Charlton 1-1 Sheffield Wednesday

League One, 7:45pm, The Valley.
Attendance 14, 014


The game: Charlton lacked a cutting edge in the second half, thanks to Sheffield Wednesday's gutsy and physical display.

On a cold and blustery night at The Valley, the Sky cameras were treated to what many would describe as a 'poor' game. Two shots on goal in the first half pretty much summed things up. The first shot, 3 minutes in, provided the first goal, when a neat passing move down the left hand side resulted in Bradley-Wright Phillips having a pop at goal from outside the box. His low effort powered into the bottom corner, near post, surprising many as it looked to be going wide. The goalkeeper's positioning was probably too far over to the far post, if I were to be critical. Despite that, it was a fine effort, and got Charlton off to a great start. Dale Stephens should have made it two, when a loose ball fell kindly inside the box. He had time to choose his spot, having run in from the edge of the area, but side-footed the ball over the bar. Disappointing. The rest of the first half provided little in the way of quality. The surface was slippery so long balls tended to skid on, away from players. 1-0 at the break. Satisfying for the Addicks but still work to do.

The second half performance was at best poor from Charlton, as despite still creating more chances, they allowed Wednesday to get back into the game, and secure a point. Clinton Morrison came on for early substitute Ryan Lowe, and was met by a chorus of boos from the home fans. How naive. Within 3 minutes, he had scored from a corner to make it 1-1 after 57 minutes. The ball was played in to the front post, where Jackson flicked it over Ben Hamer's outstretched hands, for Morrison to score from a matter of feet. His header hit the bar, but still, ended up in the back of the net. He duly celebrated by winding up the Charlton fans behind the goal. Revenge for his reception, and probably well deserved. the goal was hotly disputed by Hamer and Michael Morrison, who both remonstrated with officials for a length of time. From my viewpoint I could not see the actual finish, so have no opinion on the matter.

The rest of the game was frustrating, as the Addicks tried but failed to create any sort of decent chances. The main problem facing Chris Powell was his lack of an alternative strategy. There was no game-changer sat on the bench. Jason Euell was closest to it, but made little impact when he came on. Paul Benson and particularly Danny Green were sorely missed, as Green would have provided the perfect spark when introduced. However, few chances were made, and those that were resulted in goal kicks.

Wednesday played well, a victory for substance over style, as they say. The midfield battle was won by Semedo and Prutton, which meant Charlton were forced out wide, where they were isolated. Megson has chosen his style, as has Powell. I know which team I'd rather watch, but results are what matters and a point on the night seemed pretty fair for both sides. Charlton did not play well enough in the second half to deserve the win.

Charlton 1-1 Sheffield Wednesday (Wright-Phillips; C Morrison)


The performance as a whole was not too bad from Charlton. The defence was solid enough, though was put under little pressure as the game wore on. It appeared to be a rare off-day when things didn't go to plan in the attacking third. Powell needs an alternative strategy when the middle of the park is overwhelmed. I reckon he should look no further than Benno and Green. A deadly combination at Dagenham. Why not here?

Jose Semedo wins MOTM again at The Valley.
Even though he did get booked.
And doesn't play for Charlton any more.

Man of the Match: This has nothing to do with me feeling sentimental, but I have chosen Jose Semedo tonight. He was booed by the North Upper (what do you expect) from the start and I heard complaints that he was fouling, cheating and being dirty. However, all he was doing was exactly what he'd done for us for the past few seasons, if not better. He worked hard, broke up the a lot, even gave a few attacking passes. His effort and work-rate were again faultless. He did exactly the job Megson was looking for tonight, along with Prutton. Despite the booing during the game, he was clapped off when substituted. The North Upper finally had the heart to appreciate their former hero, sending him off to the sound of his legendary song. Well played Jose.

Ref Rating: 7/10 for D Deadman: Spotted most fouls, played a great advantage when Prutton cleaned out a Charlton player when a break was on. I felt there were few errors on his part, in the opinion of other fans he was very inconsistent, and Michael Morrison was lucky not to be penalised for a lunge on namesake Clinton. I agree regarding the latter foul, but still felt his performance was among the better I've seen in this league. The two linesman were pretty bad though.

