If you look back at more or less any report of mine on our plethora of home draws, then you will realise it is the same story. of course there are nips and tucks and nuances, but yet again we played an honest hardworking team with something about them who were no mugs. The key word every time is TEAM. We were without any sense of coherent linkage until about the last half hour after Watt had clawed us back into it. We could have easily lost after that but we held on, but the key aspect is that it takes an experienced class player to actually introduce shape and structure to our efforts, that player being Jacko. Walsall were a proper team, even with their weaknesses. We have strengths, but are seemingly unable to combine our attributes to create a real force as a team. 1-1 was a fair enough but disappointing result, made a lot worse by watching Konsa go off, then again the saying goes 'if you can't win, don't lose' and we didn't lose. Hard to single anybody out in particular, nondescript is the best description of our efforts today where overall we were pretty insipid, and pretty boring too. Mind you, today became a whole lot better when I heard the rumours going around.
Rumours? Spill the beans please!
Meire wasn't there and Airman posted a confusing picture of chimneys. That's all I needed in order to start believing.
If you look back at more or less any report of mine on our plethora of home draws, then you will realise it is the same story. of course there are nips and tucks and nuances, but yet again we played an honest hardworking team with something about them who were no mugs. The key word every time is TEAM. We were without any sense of coherent linkage until about the last half hour after Watt had clawed us back into it. We could have easily lost after that but we held on, but the key aspect is that it takes an experienced class player to actually introduce shape and structure to our efforts, that player being Jacko. Walsall were a proper team, even with their weaknesses. We have strengths, but are seemingly unable to combine our attributes to create a real force as a team. 1-1 was a fair enough but disappointing result, made a lot worse by watching Konsa go off, then again the saying goes 'if you can't win, don't lose' and we didn't lose. Hard to single anybody out in particular, nondescript is the best description of our efforts today where overall we were pretty insipid, and pretty boring too. Mind you, today became a whole lot better when I heard the rumours going around.
Rumours? Spill the beans please!
Meire wasn't there and Airman posted a confusing picture of chimneys. That's all I needed in order to start believing.
Looking forward to @cabbles film script of @JiMMy 85's bravery in the face of such insufferable trauma - to think it was made so much worse by the splinter.... I'm picturing maybe Vin Diesel in the lead (actually, as an old fogey, I'm not sure if that's actually the name of an actor or a particularly unpleasant beverage), mostly because Bruce Willis is too old.
If you look back at more or less any report of mine on our plethora of home draws, then you will realise it is the same story. of course there are nips and tucks and nuances, but yet again we played an honest hardworking team with something about them who were no mugs. The key word every time is TEAM. We were without any sense of coherent linkage until about the last half hour after Watt had clawed us back into it. We could have easily lost after that but we held on, but the key aspect is that it takes an experienced class player to actually introduce shape and structure to our efforts, that player being Jacko. Walsall were a proper team, even with their weaknesses. We have strengths, but are seemingly unable to combine our attributes to create a real force as a team. 1-1 was a fair enough but disappointing result, made a lot worse by watching Konsa go off, then again the saying goes 'if you can't win, don't lose' and we didn't lose. Hard to single anybody out in particular, nondescript is the best description of our efforts today where overall we were pretty insipid, and pretty boring too. Mind you, today became a whole lot better when I heard the rumours going around.
Rumours? Spill the beans please!
Meire wasn't there and Airman posted a confusing picture of chimneys. That's all I needed in order to start believing.
All the hard work Powell done in league 1 has come to this. Today was the first time ever I wasn't glued to my phone refreshing Twitter feed or the match thread and listening to Charlton player to see what was going on.
Today was the first time I felt no emotion at all with Charlton. I'm feeling something I've never felt before and it feels awful. Just a complete loss of emotion.
It's all because @AdTheAddick that you are now collateral damage in the Meire/Duchatelet vision for Charlton Athletic. Your emotional attachment to the club is not wanted.
To be a new, model customer (fan) you must not hold onto tradition but must embrace the social benefits of attending matches with friends, preferably buying a meal and or hospitality package at the ground and be willing to dance after the game irrespective of the result. Given that the soul has been stripped out of the Club it is hardly surprising you feel as you do.
I 'watched' the game via the Final Score service on BBC but only tuned in on occasion and with no real sense of involvement after 55 years of watching and following. When Walsall scored I felt little but more worryingly, no great sense of joy went Watt scored.
