I got loads of grief last week when I said Mick Collins was just another journalist who hated our club.
Well fair enough he wrote a book about us but that was way back then and here is what he said yesterday. Youve got to type it out because they dont put his one on the website or not the same one they put in the paper.
Nobody can tell me he watched the same game or that he didnt enjoy sticking the boot in which is all he seems to have done to us all week.
Davies delight as Forest find winning touch
By Mick Collins
Two goals in two first half minutes for Nottingham Forest, ensured Billy Davies a winning start in charge of his new side, and condemned Charlton to a defeat which represented the worst run in their history.
Forest’s first attack of note, saw Paul Anderson’s 33rd minute cross shot deflect off Mark Hudson, allowing the unmarked Nathan Tyson to sweep home from eight yards. Goalkeeper Paul Smith preserved their lead, with a fine reaction save from Jonjo Shelvey, before another error saw a potentially quick equaliser turn into a second for Forest.
Hudson failed to deal with Matt Holland’s mis-placed back header, allowing Robert Earnshaw to slide behind a fractured defence to score.
Despite the result, the nature of his squad clearly troubles Davies. ‘Of the 18 players I had, 5 or 6 are very young. While I’m not a fan of transfer windows, we need to get some men in there alongside them,’ he said.
Davies was once lined up to become Charlton manager – ‘I was very close indeed, but decided it wasn’t for me at the time,” he said - but the club then appointed Iain Dowie and a tailspin commenced.
Five years ago, they spent Christmas beating Chelsea and Tottenham and finished seventh in the Premier league. This season has seen six points from the last 51, huge financial losses and the appointment of Phil Parkinson, who last managed a side to a Championship win when Tony Blair was Prime Minister. Relegation surely beckons, but Parkinson is determined.
‘The challenge for us is to focus on the positives, and not to let heads go down,’ he said. ‘It’s tough, but we’ll keep fighting. When we do get a win, we’ll get a few in a row.’
An initial flurry of second half activity from Charlton soon petered out, with their paper-thin confidence having already been shredded.
Forest defended any attacks with ease and, in truth, the performance of the Charlton ground staff, who produced a fine surface in terrible conditions, was better than that of the side they sent out to play on it.
0
Comments
Thanks Mick - says it as it is.
To be honest, you can tell from his writing that there is a lot of emotion in there and he is as pissed off as the rest of us. To his credit, he highlighted a very interesting story last week and, I hope, if more facts emerge, he comes out and reveals them too.
i dont think that Mick has wrote anything detromental in that other than the shambolic performance put in by hudson and the fact you reap what you sow by putting Parky in charge
i feel you and mick need to meet for a beer and put your differences to bed
OK he could have mentioned we had the first 20 mins and had we taken our chances it might have been a different story, but then mentioning our inept wasteful forward play would have just highlighted more negativity.
What's wrong with that...?
Can't please all the people, all the time. Such is life. I was depressed by yesterday's result, but it showed up some horribly uncomfortable home truths.
Onwards and upwards...
" From Welling to Wembley to Walsall to Welling"
"The Valiant Darren Bent"
The Charlton directors aren't fools. Would they as new investors looking at the club see Parky as worthy of managing the few resources we have? I've often wondered why intelligent businessman allow their investments at football clubs to be run by people with ill regard for their employers cash. As Mouta is clearly one saleable asset why are they allowing Parky to wilfully devalue him in the reserves?
If Belhadj, a similar player with even more defensive flaws, is good enough for the prem and Tony Adams, then there is plenty of buyers for unreliable offensive full backs; just look at Greg Halford and Chimbonda. I can understand a successful manager being given free range, but then a successful manager like Steve Coppell get's rid of an asset like Greg Halford before he's ostracised him and has an effective staff structure. The personnel we have lack character. I wonder what two men assembled that crack squad of losers?
Still hey ho another forward we will buy without the blindingly obvious fact of who actually creates the space for asists - let alone bothering to cross the damn ball. For all their weaknesses that might just be the package of Sam and Mouta.
Perhaps cos he can't defend ?
Good old Tony.
I'm Telling ya.EVERYTHING bad in the world today is down to Gordon Brown.The man's a bloody menace.
But Cranie and Halford make more mistakes as full backs, and Cranie's supposed to have a strong defensive game. Mouta is always trying to close down wingers. Cranie didn't want to in case he got burnt whilst Halford fell over. Unlike some Charlton fans I don't despise Cranie and Halford, however it is patently obvious they are not relibale full backs.
The point with Belhadji is brought to cover the logic he can't defend. Many modern defenders can't defend but many managers want to buy them: isn't it strange that these full backs always get moved on quickly? I wouldn't want to sign a full back like Belhadji, or indeed Mouta, but I'd sell him to Redknapp quicker than you could say 'Jamie loves his dad'.
If you don't rate a player fine. But use him in matches where he can gain attention, especially when your choice ain't working. The ex-pros on Sky love him, play him against Derby who don't have a good right winger or full back. Play a reliable full back, or Semedo, against good wingers like Kightly. If he get's good rep then sell him well quick. People will buy Mouta. The way Pardew and Parky use him he'll go on a free transfer.
You shouldn't chop and change your team each week and play individuals you don't rate in order for them to gain attention.
If everyone did that they would play their reserve team each week :-)
I didn't say I don't rate him. Indeed if you were able to put the arguement together you'd see I rate him higher than Cranie or Halford.
Now I didn't explain who I'd rather sign as a full back because it's a thought on how to manipulate a team to arrange an adavantageous situation. Perhaps I'd prefer a Graham Alexander or a Mark Bowen but that's not what I'm talking about. But do you buy something decide it's not quite good enough, then demand to buy something to replace it without even bothering to get some money back for the old item? Let alone not trying to properly address the problems of the first item.
LOL you shouldn't chop and change your team each week because that's what Benitez does. Oh sorry you didn't say that. Perhaps you shouldn't chop and change a team that is guaranteed to lose week in week out. Perhaps I wasn't talking about reserves who aren't as good as players in the first team.
It's always interesting to read peoples points of views when they use 'accepted' wisdom that just get's you stone rock bottom of the div and bankruptcy table.
So you are suggesting playing individuals you don't rate in order to put them in "the shop window" to be sold. (Although you later contradicted yourself somewhat by saying that you do rate him).I understand where you're coming from, but can't agree. I restate that would mean playing your reserves in the first team in order to sell them.
NB I agree that Cranie and Halford weren't any better, but can't agree that Mouto was always trying to close down wingers. He doesn't close them down and let's them get crosses in. He also gets caught out of position and gets caught ball watching. He is good coming forward, but he is primarily there to defend and he does not do this adequately. It's like saying Shaun Bartlett defended well. He did but his primary function was as a forward and that is primarily what he should be judged on, his excellent defending was a bonus.