds !

     

Boundary Dispute

Oldham Athletic Club Badge

Sir Patrick Moore

The drought has meant I've had to cancel my plans for colonic irrigation this weekend.....damn ! Looks like I'm not the only one disappointed as the owl and Paddy look like they could use a bit of that too.

Oop north again on Saturday then as The Addicks head into the final six games. We are saddled ( geddit ? ) with two games in three days as we face Walsall on Easter Monday. Oldham don't score many but have proved hard to beat at home. However, we really ought to win this game for the same reasons that I felt we'd overcome The O's relatively easily last Saturday. Oldham played in midweek and are not a great side despite having the erudite Dickov for a manager !

The Latics occupy 14th place in the table but do have cause for concern that they may get dragged into the relegation dogfight especially in light of their recent form. They will be battling hard for a win I've no doubt. Looks like they'll have to do that without Taylor who got injured on Tuesday. 

As for us I guess we'll see an unchanged starting eleven and probably bench too. If it were down to me I'd bring in Jackson, if fit, to play in central midfield alongside Hughes whilst dropping Hollands and Stephens. Hollands purely for the rest and Stephens because he's been poor for some time now.

For me Cook and Green or Wagstaff as the wide men. The defence remains the same. I'd have N'Guessan starting ahead of BWP. However, as I said that's me not Sir Chris and I think he'll retain the same players. 

I do hope he doesn't do that and in addition, makes better use of the subs. I keep banging on about that but sadly it doesn't seem to change. Someone does need to have a word in his shell-like. 

With Huddersfield winning in midweek it's getting very tight behind us, however, that won't matter at all as long as we keep on winning. Two wins over these next two games will go a long way to not only securing promotion but also the title.

Congratulations to Sir Tom Finney whose 90th birthday is being celebrated at Preston on Saturday. Well done to him on reaching the full ninety........let's hope there's plenty of time added on.

Well done too to all those Addicks making the long trip to Oldham. I hope you're rewarded firstly with the 3 points and secondly a good performance from our boys.

Come On You Reds !

1984 ?

I believe the tache is meant to be more Hitler than Chaplin

Well, at least now I know I have one regular reader as some poor sap in GCHQ is forced to read this just to ensure I'm not planning to put a whoopee cushion under Her Majesty or anything. They'll be monitoring for subliminal messages so I need to be careful. No mention of our aerial threat, Morrison launching the ball into the box or Green bombing down the wing.

Saturday saw a return to winning ways and in the early stages also the positive, attacking play that was the hallmark of our early season play. I thought we were going to go goal crazy but sadly the imbecile of a referee put paid to that. 

I'm not sure about BWP's penalty appeal and saw nothing wrong with Cort's " goal ". In both cases though if he felt he was correct then Brown should have booked both, surely ? The bloke seemed to love it, the worse he got the more he seemed to be enjoying himself. You can be sure he was bullied as a child.

An early goal from Wagstaff settled everyone down although a second was always going to be necessary as the anticipated avalanche of goals just didn't happen. Orient kept plugging away largely without success but Spring was always threatening to create something via his intelligent and thoughtful passing. 

Lisbie and Mooney, in particular, had games to forget. Mooney seemed out to prove a point and did so in confirming our thoughts about him........he hasn't been missed.

Yann was his typical industrious self but not as effective as usual in large part due to the close attention he received from a surprisingly at times physical Orient. With little to no protection from referee Brown this was no surprise.

The bits in between the goals were largely forgettable aside from both keepers making a couple of good saves. Rachubka made a double save with one effort from Cook who according to the BBC highlights was impersonating Solly.......really, some people will do anything to receive the player of the year award !

Late sub N'Gueussan duly dispatched Cook's quality cross to put the game beyond any doubt and to send us all home happy.

It's interesting to read various views on Cook and Wagstaff. I do believe that different standards are applied when reviewing their performances. I thought Cook did well and had a pretty good game delivering some good crosses not least for the second goal of course. Wagstaff did okay.......for him. And there's the nub of the matter.....by Wagstaff's standards. He ran a lot as always, got into a good position to score an easy goal and credit where it's due, he was there to put it away. I suspect that there's a greater weight of expectation for Cook.

I still prefer Green on the right, whilst not great and he does lack consistency, Danny is the better, more attack minded player with the ability to produce a good cross on most occasions. He also carries a threat from set pieces. 

Stephens wasn't very good again and often got in Hollands' way. Danny himself looked tired and probably needs a rest. If Skip is fit, then why not play him in his best position which is central midfield alongside Hughes or Pritchard with Cook on the left and Wagstaff or Green on the right. That gives the midfield a much improved look about it.

I remain frustrated by Sir Chris's use of the subs. BWP should have come off after at best 60 minutes. Our leading goal scoring didn't look up for it as he often does on occasions and you know it's not going to be his day. N'Guessan is clearly a good striker, will cause problems and in my view deserves a start on Saturday......I know he won't get it though.

