Charlton Athletic 0 Norwich City 1
The Addicks fell to their 7th home defeat of the season today losing 1-0 to in-form Norwich City.
For 45 minutes we were second best by a stretch, but we had a good go in the second period and although the best team won, on another day we could’ve snatched a point with more luck, and a better referee.
First of all, I like the way Norwich play. They hunt in packs, aggressive in defence, pass it well and get forward quickly. I’d like us to play like that one day.
I’d have them up there with Southampton, Middlesborough and Sheffield United (until the red mist descended) as the best teams we have seen at The Valley this season. Yet, for all of their superiority, and it took a shot from outside of the area that we ought to have defended better, to beat us.
Mannion was my MoM and he kept us in it, but when we finally got into gear second half we had some chances, and a couple of good ones at that.
We lacked killer instinct of course. Docherty had a shot blocked away, Ramsey hit the bar with a header, Clarke headed over as if he was clearing a corner, and then there was Carey’s injury time shot that might have gone anywhere.
Then there was the penalty decision. I think Lloyd Jones made too much of it, but VAR would have given that. The officiating in this league has been truly abysmal, and today was no different, and Norwich, despite my earlier eulogy, played the ref and the time deplorably in the second period.
Our goalscoring prowess is what it is. I thought Kelman was introduced too late, Leaburn was passive when he came on, Dykes didn’t quite get the rub of the green, but was our best player first half. As for TC, he cut his usual discosolate figure but was a lot livelier when he went to left wing back and produced another showing that will be high on stats, but low on customer approval.
I thought Docherty was good, but we lacked inventiveness in midfield again. Jones, Bell and Ramsey all lived up to their billing’s.
Frustrating to lose, but at half-time I was hoping we’d just wouldn’t get stuffed, but we showed character and determination to get us back into the game where a point might have fallen our way.
Importantly no change below us and another game ticked off.
🎙️ “There were some unacceptable decisions today in that game that I’ve gone in and seen the referee about. You can’t say anything because you get yourself in trouble, but there are some decisions in there which I feel were unfathomable The ball’s up in the air and the guy just pulls Lloyd to the ground – it’s a penalty. It’s a free-kick everywhere else on the pitch.”
⭐️ Will Mannion
🏟️ 23,008 (3,317 Canaries)
📸 Keith Gillard
I do agree with you CA, we were second best but nearly nicked something, albeit for a lack of composure in front of goal and the last third. This was a side that had 40.5 million spent on it and the strengthened further in Jan.
We have been well beaten at home by some good teams. The only ‘bad’ one was the Portsmouth game. They are now plummeting down the league and in a relegation fight.
Another game down, some winnable games coming ups. I am feeling confident we will stay up.
Many thanks for your lucid and frank reports.
It keeps me going,and provides a valid point of focus.unfortunately, I suffered from a stroke last year and then diagnosed with hydro Sephalis.However ,fighting back,and mobility although not perfect,slowly returninng.
Although my desire to visit the Valley is high,realism makes it unfortunately unrealistic .
Your reporting and others is highly valuable and appreciated .
A real lifeline,thanks
I did think that 45 points would be enough,FOR SAFETY,but 50 looks a more realistic and healthy target now.
Keep up the good work,it is much appreciated
Richard
Thanks for the report.
Thought we poor first half but livened up second half. Can’t quite understand why Kelman doesn’t get a start, is he carrying a knock?
Think we do need to remember where we are in terms of wages and squad – if you’d have offered this situation at the beginning of the season, think most would have taken it. Jones isn’t the most likeable bloke, but he’s done well with what we have. Leicester and West Brom have huge wage budgets and some quality. IF we stay up he’s done a fantastic job.
He’s built the team around defending and clean sheets. To grab a 20 goal+ striker at this level would cost a fortune so I do think he’s done well.
A win and a draw keeps us up I reckon.
COYR
Nice to hear from you Richard. Keep fighting, hold that desire close. In the meantime I’m glad I can be of service. Thanks for reading my musings. COYR
CA, and others the only reason against nothing has changed below us is that time and again other results have, in the main gone for us, and just how many weeks has this happened this season.
We got extremely lucky, what with Leicester missing a penalty and also a huge late chance, and TBF for large periods of the game they were by far the better side.
Hearing the same old boring and tedious comments from Jones every single week grates most of us, and we are sick of it and his very questionable team selections of which there are a the same few.
Bringing on Kelman with just 5 minutes left is an insult to the player and us supporters.
Again no home league goal at The Valley in the first half since 22nd October 2025, and that is an absolute disgrace and a worsening less than a goal a game.
Jones and his coaching so called staff do they actually coach how to put the ball in the back of the net?
Those half- full brigade will be coming out in force YET AGAIN!!!
CAFC are no where near safe and still need 54 or 55 points to stay up.
I did the who has got who left and posted it and yes some are playing each other, but hearing Manning who I really rate and stating we have enough to stay up and told what to say and as far as Jones is concerned, no further comments are needed,
WAKE UP AND FAST CAFC AND THE SITUATION IS A DISGRACE AND WE ARE CHARLTON PATHETIC AND JUST SIMPLY NOT UP TO THE TASK AND WAITING UNTIL WE GET TONKED AGAIN AND SO WHAT 9 POINTS CUSHION MEANS NOTHING AS IT WOULD BE ONLY P;US 8/
sTILL WITH THE INCREASINGLY POSSIBILITY WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO RELY ON OTHER RESULTS AND CAFC DOING THEIR BEST TO GET RELEGATED!!
