The inevitable result against Southampton midweek dashed the faltering hopes of even the most rose-tinted Charlton supporter of reaching the play offs this season. Although there seemed to be a rally for the Addicks as added time approached, it was not enough to show mus that there is anything in this present team they can challenge next year.
We all know there will be a clearout come the summer, and in a roundabout kind of way ‘writing this season off’ may be a blessing in disguise. Targets should be being identified (by Powell or whoever else is really in charge of transfers), shortlists drawn up, and tentative (but legal) approaches should be being made so we can hit the ground running pre-season.
That being said, we still have to go through the formality of another six games (and previews) this season, starting with a trip to Oldham. For a glorious 10 minutes last season at Boundary Park we were back in the Championship, ahead of Millwall and Leeds and thinking “What If?” In the 12 months after the question has switched to “What Now?”
A spectacular start by Chris Powell’s managerial venture has been followed by an equally spectacular disaster with relegation form running through the Twitter tapping fingers of the Charlton squad, and although performances seemed to have improved in the past three games there is an equal amount of hope and fear for what 2011/12 may hold.
Powell seems to have already made up his mind on a few players including Reid and McCormack, and I’d be surprised if we ever see them in a Charlton shirt again. The back five on Saturday is likely to stay unchanged, and this is likely to be the case for the rest of the season injuries dependant.
In the middle of the park, a closer look at short termist Stewart will be valuable if we are looking to tie him up for next season and if there is no prospect of getting Parrett on loan for the whole of next season it should be at his expense. Semedo and Racon are both out of contract come June but the expectation is that at least one of them will stay and the apparent push for Semedo to become a box-to-box midfielder should be interesting. Wagstaff had our best chances against Southampton and is likely to keep his place.
Three games in a week may be too much for the knees of Bradley so we could see a new partnership in the form of
@NE39/Nouble with Benson who seems reinvigorated post-suspension.
Oldham are on a poor run of form, and we should be looking to win this game but when there is not a care in the world from the players – or the fans – it will peter out to a dull 1-1.
Come on you reds.
Comments
with a non league away following
2-0 to oldham
that back 5 will never keep a clean sheet
i wont be happy if any of them, dailly apart, are regulars next year
How those seven goals are distributed is anyone's guess.
this. Forgot we were playing actually. Have written this season off. Anyone who goes is either insane or loaded.
114 Charlton fans.
Insane. Their lunacy knows no Boundary until Saturday.
If Oldham are marginally less interested than us then we might scrape a draw otherwise Oldham will win which I consider more probable.
What's crucial is whether the squad that CP and Co. have assembled by August is capable of achieving promotion next season.
If not, then the 5 years of stagnation that our football club has suffered, will, I fear, continue for many years to come.
0-1. Hard fought win!
Scrappy stuff until half time with Oldham hitting the bar and having a chance cleared off the line by Semedo.
Hearing that two Championship scouts have arrived at Boundary Park in the interval, French fairy-in-chief Monsieur Racon effortlessly glides past 6 Oldham defenders before falling over in the box. Benson equalises while the ref decides whether to give a penalty or book Racon for amateur dramatics.
On 76 mins, Waggy is shouldered off the ball by an Oldham gorilla who then flattens Parret and body-checks Racon before hoofing it into the top corner. 1-2.
Charlton midfield appeal in vain for a foul as ref explains this is League 1, not Strictly Come Dancing.
BWP who has been sulking and holding his head in his hands for 88 minutes while waiting for someone in a red shirt to pass to him, decides an equaliser is required to keep his chances alive of escaping from SE7 in the close season and scores with a low drive from 12 yards.
Saint Chris leads the 73 away supporters in a rousing chorus of Onward Christian Soldiers and announces that his prayers are with the supporters but this is an important turning point for the club in a season that is already all over and that the players did a great job stopping the rot which is why they are all going to be sacked by Mr Slater in June.
The 73 supporters are led away by the men in white coats and loaded gently into the back of a waiting ambulance.
Their manager proclaims it to be the greatest victory in Oldham's history.
We also haven't kept a clean sheet since we beat Yeovil away 14 games ago.
102 Charlton
150 brought to Oldham.