Sunday 17 March 2024

One To Forget, ASAP

The seven-game unbeaten run, including three wins, may have eased the need to get a result today, but there was also the feeling that another win against a team below us and we could really put an end to any lingering relegation concerns. Also, no question we need to sustain the momentum to finish the season on a high with the next campaign in mind, while it was going to be interesting to see if an easing of the immediate pressure might affect performance, either positively (more relaxed, greater freedom) or negatively (less endeavour).

In the event it was a horrible game of football. Yes, it was played on a poor surface and in very tricky conditions, with the wind blowing strongly. But difficult conditions pose challenges to be overcome and it’s fair to say that both sides failed in that respect. The first half was plain dull, interrupted by one moment for them which drew an excellent save from Isted then rounded off by us taking the lead out of the blue as smart thinking by May turned a nothing situation into a penalty. The second half became more interesting towards the end just as their equaliser, equally unexpected, sparked some chances at both ends. Fact is neither side deserved three points, we take the point, the extension of the unbeaten run, and move on, as quickly as possible, happy to be in a position which a few weeks ago we would have grabbed with both hands.

The team was unchanged from Carlise, which really meant a number of contenders – including Hector and Bakinson, perhaps even Maynard-Brewer after a few recent Isted errors – not managing to secure a starting spot and kept on the bench, with no place as yet for Jones after his injury. The bench also included new signing LuaLua, with Wickham dropping out of the squad, Ladapo keeping his spot. It did mean that a team playing 3-5-2 with wing-backs and no wingers had two wingers on the bench (LuaLua and Campbell) and only one outright forward replacement (Ladapo). Wasn’t sure of the thinking behind that, but presumably it was all part of God’s plan.

Fleetwood apparently had the better of the initial exchanges, which thanks to my partner opting to change laptops for the stream I missed. I got up and running around the time Kanu took a knock to the head. He spent the remainder of the game with his head swathed in a bandage. If anything Fleetwood continued to pose the greater threat. On 20 minutes a ball played down the channel on their left reached their guy and it looked like the goal opened up for him to shoot into. Instead the shot was blocked by a desperate late challenge, which I think prevented a goal. Then Isted had his moment as a long throw wasn’t really cleared and with a lucky deflection or two their guy was through on goal. His effort was fortunately diverted to safety by Isted’s outstretched arm.

The next 20 minutes or so were truly unremarkable. Hopeful balls lofted forward, passes misdirected. But just as we were looking forward to a half-time cuppa, perhaps a bit of hypnosis to forget the previous 45 minutes, we won a penalty, in fortuitous circumstances. A ball forward by Thomas was headed back inside by Dobson but looked easy for their defender to deal with. He knocked it on then shaped to clear his lines, only for May to nip in and just touch the ball past him, then to be on the end of his swinging boot. Soft for sure but the ref really had no option. May got up and sent the penalty low into the corner.

The second half saw no change in pattern or quality. A poor Coventry pass was intercepted and put us in trouble as they had numbers forward only for the eventual shot to be blocked, then Charlton ‘old’ boy Sarpong-Wiredu headed wide from the resulting corner. It was surprising that we made no changes until we were in the final 10 minutes of normal time, with Ladapo coming on for May. But that really reflected the fact that we were happy enough with what we had and weren’t looking in danger of letting one in. Only we did, a poor one.

Another throw down their left side was followed by a rash and missed challenge (think it was Gillesphey) resulting in their guy getting into the box with the ball. Isted came out but was rounded and from a tight angle he found the net via the far post. Just a collective lack of concentration, poor decisions made, and this time it cost us.

For the neutral the goal really enlivened the game as the final 15 minutes (including eight of stoppage time) saw good chances at both ends. Our defence seemed to lapse back into Keystone Cops mode as clearances rebounded off someone else, on one occasion almost back into the net, while Anderson won the ball back and it was played through to Ladapo, whose attempted chip was reached by their keeper. At the end of normal time LuaLua was introduced together with Hector, with Kanu and Watson making way. Then in the final couple of minutes first we somehow failed to score, as Hector completely fluffed a shot from inside the box and the ball back in by Thomas couldn’t be converted by Ladapo, then at the other end they were allowed space down their right and the resulting cross found a guy unmarked, only for his close-range header to bounce back off Isted.

Fleetwood might be happier than us to take something from the game, having been behind until late in the game; but their need for three points was the greater. We can’t complain about the result – and to be fair Jones said as much – as we didn’t do enough to deserve the win having been gifted the lead.

It is a game best forgotten by us at least. Players who have been excellent of late had poor games, the defence looked frail again, especially after they equalised, with Hector’s introduction increasing confusion, and nobody stood out. If anything you’d say May’s quick thinking got us the goal. I was surprised that it took so long for subs to be introduced, that Bakinson wasn’t given some time on the pitch, and that we had both LuaLua and Campbell on the bench but not Wickham, for a game in which brawn was always likely to be in greater need than brain.

