Last night was one of my top ten 'you had to be there moments' watching Charlton over the last 47 years. Poyet is the best youngster I have ever seen play for us bar none.
It's all been written so nothing more to add. Great night, great result from a great bunch of lads and management team. Just reward for those travelling fans who shared such a great evening with me not forgetting those who couldn't make it. Thank you to one and all, bring on the Blades LLL&BH COYR :0)
Another great night in our wonderful clubs history.......bring on Bramell Lane!! What is that song.......what a difference a day (3) makes ;-) Poyet is immense for a young 'un must keep him and Cousins!
Me: We used to get more than 24k at home to watch crappy teams like Wigan in the Prem! Don't usually care about attendances, but I was led to believe SWFC were such a MASSIVE club, and didn't expect such poor support! Commiserations, by the way.
Him: Well you wouldn't care much about attendances would you, being tinpot ten bob no marks? Looks like we weren't at the races in the first half but if we had played Kirkland in goal instead of the on loan keeper he would have probably stopped you handballing in your second goal. Its a shame we didn't get through but I suppose it averted a potential nightmare scenario in the next round..and much as it pains me to say this I am rooting for you in the next round. It will be good practice for you for next season.
A few comments on some of the individual performances in a typical hard-working team effort built from the back.
There were two notable contributions from Callum Harriott in the first 20 minutes. First he picked up the ball just inside the Wednesday half and despite the very close attention of two of their players he wriggled free with close control and step-overs and created an excellent chance for AA. Second, there was his goal. When the ball fell to him about 15 yards out I felt confident he’d make a good connection and sure enough he struck it sweetly into the net. I thought afterwards about why I had been confident in him at that moment and I concluded that it was a situation when there was only one option - to shoot - and the outcome depended only on his ability with his feet. Where CH is less impressive is in his decision-making and I wonder whether ultimately this will be the limiting factor in his progress - at present there’s a big gap between what he can do with his feet and what he does with his head (that is, inside his head).
Of course, one could say this is being unfair for he is only young and this side of things should improve with experience. Time will tell, but to continue with the unfair my next observation draws a contrast with Diego Poyet. This is unfair because DP is extraordinary: how is it possible that someone with virtually no senior experience should play as though he has so much experience? It is as if by magic he has arrived on the scene ‘ready made’.
We had another debutant last night: Morgan Fox. I thought he did well. He was very calm and assured. He concentrated on his defensive duties, making sure he was in position and didn’t make mistakes. We didn’t see what he could do going forward, and contributing in this way has now become such an important part of full-back play. Also, and strangely, Wednesday didn’t really put him under a great deal of pressure. He just did what he had to do competently, but he’ll have more testing times. By the way, he had a good model on the right-hand side in an experienced Lawrie Wilson, playing with great confidence, strong defensively and getting forward when he could.
Switching from the youngsters to the oldest player, it seems to have almost become a cliché to say of JJ that ‘his legs have gone’. What does this mean? I assume it is saying that his condition has deteriorated with age to the point where he is no longer physically up to it. This verdict that ‘his legs have gone’ is sometimes supported by the view that he can only be considered a sub now. Well I’ve only seen a few games this season, but I saw him at Wigan and again last night. Same performance each time: totally committed; constantly guiding the young players near to him (Lennon, Fox, Harriott); decent use of the ball. For someone with no legs, two 90 minutes in two days is pretty impressive. He has legs, but they move slowly - they always have done and he has said so himself. If you’re going to say that if someone is a slow mover, then his legs have gone, then AA’s legs have gone at 23 (or however old he is). These two also have something else in common: they think much quicker than they move. You probably need both in the premiership, but I think they’re both good for us at this level.
And whilst on JJ, make sure you see our second goal. If you haven’t seen it yet, it was taken half-way into their half from the right side, swung in with his left foot. It was pretty much perfect, delivered deep into the box, yet not within the GK’s reach, and almost impossible to defend against as the defenders had to run back towards their own goal (four of them didn’t even bother to!) from their line on the edge of the box.
Last, but not least, there’s Ben Hamer: a fantastic save at the death from a deflected shot and generally more willingness to command his area than I have seen before from him, including one really brave dive into the feet of an oncoming forward to claim a low cross.
I’ll end with a comment on the referee. I know Mark Clattenberg has his critics, but I’ve always liked him. I was pleased when I saw he was to ref the match, because I have always felt he was brave in his decisions and never intimidated. I only see Charlton play away and often I have felt that referees have been swayed by the crowd. The SW fans around me didn’t think much of his performance. I thought he had an excellent game.
We were better in every way, on the pitch and in the stands.
Their home support was/is truly shocking; vocally anyway. Not a peep out of the bleeders until they scored. A few renditions of some song starting with "ole ole" (possibly the worst chant I've ever heard, Palace chants aside) but once Church handed us the lead again they were as quiet as QPR were at their gaff earlier in the season.
Love that we beat them, but United will give us a much tougher game. They must have a more inventive approach than some two-bob centre-half pinging aimless diagonals onto Wood's and Morrison's head.
