Win When We Protest, We Always Win When we Protest! - Notes for Charlton Tuesday, 5th Apr 2016 10:30 by HarryFromBath HarryfromBath assesses the mood in the opposition camp ahead of Tuesday night’s home game by delving into their forums. “So then, on we go to Portman Road with our tails up”, “At this stage of the season momentum can be the biggest factor in where a team finishes. All we can do is put in some good performances and hope the results come”, “Survival looks a tall order but Charlton can only take one game at a time.” “Injury-time winners are one of the great things that make going to football the fantastic experience it can be.” Jorge Teixeira’s 94th minute winning goal against Birmingham on Saturday took Charlton’s haul of points to 10 out of 15 in a five-game run which has seen Middlesbrough and Brentford defeated. “We look a decent team now but I fear it’s way too late”, “If only this team had been available for the whole season then Charlton wouldn’t be sitting so far off safety.” The Addicks lie six points plus a sizable goal difference off Fulham and safety and many feel that this run has come too late. “We should not be in this position”, “Hopefully we are over the three, four, five and six-nil rollover performances that have become so humiliatingly characteristic of our season. Time is sadly not on our side and I feel we will pay the price for the inept management that has swept through the club.” A Catalogue of ErrorsMany blame the appointment of Karel Fraeye as interim head coach in late October for this season’s plight. His tenure coincided with a run of 17 games with just one win and several hammerings which started in late November. “We wasted three months of the season putting him in charge.” “Not many clubs have signed so many useless players in two years.” For many, the ultimate blame rests with the incompetence of owners who have appointed a series of poor managers in quick succession and compounded this with the recruitment of a large number of substandard players. “It is shocking incompetence that they have had to buy two teams in one season”, “It’s dreadful how few of last summer’s signings are featuring”, “El-Hadji Ba, Naby Sarr, Roger Johnson, Diego Poyet and Cristian Ceballos are out of favour with Zakarya Bergdich and Simon Makienok on the bench.” Roland Duchatelet and Katrien Meire“It’s not going well on the pitch. It’s not going well off the pitch. If there was a place between the two, it wouldn’t be going well there either. I hope that clears it up”, “Roland mate, you have not got a clue, jog on”, “We want our Charlton back”, “The situation makes me feel more sad than angry.” “I don’t think anyone has ever disputed that the owner’s diagnosis of non-Premier League English football finances is wrong, the long-term stuff is all good. But the day-to-day running which needs to be right for the strategy to work has been a snowballing disaster and put everything else in the club at risk.” Recent home games have been disrupted by protests organised by CARD (The Coalition Against Roland Duchatelet), an umbrella group campaigning to get rid of the Belgian owner from the club. The Middlesbrough fixture was preceded by a mock funeral procession with the game disrupted by a beachball protest. This was followed in Saturday’s Birmingham match by a stress ball protest which saw hundreds thrown on to the pitch despite fans reporting extra security and searches by stewards. “A CEO with a wealth of footballing experience would struggle to turn this around. A green-round-the-gills lawyer with no footballing credentials will drown in her naivety”, “She has completely failed to understand the club’s ethos, mismanaging coaching recruitment and her relationship with fans.” The appointment of Katrien Meire as “an airhead, out-of-her-depth” CEO has increased Addicks’ sense of alienation from the club. Supporters were angered when a video emerged of Meire saying it was “weird” fans felt a sense of ownership of the club when “the bills are paid by someone else”. “Katrien is a puppet and would only be replaced by another puppet.” While Meire has been a focal point for protests, disaffected fans believe that new ownership is the only viable long-term solution. “Duchatelet won’t change because he believes he’s right. That’s why I want him out.” Jose Riga“The truth is that the iceberg was hit long before Riga arrived. I believe the bloke cares and is doing his utmost”, “He definitely has a tactical system that he likes. He definitely drills his players well and we would be well clear of this mess if he had been installed in November.”  “Relegation Riga.” Having left the club in May 2014, the 58-year-old returned in January to a hostile reception. “I lost all respect for Riga when he came back. He isn’t getting anywhere at all”, “An inept network stooge, he is very much Duchatelet’s man. I want him out with the rest of them.” “You could tell that the Owls were building momentum at the start of the second half but he only changed things when we were two goals down.” The former Blackpool boss was criticised for his indecisiveness in the Addicks’ recent 3-0 defeat at Hillsborough. “He hasn’t got the answers.” Addicks have warmed to him with the combination of recent good results and the influx of quality players seen since his arrival. “All the players Riga has brought in have improved the side”, “He is getting better results partly because he has players of more quality and experience at his disposal.” Riga’s Overhaul“There’s plenty of fight in this side”, “When everyone is fit we are a decent team. Riga is definitely improving us both tactically and in terms of spirit”, “Our great advantage over Birmingham was that we were better than expected. I don’t think their fans or players expected us to be anything much.” “Today [against Birmingham] we were a totally transformed team. Well done Jose and well done players”, “To a man they showed great fight and spirit”, “At last now that Jordan Cousins and Alou Diarra and making a fist of controlling midfield, we can at last start attacking using the wings.” PopeMottaFanniTeixeiraFoxGudmundssonDiarraCousinsSuk-YoungHarriottVetokele
Charlton’s starting XI against Birmingham was set up in the 4-4-2 formation with Diarra playing as a holding midfielder and his partner Cousins operating in a more industrious box-to-box role. Ademola Lookman replaced Yun Suk-Young on the left flank at half-time and is a dangerous impact substitute. The defence has been has seen virtually a complete overhaul under Riga with the arrival since the turn of the year of centre-backs Rod Fanni and Jorge Teixeira and right-back Marco Motta. Soham-born former Town academy schoolboy Nick Pope has also replaced Stephen Henderson as the regular goalkeeper. Riga has tried to use pace out wide and from his front pair as a weapon. “We were a lot quicker than Birmingham and made our pace in attack count”, “Time and again we undid them with short passes played almost directly forward because their lumbering back-line were so slow to turn around.” Charlton 2 — 1 Birmingham“Goal!”, “Yes!”, “Jorge Teixeira at the bloody death, come on”, “Wow, wow, wow”, “Three points, what a treat”, “We competed for the entire game against a determined Birmingham outfit and began to out-battle them as the game wore on”, “We needed that late goal. We are still alive.” Birmingham took the lead when Jon Toral slotted home at the back post finishing a low cross from the right on 32 minutes but Charlton struck back with a fine strike from Johann Berg Gudmundsson six minutes later. The hosts then secured a late victory via Teixeira’s stoppage-time header. “The first half was pretty poor fare from both teams, neither offering much in attack”, “The second half was much better. We started to play some good forward passes on the deck. We got on top of them in midfield and our short passing combination game up front gave them real problems.” Bringing on Ademola Lookman at half-time gave the hosts more attacking options but many felt that the Blues were very open. “We were probably helped by Birmingham chasing the win themselves as it afforded us more space when attacking”, “It helped that Birmingham needed the win.” Riga was criticised for his inertia against the Owls but fans praised his switches against the Blues. “Bringing on Johnnie Jackson near the end was a tactical masterstroke and then the great Simon Makienok in injury time. Their defence were too busy watching them to track Teixeira properly.” Sheffield Wednesday 3 — 0 Charlton“Game over, no surprise. More misery, lost heavily, another Saturday ruined”, “Another hiding on the road”, “The experiment continues”, “That was tough to take. We were in control until about 55 minutes and then they went up a gear”, “Is there a record for the number of 3-0 losses in a season?” Charlton’s only defeat on their last five games was more characteristic of their earlier run of poor form this season. Tom Lees opened the scoring for the hosts from a corner on 64 minutes and Fernando Forestieri doubled the Owls’ lead turning in a rebound from the post six minutes later. Wednesday added a third when El-Hadji Ba deflected Alex Lopez’s shot into his own goal on 77 minutes. Addicks lamented their corner kick defending but they were critical of Riga for not reacting when the hosts introduced Lopez and Atdhe Nuhiu at the interval when the game was scoreless. “There cannot be another team in professional football so incapable of defending corners as us”, “The Owls brought this big guy Nuhiu on and he immediately caused problems flicking the ball on and bringing others into play”, “Three-nil flattered them, but we were worth the nil.” Charlton 2 — 0 Middlesbrough“Today was a fantastic day to be a Charlton supporter, not because of the owners but because of the fantastic supporters and the players who put in a performance today “Our best display in a year, we were a team”, “At least it put to bed the argument that the protests negatively affect the players.” Charlton took the lead when Teixeira headed home from a corner on 57 minutes and Callum Harriott took advantage of hesitant Boro defending to add a second 10 minutes from time. A strange game was overshadowed both by protests and the absence from the Boro party of manager Aitor Karanka. The hosts took advantage of an off-day by Middlesbrough but events on the pitch were secondary for many fans. “Support the team, not the regime”, “A proper team performance”, “A good result on the pitch and an excellent one off it”, “Very emotional times at the Valley. I’m glad I was there.” Goalkeepers and Defenders“Nick Pope kept a clean sheet against Jordan Rhodes, not many Charlton keepers can say that.” The 23-year-old “has looked more composed with good defenders in front of him”, “A sweeper-keeper when needed and a calm head, he has looked confident in recent games.”  