Nine Goals, Three Points - Five Star Charlton Stun Cardiff

Jackson led from the front, and showed just how much
his goals meant to him.

Five four. How do you even begin explaining that? Most people inside the ground would have no idea, let alone all those trying to work it out from home. To put it simply, the extremes of emotion will have left every fan, everywhere, feeling completely drained by full time. But bloody hell, what a result it was!

The worst possible start. Corner to Cardiff three minutes in, Jackson awaits the ball at the front post but Helguson nipped in front, glanced the ball goalwards and put the Blues one up. Not much was going for Charlton, starting with a 4-4-1-1 formation, Jackson playing in behind Hulse. It was proving fruitless in attack; Hulse was isolated and whilst Haynes had pace, his crosses were ineffective. Cardiff doubled there lead from a similar corner - whilst the flick-on was saved, a scramble ensued. The ball kissed the bar, was hooked back across goal, when Hamer flew out to save it, but the clearance fell to Mason who powered home. 0-2.

A subtle change made by Powell saw Jackson drop into a midfield four and Haynes join Hulse up front. Cardiff still looked comfortable, but the move gave their defence a problem, as the centre backs could no longer double-up on Hulse. The midfield created space and a break resulted in Hulse challenging Marshall - the blues' keeper - for the ball. It fell to ground, and after a poor clearance it rolled to Jackson to slot home coolly into the top corner, pulling one back. That was a vital goal before the break, but things got even better just before the 45 was up. A Salim Kerkar corner was met by an unmarked Jackson who headed down, hard, into the corner. Two all. Game on.

Cardiff looked stunned as they walked off. The home crowd were overjoyed, singing the players off with a rendition of Chrissy Powell's Red Army that had gone on for much of the first half, aside from at 0-2 when everyone feared the worst.

The second half. What a half. Early on, a free kick near the left touchline was taken by Stephens. I hopefully muttered 'goal' as he went to pick it, expecting the curled effort to be met with a strong header. But no, it lifted as it rotated, curved toward the top corner. It had sucked Marshall under it, and he was helpless to prevent it flying into the back of the net. Three two! Stephens looked incredibly sheepish - finally our luck seemed to have changed.

Stephens was running the game. Cardiff seemed to give Charlton vastly more space than Middlesbrough had just days earlier, and paid the price. Solly played a superb diagonal ball, which was pulled down well by Pritchard level with the far post, and his centre was met by another unmarked player, Danny Haynes, who nodded in. Four!

This extra space as well as the huge lift in confidence stemming from the first half fightback allowed Charlton to flourish. Again the ball was worked down the left, utilising the free space. Kerkar had time to pick out his ball, and despite cries from the crowd warning of an approaching player from behind, he dispatched his cross into the middle. It was inch perfect, splitting the centre backs, and Hulse was in position to glance it past Marshall. FIVE!

Pandemonium. Delirium. Shock. What on earth was going on? Where had this come from? Two down to a team top of the league, missing key players and having to play others out of position, on a run of four winless games, no home victory since August, and yet we had just seen five unanswered goals fly in. Absolutely unbelievable. And only 67 minutes gone.

For the rest of the allotted 90 it was fairly comfortable for Charlton. The luck seemed to have changed. Second balls were falling to red shirts not blue, loose balls as well, and attacks had occurred with a clinical cutting edge. But then the ref seemed to decide Charlton were time-wasting and added SIX minutes. Cardiff pulled one back, the defence had gotten sloppy, the midfield knackered. Then three minutes later a fourth. No. Just no. Surely not. The renewed, panicked energy meant defending became more frenetic. A free kick on the edge of the box probably caused numerous fans to have a heart attack. The attack was absorbed, nullified. The torturous added time expired. The game was won.

