Saturday 17 August 2013

Barnsley 2 v Charlton Athletic 2

A game of two thirds-one third from the CAFC Player commentary. We continued our abysmal start to the season for the first hour going one behind during the opening half and then two-down on the hour. I could smell the vitriol and was preparing to go on suicide watch amongst the Addick faithful. 

Hard to believe that four away league trips ago we thrashed Barnsley 6-0. I don't think very much has changed in terms of respective playing squad strengths and the majority of both sides taking the field today will have played in that last one. With an hour gone I was contemplating what has actually happened to our team in recent weeks and it was hard to avoid drawing a conclusion between our dire loss of form and the appalling mis-management of the club by it's current owners and their desperation to pass the baton on to someone else whilst unrealistically expecting to make a fast buck. Perhaps the mass contract expiry in ten months had got through to the players with many contemplating their non-Charlton futures?

Then we went and nicked a goal back. Substitute Jordan Cousins mishit effort bumbled in and suddenly we were on the ball. Ten minutes later and Simon Church got on the end of a Yann Kermorgant knock on and his effort trickled over the line for 2-2 and the sniff of our first point of the season. There were a few more chances for both sides and we might have lost it before the finish but held on.

I will be there for my first game of the season next week when I expect to see a lot more from Yann Kermorgant and a change in central defence. Yann may have made the second today but he was lacklustre by all accounts, the same as last week. O-Grady exposed us in the air in central defence and Leon Cort came on for Dervite during the game. Chris Powell's post-match comments will be interesting but I am guessing he has the turnaround to talk about and will not be left looking for excuses whilst feeling tongue-tied professionally for what he can't say about lack of funds or anything else that he feels may be affecting collective performances.Tonight, at least, he will be pleased he's not Steve Lomas.

We will need a solid performance and three points against promoted Donny to begin to salvage the start to this season. If we get anything less I sense the mood amongst our fans turning and Mister Jiminez may shortly be about to find himself on the receiving end of some vocal aggro. He may be a Mute and a figurehead for the Mysterons but he's the obvious target as largest visible shareholder. Not the sort of thing you want your home fans to be doing as you attempt to sell you club on for far more than it's worth. I genuinely hope the current owners don't make a bean in moving on - they don't deserve it.

I have had Secret Affair's 'Time for Action' going around in my head all afternoon. Can't think why I thought of them or that track.

1 comment:

  1. Dave, as they are selling the club we ought to be singing "I'm not free, but I'm cheap!"

    Pembury Addick

    ReplyDelete

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