|
|
| Tuesday, 19-Sep-2006 22:52 |
Email | Share |  | Bookmark |
|
No change
|
 |
|
CAFC 1 Carlisle 0
|
|
|
Business as usual tonight.
Once again Charlton failed to dispatch a lower division team with the ease that might be expected, choosing instead to allow themselves to be beaten to the ball by more enthusiastic opponents. Why on earth didn't we run at their defence the way that they tried to run at ours? Why on earth do we seem to depend so much on the hopeful high ball forwards? It was rather as if dear old Curbs was still in charge, employing his favourite conservative tactics.
Carlisle should be pleased that they gave a Premiership side a decent run for their money and didn't roll over and give in. As the match wore on their inferior match fitness started to show, but they gave their supporters something to cling on to.
We were amazed at how many Carlisle supporters were in the Jimmy Seed stand and the excellent vocal support they gave their team. The published attendance tonight was 8,190 and a fair few of them in the Upper North, who stupidly and repeatedly sang at the visitors "Your support is f*****g shit", were the sort of people that make me uneasy to be associated with Charlton. Probably they only come to The Valley for poorly-attended Cup games, so it's worth bearing in mind that extending our capacity will let more of them in more often.
Anyway, we avoided embarrassment and were never in serious risk of losing the game. Let's hope that we can advance further this year, as a League Cup run is LONG overdue.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Saturday, 16-Sep-2006 15:19 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
Dreaming
|
 |
|
CAFC 0 Portsmouth 1, 16th September 2006
|
|
|
I found this a confusing match. In the early stages I was pleased to see a more attacking approach than we'd become used to in the past two seasons, and the crowd seemed to be appreciatig this too. But as the match wore on I found it increasingly scrappy.
I don't think I've ever seen such an embarrassment of both missed passes and Charlton players caught unconcernedly dithering on the ball. Portsmouth played far more as a team, and had no problem in containing Charlton's attacks, and were marginally superior in threatening our goal.
I was pleased to see Rommedahl given more latitude and making use of it, but as others have commented he found himself with limited options when he did break through as his team mates weren't supporting him nearly well enough.
The makeshift Charlton defence did well enough and when Lua Lua scored his team and the huge Pompey contingent seemed as surprised as everyone else.
Still, three points from five games mightn't be great, but I'm still feeling optimistic that things will pick up, just as long as the injury list subsides and the players get to know each other a bit better.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Friday, 1-Sep-2006 12:06 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
New site for Charlton Supporters
|
|
|
There's a smart new website for Charlton fans at: http://www.addickted.net/ that aims to be a one stop shop for all Addicks news. It's in its early days, and Dan Bream, who runs it, is happy to hear from supporters who would be prepared to contribute to it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Saturday, 26-Aug-2006 12:00 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
Funny old game
|
 |
|
CAFC 2 Bolton 0, 26th August 2006
|
|
|
When Hreidarsson got a straight red early on for attempting to settle a score with Kevin Davies by using his elbow I really didn't expect us to get even a point from this game.
I was fairly confident that Hermann was guilty as charged, and nothing that I saw on the replays persuaded me that I was wrong, but given that Davies was flapping his own elbow at anyone who came near him it seemed almost inevitable that he'd eventually suffer the same fate. When he too went for his early bath I wondered in Hermann would still be waiting for him in the tunnel 
In the first half it struck me that what I was watching was pretty much the same as I'd have seen if Curbs was still the manager, with little prospect of us overcoming dogged and more determined opposition. But as things settled down with Reid, Traore and Faye steadily growing in confidence and some excellent work by Carson in goal the complexion of the match improved.
Carson's penalty save changed the whole atmosphere for both Charlton and the home support, and there can't have been anyone in the ground who expected Darren Bent to miss his penalty. When he sneaked his second close to the end and secured the points there must have been quite a few of us who were pinching ourselves to see if we were dreaming.
I still think that it's too early to predict what sort of season we'll have, but this result left me a little more confident. We'd never previously beaten Bolton at home in the Premiership, so this was a doubly welcome result.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Friday, 25-Aug-2006 21:13 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
Getting in touch
|
|
We always hand out cards to the visiting supporters who join us in the Members of the Opposition photos. It seemed time for a re-design, so here it is.
