Que Sera Sera

Has there ever been occasion before when the only upset from the sixteen cup matches constituting the fourth round of the FA Cup has been the holders getting through?

A week of football that has seen us beat two and discover a third opponent in this prestigious competition, cup fever has certainly hit our part of South East London to a degree not seen for far too long.

I'm a huge fan of the cup, the extra preliminary round, the third round draw, the sunny final in May with hours of build up, I love every moment of it, even if it hasn't always been that kind to us. You could be forgiven for immediately groaning as the last two draws have been made; trips to the two clubs we escaped from League One alongside. Away from home though we currently stand far more chance as round three proved.

After a scary start we pulled Oxford back to a draw in the much delayed first outing of our assault on the trophy, but on Tuesday, on a proper playing surface, we looked far more professional as we ended up strolling into the fourth round and a third visit of the season to Huddersfield.

I've had some great away days in the cup following Charlton, a quarter final defeat at Bolton Wanderers with charging police horses, a dramatic victory against then Premier League Coventry City and more recently a fine day on the ale at Fulham. But as I'm older, married, working on Saturday mornings, boracic and to be honest just a tad lazy, I wasn't going to seek permission, take a day's holiday, borrow some wedge and get off my posterior to see a third defeat of season at the home of The Terriors.

How I wish I had, and i doff my cap to those that did, just to have seen young Harry Lennon appear from the bench to make his debut to the tune of "He's better than John..." Superb.

Before kick off I was bemoaning the departure of Michael Smith to Swindon Town to a friend. Chris Powell had said that the young lad needed week in, week out first team football. I'd have let him have it over Church and Sodall gladly, and of course he scored the first of two debut goals on the half hour and my theories were confirmed. How was I to know Simon Church would cap off a fine Charlton passing move later in the afternoon to seal our spot in the last sixteen?

As games go it was no classic, the talking point being a rash challenge or two from Dale Stephens culminating in a mass brawl which also saw Michael Morrison have his name taken for squaring up. The tackle on Adam Hammill was, on further viewing, dangerous and deserved far stronger action from the official. Comments Hammill said himself in a roundabout way on his twitter account; these were accompanied by a photograph of his knee which had swollen up like a barrage balloon.

To the fifth round draw then and I, like every other Charlton fan, was glued to the television having watched Chelsea stroll past a lackluster Stoke to join us in the last sixteen wishing that rather than a needless interview with Frank Lampard, Adrian Chiles would just hurry up and send us to Wembley to put pay to this uncontrollable excitement.

Citeh got Chelsea, Arsenal got Liverpool, I feared our big fish was going to be Cardiff, no disrespect. Even they came and went dragging Wigan with them. Out came Wednesday next and I knew, just knew that the number four ball was to follow.

It's a very winnable game, a very real chance of making the quarter finals and then we're just ninety minutes from Wembley.  When I watched Whyteleafe in the extra preliminary round the lads there had a tin foil cup, I wonder if they still have it? I'd love to hold that aloft in England's home of football wearing a huge rosette. Daft? Perhaps, but didn't Harry Lennon once sing "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one"?

No Running. No Diving.

Tweet of the day was courtesy of Charlton Life, "Charlton have won the toss and will be attacking the Shallow End in the 1st half."
The twice postponed FA Cup clash against Oxford United had finally been given the go ahead, the pitch looked dreadful, the stadium was shut in many areas, and the visitors wore a purple shirt instead of a yellow one. Presumably to make them easier to spot by lifeguards should they get into difficulty and find themselves drowning.

It was Charlton however that found themselves out of their depth. New signings Astrit Ajdarević and Yohann Thuram-Ulien, a highly rated goalkeeper also signed on loan from Standard Liege, were both illegible to play as I believe the team had to be picked from those registered at the original date of the fixture. Chris Powell was nevertheless still determined to show his intentions in the competition by fielding a strong starting eleven.

The two new boys were nonetheless in attendance, part of the reported four and a half thousand cheering on the home side (870 made the trip from Oxford), but they were just getting used to their new surroundings, leaving their silicone swim hats and goggles back at their digs for another day.

Charlton were sinking without a trace on the field, a battling Oxford side taking a two goal advantage into the break, the team desperately trying to prove there's ridicule to be had from more than just our pitch alone. Chris Powell could do nothing about the playing surface, the performance however was another matter. He admitted the first half showing was the worst he'd witnessed in his three year tenure going on to say how he let the side know in no uncertain terms that he wasn't happy.

It did the trick, a much harder work rate coupled with a superb substitute performance from Danny Green saw the Addicks claw the two goals back and set up a third meeting of the season between the sides, probably next Tuesday, at the Kassam stadium. Another exhilarating cup trip to Huddersfield is still a possibility then.