You are not alone! What awaits and what is already happening at The Valley is described graphically by one fan who was at STVV v Eupen last week:
There is no passion from fans, completely lifeless. Behind the goal is where their more noisy fans sit. I reckon there were 4-500 of them at most and this number would have been swelled by 40/50 Charlton fans who joined them.
It really was so different from a UK football experience and one that I hope they will never replicate in the UK with us.
Worst bit? Just after half time in the concourse bar under the north stand at STVV. There were a couple of hundred of their fans still in the bar as the second half kicked off, no one rushing to go back out for the game, dance music still playing. STVV scored within a minute or so to go 2-0 up and not one of them cheered, nothing! They just carried on drinking and chatting while the music played. Roland's vision in all it's chilling, soulless glory! This will be our future if we don't fight tooth and nail to rid our club of Duchatelet.
Best result we could have hoped for...lets face it Charlton are never going to win 2 on the bounce. Take that result and we're slowly getting in to safe zone. Whisper it quietly though as I don't want to get hopes up that we're staying in league 1. #GreatSeason #Top6MyArse
Meire is on holiday again. I have a mate who has a mate who has a mate who saw her at Heathrow checking in. He knew it was her as he recognised her nose.
Meire is on holiday again. I have a mate who has a mate who has a mate who saw her at Heathrow checking in. He knew it was her as he recognised her nose.
Take away her bloody passport and make her stay wherever she is!!
Not here today as those of you who read pre-match thread would've seen. As confirmed, Meire not there either and as I told you all, she was with me, visiting my old dear down in Axminster.
The weekend started last night as I met her at Waterloo in natural kitchen on the upstairs concourse. I was starving, despite having smashed a lunch with my workcrowd earlier on and 3 pints of Trafalgar. I opted for 2 pieces of cooked chicken, a piece of salmon and all the salad. Katrien was mildly agitated at both the volume of food and how quickly I consumed it, akin to a duck, very little chewing. I think she was on the phone to Sue, complaining about my vociferous approach to my food, but I was too busy focusing on stuffing my gob, so I can't be sure.
When I was done I told her I must get a toothbrush from boots as I'd forgotten my electric toothbrush. More tutting. I said it didn't matter that I'd forgotten it as the brush heads were due for replacing anyway. She smirked and said go and get your toothbrush. Toothbrush purchased I went to the M&S to buy flowers for my mum. This again caused a bit of derision as she highlighted the lack of romance shown to her and how I never buy her flowers. I reminded her of how much effort I put in to courting her and the length of time it took me to woo her via email. Once again she smirked and asked what time the train was.
Train journey down was fairly uneventful. I mainly stayed on my phone flitting between this site, twitter, bet365 and this new Readly app I've downloaded. I got engrossed in one of the science based magazines and an article about the edge of the universe. I could sense her disapproval at the lack of interaction, but it didn't matter as around 9pm she got a call from Roland and the conversation took place in their natural tongue. I can't be sure but from his end I heard a lot of 'huh', the word disco, celebrations, Karl, target 20, ductape and laughing. She got very animated at Crewkerne because, as you come into this part of the world, you lose signal.
I tried to quiz her about her conversation but she coldly told me to mind my own business and get back to my silly Charlton fans website with all the other losers.
So we arrived at my mum's and it's all very frosty if I'm honest. She's in a bad mood, I'm on edge because my mum has already have to see me go through one divorce, she's very wary of me letting another woman into my life and I don't want this to all start on the wrong foot. We retire and hope that a good night's sleep will do us the world of good and we'll be fresh for a day trip to Exmouth in the morning.
She's slightly more upbeat as we wake this morning. I sense relief that she's happy she doesn't have to be at that God foresaken football ground today with all the vinegar pissers. Breakfast is an amiable affair, polite chit chat. My mum asks her about her job, the role, how she's finding it. Katrien repiles politely and then nips upstairs to brush her teeth and get ready. I take this opportunity to remind my mum who has never really paid an interest in Charlton, that it's not going very well at the moment. I try and explain the protests, the general dissent and what's happening. I can hear Katrien lurking at the top of the stairs, earwigging. I bring the discussion to a close and we all set of for Exmouth followed by a trip to Exeter Cathedral.
Tough day if I'm honest. It all came to blows when I saw we'd gone a goal down. I lost it in the Cathedral as some school choir was practicing. "Your fault" I shouted, as I stormed off. My mum was very concerned at this point. She followed me out, told me to calm down, go back in there and sort it out. I did, we equalised and Katrien smirked again and said, "see, a draw, you're always talking about how you want consolidation".
