Open Letter To Alan C

Dear Mr Curbishley,

This season has been one largely of disappointment and dull, boring football. Admittedly, we have retained our Premier League status but in so doing have failed to provide much entertainment. Our traditional end-of-season slump has further disillusioned fans to the extent that we can’t really wait for the season to end. Although most of us would have accepted a top-ten finish at the start of the season, once we reached 40-odd points with twelve games to go I don’t believe it was asking too much to expect an exciting end to the season and perhaps European qualification. It could be argued that by reaching seventh with a dozen games to go we had in fact been punching above our weight, but once in that position we should have taken advantage of it. You would have thought that having reached ‘safety’ the pressure would have been off and we could have gone for it. Apparently not. At present the team seem to be lacking desire, pride, spirit and, above all, motivation. With games against Manchester Utd and champions Chelsea to come, the best we can hope for is a top twelve finish. It remains to be seen to what extent the squad will be able to be strengthened during the Summer as with each passing week we are throwing away another £500,000 due to our plummet down the table, which will also have a negative affect on season ticket renewals.

However, all is not yet lost. Both yourself and YOUR players still have a big opportunity to redeem this season for the fans. Crystal Palace, our arch enemy, visit The Valley on Sunday, May 15th. They are likely to need at least a point, if not all three, to escape relegation. They must not be allowed to leave The Valley with anything. Only a Charlton Athletic win will do. They must be relegated. Both the players and yourself will never be forgiven if at The Valley, OUR HOME, they get the result needed to keep them in the Premier League. If they get a result that allows them to stay up then there will be no need for our traditional lap of honour. There will be no-one there to see it.

Please Alan make your players aware of exactly how important this game is for Charlton Athletic fans, and why, and ensure that this season ends on a relative high. It will be a long, long summer if our lasting memory of this season is capitulation against Palace and their retention of a Premier League place.

Three Points at Norwich ? (or Norfolk Enchance?)

I wasn’t going to mention the Villa game but will anyway. A hard-earned point is about all you can say about this desperately grim encounter, plus the fact we didn’t concede I suppose. El Karkouri definitely makes the back four more solid although Kish was out of his depth at right-back. With Fuller on the bench I’d have played him at right-back and let Kish fill the midfield void that was Bryan Hughes. I was prepared to give Hughes the benefit of the doubt initially but now it’s definitely a case of Who’s he? JJ was, surprisingly, our best player and should retain his place at Norwich.

So now for what is, in effect, the last away game of the season. Chelsea at £40 and on Sky will be a no-go for many especially as they’ll be parading some trophy or other around at the final whistle. At least we’ve won the real Championship more recently than they have. Anyway, I digress. Norwich is always a decent day out and tomorrow should be no exception. The sun should be shining and 2,300 plus Charlton fans will hopefully see a decent performance at a ground that, in recent years at least, has provided very rich pickings indeed.

As for the team, I’d doubt there would be much change to that which started at Villa Park with the one likely change being Young for the injured HH at left-back. Personally, I’d bring Fuller in at right-back and replace Hughes with Kish in midfield. The advantage of this is two-fold. Hughes is so anonymous that we need Kish in the centre of the park alongside Murphy and Holland plus Kish was like a fish (oh no, I’ve just had a horrible vision flash before me) out of water at Villa Park at full-back and there is no harm in taking a look at Barry Fuller.

Finally, the Daily Express reported today that Mateja Kezman could be on his way back to PSV. However, a source close to the West London club has informed me not to be surprised if instead he makes the short journey across London in the close season to join the club he really should have signed for last summer. We’ll say no more for now but you heard it here first!! Like the Mounties Curbs always gets his man in the end.

Anyway, Up The Addicks !! For anyone travelling tomorrow – see you up there in a sea of Red & White.

A Trip Too Far

A day off Wednesday and a trip to Villa Park to look forward to. That’s to say about a month ago I was looking forward to it. Now I approach it with a fair amount of trepidation. I keep saying to myself that if we can take six, or even four, points from the next two games then we are right back in the mix for seventh spot but there is nothing to remotely justify this misguided optimism. To be honest I’ll be happy with a spirited team performance full of pride, passion, spirit and endeavour but I won’t hold my breath.

