Frustrating day that started with shit traffic on the M11 (shouldn't live in Essex) leading to a jog to the ground and arriving at the top of the steps in the NWQ a fraction of a second after Igor had scored Any sort of crowd noise and I may have found that extra step to have seen the goal but hey this is Charlton so silence and lack of atmosphere is the norm ..... I must have missed the good stuff cos we were pretty dull for the remainder Thank goodness the dumb Brum tapped in the goal bound effort for it to be disallowed
the reality is we are in a dream position but as WSS mentions it has the potential of the we're still 5th season , where you knew performances and results from us and those around us left us in a position that was "false" and eventually those performances and other teams results would change and leave us in a more realistic position I for one will be surprised if we finish top ten unless there is at least two decent signings Not gonna single anyone out for praise because no one stood out and our position is so good I'll ignore some of the ponyness that some possess in that hideous home shirt.
0% top two ......... 5% 3rd-6th .........55% 7th-12th ......45% 13th-21st...... 0% Relegation
Again, where do you get these percentages from? You're never going to let on.....
Is it a secret algorithm?
It's his opinion. He doesn't "get them" from anywhere.
No, there's a science to it I'm sure:)
You wait until he starts digging you out for being one of the too few hardy soles that travel away, I still haven't got over the stick we got at Watford New Years Day before last. :-) Edit; @oohaahmortimer has got a weak spot though, if you have any Curbs memorabilia signed by the man himself I'm pretty sure he can be bribed with it to divulge the formula. :-0
Frustrating day that started with shit traffic on the M11 (shouldn't live in Essex) leading to a jog to the ground and arriving at the top of the steps in the NWQ a fraction of a second after Igor had scored Any sort of crowd noise and I may have found that extra step to have seen the goal but hey this is Charlton so silence and lack of atmosphere is the norm ..... I must have missed the good stuff cos we were pretty dull for the remainder Thank goodness the dumb Brum tapped in the goal bound effort for it to be disallowed
the reality is we are in a dream position but as WSS mentions it has the potential of the we're still 5th season , where you knew performances and results from us and those around us left us in a position that was "false" and eventually those performances and other teams results would change and leave us in a more realistic position I for one will be surprised if we finish top ten unless there is at least two decent signings Not gonna single anyone out for praise because no one stood out and our position is so good I'll ignore some of the ponyness that some possess in that hideous home shirt.
0% top two ......... 5% 3rd-6th .........55% 7th-12th ......45% 13th-21st...... 0% Relegation
Again, where do you get these percentages from? You're never going to let on.....
Survived relegation with a few games to go last season, unbeaten in 11 games this year and still negative comments!?
I know it's part of being a fan at any club, but compared to last season we are in a great position to push forward:
We have found a very good replacement for Hamer. We have one of the best centre back pairings in my memory. Two good right back that have both come through the youth system. A solid left back with another youth player as back up. A striker that can score goals - when was the last time we had one of those? And 3/4 of a good midfield (Cousins, Buyens, Gudmundsson).
On top of this we have made improvements in and outside of the stadium, made progress with the academy status and have plans in place to upgrade the training facilities.
My only area of concern is the shape and personnel in midfield. If I was Igor a midfield of Jackson, Buyens, Cousins, Wilson and Bulot would not thrill me. We can be far more attacking at home to sides like Birmingham. As a few other people have said, he needs a target man with him, or more support from the midfield 5 if we are going to create more going forward (need Gudmundsson back). I would like to see Harriot or Moussa get a proper run in the side.
But come on chaps, let's be grateful for what we ARE achieving.
Survived relegation with a few games to go last season, unbeaten in 11 games this year and still negative comments!?
I know it's part of being a fan at any club, but compared to last season we are in a great position to push forward:
We have found a very good replacement for Hamer. We have one of the best centre back pairings in my memory. Two good right back that have both come through the youth system. A solid left back with another youth player as back up. A striker that can score goals - when was the last time we had one of those? And 3/4 of a good midfield (Cousins, Buyens, Gudmundsson).
On top of this we have made improvements in and outside of the stadium, made progress with the academy status and have plans in place to upgrade the training facilities.
My only area of concern is the shape and personnel in midfield. If I was Igor a midfield of Jackson, Buyens, Cousins, Wilson and Bulot would not thrill me. We can be far more attacking at home to sides like Birmingham. As a few other people have said, he needs a target man with him, or more support from the midfield 5 if we are going to create more going forward (need Gudmundsson back). I would like to see Harriot or Moussa get a proper run in the side.
But come on chaps, let's be grateful for what we ARE achieving.
Survived relegation with a few games to go last season, unbeaten in 11 games this year and still negative comments!?
I know it's part of being a fan at any club, but compared to last season we are in a great position to push forward:
We have found a very good replacement for Hamer. We have one of the best centre back pairings in my memory. Two good right back that have both come through the youth system. A solid left back with another youth player as back up. A striker that can score goals - when was the last time we had one of those? And 3/4 of a good midfield (Cousins, Buyens, Gudmundsson).
On top of this we have made improvements in and outside of the stadium, made progress with the academy status and have plans in place to upgrade the training facilities.
My only area of concern is the shape and personnel in midfield. If I was Igor a midfield of Jackson, Buyens, Cousins, Wilson and Bulot would not thrill me. We can be far more attacking at home to sides like Birmingham. As a few other people have said, he needs a target man with him, or more support from the midfield 5 if we are going to create more going forward (need Gudmundsson back). I would like to see Harriot or Moussa get a proper run in the side.
But come on chaps, let's be grateful for what we ARE achieving.
