View From Charlton

[spongebobblade]

It was absolutely brilliant mate and our support deserves every bit of credit it gets. It was probably worthy of a thread on it's own, we were class as fans and deserved a win, unfortunately that's not how it works.

Couldn't have put it better myself. Great day out, top notch backing from the fans and a great team performance bar the last 2 mins. I was looking around our support during the second half and you can really tell that we've got our buzz back

 

[FATTYFOULKE]

Here's a good summary which makes you feel so proud but gutted we missed out on all three points at tha same time:

“THIS COULD BE THE BIGGEST ROBBERY SINCE DICK TURPIN!” My old neighbour in the Covered End was on his feet in added time, 1-1, screaming at Botaka running down the wing.

We got out of jail today, gentlemen. Sheffield United were an education: they are in the same lowly division, yet planets above us. It was a pleasure to watch players with instant control of the ball, passing accurately, and darting forward. In the first half, Crofts was turned three times by his opponent in midfield, left for dead, man bearing down on our defence.

Their goal was beautiful and simple. And clever. A free-kick just outside our box, two men over the ball. Stadium silent, all players in an expectant scrum. Ref peeps – and instead of anything known, the Blade tapped to his runner ten yards on the blind side, who hammered a cross for the kill. 1-0.

When we next get a free-kick just outside the box, we might just do that; something to practise at Sparrows Lane. Yet, I know nothing will be learned: we will pump a vague, high cross...

Bauer and Pearce boot the ball from defence, clumped agriculturally – to a midfield that simply does not exist. In the second half, when one-nil down, we should be going for the jugular – a sustained assault, battering the bastard opposition to their knees. Yet, in the the entire 45 minutes, all we could muster was an oblique shot from Magennis, more in hope than belief.

We had free-kicks on the half-way line. These were passed sideways – and then back to our keeper. That is stupid and suicidal. When we did finally advance, rushing forward with ball at feet, the Covered End all febrile and sucking them in, the ball was passed slightly behind his partner, so he had to check, to collect.

In that split-second – our lack of basic technical skills is exposed. A pass over to our man puffing up from midfield: he has to break stride for the challenge he will never make. We have no precision, no muscle. Back to the keeper. Long ball to Lookman – and during the trajectory he is ambushed by four defenders.

Sheffield United have ordinary, unknown players, just like Piggot, Poyet, Harriott – yet they are rehearsed and coached to a superb, coherent team. Our players are buskers, improvising, shuffling around, dim in head and weak in foot.

Nigel Adkins was beyond us: an intelligent man with consecutive promotions from Third to Prem. Instead, we have hired Karl Robinson, aged 36, a man who relegated MacDons below us last year and has a wife who acted in Brookside.

We were outplayed yesterday, front to back, side to side - comprehensively beaten.

 

[Silent Blade]

Hockey was never that far away from Currie- a five yard pass away at most.

Yes

 

[wizadry]

Nigel Adkins was beyond us: an intelligent man with consecutive promotions from Third to Prem. Instead, we have hired Karl Robinson, aged 36, a man who relegated MacDons below us last year and has a wife who acted in Brookside.

I will still be laughing at this in years to come.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

They'll hit it off sooner rather than later.

At the minute that seems based on wishful thinking. Individually, they have shown that they are good players. It isn't just a simple case of throwing both players together and assuming it will work – Sharp is expected to change the role he plays when he's alongside Clarke, that is quite obvious.

For the record, I'm no big fan of Done and think we can greatly improve on him in January. But we have 5 league games before the earliest we can get someone in. If it takes that long for Sharp & Clarke to click (if they ever will) and we end up getting another partner for Sharp anyway, then why not keep with the Sharp-Done pairing – which while by no means perfect, has it least shown to be a winning formula.

 

[Bartyblade]

Hockey was never that far away from Currie- a five yard pass away at most.

I was trying to get a considered opinion of whether we played hoof, great inter-passing football, or a mixture of both.
My memory (possibly faded) is of they shall not pass at the back (minimal football) pass it to Currie in the middle, then spray it out to Woodward, Dearden or Reece (depending on who was free) up front, then either a run on goal, or run down the wing followed by a cross (usually for Dearden).
Not criticising at all, in fact sometimes great to watch, but sometimes, when all weren't on song, it wasn't.
And when we went away, we went to defend and hope to get a goal on the break.
There was no great technical stuff from JH, just a bunch of team-mates, each doing the best they could.
Still had some good times but IMO, the skill levels and pace in the modern game far exceeds those particular 'good old days'!

