Tuesday 10 February 2015

Charlton Athletic 2 v Norwich City 3

And again. Another poor, disjointed performance and another failure to win. Don't be fooled by the two goal comeback, we weren't in this and a point would have been as much a travesty of justice as the three we stole at Carrow Road.

For the life of me, I don't understand why Luzon won't start Watt and Vetokele. They are the glaringly obvious choice but again this evening they weren't paired until the second-half when we were two down. Instead we had to suffer a Bulot impersonation of a striker, which is as unconvincing as when Callum Harriott tries it. You can argue Watt isn't fit enough yet, but why not start him and sub him, rather than start someone else and have to bring him on hoping to turn a game?

The rest of the side was as expected with the rested players all returning. We simply weren't in the game during the first-half. I am pretty sure our efforts on target were nil as were our chances. Norwich strolled into the lead and it could have been three of four before tea.

Watt started the second-half and took ten minutes to settle but then he combined with Harriott whose return pass he took in his stride as he drifted past the last defender and slotted under Ruddy. The silent and tormented home fans were suddenly awake. Seven minutes later and another Addick attack with men committed saw Vetokele get to fire home from a rebound to give us a very unlikely looking parity. It served to shut the noisy visitors up whose predictable series of taunting songs about the Library and how our ground's too big for us were growing tiresome.

We didn't seize the momentum and from then on it was a case of whether or not Norwich had enough heart to go for the win. They weren't overly convincing but with seven minutes left a freak left wing ball into the box evaded everyone and beat the diminutive Dmitrovic. All over.

It's hard to know how we are going to break this cycle. There isn't enough collective fight in the team and not enough quality across the pitch to win matches. We don't play with any sustained pace and look like we have very little belief. Sorry to say but most of the players don't looked overly bothered either by going behind. Both sets of fans sang "you're getting sacked in the morning" to Luzon at 0-2 and his record is now won none, drawn two and lost three (yes, I am counting the humping at Watford). I have lost count how many since a win, but it's a third of the season or thereabouts.

A look at the table this evening is even more alarming. We are now down to 20th and just three points above Millwall with a visit to the Den yet to come. They have been getting spanked on and off all season and yet our goal difference is now only six better. 

It's hard not to look at the final fixture of the season and foresee a Doomsday scenario where Bournemouth win the title and we are relegated. I think you all know what else I am going to say about how that cake gets iced.

I will be there on 18th at the old Flaming Joe's because we have to do something. I am not expecting it will change a single performance or cause the Master of Chateau Duchatelet to lose any sleep, but I will feel better knowing I am not being taken for a mug and that I am doing whatever I can to support the message that we aren't going to simply sit and watch him experiment with our club's future as if part of a big gambling ploy at the casino.

13 comments:

  1. Even when we were in dire trouble last season, I always felt that we would survive the drop, I can't say the same this season, everything about us screams relegation.

    I know that there are a majority of supporters who feel anger and frustration towards RD but I truly don't get why there is a sizeable amount who defend him and just accept our lot

    It's like having a bad dream where everything is happening in slow motion and you can't do anything about it.

    PH

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  2. The managers after match comments when you can understand them, completely contradict the stats. The selection is baffling me and you can't see where the hell the next points are coming from. I wonder if RD will even bother to sanction the target player that Guy Luzon thought he might get in. To add insult to injury we will soon swap positions with MIllwall. One very sad day after another.

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  3. I do agree frustratingly with one of Guy's comments,
    "we have some quality players". If the defence stopped conceding so many, possibly by playing Gomez in front of it. You have to think those two strikers IV TW may get some goals together. FK RD COYR.

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  4. PH - that's exactly what it feels like and I can't see us stopping in time.

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  5. Anon - even allowing for Guy Luzon's pigeon English, how on Earth can he say we tried too hard in the first half when we deserved to be drawing or winning? We didn't manage a single effort until Watt came on. He's no Jose Riga, let alone Bob Peeters.

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  6. I see Cameron Jerome managed to head the third. It didn't look from where I was that anyone got a touch but that might account for the way it came so far and then beat Dmitrovic with something to spare.

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  7. When Luzon was appointed, I thought that we would continue to plummet and at the last hour RD would get rid of him and bring Riga back in but now that Riga is at SL, that option is no longer available, even so, I don't think that Riga could have saved us this time, shambolic bordering on suicidal running of a football club has almost sealed our doom.

    By the way, in reference to an earlier blog Re: Pardew, it does appear that lightening strikes twice and Millwall have also shown a bit of fight recently. Aaaarrggh

    I'm going to go and have a lay down in a darkened room.

    PH

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  8. PH - In addition to sticking by his manager, Berylson also put his hand in his pocket and funded a number of new faces players in January (five?)

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  9. Even if RD had done the same, what player in their right mind would want to join us at present, we're teetering on 'basket case" club, if we're not already.

    The players are blatantly unhappy, I truly feel sorry for Watt, he seems half decent but has got Luzon as his manager again and Luzon obviously has issues with him, I'm not buying all this lack of fitness crap.

    PH

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  10. I really like Guy and think he has the makings of a good manager but is facing very difficult circumstances as well as the Valley Unfaithful and Oi Pelloi.

    There are English managers right now who I can barely understand so nationality isn't an issue for me. I really hope he gets the success he deserves and just goes for it against Brentford with Watt and Vetekole and pushes for an early goal as that will give the team some confidence.

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    Replies
    1. Ben - I think we all want to see a new manager succeed but he hasn't had a bounce and you can argue strongly that he was a naive appointment giving his poor relationships with several key players. His start has been very poor and if his assessment of the first half last night is anything to go by, he hasn't got a clue.

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  11. Sad day after sad day. Like watching a loved one die.

    We have to make it stop.

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  12. I was thinking of having a lie in tomorrow and not go in to work.
    I'm pretty sure my boss would understand if I just told him afterwards that I was trying 'too hard' to get up for work.
    What a load of pony

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Go on, you know you want to....