Match Rating 3/10: A very poor game in terms of quality. Some attractive football in very small doses from the home side, but Wednesday's mentality prevented any sort of open game from developing. There will be many better games this season, though unfortunately for Wednesday fans, their away matches will probably be pretty similar to this one.

Charlton 2-1 Reading

Carling Cup Round 1, 7:45pm, The Valley.
Attendance 6,668


Pre-match
Tonight was my first chance to see the new Charlton side play a competitive game. The game was initially called off due to 'civil unrest', and was rearranged at the same time as the second round games.

It was a drizzly evening, cold enough to require jeans and a jumper. Depressing for mid-August, really. The traditional pre-match walk over the level-crossing, past the rather sparsely populated pub, and round the corner into Harvey Gardens, at which point the stadium appears. A very reasonable ticket price for the game means I am only required to hand over £10 for entrance. Through the turnstiles and up to the East stand. Into the ground itself, affording me a sight of the Charlton side warming-up. It took a few minutes to put names to faces, and then work out their positions. Powell chose a 4-4-2 with Hamer in goal, a back 4 of Francis, Mambo, Doherty and Evina, Midfield of Green, Pritchard, Hughes (captain) and Bover, with Jason Euell and Paul Benson up top. 11 changes from the side that has played all 3 league games so far. Reading also made changes, but still had quality players such as Tabb, Harte, Church, Manset, McAnuff and Howard. I was not feeling to optimistic about our chances, and duly predicted a 3-2 defeat, with Benson and Green to score for the Addicks. Some of that was right...

The atmosphere built as some fairly decent music was played before kick-off, until the teams finally emerged to the ritual applause, in time with the Red Red Robin song that has become a traditional curtain raiser. After the usual 5 minute faff, the game finally kicked off.

Paul Benson scored first.
Happiness around (most of) the ground.

The game
The first half was extremely lively. End to end football with good build-up play provided the entertainment. Early chances fell to Manset for Reading, and Benson for Charlton, both efforts the wrong side of the post. Charlton then had a great chance to open the scoring. A great passing move, which was to become a familiar sight for the rest of the game, saw Pritchard find Benson, who set up Danny Green inside the area. His shot seemed destined for the bottom left corner, but his right footed shot curled wide. A good chance missed.

Following a goal-line clearance from Francis at one end, Tabb nearly gifted Charlton a goal at the other, as his poor header allowed Euell a run at goal. The shot was disappointing, but well saved nevertheless. Chances continued to be created, with 8 in the first 10 minutes of the game. Charlton again broke, with Green putting Bover through from halfway, but his shot was blocked by the retreating defence. Reading then went close when a cross was met by Church, forcing a good stop from Hamer. 25 minutes in, and finally the deadlock was broken. Danny Green had the ball on the right hand side of the area, and his cross was headed across the face of goal by Euell. From where I was sat, it was difficult to tell what Benson had done, but the ball hit the back of the net. Benson was really pleased to score, as he is trying his utmost to get into the starting eleven in the league. His performance should have pleased Chris Powell, as he knows he has a quality striker in reserve.

Hamer saves from Church

Soon after the goal, Pritchard had a shot cleared off the line, acrobatically by Cummings, almost defying the laws of physics to reach the ball. Pritchard was understandably amazed that his neat chip of the keeper had not doubled the lead. Another chance went begging when a mis-hit shot from Bover went across the face of goal, and Francis missed his kick, having been in a great position to score. Just before half time, Brian Howard took a shot from outside the box, forcing an excellent save from Hamer, who got his fingertips to a ball destined for the top corner. Charlton went in at half time a goal ahead. We all knew the game had more goals in it.

The second half begun with an extremely disappointing injury to Paul Benson. He won a header and then must have either landed badly or been trodden on, because he went off to receive treatment for a hand injury. It turns out that he had a possible dislocated finger, and had to go off. Powell put Wagstaff on, to play off lone striker Euell. Church again went close for Reading, and as a punishment for his misdirected header, he clattered into the advertising hoardings.