Roughly six weeks and seven games left to go, the objective being to get as many points as possible, about as vague an objective as you can get. May will no doubt want to ensure he ends up as the League’s leading goalscorer, before he picks up our Player of the Season award. Others will be wondering if they fit into Jones’ plans for the next campaign. Yes, there’s an end-of-season whiff about it all now.


Friday 8 March 2024

Tough Task For Tomorrow

I fear that for me this weekend will involve a forced break from tracking our surge back up the table (we can after all rise to 13th on the back of a victory at home to Carlisle and Orient turning over Wigan, if the games taken together produce a six-goal swing in goal difference) – unless my powers of persuasion climb to new heights. Saturday will see us drive over to outside Lyon for a birthday party for one of my partner’s brothers-in-law. The schedule apparently involves everyone leaving the restaurant by 16.00 French time (rather short for a French lunch I would have thought) and going back to the family home to continue. Now all I have to do is convince a majority (or a decent minority) of 15 French people that a dash back to be in time for the start of Charlton v Carlisle via the stream and to watch the game is the best option for us, as well as persuade my partner not to cause me serious harm as a result. The look of utter incredulity on her face when I first mooted the idea suggests that there is still work to be done.

So I might have to wait until the Fleetwood game before getting another dose of football. And that thought served as a reminder that the Cheltenham game was our last midweek/evening one of the season. Aside from a couple over the Easter weekend, it’s now Saturday to Saturday for us from now on. The downside is that we have to sit and watch to see if we get pulled back down the table as others use up their games in hand. The upside is that we really ought to benefit from being fresher than the opposition in our remaining games. Hopefully we can use that to our advantage.

The interlude for me provides a little space to update on the fortunes of my adopted French team, Lyon Duchere, as they vie for promotion back to National 2 (effectively the regional fourth division of the French football league system). They had topped the table from the start but predictably stumbled rather in the wake of the December statement issued by the club lauding their success (in the cup and the league). Nevertheless, at the time of my last update, after 13 games of the 26-game season Duchere were still top, having won seven and drawn five, scoring 22 goals and conceding nine. However, although the results remained good overall, they were then overtaken by a rampaging AS Saint-Priest, the team from the suburbs on the opposite side of Lyon (in the south-east), following a 1-1 home draw against FC Vaulx en Velin. Like Duchere, Saint-Priest were relegated from National 2 last season (although unlike Duchere – which took administrative relegation - this resulted from their standing in the league).

This paved the way for a top-of-the table clash in the 17th round of games, the match played at Saint-Priest’s Stade Jacques Joly stadium. The game began badly for Duchere and approaching half-time they were 2-0 down. But they pulled one back before the break and by all accounts (OK, the one on the Duchere site) were much improved in the second half, dominating play. The equaliser came in the 71st minute and apparently after that Duchere had chances to win but failed to take them, the match ending all-square.

That result means that Duchere stay in second place, two points behind Saint-Priest. Of the 17 games they have won nine, drawn seven, and lost just one, giving 34 points, with 28 scored and just 13 conceded (including four in one game). Saint-Priest have lost three but won 11 and drawn just three, scoring 39 in the process (ie more than two per game) and letting in 16. With nine games each to play it isn’t yet entirely a two-horse race (only one will be sure of promotion), but the nearest team which could go up (the division contains the reserve teams of top-flight clubs and they cannot be promoted) are four points adrift of Duchere. The next round will see Duchere at home to AS St Etienne 2 (ie St Etienne’s B team), which looks like a tough one as they sit in third place, while Saint-Priest will travel to bottom-ranked Ain Sud – although they recently held Duchere to a draw, so who knows?

So it is all to play for, even if Saint-Priest have to be considered favourites given their two-points advantage and better goal difference. Duchere’s season looks like going to the wire. Thankfully our does not; let’s just hope that still looks the case after the next couple of games. Now it’s back to that job of persuasion I have on my hands.


Wednesday 6 March 2024

Couldn't Have Asked For More

With only a couple of other games being played, and none of relevance for our position, we knew the parameters ahead of last night’s game: win and we move up to 14th, creating a gap of seven points from the relegation zone (albeit with Cheltenham and Port Vale having two games in hand) with Carlise at The Valley up next; lose and we have Cheltenham back breathing right down our necks, just a point behind with the two in hand; draw and we take what positives there are and move on. It wasn’t a game to go into to play for a point but the emphasis was on ‘must not lose’ rather than ‘must win’, with neither team likely to care a jot about how.

Neither should we. We won, we breathe easier this morning, perhaps even in a lighter moment as the coffee kicks in to wonder what all the fuss was about. The game itself carried echoes of Saturday, when we failed to take chances to extend a lead and ended up surrendering two points, as well as many games we have seen in the past. We led again at the break but had spurned several good opportunities to score more. We struggled more in the second half and to their credit Cheltenham put us under increasing pressure as we seemed to tire. They did indeed equalise, like Northampton, and with 20 minutes left on the clock looked quite likely to go on and win the game. Earlier this season and last the chances are that would have happened. But now Jones was able to look to a stronger bench to make changes and introduce fresh legs. One of those brought on scored a good second, rather against the run of play, and we were even able to enjoy the final moments as a defensive slip and Small’s persistence gave May the chance to finally put the ball in the net against his former club.

