I haven’t seen our away games, but Berry seems to have become the weak link in midfield. If we could buy just one player it would be an attacking midfielder to replace him. Who is out there though?
Amazing that we're in with a realistic chances of getting into a play-off spot IF we get a decent points return. Still a big if though. I am still sticking my neck out and saying we'll end up short.
We had very few good individual performances again last night, despite the win. I’d say Lloyd Jones was our MOM. Leaburn, TC , Berry …very little attacking threat. We are crying out for some goal scoring & creativity.
I'm glad on behalf of the travelling fans that the team gave them something to cheer last night. But watching on SSN I was unmoved. I can understand other fans hoping that this means maybe a better second half to the season, even a chance to nick 6th or 5th place. But to be frank even that prospect does not inspire any positive emotion in me at all. Too many raised hopes have proven false in the last 10 years. I think the Club is cursed. Even the elation of Wembley in 2019 (I was there as I'm sure we all were) proved to be a false dawn. Six months later the Club was gutted and thrown on the rubbish tip, and the team lost it's 2nd tier status with barely a whimper. We are where we are. I'm completely resigned to it now. Pity we don't have a Winnie-the-Pooh Eeyore emoticon.
Matete received a yellow for it, which means the ref saw it, só probably nothing can be done. The ref should be disciplined.
I’m not his biggest fan, but Rick Everitt has posted a good summary of what happens if CAFC remains in League One for much longer. Indirectly, it’s a brutal evisceration of pseuds like Mundell and Seriously Red. There is no such thing as a “five year project” for a club of our size in the third tier - costs don’t allow it. Everitt correctly points out to the pseuds that not only is the club losing a fortune, the fanbase is also shrinking year on year (SR claimed we average 15,000 this season ) Everitt’s most telling point is that the Duchatelet / Valley lease is ticking down - and Methven & Co have no intention of extending it. RE makes the very valid point that if the lease drops to 5 years or less, no future owner will touch CAFC with a bargepole, the club will effectively be screwed. There’s a lot of truth in the above. (PS before obsequious little @ElfsborgAddick replies with “Everitt knows his stuff” ) …I am agreeing that he’s making very pertinent points here. The “Five Year Plan” is for pseuds & morons.
If we stagger along in L1, the crunch will come a lot sooner than the expiry of the lease though. The Yanks must have had private discussions about when to stop throwing good money after bad. I can't imagine them subsidising more than one more season in what is really Div 3, although no-one knows their private thoughts.
This punisment would only help Charlton though (since we were collectively the 'victim' of the violent conduct) if the three match ban only applied to the next three times Jay Matete plays against CAFC. As things stand his ban may help our opponents, as Bolton are weakened by his absence - but only when playing the next three teams competing against us. Hardly justice. A more just punishment would be for Bolton to have a point deducted, and that point be added to our total instead. If players knew their violent conduct could cost their Club a point, they might cut it out.
