Charlton Athletic 0 Ipswich Town 1
A very disappointing result after the (now even more) important win on Tuesday night. From afar I had two thoughts post game.
Firstly can we expect the players to keep over-performing with so much going on around the club? They were eventually paid for November but late as I understand it. With no discernible sign of any contract negotiations, Powell and Dyer have their work cut out morale-wise whatever CP said in the past week.
Second is that I think we need to roll our sleeves up for a winter relegation battle, fans as well, if you haven’t done so already. Last year our final placing as a result of a strong finish was a real overachievement. To my mind the squad is weaker this season, and after 17 games, and only 4 wins, we are where we are and we need to start searching out 3 teams worse than us.
3 teams that in all likelihood will strengthen in January, whereas I am pretty sure CP won’t be able to. If as a team they play to their maximum we can beat anyone in this division, but so can anyone else. It’s the beauty of The Championship.
We lack real goal threat. Charlton are the joint 2nd lowest goal scorers in all three of the League divisions. Yeovil are the lowest, but after signing 3 loan players in the week, including two strikers, they put 3 past Watford yesterday.
One of Powell’s many dilemmas is Yann. Like Jackson he is so important to the team, and the fans, but when he plays I think our game becomes a lot more direct, predictable and narrow. Stewart was noticeably less involved yesterday.
The lack of goals and the way Ipswich approached the game – all out attack for the first 10 minutes, then defend like 11 Mick McCarthy’s is not tactical genius. This is close to two years now at The Valley where we haven’t monopolised a game. Perhaps Bristol City in last season’s meaningless final rubber.
And what to do? With no sign of new players, Powell has to use the cards he’s been dealt, with all kinds of noise going on in the background and I would say, no visible or morale boosting leadership from the board. Just late pay cheques, concern over futures and a lot of bloody team spirit.
We’re on the road this next week, maybe that’s a good thing.
Addick Bloggers at The Valley: Blackheath Addick; Charlton Casualty; Albury Addick; And Nothing Else Matters; Ramblings of a Football Fan; Chris Powell’s Flat Cap; Hungry Ted; Addicks Championship Diary; ; God, Charlton and Punk Rock; Drinking During the Game.
Powell-ometer: Back to the drawing board for Chris today.
Elsewhere: Yeovil put 3 past Watford at Vicarage Road, whilst Barnsley lost at home to Birmingham by the same score, which was the end of the road for David Flitcroft. Sheffield Wednesday lost at Blackpool and Millwall were well beaten at Leicester. Doncaster turned to form book upside down beating QPR 2-1, Huddersfield beat Burnley 2-1 and in the south-coast derby Bournemouth and Brighton shared two goals. Middlesbrough beat Bolton 1-0 and on Friday night, our next opponents Reading won 3-2 at the City Ground. Today Derby won 3-1 at Wigan.
