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By Liam Happe »
A stoppage-time winner from Izale McLeod proved the difference as Charlton emerged victorious and unscathed from the Broadfield Stadium on Tuesday evening.
The Addicks, fielding virtually a full-strength side for the first time in pre-season, took the lead in the first half when Jonjo Shelvey headed Lloyd Sam’s sublime cross over goalkeeper Nick Jordan.
However, they failed to capitalise on their dominance in the opening 45 minutes, and conceded a penalty to a resurgent Crawley side when Charlie Ademeno was felled by Rob Elliot in a one-on-one. That left Jefferson Louis, whose penalty for Oxford United knocked Athletic out of the Worthington Cup in 2002, to slot home from 12 yards.
While wholesale substitutions on both sides affected the flow of the game, McLeod was able to race through deep into stoppage time and put away the rebound after initially firing straight at Jordan.
Charlton manager Phil Parkinson admitted that although results are secondary to fitness in friendly fixtures, capping off a solid team performance with victory will provide a massive boost.
Ater the game he said: “It was a fantastic workout for us; it was a certain style we came up against tonight, a very direct style that we’re going to come up against a lot in League One.
“I thought everyone put in a good, honest performance tonight and that’s what we’re trying to get back in the club.
“We’ve come here in good spirits and when we go to Hartlepool away we have to stand up and be counted as a team and that’s what we did tonight.
“Of course it’s nice to win, and it’s a good feeling in the dressing room after a win, whether it’s a pre-season friendly or the first game of the season.
“The victory was important, because it was a game where we had to stick together and I was pleased with the boys for doing that.
“In the lower divisions, it is about that spirit and togetherness and the boys showed that tonight.”
In player news, Parky was delighted to confirm that everybody had once again come through unscathed – and was also satisfied with the contributions of his new signings as well as his centre-forwards.
He said: “I thought Fraser Richardson was excellent tonight, and also that Miguel Llera showed everyone what a good signing he’s going to be – he got to the ball and did what good defenders need to do.
“The front two, Dickson and Izale, when we changed it around in the last 20 minutes showed a lot of pace and power that will cause any defence problems.
“I was especially pleased for Izale, because he’s a player who’s come back to us for pre-season very fit and with a real desire to work.
“He needs to do that, and he’s shown us that, and with all goalscorers, they need that bit of luck to get off and running.
“McLeod in his career has scored goals before, and tonight that goal will have done him the world of good.”
However, with transfers currently limited to Bosman signings while the club is subject to a potential takeover, Parky admitted that the Addicks still need more strength in depth for the upcoming league campaign.
He said: “We need another four or five players, and I think it’s obvious to everybody who follows Charlton that we’ve got gaps in the squad.
“But the attitude of the ones who are here has been first class and we’ve enjoyed working with them so far in pre-season, but it’s only the start.”
Well Parky's comments above seems to show he has a handle on team building.
Interesting that for attack he has a Plan A and a Plan B.
With Burton and Jonjo he can play the passing game, but can change it around very differently for that last 2o mins or so, by bringing on pace and power to run the channels against tiring defenders.
There's plenty of thought and preparation going on there.
Four of five? Is that including Randolph and Fortune or not?
We clearly must bring in a few players, but we mustn't repeat Pardew's mistakes and constantly try and add to the squad just because we like a player that's available and he's a bit different to what we have.
Assuming Randolph stays we have two keepers, would he want a third?
Right back for me Richardson, Semedo and Solly is fine. Anyone coming in is going to be back up and stop Solly from coming through.
Maybe he wants to improve left back? If we can get a better player than Youga and Basey I'd be happy with that, but we shouldn't be bringing one in that isn't an improvement.
Centre back he obviously wants Fortune and one more, maybe two more?
If we bring in Small we'll have Sam, Small and Wagstaff to play on the right which is fine.
Central midfield it's just a case of keeping Racon, Semedo, Bailey and Shelvey with cover coming from Spring and Sinclair (once he's fit).
Left midfield Bailey is out there because of the quality we have in the middle, clearly we could do with a left footed player to play there.
