Cashing In The Chips

Well, I've made up for my plasticity after staying away from The Valley on Saturday – I've got my West Brom ticket for my first ever trip to The Hawthorns, and I've finally contracted Cup Fever.

Why? Well, it's the prospect of another away tie to come, and Peterborough lie in wait for the victors.

I always enjoy the road trips, and you've only got to look at this season's results to see why. So far I've had the fun of Stoke, Palace, Coventry, Hull, Preston and Norwich – Stoke result aside, that's a pretty good haul.

The team seems to dig in so much more away from The Valley – perhaps the pressure to perform isn't as great, the weight of expectation lessened, the support stronger... only the players can be sure what makes them tick.

One thing I know I can rely on against the Baggies next week is a bit of comeback from a certain comedian pictured above – Frank Skinner owes us one. He's the one on the right by the way - apologies for blanking out my boat-race, but us bloggers have to keep some level of mystery... ;)

I met him a few years ago in a London pub and he was a genuinely likeable guy. Didn't know me from Adam, but chatted for a while about random stuff, football, the 4-1 stuffing they dished out at The Valley the previous season, and staying up thanks to the Palace result. I wished Frank well for West Brom and he did the same for us.

Well Frankie boy, it's time for me to cash in my chips. I'll take a result next week please if that's alright with you. Nothing flashy necessary – no hat-tricks in 10 minutes like a certain Mr Earnshaw was gifted, a nice tidy 1-0 will suffice.

After all, you'll want to concentrate on the league won't you? Your mate Adrian Chiles must be gagging for West Brom to be back on Match Of The Day!

Come on matey, you know it makes sense... I've another away trip to plan!

Changes Rung – Charlton 1, WBA 1

Image © Charlton Athletic

Looks like I missed out yesterday then – Viewtoakill, Youga, Varney, McLeod, Basey and Dickson were all given a chance, and by all accounts we actually played some football.

With a 4-4-2 formation the emphasis had to be about keeping the ball on the deck, especially considering a forward pairing who won't trouble too many defenders in the air.

I've no problem with playing it long occasionally, but after 10 games or so of constant hoofing it was time for the ball to be reacquainted with the Valley turf. Iwelumo's been great for us this season, but the temptation to lump the ball forward when he plays has clearly proved too great at times.

It's really promising to hear about Youga's performance – I'm yet to see him in a Charlton shirt, but the glowing reviews on the back of yesterday's result make him seem like a new signing for us.

The combination of him and Mouataouakil at the back could give us the attacking spark we so desperately need at the moment – despite the experience of the Mills/Powell pairing, their occasional bursts forward looked all too telegraphed at times due to their lack of pace.

We've looked flat on the wings for much of this season, and with Reid's prolonged absence, this new combination could provide a basis for the creativity we've needed. The linkup with Thomas and Sam on the flanks could provide a real scare to defences at this level. Equally important, the added excitement will help get a recently disillusioned crowd back on side.

The performance yesterday could aid the club as they consider their moves in the transfer window. Basey and Youga have the left covered, Mou and Bougherra can operate on the right, leaving the focus on improving the cover at centre-back. The midfield and strikers need a kick up the arse more than anything else at the moment, so I can't see too much movement in the dressing room this month.

So, hats off to Pards for having a go at it, and giving me another chance to take my first trip to The Hawthorns. Let's hope the kit-man uses his second chance and packs the right shorts this time... ;)

Case For The Kids

I'm wondering if I'm going to regret missing the game today. There's rumours that Pardew's selection will have a whiff of a 'run out' for some of the younger fringe players, and I for one would wholeheartedly support this approach.

This may aggravate some fans who feel the cup is special and should be respected, but let's be honest – in the last few games has anyone really deserved to keep their place? We're always screaming to give the young blood a chance, and today is the ideal opportunity. Change it up and see what happens.

The reality is that the league is more important to us this season than the last few years. We've always done enough recently to cling to mid-table or thereabouts in the Prem and looked forward to the prospect of cup glory, which sadly always ended in miserable failure.

Things are different now. We're in real danger of going stale at the moment, and are playing like a dull mid-table team a league lower than we're comfortable with. The opportunity of playing a team like West Brom with a changed line-up is a gift right now, and one that should be taken.

If we were playing a team from another division, higher or lower, we'd simply be playing to avoid embarrassment. We'd try hard to grind out a result and learn nothing from it. Playing the best team in our league totally removes the pressure – we've an idea of what we're up against, and can try out some different tactics.

In fact I'm kicking myself right now that my day will consist of 2 trips to Essex and back in the car (which passed with flying colours by the way!), rather than an afternoon out at The Valley casting an eye over a youthful side hungry to stake a place in the first team.