There is absolutely no reason why we shouldn't storm through this league. We have a damn good keeper, a tough defence - and we have good strikers, Vetoleke will score: but he needs help. He needs a partner close to him - not miles away, hopeful and static. Look how fluent we were in August: at the start, we beat Wigan and Derby, both bloody good teams, with our midfield rushing forward and getting in to the box, then a ricochet - ooh it's a corner. Come on: be close from there, work the angles, a quick triangle, pass and move, rehearsed at Sparrows Lane.
Yet, now Vetokele's fellow is miles away: unable or unwilling. I simply don't understand the point of playing one up front, and our dreary sideways balls across the halfway line: After you, Clarence; no I insist it's yours, my love. We lose possession. We must get forward at The Valley, disturb the opposition: we are perfectly capable of incision.
Against Brum, very late in the second half, Chris Solly hammered forward, shimmied a lovely feint to deceive the men from Digbeth - and shot, hard and fierce. Don't you think he himself knew this: What in heaven's name have our midfield been doing for the last 75 minutes?
Hey! Don't be slow! Quickly, now: you can't be offside from a throw-in, Brian.
One of Church's many qualities is his scampering at the defenders, closing them down. It is important - it's about how we should push up, rather than pissing laterally on the half-way line in a dreary expedition to nowhere.
Good strikers hunt for the ball: they know intuitively if the midfield is weak - they track back, seize possession and advance. Yann Kermorgant has it: I'll give you an example. Pre-season friendly at AFC Wimbledon a couple of years ago: we had Adamo Coulibaly on trial, an absolutely storming good striker: explosive, quick off the blocks, and the muscle to frighten the life out of the gods.
What Kermorgant did in that game was clever and beautiful: he knew this was Coulibaly's one opportunity to shine, and he helped him. So when the Wimbledon defender had the ball at his feet, looked up, and - ah, I think I'll punt it forwards - Kermorgant came darting in from the blind side, sliding obliquely, nicked the ball, and fed Coulibaly. You may remember Mike Flanagan, and how he used to do that: when it seemed to the whole stadium a lost cause, it wasn't. Paul Williams had that lovely instinct, too. We need strikers like them. When Vetokele is disappointed by yet another over-hit cross, he should sprint and harry the defender: close him down, be in his ear.
Dale Stephens was completely over-run - weak midfield, note - and we struggled to draw that pre-season friendly against a team two divisions below us: 1-1. The following Saturday we kicked off in earnest: away at Bournemouth. Coulibaly had gone. We lost 2-1, and never recovered.
Comments
Edit; @oohaahmortimer has got a weak spot though, if you have any Curbs memorabilia signed by the man himself I'm pretty sure he can be bribed with it to divulge the formula. :-0
I know it's part of being a fan at any club, but compared to last season we are in a great position to push forward:
We have found a very good replacement for Hamer.
We have one of the best centre back pairings in my memory.
Two good right back that have both come through the youth system.
A solid left back with another youth player as back up.
A striker that can score goals - when was the last time we had one of those?
And 3/4 of a good midfield (Cousins, Buyens, Gudmundsson).
On top of this we have made improvements in and outside of the stadium, made progress with the academy status and have plans in place to upgrade the training facilities.
My only area of concern is the shape and personnel in midfield. If I was Igor a midfield of Jackson, Buyens, Cousins, Wilson and Bulot would not thrill me. We can be far more attacking at home to sides like Birmingham. As a few other people have said, he needs a target man with him, or more support from the midfield 5 if we are going to create more going forward (need Gudmundsson back). I would like to see Harriot or Moussa get a proper run in the side.
But come on chaps, let's be grateful for what we ARE achieving.
Yet, now Vetokele's fellow is miles away: unable or unwilling. I simply don't understand the point of playing one up front, and our dreary sideways balls across the halfway line: After you, Clarence; no I insist it's yours, my love. We lose possession. We must get forward at The Valley, disturb the opposition: we are perfectly capable of incision.
Against Brum, very late in the second half, Chris Solly hammered forward, shimmied a lovely feint to deceive the men from Digbeth - and shot, hard and fierce. Don't you think he himself knew this: What in heaven's name have our midfield been doing for the last 75 minutes?
One of Church's many qualities is his scampering at the defenders, closing them down. It is important - it's about how we should push up, rather than pissing laterally on the half-way line in a dreary expedition to nowhere.
Good strikers hunt for the ball: they know intuitively if the midfield is weak - they track back, seize possession and advance. Yann Kermorgant has it: I'll give you an example. Pre-season friendly at AFC Wimbledon a couple of years ago: we had Adamo Coulibaly on trial, an absolutely storming good striker: explosive, quick off the blocks, and the muscle to frighten the life out of the gods.
What Kermorgant did in that game was clever and beautiful: he knew this was Coulibaly's one opportunity to shine, and he helped him. So when the Wimbledon defender had the ball at his feet, looked up, and - ah, I think I'll punt it forwards - Kermorgant came darting in from the blind side, sliding obliquely, nicked the ball, and fed Coulibaly. You may remember Mike Flanagan, and how he used to do that: when it seemed to the whole stadium a lost cause, it wasn't. Paul Williams had that lovely instinct, too. We need strikers like them. When Vetokele is disappointed by yet another over-hit cross, he should sprint and harry the defender: close him down, be in his ear.
Dale Stephens was completely over-run - weak midfield, note - and we struggled to draw that pre-season friendly against a team two divisions below us: 1-1. The following Saturday we kicked off in earnest: away at Bournemouth. Coulibaly had gone. We lost 2-1, and never recovered.