The team was unchanged from Saturday, with Jones opting this time against any rotation, perhaps influenced by the fact that Aneke, having apparently been rested on Saturday because we needed him for last night, remained absent. The only adjustment was Jones returning as a sub, with Edun not making the squad.

Now whoever labelled football as ‘the beautiful game’ hadn’t seen anything like the opening period last night. Every ball quickly hit long by both sides, no time taken on the ball, no thought given to a pass, everyone closed down, throw-ins the opportunity to deliver a long one. To say it wasn’t pretty is a massive understatement. But again, neither side will have given a monkey’s given what was at stake - and to be kind you’d describe the period as one when both teams were looking to soften up the other, to win the key battles and achieve a kind of dominance. Then, just before 20 minutes were up, for some reason we had out of nowhere a little slice of football – and a goal.

Isted’s long clearance dropped to Dobson on the right and for some reason instead of lofting it forward once more he played it inside to Coventry. As for the pass for Kanu at Derby, he delivered a perfectly directed and weighted ball between defenders for Watson to run onto. His low cross was in turn met adroitly by Kanu, who directed it low and into the net.

That goal gave us a lift and rather deflated Cheltenham and it’s fair to say that for the remainder of the first half we created chance after chance which we failed to convert. That said, Cheltenham threatened at times, able to pressure by getting the ball into our box, without creating real chances, with our defensive cover generally good. And they did have a decent shout for a penalty, when Watson clumsily challenged their guy around the goalline and didn’t get near the ball. Replays at half-time indicated we could have had no complaints had it been given.

The half-time stats would seem to suggest equality: near split possession, nine shots for each time, two on target for them, three for us. But they don’t tell the story. Before the half-hour May almost doubled our lead as a long ball dropped for him and Kanu, only for his shot to be blocked by a prostrate defender. Watson almost provided a repeat of the goal with another low cross, a May corner was turned against the bar by their keeper, and from the next one Small got to the ball only for his header to go wide. Next up May bore down on goal, his shot was parried but came back to him, only for the chance to be hashed, then from another Isted clearance flicked on May chipped the keeper only for the effort to land on the roof of the net. Dobson got into a good position at the end of a good move but couldn’t get a shot away, May had another shot turned away, and finally Small put in a cross from the left which Dobson headed over.

There was more than enough in all of that to have seen us clear by half-time, but of course we’d seen it all before on Saturday, so confidence in the end-result was qualified. And whether as a result of Cheltenham improving, us tiring, or both, the second half was to be a different affair.

Basically our chances dried up and they enjoyed greater possession. We had greater difficulty clearing our lines, upping the pressure. And it told with around 20 minutes of normal time to go, not long after Edmonds-Green went off injured, replaced by the returning Jones, which might have unsettled us a little. Watson was bypassed down their left and another weary-looking challenge was avoided, their guy cutting across the face of goal. His shot didn’t seem especially threatening, but Isted was able only to turn it away rather than gather it and the loose ball was put into an empty net as their guy was first to it.

On the balance of play at that moment, irrespective of our first-half chances and given past experience, I suspect most Addicks would there and then have taken the point, fearing that with the momentum in their favour Cheltenham could well get the winner. But we saw out the next 10 minutes or so and then made a double-change, with Bakinson and Ladapo replacing Anderson and Kanu. And the fresh legs made a difference.

With around five minutes to go Dobson won the ball well after a throw-in had been cleared and with players still forward the ball was returned into the box. Bakinson did well to control it on his chest and as it dropped put in a shot on the turn which went under their keeper and into the net. It was the sort of finish which we had been waiting for since he arrived.

Now we had just five minutes and what proved to be five additional minutes to see out – but again the spectre of games past was not absent from our minds. Instead this time we were spared nail-biting closing moments as their defender slipped, allowing Small to collect the loose ball inside the box. He squared it to an unmarked May, who was able to run it into the empty net. He will have been very grateful after all his attempts on goal to have been presented with the goal and was probably thinking about what level of celebration was appropriate before he’d even scored.

So a most satisfactory result and suddenly the focus is not on the winless run but on being undefeated in six, including the top three, with two of them won (and should have been three), up to 14th in the table (yes, we have played more games than others), and with Carlisle at home and Fleetwood on the road up next. The expectation will be that after these two games we can put aside any fear of relegation and start planning the summer hols. Of course football seldom works like that, the scope for what would now be viewed as banana skins is apparent. Jones and his team will not need reminding and will no doubt stress that the job is as yet far from done. Just that for now at least we couldn’t have asked for more.


Sunday 3 March 2024

One Point Gained, Two Left Behind

I don’t think we were collectively cocky enough (yet) to actually expect a win yesterday ahead of the game, away against opposition some way above us in the league and who left The Valley in January with all three points. But no question the levels of optimism had been lifted sharply by the three-game mini-series against the top clubs, especially the win at Derby. With no disrespect intended, to have gone toe-to-toe with the top three and emerge with five points, to then get rolled over by Northampton would have been a serious setback for a team far from out of the woods, especially with Cheltenham away just around the corner.

