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Sep 28

CARD to resume protests

The Coalition Against Roland Duchâtelet (CARD) announced today after last night’s most recent on the field disappointment that they will resume their organized protests at the home game versus Coventry on October 15th.

Whilst away from The Valley anti Duchâtelet and Meire songs, chants and flags have filled away ends, the sparse home crowds have been devoid of the pre, during and post match protests we saw last season, although there was a black and white day to coincide with the visit of AFC Wimbledon.

At the beginning of the season CARD said that they would not organize any protests during the opening month of Russell Slade’s reign as manager, and in that time The Valley faithful have seen just one league win from 5 games and a League Cup defeat.

Many Addicks, myself included, have been calling out for a resumption of the protests, especially since Duchâtelet and the so called senior management team appear to have learnt nothing from their previous mistakes.
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Sep 28

2 Comments

Charlton Athletic 1 Oldham Athletic 1

Well that sounded utterly painful and depressing and not forgetting, rubbish.

Again we were ahead, although unlike last week against AFC Wimbledon, this time undeserved. But we were ahead thanks to a well worked goal scored by Josh Magennis, yet leading only appears to be a signal for Russell Slade to sit deep and lock up shop.

One up front, a pedestrian midfield and Lookman on the bench. Hardly a shot at goal for 95 minutes and lucky to escape with a point against a team second from bottom and who had not scored in 6 of their previous 9 league games.

All this played out in front of thousands upon thousands of empty seats with the real crowd estimated at under 7,000.
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Sep 27

Barrier island

Hidden away for a few days in Florida at a very nice hotel in Amelia Island, the southern most point of the chain of barrier islands stretching down the east coast of America. I have been here before, and am happy to be here again, even if this time is work. It says here!
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Sep 25

2 Comments

Oxford United 1 Charlton Athletic 1

I know little of Saturday’s game apart from what I have read from eye-witnesses and I don’t think it was much cop. A sell out away end didn’t seem impressed and I note that the anti Roland songs are getting louder and more prolonged.

Just 2 wins from 9 games, and those against two teams below us in the table. It’s early, although I always take note of that 10-game barometer, but as Barnsley will attest this league is most definitely a marathon and not a sprint.
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Sep 21

Scunthorpe United 0 Charlton Athletic 0

Sounded a decent game and I would happily have taken a clean sheet against a side that has been banging in the goals. The Iron had scored 9 in the preceding two home league games.

Slade set us up not to lose and waited until extraordinarily late to add some extra attacking force, which probably cost us all 3 points but with Bauer back alongside a much better Pearce we sounded much tighter at the back and all four defenders came out of the game with credit.

What a shame that Jacko couldn’t win it at the end with a trademark free-kick which cannoned off the woodwork.
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Sep 18

4 Comments

Charlton Athletic 1 AFC Wimbledon 2

There is no sugar coating that yesterday. That was a dreadful result. I was following the game online and journalist Rich Cawley echoed my own thoughts midway through the 2nd half when he wrote “That lack of a second #cafc goal is making it nervy now for the hosts. #afcw still not creating clear chances but pushing more.”

And after playing a game of clinging on, the Dons grew in confidence as we retreated and not only equalised but then had the audacity to take all 3 points with a 85th minute winner. 
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Sep 16

Apathetic

A little apathetic at the moment, not helped unusually by it being the middle of September and I haven’t see us play yet. I have a trip booked home for the middle of November and that, the televised game at Swindon, will probably be my first game. I am not alone, but of course Charlton Athletic still runs through my veins, they just don’t feel my head like they used to, hence why this Blog has been a little bare recently as I’m void of thoughts and opinions.

Anyway, a lot of you are still going, which I respect, so I am interested to how we are playing. It certainly appears that Slade has brought some fighting team spirit back, late goals against Bolton and Fleetwood attest to that, and that is a dramatic positive over last season when if we conceded, which was always just a matter of time, then that was it.
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Sep 10

1 Comment

Fleetwood Town 2 Charlton Athletic 2

No disrespect to the Cod Army, a spirited and friendly club, but today is a sledge hammer of a reminder of where Duchatelet, Meire and a succession of poor decisions have taken us. 

And judging commentary and subsequent viewpoints of those there we were the second best team today. The start was a mess, encouraging pressure on our defence and we were 0-1 down within a couple of minutes. Our midfield still sounds as if it lacks creativity and pace with debutant Ulvestad pretty anonymous. Plenty of time to judge the Norwegian though. 

Our passing sounded sideways and backwards, Fleetwood’s sounded probing and threatening. However a peach of a cross from Holmes, who we were told after has hardly trained, found Josh Magennis who headed home his first Addicks’ goal. From what I have heard the Irishman has been one of most impressive performers this season thus far. 
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Sep 7

2 Comments

Jimmy Seed Stand

I was pleased to see today that a particular bug bear of mine is going to be righted and that is the replacement of the Jimmy Seed Stand sign. Credit to the club for listening and for the Museum for championing the idea and Target 20k for bringing it to the attention of the ‘Senior Management Team.’ It always bemused me that Roland was spending money on panting steps and changing the horizontal of the nets, yet ignored the disarray of the worn out sign with one of our most famous ever club figures’ name on it.
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Sep 1

6 Comments

The window

I had never heard of Fredrik Ulvestad until his name came up yesterday alongside many others in Russell Slade’s efforts to bring in another much needed central midfielder. Slade added: “He’ll add a different dimension to us. He’s different to what we have got,” which hopefully means he is mobile, can pass the ball forward and can take a player on.

With free agent Chicksen added the day before but only replacing Tareiq Holmes-Dennis, just Ulvestad was added to Slade’s squad when he had been saying he needed three or four more since the beginning of August. And with Alou Diarra going today, it is another man down, and in my mind when suspensions and injuries come a knocking, I worry that we have a squad that can be in contention at the top half of the table.

The fact is that once again Meire and Duchatelet have left it too late. They had the pick of Ajose, Novak and Holmes early in the summer, which was good work, but once again we are left fishing in murky shallow waters on the afternoon of deadline day after more players had left. Who knows how far Ulvestad was down Slade’s list. Yet the Norwegian will be expected to carry a lot of our creative play along with Holmes.
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