Too many new players and new style to hit the ground running against a well drilled team from last season even if we have on paper more quality. I'm going for a 2 - 0 home win.
A superb analysis, weakened only by your apologies at the end. Stick to your guns, lad. Stubley's team and formation at the head of this thread is damn strong - is it too early to appoint him as our new manager?
We have a healthy mix of experienced pros, a mad dog, 'young guns', and strikers ravenous for the onion-bag. There is absolutely no reason why we shouldn't storm the play-offs next May. We'll beat Brentford on Saturday, 2-1.
I take no pleasure in pointing out the realities as I see them. Everyone can be wildy happy and optimistic for the start of the season and for the fixture. I would be happy to be proved wrong. IMO, the optimism relates to everyone being out in the sun for a long period and happiness for the start of the football season. I am just concerned for the crash and burn when it goes all a bit pear shaped. All those with wild optimism will pay no attention in any case, so I probably shouldn't worry.
Your understanding of the reality - about the strengths of the opposition and the weakness of our squad - is absolutely spot-on, Vff. I agree with you, and thousands don't.
Yet, "crash and burn" is something the poor victims in war-zones suffer; nobody dies at football. You are right to be sceptical - about our midfield especially - and about whether we will play well this season.
Some of our supporters implore: "Get behind the boys, cheer them on! - and if you criticise any one of our players, you are disloyal." Their cries are daft because they abrogate the responsibility of the manager, coaches and players to play good football - and they treat us, the questioning fans, as recalcitrant sheep.
Do our opinions have any effect? Of course they do. Had we all hated Chris Powell, Duchatelet would have sacked him on the day of his takeover. He was well aware of our admiration and respect for Powell, expressed forcefully through Charlton Life, so he gave him - and us - a month.
I have been watching Charlton for 50 years. Every single player in our club plays to the very best of his ability; no professional player doesn't. It isn't the players themselves who decide whether they are good, nor their agents or the club's PR department; nor even the coaches, the managers and owners.
It is us, the fans, who are the arbiters.
Linking "crash and burn" to poor victims in war zones, to an opening day football fixture is way over the top. All that stuff about fans being the arbiters is just inaccuarate bluster. I think you may have had a few too many red wines and got a bit carried away with your prose in your post.
All the other stuff sounds like a bit of a wind up to me. It is not helpful. I'll not be dragged into it.
There's nothing wrong with optimism though is there? Regarding your first post @vff the fact is you don't know if our midfield is weak, you don't know if we are going to score goals or not and I wouldn't reckon you know whether Bikey and Ben Haim are particularly slow. On top of that, what do we know about Brentford other than they'll have a bit of momentum? Are they definitely going to be stronger? Haven't they got new players to bed in? Didn't Donaldson leave for the might of Birmingham?
I'm not going to get too excited about Saturday but to say people being too optimistic is due to too much time in the sun is a bit condescending IMHO. Basically, neither you nor I have a clue what's going to happen so we may as well go for the wildly positive mightn't we?
I predict a 1-1 draw.
@HandG. If people are seriously predicting a 0-5 away win, then I don't think it is condescending to point out that it is a bit unrealistic. On rereading the thread, a lot of Charlton supporters are acknowledging a tough game. My comments on the strength of the team are based on the bitty pre season against some lower standard opposition. Brentford have a tight core of players and added some quality.
Charlton going up into the premiership with Curbs were underestimated and with the tight group of players surprised took apart many teams with supposedly better quality through excellent work rate and great team play.
Underestimating Brentford is not going to help Charlton get anything from the match. The new boys from Europe will have to be prepared to give their absolute best and put in 100%. Also to be prepared for the speed and intensity of the football. They will have to be on their game for the whole match.
For the first time I'm starting to get the new season excitement, and am gutted that I didn't spend an hour on the phone trying to get a ticket.
Having said that I think we will lose tomorrow - and quite comfortably too - as Brentford will be buoyant from promotion and we'll look a bit disjointed.
2-0 Brentford and early questions raised about Bob's lineup/tactical nous/substitutions/touchline attire/crowd waving/Millwall past/interview technique etc
If Harriott isn't fit who will play wide left? Wiggins? Or Gudmondssson with Wilson on the right. I'd play Cousins but it seems Buyens is a shoe in and would Bob leave Jacko out. I don't think so. I'd also want to see Morro in as one of the CH's. Wilson will be very, very unlucky to lose out but as the season progresses I can see him replacing Solly more and more.
Just had a sudden, irrational feeling of hope and stuck a tenner each way on Igor to be top championsip scorer (50-1).... now waiting for the men in white coats! Coyr
A lot of new players who've not played in the helter skelter of the Championship, I hope we ease them in gently
1-0 to us and 4-5-1
Henderson Wilson Morrow TBH Wiggins Solly Cousins Byens Jacko Harriot Ventokele
Bench: Pope, Bikey, Gomez, Fox, Gudmondsson, Moussa and Tucadean
Solid, experienced championship core with youth & flair on the bench
When you look at the squad like that, we do need to sign another CM as with that formation we are an injury away from playing someone out of position or thowing Munns in
A superb analysis, weakened only by your apologies at the end. Stick to your guns, lad. Stubley's team and formation at the head of this thread is damn strong - is it too early to appoint him as our new manager?