What we got was another committed, determined display - but in the end what felt like a setback as we didn't win. Much if not most of it was far from pretty, not helped by the blustery conditions and wet surface, but we dominated the game for all but a couple of short periods – and even during them prevented Northampton from registering any attempts on target. We won the individual battles, showed greater desire than them, took the lead early on and in the second half had at least three presentable openings to double that lead and probably put the game to bed. We didn’t take any and paid the price, as a howler from Isted gifted them an equaliser their play had not merited. Whether you blame more the chances not taken or the mistake doesn’t matter (clearly a case of both), we wasted two points which should have been ours.

It was reasonable after Tuesday night to expect pretty much the same team and formation, perhaps with a little rotation where necessary. In the event, Jones made some changes and the big news was the absence from the squad of Aneke. Rested? I thought the idea of keeping him as a super sub, playing 30 minutes or so, was that he would be available for all games. The back three/five in front of Isted was unchanged, with Jones still suspended and Hector returning to the fold from injury but only on the bench (with Ness losing his place there), while in midfield Camara dropped out of the team (and the squad) and Dobson returned to the starting XI, to partner Coventry and Anderson. Up front May, newly crowned EFL Player of the Year, was paired with Kanu, with Ladapo the only obvious replacement from the bench, which also contained Asiimwe and Bakinson.

My first impression was that the line-up seemed a little cautious, that we might lack a little in terms of attacking threat from midfield, with no real box-to-box player and no Camara or Watson(L). Whether they could provide the support for the ‘small’ options up front, and whether Dobson and Coventry in tandem would work (after Coventry had his best game in a Charlton shirt at Derby) all remained to be seen. But Jones has been getting the calls right of late and may have been taking account of the opposition’s strengths/weaknesses – and before anything took shape in the game we were in front.

A decent attack down our right caused some chaos in the Northampton defence and when the ball was half-cleared Watson laid it off for Anderson, whose decent enough effort took a deflection on its way through a number of players, wrongfooting their keeper.

We might have scored again in the first 20 minutes or so, with a fizzed cross from the right only just clearing heads in the box. But as the game progressed Northampton did seem to get a foothold and had a better period in terms of possession and dictating the pace. But we continued to look the more likely to score, even if most of the game involved balls in the air held up by the wind or blown beyond their target. May had a shot deflected for a corner and at the break the stats showed we had had five attempts on goal, three on target, against four and zero for them. We were still good value for the lead.

Northampton did have a moment before the hour when they found some space down their left, leading to a guy taking a shot from a narrow angle into the side netting, but in general we were keeping them at arm’s length. By that time Northampton had made four changes and us none, which was a fair reflection of which side was the happier with the way things were going. And then we had a spell from which we really should have emerged even happier.

On 69 minutes, just after we made our first change with Ladapo replacing Kanu, Coventry sent in a delightful cross from the right and it dropped nicely for May. He didn’t need to jump, just to pick his spot. He was off by about an inch as the header sent the ball against the post and back out, with their keeper nowhere near it. Not long after Coventry played in Watson and his low cross only needed a touch from someone, Ladapo not getting to it in time. Finally May found himself with the ball inside their box, took a touch, and stretching was only able to get in a poked shot which was saved.

That spell ended abruptly as their keeper sent it downfield. There seemed no danger as it was played back to Isted, but he opted to turn and took a heavy touch, which invited a challenge from one of theirs. The ball went square and another had the simple task of planting it into an empty net. Just one of those horrible goalkeeping errors for which there is just no legislating.

That still left around 10 minutes plus stoppage time, but suddenly we were obliged to try to win a game which had seemed to be in our pockets – although nobody can tell how Northampton would have handled the final stages if they were still behind. As it was not surprisingly the goal gifted to them gave them a lift. A double-change late on saw Hector and Campbell introduced for Watson and May, with Edmonds-Green shifting to wing-back. Quite how Hector managed not to get a yellow during his brief spell was a mystery, but aside from a fierce Northampton effort just over the bar nothing much happened through the six minutes of stoppage time and we were forced to settle for a point.

Before the game that might have seemed a reasonable outcome for us, but all we can do now is look at the table and consider that the extra two points would have lifted us to the dizzy heights of 15th. At least now it’s five games unbeaten, albeit with four of them draws. If you want another positive, we can now say that with 10 games left survival is technically in our own hands as if everyone wins all their games we stay up (unless Shrewsbury were to turn around the goal difference). We know perfectly well we really have to make the unbeaten run six on Tuesday night, or have Cheltenham a point behind us with two games in hand. It isn’t a ‘must win’ game for us, although we will expect a win if the performance level is sustained, it is a ‘must not lose’, although that shouldn’t influence the approach.

I can’t help thinking back to late November, the last time I actually saw a game at The Valley, for International Addicks Day. That low-key affair against Cheltenham was settled by two May penalties. If you’d said then that the return fixture would be a relegation six-pointer we would have replied that the suggestion was daft, we still then harboured play-off hopes. What we can hope for now is that the game, followed by Carlisle at The Valley on Saturday, will all but end those relegation concerns and start to shift the focus to preparing for next season.