UNTIL AND IF THE FAT LADY SINGS THEN I AND MANY OTHERS WILL RESERVE JUDGEMENT. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
You talk of boring and tedious replies, you need to have a listen at yourself. You spill the same crap all the time, obviously a NJ hater and you will only be happy once we are relegated. You don’t speak for anyone but yourself thankfully. Don’t you have something useful to do like catching sardines!!
I think you need a lie down John and turn off the CAPS.
That was a very challenging game for us and we were caught on the hop by Norwich who have a quality team and it showed.
I thought we were positive and did cause them big problems in the second half…..hitting the crossbar !
It’s going to be challenge over-the-counter coming weeks but we will be safe in due course
Oops…..coming weeks I meant
Further to your post the other day regarding TC, I think that he looked like a different player once he got out on the wing. He had the beating of the Norwich right-back, and began to deliver some teasing crosses. The level of negativity shown towards him, by some of our ‘fans’ is not productive, and will only further damage his confidence, which is what it seems that some would like to do. I’m not sure why we have this tendency to need to find one player to focus our negativity on?
As I have increasingly begin to question, I think that Leaburn is the bigger conundrum for NJ to unravel. He barely gets off the ground, and when he does win a header, it more often than not goes anywhere other than where he wants it to go! I thought he needed a big season, and he just hasn’t had one. That said, I’m not going to pay my money just to turn up and abuse him for it. I guess that puts me in the glass half-full gang!
Norwich were good, and barring their bad start, would have been challenging at the top end of the table.
Seven games to go, and Leicester and Oxford will both need to win three games out of those seven to just catch us, before we even put another point on the board. I think it would take something catastrophic for us to go down. Our performances and recent results would support the fact that we are not in freefall, and that we are capable of picking up points.
Unfortunately it is time to realise both are not good enough, ssdly TC won more corners for norwich than charlton, he CANNOT start another game this season, now if he wants to bring him on when other teams are getting tired i can almost see the reasoning, i wouldnt, i am in the camp that we sell him end of season and i am happy to drive him there to make sure he does go. He almost broke into a sweat yesterday, walking around looking disinterested why dykes runs his nuts off is not a good look.
I also have no idea why we feel the need to have one player we that we can make the boo boy. That is definitely not helping TC.
I agree with you on Leaburn too.
Gutted with that performance,albeit against an in-form team. Norwich were far better than us in the first half. We seemed to get some intensity in the second, but boy, did we lack some creation in midfield. Once again NJ’s persistance of playing TC gained us nothing, and I thought when Leaburn came on he offered very little either. As for leaving it until the 87th minute to bring on Kelman, was an insult to the player, and us supporters. What game was NJ watching yesterday ?
Three points against Bristol City on Good Friday becomes a must.
No surprise losing to Norwich their current form is very good.
Equally no surprise to see TC start the game, though i’ve no idea why.
I believe we have not won a league game after going a goal down, all season. Shocking really. At least “we are front-footed and aggressive” said NJ. ??
Bristol city on Good Friday is a chance to get three points, which MAY be enough. Will NJ start a team that can do so……………….
First of all l would like t remind everybody that in the last 15 games Middlesbrough, (2nd) Leeds (premier league) Southampton (Premier league last year) and Birmingham are the only teams to have beaten Norwich so for them to come here and only just beat us is quite credible. Yes we could ve played better in the first half and yes NJ could’ve started with Kelman but didn’t as a man who was born and brought up in norfolk and still live on the north norfolk coast I should be in theory supporting my local team which I have seen play a couple of times this year but in 1981 picked Charlton Athletic as all my family chose Norwich I m glad I did as they have kept us all on toes.
I for one would have taken this position day long at the the start of the season, just remember where we were when NJ took charge, one aim this year if we succeed then as a club and NJ included has done a fantastic job COYR
Norwich were just a bit too canny for us – you could see the experience of playing for several seasons at a higher level than the one we’ve used to coming through. That’s what we have to learn from for next year.
We were also a bit piecemeal in attack, a few good moments, but nothing sustained that keeps the pressure on and forces a mistake or an opening that leads to a goal. The way we’re set up doesn’t help, we are defence heavy and consequently don’t concede many goals but transitioning from defence to midfield and then attack often leaves us a man or two short for options and if experienced defenders are back in the right numbers we lose the impetus.
We worked hard and it was a penalty, we saw two pens last week for those sort of fouls and the referee bottled it. Maybe if Norwich were 2 nil or 3 nil up we might have got it as a consolation, who knows, and our other chances fell to defenders.
With the teams below us not winning there was no damage done.
Good points as always SP.
We don’t get enough people in the box do we. It’s also an area where Carey needs to improve. He prefers to hang outside the box, and that has done him well, but he needs to read moments better and be able to make those runs into the box.
Oh for a Mark Kinsella.
A picky point; West Brom did win.
Afternoon everyone, we can all talk all day about what should or what shouldn’t be , but being a Charlton fan since the sixties I think like most people we’ve seen it all along the years, yesterday Norwich are on the up and we just can’t score enough goals I totally agree regarding t c and leaburn but let’s just get safe coyr
I really don’t like all the negative comment posted by some so called fans. In my view, the team put out yesterday is our best line-up available. TC is well worth his place – he creates momentum/danger whenever he goes on a run. Generally the team played well and deserved a point against a very good Norwich side.
CA’s comment about Norwich “they hunt in packs…pass it well” resonated with me. That is just what we do not do going forward. Home or away, we rely on breakaways, perhaps involving one or two players, with no one else providing support or back up to keep the move going. Ok, Norwich have been able to invest more than us in their team, but lesser opponents have also shown much better team work than us. Just makes me wonder how much we practice our cohesive forward play during the week.