I was still in a mood as we left. Before we left, my mum said let's light a candle. I said okay. As we left, my mum asked what I lit the candle for. I replied "my football club". Katrien sneered "it's not your football club, it's Roland's"
We're going out for dinner tonight, going back tomorrow. I'm not sure if I've got it in me to carry it on to be honest. I've seen a different side to her this weekend.
First 20 mins were awful, they could have been 2 up. They scored just before the break and we were lucky when the ref blew for halftime as they had a 2 v 1 in our box. Second half was better when we went 442. Went into the Bugle before the game, there was so few people in there, it was hard to know if the game was on.
Roland not just killing the club, but local businesses as well.
If you look back at more or less any report of mine on our plethora of home draws, then you will realise it is the same story. of course there are nips and tucks and nuances, but yet again we played an honest hardworking team with something about them who were no mugs. The key word every time is TEAM. We were without any sense of coherent linkage until about the last half hour after Watt had clawed us back into it. We could have easily lost after that but we held on, but the key aspect is that it takes an experienced class player to actually introduce shape and structure to our efforts, that player being Jacko. Walsall were a proper team, even with their weaknesses. We have strengths, but are seemingly unable to combine our attributes to create a real force as a team. 1-1 was a fair enough but disappointing result, made a lot worse by watching Konsa go off, then again the saying goes 'if you can't win, don't lose' and we didn't lose. Hard to single anybody out in particular, nondescript is the best description of our efforts today where overall we were pretty insipid, and pretty boring too. Mind you, today became a whole lot better when I heard the rumours going around.
... we’re in a false position with the talent this club possesses, we’re a match for anybody as we showed on Tuesday.
If we're in a false position it's because we're playing false tactics. Whenever we've switched to 2 up front we've looked more solid - and we won on Tuesday! - so why go back to 4-2-3-1, you clown?
I know managers have their favoured tactics but you need to find a system to fit the players you've got - I think Gobinson tries to be too clever with his pet formation ... and comes unstuck with our group of players, big time.
Tony Watt is not the man to play the lone striker role (although the club have tried him in the loan striker position a few times). He's an old-fashioned inside forward (or centre half forward to borrow an Aussie Rules position) who wants to roam about to find the ball, especially when our passing is crap and he's not getting it to his feet. When TWWW did have the ball out wide in the first half there was no-one in the box for a cross because no bugger from midfield had moved up.
When Novak came on alongside Watt we looked more dangerous, although given how insipid the first half was that wasn't too difficult.
Freddie played well when he dropped back into central defence, Page's game improved after he was replaced by Novak.
Charlton could easily have been 2 or three down before Walsall actually scored. No idea if it was a well-timed run or whether he was offside but what struck me was how quick the attack was. None of our pass sideways or backwards first, let their defence get back into position because it's unsporting to take advantage of them not being there, or not taking the responsibility of having a bloody shot.
Gobby: stop pissing about with fancy formations, just send our lot out in a bog-standard 4-4-2, with players in their proper positions, and tell them to be ruthless bastards, put the oppo to the sword for once.
covered end junior (now 22), chose not to attend today. It's the first Saturday home game he has chosen to not attend, since he's had a S/T, so probably 15 years. He hasn't bothered with the agg of coming to the last couple of evening games. He's not coming again this season & probably not again until RD goes.
My other son, didn't buy a S/T this season (first time in 17 years) and hasn't been to one game.
My first thought of their goal was offside. But seen it again in slow mo and Simeon Jackson timed his run perfect.
I felt we were just beggining to get ourselves into the game just before their goal after a bit of a slow start. But much better in the 2nd half. We found a way to get something out the game.
covered end junior (now 22), chose not to attend today. It's the first Saturday home game he has chosen to not attend, since he's had a S/T, so probably 15 years. He hasn't bothered with the agg of coming to the last couple of evening games. He's not coming again this season & probably not again until RD goes.
My other son, didn't buy a S/T this season (first time in 17 years) and hasn't been to one game.
... we’re in a false position with the talent this club possesses, we’re a match for anybody as we showed on Tuesday.
If we're in a false position it's because we're playing false tactics. Whenever we've switched to 2 up front we've looked more solid - and we won on Tuesday! - so why go back to 4-2-3-1, you clown?
I know managers have their favoured tactics but you need to find a system to fit the players you've got - I think Gobinson tries to be too clever with his pet formation ... and comes unstuck with our group of players, big time.
Tony Watt is not the man to play the lone striker role (although the club have tried him in the loan striker position a few times). He's an old-fashioned inside forward (or centre half forward to borrow an Aussie Rules position) who wants to roam about to find the ball, especially when our passing is crap and he's not getting it to his feet. When TWWW did have the ball out wide in the first half there was no-one in the box for a cross because no bugger from midfield had moved up.
