Tuesday 29 April 2014

Final sigh of relief or skin of our teeth?

Lots of comment about tonight's important game-in-hand against Watford. The second-half of this season has all been about games-in-hand and tonight we finish those with a match that looks relatively straightforward against a team who have finished for the season and whose players will be on the plane with their families to more exotic locations on Sunday for a month or so.

However, this is Charlton and this is the Valley. We know what to expect. This has been a miserable season for season ticket holders and we have been saying throughout that it will come down to the last day and that it will be by the skin of our teeth. Our home form has been so poor that I fully expect Watford to open the scoring tonight and then test our resolve in front of what could become an increasingly disgruntled crowd. 

A draw would mean that Birmingham, Doncaster and Millwall will all need another result to catch us. That would leave it nicely balanced for the long-predicted skin-of-the-teeth finish at Blackpool. I can see us going down there too and someone else falling flat on their faces to spare Roland Duchatelet's blushes, although in my mind's eye I can see Roland opening a good bottle of wine in the event we were to go down and toasting his decision to negotiate a price reduction to soften the financial blow of relegation.

If we can score first this evening - how many times have we said that this season? - then we should have enough to get the job done. This is not a match for hot-heads and I hope Jose Riga will ram that message home ahead of the game. Marvin Sordell should start against the club where he made his name but please, can we save Harriott for a late entrance and can we have Wilson on the right ahead of Solly for once? And no Jose, this isn't a game in which to rest Morrison, Solly, Poyet and Cousins.

Finally, highly predictable news that we will be taking part in a network pre-season competition in Belgium. The only surprise is that the format won't be feeder clubs battling it out for the chance of a crack at apex club Standard Liege. Old Duchatelet has cunningly arranged for everyone else to compete for the right to play bottom-feeder and Roly favourite, Sint Truiden. I can't believe some Charlton fans are actually getting excited about the prospect of supporting this event by attending. You really don't have to go to Belgium just to taste Belgium beer.




3 comments:

  1. Not hopeful that Wilson will appear. Most of us have been stating the obvious for many weeks about selectng him to give us an attacking option down the wing, but it has not happened and that is baffling; why should the management change their mind now?
    Similarly, Harriot's seletion despite his contribution at Sheff Wed defies logic. Not only has he lost his confidence and first touch he is prone to making match losing mistakes. However, I fully expect he will be selected again.Surely this must unsettle the rest of the team if he goes on selecting him at present?
    However, Rez does not provide much of a replacement.We need to give Obika a chance to start.

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  2. Hi Dave,
    enjoyed your blogs - only made 2 games this season due to work, Gene's football etc.(Thank God)
    Just bought 3 ST for next season in family stand.
    Looking forward to seeing our pristine new pitch & seeing some flowing footy...
    Be plotted up in The Bugle with the Creamflow if you're in the Village...

    You all ok? Onwards & upwards
    COYR

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  3. Hello Andy,

    We were talking about you in the pub the other week and wondering what had happened. You picked a good season to miss. I haven't renewed yet but am sure I will before the big kick-off, spurred on by Scotland's World Cup exploits.

    All well here mate. Love to J.

    Dave

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