AFC Bournemouth won their own third round replay last night against Burton Albion meaning that whatever the outcome of our own replay, the home fixture against the Cherries scheduled for January 25th has now been postponed.

As a footnote, it would appear that another new signing, Ms Katrien Meire, was in attendance last night. Recently appointed director at Charlton, I have it on good authority from a couple of friends that she is rather pleasing on the eye, well much more so than the first half performance at any rate!

And so we venture to Middlesbrough Saturday after a lengthy absence from league action and there's every possibility we could see a couple of new faces take the field. It's just typical that for the first time during this campaign Boro have found a bit of form...

Just another week in the life of Charlton Athletic

We are promised excitement, but have been delivered the opposite. Very early stages they may be but how welcome the news of this new adventure is this week considering the latest on pitch (or more precisely off pitch) developments.

Friday morning saw our FA Cup fixture  against Oxford United called off, the first of the weekend's fixtures to fall foul of the persistent wind and rain. A collapsed drainage system at one end of The Valley is said to be at blame, the embarrassment though stems from the game being called off twenty four hours before many non-league fixtures.

A dome tent has now been erected on the pitch but far too late to save the midweek fixture and Wednesday's rearrangement has therefore also been axed. If Saturday's league game against Barnsley also fails to go ahead we'll have been without competitive football for two weeks. At least the postponement guaranteed our name going into the fourth round hat.

Sunday saw the draw, and our reward(?) should we finally get the chance to defeat Oxford will be yet another trip to Huddersfield Town. There have been many stories in both the back and front pages of late regarding match fixing. Has anybody thought to bring draw fixing to the attention of the FA?

Under normal circumstances these events would have deflated even the most upbeat of supporters, but, like Paul Lambert, Addicks up and down the land have this weekend seen the prestigious cup competition as little more than a distraction. The only thing on the lips of the fans at the moment is new owner Roland Duchâtelet and what impact his regime will have on the club.

News of the Standard Liege owner's company, Staprix NV purchasing the club broke over twitter on Thursday evening, and was followed by the clubs official website on Friday stating that Richard Murray was to stay on as a non-executive chairman whilst Slater, Jimenez and Prothero were departing.

We saw this news coming, what we didn't expect was the news that followed shortly afterwards. Astrit Ajdarević a young Swedish attacking midfielder has to come to SE7 on a six month loan deal from, yes you guessed it, Standard Liege. A player and a large tarpaulin, things are moving quickly under our Roland.

Ajdarević, who will wear the number 42 shirt should we eventually take to the pitch again, has FA Youth Cup honours with Liverpool, international recognition with Sweden at all youth levels, and a working knowledge of our manager through their time together at Leicester City. The first of a new foreign influx of players we can't pronounce?

There is black and white proof that Duchâtelet comes into clubs and shakes things up his way, selling the stars for big money and changing managers like he does his socks. We can only hope his cheque book is sitting willingly upon his new oak desk and the inkwell is full. If we don't have on pitch action to indulge in, news of continual contract signing will be more than welcomed.

Chris Powell will be hoping he has the rest of the season to prove his worth, Roland can't help but have noticed how loved the manager is by the supporters. Should he eventually decide that a change is needed, he couldn't begin to compete with Millwall in the farcical stakes. Even Vincent Tan would struggle to match the appointment of ex-Palace boss Ian Holloway at The New Den as a replacement for Steve Lomas.

As we embark upon a new and hopefully fruitful chapter in this football club, it is bracing to know some things will always remain the same. Continued opportunity to laugh at our rivals.

twenty four hours later........

I honestly thought we would be pumped up and raring to go yesterday. An opening day defeat needed redressing, a natural high after midweek cup success, the first Valley league match of the season, all the ingredients were there, but we were poor. Poorer than poor at times.

I remember Solly turning and winning the ball on the touchline in front of the dugouts, I remember Gower making a solid and powerful tackle to thwart a Boro attack, two positives from ninety minutes. I remember plenty more, Kermorgant spending most the game on the deck, Morrison playing the ball sideways, backwards and always looking so uncomfortable, and I remember Sordell doing, well nothing really.

This was supposed to be the light at the end of the tunnel after a very tough week, I hadn't managed to get to the 4-0 drubbing of  Oxford United in the League Cup as I was stuck at work, no, this was my release of a week's worth of pent up aggression and disappointment. I boarded my train back to London Bridge in a far worse state that I had arrived in. We had been beaten by a team no better than ourselves, and a team that really didn't look like they wanted it that much either. And I had paid good money to feel this depressed.

The goal that won it for the visitors was soft, but more worryingly the build up had been equally soft. Poor clearances combined with a lack of communication, the third Saturday in succession that poor defending has been penalised.

