Simply Magnificent Effort And Deserved Point

Despite the glorious start to the campaign – which I managed to watch on a mobile en route from Lyon to around Montpelier, with Plan A having gone out of the window curtesy of a two-hour bouchon around Millau, almost causing an accident with a yelp of delight as Knibbs buried it – for obvious reasons we went into today’s contest very much as the underdogs. An end-of-holidays drive back from Gaillac to Lyon enabled me to watch the match in a more comfortable setting but the end-result was very much the same. Great deal of satisfaction to take from a magnificent effort, one which at the least merited the point we take back with us. Another win would not have flattered us.

With no fresh injury concerns, but also no sign yet of Godden being available for selection, to nobody’s surprise the team was unchanged – and the only change to the matchday squad was Maynard-Brewer coming in for Mannion as the reserve keeper.

Bristol City did begin the game much the brighter, although Apter almost got an opening at the start. In the first 10 minutes first Edwards was caught out by a ball over his head which ended up with a shot blocked for a corner, then another guy cut inside and sent a shot from outside the box just wide. They seemed to be coping easily enough with our press and when the sprang forward were adept at short passing to create space. It looked like it was going to be a very tough afternoon.

However, as the half progressed we seemed to get more of a grip on them, without creating much. Apter continued to look like he had the beating of them on the right, Campbell got more into the game, and simple hard work and good organisation pushed them back. Our best moment – aside from a back pass which the Bristol defender left and almost caught the keeper unawares - came on 17 minutes when Campbell moved across the line with the ball and found Carey on the right, but his cross/shot was too strong for Kelman to get on the end of and wide of the far post. Shortly before the break Campbell played a one-two to get into space but his clipped cross was easily gathered.

The half-time stats showed that Bristol had enjoyed 60% possession and had eight shots to our two – but most tellingly none on target. Blocks from Ramsay and Jones in particular had been effective to keep them at bay. No question that Jones the Boss will have been happier than his counterpart – and I guess like many Addicks I was merely thinking that if we can keep a clean sheet it would be a very good afternoon’s work.

That clean sheet looked a long way off as it took some last-ditch defending from the kick off to keep them out. That proved to be the first of a flurry of chances. On 50 minutes a great ball inside found Apter in space. His shot was parried by their keeper and unfortunately dropped for a defender to put behind. That seemed to sting them into upping it and next it was their turn as we unluckily lost possession in our own half, a shot was blocked but the rebound went to another inside the box. He was able to turn and shoot from a tight angle and his effort crashed off the top of the bar.

In terms of chances we were up next. Apter again the fulcrum and his ball in hit a defender and looked set to end in their net, only for their keeper to adjust well to get down to turn it onto the post. Then Carey was set up well but shot badly wide, and from a corner Ramsay headed over when Jones coming in behind him was better placed. To almost square things up, after Leaburn had replaced Kelman, a poor Campbell pass put us in trouble and it took Ramsay (again) to sort it out.

More changes came, with on 80 minutes Knibbs and Alaofe coming on for Carey and Campbell, while Bristol brought on a couple of big guys up front, and at the end of normal time, with Edwards going down injured, Gillesphey and Anderson for Edwards and Docherty. With seven minutes of stoppage time flagged we almost took the lead as Apter played a delightful ball in and Knibbs very nearly got on the end of it. But to be fair it took a fantastic block from Jones to keep the scoresheet blank just before the final whistle, before being clattered to the ground by the Bristol big guy (laughingly the Bristol fans seemed to see nothing wrong – although the ref had given soft free kicks to both sides).

With Ramsay struggling with cramp the final whistle was probably overall welcome for us, especially as Bristol had one final free kick to loft into the box after an Apter foul. There were many tired bodies out there, but it had all been in a very good cause. The final stats showed their possession down to 57.5% and of their 14 shots only one was on target (an easy gather for Kaminski), although they did have the one which crashed off the bar. We ended with eight shots and two on target, plus hitting the post.

It would be unfair to single out individuals in what was a tremendous team effort, us going head-to-toe with one of the best sides in the division away from home. But Jones and Ramsay in particular were superb, while Apter is a joy to watch. The level of commitment was exemplary, throughout the team (sure Kelman struggled to influence the game, but largely on his own against three assured centre-backs was a thankless task). Nothing but satisfaction as we look back on that one, we can only ask for more.