Sir Chris was, I hope, watching Man Utd last night and he would have seen a positive and timely use of the subs from Sir Alex. 

Sir Chris is like Curbs was in the early Prem days and is remaining too loyal to some members of the team. It's not necessarily a case of dropping one or two so much giving them a rest as I suggest with Hollands.

Saturday's opponents, Oldham are playing tonight and the odd suspension or two for them would be most welcome. Again you'd like to think that they'll be a little jaded from that thus making our task a little easier come the weekend.

Six to go then and we really ought to be able to garner sufficient points from the remaining games to not only get automatic promotion but secure the title too. I think we'll all be disappointed if that doesn't happen after being top dog for so long.

The O Zone

It would appear that Chelsea and Stonehenge are most at risk from the destruction of the Ozone layer.

I must confess that alleged eroding of the ozone layer doesn't worry me too much especially if it's going to bring  the sort of good weather we've enjoyed of late. You might say I've got my priorities wrong but I'm more concerned that I'll be paying vat on my pasty. What nonsense that is ! I can only hope that the EU can come to my rescue. 

Tomorrow the O Zone, more commonly known as the East End, descends on the Valley in the hope of being the only team to do the double over us this season. I'm fairly confident that this won't be the case.

My mate Gary, aka Geezer, is an O's fan and we will be imbibing before the game. How things have changed, I recall sharing a jar or two prior to our last FA meeting and him telling me how genuinely pleased he was that the O's were playing a big club like Charlton. We were in the Prem then of course. Tomorrow should prove to be an important and decisive step to getting our fortunes back to where they were. I don't mean the Prem as such but the Championship.

Aside from be able to name just about every East European railway station, don't ask, Geezer has a good knowledge of the lower leagues. He thinks another couple of wins and draws will see Orient safe for another season. He has identified Wycombe as the only one of the bottom four that could potentially catch them although as he rightly observes Bury are in freefall and could possibly snatch a relegation spot.

I believe that their having not only played midweek but winning too means we really ought to be taking the 3 points. That win eased the pressure a little and a win at the Valley isn't as desperate as it once was.

If we are to avoid the unwanted double tomorrow then we'll need to play with confidence and freedom, oh and a half decent referee would be nice too.........they seem to be in very short supply in the third tier !

The O's have found goals hard to come by in this campaign and shouldn't come with a physical approach. For me that means that Pritchard should partner Hollands in midfield. Failing that then Hughes more than deserves his chance, we've always looked good when he's partnered Hollands as he seems to bring out the best in Danny in allowing him to get forward more and scoring too. He was almost prolific at one stage.

I'm assuming that Skip still isn't fit so who will occupy the wide positions ? Sorry but hopefully not Wagstaff. I'd give Cook a start and probably Green. Yann should return so his fellow countryman should be on the bench to come on later to make an impact. I'd like to see N'Guessan up front at some stage.

Cort ought to retain his place in defence alongside player of the season, Solly with Morrison and Wiggins.

Ideally we will find ourselves 3 or 4 goals up early into the second half and Sir Chris can experiment and also rest a few players. Mind you whatever the situation I'll not be holding my breath as I sometimes wonder if he's stuck in a pre-Peacock state of mind.......subs are not allowed ! 

A few old Charlton players return tomorrow not least amongst them " Young Kevin " who will always provide a goal threat. As I've remarked before SKL is a player we let go too early. He'd have done a good job for us in the Championship......another one of Pardew's great decisions ( he's still to refund me my money for the weekend in Blackpool - what a disaster ! ).  

I'm really looking forward to the game and trust the players get good, positive and vocal backing. It's not a time to get on their backs. They have achieved a lot this season and all the other clubs in the league would happily swap places places with us.

Come On You Reds !

Reffing Hell !

Old mutton chops - Rhodes Boyson - a lethal combination that did for Charlton yesterday

Back in the 80's the name Rhodes Boyson was very much associated with the Thatcher government of the day, in more recent times it was cause for much laughter when one recalls the interview with Ali G. Sadly Rhodes and Boyeson were no laughing matter for Addicks fans on Saturday and combined to bring about our third defeat in recent games.

For all the lavish praise heaped on Jordan Rhodes in two games against us he's only scored once and not in open play this season and not looked particularly threatening. Possibly, when facing a decent back five ( never sure why the keeper gets overlooked when the so called pundits talk of the defence ) he's not quite as good as those stats would seem to suggest. No doubt he'll be playing at higher level next season so we'll find out eh ?

I've been extremely busy of late as I'm trying to get my house on the market which has ( mercifully for you ! ) left me little time to blog. Yesterday was much the same and I was tidying and cleaning round Shangri-La occasionally glancing at the web page that had details of our game. I shut it down at half time and only later turned on the telly to find out the final score.

