Strange to say, after a home draw with Scunthorpe, this was an encouraging performance. The difference in technical ability between the teams was frankly enormous. Only some wayward finishing, an excellent and courageous performance by Scunthorpe's keeper, and a lapse in defensive concentration at a corner stood in the way of an emphatic win.
The team is, of course, in the early stages of its development and we are going to have to be patient, but it looks promising. Moutouakil was sublime - just about a perfect performance - and Big Bent, a few wild finishes apart, ran him close for man of the match. Semedo was determined and skilful in central midfield; Lloyd Sam tied his marker in intricate knots but must improve his crossing; and Todorov was inconsistent but did produce moments of class. On the down side, there were a few instances of confusion and loss of concentration in defence, and Andy Reid was certainly not at his best. We could reframe this positively - we can feel confident that there is better to come.
The side looks good, with another defender to come, so we should be challenging for the title come the turn of the year. And there are many positives- we are unbeaten, after all.
Up the Addicks!
Saturday, 11 August 2007
Thursday, 2 August 2007
Holiday and Rumour Mill
We are going on holiday, but are set to return the day before the Scunthorpe game.
Meanwhile, Charlton are willing to sell Fortune to Stoke - a move that would suggest Diawara is staying put - and Pards claims that two experienced players, one of them a striker, will join by the weekend, and that Thomas is staying.
Dyer is going to West Ham, a move that could re-open the possibility of signing Mullins. Or will Pards surprise the rumour merchants of Her Majesty's tabloids by taking Bowyer instead? The 'experienced striker' is rumoured to be Andrew Cole. If true, let's hope he has more honesty and professional pride than Jimmy Fat Arseholebutt.
Meanwhile, Charlton are willing to sell Fortune to Stoke - a move that would suggest Diawara is staying put - and Pards claims that two experienced players, one of them a striker, will join by the weekend, and that Thomas is staying.
Dyer is going to West Ham, a move that could re-open the possibility of signing Mullins. Or will Pards surprise the rumour merchants of Her Majesty's tabloids by taking Bowyer instead? The 'experienced striker' is rumoured to be Andrew Cole. If true, let's hope he has more honesty and professional pride than Jimmy Fat Arseholebutt.
Wednesday, 1 August 2007
Roll on September 1st
Just when things were shaping up nicely- an unbeaten pre-season, fringe players on the move and cash in the bank- other clubs are making moves for some of our key players.
Bordeaux say they are in talks with Charlton over a fee for Diawara, and Derby insinuate that they are prepared to pay 3 million for Thomas. I regard Diawara as a class act, and would certainly want at least the 3.7 million that we paid for him if we were to sell. Apparently we value Thomas at 8 million- so under half of that is unlikely to hit the spot.
I think that both players would be quality in the Championship, so should be kept. Pardew announced on the official site that the club was not desperate for cash, so would not be forced to sell. And the players have both played a big part in pre-season, so shouldn't be desperate to move.
For Jerome (who looked a class act in an industrious and skillful midfield with Ambrose, Semedo and Reidy) a move to Derby would not necessarily be sensible, as surely we stand more chance of playing Premiership football in a year's time than Derby do.
Nevertheless, I am still concerned that, as the window closes, our squad will turn from title challengers to play off hopefuls as players jump-Champion-ship. (Excuse the rubbish pun.)
Bordeaux say they are in talks with Charlton over a fee for Diawara, and Derby insinuate that they are prepared to pay 3 million for Thomas. I regard Diawara as a class act, and would certainly want at least the 3.7 million that we paid for him if we were to sell. Apparently we value Thomas at 8 million- so under half of that is unlikely to hit the spot.
I think that both players would be quality in the Championship, so should be kept. Pardew announced on the official site that the club was not desperate for cash, so would not be forced to sell. And the players have both played a big part in pre-season, so shouldn't be desperate to move.
For Jerome (who looked a class act in an industrious and skillful midfield with Ambrose, Semedo and Reidy) a move to Derby would not necessarily be sensible, as surely we stand more chance of playing Premiership football in a year's time than Derby do.
Nevertheless, I am still concerned that, as the window closes, our squad will turn from title challengers to play off hopefuls as players jump-Champion-ship. (Excuse the rubbish pun.)
Friday, 27 July 2007
Charlton Changes
Young will be playing at the Riverside next year after Middlesbrough coughed up 2.5 million for him. He was always consistent but never outstanding, so I find it hard to be sad at his departure. I'm not sure it's the right move for Luke though. Middlesbrough have the look of relegation candidates about them, now that they've lost their idol, Viduka. Anyway, I am now eagerly anticipating getting a look at Yassin ( insert correct spelling of that French fullback here) in the friendly at Priestfield tommorow. Certainly Pards seems to think that the kid is a ready made replacement for Young.
Walton has also departed: he's gone for 200,000 to QPR. I trust Pards' judgement, and he obviously thought that he wasn't much cop, but the news puts another black mark against Dowie's name, since he bought him for double that fee this time last year and he never even played in a first team competitive game.
Dean - not the Chelsea winger but the ex-Barnet midfielder - Sinclair has penned a contract after a trial in which he impressed Pardew. Apparently he's got a great engine, but no technique. Sounds like a certain Bulgarian to me. Anyway, he scored against Man Utd so he must be good ;)!
Just think, we could build a team full of players from lower leagues that have scored against Premiership giants in cup competitions - we've already got Varney. We'd be unstoppable.
Mullins? Apparently we're still after him. I, for one, would be ecstatic if we could sign Hayden, I think he would boss the midfield in the Championship and, for the million or so being quoted, he would be a snip.
McLeod would prefer a move to The Valley according to a number of sources. Well, we'll see, but I think that if we were going to sign him we would have done so a few weeks ago.
