10 man Charlton defeated by 12 man Baggies
Charlton slumped to a 1-4 defeat to West Bromwich Albion at The Valley on Saturday, but the real difference between the two teams was that the Baggies had referee Halsey on their side. Halsey has refereed five Addicks matches this season and they have lost four of them, getting one draw. Halsey harshly sent off Talal El Karkouri in the first half, gave an apparently offside goal and awarded a generous penalty to the Baggies.
The scoreline bears no resemblance to the relative strength of the two teams, but Charlton's European hopes have been badly dented. In many ways, of course, it is a typical Charlton result. Do the difficult thing by beating Spurs and then slump to relegation candidates who, whatever they might think, have not escaped the drop. The Addicks played some fluent football, but they didn't advantage of their chances whereas the Baggies (and Earnshaw in particular) did.
Charlton as a team play good technical football with some creative passing. They are at their best against teams who play in the same, relatively cautious way. They have more difficulty against teams who play with aggression and passion which they are unable to match. The Baggies started the match assertively, while the Addicks displayed poor ball control that was to be a problem throughout.
Deano had to make an early save from Wallwork which led to a dangerous situation but Feesh was able to clear at the expense of a West Brom corner. The Herminator put in a good ball to the unmarked Bartlett and if he had been able to connect it would have been 1-0. Deano then had to save from Greening at the expense of a West Brom corner.
When the Baggies went ahead after nine minutes one had seen it coming. Greening put in a cross from the left that was only partially cleared by the Herminator, allowing Albrechsten to head the ball into the box. Gera put it across the front of goal, allowing Horsfield to put in a header that left Deano with no chance. It was a simple move and quite why Horsfield was unmarked remains unclear.
Bartlett put in an effort that was not far over. Then JJ broke through up front and was one on one with Hoult but his contact with the ball was not good and Hoult was able to get a hand to it at the expense of a Charlton corner.
Bartlett missed again and then West Brom were given a very dubious corner. The crowd were already beginning to suspect that the replacement of Harold Webb as referee was going to have an effect on the outcome of the game. The Baggies pulled off Gaardsoe and brought on Darren Moore.
West Brom were given a free kick on the edge of the area directly in front of goal and Deano had to make a good save by tipping the ball over. Deano had to punch the ball out from the corner, but unusually the Addicks were awarded a free kick.
On 24 minutes a through ball from Thomas released JJ. Hoult came racing out of his area and JJ evaded him and carried on to make it 1-1. Thomas put in a good ball to the Herminator, but all it led to was a Charlton throw in.
On 29 minutes El Karkouri put in his two footed tackle on Gera. It was definitely a booking, but some referees might have confined it to that. A mob of Baggies players surrounded Halsey and he raised the red card to the astonishment of the Moroccan.
An effort by the Baggies was just wide and gave them another corner. A mistake by Murphy, who wasn't having the best of games, led Deano to make a diving save from Wallwork. JJ won a free kick with a dive which looked as if he was going into the cold plunge from the sauna. Hoult came rushing out to deal with Murphy's free kick and the Herminator took advantage of the loose ball, but Moore was on the line to clear. The half ended with Robinson up ending Thomas, but referee Halsey blithley waved play on. Was that a cheque he was clutching?
HT: Addicks 1, Baggies 1
The second half lacked the intensity and tempo of the first, at least until Earnshaw came on for the Baggies on 63 minutes. A Charlton free kick was nearly reached by the Herminator. Bartlett won the Addicks a corner, but Murphy's effort was not very good. A good run by Konchesky won Charlton another corner but it was wasted with Hoult catching it without difficulty. Hoult then went down injured for the second time in the game.
Robinson put in a dangerous low drive for the Baggies but Deano saved well on the ground. Earnshaw then came on in place of Richardson, giving the Baggies three up front to exploit Charlton's vulnerability.
The lively Thomas put in an excellent ball to the box, but Bartlett is not exactly an innovative striker and was unable to steer the ball round Hoult who made a vital save on the line.
With twenty minutes left Euell replaced JJ. The Herminator, whose geyser seemed to be functioning irregularly, made an error that led to Deano having to make a save. Then on 73 minutes Robinson swung in a cross from the left, Horsfield nodded the ball from the back post and Earnshaw put it past Deano to make it 1-2. Euell was in a position where he could have done something to close down Robinson and if Bartlett had been there he probably would have done, but our most expensive signing ever did not look very interested.
Murphy, who had not been having the best of games, was replaced by Rommedahl on 77 minutes. Matt Holland put in a good cross which went along the front of Hoult's goal, but no one was there to take advantage of it. Bryan Hughes was brought on at 82 minutes to give the Addicks some fresh legs and replace the fading Bartlett.
Almost immediately Earnshaw surged forward to make it 1-3. At the time it looked offside to me, but he may well have been played onside by Konchesky. Following a Baggies corner, Hughes brought down Chaplow, allowing Earnshaw to make it 1-4 from the penalty spot.