Including an email contact point has proved to be a good idea, with several sets of supporters keeping in touch with us long after the match.
Tomorrow we face Bolton, a team we've never beaten at home in the Premiership, and I'm not sure that this is about to change. But let's not panic - yet
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Tuesday, 22-Aug-2006 12:00 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
Gone missing
|
 |
|
CAFC 0 ManU 3, 22/08/06
|
|
|
I missed my first home Premiership match in over four seasons, so wasn't able to take our usual photo tonight. However, Glynne Jones stepped into the breach and saved the day.
In lieu of comments from me why not read a couple of decent match reports at http://charlton.blogspot.com/ and http://addicksdiary.blogspot.com/
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Saturday, 5-Aug-2006 21:28 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
Off and running
|
|
The first match of the new season and a surprisingly positive reaction from the Valley faithful, it seems.
The team was more recognisable than the one that was fielded at Welling, even though it took me a while to recognise El Karkouri. Christian Bolanos, a triallist, played for most of the match, and in spite of two wild shots at goal managed to attract some positive comments and applause from the surprisingly large crowd of over 10,000.
I've got the hang of pre-season friendlies now. The result is unimportant as long as we get to see how the new arrivals settle in and how the new tactics work out. The problem is that, of the new signings, only Hasselbaink started the game, and he showed little sign that I could see that he'd done anythig about his reputation for indolence.
Simon Walton came on as a sub in the second half and not long afterwards earned a precautionary talking to from Rob Styles after clattering an opponent. A few moments later he was spoken to again after he was in turn clattered by the same player. Looks as if he could turn into the 'midfield enforcer' that we've missed since Parker left.
Nathan Ashton impressed at left back and played the whole game. Rommedahl seemed to relish the opportunity to play with less restraint, and Hreidarsson and Young were their usual steady selves. Marcus Bent, who has yet to impress, scored in the first half and New Zealand equalised in the second.
Young Josh Gall made his first appearance at the Rose of Denmark, and his proud grandparents from Melbourne were also there to take it all in.
Only eighteen days until the first Premiership home game of the season. Unfortunately, ManU will be the vistitors
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Tuesday, 18-Jul-2006 13:07 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
|
|
Former Charlton Athletic pitch announcer Brian Cole married his partner Tess on Saturday on a sun-drenched Isle of Wight in front of a large group of Addicks and Pompey fans. A cracking day in every respect.
Congratulations, Brian and Tess!
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Tuesday, 16-May-2006 10:59 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
Members of the Opposition 2005/06
|
 |
|
Members of the Opposition 2005/06
|
|
|
I've finally pulled together the grand composite photo for 2005/06, and some time before the World Cup I'll get it printed, framed and delivered to the Rose of Denmark.
We've now done this for four successive seasons, comprising 76 Premiership photos and an increasing number taken at Cup games.
I'm still receiving e-mails from visiting supporters and am happy to continue to do so. The address is roseofdenmarkATgooglemailDOTcom - you just need to correct the punctuation
So, we await our new manager!
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Saturday, 29-Apr-2006 21:40 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
Curbs sees the signs at last
|
 |
|
CAFC 0 Blackburn 2, 29/04-06
|
|
|
Curbs always said that he would know when the time had come to move on as he'd 'see the signs'. Although this wasn't the universal opinion in the pub after the game the consensus was that maybe he should have stepped down two years ago, as he'd seemingly become tired and uninspired in the time since we lost Parker and Jensen.
Reading between the lines, it seems that he was genuinely seeking a break, had told Richard Murray that he wouldn't sign an extension to his contract beyond next year, whereupon Murray said that this wouldn't be a satisfactory basis to work on in the interim. Rumour has it that the two of them left yesterday's board meeting in good spirits, so we can assume that the whole affair took place amicably.
Sadly, the team's performance didn't provide a fitting Valley send-off for the finest manager the club has ever had. Unsurprisingly, Blackburn were far more motivated and profited from some lamentable Charlton defending.
This was our 76th successive Members of the Opposition photo since we started in August 2002, which is quite a record. Also, one of the visiting supporters has been in all four Blackburn photos we've taken since then - another fine record
|
|
|
|
