Addicks booed off after bore draw
Two wins, two losses, one draw, tenth in the table, one place above Manchester United. Surely not such a bad start to the season. However, three of those performances have been dire and one of them was at The Valley on Monday night when the Addicks were booed off the pitch after a 0-0 bore draw with Southampton. The Saints were far from impressive and may well struggle this season, but it was a lacklustre performance by a Charlton side seemingly lacking in confidence. The team lacked shape with the midfield apparently absent for much of the game. The few attacks that were mounted ended in failure. An ability to penetrate down the left with Hreidarsson and Rommedahl was in evidence, but on the few occasions that the Saints defence was tackled head on, it quickly crumbled. But the inspiration and the ideas seemed lacking. One things that has become clear is how important Matt Holland is to our midfield play. The fact that Deano was made captain perhaps says something about the lack of inspirational figures in the team.
I felt gloomy about the match after a difficult journey down. An accident on the M40 meant taking a detour to reach High Wycombe station and then the doors on the train had to be shut with a kick from the driver at each stop. We arrived in time for the match, but without a chance for a drink at the pub beforehand.
The announcement that one of the mascots was for Donegal led to a hope that we might benefit from the luck of the Irish, but it was not to be. Indeed, the whole tone of the game was set when Charlton kicked off and quickly surrendered the ball to a Saints throw in. The Addicks showed an inability throughout the game to keep possession and to string more than the occasional few passes together. Charlton won an early corner, but like all those that followed, it was unproductive. Big new Saints signing Jakobson became the first player this season to belt the ball over the East Stand roof. Niemi saved from Jeffers and a burst by Rommedahl down the left won the Addicks another corner. A Saints corner produced chaos in the Charlton goalmouth, the first of a number of times during the evening. A Charlton corner, a Rommedahl run down the left and a Charlton corner won by the Herminator all led to nothing. Indeed, the Bloke Beside Me remarked that the main excitement so far had been the foul throw ins by Southampton which were studiously ignored by the officials.
Charlton's ragged performance continued, although there were a few signs of life in the last ten minutes of the half, although many of them came from Southampton. Beattie managed to carve a path through the Addicks defence, but his shot was straight at Deano. Jason Euell had a half chance, but was unable to make anything of it.
Half time: Addicks 0, Saints 0
Not surprisingly, there were no half time highlights on the 'big screen'. Instead we were treated by the sight of Southampton's current caretaker manager, who apparently managed Aldershot at one time, bringing out his players early for some practice at winning the ball.
Jeffers drew a save at the post from Niemi, but his well placed ball was never going to go in. A free kick was awarded against Fortune, but it was cleared. The hapless Kishishev was removed in favour of Hughes. Perhaps it might have been better to bring on Konchesky who might have injected some fire and passion into a lifeless game. Deano tipped a fierce shot over the bar and the Saints managed to win three corners in succession. Jason Euell managed to forge through, but his effort went wide. Jeffers was taken off in favour of JJ, a decision that was booed by the crowd. Bringing JJ on was perhaps sensible given our lack of height up front, but perhaps Lisbie should have gone. An immediate run by JJ won Charlton a corner, but this led to nothing. Rommedahl and Murphy combined well to pile on the pressure and won Charlton another corner.
Southampton withdrew Darren Kenton who had been decisively outwitted throughou the game by Rommedahl, but Rommedahl himself was soon replaced by El Karkouri. In the meantime, the Saints had won a corner after a decisive intervention by Fortune had stopped what would have probably been a goal. The last phase of the game saw Southampton piling on the pressure again with two Saints corners in the three minutes added on and chaos once again reigning in the Charlton goalmouth,
The Bloke Behind Me was forecasting a 6-0 defeat by Arsenal. I am confident in Charlton's ability to raise their game against a top side. However, as at Manchester City, Charlton managed to make a poor side look good, although individually Southampton have some good players. The defence did look more solid than at the Blue Camp, but something needs to be done about the organisation of the midfield and the team as a whole has to re-gain its confidence.
I felt gloomy about the match after a difficult journey down. An accident on the M40 meant taking a detour to reach High Wycombe station and then the doors on the train had to be shut with a kick from the driver at each stop. We arrived in time for the match, but without a chance for a drink at the pub beforehand.
The announcement that one of the mascots was for Donegal led to a hope that we might benefit from the luck of the Irish, but it was not to be. Indeed, the whole tone of the game was set when Charlton kicked off and quickly surrendered the ball to a Saints throw in. The Addicks showed an inability throughout the game to keep possession and to string more than the occasional few passes together. Charlton won an early corner, but like all those that followed, it was unproductive. Big new Saints signing Jakobson became the first player this season to belt the ball over the East Stand roof. Niemi saved from Jeffers and a burst by Rommedahl down the left won the Addicks another corner. A Saints corner produced chaos in the Charlton goalmouth, the first of a number of times during the evening. A Charlton corner, a Rommedahl run down the left and a Charlton corner won by the Herminator all led to nothing. Indeed, the Bloke Beside Me remarked that the main excitement so far had been the foul throw ins by Southampton which were studiously ignored by the officials.
Charlton's ragged performance continued, although there were a few signs of life in the last ten minutes of the half, although many of them came from Southampton. Beattie managed to carve a path through the Addicks defence, but his shot was straight at Deano. Jason Euell had a half chance, but was unable to make anything of it.
Half time: Addicks 0, Saints 0
Not surprisingly, there were no half time highlights on the 'big screen'. Instead we were treated by the sight of Southampton's current caretaker manager, who apparently managed Aldershot at one time, bringing out his players early for some practice at winning the ball.
Jeffers drew a save at the post from Niemi, but his well placed ball was never going to go in. A free kick was awarded against Fortune, but it was cleared. The hapless Kishishev was removed in favour of Hughes. Perhaps it might have been better to bring on Konchesky who might have injected some fire and passion into a lifeless game. Deano tipped a fierce shot over the bar and the Saints managed to win three corners in succession. Jason Euell managed to forge through, but his effort went wide. Jeffers was taken off in favour of JJ, a decision that was booed by the crowd. Bringing JJ on was perhaps sensible given our lack of height up front, but perhaps Lisbie should have gone. An immediate run by JJ won Charlton a corner, but this led to nothing. Rommedahl and Murphy combined well to pile on the pressure and won Charlton another corner.
Southampton withdrew Darren Kenton who had been decisively outwitted throughou the game by Rommedahl, but Rommedahl himself was soon replaced by El Karkouri. In the meantime, the Saints had won a corner after a decisive intervention by Fortune had stopped what would have probably been a goal. The last phase of the game saw Southampton piling on the pressure again with two Saints corners in the three minutes added on and chaos once again reigning in the Charlton goalmouth,
The Bloke Behind Me was forecasting a 6-0 defeat by Arsenal. I am confident in Charlton's ability to raise their game against a top side. However, as at Manchester City, Charlton managed to make a poor side look good, although individually Southampton have some good players. The defence did look more solid than at the Blue Camp, but something needs to be done about the organisation of the midfield and the team as a whole has to re-gain its confidence.
posted by Wyn Grant at 8:33 AM
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