Much To Applaud, Still Plenty Of Imponderables

All current news and speculation is of course overshadowed by the tragic death of Ethan Ade-Oduwale. In tandem with everyone else, my thoughts and condolences go out to his family, friends, and team-mates.

The absence of a stream means I can’t comment on or draw any conclusions regarding last night’s clash with Ipswich. From Jones’ post-match comments it sounded like a mixed bag, minutes into legs etc but not much in the way of pointers to how we will line up against Watford, with now only one game left with which to experiment or firm up plans.

On the positive front, however you slice and dice it, and accept that nothing is guaranteed, the signing of Kelman is great news for us and has raised further everyone’s spirits. Post-Wembley I thought that if we could get either Kone or Kelman it would be good; getting Kelman and Olaofe is just excellent. After the signing of Apter I thought that perhaps the best way would be for us to bring in a young forward on loan from a Premiership club (and there were rumours regarding one from Spurs) to provide both the competition and the cover for Godden. Signing Kelman is a good deal better than that. Even the owners are getting plaudits for providing the cash to support Jones. Now that’s been a while.

On the negative/cautionary front, we’ve now only a little over a week and one game in anger to go before the campaign begins and there’s no clear idea of the structure or composition of the starting XI, the Plan A if you like. That’s for sure a plus in terms of having options, less so if it’s going to take a while for the new team to gel. And formations do matter. There’s no perfect one, just the one that gets the best out of the resources available and which the players get attuned to, so that play with the ball quickens, players know their jobs and understand who is likely to do what. Fluency doesn’t just happen because the players are good.

If you sat down now and wrote down the names of those who, if fit and available, are a shoo-in to start games, you’d I think end up with just Kaminski, Jones and Ramsay, probably Edwards and Coventry too. With Godden and Berry absent to date, plus Mannion (and Taylor), what can be said?

If we stick to at least starting games with a back 3/5 – and all the evidence from the friendlies points that way – the two questions to be worked through are will we repeat the central three of Wembley and how will the wing-backs work out? On the former I’d be comfortable if we did, with Bell, Burke and the two Mitchells (barring sales or loans) providing the competition.

The wing-backs are less clear (to me). Small’s departure is a big loss. Neither Asiimwe (who is heading off to Wimbledon on loan) nor the Wolves trialist really nailed down the spot on the right, Apter is a winger and if played in the role would add a very welcome attacking threat but surely would be a risk defensively. Would Jones choose to move Ramsay to the wider role, if Burke is fit? It’s an option, but Ramsay was working so well where he was. On the right side, the only issue with Edwards – who slotted in so well from day one - is that what worked so well last season was Campbell playing as a winger/forward and occupying the space on the left flank. If Cambell starts, fine. If not, and if it’s not a front three, the onus may be on him to power forward more often.

The midfield choices are in many ways determined by the formation and who plays up front. If it’s Campbell and Godden/Kelman, the place is available for the attacking midfielder to support in the box, as Berry did to great effect. It would I guess be a choice between Berry, Carey and – if he does arrive – Knibbs, also – if he does not go on loan - Dixon. If we adopt a more traditional front two (Godden, Kelman, Campbell or Kanu, plus Olaofe, Leaburn or Mbick, assuming Ahadme is to be moved on) the same could apply. But if Jones opts for a front three you would need two battlers/ball-winners in the central midfield spots. Then two from Docherty, Coventry, Rankin-Costello and Anderson surely get the nod, leaving no place at least under Plan A for Carey or Knibbs.

Thankfully none of this is going to be news to Jones and his team. He must, by now, have the framework at least and most of the choices for the 11 to run out against Watford in his head. The choices for Southend on Saturday will surely provide the clues.

With Sheffield Wednesday going through all sorts of problems, it appears the bookies have installed them as favourites for relegation. We still feature in the anticipated bottom three (if the betting in a thin market is a fair reflection). We do, for good reasons, expect better, while accepting that not going back down would count as a successful season (not going down and no serious relegation struggle would be the next goal, then top-half finish, finally a play-off place, an idea which is fanciful at this stage but not beyond the range of possibilities).

The Championship is significantly more compact than League One. One measure of this is if you look at the points spread between the final play-off place (ie sixth) and the final relegation spot (ie third from bottom). Last season that spread was just 19 points in the Championship and 35 in League One. That is influenced by the fact that the top four accumulated so many points, but if you go back to the two previous seasons it was 23 points against 33 and 25 and 33, so the evidence is there.