Walton has also departed: he's gone for 200,000 to QPR. I trust Pards' judgement, and he obviously thought that he wasn't much cop, but the news puts another black mark against Dowie's name, since he bought him for double that fee this time last year and he never even played in a first team competitive game.
Dean - not the Chelsea winger but the ex-Barnet midfielder - Sinclair has penned a contract after a trial in which he impressed Pardew. Apparently he's got a great engine, but no technique. Sounds like a certain Bulgarian to me. Anyway, he scored against Man Utd so he must be good ;)!
Just think, we could build a team full of players from lower leagues that have scored against Premiership giants in cup competitions - we've already got Varney. We'd be unstoppable.
Mullins? Apparently we're still after him. I, for one, would be ecstatic if we could sign Hayden, I think he would boss the midfield in the Championship and, for the million or so being quoted, he would be a snip.
McLeod would prefer a move to The Valley according to a number of sources. Well, we'll see, but I think that if we were going to sign him we would have done so a few weeks ago.
Friday, 20 July 2007
Romm's Gone! 'Bout bloody time...
Cast your minds back to Sunday the 5th of December 2004... I speak, of course, about the South London derby that ended one-nil to Charlton, courtesy of a last gasp winner from Dennis. This was supposed to be the moment that the speedy winger finally found his feet in the premiership after disappointing previously. Alas, it wasn't to be, as he continued to put in shoddy performances week in, week out until the end of his first season. But, I thought, plenty of players fail to make an impact in their first year in this physically competitive league, so I was willing to give Romm a second season.
No good. Rommedahl remains the same light-weight, work-shy, lily-livered, money-guzzling waste of space today, as he was the day he joined. All pace, no purpose.
Just six goals, none of which came at The Valley, from sixty seven largely pointless performances speaks for itself. Dennis, my boy, you will not be missed.
2.5 million for Young and 0.5 million for Rommedahl gives us some money to help fill the midfield chasm and to buy Mcleod aswell- fingers crossed.
Up the Addicks.
No good. Rommedahl remains the same light-weight, work-shy, lily-livered, money-guzzling waste of space today, as he was the day he joined. All pace, no purpose.
Just six goals, none of which came at The Valley, from sixty seven largely pointless performances speaks for itself. Dennis, my boy, you will not be missed.
2.5 million for Young and 0.5 million for Rommedahl gives us some money to help fill the midfield chasm and to buy Mcleod aswell- fingers crossed.
Up the Addicks.
Midfield Minefield
We're getting a bit worried about our midfield vacuum. Or perhaps it's more of a feather duster. We certainly lack a strong ballwinner -- Pards doesn't seem to rate Walton -- and, should Andy Reid get injured, we won't have much in the way of match-winning creative flair either. If true, rumours that Lloyd Sam is going on loan to Kilmarnock and that Jody Morris will not be taken on (good -- there's no way he's a Charlton player) create additional vacancies in our midfield. As the market gradually clears -- Clemence to Leicester etc. -- our options are narrowing all the time.
It would certainly do nothing to solve the ball-winning problem (is Mullins waiting in the wings? Or, sing it softly, Song?), but I am casting my eyes in the direction of Claus. All right, he's a luxury player, but what luxury! OK, he's injury-prone, but he could spend much of his time relaxing on the bench. To our own cost, we know that Claus is a player who can turn a game on its head in a few moments, coming off the bench. So far as I am aware, he's still a free agent. Let's go get him!
Stop press: Luke Young is said to be on his way to Middlesbrough. Is he sure that's wise?
It would certainly do nothing to solve the ball-winning problem (is Mullins waiting in the wings? Or, sing it softly, Song?), but I am casting my eyes in the direction of Claus. All right, he's a luxury player, but what luxury! OK, he's injury-prone, but he could spend much of his time relaxing on the bench. To our own cost, we know that Claus is a player who can turn a game on its head in a few moments, coming off the bench. So far as I am aware, he's still a free agent. Let's go get him!
Stop press: Luke Young is said to be on his way to Middlesbrough. Is he sure that's wise?
Tuesday, 17 July 2007
Transfer Update
The MK Dons star striker is having a medical today at Charlton, or so it seems.
According to a number of sources- mostly close to the Dons- the forward, who has scored sixty goals in the past three seasons, albeit in lower leagues, is set to sign in a deal with a fee as high as 1.7 million.
Meanwhile, Sinclair and Sahar look to be going elsewhere after all, largely because Chelsea thought that they would not be given a regular starting berth anyway. I am not too disappointed about this, as I don't think we should be signing loaners.
We have still not landed a midfield player, and with each day that goes by I get more and more worried that we will be signing Morris on a permanent basis.
Rommedahl and Young's respective sagas draw on with Villa, Brum, and Everton the contenders for Young's signature, which is thought to be worth 3 million. While Getafe are the lucky boys who are going to actually pay money (up to 1.5 million) to get Romm, beating competition from, well, no-one to sign the so-called footballer.
According to a number of sources- mostly close to the Dons- the forward, who has scored sixty goals in the past three seasons, albeit in lower leagues, is set to sign in a deal with a fee as high as 1.7 million.
Meanwhile, Sinclair and Sahar look to be going elsewhere after all, largely because Chelsea thought that they would not be given a regular starting berth anyway. I am not too disappointed about this, as I don't think we should be signing loaners.
We have still not landed a midfield player, and with each day that goes by I get more and more worried that we will be signing Morris on a permanent basis.
Rommedahl and Young's respective sagas draw on with Villa, Brum, and Everton the contenders for Young's signature, which is thought to be worth 3 million. While Getafe are the lucky boys who are going to actually pay money (up to 1.5 million) to get Romm, beating competition from, well, no-one to sign the so-called footballer.
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