Well, according to Sky Sports, Viduka is out for this one [and Leeds' next match with Chelsea] due to back and hamstring problems. Could this be an advantage for the Addicks? Kiely Young - Perry - Fortune - HH Stuart - Holland - Euell - Thomas DiCanio - JJ Subs: Royce, Powell, Hughes, Campbell-Ryce, Bartlett [if fit or Jensen]
I just hope this is a better match than recent ones against Leeds. Every team has an opponet that thay are better than, but have a difficult time beating. For Charlton recently it has been leeds.
I had to leave the house after Charlton took the lead. I decided not to go online after I got home so as to watch the match on TV. Boy, was that a letdown after hearing the club was up 1-0. I have to agree with Curbs that that was one of the worst performances I'd seen all season. It really looked bad during that last ten minutes when they could have scored a boat load of goals. At least twice that I seen where someone had the ball going forward with three players in scoring position and the person with the ball decided to take a long shot instead (once by Kishishev and once by Young). Absolutely awful choices. You'll also notice how more offensive the side is when they brought in Perry and moved Herman to leftback. Herman was just bombing down the left and creating all kinds of trouble when he'd overlap with Konchesky. When you put those two on the left you create a lot of crosses into the box. Luke Young hasn't played well since his injury. I'm beginning to think we might be better off with Kishishev at that rightback spot. Kish seems to have more pace and can recover quickly. Pennent just turned Young inside out on his goal. I guess the one thing that bothers me most is how other teams have so much more pace. They break so fast on the counterattack. Charlton just doesn't seem to have one. It is a rarity that they can make the transition quickly from defense to offense and threaten the opponents back four that may have come too far forward. Curbs definitely needs to invest in two high speed wingers and one striker of the same ilk so that we can break more quickly. So with one match left I'm really hoping Southampton are demoralized by Newcastle on Wednesday or they well leapfrog us in the end.
Having not seen the match, I will refrain from rash judgements. But speed is important. I would love DMB in Charlton red. I mentioned that earlier. Is he durable enough...I am not surebut he would be a great investement. It seems like the perpetual lack of finishing killed the chance for three points. The only good thing is that Leeds will not be around to torment Charlton for at least one year.
I watched the game on tape delay without knowing the result. And considering how awful we played after being up 1-0, I'm happy with the tie. We should have played much better. After Holland scored that terrific goal, he disappeared. Euell was invisible until halfway through the second half. And everyone that has said so is right about speed. We have none out there. The question is why? I'm sorry, I think Curbs is a great manager but he does have a tendancy to play older players overall. He has some youth with speed on the squad that he has not played. It was good to see PDC start, but he didn't have the gas. Barlett should have replaced him sooner. We did pick up the pace with the subs, but why wasn't Thomas on the bench and brought on? I just don't get it. You need someone to match up with Pennant and Thomas probably could have done that from midfield because he is fast and with both being from Arsenal wouldn't Jerome know how to play him? Beyond our poor play and Euell finally waking up enough to get us the point, I would like to say I am glad we cannot afford Alan Smith. He is a very good striker but obviously not a young man of character. What a diver! He worked hard to get that penalty for his team by building up the dives over a period of time. And what a foul mouth he and the Leeds boys have. I certainly hope the Addicks don't take part in the constant usage of the f word. How stupid! Milner seems to be the only player on that team to let his play show the way. I wish we could get him.
One more point about this match. No composure in and around the 18. No patience. One more touch, one more pass, and we could have had at least one more goal.