Without knowing all the details I assumed we'd huffed and puffed but failed to find a way through. That of course is partially true but doesn't tell the whole story. Weak and inept refereeing saw to it that we were to suffer a rare away defeat. I've not seen the challenge on Wagstaff but I've read enough of reports on blogs from those that were there and if Sir Chris is that irate then I need no further evidence, it must have been bad.

Checking on Referee Boyeson stats shows that he's very partial to giving penalties and red cards displaying a particular penchant for them in recent times. Leaving aside my obvious bias, I thought that it was a very weak penalty to give. I wouldn't be too happy if a free kick were awarded outside the box for that anywhere let alone in it. Very poor and he seemed to be very much a homer as has been alluded to elsewhere. That the man's highest refereeing achievement to date has been a handful of Championship games speaks volumes. I hope he never darkens our door again !

We surely missed Yann yesterday. He has been outstanding in so many ways this season. His two assists alone on Tuesday prove his worth to the side. Hopefully he'll be back on Saturday for the Orient. Good to see Hayes get a well merited opportunity. A more than useful player to have with us.

Russell lost it yesterday and being his second dismissal of the campaign I think that may mean a four match ban. Whatever, I doubt we will see him in what is left of this season. He will be very much regretting what he did.   

I thought Wagstaff did well on Tuesday night. No idea how he performed yesterday but I wouldn't be surprised to learn that he wasn't great, he never seems to manage to perform consistently well. At least we now have Cook and N'Guessan to put pressure on our usual wide men.   

Huddersfield will almost certainly be in the play-offs but probably won't be feared by many if when playing against 10 men with a willing ref on your side you can only manage a one nil win at home. I'd be surprised if they go up. However, they can at least console themselves with the satisfaction of that unbeaten run eh ?

Another defeat then but looking at the overall shape of the team and things in general I'm not despondent. There's competition in most areas, we are, save for Easter time left with Saturday only fixtures. If Sir Chris chooses to use his squad, drop under-performing players and make subs when needed then we should be fine.

Nothing is too much wrong. We've now completed all the really tough games and we are more than capable of winning all of those remaining if we stay calm and play as we all know we can.

Sir Chris and the lads have all week to work on how we're going to gain revenge on our East London rivals and prevent them from being the only team to do the double over us this season.

Scunny Away

Good job we didn't have midweek game as it's been a busy week for me, mind you working in a school they all seem like that. It's very enjoyable and one thing's for sure........the time doesn't drag !

Being responsible for P.E. and sport, London 2012 has added nicely to the workload. It would be criminal not to make the most of it in trying to get messages across to the kids about the many benefits of sport and not just from playing it. A supportive head and governing body have sanctioned a large slice of curriculum time being devoted to the Olympics. Just a shame that it's not on when the children are at school.

Equally glad of the lack of a midweek game will be Sir Chris and the lads. Hopefully some tired legs and minds will appear refreshed on Saturday. One trusts that they've all reflected on the errors of the last two games and learned from it.

With The Iron having played midweek and us not, I'll be very disappointed if we don't secure the 3 points especially given our away record this season. A defeat isn't something any of us wants to contemplate as it would set them old knees a tremblin' ( not in a sexual way you understand ) ! However, I think the current squad is better than to suffer a wobble.

Winning the next 3 games would do nicely and I can't see any reason why we shouldn't go and do that. Perhaps the most difficult game would be against draw specialists Huddersfield........." it not's the winning it's the unbeaten record that counts ! "  

I'd like to see a loan winger come in and if it is to be the lad form Rangers as widely reported then that'd be great.

Come On You Reds !

We're All Doomed

It seems that after Saturday's game following the Addicks is resembling Dad's Army. You're either in the Corporal Jones, Don't Panic camp or Private Frazier's, We're all Doomed !

I'm in the don't panic camp. If the defeats we've suffered this season were evenly spread out then we'd all be in that one.

The seeds for the two home defeats were sown after the Bournemouth game. At Dean Court we looked a very tired team and were a tad fortunate to come away with all 3 points. It wasn't entirely unmerited but it should have served as a warning that some players needed resting and there was a need to make greater use of the squad.

That message was intensified on Tuesday albeit with a better performance. Sir Chris's reluctance to make changes has bitten us on the bum. I've commented before on our refusal to make substitutions when the game / situation is crying out for it. On Saturday we made just the one enforced change. At half time I'd have  made two changes. I know we got back into it and that we should have got a penalty that might have left us at 3-4 with about 30 minutes to go. However, who knows what a double sub might have achieved.

Sir Chris, post-match, hinted at a degree of complacency and he's right and one might argue that his refusal to alter the starting eleven has helped to foster that situation. For the County game at least, BWP should have given way to Haynes and even in the light of young Danny's injury, disruption would have been minimalised.