And it's hard to see why. The defence is the one area that has been strengthened. Dervite has shown he's more than able at this level, Morrison, Cort, Wood and the full backs have all also proved themselves in the second tier, but we are playing like a team very low on confidence of their own ability, and this on the second week of the season!

The midfield is no better. Jackson started but obviously wasn't anywhere near ready only managing to last the first forty five. Why did the gaffer take this gamble? Is he not trusting enough of the rest of his squad? Stephens came on and showed a couple of moments of the promise he could posses but generally was as poor as Gower alongside him in the middle. Harriott ran at everyone but never knew what to do with the ball once beating his man while Danny Green just looked out of his depth.

Up front Kermorgant did his usual falling down and moaning when it wasn't going his way, his relationship with Sordell was non existent as if they'd only learnt each others names a few days ago. Oh hang on.....

Simon Church came on for Sordell and quite frankly couldn't have been less effective than the Bolton man if he'd tried. He ran a lot, chased lost causes but offered little in the great scheme of things.

Sure enough, as is the Charlton way of waiting until it's almost beyond us before having a go, a goal down and seventy five gone on the clock we had a little rally, a tiny little spell of pressure culminating in Green finding an opportunity but he took far too long to compose himself and wasted it. Just as we got this momentum Powell then made a double substitution and quashed it as quickly as it started. Lawrie Wilson came on alongside Church, you'd have to say looking at the player that married life agrees with him.

And so it fizzled out. As a spectacle it was abysmal, the world and it's dog are busy saying don't panic, we're only two games in but really, where do you see the improvement coming from? Harsh I may be but I think we are in for a much tougher ride this season than we were the last.

Sordell is on loan from a team in the same division, where will his loyalties lay? Church wasn't wanted by Reading, or Birmingham who gave him a trial, in fact a week before the season started he wasn't wanted by anyone. Now there is talk of resigning someone we didn't really want ourselves anymore in May. If I was Fuller I know exactly what I'd say to any job offer. It's hard to lay blame at the boss, he can only do his best but I do wonder how long even his infectious smile can keep geeing up a group of despondent footballers.

The post match beer at London Bridge really didn't promise much jollity. Even though the talk was diverted away from the match, the previous week's events fashioned forlorn conversation. Little did we know a group of lads and lasses from Wigan would befriend us. Drunk long before we met them, hat appreciation was the initial key and from then on we had our very own northern fan club. We certainly got the chance to finish the day with an unexpected good laugh.

In London, obviously, for today's Charity Shield match at Wembley, we asked one lad what his plans were for match day. His reply? "Avoiding the police." Top lad.

Cherries and peaches.

Charlton Athletic today started their 'Sky Bet' (oh dear) Championship campaign on the south coast at newly promoted Bournemouth. Resplendent in their new white away shirts the home supporters may have been forgiven for thinking the mighty Real Madrid had returned for a rematch. Those supporters that had seen another pay day and could afford to attend another football match that is.

Of course this was a far more even affair than the high profile friendly The Cherries played last month, and a good indicator for both sides on how the summer and the new season preparation had gone.

With the arrival of two new strikers on Thursday of last week, Chris Powell finally had a realistic claim to play something other than a 4-5-1 formation, opting to give Marvin Sordell a debut alongside Yann Kermorgant up front. The big team news however was Johnnie Jackson missing out with a calf niggle, Morrison was named skipper in his absence. Dervite partnered Morrison with Solly and former Bournemouth full back Rhoys Wiggins completed Ben Hamer's defence.

New signing Mark Gower started alongside another veteran, Andy Hughes, in the middle of the park with Pritchard and Harriott running wide.

Charlton started steadily enough but the home side soon began to mount some continuous pressure, culminating in the opening goal. A defensive lack of concentration saw Lewis Grabban nod home from former Charlton youngster Harry Arter's cross. Very highly rated on the coast, a Bournemouth supporting friend jested with me last season on how we let this lad through the net. It always comes back to haunt us doesn't it.

Bournemouth came close again only two minutes later and in many ways Charlton could think themselves lucky to go into the break still very much in the game. Bournemouth had certainly played the first forty five minutes in the same manner as they finished the previous campaign and with the enthusiasm and gall of a newly promoted side.

If they were now accustomed to seeing world class opposition at Dean Court, Yann Kermorgant's equalizer four minutes into the second period will have come as no surprise to them. Anything Ronaldo and company can do.....

A lovely scissor style volley of pure power (do we still use the term 'peach' or is that old hat?) from the Frenchman livened a consistently audible away following to new levels, these new kids on the block needed taking down a peg or two from experienced Championship hands. If only. That lesson may have to wait a week or two and be dealt by another club.