Wednesday 28 February 2024

Looks Like Up To Me

Could we do it? Emerge from our three-game mini-series undefeated, having secured three (more?) points from it, remain outside the relegation zone? At half-time last night you would have got long odds on us coming away from Derby with anything (while other results were not to our advantage), but the game changed (as did others) – and how. We picked it up in the second half, made key substitutions, got back level, and that seemed to really spook Derby, who made the mistake which led to our winner. Three months since we’ve been able to use such words. Delight was unbounded at the end, for all of us. The players may need to get down to some training, but we’re entitled to bask in that one through to Saturday at least. 

The team showed changes, one enforced, others the result presumably of some tired legs and rotation. In front of Isted would be a back three of Edmonds-Green, Thomas and Gillesphey (with Jones suspended for two games, Ness back in among the subs), while Watson(T) and Small kept their places as the wing-backs. The main surprise was in midfield, with Coventry coming in to start in place of Dobson, who moved to the bench, while Camara would start and it was Bakinson’s turn to go from starter to not making the squad. Anderson after his impressive displays against Bolton and Portsmouth was retained, although it remained to be seen if he would keep a more forward position or drop deeper alongside Coventry to free up Camara. Up front Ladapo and Kanu were chosen to start, with Aneke and May on the bench.

My scribbled notes had just ‘survived first 10’, then ‘survived first 20’, etc. Perhaps not surprisingly we’d gone out with the priority being to stop them scoring, to stay in the game. And that side of things did work well enough for most of the half as Derby were kept at bay. Trouble was we were able to do next to nothing when we had the ball, with the wing-backs focused on defensive duties, Camara struggling to make a creative impact, and the front two not able to feed off the scraps.

For the first 40 minutes very little happened, the ball being thumped forward at every opportunity, a lot of head tennis, plenty of tackles, hard work, no serious chances created. We were seldom caught out of position and when we were players got back quickly to cover. But at The Valley in early February they hadn’t blown us away, rather they kept working and when a chance came took it, then never looked like giving the lead away. And as our thoughts were turning to getting to the dressing room on level terms, job done so far, we went behind. You have to say it was a set piece they’ve worked on as from a corner their guy at the near post shoved and pulled and when the ball was delivered ensured that a couple of defenders were unable to get off the ground. On cue another guy ran into the spot late and unmarked, to get the touch to send the ball into the net.

To say that changed the mood would be an understatement. The stats at half-time showed both sides had three attempts on goal but only one had been on target. We were losing and giving no sign of being able to create a decent chance – although we also knew that substitutions, most obviously the introduction of Aneke, might change the picture. The mood was not helped by Port Vale being 2-0 up at home to Fleetwood – although I kid you not I texted around our group of Addicks that there was no problem, Stockley was on the bench and would get on to save us.

There were no changes by us at half-time, but on the hour they came, with Aneke and May introduced for Camara and Ladapo, with May going into the hole behind the front two. The two taken off had struggled to influence the game, with probably too much expected of Camara to make things happen in the first half.

Absurdly, Aneke was almost on the scoresheet within seconds. A corner was flicked on at the near post and Chuks at the far one stretched to make a meaningful contact but only succeeded in diverting it against the post and out. That woke everyone up and we only had to wait a few minutes before we did draw level. On the turn in the middle of the pitch Coventry hit a lovely ball into the channel for Kanu to run on to. The keeper came out but Kanu got to it first, touching it forward and then taking the contact. No question about the penalty (pity it was only a yellow for their keeper but so be it). Now May had only been on the pitch for a few minutes but he stepped up to the plate and converted it cooly, shooting low into the corner. He deserved a serious pat on the back for that, well aware of the significance of the kick.

Not surprisingly Derby responded and we were under the cosh more clearly for a period. But we managed to prevent them creating a real opening, albeit with some periodically desperate defending, especially from set plays (long throws as well as corners/free kicks). Watson went down injured for a second time and this time was replaced, by Ness, with Edmonds-Green moving to wing-back. But with Derby pressing forward and seemingly getting a little rattled, perhaps unnerved by the pressure put on them by the home crowd as well as our greater attacking threat, we were getting more space in their half and with around 10 minutes of normal time left we took the lead.

Derby players were being pressed as they tried to move the ball around and eventually one of them miscontrolled the ball, with Aneke able to pounce and advance towards goal. He slid in an ideally weighted pass for Kanu to his right. The shot came in but was well saved by their advancing keeper. Just as we were about to bemoan our luck the rebound was slammed home from around the edge of the box by Anderson. I doubt there is an Addick who wasn’t out of his/her seat.

10 minutes or so plus stoppage time, which proved to be eight additional minutes. With hindsight, aside from a header from a decent position planted too close to Isted, and a shot wide at the death, we held on fairly comfortably – another thing in stark contrast to previous experience. We might even have extended the lead as May advanced only for Kanu to take the ball off him having come back from an offside position. It mattered not. The final whistle came and now the joy was compounded by the news that Stockley had come on and grabbed two late goals to deny Port Vale the win.