Stephens certainly shouldn't have been a recent ever present with Russell ( my preference for the last two games ) or Pritchard or Hughes deserving of an opportunity.

Our defence seemed so unsure as to whether to pass back to Hamer and the misunderstanding with Taylor was just awful. Having looked at the replay I feel that the keeper was slow to come and get that when Taylor was just waiting for him to come and get it.

A word or two on the ref. He was just awful and I'm not trying to pin our defeat on him ( if only ) just to say that he didn't help. If your serious about officiating, wishing to make a career out of it and one assumes with ambitions to progress then you don't turn out like that. He obviously passed all the relevant tests pre-season but is unlikely to pass Gregs now. I trust that he never refs another game for us.

I was very disappointed with those that left at half time. Hello ? This is Charlton, what do you expect ? I'd not leave if we were 4-0 down with 5 minutes to go. Maybe it's just me but I'd never want to miss anything and with a whole half to go you just never know !

Sir Chris has done such a fantastic job this season in almost every area both on and off the pitch. Aside from the obvious achievements, he's restored pride in the club for both players and fans. He's put players back in touch with the fans and kept their feet firmly on the ground. I'm sure he'll learn from the last few games, he's too intelligent not to.

A week's rest, Scunny playing tomorrow night, our boys playing better away from home are all things that point to us getting back on track on Saturday.

 

One For Sorrow

The lovely Jenny Hanley

The mention of Magpies takes me back to my youth and ITV’s answer to Blue Peter. Magpie was always the poor relation to B P save for one aspect. For me, Jenny Hanley was well worth watching over Valerie Singleton, whatever Peter Purves might say !

I did see the lovely Jenny on HMS Belfast one day when she was doing a “ piece “ for Magpie. If only she spotted me and we could have had a Titanic moment a la Winslett and Dicaprio. Mind you I doubt that she’d have felt like doing that given I was a spotty youth and she was considerably older !

It’s the Magpies of the footballing variety that come calling to the Valley tomorrow. The Barcodes are the oldest club in the world of course.

Manager Keith Curle took over in mid-February and immediately oversaw 4 straight wins. The magic has obviously worn off now though as they only managed a draw at Tranmere on Tuesday night when they came up against another “ new “ manager in Ronnie Moore.

One person missing from the Magpies team will be that awfully nice chap Lee Hughes. He is serving his final suspension following a surprising red card. He’ll be spending the day giving a lecture on remorse.

Congratulations are in order to Sir Chris on his Manager of the Month award for February. This being his third of the season makes it a record breaking feat for Charlton managers.

One suspects that the Gaffer will stick with the same starting elven and probably bench although changes should be made. I felt on Tuesday that Haynes and Russell should come in for BWP and Stephens and I'm off the same opinion for tomorrow too.

Whatever the team we need to bounce back from Tuesday with a positive result if not performance. We’ve not suffered back to back losses in the league this season and that wouldn’t be welcome now.

Let’s hope we see a return to winning ways.

Come On You Reds !

Reversal Of Fortune

All change from Saturday

It was role reversal for the Addicks on Tuesday on a night when all luck of the good variety deserted them. We had a degree of that on Saturday when securing the 3 points on the south coast.

To compound a disappointing evening I seemed to encounter more than my fair share of motorway roadworks and accompanying cones on return to ANEM towers. I eventually got home at midnight having also survived a close encounter with a coach apparently being driven by some old boy with all the vision of the recent east stand lino. He nearly wiped me out but seemed oblivious to it.

I remarked after the Bournemouth game that we had defended well and that the Cherries had failed to take their chances and so it was with Colchester and us last night. We were very wasteful in front of goal, none more so than BWP who should have been subbed for Haynes on 60 minutes at least. It was quite clear it wasn't going to be our night and even less so BWP's.

On the hour mark Russell should also have come on for the largely ineffective Stephens. In fact, Haynes and Russell should have started. Sir Chris is too reluctant to make changes at times and his lateness in making what are fairly obvious changes is something of an achilles heel not to mention very frustrating.

Stephens hasn't been at his best of late and doesn't seem to play well consistently. In addition, last night's more physical challenge called for the input of Russell. Likewise, Haynes is fresher, a tad sharper and dare I say it, more likely to score than BWP at present. 

Ironically it was probably the best we've played for a while and all the stats, bar the most important one, bear testament to that. We dominated the game. The early goal, which one of some quality, allowed Colchester to set our their stall for the remainder of the game. The time-wasting, feigning injury etc was only to be expected. Of course the ref should have dealt with that and the cynical fouling but at the end of the day we shouldn't and wouldn't have lost had we converted our chances.

The second goal was pure farce and hopefully Hamer will get his act together and get rid a bit quicker in future. 

I thought at one stage that the imperious Solly was going to drag us back into the game single-handedly. One recalls a fine driving run and sumptuous pass to Skip on the edge of the area. Sadly, Jackson hit the wrong side of the bar with a thunderous drive.