Relief was the primary emotion at full time, but that quickly turned to ecstasy. As the players left the field they were cheered, applauded like heroes. And quite right too. It was a herculean comeback. Too many players had great games to single out a man of the match. Pritchard ran himself into the ground, won balls all night, energised attacks and assisted the fourth. Stephens ran the show, scoring and providing killer passes. Hulse fought hard and linked up well with Haynes, who himself showed how useful pace is - though concerningly he was forced off with cramp. Dervite dealt with everything, putting in a solid shift at centre back - although conceding four was perhaps not ideal. Solly coped superbly at left back, and played an exquisite diagonal for Pritchard in the run up to that fourth. And Jackson led by example, scoring twice, winning tackles and orchestrating the fightback. A quite remarkable team effort.

After they exited the field, there was the brief pause for the ritual booing of the ref - once again richly deserved - before the man himself came into view. Chris Powell. A lot had been said after Saturday. A lot had begun to question his position. A completely illogical knee-jerk reaction, and the home supporters were out to prove their point. Chris Powell's name was sung regularly. There was a refusal to be negative - though the goal to make it 1-2 was key in preventing many from turning on the players. But it was Powell who once again showed he's successfully instilled that never-say-die attitude in this squad. In those circumstances, going five two up was close to taking the mickey. Powell approached the tunnel. Yet again his name was sung. He reluctantly appeared for his victory tunnel-jump salute, but we all knew how much it meant to him. This will act as a lift - a huge and crucial lift - not just to the squad, the fans, but him as well. Unfairly his job was put under pressure from certain individuals, and these three valuable points were the perfect answer to banish the nay-sayers. He walked down the tunnel, triumphant, a win that meant so much.

The Evening Standard contained an article which had Chris Powell quoted in the heading: "We've got too much fight to go down". And where does that fight, desire and determination stem from? Chris Powell himself. Be thankful he's our manager, and doubt him at your peril.

Five four. Wow.

Three vital points. Up The Addicks!

Palace prevail in South-London derby

As I'm sure a lot will find out over the weekend, the problem with building yourself up before a derby match is you risk setting yourself up for a sizeable fall if the result goes badly. If it were any other opponent, all that would be, and needs to be, said is that we had a poor game, got the tactics wrong and snatched at our chances. But given the visiting team its likely most will take this defeat badly. The tendency to over-react in football is high, and sometimes justifiably criticism after a bad showing in a big game is warranted. But its not going to do us any good dwelling on negatives. 

Palace set up defensively but immediately when the ball was lost in midfield the ability of counter with speed and conviction was evident. Zaha and Bolasie got into very dangerous areas, beating the full backs, only to waste the chances. Charlton were very fortunate not to go behind when pinball broke out in the six yard box and Leon Cort's block on the line prevented a goal. Bradley Wright-Phillips' header at the far post was incorrectly ruled offside, frustratingly, but at the break scores being level was probably fair, though Palace had the better of the game. Packing the midfield made it hard to pass down the centre, and our lack of wingers was shown up by a succession of unsuccessful crosses. A huge blow was the loss of Wiggins with a leg injury, though heroically he still tackled Zaha before going down and eventually off the field.

The second half saw Palace again have the better of the play. Countless corners won, and on 50 minutes a header fell to Dikgacoi and he fired his shot home into the roof of the net. Chances were created in response but at intermittent intervals, and often they were wasteful efforts that landed closer to the North Upper than the goal. Palace defended stoically, the regular long balls aimed at their back line were dealt with simply. We aren't a long ball team, which was proven on numerous occasions. 75 minutes saw the introduction of Danny Green, who was lively, and finally provided the width that, with more time, could have resulted in the defences being broken down. Instead, the North Lower continues to be peppered with poorly directed headers and wildly optimistic shots. Fuller tried to place a shot in the bottom corner but it slid past the post, and later on had a shot that was blocked, tipped onto the crossbar before being headed away. In stoppage time Charlton could have snatched an undeserved draw. Remarkably, the corner was met by the head of Ben Hamer, whose effort had to be headed clear off the line. From the rebound, his attempt for glory with an overhead kick summed up our night in front of goal.