Pope has been criticised for “a notorious inability to hold on to shots”, but “one intelligent parry away against Birmingham showed his game is improving as previously he would have spilled it in front of him”, “He has done everything he could with composure and is commanding his box well.” “Marco Motta is a smart defender most of the time and plays to his strengths.”, “His weakness is that he gets caught out going forward too much, whilst at other times he seems reluctant to get forward”, “He gets forward well and is as strong as an ox, but has trouble getting back at times.” “I like Motta’s occasional deployment of the dark arts.” The 29-year-old right-back arrived from Watford in February and “has a real bit of grit about him”, “He is great going forward but a bit shaky at the back”, “At times he can be slow to release the ball in the final third”, “I like the cut of his Jib.” “Now that Rod Fanni is fit you can see his class.” The 34-year-old ex-Olympique Marseille centre-back arrived on loan from Qatar side Al-Arabi in January. “Rod still has enough pace from his full-back days to cover behind Motta”, “He is solid and calm on the ball and is an excellent tackler.” “Fanni covers ground quickly for his age. He’s composed on the ball, strong in the tackle and he wins everything in the air”, “I like it that he wants to bring the ball forward”, “He reads the game well and makes brilliant challenges”, “He’s getting up to speed and his positioning is good, a good footballer.” “Morgan Fox had a solid game against Boro and didn’t put a foot wrong. He cleared dangerous situations and was tight on Albert Adomah to stop crosses.” The 22-year-old youth product, who also spent time with the Blues as a schoolboy, “dealt with their winger well. There’s a player there and hopefully he will finish the season strongly”. “Fox has a great cross on him when he gets forward”, “His positioning has improved and he has not lost concentration so much.” He found the Birmingham game difficult in the first half when Yun Suk-Young has a poor first half. “He struggled against David Cotterill’s on his own with little support.” Jorge Teixeira“A proper centre-back, no-nonsense and no holds barred”, “A solid no-nonsense defender, he gave Rhodes no space and finally showed us what he can do from set-pieces in the opposition box.” The 29-year-old Portuguese arrived from Standard Liege in January. “I really hope he stays next season.”  “Teixeira seems to be a top man who really cares about the team and interacts with supporters”, “He is building a partnership with Fanni that is looking strong”, “A great winning header and at the best time against Birmingham”, “A top performance and a goal, he’s becoming a fans favourite.” Central Midfielders“Diego Poyet does the basics well but he now lacks the confidence to push on.” The 20-year-old is on loan from West Ham having previously played for the Addicks. “He never runs with the ball and looks to get rid of it when he receives it”, “The invisible man”, “The grass isn’t always greener, is it Diego?” “El-Hadji Ba is so poor it’s unreal. Why not play a customer and give them a memory that they will cherish forever?” The 23-year-old ex-Sunderland man arrived in June and has typified the club’s poor recent transfers. “He sauntered around slowly at Hillsborough and we were completely over-run.” Jordan Cousins“How many miles does Jordan Cousins run in a game?” The 22-year-old youth product “never stops running and leads by example”, “His passing is awful, his dribbling great, his tackling immense and his heart is never in question”, “Absolutely everywhere, a great engine but appalling technique.” “With Diarra holding, Cousins is given the free rein to cover the rest of the pitch and boy does he deliver”, “Some of his passing goes astray but usually when he tries to make things happen”, “It’s a sight to behold watching him drive the team forward and it’s no coincidence Diarra is with him.” Alou Diarra“A classy, classy player, “Enjoy him while we can.” The 34-year-old former West Ham man “was head-and-shoulders the best player on the pitch against Birmingham”, “He was superb patrolling, tackling and breaking up play in front of the back four which took so much pressure off them.”  “Diarra controlled the middle of the pitch with accurate forward passing”, “What he lacks in pace he makes up for in footballing intelligence”, “He always looks commanding, a steadying influence in the middle”, “He has been around the block, sees the danger and we are much better when he plays.” Wide Midfielders“Yun Suk-Young didn’t look fully fit in the first half against Birmingham.” The 26-year-old South Korea international was substituted at the interval on Saturday. “A good little player but struggled to make an impact”, “He is normally full of running and works hard. We are more balanced with him.” “Yun has energy to burn and some real pace.” He normally plays at left-back. “For all his work he is not an attacking threat that a left midfielder should be”, “He tries hard but is largely ineffective”, “A lot of huff and puff but no guile or cutting edge and he doesn’t always help out Morgan Fox.” “Johann Berg Gudmundsson is one of our best players since our Premier League days.” The 25-year-old one-time AZ Alkmaar right winger “has been reminiscent of last season in recent games”, “He is in and out but still is such a dangerous player”, “It was a terrific strike for his Birmingham goal.” “JBG is one of our only players with an individual ability to run at defenders with speed and skill.” The Iceland international “looks like a player who is playing out time”, “He has had one eye on the exit door for most of the season.” Several Addicks have referenced his recent distance from fans. Ademola Lookman“Please put Lookman on from the start against Ipswich.” The 18-year-old youth product has been used sparingly by Riga to the frustration of supporters but he “tormented Birmingham’s right side”, and “brought a spark of energy and changed the game” when coming on at the interval on Saturday.  “Lookman put a few outstanding balls into the box including our match-winning corner”, “He kind of mesmerised Birmingham”, “He’s the type of player to pay to watch”, “He gives the team direction and purpose but needs to remember his defensive duties when posted out wide on the left flank.” “I’m not sure Lookman can do a full 90 minutes but he should do as much as he possibly can”, He looked exhausted after 40 minutes against Boro”, “He plays at such a high tempo that I’m not sure he could do it for 90 minutes”, “He has that ‘what will he do next’ factor which scares opponents.” StrikersPalermo loan signing Simon Makienok has featured little since playing poorly in the scoreless home draw with Milton Keynes. The 25-year-old “got his shirt on the right way around and found the pitch at the end of the tunnel”, “Poor tactics and service make him obsolete but he doesn’t help himself.” “Go and go now.” Fans have been equally scathing about Iran international Reza Ghoochannejhad who played badly against the Owls. The 28-year-old “should be nowhere near the squad”, “No heart, no determination”, “A dismal game, he was constantly brushed off the ball and going to ground.” “Idiot.” Arsenal loan signing Yaya Sanogo has been suspended for the last three games having picked up a straight red card for an elbow offence against Milton Keynes. The 23-year-old “looked a threat but unfortunately all he ended up putting away was their centre-half and very expertly too”. “Sanogo is out most talented striker but showed his immaturity that that moment of stupidity”, “He looks lively and showed some movement up front”, “He is better than Makienok but does little more than get stuck in more”, “He causes problems while on the pitch and is a raw class above everyone.” Igor Vetokele“Igor made a big difference today”, “He seems to have done in every game he has played this year. If he wasn’t made of glass, I’m sure we would be better off in this league”, “A fit-again Igor can turn and hold the ball”, “He looked strong, linked well and looked a bit more like his old self again.”  The 24-year-old made his first start since on Saturday after being out with a groin injury. The Angola international and one-time Copenhagen striker “is a real battler and it was great to see him back”, “He chased hard but his touch was a bit rusty”, “He had good chances but on his weaker right side.” Callum Harriott“Callum had one of his frustrating games against Birmingham but worked hard and never hid”, “He was repeatedly mis-controlling the ball or taking the wrong option. In fairness to him he is not and has never been a striker”, “Commitment and effort but we saw the Harriott we don’t like today.”  The 22-year-old youth product normally operates on the left wing but “is enjoying his free role”, “His first touch was poor but his runs opened up Birmingham’s defence and this is how Vetokele is often played in”, “Oh Callum, effort not in question but nothing would stick, but on another day…” “Harriott is a mixture of the good, the bad and the ugly”, “His brain is too fast for his feet which turn to Toblerone”, “Once the ball is under control he is a big threat but it’s getting it under control that is the big problem”, “His movement is a constant threat and he keeps getting into good positions.” Addicks’ Views on ITFC and the Game“Rotherham took three points at Ipswich and the Tractor Boys will need a victory to get in the play-off positions just like Birmingham did. It is possible for Charlton to go there and get a result.” Apart from some grumbles about ticket prices Addicks have had little to say about Tuesday’s game. If there is sufficient comment worth feeding back, I will update the forum with any specific comments on Tuesday afternoon and link these on my Twitter feed. WebsitesThe busiest Charlton message board is the polite and knowledgeable Charlton Life.
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