Today could possibly see any of Viewtoakill, Racon, Dickson, Christiansen, Arter, Youga, Sankofa and Basey, some of which are players I won't get a chance to see normally unless I get off my lazy arse and finally attend a reserves match. Varney could get a chance to shine in a standard 4-4-2, and McLeod may have a shot at showing his goal at The Hawthorns wasn't just a fluke.

Having said all that, Pardew might still opt for the same boring toss we've been subjected to for the last few games. I urge you Pards – take a risk today! No-one's expecting us to win, you've seen what happens when the Woolwich Rejects play the kids! Be a devil...

There's 4½ hours til kick-off as I write this Pards, you've still got time...

Anyone For A Sing Song?

There's been a lot of talk of late about stadium atmosphere after Ferguson's latest lambasting of the Old Trafford prawn sandwich brigade faithful, and it's interesting to take a look in our own back yard at The Valley.

Charlton have never been flash enough for prawn sandwiches (a rip-off Wimpy joint at best), have never really been fashionable, but are well known for being friendly, welcoming, and passionate about what we stand for. Along with Richard Murray's investment, the fans are how the club is still in existence today.

We're often criticised for being one of the quieter clubs, and although there are times when we create a lot of noise, we do sometimes emulate the North-London based Woolwich rejects of Arsenal in the library stakes.

The clichés are always there about the effect of the 'twelfth man', but I do believe it has an effect. However, in customary hypocritical form, I'll put my hands up as being one of the quiet ones a lot of the time. I'll happily sing Valley Floyd Road, Red Army, CAFC, SAP etc, but I'd never be the one starting a song and won't always join in.

You see, sometimes I just want to concentrate on the game. I don't always feel I want to sing, but there are other times when I feel the team needs a bit of a spur and I'll pipe up. If I'm quiet it doesn't necessarily mean I'm not backing the lads.

Who's responsible for the noise though? If the team puts in an abject display and doesn't appear to be trying, why should we even bother? You can't really win with this one – if you don't sing, it will all too often be noted by the manager that we're not getting behind the team and it becomes 'our problem'. But are we responsible for the ones creating the spark, or does this lie with the players and the manager?

Personally, I think it rests on the attitudes of the team. A flash of brilliance, a neat turn, a clever pass, chasing down their man, a crunching tackle, just bloody trying – that will get me going, get me out of my seat, and squawking like a demented reject from X Factor. Alternatively, if no-one on the pitch is giving a toss, I'm not sure they deserve it. It shouldn't take a song from people getting paid a tiny fraction of a player's salary to spark them into it in the first place - these are professionals who should want to win.

Cutting off our noses we may be in such instances – but as much as a football fan has the right to revel and join in the success, don't we also have the right to show our dissatisfaction? The Wycombe cup game last year was a case in point – after such a disgraceful display, if it wasn't for the berating of the crowd it's arguable we may have missed out on getting Pardew in before Christmas.

I'm no fan of the 'boo boys' by any means – I can't stand it when people start booing after the fist misplaced pass, but on that bleak match last December I'll put it in the 'time and place' bracket.

What can the club do to help though? For a start, there has to be the acceptance that not everyone wants to sing through the game. After their relocation to Eastlands, Manchester City attempted to generate atmosphere by introducing a 'singing section'. Despite fears such a move may keep the noise isolated to a single area, by all reports it seems that this has led to noise spreading throughout other areas as people are more confident to join in.

Whilst I'm not keen on having designated singing sections, one thing I would be keen on is the re-introduction of standing areas in the ground. This would have a number of benefits to the club and supporters:
- capacity would increase
- prices should reduce as a result
- standing generally encourages more vocal support
- people who want to stay seated can, and without the problem of persistent standers

One thing I definitely don't want to see is the relocation of away supporters. I'm very proud that Charlton carry on the tradition of giving away fans their own end behind the goal, and I find it sickening that clubs such as Newcastle and more recently Aston Villa are putting away supporters in less 'intimidating' areas.

It's the cowards way out isn't it? Hide the away fans, keep them out of sight, away from the penalty areas and places where they could have a stronger effect on the match and have an influence on officials. In fact, I positively welcome vocal away support – the banter can be excellent and I think in many ways it spurs us on to give the same backing to our own team.

The reaction at the Blackpool game next week will be an interesting one after tomorrow's result – if West Brom knock us out (as I expect), the league means more to us than ever.

Let's hope the player's feel the same way – I could do with a good old sing song...

Wish Me Luck...

There's a lot of things that scare us in life – checking the New Year bank balance, a trip to the dentist, commitment, the worrying red-print envelopes in the letterbox, bumping into Jo Brand at the end of a hunger strike...

Essentially, the root of all fear is the element of the unknown, and the anticipation of the event is often worse than the result itself. The unscientifically proven fact to counter all your fear is that the worst very rarely happens.