We have a healthy mix of experienced pros, a mad dog, 'young guns', and strikers ravenous for the onion-bag. There is absolutely no reason why we shouldn't storm the play-offs next May. We'll beat Brentford on Saturday, 2-1.
I take no pleasure in pointing out the realities as I see them. Everyone can be wildy happy and optimistic for the start of the season and for the fixture. I would be happy to be proved wrong. IMO, the optimism relates to everyone being out in the sun for a long period and happiness for the start of the football season. I am just concerned for the crash and burn when it goes all a bit pear shaped. All those with wild optimism will pay no attention in any case, so I probably shouldn't worry.
Your understanding of the reality - about the strengths of the opposition and the weakness of our squad - is absolutely spot-on, Vff. I agree with you, and thousands don't.
Yet, "crash and burn" is something the poor victims in war-zones suffer; nobody dies at football. You are right to be sceptical - about our midfield especially - and about whether we will play well this season.
Some of our supporters implore: "Get behind the boys, cheer them on! - and if you criticise any one of our players, you are disloyal." Their cries are daft because they abrogate the responsibility of the manager, coaches and players to play good football - and they treat us, the questioning fans, as recalcitrant sheep.
Do our opinions have any effect? Of course they do. Had we all hated Chris Powell, Duchatelet would have sacked him on the day of his takeover. He was well aware of our admiration and respect for Powell, expressed forcefully through Charlton Life, so he gave him - and us - a month.
I have been watching Charlton for 50 years. Every single player in our club plays to the very best of his ability; no professional player doesn't. It isn't the players themselves who decide whether they are good, nor their agents or the club's PR department; nor even the coaches, the managers and owners.
It is us, the fans, who are the arbiters.
You are not the only who feels that way. We have thousands of scarf-knitters, flag-wavers, saloon-bar accountants, charity-raisers and people who implore: "If you don't actually sleep with Joe Pigott - then you are a failure."
All of those qualities are good
Linking "crash and burn" to poor victims in war zones, to an opening day football fixture is way over the top. All that stuff about fans being the arbiters is just inaccuarate bluster. I think you may have had a few too many red wines and got a bit carried away with your prose in your post.
All the other stuff sounds like a bit of a wind up to me. It is not helpful. I'll not be dragged into it.
You are not the only one who feels that way. We have thousands of scarf-knitters, flag-wavers, saloon-bar accountants, charity-raisers, Sunday-league coaches and adults who actually want to sleep with Joe Pigott.
All of that is OK - it runs parallel to any professional club. It's like the potholes in the car-park, the pies in Crossbars, or worshipping Callum Harriott - they are all good fun and utterly pointless.
The fans of every single Championship club feel exactly the way you do. Those teams who beat us last season have technical ability, physical strength and - crucially - bloody good intelligence. Shouldn't you be concerned?
Not quite sure what you are talking about there @Viewfinder. You post is not really relating to my comment.
.....You are not the only one who feels that way.
A) That your post does not relate to what was just written and you have gone off on a tangent of your own ? That you sometimes get carried away with the prose in your post and lose focus on the main thing you are saying ? C) That you sometimes have a few too many red wines before you post. D) That some of the stuff you write is a bit of a wind up ? E) Something that you have thought that was said but not specified what that is. & F) What are you talking about ? G) What is your prediction by the way ? (to get the thread back on track)
The unsettled midfielder Forshaw is not playing and they have a couple of injuries. I am going to adjust my prediction to 2-0 defeat for Charlton. I hope that am I wrong.
Not quite sure what you are talking about there @Viewfinder. You post is not really relating to my comment.
.....You are not the only one who feels that way.
A) That your post does not relate to what was just written and you have gone off on a tangent of your own ? That you sometimes get carried away with the prose in your post and lose focus on the main thing you are saying ? C) That you sometimes have a few too many red wines before you post. D) That some of the stuff you write is a bit of a wind up ? E) Something that you have thought that was said but not specified what that is. & F) What are you talking about ? G) What is your prediction by the way ? (to get the thread back on track)
H - Evidently there are plenty of other people on this site who are suffering with Asperger's syndrome -You could set up a support group, or you could spend your whole life prefixing messages with 'To be fair', 'To be honest', 'In my opinion' - and this takes the biscuit - 'In My Humble Opinion'.
Say what you mean, and mean what you say.
Did Hemingway ever suffix his paragraphs with an emoticon? Or Albert Camus? Or Raymond Carver, Georges Simenon or John Updike? Or John Cheever, Saul Bellow or Philip Larkin? Or Patrick Hamilton or Graham Greene?