My partner this morning asked me what has gone right, both compared with the performances prior to Lincoln and between the first and second halves last night. You have to attribute the former to a number of factors. First, we have more available component parts able to be slotted into the same system, especially now we have four forwards to use. So often this season we’ve suffered late on due to players running out of steam and not having suitable replacements. Now, Jones is able to say ‘go out and bust a gut and if you get tired I’ll take you off’, as well as alternate it seems Dobson and Coventry, Bakinson and Camara, as well as defenders. There’s probably also an element of the team thrown together in January learning to play together with a new formation.

Along with that, Jones has to take the credit for certain decisions, most obviously the faith shown in Kanu and Anderson. With Coventry and Bakinson introduced in January, Camara becoming available, Dobson ending up staying, and Watson(L) retained, I doubt many Addicks would have seen a role for Anderson. The first game in which he was brought back to start, against Lincoln, you can’t say was a great success. But at Bolton, then against Portsmouth, then last night he has shone, the goal being the proverbial icing on the cake. And personally I was really impressed with his post-match interview for CATV. When asked about the goal I was anticipating the usual ‘it came to me and I just hit it and it went in’. Instead Anderson talked about technique, what was required in the moment. That indicates maturity and a cool head. I guess if your name is Karoy Zidane Lovebourne Anderson you have had technique drilled into you from an early age.

Five points from the three games is quite simply astounding, unexpected, and very, very welcome. Now we have another mini-series of a different nature: away at Northampton on Saturday, away at Cheltenham on Tuesday, home to Carlisle the following Saturday. Nothing is easy, Northampton left The Valley with all three points in January thanks to a very late winner, Cheltenham may have had the wind taken out of their sails last night but are at home to Burton on Saturday and if they win that will be close on our heels, while Carlisle are probably playing with no pressure now, which can be dangerous.

Quite frankly a repeat win and two draws from these three would look acceptable, two wins and a draw very good. Clearly Cheltenham is a ‘must not lose’ one for us (but may by then have become a ‘must win’ for them), all rather different from the rather low-key affair at The Valley in late November. The test now is to maintain the standard set, for drive and commitment, for concentration in defence. Fair to assume Jones will be drilling this into the players before Northampton.

That said, yes, let’s just enjoy last night a little longer. And with the change of mood, hands up those who had a quick check even now on just how far adrift of the play-offs we are?


Sunday 25 February 2024

A Point To Be Proud Of

There was understandably a sense of déjà vu for yesterday’s game: like last Saturday we went into it as underdogs, ready to take a point before kick-off, with our grounds for optimism resting this time less on key players missing for the opposition (although it seemed Portsmouth would be lacking a few) than our recent record against them, including the fixture at their place in November when McGrandles made his only meaningful contribution for us by heading in the equaliser. Get something from this game and the evidence of Jones making a real difference would mount. And we did, with a gritty performance meriting a point in a game which either side might have one – and the other felt aggrieved if they had.

The team showed a couple of changes from Bolton, with Bakinson available again and going straight back in, displacing Coventry, for whom there was not even a place on the bench, while May was chosen to start ahead of Ladapo alongside Kanu, which had more of an air of rotation about it, with Ladapo and Aneke available from the bench, with perhaps the thinking being to go for greater mobility to begin with and presumably add more power and strength later against tiring defenders. Small kept his place as one of the wing-backs, with Edun among the subs, as did Anderson, to continue to play a more advanced role in midfield.

Everyone was still settling in when we almost took the lead then immediately after almost fell behind. Bakinson’s pass was allowed to run through to Kanu just inside the left side of the box. He took a touch then shot across their keeper, only for the ball to hit the inside of the far post and rebound for they guy to gather. A centimetre or two the other way and it would have gone in off the post. But the keeper then cleared upfield and suddenly we were stretched. Jones flattened one guy but the ref played advantage, leading to a decent shot which Isted turned aside. Just why the referee did not give Jones a yellow once play had stopped seemed a mystery, but was just as well for use that he didn’t.

The rest of the half was pretty even, although Portsmouth had spells when they were on top and during them looked the more likely to take the lead. In the end both sides had another very good opening each and both failed to capitalise. For them, on 15 minutes a cross from their right side found a guy unmarked close in. He really should have scored but directed his header at a good height for Isted to turn it aside, then a second header looped over him but came back off the bar. If the first guy had headed down it surely would have been a goal.  

For us, just after the half-hour good play down the right side ended with Watson able to deliver an excellent ball into the area of doubt around the near post. Unfortunately for us both Kanu and May went to the same place and really got in each other’s way. Kanu was first but seemed to make no contact with his lunge, which nevertheless at least distracted May, who was unable to make meaningful contact. It was the sort of chance you suspect he would have buried earlier in the season, if he’d been on his own.