Few played well. Morrison fought doggedly in defence, Solly ran his socks off having been transferred to left-back after the loss of Wiggins, Hamer dealt with everything he could, but otherwise it was a story of being soft in possession, losing the ball in key areas, and being indecisive in dealing with the oncoming wingers. Wilson, on for Wiggins, tried hard but often left much to be desired. Kermorgant was sadly anonymous, often out-witted by the defenders in the air. When Fuller came on, he made a difference but there was no cohesion up top, and what good play there was took place outside the box, save for two chances that fell to Fuller. Whilst Stephens did pass well in the middle, he lacked incision, and often it was the standard wide ball that didn’t trouble the defensive set-up of Palace. Pritchard was shown up a touch tonight, his crossing well below par. The addition of Green brought a new element of attack to our play that we’d been crying out for, and surely suggests that we need a right-midfielder to play right-midfield, and can’t get away with a central player out there.

Powell needs to instigate a return of that cohesive, attacking and ultimately pass-based play. Long-balls won’t cut it. Perhaps his philosophy of putting players in positions and letting them do the job, as opposed to implementing a tactical plan such as that of Palace’s tonight, may need changing. Tonight’s game suggests that the players need to lift themselves individually, but also there was a lack of spark, a dynamism that has gone missing. Whether it’s too high a level to be successful with this style of football and these players I don’t know, but we can’t really afford regular performances like that. Palace did a job on us, we haven’t suddenly become a bad team, but you get the impression a slight change needs to be made, a tactical shift to bring back that sharpness and clinical edge we had in the Leicester game.

On another day though, despite a performance like that, the result could’ve gone our way. Fine margins can be the difference between victory and defeat in this division. If Fuller scored those two chances we’d be here now lauding the players for a hard-fought win, sign of a good side that you play badly and win, and all that. But given the nature of the game, the pain of defeat is accentuated by the team that we lost to, which will probably see an over-reaction typical of some fans. All that needs to be done is a restoration of that sharpness and perhaps a slight tactical change that will again see us troubling top sides in this division. That was the same XI that beat Leicester only a few weeks ago, so to call for wholesale changes would be foolish. Powell needs to screw the players’ heads on, get them fit and firing again, and be ready to play the real Derby on Tuesday.

Champions venture into the Championship - Charlton Athletic Season Preview 2012/13

This time last year, I wrote in my debut blogging piece that there was 'cautious optimism' regarding the new season. I don't know if all 20 people that read it agreed, but any faith that fans invested was well and truly repaid by Powell and his new squad. 101 points, top of the league since mid-September, and a side able to grind out results in the big games, something countless squads previous had been completely unable to do. Its also interesting reading back at how poor at judging the quality of new arrivals I was. Taylor and Morrison "are not great aerially". "It is unlikely that such a new team will gel instantly". Despite poor predictions such as those, I am glad I wasn't as far off as a certain "expert" employed by Sky Sports, who thought we'd finish 18th. Nice one Mr Birtles.

No performance typified those new quality Powell had instilled in the squad - of resilience, a will to win, and confidence in the players themselves as well as their team-mates - than the victory at Oldham. Listening to that game nearly gave me a heart attack. Two reds thanks to Mr Kettle, an official so eager to give out cards that he single-handedly kept Clinton's afloat all these years, meant that it was a huge effort required to win the game. One goal from Kermorgant after half time was enough, but it was the stoic, relentless defending that saw us victorious. In previous years we wouldn't have held on, but this is no ordinary Charlton side. With Powell at the helm this we've seen a much-needed injection of quality, ability and most of all passion from the players, who are in it for the club and not the money.  is hugely refreshing, and hopefully a trend that will continue in future years.

Guess who scored in that game. Yes, Super Yann Kermorgant. 

The transfer activity of last summer has been replaced this year by murmurings of discontent. Money has once again become something of an issue, and many perceived issues have been discussed at great length: 'Tony Jimenez alienating every board member he speaks to, forcing resignations'; 'Cash-flow problems have prevented new additions'; 'Tax bills staring us in the face'; 'A fire-sale of players is needed to keep us afloat'. Of all those, there has still been precious little in the way of official word on any issue. All we know is this squad is light of new players, but the lack of departures combined with the extension of some key contracts are significant positives.