Grabben grabbed his second (bugger, I promised myself I wouldn't sink that low) with another 'peach' of a strike from the edge of the area. There was no way back. Bradley Pritchard came closest but his effort was cleared off the Bournemouth goal line while Dervite also had a header go close.

Pritchard didn't last much longer after his attempt to score. A straight red after a late lunge on Ryan Fraser saw the midfielder walking only five minutes after Charlton had used their final substitutes. Simon Church made his debut replacing Sordell not long after the hour mark,  while Green and Stephens then came on for a double substitution replacing the aging and tiring old boys in the middle. With a combined age of 69 in the heart of our midfield it was no surprise they didn't see out the full ninety minutes!

It's early days and as Hungry Ted quite rightly pointed out on twitter, no side has been relegated on the opening day of the season. Let's put this down to experience, allow the new boys a happy start to life at this level and just enjoy the fact that football is back. We've plenty of time to start the moaning properly, perhaps even on Tuesday night after Oxford United have visited us in the League Cup.

Are we nearly there yet?

They say a week is a long time in football. This is true, unless of course it's the start of the summer interlude when a week just seems like a long time full stop.

After a lovely summer holiday in Prague with my wife, the next 'light at the end of the tunnel' to get me through the working week will be the pre-season friendlies which start less than three weeks away at Welling. The past seven days have seen the Charlton machine gathering momentum with almost daily 'breaking news', I went to the Czech Republic blissfully unaware that every time I found a WiFi hotspot my phone would vibrate like the clappers, timelines more congested than border control at Gatwick.

Before departing we had the news of the St Mirren friendly in Spain, it was then announced that the Addicks would play a second match whilst abroad, this time facing a Gibraltar XI. As much as I cannot afford (or get time off work for) another European jaunt this summer, I'm a little saddened I cannot venture to Spain. How many of us can boast we've seen Gibraltar play football at their national stadium on Winston Churchill Avenue? These truly are little football 'bucket list' gems aren't they! And as for St Mirren, well I've a true soft spot for Scottish football as a whole and The Buddies side of the early 80's did of course contain the legendary Jimmy Bone. Need I say more?

picture courtesy of The Football Attic   

          

Charlton, as faithful a dealer as there ever was, are still going to give me a little injection of Scotland though as they announced that for the only home friendly we will be hosting Inverness Caledonian Thistle, a side I've followed with some interest since their inception and their Highland League days, an amalgamation of two teams far more successful than anything Robert Maxwell attempted a decade earlier.

Another game now confirmed is a League Cup fixture at home to Oxford United. Not something to get particularly excited about I know, given our record in the tournament and last season's poor showing against Leyton Orient. The ground will only be open in small areas, the atmosphere will be non-existent and it will, in fairness, feel like one more friendly but for me again another soft spot.

When I think of Oxford I always picture Paul Konchesky making his debut for the first team against a side featuring former Sutton United man Stuart 'yes I did eat all the pies' Massey. Then of course there was their old Manor Ground, a random collection of sheds and steps, possibly the allotment of all old football grounds..........

And so came Monday evening, I'm at Prague airport and looking for an internet connection. I was well aware of an event taking place at The Valley, the unveiling of the upcoming season's new home shirt, the second home offering from N**e.

New signing Mark Gower along with Under 21 captain Bradley Jordan sported the new attire complemented by two very meticulous haircuts. The fantastic free WiFi in Prague's impressive if somewhat disorganized airport meant I too could share the moment with them. The lighter shade of red is a traditionally more Charlton colour (it's not a variant of orange we are told), the trim is white but that is where my positivity ends. The collar/neck is, we are told, buttoned at the front although they are obviously invisible when done up, this to me just makes it look like a Velcro fastening. The thin white trim on the sleeves isn't overpowering and a nice touch but I don't think we'll ever go on to consider it to be a classic, not like this beauty!

The internet had been full of creations by amateur kit designers on possible new Charlton shirts, some of them ripping off old templates, others creative, fresh and intriguing. Maybe some of these big brands should take note of what's achieved on lap tops around the capital. Perhaps these ideas fuelled my anticipation and heightened my disappointment of the real thing.  As all the wise old heads on twitter are quick to point out though, it's the team that matters, not the shirt and, if truth be told I wouldn't be giving N**e any of my money for one no matter how lovely a design so who am I to  moan.

Tomorrow morning sees the announcement of the fixture list and the final piece to shape the landscape of the impending season. People supposedly 'in the know' have already tried to leak opening day fixtures, I expect to achieve more virtual followers or friends, I'm happy to sit it out and ponder the possibilities for another twelve or so hours. Then I'll start scribbling dates on the calendar and making travel and work plans. Are we nearly there yet? Almost.