Defensive frailties - Par for the course?

We got roughed up and turned over at Wolves, well that is what Pards is saying and we came away from Molineux with nothing, no points and no goals, so it was not a good day, we even came back without a left back. It appears that McCarthy, Sankofa and Sodje all candidates for the position. if this is the case I would like to see a place on the bench for Basey to have 15 minutes blooding in seeing as he has had a good spell out at Brentford and receiving rave reviews from Terry Butcher and he knows a thing or two about defending.

Most fans will be dissapointed at our defensive record this season, any high balls into the area have condemned our players to stresses and strains that should not be allowed in the work place. But lets look at it in context of the players we have and the league we are in.

Moutakill looked the part but his early scything down at Stoke has not allowed us to get a real impression of him, Mills has however deputised well and added a dimension to our attacking play that was lacking when he swapped on Saturday. McCarthy, Bhougerra and Fortune are worries and this is really where everybodies concern lies. pards has played Fortune and Bhougerra together more to forge some form of consistent partnership in the centre than in the conviction that either of them have anything to offer. Fortune was going to be off loaded before Diawarra decided to jump ship and we have not replaced his considerable talent and Bhougherra is a poor mans El Karkouri. Who knows about Sodje, he has only had a right back and cameo midfield appearances so far and seems to be a loan that we got just because we needed one not because he was the answer. The left back position has become this seasons cursed position, Powell has been put through too much, Thatcher has vanished and Gibb decided to get his metatarsill injuries done all together - even Rooney did his two on seperate occaisions.

So defensively where are we in the league? Well the league believe it or not, is not very good. There are only three teams who have conceded fewer goals than our 12 - Leicester - 8, Wolves -9 and bristol City 11 and there are three teams on 12 - Us, Watford and Plymouth. So maybe all the worrying and wailing is exageratted, we maybe crap but theres even more crap out there just waiting to be breached and if we can get it together in defence we will be awesome to beat.

Murphy Watch - an occaisional piece from the Hill

There are few players that i feel more antipathy towards than Danny Murphy, even Fat Boy Hasselbaink did not depart the valley even though we all willed him to, until the end of the season. Murphy left us in the lurch, with a string of insults about the club and its fans, to play regularly. Well, "didn't he do well", down the Lane 22 appearances in two seasons and a fair numberof them were substitute appearances, so much for his wifes parting shots at Curbs, how she ever got a collumn in the times I'll never understand. But hey, Danny is getting on a bit and that kindly old dutch man has bought in a few new players, so competition could be getting a bit tough. So what does our Danny do, hedges his bets goes to one of the relegation candidates, 'cause he is bound to get a game at Fulham, down the old cottage, so here we are, Danny just missing out on a place in Moscow last week. He has firmly established his place at Fulham - on the bench and making tea. Danny Murphy - bought by Sanchez because he was collecting Irish names at the time (watch out for a bid for Andy Reid in January) has found Murphy's best position is making tea, having started him not once and only coming off the bench 4 times, albeit scoring 1. It could not have happened to a nicer chap. I wonder when Stevie G calls him, as he regularly used to mention, he talks about the splinters up his bum.

More from Murphy watch in January.

England, Wolves and the cursed Left back position

Poised to qualify for European Championships everyone seems to be getting nervous about playing on a plastic pitch on Wednesday. Well these are no longer the pitches of Oldham, Luton and QPR. Modern technology has given them a bounce and roll truer to grass, plus the players often practice on artificial. I am not sure what all the fuss is about. Not to mention when you earn up to £135,000 a week you should be capable of playing on straw bales. We maybe scared of Russian dirty tricks, but I am sure that they would have done that anyway, not cut the grass properly, left divots etc,. that's what football at international level is all about, certainly not going to be any Corinthian spirit shown anywhere around the globe. Mind you if we had been playing on grass, instead of undersoil heating they could drop a few pellets of Polonium-210 around to keep the frost away. Reminds me of when we were at school and had to make sandwiches for the visiting team in the U19 National Schools basket ball competition, the two pence piece slipped in between two slices of bread was well worth the expense.