The point from this is, I think, that outside of the promotion places the Championship is a very tight league, which in turn means that the outcome can be down to fine margins. Teams do sometimes fall apart, but like last season it can all go to the wire. Every team can look back on a season and highlight points dropped when they shouldn’t have been. We really need to minimise these. For us, I’d suggest this emphasises the need to hit the ground running and to avoid periods of the season when we might slacken off, drift a bit. Jones won’t put up with that as and when it happens. At least we have the squad to ensure that we are much better covered against injuries than last season (they were very instrumental in the relegation-form spell before Christmas).

For myself, this is France, so like the world and his dog I’ll be heading off on holiday come the weekend, trying to avoid the motorway bouchons. I hope to be able to watch the first two league games, at least on a mobile/ipad. Watford, Bristol City and Leicester is undoubtedly a very tough start, up against three teams which will all be expecting to be competing at the top of the division. But we are an unknown quantity for them (of course they will have done their homework but are probably as much in the dark as us as to how we will look to play). Take it to Watford at a packed Valley, dominate them in the way we did against strong opposition last season, and set the tone for the games to follow. COYA.

All Good Signings, Perhaps Another Piece To Fill

With confirmation this morning of the signing of Apter we’re up to seven new players for the coming season. And, while probably not all of them will really work out, I don’t think any of us are quibbling about any of the additions. They all appear to be strong additions, ones ready to go straight into the team/squad. From Jones’ comments it’s reasonable to assume we’re not finished yet (and some permanent or loan departures are no doubt on the cards). But the issue now is surely how to make the best pieces fit for key areas, what system/formation is to be Plan A.

We deserved to get promoted, no question. Equally, we got lucky, in terms of injuries/suspensions in the final months (having been equally unlucky on that front in late 2024). We began last season with something like a plan, seemingly based around Ahadme and Godden striking up a partnership (which they failed to do), Leaburn featuring prominently (which unfortunately didn’t happen), Mitchell(A) leading the back line (which he did for a while), and Edwards and Small competing on the left side, possibly one supplanting Gillesphey (which thanks to his improvement didn’t happen). We were progressively transformed as Small found his role on the right side, Jones stepped up in defence and Ramsey returned from injury, while the Godden was finally given a run in the team and forged a way of playing as Campbell did his work out wide and Berry provided the necessary support for Godden in/around the box.

Point is, while injuries undoubtedly played their part, it took a good while into last season before we hit on a formation which really got the best out of the component parts. Then we got lucky as the key elements remained available through the run-in. The threat we had down both flanks – I’ve seen it said Jones was frustrated with Small some times and brought him off early, but that was usually down to Campbell being contained on the left and things not working, the only solution being to sacrifice Small, move Campbell to wide right, and introduce Aneke – meant we could operate without much in the way of midfield creativity (which is a polite way of saying yes, at times it was pretty basic).

So how do we shape up now? I’ll confess ignorance over exactly where some of the new signings are likely to end up being used, just what team structure Jones has in mind. With that proviso, and subject to fresh comings and goings, let’s have a stab.

It’s reasonable to assume that, barring injury or some mishap, Kaminski will wear the gloves. Just how Mannion and Maynard-Brewer react is up to them. If they both stay so much the better, would be a strong line-up, but if one decides to look for pastures new to be first choice they would go with all best wishes.

At the back, will it be the 3/5 of last season or a back four? No way to tell as yet, might depend on whether Apter or Rankin-Costello are viewed as a wing-back to replace Small. We would I think be happy starting the season with the same Ramsay, Jones, Gillesphey central combination, with Edwards on the left side. But obviously Bell and Burke now come into the equation, along with current standbys Mitchell(A), Mitchell(Z) and the returning Asiimwe. I’m inclined to assume that Bell will be a (valuable) squad player, as back-up for either Gillesphey or Edwards, but happy to be proven wrong. If everyone stays it looks like another season on loan for Mitchell(Z) and some reflection on the part of Mitchell(A). He was the defensive lynchpin early last season but once he lost his place, and was sometimes pushed further down the pecking order by McIntyre, it did seem to hurt his confidence. He may want to/need to be somewhere getting regular football, but if he stays we are stronger for it and it’s up to him to make his case for inclusion.

