First six pointer coming up ...

A big game ahead this afternoon, after only two league games suprisingly, as we travel to Barnsley.

The fact we have only recently hammered them at their place fills me with dread that we'll be on the wrong end this time. This is further compounded by the fact that Doncaster won last night and Millwall play at home to fellow strugglers elect Huddersfield.

We could see ourselves rock bottom come five o clock this afternoon. And as much as you can ride the wave of enthusiasm picking up points through good runs and getting that winning mentality; you just as easily fail again and really get into that rut of low confidence that saw us relegated twice in recent years.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not totally doom and gloom - regardless of the rumours and reportage coming from a variety of well informed and respected writers regarding our current internal problems at the club. We do have pretty much the same playing squad that proved we can on our day match pretty much anyone in this division. What we really need today is a big performance from those who dazzled last term, and more importantly some points on the board.

It's a game that when pre season targets were being set I would imagine SCP would hav hoped for at least a point.

I've a feeling that the ever cautious Powell will go 4-5-1 with Kermo up top. (Although I'd like to see him take a punt on Piggot). Hopefully Hughes will come into a five man midfield with Harriot and Wilson providing some width. The other two Pritchard and maybe Stephens.

Jackson missing due to 'a knock' makes me wonder whether we're now in advanced negotiations regarding his sale. What a furore that would see?

I'll be crossing everything and wearing my lucky pants, socks, shorts and t shirt and egging us on to grab all three points whatever way we can.

...Insipid Charlton beaten by Boro

I wish i'd kept my mouth shut now.

Defeat is something we have to face up to with dignity when we support a football team. However the nature of the defeat can sometimes make this a tad more difficult to do.

Today, pretty much to a man, we were dreadful. Defensively we were abysmal. Considering this has been one of our strong points since the doors started revolving at The Valley it is a big worry.

I know and appreciate that no one gets relegated after only two games, but there will need to be a big improvement if we are to stay in this division, and stop crowds really plummeting. 14,800 odd supporters today is not the sort of attendance that will help us financially with the new ffp rules.

The goal was gifted by two minutes of shambolic defending, and there was also a back pass that we really should not have got away with. (Thankyou for rubbish ref's).

Our passing and movement was not up to scratch. To many times players ran into the wrong space, didn't run at all or passed to blue shirts or empty spaces. It was a bit like watching the blind football at the Olympics, but without the skill!

I suppose if I were to look for positives it would be Harriot, boy can he run and is tenacious, Gower looked promising for me and Church played with intent.

Kermi looks like he's spent the summer enjoying a bit too much smelly cheese back home and Sorrdell was full of running but very little else.

When Stephens came on it did seem to add a bit of spark, for about ten minutes and then he was back to his usual self. (I still can't understand why we didn't bite Villas hand off).

On the plus side Millwall lost again so are below us on goal difference. Off to Barnsley, where we really will need a performance and a result to kick start our season.

Cheers.

...Charlton to take on the mighty Boro - and win big!

I can't wait for tomorrow. Tony Mowbray brings his Middlesborough side to The Valley, hopefully to eat a nice big slice of 'umble pie. (I won't mince my words, after his comments last season after we got a draw at their place the word mug springs to mind).

Last seasons 1-4 home defeat was my late fathers last game as a Charlton supporter (although he wasn't there in person he was pretty dammed close - QEII Hospital.) So the first game of the season, along with me taking his seat under my name as a season ticket holder will be even bigger for me than the usual first home game of the season.

Apparently Boro are so big that they can actually start rewriting results, so they should have a pretty good season. http://www.mfc.co.uk/page/matches/first-team-table

According to the clubs official website everyone else got it wrong and they actually didn't lose 1-2 at home to Leicester City http://www.mfc.co.uk/page/matches/first-team-fixtures but actually won two nil and are now sitting third after one game.

Now that is the kind of spin that even our very own communications department would be proud of! (If the Boro website realises it's mistake and the correct result shows when you click through to the link I assure you that at 7.20pm on Friday night they believed on their website they won 2-0).

Hopefully if they carry on with this policy then they'll be top of the league and reporting a rousing '5-0' victory on Saturday night.

It's so hard this early to make any kind of prediction, but i'm going to anyway. Because of all of the important things that are linked to tomorrows game for me, I feel supremley optimistic the lads won't let me/us down. It's gonna be goals, goals, goals at The Happy Valley. Charlton 6 Boro 1.

Come ooooooooooooooooooon youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuureeeeeeeeeds!

I'm so excited i could crush a grape...come you reeeeeds...

It's here. Not sure about everyone else, but hasn't it come round quick?  (Especially considering how quiet the close season was).

Interestingly SCP was quoted on the BBC website banging on about how we 'overachieved' last season. Like most of what drivel has come out of the club via the official site it does all really smell (stink) of club based spin driven to keep the (simple and unimportant) supporters quiet (how little the powers that be know us lot!). Honesty being the best policy in my opinion they should just 'fess up' and say thing are tight and we've got to cut our cloth.

On a more positive note I really do feel quietly confident about this season. I've no expectation that we're going to run away with the league, or even sneak through the play off's. But what I do know is that we have a great group of players who have a respect and comrade re with the management team.

We have a group of young players who are coming through and being bigged up (more spin, am I becoming cynical?) by the management. If the example of Callum Harriot is repeated (who I think will be a star this season - think Paul Walsh, who was 17 when he first made a BIG impact) then we have several reasons to be cheerful.

The big question is how will we line up tomorrow. It's going to pan out one of two ways as far as I see it. With the first the most likley.

4-5-1 with Yann up top, Harriot and Green on the flanks and Hollands/Stephens/Pritchard. Jackson and Gower in the centre. Solly and Whiggins at full back and Morrison (#cafc legend in the making) aand Cort in the centre. Hamer of course in between the sticks.