I spent several moments in the first half playing spot the ballboy. Someone without telling me took that to a harder level as upon commencement of the second as it appeared they must have been in the warm enjoying a leisurely cola as their keeper wandered slowly over to the corner to retrieve the ball for a goal kick.

Fortunately, someone in the backroom staff realised something needed to be done and a gentleman came down and organised the lads into better positions with a word in their shell-like to move with greater alacrity should the ball go out of play. Sadly the same advice wasn't given to some of the boys on the pitch.

This was a rare game where Yann got little change out of the oppo, mind you neither did anyone else and yet we continued with an aerial route for most of the game. It was crying out for us to keep the ball on the floor but that message, like most of our attacks, wasn't getting through

In this record breaking season it is a shame that we won't end up unbeaten at home in the league and that would have been a truly remarkable achievement. Along with that went the stat that we had scored in all home league games. 

Hey ho ! One can't really complain given what's been achieved this season and if we give Notts County a good stuffing on Saturday it'll quickly be overlooked.

Onwards and upwards. Another game Saturday and one that'll present a different type of challenge, however, as always it's one that we're more than capable of overcoming.

TOWIE

There is an alternative, he could have called himself David Charlton

Colchester make the short trip down the A12 on Tuesday and like so many other teams in the third tier it's unlikely to be very pretty. We probably need to make some changes and use the squad as Sir Chris often suggests he will. There were some very tired looking players at Dean Court on Saturday. Who can blame them. Just two or three need a rest and they can still be on the bench.

Russell, Haynes and perhaps Pritchard would be good to start. I doubt Sir Chris will make any changes but he should strongly be considering it. I'd like to see Haynes got a lot more than 20 minutes and certainly in his more favoured striker position.

It's to be hoped that Hamer is fit to play given that he's found a degree of consistency and confidence of late.

The results of others on Saturday not only enhanced our result but put some of our recent matches into perspective. Whilst we were disappointed with draws against Bury and Rochdale, at least we've not been guilty of throwing away two or three goals leads. At no stage this season have we done that and some of our  displays have demonstrated a strong will to win and to give nothing away. There's wonderful character and team spirit in this side.

We will need to dig deep again tomorrow night in another awkward game. It won't be pretty but a point or even better would be another big step in the right direction.

I see that on Sunday Pardew was spotted acting with all the usual grace and civility that one has grown accustomed to seeing from him. He truly is a bizarre person. Perhaps he felt intimidated by a manager who's achieved so much more than him. Pardew's biggest achievement to date, aside from screwing us over for every last penny, was to secure a ludicrously lengthy contract with current employers. Clearly a person with no sense of shame. I'm ashamed that he was ever our manager. Fortunately Sir Chris would never behave like that.

Let's hope we can do enough to claim another 3 points tomorrow.

Come On You Reds !

  

Getting Over The Line

It's a marathon not a sprint

Some may have doubted that the ball was over the line yesterday but it's indisputable that Charlton took another big step towards their goal of overcoming the most significant line, the one for automatic promotion. Unlike Italian runner, Pietri ( later sadly disqualified for being assisted ) above, we don't need any help. Whilst we may have been fortunate to come away with all 3 points, our defence stood up well to the task and it's up to the opposition to take their chances.

Superb support from a large Addicks contingent yesterday that got behind the boys and made some noise from the off. A poster had drawn my attention to our mascot yesterday and from what I saw it appeared that young Oliver enjoyed a fantastic day. He lapped up applause from the Charlton fans and it's to be hoped that he's one for the future and will extend the line of fine Addicks's keepers. 

In the first half it was immediately evident which team had played midweek and which hadn't. We were sluggish, off the pace, slow to close down and struggling to get a foothold in the match. As with most of our recent opponents, Bournemouth lacked a cutting edge. They did fashion a few chances but failed to take them in what must have been deja vu for the Cherries fans following a similar performance against the MK Dons the week before.

Stephens and Green in particular had little impact in the first period. Stephens upped his game in the second, getting further forward and in general made a more telling contribution. Sadly, Green went into his shell even more and hardly seemed to get a touch. Fortunately, he remained on the pitch to deliver his one decent corner of the day for Yann to head home. My vantage point in the East stand, dead in line with the goal line, allows me to confirm that the ball well and truly crossed the line.

We seemed to be shot-shy in the first 45 minutes. This improved in the second and Flahavan was called upon to make a couple of fine saves from rasping drives.

I was disappointed the Sir Chris didn't freshen things up earlier than he did. The first sub was an enforced one with Hamer having to leave to an ankle injury and one hopes he'll recover quickly form that. Young Ben has played with a greater degree of confidence of late and it'll be a shame if he has to miss some games now.

