Under Pressure !

In my last post I suggested the forthcoming five games would shape the destiny of the whole season. Well, things got off to a pretty bad start at Villa Park on Saturday. A woeful performance in which we offered very little against an equally poor Villa side. They at least created chances although the quality of their play was as bad as ours. However, four consecutive defeats have now put considerable pressure on the next two Premier League games at home to Manchester City and Sunderland where no less than four points minimum will suffice. Firstly though Blackburn Rover’s trip to The Valley on Wednesday in the Carling Cup should be viewed with much trepidation. The recent trouncing at Ewood Park together with Rovers decent display at Highbury at the weekend means we enter this game with confidence at a low ebb and the pressure well and truly on.

And the pressure is now on Alan Curbishley more than most. Now is the time for AC to bring home the bacon. On Saturday his selection policy was criticised by most of the travelling fans, and rightly so, because by leaving out our most creative players in Murphy and Rommerdahl, the latter of whom didn’t even make the bench, we had lost the game before we had even started. Murphy has scored four goals this season and created numerous others and even when he has been below par, as he certainly has recently, he is still likely to pop up with a couple of exquisite passes to create opportunities for others as he did at Portsmouth for Ambrose and Rommerdahl. His replacement on Saturday, Holland, is unlikely to do this on a regular basis and neither is Kishishev or Smertin. Ambrose is the only other midfielder likely to be able to produce that extra bit of quality required.

The defence is currently at sixes and sevens and Curbs really needs to go back to basics here. Hermann must start at left-back; Powell is past it and Spector isn’t up to it at the moment, whilst Perry must return at centre-half. Karkouri is the other obvious centre-half although I’m not convinced that he is up to the job. Other than another striker in January I really think we need a quality centre-half. Sorondo was absolutely awful for the reserves last week whilst Fortune also has his limitations. I’d stick with Andersen in goal although I wouldn’t be all that surprised if Myrhe replaced him between the posts. Forget Keily as an option as it seems his days are numbered at The Valley and he is likely to be off in January to pastures new.

Finally, spare a thought for Darren Bent. Starved of service in recent weeks he must be really frustrated at the moment but to his immense credit he is still working his socks off and was unlucky with his only half-chance on Saturday. To compound this frustration I wonder how he felt when paired with the enigmatic Lisbie for the second-half on Saturday. He certainly didn’t deserve that and neither did we.

Problems On and Off The Pitch

Before we address matters on the pitch a brief word on events off it. Without wanting to comment on events that are subject to legal proceedings it once again seems as though the behavior of a minority of so-called Manchester United fans has crossed the boundary of what is considered acceptable. The whole story, as reported on the CAFC website, leads Charlton to believe that there is no other conclusion than a ban on United fans the next time they visit The Valley. They have been asked politely, on numerous occasions, to comply with ground regulations and have refused to do so whilst at the same time causing considerable trouble and injury to others. Assaults on staff, both physical and verbal, are not acceptable and neither is racist abuse. However, I'd like to next time round see a dramatic reduction in Utd's allocation, to around 1,500, and a dramatic increase in the amount of Police and stewards in attendance but only if Utd agree to pay for the extra cost of such an operation. If that game passes without incident then the following year the allocation can be slightly increased and so on and so on. Drastic measures are called for but if the Board ultimately advocate that a total ban is what is required then I support Charlton completely in this course of action.

Back to more mundane, but equally concerning, matters and this time on the pitch. It is now plainly obvious that we cannot persist with 4-5-1 at The Valley but it is equally obvious, and painfully so, that we do not possess another striker capable of playing alongside Bent, even if one were fit. However, that doesn't mean we don't have another player capable of performing that role. Step forward Darren Ambrose. Having played up-front in his Ipswich Town days Ambrose could be the answer to the problem; at least until the transfer window opens. Composed on the ball and tricky with it, he possesses an eye for goal that all our other so-called strikers do not. Alongside Bent, or perhaps just behind him, Ambrose would provide Bent with both support and chances to convert as well as chipping in with a few of his own. Another alternative would be a switch to 4-3-3. Thomas and Ambrose to support and provide for Bent which will ensure that the midfield trio, so important to our game, can remain intact. Away from home however I would persist with 4-5-1. Five wins and a solitary defeat from six away games is a fantastic return and there is no reason why this successful system cannot continue to bear considerable fruit away from The Valley.

The next five games will shape the ultimate destiny of our season. Away games at Aston Villa and Wigan Athletic squeezed either side of home games against Man City and Sunderland all provide more than adequate opportunities to get some points on the board. Eight points or more will see us enter the Xmas/New Year period in the top eight at least and looking forward to every chance of European qualification. Six points or less will see us looking nervously over our shoulders at the closing pack and a season of mid table mediocrity. In between is a chance of progress in the Carling Cup and a place in the last eight that victory over Blackburn Rovers would provide. After that who knows what may happen. The next month will be very interesting indeed.

