Madley being the operative word

I thought i'd waved goodbye to refereeing performances like that when i waved a fond farewell to the third division.

People often talk about football matches being lost because one side showed the other too much respect. I think today one major factor in our defeat was the amount of respect, the mincing imbecile of a ref, Madley showed to the mighty visitors.

I was sat in the East Stand for a change today, so could not see quite what happened. To me it looked like Kermo did kick/trip Halford (erstwhile known as that git!) but the way that Git leapt almost somersaulting in the air was truly laughable and extremely unmanly. What made it even more laughable was how this was deemed a dismissible offence in the face of all the Forest players diving, obstructions, body checking and general gamesmanship.

What we still shouldn't lose site of was that it was evident from the get go that the 451 formation was just not going to work against the way Forest had set themselves up.

On the day, if we're honest with ourselves, the Charlton players did have a pretty bad day at the office. What makes it particularly disappointing is that despite recent results (Leicester aside) we've not lost points through bad performances but through a bit of naivety - much of the performances have been pretty good, just not quite enough. Today, to a man, we were dreadful.

Pritchard had his worst game in a Charlton shirt. Stephens (of whom i'm not a fan) was ineffectual. Hamers communication with the defence was often non existent. Although in his defence he did pull off one or two fine saves that helped both keep our negative goal difference down and stop it becoming a really embarrassing score line.

We know this group of players, on their day, can go toe to toe with any team this division, for whatever reason, which i don't know, the players simply did not seem up for it.

Sir Chris has his work cut out between now and the Burnley game (where i will return home to the lower west). Not that Whiggins did anything overly wrong, but i'd like to see the excellent Evina back in the fold, maybe Hughes back in the side and two up top. Haynes and Fuller. I think it's also maybe time we saw Wilson back in for Waggy.

Lastly, i've never ever left The Valley prior to the final whistle. And today I still did not. But to see the many sidling out with a good fifteen minutes to go was not a happy thing to behold. Wheres peoples staying power these days!




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