Our success this season has very much been built upon our solid defending and of course that was very much the case yesterday. Compare and contrast the two right backs and you'll see that the gulf in class was as evident as the one in stature. Solly was again immense and overlooking a couple of wayward passes early on didn't put a foot wrong. Francis, was well, Francis.................he's not been missed and it seems he's now lost the one asset he did have, an ability to deliver a decent cross. 

Many players are in the running for the player of the year trophy but I'm firmly favouring young Chris. He is ever improving and I'm more partial to our home grown players. He'll have do something quite bizarre not get my vote when it comes to the election.

Not far behind him would be the goalscorer, Yann.......what a man ! Another tireless display. All over the pitch, winning numerous headers and wonderful lay-offs to colleagues. There was a superbly chested ball in the first half to a team-mate, think it was Green, that was an absolute delight.

BWP, like many of his colleagues, didn't have his best game. It's hard and perhaps a tad unfair to be critical of our leading goalscorer but he can make his game so much better if he positioned himself a little closer to Yann on occasions. He doesn't appear to correctly calculate the pace on the ball and get himself to where he should be. On the flip side of all that our midfield lacks vision on occasions and from my position, high up in the stand yesterday, I could see him making positive early runs which our midfield boys mostly failed to spot. 

Both sets of fans warmed up for the panto season with the expected booing of Francis and Wiggins. Neither player seemed unduly surprised or concerned by this and both performed as expected I'm delighted to report !

Our record breaking 13th away win in this season that is sure to see a few more achieved before its finished. What a remarkable one it has been and continues to be. Best we make the most of it I feel !

Elsewhere some wonderful results affecting other teams at the top of the table. In particular, Simon Grayson has fitted right in at Huddersfield and they remain unbeaten during his reign. Are the Terriers about to embark on another record breaking run I wonder ? 

In the seemingly never ending round of twice weekly fixtures, Colchester United  are next up at the Valley. It's one we'd expect to win and one hopes we have the energy to go and get the result. Probably time to rest a couple of players if we are to do so.

Bob-A-Job

Brownsea Island - home to the infamous scout camp

There were reportedly a few scouts at the b2net on Tuesday evening to watch our boys in action. Dib ! Dib ! Dib ! What were they thinking ? The Addicks travel to Bournemouth on Saturday, the closest ground to Brownsea Island the site of the famous scout camp. The fools ! They'd needed only to wait another 4 days to see our boys in action so close to home. I really don't know what Sir Chris's ancestor, Chief Scout, Baden Powell, would have made of that. I can't recall that there was a badge for common sense and now you know why.

I'm looking forward to Saturday although I acknowledge that it'll be a tough game. My excitement is not purely born out of the ticket and petrol being paid for by my lad. I always enjoy an away game and with the Addicks playing well it should be a delight. Sadly, I'll be driving so won't have the chance to taste the local ale, which I think is from the Boscombe brewery unless I'm mistaken.

I'm not relishing the prospect of a long drive there and back but hey ho I hope it'll be worth it.

I've been to Dean Court only once before and that was a pre-season friendly in about 1995 or 1996 I think. One of the trialists was Mark Kinsella and I was impressed. Sadly it took about another 6 to 8 weeks as I recall before we signed him from Tuesday's upcoming oppo, Colchester United.

I'm sure that Wiggins can expect some abuse from the home fans. They'll also see Hollands return but he doesn't seem to have upset them as much as Rhoys. Our friends re-united come in the shape of the Wardrobe ( Simon Francis - big but not very mobile ) and Anger Management (  Harry the hothead Arter )........some issues there methinks ! One can imagine these two having blinders as most of our ex-players seem to.

Baring injuries it's hard to imagine Sir Chris changing the starting eleven or indeed the bench. The one disappointment for me to date is Clarke. He isn't doing it at the moment and should be enjoying coming on when most of the oppo are tired and we're in the ascendancy. Perhaps he only flourishes in adversity as his record at basement club Chesterfield would seem to suggest. I'd like to see Haynes come on ahead of him as he looks much more the business.

Following Tuesdays' record equaling 12th away win of the season could it be lucky 13 for our lads ? Let's hope so and another two or three from BWP and perhaps one for the hardworking Yann would be most welcome.

The games are coming thick and fast at the moment. It's Colchester on Tuesday and Notts County the following Saturday. Talking of well, thick, I note that the delightful Lee Hughes picked up a straight red on Saturday and assuming a three match ban, means we might not have the pleasure, as Her Majesty once did, of entertaining him. What a shame. 

Here's to Saturday and hopefully 3 points to continue our push for promotion.

Come On You Reds !

2B or NOT 2B

You can take a horse to water but a pencil must be lead

Mystery of Shakespearean proportions tonight as it was unclear as to whether it 2 or 3 for BWP. There was still some doubt after the final whistle. I hope he is credited with what would be his first ever hat-trick. Never mind it was another 3 points on the road for the Addicks. 