The Next 10 minutes proved to be one of the most scintillating passages of play I have seen for years at the Valley. Charlton launched four or five sublime counter attacks, with wonderful quick passing. Pritchard, Green and Wagstaff were involved, Bover and Evina too down the left. Wagstaff had a shot saved when he worked his way into the corner of the area. Bover also had a shot deflected for a corner. From these two corners, Danny Green whipped in two dangerous balls to the front post. The first was cleared by a defender, but keeper McCarthy had to scramble to his post, and ended up lying in the back of the net. The second corner crashed off the post, again forcing McCarthy to tangle himself up inside his own goal. Green also had a long-range shot well saved. Charlton finally capitalised on their dominant spell, as a great cross from Simon Francis was met by Jason Euell, whose header down went through the keeper's legs and into the back of the net. 2-0. Much happiness. Euell's first goal for the club since scoring against Norwich back in 2004 (though obviously, he has not had much of a chance to score since then).

Sean Morrison scores following an error from namesake
Michael, seen sprawled on the floor above...

The visitors pulled one back in the 73rd minute, the same time as Scunthorpe had scored on Saturday, and worry was etched into the faces of us Charlton fans. A corner was not delt with very well, and the loose ball was not cleared by recent substitute Michael Morrison. His failed clearance Reading debutant Sean Morrison to poke the ball into the back of the net, through a crowd of players. Charlton had begun to tire, and the rest of the game was more about hanging on to the lead instead of pressing for further goals. It was at this stage when the referee decided he wanted to make the game closer, and attract more attention to himself. He started making bizarre and inconsistent decisions, handing Reading a couple of ffree kicks in dangerous positions despite minimal contact. One player was booked for complaining to the ref, and a fan behind summed up the mood, crying "Did he call you a w*nker ref? Let him off, he's right!" (See below for further lines from this entertaining fan). Manset had a header cleared off the line by Scott Wagstaff, following another corner. Reading created few clear-cut chances, and it was Charlton who came closest to scoring in the final few minutes. Ruben Bover's mazy run into the box resulted in a shot that hit the crossbar. This proved to be the final action as the whistle blew. Charlton were deserved winners.

Charlton 2-1 Reading (Benson, Euell; Morrison)

Aftermath

Chris Powell celebrates with
Alex Dyer.

The players were appreciative of the crowd again following the final whistle. The feeling was mutual, as the players disappeared down the tunnel to much applause. I think it was Powell who was last off (he has a habit of this, which is most pleasing), as he did one of his traditional tunnel 'jumps' where he re-emerges. I left the ground noting that significant defeats had been experienced by Premier League sides, especially Norwich. These ties had taken place in round 2, which we had just earned our place in. Preston at home lies in wait, a more winnable game than tonight's fixture was. Unfortunately, the BBC website decided to make it sound like Charlton were lucky to win. No mention of the higher number of shots on target Charlton had then...

Man of the Match
The player that stood out for me were Pritchard. He was heavily involved every time Charlton went forward, with skilful passes as well as important challenges when tracking back. He looks really lively and a great signing from the non-League. Benson also had a very good game, but his contribution was unfortunately cut short due to his injury. Hamer in goal was also very solid, as were the two full-backs Francis and Evina. Euell grew into the game as it progressed, and Danny Green looks like a class act on the right wing. But Pritchard was the man who stood out. He will be knocking on the door for the team that starts against Bury on Saturday.

Considered Opinion
Chris Powell: "Some people were a bit worried about me making wholesale changes, but I've said all along it's about the squad this year. After the start we've had in the league, the players that are on the fringes were looking and thinking 'will I ever get my chance? Tonight they got it, and they absolutely took it."
Bryan McDermott: "Credit to Charlton, I thought they played really well. But I look after Reading and the shape of our side.
@ReadingFC: Full time whistle goes at the Valley stadium. Charlton Athletic 2-1 Reading! The Addicks deserved the win.
@johnnie_jackson: No one told me Brazil were playing at The Valley tonight!

