Does the extra distance from the game – resulting from my second actual visit to The Valley in three weeks, this time for the most enjoyable International Addicks Day, then a flight back to Lyon (very) early Sunday morning – enable a better perspective on it? Doubtful, especially as much of the red wine consumed with fellow Addicks from far and wide before and after the game is still being dealt with. Let’s just say it enables me to cheat and watch the highlights first, as well as to look ahead a little to the West Brom game on Tuesday night.
To get Saturday out of the way, sure no question we were second-best through the second half, with the injuries to Bell and Burke causing disruption and the substitutions made not really turning things back in our favour once they’d equalised. And sure things could have turned out worse. The first-minute error by Burke resulting in a ball bouncing over Jones’ head and Gillesphey making a desperate challenge could easily have resulted in a red card; the scramble in our box in stoppage time might easily have seen them score a late winner, one which we could have had no grumbles about.
My (relative) misery was completed by the fact that I missed Kelman’s goal. For this one I’d opted to sit with Addicks friends in the Lower North, despite the endless up and down this would entail. I told people before the game that I just wanted to see the net billow in front of me for a Charlton goal (and to win the game of course). At half-time one of our number opted for a drink and we went along with it, losing track of time as we chatted. We were just starting the move towards the stairs to our seats when the roar went up. And quite frankly, like against Sheff Wed, we seldom gave the Covered End anything to cheer about in the second half after that moment.
Obviously the loss of two of the back five in the first half had an impact. With Ramsay the only centre-back option from the bench, we switched to a 4-5-1 in the second half but even with a midfield overload we were unable to retain possession and put them under any meaningful pressure. And they deserve some credit for that, playing decent stuff and moving well, with unfortunately Galbraith pulling the strings. My satisfaction at half-time was grounded on their front two looking rather inept (we know they were missing their leading scorer), shooting when others were in better positions – and shooting badly at that - and failing to exploit good openings. Then one of them gets the ball in a situation we seem to have under full control, takes a touch wide of Jones and turns, then getting off his shot just before Gillesphey’s challenge and placing it in the perfect position to beat Kaminski.
My only (perhaps related) gripes at the end were that I thought the substitutions made were questionable and that we failed to put them under any pressure in the closing stages. On the former, Leaburn came on at the break to replace Burke and it wasn’t clear to me how that was going to work, perhaps as a 4-4-2. Then when Kelman made way after 68 minutes it was for Hernandez and not Apter. We were then going to a 4-5-1 and surely that created the backdrop for Apter to cause them problems in their own half, not having to pretend to be a wing-back. The best way to stop them playing was surely to push them back by causing them problems. Not a criticism of Hernandez, but I found it odd. Equally, while Olaofe for Campbell was predictable, taking off Docherty and replacing him with Knibbs, rather than a more like-for-like with Casey coming off, or even giving Berry another short burst after his late goal rescued the point at Hull. Apter or Berry might have given them more food for thought. Of course hindsight is wonderful, I’ve no idea if Docherty was struggling or how things had looked on the training ground through the week.
On the latter, with 10 minutes left on the clock I just felt that we needed to up the effort and try to pressure them rather than be reasonably content with the point. Yes, we were second-best and rather disjointed, but the game’s there to be won if we played it in their half. Who cares whether or not you deserve a late winner? A decent attack, a set piece or two, and the Covered End would have been very vocal in its backing, which would surely have impacted on Swansea. Instead we almost lost it in stoppage time.
All of this is of course relative. The team/squad and of course the manager are in such credit that any criticisms are minor – and will be quickly forgotten if we beat West Brom. On that front, clearly Jones has defensive issues to work out, perhaps for the first time this season, being (we assume) stripped of Bell and Burke in addition to Edwards. Presumably either he will go with Ramsay, Jones and Gillesphey as a central three, with Bree on the right and someone filling in on the left, or start with a back four. We are going to be short of options from the bench and whether Jones will go with the versatile Rankin-Costello or the untried Fullah remains to be seen. Zac Mitchell is out on loan and I don’t know if Laqeretabua or Enslin – who both looked so impressive in cameos last season – are viable options.
I talked to an Ipswich-supporting friend today (I tried not to mention the score) and he said that West Brom carried very little goal threat when they recently beat them 1-0 at home. And the stats don’t lie – 12 goals for them in 13 games, two losses and a draw in the last three games, including failing to beat Sheff Wed at home. Clearly they don’t concede many either. Just how both teams go into this one is an open book. They may feel that we have had changes forced on us and may be a little cautious and vulnerable. Up to those called on to dismiss that. Let’s hope the Covered End gets good reason to provide the vocal support in the second half (assuming of course we don’t kick that way in the first). Every game in this division is tough – but we are loving (almost) every minute of it, even the one I missed on Saturday.
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