Bury 2 Charlton Athletic 0

Over a 1,000 Addicks made the long trip to Bury today. The first game of a new season prompting dreams, hopes and a small ray of sunlight peaking out from behind a big black cloud that still engulfs our historic football club.

Charlton fans sung the place out and backed the team to the hilt, but in return were treated to a dreadful performance in Russell Slade’s first competitive game. Added to that, at the final whistle to muted boos and sympathic applause, as the players walked over to those that had made the long and expensive journey, Roger Johnson to hundreds of witnesses screamed at fans: “don’t f*cking come if you don’t like it.” Honestly this club, our club, is rotten to the core.

An opening game defeat means nothing really. We beat QPR last season to bring in a false dawn and I truly believe that Slade will improve the football team, but that team and squad is so threadbare that it was an effort to fill the bench. So much so that Hanlon wasn’t even allocated a squad number yesterday yet still replaced Kevin Foley in the 84th minute.

The team lacks creativity, pace and legs especially in midfield. There maybe a new manager and assistant, but once again we had no goal threat and conceded from corners, and Slade can talk all he wants about bringing the right type of characters and quality in, but all the time players like Roger Johnson dirty our famous shirt, then no one is going to believe you I’m afraid Russell.

But Russell, you may talk of another player joining, and that there are improved team bonding facilities at the training ground. That there are play books, and fines and penalties and even a poem, but if you put lipstick on a pig, Russell, it is still a pig.

Addicks at Gigg Lane: Chris Powell’s Flat Cap

Russell says: “We will struggle if we don’t value the basics.”

Duchatelet says: Nothing