I don't condone the booing of fat Frank, but what is all this rubbish about him being dropped from the England team. Surely nobody gets dropped from the national team, its not club football. The decent manager, always starts with a blank sheet of paper and puts in the players that he knows will be able to do the job on the day. Next thing you know fat Frank will, be doing a Carrragher and retire from International Football because the likes of Gareth Barry and Stevie G get in the team before him. Yes and ha ha to Carragher who would have had the chance to make an impression on Saturday, if he had not retired, instead Sol Campbell was wheeled on to the pitch for a reasonable 90 minutes.

According to Bobby Robson Andy Reid's ankle prevented him from training prior to the Germany game. A game in which he was man of the match. Lets hope that the Irish see sense and do not play him on Wednesday, given that they no longer are able to qualify. We need him against Wolves. having dropped a point against Barnsley we need to get at least one against Wolves, who have won 3 and lost 2 at home to give them 7th place. Once again we will be without Lloyd Sam, who assaulted Hull's Ashby with his body, when the guy was only trying to teach him how to kick. If Reid does not make it for Saturday then I'd line up:-

Weaver, Mills, Bhougerra, Sodje, Powell, Ambrose, ZZ, Semedo, Thomas, Iwelumo, Todorov.
Subs Elliot, Moutakill, Varney, Holland, McLeod

Otherwise Reid for Ambrose.

Powell again takes the left back berth. I can't say I am pleased to see this Charlton legend playing so many games, although the break must have re charged his batteries, but Pardew has little choice any way. Thatcher seems to have got a touch of the Gibbs and we are not talking Bee Gee's here. Not in the reserve team last night and no longer being mentioned in despatches. Cory has finally returned only to be injured in the reserves last night. Oh how Murray must laugh when he re reads his original quotes about Gibb in May 2006.

"We have been tracking Cory for some time and are delighted to have secured his signature.

"Obviously I was concerned that with the departure of Alan Curbishley we may have lost out on the player. However I believe we are about to embark on an exciting new era at Charlton and I am just pleased we were able to convince Cory that this was the club he should join.”

Bet he wished he did not have quite the powers of persuasion that he has.

Grant Basey is back from Terry Butchers Brentford. he apparently received a standing ovation from the crowd and the players at the end of his loan spell, as a left back if he stays fit he could get a game by default, before disappearing into the black hole of Charlton Left backs. Apparently, we have the third best defensive record on the Championship only Wolves and Leicester have conceded fewer goals than us and two other clubs are on the same tally - 10. Now, I don't know about you, but our defence has looked leakier than a collander, with only a couple of exceptions, so if we are one of the best (alongside Leicester and we have al seen how great they were at the Valley), with our attack we should soon be scoring shed loads of goals.

Roll on Saturday when we get back to proper football.

Footnote: According to the article on Reid, Bobby Robson is about to embark on chemotherapy fro cancerous growths on his lungs. Our best wishes for a successful recovery go out to this great old enthusiast for football.

Bring It On Barnsley

Barnsley are the third Yorkshire Club we have met this season and the results so far offer a positive forecast, having disposed of Sheffield Wednesday in a superb 2nd half display, resulting in a late 2nd goal for Iwelumo and all three points, this was followed last Tuesday by the 2-1 victory at Hull. For anyone not on the various message boards, you will have failed to have seen the vitriol that has followed from the Hull fans, ranging from comments about the teams performance, the alleged assault by Sam on their innocent captain to a much wider denigration of London and the South in general, comments that have been racist, despite their own ethnic players including JJ Okocha. Thats not to say that our own message board contributors have not added their own spice to the debate, but i have never seen any clubs fans come onto our board and prolong their own defeat for so long, surely by now they should be looking forward to palace. It has certainly been an eye opener regarding the fans of a Club in the City where I spent three great years working. Hopefully, Barnsley will come down and their fans show a bit more class win, draw or dare I say it lose. Of course, Barnsley are a real Yorkshire club, Hull have only ever really had honorary status, to allow them to play Cricket for Yorkshire, before they dropped that rule.


