Wednesday 6 March 2013

Posh Desmond

My meeting in The Queensgate Hotel next to the ground went well and I had dinner bought for me too before heading off to the ground, 3 minutes walk.  Asking the steward where the away fans were seated, he got out a plan of the stadium and showed me which was basically straight a head keeping to the side of the stadium, not sure why there was the need for a map, he could have just pointed.

In the end a good point was had but I can't help feeling that if our initial momentum had been converted then we could have had a hat ful.  As it was, Posh pace tore through our defence and we were 1 down and confidence drained rapidly so that by half time we looked like we were on to the pasting.  Half time came and went, I went down to the concourse to see if any of my mates were there, not only was there not any of my mates but there was not a concourse.  This was a slight step up in Stadium quality from watching Dulwich Hamlet at Dog Kennel Hill.

Second half commenced and we almost immediately saw them hit the post with another fast incisive strike.  Some neat trickery on the left by the previously woeful Callum Harriot and Jackson was set up to equalise   Whilst the Addicted were singing Johnny Jackson runs down the wing.. I thought it was more appropriate for  "Calllum, O Callum Harriot runs down the wing for Us".  Minutes later as our confidence oozed, this time the Poshs drained, we got a corner and after a Morrison header Haynes thwacked the ball into the back of the net and we looked set for three points.  Sadly Button failed to hold things together and a speculative shot was allowed to go in.  Still he had a good game overall and he must still be match rusty having spent so long on the bench.

We seemed then to settle for a draw and in the dying seconds CP brought on DeVitte at a corner.  We have seen this done before this season, it makes not sense fiddling with the defence during the corner and we were lucky not to concede during a scramble.

That said, it was a good display and we thoroughly deserved our point, if not marginally all three.  Without getting complacent and looking at the teams below us I'm pretty confident we will still be in this division next season.  Allegedly we have a midfielder coming in this week on loan from the prem and as long as he is handled correctly we should be able to see out the rest of the season with relative ease.

Tuesday 5 March 2013

Posh Boys

Off for a meeting in Peterborough and coincidentally Charlton are playing there, not sure how that happened.  This is Charltons last match before we enter the dreaded last 10, anyone with a memory will realise that with a couple of exceptions Powell, Parkie, Pardew and Curbs were never great at getting points during the run in.  Dowie and Reed have to be excluded as they failed to get to the last 10.

Posh are currently in good form so this is not going to be a walk through the grass .. well actually it is, certainly more so than playing at the Valley.

With Stephens and Solly on the bus we should see a better balanced team on the park, that is if Stephens brings his football boots unlike against Forest when his football boot attire were performing like a legless duck.

Its a big game for Powell, the general consensus remains "We trust in Powell"   & "100% Support", but the murmurings are growing.  A defeat tonight could spell more panic and this time not just on the terraces a win gives us the breathing space and the knowledge of only three draws in 10 will probably lead to safety.

I see no real point in losing CP now, but I do think that the remainder of the season is a re application for his job.  A superb job last season with good purchases and a fantastic promotion are now a fading memory and in this harsher environment question marks have been raised.  He is a young and inexperienced manager but he has had 2 plus years of learning and that must account for something.  He is not the first manager to work without money, but he did reassure us that last seasons squad is good enough to stay in this league, now he has to prove it ... which he is doing a little by the skin of our teeth, but also we are ahead of a number of clubs ... not just the bottom three.

I would probably say tonight will be a draw, but its just a battle and in the end the war is likely to be won and we will retain Championship status. Then we will see what the owners are made of  - current or future, but until then its going to be, as Sir AF says, Squeaky bum time!