Enough is Enough

Battle rages throughout South-east London and Kent. In sitting rooms, pubs, clubs, trains, offices, on internet message boards, especially netaddicks, there is little talk other than that of the future of Alan Curbishley. Nothing else matters. Christmas ?? There won't be much cheer in the households of many Charlton fans this festive season.

The capitulation at the JJB on Saturday against Wigan Athletic really had to be seen to be believed. If you thought Blackburn Rovers or Manchester City was bad then this was ten times worse. You may have heard second hand accounts of events last Saturday but only those there can appreciate how excruciatingly poor this really was. In truth, we were lucky to get 'nil' whilst Wigan should conceivably have scored six. Curbs can blame the pitch and three defensive howlers all he likes but this defeat, as those before it, goes far deeper than just poor defending. The previous weeks victory over Sunderland just papered over the cracks and those at The Valley that day know that against a better team we would have lost and, through negative substitutions and tactics, nearly contrived to anyway.

Curbs has said that the players are telling him that they don't want to be out there playing. Playing for him, as manager. They are not literally telling him that but that is what their performances are saying. This is very worrying and not something that can be sorted overnight, if at all. Once players stop performing for a manager then you are on a slippery slope - to nowhere. Every single player in the squad has been brought into the club by Curbs. They are all his players. If they don't perform then it is his fault. No one else's. The buck stops with him. We can blame the players or the coaches all we like but at the end of the day they are his coaches and his players and it's his responsibility.

Unfortunately, Curbs isn't God. Yes, he has done a fantastic job for this football Club and without him I sincerely believe we wouldn't be where we are now. Back at The Valley in a fantastic stadium with near sell-out's crowds playing the sort of standard of football I couldn't have dreamed about even ten years ago. Curbs is probably the greatest manager this football Club has ever had. However, that doesn't mean that we should accept what is happening now. It doesn't mean that Curbs should be immune from criticism. It doesn't mean that Curbs is immune from the sack either. In the last couple of season's we don't seem to have progressed on the pitch. In fact, we are currently going backwards. Watching Charlton isn't much fun at the moment. This summer around 2,000 fans failed to renew their season tickets. With just four home wins this calendar year, 2005, then that number will rise drastically next summer. Income will drop considerably as will investment in the team. The Valley expansion plans will go on hold, indefinitely. Unless. Unless something is done about it now.

Either those players who are under performing go, or Curbs does. I don't really mind which. All I know is that enough is enough and I can't accept another performance like that at Wigan. And neither should any of you.

Jeepers Keepers

There is a custody battle ongoing at The Valley. Or rather, a custodian battle. It seems that there may be up to four contenders for the goalkeeping jersey. Here, I analyse the various options.

Dean Keily or 'Deano' - current holder of the jersey but for how long. Spent the initial few months of the season injured and then the next six weeks moaning about not being in the team now he was fit. With Stephan Andersen playing well it was up to Deano to keep his head down, work hard in training and bide his time. However, he proceeded to throw his toys out of the pram, have a bust up with Curbs and is alledgedly on the move in January. When Curbs decided to 'rest' Andersen Deano duly arrived between the sticks and conceded eight goals in two games wilst producing distinctly below average performances. A much improved performance against Sunderland contributed to the team getting back on track. The jury is out though and we may not see much more of Deano at The Valley.

Stephan 'Gillian' Andersen - undoubtably the 'numero uno' keeper in the long-term at The Valley. Some impressive performances were tainted when followed by a couple of minor errors at a time when his defence decided to go collectively and individually 'awol'. At just 23 Stephan is quite young for a keeper, a breed who generally don't produce their best, and are said to be at a peak, when approaching 30. I just hope that Stephan stays around long enough for us to see and appreciate it. Unfortunate to be dumped for the sulking Deano he has however not done himself any favours with Curbs by refusing to play for the reserves and insisting that he has nothing to prove to anyone. Not a wise move, just look at Jason Euell. However, I believe that in a year or two Stephan will prove himself to be the best Charlton keeper since Sammy.

Thomas Myhre - a Norwegian international who is pushing hard for a first team place but looks set to be frustrated on that score. Is always likely to be the one stuck on the bench as understudy. Reliable and steady he won't let us down if ever called upon. If Norway had qualified for the World Cup I don't think he'd have hung around but the signing of an 18 month contract extension to June 2007 can be interpreted in many ways not least that it could signal the departure of Deano.

And last, but by no means least :

Antti Niemi - currently the custodian at Southampton it is widely rumoured that he is set for a £1.5 million January switch to The Valley. In my opinion Antti has it all and is up there as one of the top three keepers in the Premier League, behind only Cech and Given. If he signs it can only mean that Deano will be departing (Everton or Wigan Ath) and that Myhre and Andersen will battle it out for a place on the bench. Niemi will the undoubted number one.

It remains to be seen what happens on this front but whatever transpires we will have three more than capable keepers on the books and will probably be the strongest in the Premier League in that department.

Attack Attack Attack

I've always believed that attack is the best form of defence and seeing as we have not got the latter at the moment then attack is the only option.

It's plainly obvious that whomever we stick in defence they are unable to perform either individually or collectively. Constant changes are not working and we need to get a settled back four if we are going to achieve any sort of consistency. Dropping Stephan Andersen was, in my opinion, wrong because he is without doubt our number one goalkeeper not only in the long term but for now also. After all, it isn't as if dropping him has made a difference is it. Deano has come in and conceded eight goals in two home games and has hardly looked convincing in the process, being at fault for a number of those goals conceded. It's obvious that HH should be playing at left-back and an effective partnership found from the remaining centre-halves one of whom, I believe, should be Chris Perry. Who should partner him is up for debate but El Karkouri doesn't do it for me, Spector looks out of his depth, Fortune has his limitations and Sorondo is the great unknown. Sorondo has looked woeful for the reserves but I believe that is through a lack of motivation as opposed to lack of ability. Some players are unable to produce it in the reserves but when brought into the first team perform admirably. Paul Konchesky was a prime example of this. What is without question is that Curbs has to sort this out now once and for all or we are in deep trouble. If he doesn't, the transfer window may be too late an opportunity to do so.

It's probably stretching the point to call this Saturday's encounter with Sunderland at The Valley as being a six pointer but it isn't far off it. A defeat, however unimaginable, is certainly a real possibility if we defend as we have recently. Deano, in his infinite wisdom, believes we need to get back to being 'nasty' and 'horrible' and 'hard to beat'. Hard to beat yes, but I can't remember us ever being nasty and horrible, at least not in the last fifteen years or so. That's probably part of the problem, we have always been too 'nice' but you can't get back to something you've never been. Unless of course he means being defensive, dull and boring. Now, we have been that in recent years but now isn't the time to revert to those tactics. We can't defend at the moment so the best option is to attack, attack, attack and relieve the pressure on the defence. The worst thing to do is to defend, be cautious in attack and hope to keep a clean sheet and hey, if we're lucky, nick a goal. Problem is we may nick a goal but run the risk of conceding anyway but will inevitably end up conceding but not scoring ourselves. We are playing Sunderland, arguably the worst team the Premiership has ever seen, and there is no reason why we shouldn't approach the game with an attacking mentality. Anything else will be foolhardy.

It's high time for a return to 4-4-2 and Jay Bothroyd's cameo against Man City suggests that he may be the man for the job and Thomas deserves a starting place also to provide some width, sadly missing against the Massives. I'd go for the following :Andersen; Young, Perry, Sorondo, Hreidersson; Ambrose, Murphy, Smertin, Thomas;Bent; Bothroyd.

Attack, attack, attack and three points will be ours. Up The Addicks !!