The Valley has pleasant memories for what I believe was the last time we played Barnsley, the first game of the season after relegation from the Prem. I was on holiday, sunning myself in France and sampling some of their grape juice, as Super Clive put three goals past them and for us to start our return to the Prem. with a 3-0 victory. The rest is history, our paths went in different directions as they plummeted and we progressed to a safe mid Prem. position, until Dowie / Murray / and Reed contrived to pull it all apart last season, whilst Barnsley on the other hand gained promotion season before last and have made a pretty good start to this one, now lying 4th and a victory against us tomorrow could see them go second.

Barnsley's start to the season has been overshadowed by an impressive start by Bristol City, but Barnsley put paid to that mid week with a 3-0 thrashing of their ( and our rivals). There should be a familiar face in Barnsleys colours, the return of another player let go by Curbs as not good enough, to the chagrin of the fans, Jamal Campbell-Ryce. Curbs may point to the fact that Jamal has been with Wallsall, Southend and now Barnsley since his Valley days, but who knows how he would have turned out, if allowed to develop his partnership and learning with Paulo Di Canio. Many fans will have the memory of the equaliser in the last minute that he set up for Paulo in the League Cup match against Luton.

I'll go for a 3-1 victory to Charlton tomorrow, as our strength as a unit is beginning to show, added to the skill level we have at this level. There is unlikely to be any of the gamesmanship, alleged by Hull, on show, but if there is then all it shows is that we are growing up as a team and understanding the realities of the real world of successful football. That said, it will not be easy, Barnsley will probably be the best side we have played at home this season and an early goal - something we are not noted for - maybe needed to unlock their defence.

As for the team, I would stick with the Hull turnout, unless we can get Thatch or Gibbs match fit - nobody should ask a 38 year old to play as many games in such a short period as we have done of Chrissie Powell (accused by the Hull fans as being a cheat - which if you know the player you would laugh out of court). Thomas for Sam, with Ambrose on the bench.

Weaver, Mills, Fortune, Bhougherra, Powell, Thomas, ZZ, Semedo, Reid, Iwulemo, Varney. Subs Randolph, Sodje, Ambrose, McCleod, Todorov or Moutakill.

Wembley Through The Valley To Dog Kennel Hill

As The Addicks Championship Diary chronicles the events of Leamingtons finest Football club, I've been doing a tour of top to bottom and in the space of 11 days have gone from the glories of International Competitive Football to Rymans League Division One South, via Footbal League Coca Cola championship. So much is written about our modern professional teams that there is little to add, Wembley was outstanding, although I am not sure worth all of that money, Heskey was brilliant and Owen sublime, The Valley stands out amongst Championship Club stadiums and there is an argument for playing our games at Welling to avoid lesser clubs raising their game, in an environment they will never experience in their professional lifetime. The Addicks themselves shining through Reid and Zheng and then you come to Champion Hill, the home of the Hamlets.

Dulwich Hamlets are to Palace as Welling are to Charlton. Many successful years, not many in the recent past though, average crowds of 300 and like Palace, not a stones throw away from Sainsbury. Playing on a Friday night to encourage supporters who follow their illustrious neighbours and passing trade (presumably late night shoppers), they were playing Kingstonian under floodlights. When I say floodlights, I assume thats what they were. Being used to premier league lighting , it felt that the players could have done with the miners hats with the old lights on to see their way around the ground .

This was only my 2nd non league match in 50 years, so a novelty. Siting behind the Hamlet dug out it was great watching the Manager ranting, David Brent esque at no one in particular, while the manager of Kingstonian, a former Spanner and a scot to boot, ranted in a Scottish dialect reminiscent of Russ Abbot, with the occasional F word being the only thing identifiable.