Not quite sure what you are talking about there @Viewfinder. You post is not really relating to my comment.
.....You are not the only one who feels that way.
A) That your post does not relate to what was just written and you have gone off on a tangent of your own ? That you sometimes get carried away with the prose in your post and lose focus on the main thing you are saying ? C) That you sometimes have a few too many red wines before you post. D) That some of the stuff you write is a bit of a wind up ? E) Something that you have thought that was said but not specified what that is. & F) What are you talking about ? G) What is your prediction by the way ? (to get the thread back on track)
H - Evidently there are plenty of other people on this site who are suffering with Asperger's syndrome -You could set up a support group, or you could spend your whole life prefixing messages with 'To be fair', 'To be honest', 'In my opinion' - and this takes the biscuit - 'In My Humble Opinion'.
Say what you mean, and mean what you say.
Did Hemingway ever suffix his paragraphs with an emoticon? Or Albert Camus? Or Raymond Carver, Georges Simenon or John Updike? Or John Cheever, Saul Bellow or Philip Larkin? Or Patrick Hamilton or Graham Greene?
You are going to say: "Who are they?"
Dear me, Vf ! Thought you were taking a much needed break from CL in an effort to regain your equilibrium.
But sadly, your head still appears to be well & truly stuck somewhere south of your coccyx.
Nice try but please extend your absence next time.....perhaps until May ?
To be honest and fair, in my humble opinion, I've read bigger wind ups and more offensive posts than that written by Viewfinder. It's just harmless nonsense, especially the attempt to set up Hemingway, Greene, Larkin et al as the standard by which we should judge the stuff written on here. This isn't a literary competition. Just to prove it I'll start the next sentence with "and". And "suffix" is a noun, not a verb. One cannot "suffix" anything. It isn't big or clever.
I would love us to hit the ground running and start with 3 pts but as per last season its not good to play a promoted team first game away. 2-1 to Brentford and a tough start awaits our new team.
Comments
Wilson Morro Ben Haim Wiggins
JBG Cousins Buyens JJ Harriott
Igor
5 in midfield with JBG and Harriott supporting Igor.
Sorry, maybe I'll get the buzz at 3pm tmrw
2-0 Brentford
All the other stuff sounds like a bit of a wind up to me. It is not helpful. I'll not be dragged into it.
Charlton going up into the premiership with Curbs were underestimated and with the tight group of players surprised took apart many teams with supposedly better quality through excellent work rate and great team play.
Underestimating Brentford is not going to help Charlton get anything from the match. The new boys from Europe will have to be prepared to give their absolute best and put in 100%. Also to be prepared for the speed and intensity of the football. They will have to be on their game for the whole match.
Having said that I think we will lose tomorrow - and quite comfortably too - as Brentford will be buoyant from promotion and we'll look a bit disjointed.
2-0 Brentford and early questions raised about Bob's lineup/tactical nous/substitutions/touchline attire/crowd waving/Millwall past/interview technique etc
1-0 to us and 4-5-1
Henderson
Wilson Morrow TBH Wiggins
Solly Cousins Byens Jacko Harriot
Ventokele
Bench: Pope, Bikey, Gomez, Fox, Gudmondsson, Moussa and Tucadean
Solid, experienced championship core with youth & flair on the bench
When you look at the squad like that, we do need to sign another CM as with that formation we are an injury away from playing someone out of position or thowing Munns in
All of that is OK - it runs parallel to any professional club. It's like the potholes in the car-park, the pies in Crossbars, or worshipping Callum Harriott - they are all good fun and utterly pointless.
The fans of every single Championship club feel exactly the way you do. Those teams who beat us last season have technical ability, physical strength and - crucially - bloody good intelligence. Shouldn't you be concerned?
.....You are not the only one who feels that way.
A) That your post does not relate to what was just written and you have gone off on a tangent of your own ?
C) That you sometimes have a few too many red wines before you post.
D) That some of the stuff you write is a bit of a wind up ?
E) Something that you have thought that was said but not specified what that is.
&
F) What are you talking about ?
G) What is your prediction by the way ? (to get the thread back on track)
I only wish more of your kind put that much effort in to their valuable service they provide to internet forums.
to 2-0 defeat for Charlton. I hope that am I wrong.
0-3 The Addicks
Will enjoy the boat ride and the game (I hope). COYR.
Say what you mean, and mean what you say.
Did Hemingway ever suffix his paragraphs with an emoticon? Or Albert Camus? Or Raymond Carver, Georges Simenon or John Updike? Or John Cheever, Saul Bellow or Philip Larkin? Or Patrick Hamilton or Graham Greene?
You are going to say: "Who are they?"
But sadly, your head still appears to be well & truly stuck somewhere south of your coccyx.
Nice try but please extend your absence next time.....perhaps until May ?
You really are an oddball...