Courtesy of Henry Irving
As youths we used to bang sticks against Cardboard sheets borrowed from the CO-OP warehouse in Abbey Wood and shout “Zulu” as we re-enacted scenes from the film of the same name.
As snotty South London boys we didn’t know the words to Men of Harlech but we remembered how the British Soldiers had tried to out sing the great African warriors at Rourke’s Drift. They were trying to lift their hearts and gird their loins against the coming assault.
Chrissy Powell is not yet under the same pressure as Stanley Baker but there is certainly one regiment of fighters, dressed in red, who could do with a lift right now.
Three defeats on the bounce look bad for any side. It seemed a corner has been turned, in terms of results if not performances, with four straight victories in the new manager’s first four games. Reality has come crashing in on that idea but the season is far from over yet.
We sit 7th but with games in hand and matches to come against four of sides above us. The question is “are we good enough and strong enough to take advantage of those opportunities?”
A quick glance at the back of the programme shows that our squad is smaller in number that most others but there is still talent hidden within. This team has been as high as second very recently and has been in and around the play-off positions nearly all year. We have one of the division’s highest scorers and a number of other players with the pedigree to succeed at this level
So why oh why can’t they deliver on a consistent basis? We will each have our own theory. Poor manager/s, poor keeper, slow defenders, disaster prone full back, I could go on. I think we could do with fast centre half and a creative attacking midfielder who can dip a free kick over a wall and into the net. I’m not sure anyone else agrees with me. Certainly can’t remember ever seeing it mentioned on Charlton Life.
Powell seems set to off-load Pawel Abbott, a player who had enjoyed a late flowering in red and who was finally given some appreciation for his talents. The manager is also looking at two more loans. Defender/Midfielder/Attacker? Who knows? We may even see one or both in the side v Carlisle but will that be enough?
BWP and Eccleston have done some good work and scored important goals but their signings have not transformed the side or, in the past 10 days, the results.
I don’t expect to see high profile names arriving, more likely some promising youngsters but then again we have been linked to Benni McCarthy. All the messages from Michael Slater have been about hiring Powell as a coach who will improve the players we have rather than the boss being given £££££ to splash on building a new squad. Will three defeats have changed his mind, and perhaps more importantly the minds of the unknown owners watching from after?
Team line up? Other than new signings I can’t see CP moving too far away from the side who played at Meadow Lane. With Jackson out wide left seems the main question mark. Benson is set to be on the bench which given his last gasp winner in the 4- 3 reverse fixture is to be welcomed.
Carlisle were riding high at the time of that game and were even top of the league early on but have been on the slide for months.
They still have a decent way record (five away wins, same as the Addicks) but they don’t score many on their travels. 14 goals netted makes them the joint lowest away scorers but they have only let in 14 (second best after Brighton on 13) on the road. So if we score early we have a decent chance of winning. Concede first and it could be another long night.
I can’t believe that we'll lose four in a row so I’m going for a 2 – 0 win with Benson coming off the bench to score late on after BWP has finally broken our first half scoring duck and from the penalty spot to boot.
Meanwhile getting back to the Anglo-Zulu war while the Welsh were singing there was another regiment doing their bit. The Royal East Kents, who have many local connections and who recruited in the area around the Valley.
Known as the Buffs because of the facings on their jackets their motto has come into common usage as a term to advise that calmness and good order needs to be maintained in the face of danger or adversity.
Steady, the Buffs.
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Comments
I think things are going to get slightly worse before they get better. We rode our luck in the first four games under CP and luck has turned against us in the following three losses. Now we have to start playing as a team for 90 minutes but I do not see that happening with our defence and midfield combinations being so easy to unpick. Crucial loan signings need to be made this week as we just do not have the right combination of players to play in midfield/defence.
I (reluctantly) think we will lose tomorrow night: I feel like I'm slipping back into my old ways of turning up at The Valley expecting the worst to avoid being too disappointed and hoping for a pleasant surprise - how sad!
First serious mutterings of discontent during the Powell era from a crowd that will barely break 13,000.
Happy days.
Tomorrow with no opera singers on a wet night with the "actual" crowd barely 10k I think we'll just scrape it by the odd goal.
Want to see a solid defence, and some more inventive set plays making the most of Doherty aerial threat as well as defending them better.
long trip for the northerners and we'll send em packing
I think a win but the later the game goes 0-0 or even 0-1 the more worried we all get
If we lose it'll be our worst run of defeats since Les Reed.
That's normally because he is used as a decoy and runs to the corner flag at every corner. I reckon he'd score a few headers from corners over the season if he was put in the right position, didn't he also used to be a striker for Spurs? albeit not a good one...
A part from hitting the bar and then seeing his goal bound shot touched in by BWP in the last home game.
He nearly scored in the FA Cup match at Spurs too.
EDIT: but, as has correctly been mentioned, he is performing the decoy role at set pieces, especially corners, so he isn't going to get too many chances.
As somebody that has scored goals both as a striker and defender throughout his career, even at the highest level, we should be using him to attack the ball more in the box which is what Norwich did last season.
Free coaches to Everton, 1999 - Lost 4-1
Operation Riverside, 2006 - Lost 4-2
Operation Ewood, 2007 - Lost 4-1
Home to Exeter, crowd of thousands, opera singer, 2011 - Lost 3-1
What about the Port Vale and Notts Forest games?
Well, we only scraped a 1-0 at Vale and drew 1-1 at Forest- but its not often anything positive comes out of those games!
GK - Elliot
DR - Francis
DRC - Dailly
DLC - Doherty
DL - Jenkinson
MRC - Semedo
MLC - Racon
AMR - Anyinsah
AMC - Wagstaff
AML - Eccleston
FC - Wright-Phillips
Worner, Solly, Fry, Fortune, McCormack, Reid, ??
2-0 Home Win.
prove me wrong, please, please prove me wrong.