 

[sitwell]

“Sheffield Utd best team we have played all season, and I have to say that their fans were a credit.”

At least one Charlton fan was impressed with the Blades team and support, how was the atmosphere in the away end? I like the Valley, it's a good ground to visit, proper football stadium.

I agree ,I like the stadium ,nestled away on suburban streets ,not on some out of town retail complex, although its supermarket hell around there ,you couldn't go hungry.

 

[Silent Blade]

I was trying to get a considered opinion of whether we played hoof, great inter-passing football, or a mixture of both.
My memory (possibly faded) is of they shall not pass at the back (minimal football) pass it to Currie in the middle, then spray it out to Woodward, Dearden or Reece (depending on who was free) up front, then either a run on goal, or run down the wing followed by a cross (usually for Dearden).
Not criticising at all, in fact sometimes great to watch, but sometimes, when all weren't on song, it wasn't.
And when we went away, we went to defend and hope to get a goal on the break.
There was no great technical stuff from JH, just a bunch of team-mates, each doing the best they could.
Still had some good times but IMO, the skill levels and pace in the modern game far exceeds those particular 'good old days'!

Hoof = hit it long hoping for a flick on
TC's long passes would land on a sixpence
TC doesnt do hoof and neither does Harris' teams

 

[sitwell]

Couldn't have put it better myself. Great day out, top notch backing from the fans and a great team performance bar the last 2 mins. I was looking around our support during the second half and you can really tell that we've got our buzz back

A pig said to me this morning he had seen pictures of the away end there were 2 gaps of empty seats so it didn't sell out. I cant comment on the one to the right of the net as you looked from the pitch but the one on the left was due to some little nobhead in front of us having a half a shandy and projectile puking over about 10 seats before being carried out by a steward.

 

[spongebobblade]

A pig said to me this morning he had seen pictures of the away end there were 2 gaps of empty seats so it didn't sell out. I cant comment on the one to the right of the net as you looked from the pitch but the one on the left was due to some little nobhead in front of us having a half a shandy and projectile puking over about 10 seats before being carried out by a steward.

The pubs were so full of blades I would imagine a few didn't make it!

 

[FATTYFOULKE]

Here's another good un..

Sheffield Utd's support was brilliant , they've been stuck in this league for some years and to be bringing those sort of numbers to a League One fixture ,180 miles from their home ground , is something we can only dream of .

 

[spongebobblade]

Here's a good summary which makes you feel so proud but gutted we missed out on all three points at tha same time:

“THIS COULD BE THE BIGGEST ROBBERY SINCE DICK TURPIN!” My old neighbour in the Covered End was on his feet in added time, 1-1, screaming at Botaka running down the wing.

We got out of jail today, gentlemen. Sheffield United were an education: they are in the same lowly division, yet planets above us. It was a pleasure to watch players with instant control of the ball, passing accurately, and darting forward. In the first half, Crofts was turned three times by his opponent in midfield, left for dead, man bearing down on our defence.

Their goal was beautiful and simple. And clever. A free-kick just outside our box, two men over the ball. Stadium silent, all players in an expectant scrum. Ref peeps – and instead of anything known, the Blade tapped to his runner ten yards on the blind side, who hammered a cross for the kill. 1-0.

When we next get a free-kick just outside the box, we might just do that; something to practise at Sparrows Lane. Yet, I know nothing will be learned: we will pump a vague, high cross...

Bauer and Pearce boot the ball from defence, clumped agriculturally – to a midfield that simply does not exist. In the second half, when one-nil down, we should be going for the jugular – a sustained assault, battering the bastard opposition to their knees. Yet, in the the entire 45 minutes, all we could muster was an oblique shot from Magennis, more in hope than belief.

We had free-kicks on the half-way line. These were passed sideways – and then back to our keeper. That is stupid and suicidal. When we did finally advance, rushing forward with ball at feet, the Covered End all febrile and sucking them in, the ball was passed slightly behind his partner, so he had to check, to collect.

In that split-second – our lack of basic technical skills is exposed. A pass over to our man puffing up from midfield: he has to break stride for the challenge he will never make. We have no precision, no muscle. Back to the keeper. Long ball to Lookman – and during the trajectory he is ambushed by four defenders.

