Today was supposed to be a welcome distraction to the relegation battle we are now well and truly ensconced in. The reality was we turned up with the ridiculous game plan of grinding out a draw and bringing United back to 'fortress' (?) Valley. The same United that had won their last 8 games and only conceded one goal in the process. This was not a league game where a point gained could be the difference between staying up and Scunthorpe away, it was an FA Cup quarter final and the best chance in the last 67 years of getting beyond this point of the cup.
I am bewildered by the negative tactic that we approached this game with. And would go as far to say that the players can take less blame than the manager on this occasion, however much it pains me to say (and it really does). Our attacking impetuous was none excistent, we defended so deeply and showed no creative nouse at all. I'll be interested to see what Sir Chris has to say - the usual 'dust ourselves down/it wasn't our day' simply won't cut it this time.
An apology to those intrepid Addicks who made it upto the Steel City would be a start. Where from here, I simply don't know. Sure, we were never going to win the Cup, but it would have been nice to see us try.
100% agree - a team with no balls needs to take it's share of the blame, but Sir Chris needs to set them up to "win"
ReplyDeleteLiving outside the UK, it was only a short cab ride to the pub to watch this one, I'd have been livid if I'd trekked to Sheffield for that. Haven't seen anything so bad since Wimbleon away on boxing day circa 1990 when I had to climb over a locked gate to get out at half time when we were 3 down and playing with a similar lack of passion
I don't know what comes next - it may not be deemed a good short term move but I think most moves the owners take now are probably going to see us better off in the long term
You called it mate.
ReplyDeleteThanks for you comments both. Matthew I was there that Boxing Day. We walked into the ground (for free) through probabaly the same gate you had to climb over to get out. Around the edge of the pitchside and over the hoardings into the away end. That was back in the day before having kids and having the diposable to go all over the place watching the Addicks. Whatever way things go, however much i moan from time to time, it's actually days like that at Plough Laane that make me keep going and enjoy our purple patches a whole lots more.
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