Also, after Bakinson had picked up a yellow for kicking the ball away after conceding a free kick – after three had suffered the same fate for the same sin against Bolton – and to add insult to injury shortly after a Portsmouth player threw it away and escaped Scot-free, we had the opportunity to open the scoring in stoppage time. Anderson closed down their defender receiving the ball from the keeper, blocked his clearance and was first to the loose ball. He squared it for Kanu but a defender got there first.

At the break the stats showed us having had 42% possession but only two attempts on goal and none on target (a little harsh but true) against nine and three respectively for Portsmouth. That does suggest they edged it overall, but really there was little in it.

The second half was pretty even too. If you had to choose you’d say we shaded it this time, but the final good chances went to Portsmouth and we could easily have been on the end of a cruel defeat.

Aneke’s appearance came on the hour, replacing May, who continues to look rather out of sorts with the new set-up and requirements. And his introduction was followed by a flurry of chances, with Aneke shooting over, Kanu having a shot blocked, then a move from the left went across their box and ran for Edmonds-Green to get the shot in. That was saved but in the scramble which followed we had what proved to be a fair shout for a penalty, the ball being diverted away by their defender’s arm. Jones protested and picked up a yellow for his efforts (which will see him suspended for the next two), harsh you might say but he was fortunate not to have been booked for his early foul.

On 76 minutes we made two further changes, with Gillesphey on for a limping Watson (with Edmonds-Green moving to wing-back) and Camara replacing Bakinson, the assumption being that Anderson would drop deeper to accompany Dobson. We huffed and puffed, but with Aneke better contained this time struggled to carve out a real scoring chance, although an Anderson cross to the far post almost put Camara in. And with a few minutes of normal time left for a few seconds it looked like all being in vain as Portsmouth for once caught us napping and their guy was through on goal. He made it into the box but just as he was about to pull the trigger Gillesphey put in a match-saving tackle from the side. Final changes saw Campbell on for Kanu and Edun for Anderson, but the only moment of note in seven minutes of stoppage time was the final kick of the game, when from a Portsmouth long throw their guy hooked a shot just wide.

Our point was a reward for endeavour. We kept to the simple gameplan of getting the ball forward into their half by any means as early as possible and hope the front two, plus Anderson, might feed off the scraps, while quite simply defending much better than before, people being shut down quickly and bodies thrown into challenges. Flowing, intricate football it was not, but no question needs must and nobody’s complaining about that.

We know Tuesday night is going to be more of the same. Once again anything out of the game would be a bonus and thoughts can then turn to the final 11 games and the need to start winning what are on paper at least easier fixtures. We also know there is a turnaround going on, in terms of commitment to the cause. Whether or not we are a better team than we were at the end of November is debatable. What is beyond doubt is that the doldrums that team got into followed by the upheavals of the January window left us in a mess. Some of the games this calendar year, including the lame display at Reading, left us looking like a team which was not up for the task. To Jones’ credit he has applied an approach and system which has stopped the rot, whatever happens at Derby and wherever we find ourselves in the table come Wednesday morning. That’s something to build on as we enter the phase that really matters.


Sunday 18 February 2024

Very Welcome Point And Performance

It may be a reflection on us, our inflated view of our club, but there are few fixtures in this league where going into it we feel very much the underdogs. But this was one of them. Anything from the game would be a bonus. We did get something and on top put in a performance which gave greater signs of the way that we assume Jones wants us to play the rest of the season, involving less backward/square passing but rather getting the ball upfield faster and looking to press in that area. We did I think catch out a rather complacent – and let’s not forget weakened (it was nice to not have to confront Santos for example) – Bolton, especially in the first half, and deserved our point. Three - via a late winner from a fierce Aneke shot - would have been wonderful, but each time Bolton went ahead or drew level we feared they would go on to win the game, which would have been cruel. So we grab the point and move on.

The team contained surprises. Having substituted him during Tuesday night’s game, Jones opted to drop May from the starting line-up; and there was no place in the squad for Bakinson, or for Watson(L), while Ramsay’s absence was assumed to have been down to him not being available. Instead, in a 3-5-2, in front of Isted would be Edmunds-Green, Jones and Thomas, with Watson(T) and debutant Small as the wing-backs. Dobson would be partnered by the returning Coventry, with Anderson kept in the more forward position, and Ladapo back to start alongside Kanu. With Camara, Campbell, May and Aneke on the bench we had plenty of forward options, less in the way of defensive cover, just Gillesphey and Edun, for a game in which we would surely need our back five to be as resolute as possible.

I have to say the first 15 minutes of the game I wasn’t fully concentrating as there was a coq au vin which had to be prepared for the evening. From a distance it seemed as though Small’s first contribution might have been to let them in for an early chance but he (and we) got away with that one. But once I’d settled in it didn’t take long for us to fall behind, to another example of our defensive weakness. There seemed no apparent danger from a throw on their left side, but the guy was allowed the space to send in what you have to say was a ball right on the money, into the near post area inviting someone to get on the end of it. That someone should have been a defender, most obviously Thomas, but he’d started to move out and was caught on the wrong side as their forward advanced, unable to make a meaningful challenge. All their guy had to do was get something on it to divert the ball past Isted.