Before I really saw of any negative rumours, I had this to say in a preview I wrote for a Bristol City blog, The Exiled Robin:

How are you feeling about playing in the Championship, a few weeks following your promotion?

For a number of years the prospect of playing in the Championship was one dreaded by Charlton fans that had become accustomed to finishing mid-table in the Premier League. However, this season is one greeted with much excitement following the end of 3 torturous years in League One. It is a very tough division due to the intensity of the games, and the persistent threat of the larger clubs being caught off guard by small, spirited sides. We were certainly on the wrong end of a number of results during our stay. This season however is being greeted as a return of our Charlton, which has undergone a significant transformation over the last 18 months. Taken over on the eve of 2011, and Chris Powell soon installed as manager, ever since pre-season there has been a hugely positive vibe about the club, with fans finally having something to be proud of. The squad that's been built stands us in good stead to perform well this coming season and with a few additions I'm sure we can make a good fist of it in the Championship.

What does your club bring to a tight, competitive and entertaining division?

Immediately after the sacking of Phil Parkinson the long ball, hit-and-hope tactics were thrown out of the window. Chris Powell has encouraged a more patient, passing style that worked extremely well early in the season when teams played an open style themselves. However, this does not mean we are a one-dimensional side. The addition of Yann Kermorgant in mid-September brought a new threat to opposition defences. We developed an extremely useful ability of grinding out results with solid defending, as well as scoring a number of high quality goals. So what will we bring? A good defence, a passing style, a few cracking goals. And watch out for free-kicks around the box.

What style of football/formation do you play?

Standard 4-4-2 employed by Chris Powell. Some have said he's reliant on the ability of the players to win through as opposed to having the tactical edge. Though with different attacking options in the air and on the ground there is definitely not one way to play against us. Teams that started packing the midfield struggled to cope with the ball to Kermorgant, whereas others were passed of the pitch. It will be a strong test of the squad and any new additions as to whether this can be maintained at the Championship level.

Who are the star players we should all look out for?

Yann Kermorgant: Though not the tallest of strikers, he possesses a huge leap that will trouble the tallest of defenders. Only Brede Hangeland looked comfortable against him in our FA Cup fixture at Fulham. He not only performs well in the air but he is extremely gifted technically, shown on countless occasions. Dropping deep to offer a killer pass, releasing other players, or just using his brute strength and agility to out muscle defenders, he really is an adept all-round striker.

Rhoys Wiggins and Johnnie Jackson: Left-back and left midfield combination that works fantastically well. Wiggins has excellent pace and loves to get forward on the overlap. Jackson can also cover in behind in adept fashion. Rarely do the two not manage to hit a cross into the box.

Chris Solly at right back. Arsenal bought Carl Jenkinson, the other young up-and-coming full back, from us for £1million last summer. After the season just gone, it is evident Wenger picked the wrong one. We aren't complaining though.

And is there an up-and-coming future star in your midst?

Chris Solly won the Player of the Season vote after his first full year in the team. A lot were questioning how dependable he would be at right back at the beginning of the season, but with every game he's got better and better. Despite being a rather short bloke Solly is almost the perfect right back. Defensively excellent, skilled going forward, and an extremely industrious player means he has firmly become a fans' favourite at the tender age of 21. And according to our chant, he's better than John Terry, too.

Danny Haynes split opinions a little during his time at Ashton Gate, what do you make of him & is he likely to play a big part this season?

Haynes arrived in January but didn't really break into the first team until towards the end of the season. Despite that, he made a significant impact coming off the bench on a few occasions. He scored twice in our final two games of the season to cap off an excellent spell. His pace seems to be a huge asset, and his ball-striking has looked fearsome in the warm-ups. Powell used him as a third striker to come on towards the end of games, with defences troubled by having to deal with the extra speed. Its likely he'll be used in the same sort of role this season, as well as on the right wing. Kermorgant threading balls in behind defences for Haynes seems like an extremely dangerous eventuality for the opposition, as the combination of skill and speed will cause all sorts of trouble. But that depends on integration into the team over pre-season, and again, whether Powell prefers Bradley Wright-Phillips at this level or dips into the transfer market for another quality striker.