Up front we need a striker, though maybe he wants two?
From that I guess he wants a striker, left midfielder and centre back, then possibly a right midfielder and left back, or even another striker. That's assuming Randolph and Fortune stay, looks like Holland will be going but we're well covered in midfield if they all stay anyway.
“I thought everyone put in a good, honest performance tonight and that’s what we’re trying to get back in the club."
Spot on. He really does seem to be addressing the ingredient that's been absent for so long. Not many faces in the squad now who you feel won't pull their weight, even if they're relatively limited. Same goes for all the youngsters who've appeared so far. I understand those who don't rate Parky based on results so far, but in the circumstances, someone who instills that spirit and knows the division is fine by me. Thankfully most of the mercenaries have been kicked out to con other gullible souls elsewhere. I genuinely feel a bit of togetherness returning. As Parky says himself, the likes of Hartlepool away will help show the spirit level. Got my tix for that one yesterday. Bring it on...
"Full of praise for Mcleod and Dicko sounds like a good performance overall should porb have won by more by the sounds of things".
They did offer a different threat; quick and direct, but often chose the wrong option and will frustrate at times. That said, either or both could be useful weapons against tiring, heavy-legged defences. Not sure about the winning margin - very competent all round first half, but Crawley had a lot of the second. Still feels nice to nick any game in the last minute though; I'd settle for a few of those away this season.
4 or 5 after that strong team put out, and after it apparently struggled plus starting 451 might suggest Parky doesn't rate all his first 11/16, although I imagine he wants better quality in depth as well, and options for formations. I would suggest striker, winger, central defender, plus another winger and maybe striker
[cite]Posted By: Ru1986[/cite]Full of praise for Mcleod and Dicko sounds like a good performance overall should porb have won by more by the sounds of things
We had a few decent chances. I'd like to see a similar starting 11 (though depends on any signings to improve on what we have) once the season starts and by then they'll be a bit fitter and play 90 minutes. The game doesn't flow as well when both teams start putting subs on, and we don't pass and move as well with Shelvey, Burton and Racon replaced by McLeod, Dickson and Spring.
Unforunately the lapse started before the subs, but probably just a case of just having put in their first high tempo 45 mins. Don't imagine fitness should be a problem.
The noises being made are the correct ones and look good for the approaching season, Parkinson's philosphy is right for this league and indeed our club.It will be interesting to see the difference good or bad, once the squad has had a full pre-season under Parkinson and not Pardew. My feelings are that the fitness levels will be back up to where they should be, and it seems that the preparation and thought is returning to the correct level also. Good luck Parkinson, I'm behind you and team.
See now with the replancments (which you can understand in preseason) it seems that we are replacing players in different roles if we could play a consistent pace to which the whole team can tailor their football (almost a neutral style if you will) then when we brought players like Dicko, Mcleod and Recon on (you know our pace players ha ha) it wont change the pace of the game and it wont confuse us as fans and the players who were used to the original tempo.
Not sure i explained this right but i hope you guys get what i mean ha ha
[cite]Posted By: Charlton Till I Cry[/cite]5 players. Keeper,2 Center backs, Lm, Striker? I dunno maybe.
I agree with that. Hopefully Randolph and Fortune will sign then another CH,LM and a striker. Obviously though whilst the takeover is going through we can't pay fees so it's Bosman's only, could be a problem if it continues much longer. Is this the reason why Gray's move has seemingly stalled ?
Good to see that players like McLeod are prepared to knuckle down and work. I think he could be a major plus for us this season.
this was THE Crawley we were playing ? the one that are a few divisions below us (for now), sorry i dont seem to see to much in the result so please put the f**kin rose tinted specs away for another few weeks.
last years same people were going on how we had won all our friendies (against shit teams) without conceding a goal, and pardew had finaly got it together !!
by original tempo i mean if you have a player like Matt Holland who was never full of pace (although not slow) then replace him with Lloyd Sam or Dick (i know Dicko's a striker) but if you replase a conservitive or holding player with a much pacyer player then surely it will mess the tempo up.