We all think we're the unluckiest people in the world don't we? The weight of everything on our shoulders, just shuffling from one head-bollocking catastrophe to the next. But think about it – things are never really that bad, are they?

For a start, bad things are mostly your own doing – it's a rare occurrence that the actions of someone else can totally screw you up. Being the architect of your own undoing is the thing that gets you grabbing for the noose quicker than a Texas high-court judge.

”Why did I say that???” “Why did I do that???”

The self-loathing makes the pain so much harder – it's far easier if things are outside of your control, or if it's something you have no understanding of. Out of your hands, no responsibility. ”I don't know any better – not my fault”.

Well, you'd think it would make things easier – but I'm terrified about what could happen tomorrow. My car is up for a service and it's first MOT...

You may have read my story a week or so back about my dabble with the dentist, but baby – that has nothing on this. My last stint at the garage cost me more than 500 big ones, and with a post-Christmas bank account looking emptier than a supermodel's head on Mastermind, it's a bit of a concern.

Again, it's the unknown that's scaring me here. My knowledge of automobile engineering is up there with Ricky Butcher's outlook on Quantum Physics. I haven't got a chuffing clue how a car works – as far as I know you simply turn the key and put your foot down. And avoid hitting things.

I'm just waiting for that phone-call from the garage informing me that my something-fluid is low, or the gear-something needs replacing, or the jizzmatic-wazzmadoodle is borked. They could be making the whole sodding thing up, charge me Northern Rock's government debt, and I'd be none the wiser. In fact, I'll probably even thank them for it and buy them flowers for their trouble, like an idiotic car-maintenance-phobic sado-masochist.

So, wish me luck on this one – anything fishy I get charged for, I'll let you know. And you can chuckle your spleen out about what a gullible, shagwitted auto-luddite I am.

Transfer Window Tactics

Image c/o Wikipedia Commons

The New Year not only heralded the start of 2008 and our first spanking, it also ushers in the ludicrous bi-annual nonsense of the Transfer Window.

A lot of managers have spoken out against this player merry-go-round, and I have to agree wholeheartedly with them. There's no good reason for it, the only justification I can think of is at a buerocratical level to synchronise the process across leagues and regions.

I also presume the authorities believe this will minimise potential player unrest and tapping up. The thing is, transfer talk still forms the daily staple of every newspaper, as the agents do their day-to-day business of blowing tempting tit-bits up the ar**holes of a few lazy "can't think of a better story today" sports journalists.

Anyway, back at Planet Valley, I have a suggestion for Pards and the Charlton board now we can officially conduct player business again.

It's a simple - Don't sell anyone. Anyone. Not even the tea lady.

I know we're a selling club, but practically every attacking player we've ever sold bloody scores against us. In the last 5 years I can think of Defoe, Parker, Jensen, and now even Kevin bloody Lisbie is in on the act. Even Danny Shittu hit the bar against us in pre-season a few years back at QPR, and Bryan Hughes had one disallowed earlier in the season at the KC.

We're jinxed aren't we? Without those goals from Jensen and Defoe, Fulham could have gone down and we might even have stayed up.

If you're listening Mr Murray - I know we're a bit skint after the recent financial report, but please don't sell anyone! Unless we really, really have to of course. If that's the case, you can offload them to anyone except:
- Any other Championship club
- Derby, Wigan or Boro
- Swansea, Forest or Leeds

At this rate we'll be playing them all next year - please spare me another Lisbie moment!!

Happy New Year? Charlton 1, Colchester 2

It seems the New Year does bring some good tidings - the excess of the previous night kept me away from The Valley, a major blessing combined with the reports of today's performance.

Two goals from Kevin Lisbie (who else...) sank us in the first half, and by the sounds of it he could have walked off with the matchball. Perhaps he remembered where he was after the second and starting missing again.

Varney got one back just before half time, but continual reliance on woeful long ball tactics continues to be our undoing. I could bemoan the absence of Reid continually, but what's the point if none of the team are prepared to take the responsibility.

It also makes me question what Pards is actually up to at Sparrows Lane at the moment. We started the season with a promise of playing good football, but mixing it up with the long ball where necessary. Unfortunately, the mixture now has a consistency of 1-part 'attractive passsing' against 99-parts 'hoof at all costs'.

I'd had high hopes for the start of 2008, and looking at the predictions for the other teams around us I wasn't too far out. However, my optimism clearly hasn't spread to the pitch, as we find ourselves looking over our shoulders at an increasingly large chasing pack.

The truth is we're now in a real fight to keep a playoff spot - if the results go against us in our next match we could be as low as 9th and 1 point ahead of Cardiff. I seem to remember placing them in a relegation scare only 2 months ago, which is a sobering thought...