The midfield options (including wingers) are Docherty, Berry, Coventry and Anderson from last season, plus Rankin-Costello, Carey, and now Apter, and on the fringes Dixon (who may be on the club site as a forward but I’d assume would look to play a number 10 role, as he did at Dartford), Rylah, Mwamba and Enslin, if none of them are loaned out. Taylor is back but I believe out injured, so we’ll leave him aside for now. For me it’s less about numbers and more about the formation and roles. If Carey is viewed as a younger Berry, he has to provide the goals that the latter did last season. If Docherty or Coventry are to be supplanted those coming in will need to work bloody hard to justify a change, and if Rankin-Costello and/or Apter are to be accommodated perhaps the formation has to change.

There’s still regular talk of a need to bring in a creative midfielder; but I’m in the camp that assumes Jones doesn’t feel a particular need for a playmaker, unless he is a workhorse to boot. Gilbert came in last season due to Berry’s injury, but we really didn’t play in a fashion which allowed him to shine. I’d say that another midfielder would be great, but not the pressing need.

It's up front where I think we can still strengthen. We have to hand now Olaofe, Leaburn, Ahadme, Mbick, Godden, Campbell and Kanu. Clearly there will be no tears if Ahadme departs (if he stays I hope there’s a new beginning), Leaburn is really the wildcard factor (if he stays fit he is capable of moments of magic but improvement is still needed if he is to regularly lead the line), Kanu we don’t know will have more of an impact than last season, and Mbick is still developing. So in some respects the list is not as extensive as it looks. Olaofe we rightly have high hopes for, Godden is proven and just has to repeat last season’s form, Campbell is a potential match-winner but isn’t a poacher and still does his best work from a wide position.

In short, unless Kanu is not loaned out and comes to the fore I can’t see an obvious back-up or alternative for Godden, our most likely regular source of goals. And I think there is a possible solution. We could go out and blow a lot of money (that is the nature of the beast), but while we know Jones doesn’t like loan signings, for good reason, there always have to be exceptions that prove the rule. Surely there is out there a Premiership young forward, eager to develop, one we could not hope to buy, to bring in on loan. Might work, might not, worth the risk for the cost I’d suggest.

As things stand, although the bookies haven’t yet got to offering odds on relegation from the Championship (and the market is probably so thin as to be meaningless), given that only Oxford are currently considered greater outsiders than us for promotion there is a message. We are expected to struggle. That may be a reflection of being the third promoted club rather than the extent of the strengthening of the squad, perhaps the amounts being paid by some others for new players are well over the top. Fact is three teams will end up going down, however good they are. Just how competitive we will prove to be is simply impossible to say with any confidence. We will outwork most (if not all), Jones will demand nothing less. It's a challenge, one we've been craving for years. Bring it on!

Finally just to add to the long list of those wishing Tracey Leaburn every success and happiness in the future following the news she is to leave the club. I’ve no doubt she will be remembered with great affection not just for her work in the cause of prostate cancer detection, for which I’m personally especially grateful, but also for being the life and soul of the club for many years.

What To Do With Youngsters?

We are in a brief interregnum at the moment, with the mini-window closed (it will reopen tomorrow and run until 1 September) and ahead of the announcement on 26 June of the 2025/26 Championship fixtures (at least on a provisional basis, before Sky takes its toll), and the first confirmed pre-season friendly, at Dartford on 12 July. So far we’ve had the welcome news of Boss Jones’ new contract and apparent resolution of the CEO issue, with Dane Murphy selected, plus the arrival of one new signing, midfielder Sonny Carey, and the unfortunate departure of Thierry Small. I’m going to miss him. Like Cory Blackett-Taylor before him, it was all far from perfect; but players who really set the pulses racing when they receive the ball are few and far between. So be it.

For sure the focus through to end-July is going to be on new signings (perhaps also what we do with Taylor and Ahadme and whether bids come in for others). But there’s another (related) issue which forms part of the equation – what to do with young players on the fringe of the squad, perhaps even regulars in the squad but not the first XI. It’s possible that Jones and his team will end up going with the ‘8-8-8’ approach and retain most if not all of them. But there is I’d suggest some consideration to be given to what’s best for the club over the medium term. Basically will our interests be best served by keeping youngsters on hand, to do a job as and when required but not getting much actual game-time, or by sending them out on loan with a view to them getting valuable match experience and development, to return to us as better players (or, for some, regrettably not making the grade)?