Fan of the Match (content warning - foul language)
A hugely entertaining evening thanks to an angry fan sat behind me in the East Stand. His anger combined with a funny voice meant that after a couple of outbursts many fans were in fits of laughter. First of all, following a marginal handball appeal, he shouted "Its not f*cking basketball ref!" Later on in the game, following a couple of lines that escape me, his anger at the ref boiled over: "Are you watching this game ref?" seemed sufficient, but then a wonderful pause gave way to "you tosser!" I noticed an older couple struggling to contain themselves following this masterfully constructed outburst. Finally, as seen above, following a booking for dissent, he shouted "Did he call you a w*nker ref? Let him off, he's right!" Superb.

Ref rating: 3/10 for Dean Whitestone.
A poor performance from the ref. Very inconsistent, poor knowledge of the advantage rule, as well as a late attempt to draw maximum attention to himself. He tried to give Reading a good chance to level the scores by awarding them free-kicks outside the box following innocuous, or even made-up fouls. To be fair to him, there have been many worse performances by referees at the Valley. Thankfully this had little bearing on the final result.

Match Rating: 9/10
My ratings keep rising. It was a super game with end to end passing football, goals, angry fans, poor referee, desired outcome. Usually I wouldn't expect to see a better game this season, but with the squad Powell has assembled  and the quality of the football played, you would be foolish not to expect more.

Riots and Football do not mix

The best laid plans of mice and men
often go awry

A poetic introduction seems civilised. The actions of many this week do not.

The 'best laid plan' was to follow up my debut post, written having watched the game on TV, with a report on the Charlton vs Reading Carling Cup match on Tuesday evening. It would have helped me shape how I write this blog in future, as the whole match day experience would require a different style of writing.

I was eager for the game. An exciting chance to see the new Charlton play competitively for the first time. I really thought that our side would be able to challenge a Reading team one league above (we still can, when the game finally takes place in two weeks time). But events outside of football on Monday were beginning to overshadow sport, and shaking the very foundations of our society.

Smoke from the furniture store blaze, seen from home

I will not dwell on the subject. Everyone has their opinions as to how things should have been dealt with, and everyone (with a brain) will rightly agree that this rioting was unjustifiable and disgraceful. Monday evening was when the situation became very real for me. It is one thing to see events unfolding on a TV screen, but to actually hear, see, smell and feel the problem close to home made things very unpleasant. As my house is on a hill, we can see across to Crystal Palace, with Croydon situated round to the left. When images of the burning sofa store appeared on TV, a glance out of the window certified things had become very real. The smoke from the blaze could clearly be seen, and smelt. Not only did this instil a sense of fear, but Bromley, to the East, was also under threat. It was an awful new experience, being surrounded by such despicable vandalism.

I appreciate that many hundreds, thousands, of people experienced these events much more close at hand. But the point is that the entire south London area no longer felt safe. To reduce police presence on the street (and the 16,000 last night were magnificent) in order to stage football in the capital would have been suicidal. So rightly, the games were off.

The riots put sport into perspective. It seems insignificant. But it provides people with solace , a place they can escape everyday life and enjoy. Reading FourFourTwo magazine earlier, Terry Venables was making the point that football has a great role in taking people's minds away from their financial position, housing problems. It is an escape. It is therefore not as insignificant as many would think.

And so here is where I try and move on from those problems, and refocus on my football. The violence denied me an opportunity to watch a good game of football. Damn. Unable to watch on Saturdays (and Sundays) thanks to my role in a Club Cricket team, I must resort to sporadic and hastily cobbled together reports of televised matches, whoever the participants.

Jason Euell playing in a recent pre-season friendly whilst on trial

The good news of today, not just that the admirable police services (as well as groups of football fans!) did a superb job of defending London's streets last night, but that Charlton have signed Jason Euell on a one year deal. This excellent news means that our squad now looks even stronger than before, bolstered by 16 men who, this time, actually look like they want to be here. What a long time since I've been able to think that... He seems genuinely happy to be back, which is lovely. Hopefully he plays against Reading.

So there we are. My best laid plans went, slightly, awry, thanks to some youths who didn't feel like ascertaining some new trainers in the usual manner. Hopefully the end of these problems is nigh, and that the rebels can get out of the way of what is shaping up to be an excellent football season. If last night's Carling Cup results are anything to go by, this should be a good one.

