The morning after
Well I hope the players and coaching staff woke up this morning with more stomach for the fight than me. I got up this morning feeling like I’d been hit by a bus with a very negative state of mind. Talking to my brother and a few mates who were up there did not help.
My heart goes out to all of you that made the journey and had to endure a long and thoroughly despressing trip home.
I was very nervous before the game, probably because I am so unused to seeing us live on the television, and frankly this was another to consign to the rubbish bin tagged Charlton’s TV games.
Dreams of seeing the Addicks at the new Wembley will have to be suppressed again, and we will probably never get a better opportunity. Four FA Cup Quarter Finals in 20 years, and four losses. It was always about a one-off game, a day out, but our confidence is so low, that the way the game ended was a bitter blow and the big question now is how we bounce back for Wednesday and then Saturday, at The Den of all places.
Whether Mr Duchâtelet cares or understands, who knows, but for all of us, our shortcomings were so obvious again on Sunday. We simply haven’t got enough quality and it seems to get anything from a game we need every player firing on all cylinders, which certainly was not the case yesterday.
Goalscoring has not been addressed, only to sell our highest goalscorer and our most creative midfield player. Cousins, who has admirably replaced Stephens, cannot be wasted out on the right side of midfield. I see why Powell wants to play Jackson – and the fact that he personally responded to every single Tweet that he was sent yesterday good and bad tells us again what sort of man and I will go as far as to say, legend the skipper is to the club – but Cousins wide, is to the detriment of the team.
Rest Cousins, play Nego, and push Wilson to the right-side of midfield. We lose out on Wilson’s driving runs when he plays full-back. Surely Nego is capable enough? Or put Jacko on the bench.
Until Cort is fully fit, Dervite has to return alongside Morrison and most importantly of all Ajdarevic has to start. He is about the only player that can link the centre-backs, and Poyet, who plays like he has 250 games under his belt.
The slow build up I like, but there is absolutely no point in playing like Brazil in your own half, if eventually someone is going to get bored and hoof it 40 yards. Ajadarevic can axle this side – and he is up for it.
Up front? Well I would go for someone who can stretch defences in front of Ajdarevic. Reza, Church, Tudgay and Sordell can all fulfill this role. For a striking partnership to work, you need two players with different attributes, the four I’ve mentioned are all similar. Is it then not worth sticking the Polish lad on the bench? He is after all the only player on the books who has found the net more than a couple of times this season, albeit in the clogger’s 9th division!
Harriott’s pace has been very welcome, and my bum lifted off the sofa yesterday everytime he got the ball. As for Danny Green, I just covered my eyes. No more Green please CP.
Powell only has what he has, but we need his teams positive and balanced, and up for a fight.
Chicago Addick 
Great minds think alike as they say CA. Absent Peter the Pole, throwing together two similar forwards in the hope that they might hit it off hasn’t worked; and we just haven’t (yet) worked out how to get the best out of the Swede. Harriott promised much on Sunday but ultimately didn’t prove decisive; Green’s real asset is his crossing but if we don’t have a threat in the air it doesn’t mean much. I still prefer Wiggins and Jackson in partnership on the left as they operate well together, have Harriott available from the bench.
All sounds like too many bit parts and no strong Plan A. But with so many games now in a short space of time I guess we’re going to need all available hands.
The thing with Green’s crossing BA is that he thinks he is David Beckham. He wants to curl the ball around the back four 30 yards from goal. He, haircut and t-shirt designing aside, is not Becks and is simply not good enough for this level.
I understand CP would have shipped him out in the summer if he was allowed to improve the squad. The fact he is still involved says a lot about Powell’s inability to improve the squad following promotion 2 years ago.
I share your views on Green but assume you have not seem Harriot a sufficient number of times to realise, despite his strike at Wednesday, that he flatters to deceive, rarely has an end product and can be desperately frustrating. He may improve with time like Peacock who was a 17 year old boy wonder, but llke Peacock who promised so much, he might mighjt just go on the be an average, albeit loyal and professiponal, journeyman.
I respect your opinion on Harriott Mike because you would definitely have seen him more than me. This team lacks pace though – it has for a couple of seasons – and it was just refreshing to see a CAFC player run at opponents with pace. Yes he may misplace it or fall over but Kevin Lisbie made a career out of that 🙂
Fair enough, even Lisbie right now could be an improvement on some pf pur forwards.
Well – some have got what they wanted. Me, I’m off to the club as we speak to get a refund on my season ticket. Enjoy the rest of the season DorestBum, or whatever name you are. If you want my seat in the East Stand – its a great view – you can have it. 3rd division football looks just as crap from there.