The other alternative is Prtich backed up to the bench and Sordell up front in a four four two (a formation SCP does seem to like).

I'm going to make a bold and silly match prediction for this one. (It is the first game of the season though, so allow me that) 451 to start, finishing on 442, 4-1 to Charlton with Yann getting one and Sordell claiming a hat trick.

As is always the case my predictions are often out there and often wrong, but i am feeling confident and excited and really cannot wait for it all to kick off tomorrow.

COME ON YOU REDS...

Winge, winge, winge...

I was kind of waiting for the late transfer flurry and end of pre-season to post any kind of comment on the close and pre season.

It's been a pretty quite one for sure. Besides lots of recriminations from fellow Addicks over the lack of transfer activity and the antidote of the 'in Sir Chris we trust' brigade.

One thing is for sure is that we are extremely light in the striker department, with only the great Kermogant as our only recognised senior striker.

I think there are two realities we all need to come to terms with. 1. We simply ain't got much money and 2. The fair play rules are coming into force, thus we really do need to cut our cloth accordingly. Problem being that although there is no maximum wage bill the most important rule which can result in sanctions is that if the club owner DOES NOT inject equity into the coffers the maximum loss the club can make is just 3 million, which we all know based on recent accounts is entirely possible. The real irony of the new rules this season is that in the event that the owner DOES inject cash into the club then they can make up to a maximum loss of 8 million! (How is that fair?)

Simon Church got a run out against Ebbsfleet today, I've checked his goalscoring credentials out, and they're far from pretty reading.

I think playing Yann the Man up top on his own is one option, but you do need to have a bit more that and i've always found him most effective with a partner to take the heat off of him(and even then he ends up black and blue).

Many have expressed their relief that we have managed to keep hold of our key players, and there have been one or two nonsense rumours floating about. It's a while until the premier league season starts, and i'm sorry to say i wouldn't be surprised to see one of our crown jewels move on for money between our season starting and the Premier kicking off. I suppose the big question would be how much would go towards balancing the books and how much, if any, would be given to SCP to bolster or improve the squad.

I'll be taking my son to Princes Park on Tuesday night to see a Charlton eleven take on Dartford, and would not be surprised to see one or two free agents get a run out.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

...It all starts here

...So the boys travel to Park View Road today to begin the pre-season friendly programme.

You'd usually like to see any new personnel on board by now so player combinations can be tried and tested before a competitive ball is kicked in anger, but this term this just isn't going to be the case.

Much has been said about lack of signings but as I've said before, we've got we've got both in terms of players and money so we'd better get on with it.

It would seem that from last seasons success we have a good development squad and young players, and it could actually work in our favor for these players to come through hungry and with a real chance of making a name for themselves and challenging for a first team place.

If the case is that we're not going to see any or many new faces incoming then we'll need a strong pre season where the key will be getting match fit and integrating those young players who are making the step up into the first team squad and creating a competitive nature where no player feels they are a shoe in for a first team start.

I'm guessing we'll see most of our first team from last season start along with the couple of trialists we have up front and in defence starting and then making way for some of the young blood in the second half. Piggott and Jordan I think will almost certainly get a run out.

It'll be a good day out in the sunshine and I think some of those more negative among us will be pleasantly surprised by a fresh performance and some maturing youngsters stepping up.

It's now the excitement begins and we can start dreaming of a good campaign.

Oh south London, is wonderful, it's full of t.........and Charlton...

...So the 1st of July is nearly upon us. There's been plenty of conjuncture about have we got any money?, will we sign anyone?, have the current board got any ambition/sense? - We'll find out soon enough!

The bottom line is that those clubs already making signings, you know the European giants such as Juventus (who have a different window to England) and the likes of Liverpool and Man Utd who have made big bids are all in a completely different stratosphere to us and our peers.

We've seen a few out of contract signings happen across the football league (Gower being one) and a few loans (Millwall's excellent re-acquisition of Morrison on loan) but we won't really see any real action until the window officially opens. I'm certain there a quite a few deals about to be rubber stamped, but what no club of our current standing can afford to do is play with an open hand and allow another club to come and gazump them to a signing in what by the very nature of the new fair play rules and the current economic climate could easily happen. The competition to pick up a bargain is fierce at this level more so than ever.

We're either playing a close hand or just don't have the resource to go on a summer spending spree. (To be fair I would imagine with the complex way transfer payments are made, deferred and staggered we are still paying for some of the nineteen odd that were signed to get us out of the third division). If the latter is the case then we'll just have swallow it back and hope that some of the fringe up and coming youth players come good Harriot style.(There is a famous quote of someone saying 'you'll never win anything with youngsters' that was proven wrong.)

I was encouraged to see that Evina has turned up for training, maybe he knows that there may well be a better chance of him getting more starts this season - I for one think he's far to good a prospect and player to be warming the bench. I wouldn't even be surprised to see him maybe develop into more of a midfield player with his attacking qualities.

I'm sure that Sir Chris, whatever our circumstances knows what he's doing, regardless of what our board of directors may or may not be.

The impression the squad of players we've enjoyed for the last two season gives me, is that they are young, have the ability to develop learn and get better. (Something we have bared witness to over the last two campaigns). They are tight knit - hate losing and there seem to be no flash tarts in the team.

The 1st will be the day when we really know how the issue of personnel will pan out. Any of our better players who are going will be announced that day, and i'd imagine any deals that see new faces will also be verified. Bottom line is whatever happens I can't wait till I hear the thud of my new season ticket on my mat.

Final note, and i'm guessing you'll know who you are, things ain't that bad, last season was actually pretty bloody good when you analyse it against the last few terms and Charlton are most certainly NOT in East London!