Sheffield United have ordinary, unknown players, just like Piggot, Poyet, Harriott – yet they are rehearsed and coached to a superb, coherent team. Our players are buskers, improvising, shuffling around, dim in head and weak in foot.

Nigel Adkins was beyond us: an intelligent man with consecutive promotions from Third to Prem. Instead, we have hired Karl Robinson, aged 36, a man who relegated MacDons below us last year and has a wife who acted in Brookside.

We were outplayed yesterday, front to back, side to side - comprehensively beaten.

Was just thinking "what a thoughtful and intelligent response" and then he spoilt it by bigging up Adkins. It was like having a wank and ya mam bursting in right at the death

 

[wizadry]

A pig said to me this morning he had seen pictures of the away end there were 2 gaps of empty seats so it didn't sell out. I cant comment on the one to the right of the net as you looked from the pitch but the one on the left was due to some little nobhead in front of us having a half a shandy and projectile puking over about 10 seats before being carried out by a steward.

I think the other gap was just down to a lot of fans standing at the top of gangways and getting pissed underneath, it was definitely a sellout sitters.

 

[wizadry]

Was just thinking "what a thoughtful and intelligent response" and then he spoilt it by bigging up Adkins. It was like having a wank and ya mam bursting in right at the death

Did you get her in the eye?

 

[raul]

Playing " Themes For Great Cities" at the end elevates Charlton into top 5 away venue status.

 

[sitwell]

Playing " Themes For Great Cities" at the end elevates Charlton into top 5 away venue status.

must admit I didn't notice that but Into the valley at the beginning therefore takes them top 3. With Fulham and either Sunderland or Portsmouth for me.

 

[spongebobblade]

Did you get her in the eye?

It got right on her tits but eventually she took it on the chin

 

[Bartyblade]

Hoof = hit it long hoping for a flick on
TC's long passes would land on a sixpence
TC doesnt do hoof and neither does Harris' teams

I think you'll find that Colquhoun, Flynn and Powell might have done a bit!
Not worried about it though, was great at the time, just letting a few know that it wasn't all sweetness and light and Barcelona type football!

 

[Silent Blade]

I think you'll find that Colquhoun, Flynn and Powell might have done a bit!
Not worried about it though, was great at the time, just letting a few know that it wasn't all sweetness and light and Barcelona type football!

Flynn often played backpasses to the keeper (in these days keepers were allowed to pick up backpasses) as he often didnt have the confidence to play the ball out of defence like the classy Powell did. Eddie's clearances were quite wild at times

 

[crucialkneeligaman]

Anyone in mind?

How about Bogle who scored an absolute cracker for Grimsby on Saturday.

 

[blackydog]

How about Bogle who scored an absolute cracker for Grimsby on Saturday.

No mate, won't say why on here but i'll tell on a PM if you wish.

 

[HillmortonBlade]

Our players are buskers, improvising, shuffling around, dim in head and weak in foot

Great description, I've described some of our players differently on the M1 southbound after matches in recent seasons.

 

[Teddy]

“Sheffield Utd best team we have played all season, and I have to say that their fans were a credit.”

At least one Charlton fan was impressed with the Blades team and support, how was the atmosphere in the away end? I like the Valley, it's a good ground to visit, proper football stadium.

It was a proper party atmosphere, people falling over the railings seperating the upper part of the stand, laughing at each other, people running along high fiving everyone like they're finishing a marathon. Great day out.

Any empty seats were down to there being about 100 people in the gangway down the middle and in the bar area for the whole match.

Even after the equaliser everyone was singing and mucking about. Charlton fans tried a bit of "you're not singing anymore", but it was derisible as they had to fit it in between some rousing blades songs. Fans definitely getting their swagger back to imo

 

[Balham]

A pig said to me this morning he had seen pictures of the away end there were 2 gaps of empty seats so it didn't sell out. I cant comment on the one to the right of the net as you looked from the pitch but the one on the left was due to some little nobhead in front of us having a half a shandy and projectile puking over about 10 seats before being carried out by a steward.

That kid's mates got him taken away. Kudos to them but they could have done it quicker, every time I tried to take a crafty swig of my concealed beer there was another steward seemingly eyeballing me while figured out how to carry him out.

That pig can go fuck himself too.