I expect to see Talal back in the starting line-up at the expense of Fortune and Luke Young to take his place at full back. The rest of the defence picks itself although as our season is over I’d ‘blood’ Stephan Andersen in at least a couple of games between now and the end of the season to give him a taste of the Premiership so he’ll know what to expect when called on. To be fair I’m not entirely happy with Deano’s recent performances and in my opinion, although an excellent shot-stopper, he rarely comes for crosses and fails to sufficiently command his area. This permeates through to the defence and leads to uncertainty in some situations. In midfield I’d stick with Rommerdahl, who was excellent against Bolton and showed exactly what he is capable off given a decent chance, and Thomas in the wide positions with a central midfield trio of Murphy, Holland and Kish. Matt Holland is taking stick in some quarters but I believe that much of what he does goes unnoticed because it is unspectacular. However, he works his socks off and whilst he has not been at his best recently you can never accuse him of not trying. Up-front it has to be Franny Jeffers. I am firmly of the opinion that given a decent run in the team Franny will prove that he can score goals in the Premiership. However, we cannot expect him to thrive if we don’t create chances for him so with both Thomas and Rommerdahl in the team there should be no reason why they cannot provide the ammunition for our Fox in The Box.

Let’s hope (pray if you are that way inclined) for an improved performance and three much needed points. I’ll put my optimistic hat on and go for Villa 1 Charlton Athletic 2 (one a penalty - oh, now I am being ridiculous).

Up The Addicks !!!

Can Pride be Restored ?

Despite only three weeks ago saying he had a fully fit squad with players battling for places in the team for the run-in Curbs is now bemoaning an injury 'crises'. Three injuries a crises ? You can hardly call an injury to Mark Fish a crises, more a blessing. The injury to Shaun Bartlett has come at a bad time in that he is the only striker able to play the loan target man in the 4-5-1 formation and he is currently in a reasonable run both form and goal wise. The injury to Kish is, in my opinion, not one to be overly concerned about. He has hardly set the Premier League alight this season and in Konch we have a player who can play that role equally as well, if not better, and is available for the Bolton game as his suspension doesn't kick in until Villa on Wednesday, a game that, coincidentally, will see the return of the much missed Talal El-Karkouri. El-Karkouri's untimely, but justified, sending off against WBA not just ruined our chances of three points from that game but has also derailed our entire season and seriously threatened our dream of European qualification. This has also in my opinion scuppered any chance Talal had of winning the CASC Player of The Year Award, an award that should go to Luke Young who has had an outstanding season and to boot has won over his many detractors.
Don't forget to vote either this Saturday or against Manchester Utd.

So, a must win game if we have any chance of securing seventh spot. I expect to see another run out for 4-4-2 with Jeffers and Lisbie up-front. Elsewhere in the team it's hard to predict any change to the defensive personnel and likewise the midfield is likely to be that at Pompey after Kish's early departure.

What is sorely needed is an injection of pride and passion. Let's hope that Curbs can fully motivate them this week and with the crowd behind them there is no reason why we cannot return to winning ways. Up The Addicks !!!

Curbs Under Pressure

Just to get things straight from the start. I am not one of the Curbs out brigade. At least, not yet. Equally, I am not one of those that will blindly defend Curbs to the hilt because of what he has done for our Club.

Alan Curbishley is, in my opinion, Charlton Athletic Football Club’s greatest ever manager. His achievements cannot be underestimated but, at the same time, this cannot be allowed to obscure justifiable criticism that is currently being aimed in his direction. Those who blindly defend him are sadly deluded. If some fans are currently criticising Curbs it doesn’t mean that they don’t recognise his achievements but they are not allowing them to cloud their judgement of recent events. I, and other fans whose opinions I respect, are quite rightly questioning as to whether Curbs has taken us as far as he is capable of going. It is no disgrace if this is the case. It happens at all clubs in the end.