Reports from the radio, my brother who was there and the stats all indicate that this was a comfortable victory against a poor Chesterfield side who must now fear the worst.

Unsurprisingly Sir Chris kept the same starting eleven for tonight’s game at the b2net stadium versus Chesterfield. One change on the bench saw Russell replace Pritchard on the bench.

I followed the game from 35 minutes gone in the first half and it certainly sounded as though we were having the better of the possession and carrying the greater threat. That manifested itself in terms of a goal after good work from Solly fed Green whose cross / shot was bundled over the line by BWP.

The main thing in second half was to weather any potential early storm from the Spirerites. The Addicks did that and more as just after 56 minutes on the clock BWP turn sharply to register his and Charlton’s second.

Less than two minutes later and Solly squared the ball in the area for Skip to notch the third. It was excellent work against a Chesterfield side that haven’t conceded too many of late.

Clive Walker felt that the midfield pair of Hollands and Stephens were working harder to get forward in the second half than they had in the first and that had brought its own reward.

With 65 minutes on the clock Danny Green had worked an opening and crossed the ball in and it appeared that BWP had scored his first ever hat-trick although there was some uncertainty from the Radio London commentary team. BWP later left the field without claiming the match ball and so it appeared that they were right.

Soon after and Morrison and Yann left the field to be replaced by Cort and Clarke respectively. On 77 minutes then Haynes replaced Skip who got a well earned rest.

The win and Huddersfield being pegged back at Stevenage after being 2-0 up meant that the gap to third was 14 points with our goal difference standing at an impressive plus 40.

It’s off to Dean Court ( I don’t care what they call it that what it is ! ) on Saturday for what promises to be a tough game. My lad has paid for my ticket and will be paying for the petrol / train fare too which is a most welcome and generous gesture on his part. I just hope the team put in a performance like tonight and make it all worthwhile !

No Laughing Matter

1950's Comedy legend - Chester

Chester Field, the old American stand up was ironically a Chesterfield fan after falling in love with the area and subsequently, the club, following a number of sell out shows at the Old Chesterfield Vic in the late 50's. However, it's no laughing matter for fans of the Spireites at present despite another comedy connection in owner, Dave Allen. Following promotion last season, Chesterfield sadly find themselves languishing at the foot of the table.

Yet despite their poor league form they await a date at Wembley next month in the Johnstone Paints Trophy final which is no mean feat. Good luck to them in that.

I wish I was going tomorrow as it's a lovely place and I'm sure that the football ground ( the B2Net ) is too despite it being quite a recent addition to the 92.

Saturday was a rather splendid day I thought. Lovely weather accompanied by a few pre-match Spitfires....you can't beat a drop of Kentish Ale ! A good win with BWP returning to scoring ways and a bumper crowd to boot !

It was my brother's birthday and I accompanied him and his family to San Miguel, a tapas restaurant in Greenwich following the final whistle. I've never ventured out much in Greenwich save for a few visits to the Cutty Sark as a lad. I think I might do so more often now after a game. It was lovely with a great of assortment of  restaurants and pubs all within easy walking distance of the station. If anyone can recommend some of either then I'd be very pleased to hear about them.

The return of Solly and Skip gave the side a better, more balanced look and feel. It was a shame that BWP didn't add to his goal, he certainly wasn't short on opportunities to do so. I can't knock anyone and as ever, Yann was great.

It was odd to see us attacking the North Stand first half and also the ref in allowing Boro to wear red and white. Not that one would want to suggest he favoured them in any way of course ! It's funny how you can be blinded by the sun with your back to it but it obviously happened because there's no other explanation for missing the push on Skip in he first half !

Thank God for a wonderful strike from Morrison and that BWP tucked the hardest chance he had all afternoon. I enjoyed those and it quietened down the away following. " Only here for the fiver " yes, you were weren't you. I wonder how many will follow them to their next away league game. 

I wouldn't mind Hughes or Russell being on the bench tomorrow in order to provide solid support if needed. As ever this won't be an easy game for us but is one that you hope we'll win because Saturday's game will certainly be a tough one especially as the Cherries don't play midweek.

Regular readers ( there may be some although reading this blog is a once in a lifetime experience I'd have thought ! ) may recall that cub reporter Mikes was going to the original Saturday fixture. However, having treated himself to a large bag of toffees and some fizzy pop at the weekend, the remnants of the student loan won't stretch to funding the excursion. Therefore, he'll have to console himself, like me, with following the proceedings on t'internet  

Come On You Reds ! 

The Bootiful Game ?

Norfolk in chance

My second post via Google of the chrome variety which I'm still coming to terms with. I hate change of any variety and when it's technology related, even more so. Still you'll not notice any difference.......the same old garbage in, garbage out method applies !

Relatively new Stevenage manager, Gary Smith, is a fan of Arsenal but not such a big fan that he wants to get The Boro playing in the style of his beloved Gunners.