Thank you for reading. I hope my attempt at a thoughtful blog was adequate. I did my best!

CAFC Preview: Cautious Optimism

So here we go. Charlton kick off their season against Bournemouth tomorrow (unless of course AFCB win the toss, but no matter). 15 new faces have arrived on the playing staff so far, and I doubt that will be the final total. Chris Powell inherited a squad unsuited to his style of football, and the poor run last season, culminating in a 13th position finish, was partially due to a poor squad, and also due to a manager not willing to play the style of football the squad preferred (hoofball, basically). Despite being dissatisfied with the results, I was encouraged by the football we began to play, and I finished the season thinking that Powell would be the right man to lead us forward, as long as he could do good work in the transfer market.

And what good work he has done!

A sight many Charlton fans will be hoping to see
 (though with a red shirt on)

Of all the new players signed, I have to say that Danny Green looks to me to be the most exciting. He has an ability to whip a good ball into the area from most positions on the right hand flank. He works hard, cuts infield every now and then and generally looks very skilful. Dale Stephens looks like a very good deep-lying playmaker, with a good range of passing. Him and Danny Hollands, a hard-working player whose work on the pitch slips under the radar, will form a superb midfield partnership. With captain Jackson on the left, I am very pleased with what we've got in midfield, especially given that Mikel Alonso - an unknown quantity at present, but has played at a much higher level - as well as Ruben Bover-Izquierdo - an exciting young Spaniard with great skill and creativity - will occupy the bench.

The strike-force looks one player light. Paul Hayes will play behind Bradley Wright-Phillips, as he has a good record of providing the main striker with goalscoring chances. However I look forward to the games Paul Benson plays. I have to say a lot of Charlton fans are not convinced by him, but I like his high work-rate, and he is a good finisher in the box. Danny Green supplied many of the crosses for Benson to score for Dagenham and Redbridge, which is why I look forward to seeing this combination at the Valley. I still think a target man style player is required, but as Jason Euell and Grzegorz Rasiak are on trial, I would not mind at all if they both signed.

The defensive aspect is a little less assured. The two centre backs signed - Matt Taylor from Exeter and Michael Morrison from Sheffield Wednesday - arrive with mixed reviews having not been first choices at their previous clubs. From what has been said they are not great aerially, which could prove a problem against a number of sides that choose not to play the was Mr Powell does. Rhoys Wiggins is a promising addition at left-back, but his performance in the friendly matches suggest his greatest strengths are attacking as opposed to defending. We'll see. Andy Hughes has been signed from Scunthorpe, whose fans did not make happy noises regarding his ability. A right-back that can play on the left or anywhere across midfield, he has been tagged as a player who puts in 100% effort but is limited technically. Will he fit in with the Charlton style of play? From what I've heard of his time at Leeds, where he is somewhat of a hero, I really hope he does well for us, as I'd really like to like him as a player. He is someone who loves the fans, so he can't be that bad, surely!

The goalkeeper situation has taken a strange twist in the past week. Ben Hamer was signed from Reading unexpectedly last weekend, and immediately handed the number 1 jersey. This seems logical, as reviews of his loan spells at Exeter reveal he is a very talented keeper, and someone who I'm sure will be successful at the club. However, he replaced Rob Elliot as numero uno, who decided that his second choice was 44. Many theories have been devised, particularly on the Charlton Life message board (a great fans forum, by the way). His failure to agree a new contract has been said to have caused Powell to sign Hamer, and many think that now he will be off. John Sullivan, the other keeper, must be feeling rather bemused at the whole situation, having signed earlier in the summer on a free transfer.

Predictions are always difficult. A vast array of different things can happen in a football season. However, the signings made by Powell have given every fan a sense of cautious optimism regarding the new season. 3 years in League One is enough to drive any fan with aspirations of Premier League football mad. Patience has not been exhibited often at the Valley in recent seasons, but I feel it needs to be this year. It is unlikely that such a new team will gel instantly, and many have not predicted a victory in the opening game. But I do think that the team should be capable of automatic promotion, so that is what I will go for. I may as well...