Goonerhater i think you are right to a certain extent lets not get carried away with results agianst teams several leagues below us. However we must think posotive. Negativity gets you no were in football.
Not sure who's wearing those specs, GH. Surely there's no harm in looking for crumbs of comfort after such a woeful couple of years. We're not gonna be watching a team full of internationals for a while, so seeing players who appear to care is a good start. For now.
I think we are more interested in performances than results at this stage - hmm that sounds familiar - and taking into account fitness levels. Of course 6-0s in our favour in every game might make that slightly different
PP is getting a lot right and is saying a lot right imho. As said above though it is pre-season. If he has exorcised all of the players' demons post Poodoo and carries on what he was starting to build tail end of last season, e.g. x games without a loss, players playing together and with confidence, we are starting to witness genuine change. Do we need 4-5 players? In the two pre-season friendlies I have seen, YES! If Fortune and Randolph are taken to be in his plans already, albeit subject to takeover etc, I think we need at least one more centre half, a left midfielder, a right midfielder and a striker. Sam needs cover, possibly Small is the answer, we need to have teh option of playing Bailey inside as well as out left and I think everyone agrees that we do need to do something up front with another potent (at this level) striker. If the latter were to happen, I could see Fleetwood going to Exeter on a season long loan to improve his ability and confidence.
So, if we don't get the number of players in that Philip Parkinson says is obvious that we need, and we do badly, he has a ready made excuse. Great signal to the players we have huh, that we need others? If we get players in and do badly then presumably Philip Parkinson will say 'I said we needed players, but I had to shop from the remainder bin when what I meant by new players was Messi, Terry, E'to, Ronaldo'. When is Parkinson going to tell us what he is going to do to effect success? Maybe never, so he will need to be judged on his results, not on his excuses. I am looking to get a win from every home game, and a draw from every away game as an average, in my mind there can be a tolerance level of 5% below that (i.e. 18 points every ten games minimum...five home five away). The other thing i will be looking for is for Charlton Athletic to play like a team, not a bunch of mercenaries and strangers....something the manager CAN influence, and which can be strengthened by the support if they see a team ethic where players show they care. Failing all that, maybe we can unearth this generations Simon Webster, because in the present squad, Bailey notwithstanding, I can't spot a credible captain.
[cite]Posted By: supaclive[/cite]I agree with Large - this was CRAWLEY TOWN ffs lads - let's not get carried away....
They might be just "CRAWLEY TOWN ffs ...", 2 divisions below us - but that doesn't mean they just want to roll over and die.
Pre-season friendlies are basically no more than practice games, to build up match fitness and try out a few experiments - but players still want to say, "we played Charlton, who were in the Prem 2 years ago, and we gave'em a bit of a scare".
You could tell that by all accounts from the number of lunging tackles made in quick succession as they tried to let our players know they were in agame.
We'll get a bit of that all through this season as well, as Third Division teams treat us if they're playing a cup final.
[cite]Posted By: Scoham[/cite]Four of five? Is that including Randolph and Fortune or not?...
...From that I guess he wants a striker, left midfielder and centre back, then possibly a right midfielder and left back, or even another striker. That's assuming Randolph and Fortune stay, looks like Holland will be going but we're well covered in midfield if they all stay anyway.
And to quote Vital's Colchester Site (Stout Organ of Truth and Honesty!)
"Colchester United could further strengthen their midfield options with free agent Matt Holland signing.
Holland, 35, has been training with the U's during pre-season, click here, primarily to keep fit.
He is currently a free agent but does have contract offer on the table from the U's recently relegated League One rivals Charlton Athletic. However, with the club's future still uncertain he is biding his time.'
[quote][cite]Posted By: Dazzler21[/cite][quote][cite]Posted By: supaclive[/cite]I agree with Large - this was CRAWLEY TOWN ffs lads - let's not get carried away....[/quote]
Ever the optimist lol.