This season has been, frankly, dull. Debates have raged over formations but I realise Curbs has been forced to play 4-5-1 because he has recognised that he doesn’t have the personnel currently at his disposal to play his favoured 4-4-2 system. However, that does not have to mean that we play football that is as dull as dishwater. The 4-5-1 system should be fluid enough to become 4-3-3 during games and we have the players to suite this but Curbs hasn’t seen fit to stick with Rommerdahl sufficiently to make this work. By using square pegs to fit round holes we have become a negative team using what should be positive tactics. Add to this the fact that the team lacks motivation, desire, passion and, perhaps surprisingly of all, team spirit and you are left with a very disappointing end to a generally disappointing season. Ninth at present, seventh a couple of weeks ago but, in general, a lack of excitement and entertainment. Alan has also alienated a number of senior players, especially Jeffers, Euell and Rommerdahl. Add to this the dubious return of Fish to the West Brom line-up and the then indefensible (literally) selection of him again against Man City and you have another question mark over Curbs judgement.

For the fourth season out of five we seem to have amassed the required forty points and then hit a brick wall. Perhaps Curbs has too. One win in nine games is simply unacceptable. Perhaps he is unable to take us beyond the point where survival is assured and a position achieved from which we can push on to the next stage, European football. It is no point in arguing that we are punching above our weight as, in my opinion, so are Bolton and Everton, but if they are capable of forcing themselves into European qualification then why can’t we. It is only right that we should question Alan’s ability to take us further. We should not be prepared to sit on our laurels and be satisfied with where we are in relation to where we have come from. To do so could easily lead to complacency and an acceptance of survival as being the benchmark to which we aspire.

Current criticism of Curbs is in my opinion justified. With season ticket renewals due very shortly our end of season slump will have a detrimental effect on the volume of renewals. Rightly or wrongly fans are dissatisfied with what they have generally witnessed this season. With the cost of a season ticket rising significantly for next season fans are not greatly looking forward to more of the same. If Alan wants to improve the quality of the squad for next season then recent performances have hardly helped towards securing the mass season ticket renewal that would generate the funds required for squad investment.

In all walks of life there comes a time when you have maximised your potential, when you have reached so far but can reach no further. Time will tell as to whether Alan Curbishley has reached this point. In the meantime there is no harm in debating as to whether this is the case.

No Defence for Fish

Well, just when I thought it couldn’t get much worse it nearly did. After the West Brom debacle I thought that, on reflection, it was just one of those games and we couldn’t be that poor again. How wrong can you be. Against West Brom there were some extenuating circumstances but against Man City there can be no excuses. When Curbs says we made them look like Brazil he is right but he is the one who both selects the team and then sends it out onto the pitch and so he too should be prepared to shoulder much of the blame. For starters, what was Fish doing in the team. He was awful against West Brom, preferred then over Chris Perry who was outstanding three days earlier against Spurs, and now paired with Perry for the first time this season. After ten minutes anyone could see that he was well off the pace and needed replacing straight away. Curbs was lucky that half-time arrived with us only 2-1 behind because Fish was exposed time and again and only the wayward finishing of Macken, combined with the heroics of Deano, gave us a glimmer of hope. The fact he made two half-time substitutions shows exactly how poor we were.

Although he was awful it is only fair to point out that Fish wasn’t the only culprit but it was evident his ineptness affected the whole of the back four leading to bad first half performances from both HH and Perry. The introduction of Fortune at the break lead to a solid rearguard performance in the second half. Jeffers replaced the ineffectual JJ and had a good half in a 4-4-2 formation. The second half performance was an improvement but a last ditch Perry goal gave us an undeserved draw and in my opinion saved the blushes of the manager more than that of the players.

Each of the last few seasons we have fallen away at the last hurdle and each season we hear the same old excuses. Well, enough is enough. It is high time that Curbs found a way of motivating his players although why the chance of Uefa Cup competition isn’t enough motivation in itself is beyond me. We deserve more than this end of season capitulation and it doesn’t help when it comes at the same time as a sizeable season ticket rise for next season and a drive by the Club for fans to renew early. The team are hardly encouraging that are they ? I watch for news of renewal numbers with interest.

Let’s hope that the 1,700 yellow shirted fans going to Pompey are rewarded with a performance of which we can be proud and a result with which we are happy.

Finally, thanks to All Quiet In The East Stand for bringing to our attention the XXX Rated Charlton Lass (link removed in the interest of decency I'm afraid), strictly for over eighteen’s only. If anyone recognises her then ask her to stop, please !