Here I’d be thinking about Asiimwe, Mitchell(Z), Laqeretabua, Enslin, Anderson, Rylah, Dixon, Leaburn, Kanu, Casey and Mbick, quite possibly others. It might seem strange to include Anderson and Leaburn in this mix, since the former was a regular squad member/often used substitute and the latter is assumed to be available again after another long-term injury. But the principle applies. Anderson has the potential to be an outstanding midfielder, but isn’t there yet; so will he progress better by being a bit-part player for us next season or by playing regularly and coming back stronger, aka Parker with his Norwich loan spell? Leaburn we hope will come back all guns blazing and show just what a player he can become; but – flashes of genius aside - was struggling to lead the line in a classic centre-forward role being asked of him.

Much as I’d love us to storm the division and be competing at the top, it isn’t being pessimistic to say that our primary, overwhelming objective for next season is not getting relegated. Going back down would rip the heart out of the club again. So if I’m Jones and looking to create the squad for next season, I’d be looking at the list above and asking myself which of these players do I expect to be key components. If some of them are considered ready for the Championship, fantastic. If they are not, and if we are looking to strengthen in their positions, the question surely becomes more what is best for their development (and our interests beyond the coming season).

Who Stays As Important As Who Comes In

Has everyone landed yet? After Wembley and last weekend in Marseille (for a Springsteen concert as well as the pastis; did love the headline in the local paper on Sunday morning post-Champions League final: ‘PSG – forever the second’) the squad list confirmation and speculation about Cardiff and Jones provided the cue for starting to think about the coming campaign, most obviously in terms of how we might shape up and what areas we need to prioritise when it comes to strengthening.

My starting point for this is a reminder that we secured promotion, deservedly, by the skin of our pants in terms of squad depth. The defence, including those in front of it, was excellent for sure. Going forward was another matter. Jones and players sometimes commented about us not having been fluent in games and I don’t think that’s accidental, or entirely due to the opposition. So before looking at where to strengthen we have to assess what we have – and what we might lose. On that front I am assuming that Cardiff will not get their man.

We found success in the second half of the season via a system which attack-wise relied almost entirely on Campbell, Godden, Small and Berry. We did switch sometimes during games to a front two, to accommodate the now departed Chuks (and our best wishes go to him, as well as Watson and Hendry, and the loanees), but fact is we had no replacements for these four, so when one or more of them were missing we struggled going forward. The system we adopted worked well because Campbell naturally went wide left, pulling defenders out of position, while Small provided the threat down the other flank, Godden scored the goals, and Berry was a key component because of his ability to get into/around the box to exploit opportunities.

When Campbell or Small were unavailable the threat was confined to one side, which enabled the opposition to crowd out that space. Anderson had to fill in for Campbell once and, through no fault of his own, was a fish out of water. Watson was the alternative for Small but could never offer the same threat. Equally Gilbert came in for Berry but isn’t like-for-like, a more natural play-maker in the final third but not attuned to making himself akin to a second striker in support of Godden, a la Martin Peters (now that shows my age).

So to my mind, before Jones can assess whether or not we play in a similar fashion next season we have to know whether Small will stay with us and whether there is a risk of Campbell being poached. If both stay, given our strengths in other areas it’s reasonable to assume a similar system. If either/both were to leave, it’s an open book, dependent on who comes in. Can we find another Small? Always possible, but unearthing someone with similar searing pace to terrify the opposition, and the courage to use it (of course the end-product needs to improve), is a tall order. Equally Campbell is something of a one-off as a second striker who acts almost as a winger is usually found in a front three (think Blackett-Taylor or Rak-Sakyi).

Fact is, without Leaburn, with Kanu struggling to make an impact, Ahadme simply not in the picture, Mbick still raw, and Aneke unable to start games, we weren’t able to change the system even if we wanted to. And we got by thanks to Godden not getting injured and the others being mostly available most of the time. That won’t be possible next season, so either we strengthen in the key areas to have like-for-like replacements available or we assume a different Plan A.

So, let’s go through the departments.