It was our biggest crowd ever at The Valley and a lovely sunny day but Charlton collapsed to an inferior team with a particularly annoying group of supporters. Charlton fans at least have the discernment not to sing 'The finest team the world has ever seen' under any circumstances and certainly not when they are in a relgation spot. I know that there are those who admire the supporters of Portsmouth who passionately support their team whatever is happening on the pitch and sometimes the Valley crowd could be more vociferous in their support. But on the whole I prefer the cooler approach displayed by Charlton fans.
Match analysis
Sometimes the Silver Bone is kept in the cupboard when Charlton have suffered a bad defeat, but this was not an occasion when the Addicks played badly. Match analyst Hooch the Pooch is still on holiday and his deputy Homer the Cherry Hound is in the dog house. So a somewhat baffled Luke Young found himself being jumped at by an excitable spaniel from Blewbury, Oxon, third string match analyst Monty Martin
whose last game was the home match against Leicester. Young forged forward effectively on a number of occasions and did his best in defence. Charlton's goals conceded record is poor this season and some questions must be asked about why Deano stays rooted to his line quite so much. Having said that, coming out exposed Hoult and Deano made some excellent saves. Neverthless, doesn't long-term prudence suggest that Andersen should be given a chance? El Karkouri's tackle, whether or not it justified a red card, was not really necessary as there was no real danger. Feesh is simply not fast enough and takes too many risks in the danger area. He did provide some good defensive headers, but I and others would rather have seen Perry start. Hreidarsson faced difficult circumstances, but he made more unforced errors than usual. Konchesky was once again lively and showed very considerable speed. He played some superb balls along the touchline with Thomas who made some good contributions but was nevertheless more subdued than against Spurs. Murphy was generally effective, although he gave the ball away a few times and is too inclined to cut inside when this is not a safe option. Holland was not up to his usual standard. JJ scored the Charlton goal and was generally quite effective, although perhaps he should have scored a second. Halsey gave him a pat on the back when he went off as if to say 'I know it's not easy against a biased referee.' Bartlett once again missed some chances to score. Euell was given a chance to show what he could when he came on as a substitute, but didn't do enough. Rommedahl showed plenty of energy, but failed to lift Charlton's game. Hughes was on for too short a time to be able to make any impact.
Hiss of the Match Cat (his owner is a minimalist) from next door was looking out from his window for our return and came round to join Juneau the Soccer Cat in a very loud hiss directed at referee Halsey.
Crowd rating Up against adversity, the Addickted did well in urging the team on as well as showing what they thought of Halsey. 7/10.
The scoreline bears no resemblance to the relative strength of the two teams, but Charlton's European hopes have been badly dented. In many ways, of course, it is a typical Charlton result. Do the difficult thing by beating Spurs and then slump to relegation candidates who, whatever they might think, have not escaped the drop. The Addicks played some fluent football, but they didn't advantage of their chances whereas the Baggies (and Earnshaw in particular) did.
Charlton as a team play good technical football with some creative passing. They are at their best against teams who play in the same, relatively cautious way. They have more difficulty against teams who play with aggression and passion which they are unable to match. The Baggies started the match assertively, while the Addicks displayed poor ball control that was to be a problem throughout.
Deano had to make an early save from Wallwork which led to a dangerous situation but Feesh was able to clear at the expense of a West Brom corner. The Herminator put in a good ball to the unmarked Bartlett and if he had been able to connect it would have been 1-0. Deano then had to save from Greening at the expense of a West Brom corner.
When the Baggies went ahead after nine minutes one had seen it coming. Greening put in a cross from the left that was only partially cleared by the Herminator, allowing Albrechsten to head the ball into the box. Gera put it across the front of goal, allowing Horsfield to put in a header that left Deano with no chance. It was a simple move and quite why Horsfield was unmarked remains unclear.
Bartlett put in an effort that was not far over. Then JJ broke through up front and was one on one with Hoult but his contact with the ball was not good and Hoult was able to get a hand to it at the expense of a Charlton corner.
Bartlett missed again and then West Brom were given a very dubious corner. The crowd were already beginning to suspect that the replacement of Harold Webb as referee was going to have an effect on the outcome of the game. The Baggies pulled off Gaardsoe and brought on Darren Moore.
West Brom were given a free kick on the edge of the area directly in front of goal and Deano had to make a good save by tipping the ball over. Deano had to punch the ball out from the corner, but unusually the Addicks were awarded a free kick.
On 24 minutes a through ball from Thomas released JJ. Hoult came racing out of his area and JJ evaded him and carried on to make it 1-1. Thomas put in a good ball to the Herminator, but all it led to was a Charlton throw in.
On 29 minutes El Karkouri put in his two footed tackle on Gera. It was definitely a booking, but some referees might have confined it to that. A mob of Baggies players surrounded Halsey and he raised the red card to the astonishment of the Moroccan.