Kingstonian won 1-0, a goal out of the top draw of womens world cup keepers as the Hamlet keeper Sheikh Ceesay. called the ball, it looped over his head and dropped to the on coming forward to slot in.

Both Pards and Dickson were discovered here and the nights program had a cartoon with a picture of his head on it scoring a goal against Wimbledon. It appears that they have printed up a job lot of coves and change the inside each match, stickering the cover with the game.

If you are looking for skill don't go to lower league games, but if you want to see a good old fashioned rough and tumble,be able to park within 10 metres of the entrance and do your shopping prior to kick off, get yourself down to Champion Hill.

Leicester city pre match stats

As we go into the Leicester game Actim Index have released their latest stats on the Championship teams. Despite our lofty position of 3rd in the table, no Addick gets into the top 30 Championship players listing. Although, there is no surprise that our leading player is none other than Andy Reid at 32, whereas we need to scroll down find our second player at 77 Nicky Weaver and then at 97 is Zheng Zhi who is recorded as a defender.

Leicester, however, fair worse their first place is at 61 with Kisnorbo, followed by McAuley at 87 (Both defenders) and Toronto Addicks favourite Iain Hulme at 119.

Two ex Addick keepers are in the top 5 keepers list Deano, as one would expect, and Paul Rachubka, who we sold to Huddersfield and now plays for Blackpool, another keeper who was bought for real money by Curbs and then given a free.

Our midfield continue to lead the way for shots, with Ambrose despite the arrival of his new child, leading the way with 24 shots and Reidy having 23. of course accuracy is what counts hence reid has 7 goals this season, already, against Ambroses 1.

There are not many things that Actim make us top at, but shots off target is the one with 46, whilst West Brom have topped on target with 49.

At 22, 242 our average home attendance is the sixth highest in the division.

It looks tomorrow like we are set for a boring first half as between them the teams have managed to muster up only 2 Championship goals in the first 45, but nobody should leave the ground at half time as a further 15 goals have gone into the onion bag in the second.

Its two games since Leicester have had an away win and four since an away defeat, so it looks good for a draw, especially with the new manager Gary Megson behind them. The last Leicester League game was at the Valley, a 2-2 draw, although I recall villain of the piece Dublin, scoring a header in an FA Cup game at the Valley, in the last minute to put us out in January - again. Tomorrows referee is S. Tanner

Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics

Well done to Paul May, in his guise as ReamsofVerse, for updating what used to be netaddicks, but for the moment is just Charltons Rivals site. the left hand menu now contains "reams" of information to go alongside the insightful comments from the addicks board contributors.

Pulling out a few gems from the Championships stats season to date has revealed some real gems. There have been four Championship teams of the week, forty four players have been nominate, Scunthorpe have supplied four nominations whereas Charlton have supplied only two - Moutakil v Scunthorpe and Reid v Sheff Wed, which goes to prove the point that this League does not appreciate real quality, where was Iwelumo's nomination for his performance against Sheff Wed?


Charlton's leading scorer in all competitions is Andy Reid, but who do you think has had the most shots? Iwelumo - no, Marcus - ha bloody ha, Toddy - nope, surely not Mcleod, surely you are right its not him either. No the leading shot taker this season is non other than much maligned Darren (Dazza) Ambrose 21 shots 8 on target and 1 goal.Reidy has 16 shots, 7 on target and afer that it trails away, Iwelumo leads the forwards and has had 11, with 3 on target and the defence is led by Fortune with 3 all off target, so McCarthy could claim top spot having scored against Stockport.

Then players most lacking in discipline are those defensive chopper Hariss's Jose Semedo 8 fouls and - you guessed - not Paddy or Thatch or Magic, How about John Fortune - nope he's only got 4, no guys and girls the foul count is led by none other than out own Chopper Harris, Norman Bites Yer legs Hunter, yes its Darren Ambrose, matching Semeo's 8, although he has committed more in the championship.

There are lots more useles stats if you need to get yourself to sleep, just go to Charlton Rivals who would have thought it darren Ambrose leading the stats .