Goalkeeper. Mannion had a good second half of the season, ended the issue of whether or not he or Maynard-Brewer was first choice. With Bouzanis departing the assumption is we will sign another keeper even if the two stay (and Maynard-Brewer could decide to move on if he finds himself lined up to be third choice, perhaps Mannion might feel the same if he faces a season on the bench). Only makes sense to expect that the signing will either be someone intended to start, or a veteran back-up.

Defence. Nobody will complain if we start next season with the same first-choice back three/five. The central combination did change through the season as Mitchell was the lynchpin early on only to be usurped by Jones. The return from injury of Ramsay and the improvement of Gillesphey created a formidable, cohesive barrier. Mitchell was overtaken in the pecking order for a while by McIntyre but the latter has gone and assumed not to be coming back. Obviously we need to strengthen in terms of back-ups. Mitchell(A) looks as though he struggles without a run in the side, I don’t know if Mitchell(Z) is considered ready to do a job in the Championship. So assuming the central three at least stay with us, I’d imagine we need to sign at least one viable replacement option. If Small and Edwards both stay, we need alternatives for both. Perhaps Asiimwe will be ready to be back-up as the right-side wing-back.

Midfield. Greater uncertainty here as we do need to add quality and depth. We have Docherty, Coventry, Berry, Anderson, and Taylor. It isn’t enough if we are looking at covering three starting spots and a place or two on the bench. Just who comes in I’ve no idea.

Forwards. Here it is really an open book. In an ideal world you’d say Kanu and Mbick, possibly Dixon too, would benefit from going out on loan to get game-time. We all hope Leaburn returns and stays fit, but can’t assume that. And what we do with Ahadme is anyone’s guess. You’d love to say just wipe the slate clean, forget last season, start again, let’s see what you’ve really got. I just don’t know if that’s an option. So decisions on what contribution we can reasonably expect from Leaburn and Ahadme, assume Godden and Campbell are both available, and get in at least another one, possibly two if some go on loan.

Signing either Kelman from QPR or Kone from Wycombe would be tremendous, but I’ve no idea if either will be available and at what price. We didn’t strengthen in this area in the January window and really that came close to costing us promotion, if Godden had been injured or Campbell missed more than one or two games. We won’t get away with it next season, even if Jones wants to keep the squad to a manageable size. Forward signings are almost inevitably the most expensive and high-profile, surely some decent money will be spent.

So while we all shoot off on our hols – and I hope all Addicks get to rest up for a while - there’s plenty of work for Jones and Chapple to be getting on with, leaving aside the notion that the list of targets was the same irrespective of the division. Hopefully we pick up some more dosh if Gomez moves on from Liverpool, but at least the owners will have been aware when they got involved that staying in the Championship would require additional investment. I hope they’ve been heartened by the turnout for Wembley, by the sight of a full Valley towards the end, and by season ticket sales (no idea if they are going well or not), for soon it will be the time for writing cheques (even if the amounts will forever be undisclosed).   

... And What A Day!

No, the dust hasn’t settled yet, the heart and the mind will still be at Wembley for a while to come. But the body is back in France, after another wonderful, triumphant weekend. Everyone will have their stories and in a nutshell this is mine – come on, there’s surely no point in a match report, although I think we would all join in wishing Leyton Orient well for next season. Their fans were splendid, their manager gracious in defeat. And I think he summed it all up by saying Charlton were ready for promotion, Orient perhaps not. My thought before the game was that they would love to go up, we need to go up. That sense of destiny for me hung over the game, only reinforced by Gillesphey’s free-kick.

The day began with a dilemma. Should I make the early dash from Welling to get to The Green Man to join up with other International Addicks, or meet up with fellow Addicks congregating at Waterloo for breakfast and an early glass or two? In the event the alarm clock made the decision for me (basically got up too late) and it would be the latter. The trains into town were already full of Addicks and by the time breakfast was concluded so were the tubes.

By the time we emerged at Wembley the plan of walking to The Green Man had gone out of the window and the queue for the Fan Zone was just too long. So we opted for going into the ground fairly early, around 12.00, where it was possible to sit and enjoy a glass (OK, it was a plastic tumbler full to the brim with red wine). Good chance to gather one’s thoughts and catch up with others, compare notes on expectations, and to take seats with the time to take it all in, even if we missed out on the atmosphere of the other venues.