It was disappointing after what seemed to have been a reasonable start. But we didn’t have long to dwell on it as just a few minutes later we were level. Small received the ball on our left, checked inside, and sent in a peach of a cross. It cleared their first defender and seemed tailor-made for Ladapo to head home unmarked. He managed to get nothing on it, but with their keeper having to cover for that prospect the ball just continued on its journey beyond him and into the net. One of those when you start to think that after all it might be your day and a goal on his debut for Small.

Bolton were stung, but still seemed to be playing within themselves, not being able to dictate play as our midfield did the hard yards, even if it involved a yellow card or two (usually for kicking the ball away). I had noticed that when Bolton scored the celebrations were rather more along the lines of normal order being restored rather than jubilation, and our equaliser seemed like an affront to them. If that was the case, when we went ahead before the break, once again in rather fortuitous circumstances, added injury to insult.

Kanu managed to make an interception in a good position and his attempt to play the ball across was put behind for a corner. This was played short and then a low ball was sent across the area, looking like a training ground move. If it was something went wrong in communication as nobody initially moved out for the shot. Instead it continued on until Jones met it on the turn, sending in a shot which went between or under a few and just beyond their keeper’s dive.

Glory be, this was not in the script. But if anything the break for half-time benefited Bolton as they were able to regroup, with probably some choice words exchanged in the dressing room. They made a substitution and came out for the second half in clearly more determined fashion. With greater intensity we found it more difficult to clear our lines effectively and it wasn’t especially surprising that after just six minutes of the second period they equalised.

Their guy received the ball on the edge of our area, to be confronted by Dobson. He moved to go on the outside, checked back, outside again, checked back etc. Finally Dobson bought the dummy and seemed to lose his footing. That enabled the guy to do what he had wanted all along, to shift the ball onto his right foot with the space ahead opened up. He was able to pick his spot, curling the effort beyond Isted. They would say an excellent piece of skill; for our part, as pointed out on CATV, the ballet between the two went on long enough for another Charlton player to have moved up to assist Dobson by cutting off the inside channel.

In the period after that equaliser Bolton threatened to put us to the sword. Kanu and Coventry picked up yellows, adding to the list (Jones, Dobson) – and by now raising concerns that sooner or later someone would get a second. So it was to most people’s surprise when just past the hour we took the lead again.

Kanu was again involved, this time intercepting to somehow get the ball across. That was cleared but we recycled it and a cross to the far post saw an ariel contest which saw their guy land, evidently, on his backside, seemingly rather painfully. He then tried to con the ref by feigning a head injury, rather giving himself away by holding his arms out in appeal. We, justifiably, kept playing. Small got in a scuffed shot which dropped for Kanu, who hit it on the turn in off the post. Bolton protested, but the ref got that one right.

Bolton responded and upped the pace again and we did start to look tired, the focus moving to when Jones might decide on replacements. If he was making up his mind the move came too late to prevent us conceding again. With some slick passing they created space for a guy to get to the byline on our left side; and when the low cross came in for the second time in the game our defenders were behind the play and another forward was left to complete a tap-in from close range.

Still 20 minutes of normal time left on the clock. Jones made a triple substitution, with Gillesphey, Camara and Aneke coming on for Coventry, Dobson and Ladapo, with Edmunds-Green moving forward into midfield and Anderson dropping back. Taking off both Dobson and Coventry may have been influenced by their yellow cards (Coventry had just committed another foul which fortunately had gone unpunished) but it was also a vote of confidence in these others to see out the job.

Bolton did almost get a fourth as the guy who scored their second found himself in a similar position, only this time to make a mess of the shot. On 85 minutes May was introduced for the understandably knackered Kanu, time enough for him to pick up a yellow for time-wasting; but when the board went up it showed nine extra minutes, too long for comfort. But we had the best chance to win the game in this period as Camara played in on for Aneke. The angle was tight, but he sent in a fierce shot which looked goal-bound until their keeper got a hand to it to turn it over. There was some panic defending for us, some injury time-outs for Isted, but we did manage to avoid another last-gasp goal against.

The point and the performance all constituted positives, although I don’t really buy the ‘best performance of the season’. I kept thinking back to the November draw away at Portsmouth. Had a check and just three of the 11 that started that game started yesterday. So I’d say it was the best this new team has played. The opposition, though missing some key players, was very strong and benefited from far greater coordination. We matched that with effort, in all areas of the pitch, married to a simple but effective game-plan, with Anderson of far more use in the advanced position against opponents such as Bolton than against Lincoln, who were happy to concede possession. The criticisms were allowing them two tap-ins, also that of our six yellow cards three were for kicking the ball away; you’d have thought that once the first was given for that we would have learnt the lesson.

There’s going to need to be the same level of desire and drive against Portsmouth and Derby – and of course thereafter. I don’t think the choices Jones is making now, in terms of personnel and tactics, are set in stone. We wait to see what he opts for when the emphasis switches away from getting something from the game to getting the victories we need to stay up.


One To Forget, ASAP

The seven-game unbeaten run, including three wins, may have eased the need to get a result today, but there was also the feeling that anothe...