If you were there you would have seen it could have been 5 or 6 more with different strikers.[/quote]
Hmmm we also could have conceded 5 or 6 more. was an even game and we were lucky to come out of it with a win.
Comments
Lloyd Sam’s sublime cross
11:28am Wednesday 22nd July 2009
comment Comments (0) Have your say »
By Liam Happe »
A stoppage-time winner from Izale McLeod proved the difference as Charlton emerged victorious and unscathed from the Broadfield Stadium on Tuesday evening.
The Addicks, fielding virtually a full-strength side for the first time in pre-season, took the lead in the first half when Jonjo Shelvey headed Lloyd Sam’s sublime cross over goalkeeper Nick Jordan.
However, they failed to capitalise on their dominance in the opening 45 minutes, and conceded a penalty to a resurgent Crawley side when Charlie Ademeno was felled by Rob Elliot in a one-on-one. That left Jefferson Louis, whose penalty for Oxford United knocked Athletic out of the Worthington Cup in 2002, to slot home from 12 yards.
While wholesale substitutions on both sides affected the flow of the game, McLeod was able to race through deep into stoppage time and put away the rebound after initially firing straight at Jordan.
Charlton manager Phil Parkinson admitted that although results are secondary to fitness in friendly fixtures, capping off a solid team performance with victory will provide a massive boost.
Ater the game he said: “It was a fantastic workout for us; it was a certain style we came up against tonight, a very direct style that we’re going to come up against a lot in League One.
“I thought everyone put in a good, honest performance tonight and that’s what we’re trying to get back in the club.
“We’ve come here in good spirits and when we go to Hartlepool away we have to stand up and be counted as a team and that’s what we did tonight.
“Of course it’s nice to win, and it’s a good feeling in the dressing room after a win, whether it’s a pre-season friendly or the first game of the season.
“The victory was important, because it was a game where we had to stick together and I was pleased with the boys for doing that.
“In the lower divisions, it is about that spirit and togetherness and the boys showed that tonight.”
In player news, Parky was delighted to confirm that everybody had once again come through unscathed – and was also satisfied with the contributions of his new signings as well as his centre-forwards.
He said: “I thought Fraser Richardson was excellent tonight, and also that Miguel Llera showed everyone what a good signing he’s going to be – he got to the ball and did what good defenders need to do.
“The front two, Dickson and Izale, when we changed it around in the last 20 minutes showed a lot of pace and power that will cause any defence problems.
“I was especially pleased for Izale, because he’s a player who’s come back to us for pre-season very fit and with a real desire to work.
“He needs to do that, and he’s shown us that, and with all goalscorers, they need that bit of luck to get off and running.
“McLeod in his career has scored goals before, and tonight that goal will have done him the world of good.”
However, with transfers currently limited to Bosman signings while the club is subject to a potential takeover, Parky admitted that the Addicks still need more strength in depth for the upcoming league campaign.
He said: “We need another four or five players, and I think it’s obvious to everybody who follows Charlton that we’ve got gaps in the squad.
“But the attitude of the ones who are here has been first class and we’ve enjoyed working with them so far in pre-season, but it’s only the start.”
Interesting that for attack he has a Plan A and a Plan B.
With Burton and Jonjo he can play the passing game, but can change it around very differently for that last 2o mins or so, by bringing on pace and power to run the channels against tiring defenders.
There's plenty of thought and preparation going on there.
We clearly must bring in a few players, but we mustn't repeat Pardew's mistakes and constantly try and add to the squad just because we like a player that's available and he's a bit different to what we have.
Assuming Randolph stays we have two keepers, would he want a third?
Right back for me Richardson, Semedo and Solly is fine. Anyone coming in is going to be back up and stop Solly from coming through.
Maybe he wants to improve left back? If we can get a better player than Youga and Basey I'd be happy with that, but we shouldn't be bringing one in that isn't an improvement.
Centre back he obviously wants Fortune and one more, maybe two more?
If we bring in Small we'll have Sam, Small and Wagstaff to play on the right which is fine.
Central midfield it's just a case of keeping Racon, Semedo, Bailey and Shelvey with cover coming from Spring and Sinclair (once he's fit).