I mustn't be too disparaging of Stevenage as I got a comment from one irate Boro fan following a previous post. He / she said " Charelton were a disgrace........fainig injury " and that " Stevenage play a passig game ".

I do hope that he / she isn't trying to get a ticket in the home stands. Forget all your stringent security checks, a simple " how do you spell Charlton ? " will suffice.

A near capacity crowd expected today and one assumes that the security folk in the Jimmy Seed will be a tad busier than they were on Tuesday night. I hope that the lapsed " fans " that turn up today help create a good atmosphere and assist in " getting behind the boys and make some noise ". Of course, it's mostly down to the team to motivate everyone with a much better effort than that of Tuesday.

Two things saddened me upon Tuesday's final whistle. One was the booing, I've never done that at a Charlton game and certainly not when we're atop the division ! Secondly, that the players headed straight off without any acknowledgement of us poor buggers who'd in various fashion, left work early, traveled a fair distance or just made an effort to be there never mind the expense. 

I trust that Sir Chris has learned the error of his ways in playing players out of position and that Solly, if fit and well, is selected ! I feel that Hughes should return to midfield in place of Stephens who is failing to maintain his early season promise. Hughes also seems to bring out the best in Hollands.

I was saddened to see Hayes go out on loan not just because it leaves us light in the striker department. He hasn't put a foot wrong as far as I'm concerned. He's just been an unfortunate casualty of a very impressive Yann Kermogant. One assumes a loanee striker is due to arrive. I hope so because Clarke isn't cutting the mustard and sure doesn't look hot at present. I hope he can prove me wrong as I felt he'd offer so much more when he arrived.

The scenario of Stevenage doing the double over us isn't one I want to contemplate let alone witness. Sir Chris needs to make sure our boys are really fired up for this one. We need to bag the three points and we can then sit back and watch t'Sheffield derby in a more relaxed manner than we'll witness from Mr Megson in his technical area.

Come On You Reds !

Square Pegs In Round Holes

Like a square peg in a round hole,

Like a harp without its strings,

Like a sailor who sails no oceans,

Like a bird that has no wings.

Apologies to Bill Nelson and Be Bop Deluxe.

You may or may not be saddened to know that some technical difficulties prevented me from posting pre-Rochdale. This spared you from many Pancake Day puns such as the atmosphere being flat, us getting battered and / or playing crepe and someone being a useless tosser.

I'm currently using Google Chrome which may or may not have solved my posting issues. I've simply no idea so that gives you an idea of how " techy " I am !

Following Saturday’s game I couldn’t fathom why Green switched to the left. Enforced change I understand but when it’s not necessary and you have options then I’m perplexed.

Déjà vu for Green again last night as he was again played on the left. Pritchard again on the right. I thought BP might do a job there but after the first half it was clear to me that although far from being disgraced, it wasn’t for him. He doesn’t have the pace for it.

Wiggins was switched to the right to accommodate Evina. Eh ? If anything, Evina ( who had a pretty good game for someone who’s not played a competitive games for months ) should have appeared on the left wing. Why you'd move probably your best player out of position is something of a mystery.

The previous occasion when Solly wasn’t in the side Cort appeared in the defensive backline. You’ve got to ask why he didn’t last night until he came on as sub.

Hollands and Stephens both had poor games I felt. Stephens was particularly anonymous save for one shot in the second half. There were long periods where he simply didn’t touch the ball.

Why wasn’t Hughes considered and where is Russell now his suspension is over ?

I was really disappointed as there seems little logic in team selection for last night. The substitutions weren’t great either.

Green had just switched to his natural position when he got subbed. You’d have thought Wagstaff would have been champing at the bit with a point to prove…..sadly not ! Ineffective, falling down and histrionics were the order of the day for Scott.

Clarke failed to show any more promise than in previous outings although I’m able to report that the only player wearing gloves didn’t suffer from frost-bitten fingers !

If we want promotion and to win this league we really need to do better than last night’s display. I’m afraid we’re running out of games we need to “ get up for “ in the sense of playing top 6 sides.

We need to “ get up “ for these somewhat lacklustre games as much as the Sheffields, Huddersfield etc. If we don’t then we’ll kiss goodbye to the title at the very least.

On a more positive note………..Yann Kermogant……..need I say more. This man’s contribution in every game is something to behold. Increasingly one wonders where we’d be without his goals and all round contribution. Bloody good job he’s with us, eh !  Another set piece goal.......thank God for those !


Perhaps we need to pray for a flurry of red cards in the Stevenage game tonight to give us better hope for Saturday.


I know we have a lot to be thankful for this season and I am, however, I don't think it's unreasonable for me to expect that we keep things simple and that includes maintaining the status quo that has served us so well all season.


I'm sure Sir Chris will learn the lesson from last night and come Saturday we'll see a better balanced team with all the pegs in the appropriate holes !