Comments
http://footytube.com/video/sheffield-wednesday-charlton-athletic-feb24-259100?ref=lchan_vidgrid
Sorry if already posted but highlights of last night game
What is that song.......what a difference a day (3) makes ;-)
Poyet is immense for a young 'un must keep him and Cousins!
Me: We used to get more than 24k at home to watch crappy teams like Wigan in the Prem!
Don't usually care about attendances, but I was led to believe SWFC were such a MASSIVE club, and didn't expect such poor support! Commiserations, by the way.
Him: Well you wouldn't care much about attendances would you, being tinpot ten bob no marks? Looks like we weren't at the races in the first half but if we had played Kirkland in goal instead of the on loan keeper he would have probably stopped you handballing in your second goal. Its a shame we didn't get through but I suppose it averted a potential nightmare scenario in the next round..and much as it pains me to say this I am rooting for you in the next round. It will be good practice for you for next season.
LOL!!!
There were two notable contributions from Callum Harriott in the first 20 minutes. First he picked up the ball just inside the Wednesday half and despite the very close attention of two of their players he wriggled free with close control and step-overs and created an excellent chance for AA. Second, there was his goal. When the ball fell to him about 15 yards out I felt confident he’d make a good connection and sure enough he struck it sweetly into the net. I thought afterwards about why I had been confident in him at that moment and I concluded that it was a situation when there was only one option - to shoot - and the outcome depended only on his ability with his feet. Where CH is less impressive is in his decision-making and I wonder whether ultimately this will be the limiting factor in his progress - at present there’s a big gap between what he can do with his feet and what he does with his head (that is, inside his head).
Of course, one could say this is being unfair for he is only young and this side of things should improve with experience. Time will tell, but to continue with the unfair my next observation draws a contrast with Diego Poyet. This is unfair because DP is extraordinary: how is it possible that someone with virtually no senior experience should play as though he has so much experience? It is as if by magic he has arrived on the scene ‘ready made’.
We had another debutant last night: Morgan Fox. I thought he did well. He was very calm and assured. He concentrated on his defensive duties, making sure he was in position and didn’t make mistakes. We didn’t see what he could do going forward, and contributing in this way has now become such an important part of full-back play. Also, and strangely, Wednesday didn’t really put him under a great deal of pressure. He just did what he had to do competently, but he’ll have more testing times. By the way, he had a good model on the right-hand side in an experienced Lawrie Wilson, playing with great confidence, strong defensively and getting forward when he could.
Switching from the youngsters to the oldest player, it seems to have almost become a cliché to say of JJ that ‘his legs have gone’. What does this mean? I assume it is saying that his condition has deteriorated with age to the point where he is no longer physically up to it. This verdict that ‘his legs have gone’ is sometimes supported by the view that he can only be considered a sub now. Well I’ve only seen a few games this season, but I saw him at Wigan and again last night. Same performance each time: totally committed; constantly guiding the young players near to him (Lennon, Fox, Harriott); decent use of the ball. For someone with no legs, two 90 minutes in two days is pretty impressive. He has legs, but they move slowly - they always have done and he has said so himself. If you’re going to say that if someone is a slow mover, then his legs have gone, then AA’s legs have gone at 23 (or however old he is). These two also have something else in common: they think much quicker than they move. You probably need both in the premiership, but I think they’re both good for us at this level.
And whilst on JJ, make sure you see our second goal. If you haven’t seen it yet, it was taken half-way into their half from the right side, swung in with his left foot. It was pretty much perfect, delivered deep into the box, yet not within the GK’s reach, and almost impossible to defend against as the defenders had to run back towards their own goal (four of them didn’t even bother to!) from their line on the edge of the box.
Last, but not least, there’s Ben Hamer: a fantastic save at the death from a deflected shot and generally more willingness to command his area than I have seen before from him, including one really brave dive into the feet of an oncoming forward to claim a low cross.
I’ll end with a comment on the referee. I know Mark Clattenberg has his critics, but I’ve always liked him. I was pleased when I saw he was to ref the match, because I have always felt he was brave in his decisions and never intimidated. I only see Charlton play away and often I have felt that referees have been swayed by the crowd. The SW fans around me didn’t think much of his performance. I thought he had an excellent game.
Hughsey Hughsey
" Where are you ? Let's be 'avin you !"
Their home support was/is truly shocking; vocally anyway. Not a peep out of the bleeders until they scored. A few renditions of some song starting with "ole ole" (possibly the worst chant I've ever heard, Palace chants aside) but once Church handed us the lead again they were as quiet as QPR were at their gaff earlier in the season.
Love that we beat them, but United will give us a much tougher game. They must have a more inventive approach than some two-bob centre-half pinging aimless diagonals onto Wood's and Morrison's head.
I remember playing Plymouth and Burnley in recent quarter finals (2003/06 and being quite nervous but we made it (with some luck)
Hope you get the trip to Wembley.
By the way, you are honourably mentioned in the Operation Pig thread - feel the luuuurrrrve.