Change The Record

Played 12, Drawn 2, Lost 10. Hardly makes good reading does it ? Our record in the Premier League against ManYoo is frankly appalling. Half decent performances have been few and far between and mainly they have been disappointing to say the least and none more so than last season’s capitulation at The Valley. This needs to change, and now. Another defeat at The Valley will see our good start to the season merely become an okay one and the prospect of another season of mid-table obscurity.

It remains to be seen where AC will tinker with the team but some tinkering is both necessary and unavoidable. With the unavailability of Jon Spector a change at left-back is certain but whether that will see the return of Chrissy Powell or the switching of Hermann across the back line remains to be seen. The latter would not only mean that we would lose probably our best centre half from the heart of the defence but it would mean the recall of Karkouri whom I am far from convinced about. The former at least would mean that the centre half pairing would not be disrupted and Powell can be relied upon to put in a dependable performance. In the long term, as previously stated, I remain unconvinced by Karkouri whilst no-one has seen enough of Sorondo to be able to judge whether or not he could make one of the positions his own. Fortune is dependable but far from being capable of being able to perform the role on a regular basis. Perhaps the linking of Aston Villa left back JLloyd Samuel with a move to The Valley in January would suggest that Curbs sees Hermann as a centre half long term.

Elsewhere the side practically picks itself except from the goalkeeping position perhaps. In my opinion Stephan Andersen has done nothing wrong and to replace him just because Deano is unhappy with his lot would be unwise although many seem to think otherwise. The midfield will pick itself especially with Jerome Thomas injured and Smertin fit again. Hughes will drop out from the team that started at Ewood Park two weeks ago and the 4-5-1 formation will be persevered with for at least another week. With Thomas injured Lloyd Sam may get the nod for a place on the bench especially after his omission from the reserves this week. Expect Holland, Bothroyd, Karkouri and a keeper to make up the bench warmers.

Talking of the reserves I’m a tad confused. I thought that players such as Bartlett, Sorondo and Euell were on their way back from injury and others such as Bothroyd, JJ and Lisbie were lacking match fitness but none of them appeared for the reserves this week. Either they were given time off during the international break which, for the reasons stated above, seems strange, or our injury situation is really a crises. If so, our squad now looks pretty thin on the ground.

Roll on Saturday; a good fry-up down the café and three points off the Mancs. Up The Addicks !!

Smerts Staying Put

A very entertaining evening was had at last night's City Addicks meeting. Theo Foley and Steve Gritt were very forthcoming on certain issues and a good, and boozy, night was had by all. The one lady in attendance, Brenda I believe her name was, seemed to spend the whole evening flirting with Theo or was that just my imagination.

Charlton Athletic director David White was also in attendance and revealed that, despite fan's worries to the contrary, Alexei Smertin was on a season long loan at The Valley and cannot be recalled by Chelsea during the January transfer window even if they wanted to do so. The possibility of a permanent transfer remains although Alexei has opted to wait until the end of the season when he will review all of the options available to him.

It seems that there is money available to spend in the January transfer window but suggestions on certain message boards that the figure of £20m was mentioned are way off the mark and can be put down as drunken ramblings. Curbs knows where he wants to spend the money and one can only hope that it will be on another decent striker and perhaps another defensive midfielder.

Oh, and Benty is fit for Blackburn tomorrow after suffering from nothing worse than a heavy cold.

Stating The Obvious

I know, but there are two things we desperately need at Charlton Athletic at the moment. Three actually if you include a home win. The first two though are 1) another decent striker and 2) a Plan B.

At the moment we have Plan A and very little else although Plan A has worked extremely well away from home this season. In fact it has a 100 % success rate. Darren Bent up front in a 4-5-1 formation, two wide players, a midfield trio of Smertin, Kishishev and Murphy, a dependable back four and Stephan Andersen. Sorted. Except it doesn't work at home, even when Benty is playing, and when he isn't it goes decidedly pear-shaped. The man most fans considered able to be a Benty replacement in times of injury (or sickness), Jay Bothroyd, seems very unlikely to be up to the task and asking JJ, Bartlett or Lisbie to help out would be a very big ask. Even when Bent plays the formation isn't suited to the fact that at The Valley we need to take the game to the opposition and ask the questions. Away from home we can soak up the pressure, let our midfield take control and then impose our game on the opposition. This won't work at The Valley, hence the need for a Plan B. Plan B will rely on a fit Benty and another decent striker to play alongside him but one who can also perform the lone striker role if Benty is unavailable for whatever reason. There are players out there who could do this job for us and it is vital that Curbs signs one in early January otherwise our season could once again disintigrate before our very eyes.

Now, as to a Plan B ...... well, that's up to Curbs but I expect to see one in place ahead of the Manchester Utd game.