Left midfield Bailey is out there because of the quality we have in the middle, clearly we could do with a left footed player to play there.
Up front we need a striker, though maybe he wants two?
From that I guess he wants a striker, left midfielder and centre back, then possibly a right midfielder and left back, or even another striker. That's assuming Randolph and Fortune stay, looks like Holland will be going but we're well covered in midfield if they all stay anyway.
Spot on. He really does seem to be addressing the ingredient that's been absent for so long. Not many faces in the squad now who you feel won't pull their weight, even if they're relatively limited. Same goes for all the youngsters who've appeared so far. I understand those who don't rate Parky based on results so far, but in the circumstances, someone who instills that spirit and knows the division is fine by me. Thankfully most of the mercenaries have been kicked out to con other gullible souls elsewhere. I genuinely feel a bit of togetherness returning. As Parky says himself, the likes of Hartlepool away will help show the spirit level. Got my tix for that one yesterday. Bring it on...
4 or 5 in, might also mean a couple moving on (Gray and Fleets for example).
They did offer a different threat; quick and direct, but often chose the wrong option and will frustrate at times. That said, either or both could be useful weapons against tiring, heavy-legged defences. Not sure about the winning margin - very competent all round first half, but Crawley had a lot of the second. Still feels nice to nick any game in the last minute though; I'd settle for a few of those away this season.
We had a few decent chances. I'd like to see a similar starting 11 (though depends on any signings to improve on what we have) once the season starts and by then they'll be a bit fitter and play 90 minutes. The game doesn't flow as well when both teams start putting subs on, and we don't pass and move as well with Shelvey, Burton and Racon replaced by McLeod, Dickson and Spring.
5 players. Keeper,2 Center backs, Lm, Striker? I dunno maybe.
Good luck Parkinson, I'm behind you and team.
Not sure i explained this right but i hope you guys get what i mean ha ha
I agree with that. Hopefully Randolph and Fortune will sign then another CH,LM and a striker. Obviously though whilst the takeover is going through we can't pay fees so it's Bosman's only, could be a problem if it continues much longer. Is this the reason why Gray's move has seemingly stalled ?
Good to see that players like McLeod are prepared to knuckle down and work. I think he could be a major plus for us this season.
last years same people were going on how we had won all our friendies (against shit teams) without conceding a goal, and pardew had finaly got it together !!
Goonerhater i think you are right to a certain extent lets not get carried away with results agianst teams several leagues below us. However we must think posotive. Negativity gets you no were in football.
Failing all that, maybe we can unearth this generations Simon Webster, because in the present squad, Bailey notwithstanding, I can't spot a credible captain.
Ever the optimist lol.
If you were there you would have seen it could have been 5 or 6 more with different strikers.
They might be just "CRAWLEY TOWN ffs ...", 2 divisions below us - but that doesn't mean they just want to roll over and die.
Pre-season friendlies are basically no more than practice games, to build up match fitness and try out a few experiments - but players still want to say, "we played Charlton, who were in the Prem 2 years ago, and we gave'em a bit of a scare".
You could tell that by all accounts from the number of lunging tackles made in quick succession as they tried to let our players know they were in agame.
We'll get a bit of that all through this season as well, as Third Division teams treat us if they're playing a cup final.
And to quote Vital's Colchester Site (Stout Organ of Truth and Honesty!)
"Colchester United could further strengthen their midfield options with free agent Matt Holland signing.
Holland, 35, has been training with the U's during pre-season, click here, primarily to keep fit.
He is currently a free agent but does have contract offer on the table from the U's recently relegated League One rivals Charlton Athletic. However, with the club's future still uncertain he is biding his time.'
Ever the optimist lol.
If you were there you would have seen it could have been 5 or 6 more with different strikers.[/quote]
Hmmm we also could have conceded 5 or 6 more. was an even game and we were lucky to come out of it with a win.
need a new forward definately.
Except our defence coped well! Fortune looks to be trying to look after his achilles at the moment!