An effort by the Baggies was just wide and gave them another corner. A mistake by Murphy, who wasn't having the best of games, led Deano to make a diving save from Wallwork. JJ won a free kick with a dive which looked as if he was going into the cold plunge from the sauna. Hoult came rushing out to deal with Murphy's free kick and the Herminator took advantage of the loose ball, but Moore was on the line to clear. The half ended with Robinson up ending Thomas, but referee Halsey blithley waved play on. Was that a cheque he was clutching?
HT: Addicks 1, Baggies 1
The second half lacked the intensity and tempo of the first, at least until Earnshaw came on for the Baggies on 63 minutes. A Charlton free kick was nearly reached by the Herminator. Bartlett won the Addicks a corner, but Murphy's effort was not very good. A good run by Konchesky won Charlton another corner but it was wasted with Hoult catching it without difficulty. Hoult then went down injured for the second time in the game.
Robinson put in a dangerous low drive for the Baggies but Deano saved well on the ground. Earnshaw then came on in place of Richardson, giving the Baggies three up front to exploit Charlton's vulnerability.
The lively Thomas put in an excellent ball to the box, but Bartlett is not exactly an innovative striker and was unable to steer the ball round Hoult who made a vital save on the line.
With twenty minutes left Euell replaced JJ. The Herminator, whose geyser seemed to be functioning irregularly, made an error that led to Deano having to make a save. Then on 73 minutes Robinson swung in a cross from the left, Horsfield nodded the ball from the back post and Earnshaw put it past Deano to make it 1-2. Euell was in a position where he could have done something to close down Robinson and if Bartlett had been there he probably would have done, but our most expensive signing ever did not look very interested.
Murphy, who had not been having the best of games, was replaced by Rommedahl on 77 minutes. Matt Holland put in a good cross which went along the front of Hoult's goal, but no one was there to take advantage of it. Bryan Hughes was brought on at 82 minutes to give the Addicks some fresh legs and replace the fading Bartlett.
Almost immediately Earnshaw surged forward to make it 1-3. At the time it looked offside to me, but he may well have been played onside by Konchesky. Following a Baggies corner, Hughes brought down Chaplow, allowing Earnshaw to make it 1-4 from the penalty spot.
It was our biggest crowd ever at The Valley and a lovely sunny day but Charlton collapsed to an inferior team with a particularly annoying group of supporters. Charlton fans at least have the discernment not to sing 'The finest team the world has ever seen' under any circumstances and certainly not when they are in a relgation spot. I know that there are those who admire the supporters of Portsmouth who passionately support their team whatever is happening on the pitch and sometimes the Valley crowd could be more vociferous in their support. But on the whole I prefer the cooler approach displayed by Charlton fans.
Match analysis
Sometimes the Silver Bone is kept in the cupboard when Charlton have suffered a bad defeat, but this was not an occasion when the Addicks played badly. Match analyst Hooch the Pooch is still on holiday and his deputy Homer the Cherry Hound is in the dog house. So a somewhat baffled Luke Young found himself being jumped at by an excitable spaniel from Blewbury, Oxon, third string match analyst Monty Martin
whose last game was the home match against Leicester. Young forged forward effectively on a number of occasions and did his best in defence. Charlton's goals conceded record is poor this season and some questions must be asked about why Deano stays rooted to his line quite so much. Having said that, coming out exposed Hoult and Deano made some excellent saves. Neverthless, doesn't long-term prudence suggest that Andersen should be given a chance? El Karkouri's tackle, whether or not it justified a red card, was not really necessary as there was no real danger. Feesh is simply not fast enough and takes too many risks in the danger area. He did provide some good defensive headers, but I and others would rather have seen Perry start. Hreidarsson faced difficult circumstances, but he made more unforced errors than usual. Konchesky was once again lively and showed very considerable speed. He played some superb balls along the touchline with Thomas who made some good contributions but was nevertheless more subdued than against Spurs. Murphy was generally effective, although he gave the ball away a few times and is too inclined to cut inside when this is not a safe option. Holland was not up to his usual standard. JJ scored the Charlton goal and was generally quite effective, although perhaps he should have scored a second. Halsey gave him a pat on the back when he went off as if to say 'I know it's not easy against a biased referee.' Bartlett once again missed some chances to score. Euell was given a chance to show what he could when he came on as a substitute, but didn't do enough. Rommedahl showed plenty of energy, but failed to lift Charlton's game. Hughes was on for too short a time to be able to make any impact.
Hiss of the Match Cat (his owner is a minimalist) from next door was looking out from his window for our return and came round to join Juneau the Soccer Cat in a very loud hiss directed at referee Halsey.
Crowd rating Up against adversity, the Addickted did well in urging the team on as well as showing what they thought of Halsey. 7/10.
posted by Wyn Grant at 8:28 PM
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