When Novak came on alongside Watt we looked more dangerous, although given how insipid the first half was that wasn't too difficult.
Freddie played well when he dropped back into central defence, Page's game improved after he was replaced by Novak.
Charlton could easily have been 2 or three down before Walsall actually scored. No idea if it was a well-timed run or whether he was offside but what struck me was how quick the attack was. None of our pass sideways or backwards first, let their defence get back into position because it's unsporting to take advantage of them not being there, or not taking the responsibility of having a bloody shot.
Gobby: stop pissing about with fancy formations, just send our lot out in a bog-standard 4-4-2, with players in their proper positions, and tell them to be ruthless bastards, put the oppo to the sword for once.
Hey don't knock it, this is the formation he got relegated with last season and sacked for this season with his players used to playing it. You can see why he'd want to keep pushing it onto our little fairies...
Comments
Looking forward to @cabbles film script of @JiMMy 85's bravery in the face of such insufferable trauma - to think it was made so much worse by the splinter.... I'm picturing maybe Vin Diesel in the lead (actually, as an old fogey, I'm not sure if that's actually the name of an actor or a particularly unpleasant beverage), mostly because Bruce Willis is too old.
To be a new, model customer (fan) you must not hold onto tradition but must embrace the social benefits of attending matches with friends, preferably buying a meal and or hospitality package at the ground and be willing to dance after the game irrespective of the result. Given that the soul has been stripped out of the Club it is hardly surprising you feel as you do.
I 'watched' the game via the Final Score service on BBC but only tuned in on occasion and with no real
sense of involvement after 55 years of watching and following. When Walsall scored I felt little but more worryingly, no great sense of joy went Watt scored.
You are not alone! What awaits and what is already happening at The Valley is described graphically by one fan who was at STVV v Eupen last week:
There is no passion from fans, completely lifeless. Behind the goal is where their more noisy fans sit. I reckon there were 4-500 of them at most and this number would have been swelled by 40/50 Charlton fans who joined them.
It really was so different from a UK football experience and one that I hope they will never replicate in the UK with us.
Worst bit? Just after half time in the concourse bar under the north stand at STVV. There were a couple of hundred of their fans still in the bar as the second half kicked off, no one rushing to go back out for the game, dance music still playing. STVV scored within a minute or so to go 2-0 up and not one of them cheered, nothing! They just carried on drinking and chatting while the music played. Roland's vision in all it's chilling, soulless glory! This will be our future if we don't fight tooth and nail to rid our club of Duchatelet.
Second half was better when we went 442.
Went into the Bugle before the game, there was so few people in there, it was hard to know if the game was on.
Roland not just killing the club, but local businesses as well.
#justselltheclub.
The surge towards mid-table mediocrity in League One is on. Whoopee.
When we actually attacked in the second half and looked like scoring, the crowd did come to life a bit.
The Walsall fans didn't help either, one of the quietest away ends this season, for a Saturday
I know managers have their favoured tactics but you need to find a system to fit the players you've got - I think Gobinson tries to be too clever with his pet formation ... and comes unstuck with our group of players, big time.
Tony Watt is not the man to play the lone striker role (although the club have tried him in the loan striker position a few times). He's an old-fashioned inside forward (or centre half forward to borrow an Aussie Rules position) who wants to roam about to find the ball, especially when our passing is crap and he's not getting it to his feet. When TWWW did have the ball out wide in the first half there was no-one in the box for a cross because no bugger from midfield had moved up.
When Novak came on alongside Watt we looked more dangerous, although given how insipid the first half was that wasn't too difficult.
Freddie played well when he dropped back into central defence, Page's game improved after he was replaced by Novak.
Charlton could easily have been 2 or three down before Walsall actually scored. No idea if it was a well-timed run or whether he was offside but what struck me was how quick the attack was. None of our pass sideways or backwards first, let their defence get back into position because it's unsporting to take advantage of them not being there, or not taking the responsibility of having a bloody shot.
Gobby: stop pissing about with fancy formations, just send our lot out in a bog-standard 4-4-2, with players in their proper positions, and tell them to be ruthless bastards, put the oppo to the sword for once.
My other son, didn't buy a S/T this season (first time in 17 years) and hasn't been to one game.
JUST SELL THE CLUB YOU BASTARD !
I felt we were just beggining to get ourselves into the game just before their goal after a bit of a slow start. But much better in the 2nd half. We found a way to get something out the game.