A goal for the 150 travelling Charlton fans to celebrate and an equalizer at that. Preston scored a second not long into the second half to effectively kill us off.
Harry Lennon managed to get sent off for an off-the-ball swipe at Garner before the finish, although his absence won't be missed given the queue of defenders. In fact, Riga managed a startling line-up with no fewer than six defenders starting. Solly and Fox in the midfield at the same time? Bizarre, but I suppose he's got to try something because nothing else is working.
The next three matches could see us killed off. We are seven points behind safety (MK Dons), eight on goal difference . That could worsen if we fail to beat Reading and then we go to Brentford, another London derby where we don't have a good record. After that it's MK Dons at the Valley which could end it bar the shouting with 9 games left to play.
Truly depressing but we have been sliding into this for several months, altnough it's no less depressing to see it happening. I get the distinct feeling that the Regime are going to feel an over-whelming need to say something in the next week or so and that they will manage to get it all wrong yet again given their refusal thus far to acknowledge what the rest of us already know. Season ticket pricing and renewals are due out and they could use the £5 Reading match on Saturday to do it. What excuses do you think they will use? "Unfortunate with injuries?" "With hindsight, we held onto Karel Fraye too long?" Perhaps the new Comms Manager will insist they continue to hope for a freak set of footballing results to save their renewal hopes and persuades them to bluff it out, however ridiculous. Do you think Katrien could actually blame the Customers?
As a club we are about to step back to the low point of my supporting life - the relegation season of 1979-80. Poor home gates and crap away followings. The most unfashionable club in London. The only difference this time is that our club is now so so wrong throughout that there is little prospect of our bouncing back like we did in 1980-81. Sad, sad times.
Harry Lennon managed to get sent off for an off-the-ball swipe at Garner before the finish, although his absence won't be missed given the queue of defenders. In fact, Riga managed a startling line-up with no fewer than six defenders starting. Solly and Fox in the midfield at the same time? Bizarre, but I suppose he's got to try something because nothing else is working.
The next three matches could see us killed off. We are seven points behind safety (MK Dons), eight on goal difference . That could worsen if we fail to beat Reading and then we go to Brentford, another London derby where we don't have a good record. After that it's MK Dons at the Valley which could end it bar the shouting with 9 games left to play.
Truly depressing but we have been sliding into this for several months, altnough it's no less depressing to see it happening. I get the distinct feeling that the Regime are going to feel an over-whelming need to say something in the next week or so and that they will manage to get it all wrong yet again given their refusal thus far to acknowledge what the rest of us already know. Season ticket pricing and renewals are due out and they could use the £5 Reading match on Saturday to do it. What excuses do you think they will use? "Unfortunate with injuries?" "With hindsight, we held onto Karel Fraye too long?" Perhaps the new Comms Manager will insist they continue to hope for a freak set of footballing results to save their renewal hopes and persuades them to bluff it out, however ridiculous. Do you think Katrien could actually blame the Customers?
As a club we are about to step back to the low point of my supporting life - the relegation season of 1979-80. Poor home gates and crap away followings. The most unfashionable club in London. The only difference this time is that our club is now so so wrong throughout that there is little prospect of our bouncing back like we did in 1980-81. Sad, sad times.
Way back when RD first bought CAFC I wondered if he actually really enjoyed football at all, call it an intuition thing. Surely it must be much harder to successfully operate in an industry that you have no feeling for. As a supporter I suspected that he didn't enjoy it and I found it very puzzling and hard to understand why. Now after a continuous season of losing and the many other unpleasant unfathomables. I truly think I'm seeing things his way after all. There just is no pleasure to be had in any of this at all just bewilderment. Thank you Mr RD enlightening me and for bringing your. Extensive top flight expertise, highly skilled staff, international contacts and stabilising wealth to our club. That's really some huge bad luck you've been having, it's definitely been the worst Iv'e ever witnessed. I might get interested once again when you've left. Please go, as your'e not fit for football purpose.
ReplyDeleteSorry your club is in such a perilous position . Charlton has a great history as a family supported club. As a Preston fan new to the championship I can only sympathise as I am of the opinion that the ridiculous payments clubs receive for failure in the premiership massively distorts our division . Good luck in your struggles .
ReplyDeleteWe'e been on the slide for two years, since about January 2014. I wondered what happened about that time??
ReplyDeleteReading the nonsense that Riga has just put out - "We did well on Tuesday......it's not like we can take nothing from our games" - leaves me fearful for winning ever again under this lot.
Martin - you have to laugh. He said this week that we had problems in both boxes which is a statement of the bleeding obvious when you generally can't score and yet concede like clockwork. What he's missing is actually more obvious if you have any idea, and that's the fact that we have been unable to put out a competitive midfield most of this year which is why we are struggling in both boxes.
ReplyDeleteDave,
ReplyDelete1980-81 was my first season. I had only ever seen football on the TV then and The Valley then just horrid compared to today. However I have less enthusiasm about next season (especially if we are in the third division again, which seems absolutely inevitable) than at any time since.
We (my Dad and I, and George) have great seats at the back of the East Stand, on the half way line, so we will probably renew just to save losing our seats but I feel your pain as I can't remember being this disinterested, and that is coming from a position when I was absolutely, 100%, obsessed with Charlton for what was, in reality, over 35 years.
Ignoring the blame as to how the club have arrived here, and how I have, it is just depressing that I couldn't care less about something that was the most important thing in my life for longer than the average marriage lasts.
I just wish I could care more. I wish I could summon the enthusiasm to give a toss but it's gone, and I fear that it may never return!