After the game and having drained every last drop possible of the celebrations, we were trying to decide on where to get a glass when we walked by an Ibis hotel. I asked guys on the door if the bar was open – and that afforded us the opportunity for another pause for breath while drinking more truly challenging red wine. A couple later and it was train, tube, train and then we piled into Panas in Blackheath Village for a quick ruby. Well, it was intended to be a quick ruby but the staff had other ideas. The food when it came was exquisite – but it came far too late, we had waited ages and lost valuable time (apparently because it was a ‘long order’). The rating went back up a notch when we were offered a free brandy each to compensate for the delay, only for it to fall back again when said ‘brandy’ proved to be brandy-flavoured water.

We did make it into The Crown with enough time for a few more glasses, although we had again missed the chance to meet and greet others. Then with still very satisfied grins we went our separate ways, me back to Welling (and so pleased I managed to avoid falling asleep), the next day back to Lyon.

So not all went perfectly – off the pitch. On it, the only thing that prevented perfection was the absence of a second to enable us to truly enjoy a few minutes before a final whistle, which would have been a welcome change.

Massive congratulations to Jones and the team/squad, rounded off by his excellent post-match comments. Anticipation of next season, who will stay and who will go/get brought in is all for the future. Perhaps when the fixture list comes out in a few weeks. For now we can just remember, reflect, swap photos/videos – and each time we do conclude with WE BLOODY DID IT!!!!!!

Oh, What A Night

Oh what a night!! And no, I can't get that song out of my head this morning. I will never be able to say I way there (just as I was in Hong Kong for the second leg against Ipswich and in Lyon for the one against Doncaster). But like before I’ll be at Wembley, flights booked. Just watching the scenes at The Valley on the CATV stream was enough to make the spine tingle, especially with a large glass of celebratory cognac in hand.

Let’s tip a hat to Wycombe. They never wilted, their supporters made noise, but for two outstanding blocks by Ramsay might well have won the game; and in defeat their manager was gracious. They played their part in making the context a two-part classic as one of the worst exhibitions of football you might want to watch – and that is meant as a complement, not an insult. They took the lesson from the 0-4 and adapted, ensured there would be no repeat of that. That we kept them out over the two legs was down to superb, disciplined defending (aside from the early shot at their place I can’t remember Mannion having to make an actual save) as a team, while they protected ther goal very well too, managing in particular to snuff out the threat from Campbell.

The game last night consequently came down to very fine margins in a few key moments. Aside from a low cross from Godden which Campbell couldn’t reach our one real chance of the first half saw Jones miscue a header from close range when he seemed set to score (and probably should have done). In the second Small’s effort having cut in from the right went inches wide – and Godden came about as close to getting a decisive contact on the effort to divert it into the net. At the other end, as the game opened up Ramsay’s blocks will live long in our memories (and will haunt them for years), but you also have to add an exceptionally well-timed shove by Gillesphey on Kone as he was about to pull the trigger. If instead of shooting into the side-netting Kone had gone down under the challenge I don’t think the ref would have had any alternative but to give a penalty (and perhaps a red card).

Then we come to the goal. Jones did superbly to get his leg to the ball and keep the threat alive. But watching in real time I thought there’s no way he can get to the second ball before their keeper. That he did was down to fatal hesitation on the keeper’s part. If he’d reacted immediately and dashed out to claim the ball he surely would have got there first. Instead Jones nicked it and Godden did what he does so well – be in the right place at just the right time.

The game wasn’t about who deserved to win, the balance of play etc. It was all about whether one side or the other could get the ball into the net, by whatever means. We did. Cue glorious celebrations.

Jones deserves all the plaudits that will come his way, especially if we overcome Leyton Orient at Wembley. He hasn’t fashioned a pretty team but a very effective one - and if I’ll allow myself a pat on the back its for arguing late last year that Jones had to find a way to accommodate Small (clearly he did) and had to start with Godden (incredible as it seems now he was for much of the first half of the season not first choice). Most important, for me, is that he’s instilled in the players just what is needed to win at this level – and they’ve bought into it, with success breeding success. Whatever happens at Wembley, we have good reason to look forward to next season.

As for Wembley, the bookies have already made us (slightly) odds-on favourites. That’s fair enough to any neutral, given the results this season and the final standings. We know how difficult it’s going to be, we haven’t forgotten we were 1-0 down at their place until two headers right at the death, even though I’d guess most Addicks are like me in being pleased that we will face Orient and not Stockport. Orient are there on merit, just as we are. It’s going to be a great day. Bring it on.