What are your views of your manager?

Chris Powell has almost achieved legendary status already. Three spells at the club made him a fans' favourite, and many were worried his perfect reputation would be tarnished by a stint as manager, as it could prove unsuccessful. A lot of the doubters made huge noises as 2010/11 petered out with just 2 wins in 11 games, and the club finishing a dismal 13th. However, many of us kept the faith - if Chris was allowed to overhaul the squad and bring his own players in, capable of playing his style of football then we'd be able to judge him on his achievements. I think following his first full season in charge, there aren't any who don't support him in his job. He really has turned himself into a hero, overseeing the rebirth of the club. When asked about the possiblity of tarnishing his reputation, he was he came back in order to enhance it. Promotion is the first step in what could prove to be an incredible journey. Its important fans don't get impatient or overly expectant, and ensure they aren't too quick to forget the phenomenal success Powell had in getting us out of League One.

….and of your owner/board/Chairman?

There is still a certain amount of confusion as to who actually owns the club. New Chairman Michael Slater (not the ex-Aussie opener...) has done a good job in giving Powell financial backing. It was announced that long-standing board member Peter Varney would be leaving his post at the end of this season, which has rightly been greeted with sadness as it sees a true Charlton fan leaving the hierarchy, and potentially opens up discussion as to the motives of the new owners and board, still all relatively unknown individuals. Despite that, so far the main decision Slater made was to sack Parkinson and appoint Powell. 18 months on, things haven't turned out too badly. It'll be interesting to see what goes on this summer in terms of transfer dealings - whether there is an ability to purchase thanks to board funding, or consolidation with a handful of good value signings. I suspect it will be the latter.

What are your expectations for the upcoming season?

The lack of movement in the transfer market thus far, combined with the plea from Chris Powell not to get our hopes up, means most will just be happy with a solid mid-table finish, or a season comparable to Brighton's. Its unhelpful that the two clubs we were relegated with into League One - Norwich and Southampton - both made it back-to-back promotions, leading some to suggest that it is 'fate' that we are the third club in three seasons to manage it. There is optimism that something like this could happen, with a squad well settled. Any signings made between now and September will dictate the extent of that optimism, but many would say a play-off push would be the most to ask for. The risk of relegation is always there, but there would be a lot of surprise if we found ourselves towards the base of the table. A year to consolidate would do us nicely.

Who will be your big rivals in this division?

It is the first time Charlton, Palace and Millwall have been in the same division for a while now, so the three-way battle between the three of us will be of great importance to a lot of the fans. I reckon the rivalry with Sheffield Wednesday, who's fans seem to do a good job making the club unpopular, will continue as they came up with us (well, behind us, but still.) A win in a couple of those fixtures would certainly go down very well here.

--

Since then we've seen a few new tactical ploys trialled by Powell, including playing with 3 central midfielders and one more attacking just behind the front two. The board rumours spiralled almost out of control. But I still stand by all of what I had to say. We have to have faith in the board, there's not much else we can do really. Despite the actions of Jimenez in increasing his share of ownership the board have done nothing that means we should issue a call to arms and prepare to revolt. Yes there is still uncertainty, but holding together all members of that core squad from last year, plus the additions of Cook, Wilson and Kerkar, all promising in different ways, means there is no cause for concern as yet. The 2-1 win at Fulham implies that a number of those players from last season have stepped up a level under the brilliant leadership of Powell.

Tomorrow's League Cup match is unlikely to feature many of the players from that friendly victory on Saturday. However, the weeks of anticipation for the start of our Championship return are almost at an end, and a chance to return to The Valley, that sacred place where such wondrous feats were achieved last season, is one that many cannot wait for.

Light on additions, but high on confidence, cohesion and understanding, this squad is more than capable of holding its own in the Championship. Early season form and any further signings might define which section of the table we are fighting in, but a year of consolidation in this league would do no harm at all. The thought of returning to League One is just too frightening.

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...