I think we are all agreeing furiously with each other here! There is a connotation between the best "footballing" side and that which is easiest on the eye in terms of free-flowing, passing attacking (though not necessarilly winning) football. We have the capacity to be flowing and easy on the eye, but where we have cracked it this year is in winning when we have not been that. We are clearly the most effective team and if that means we are the best, then that's just fine by me. All I'm say ng is that there have been others who have, at least when I have been watching, been easier on the eye. I wouldn't swap their position with ours for all the tea in China though! Pass the aspirins!
A good footballing side as I understand it is one which attempts to play attacking football by passing the ball to feet as opposed to lumping it up in the air and leaving your forwards to fight for it. I've been surprised by the number of teams in this division who aim to get the ball down and play the right way, probably the majority. And don't forget that before the take--over and CP's appointment we had become a long-ball team, hence the dwindling attendances. During these dark days I particularly enjoyed watching the under-18's who always tried to play pass-and-move under Damien Matthew.
The League Table doesnt lie. We're the best Footballing side because we're top of the league... the sole rule of Football is to score one more goal than the opposition, you can have all the corners / possession you like but if you cant get it into the net those stats count for nothing
Granted. Its interpretation. However, my interpretation of 'Best Footballing side' is the side that is 1) pleasing to the eye 2) Attacking in intent and 3) Dominate possession. We havnt been any of those for most of the last 3 months - and yet we are top of the league by some distance. Some years ago Arsenal had a reputation for winning 1-0 and the opposition fans used to chant 'Boring,boring Arsenal' - i wonder, if maybe opposition fans thought the same about us recently. Lets be honest with ourselves, based upon the last 3 months,if this poll was only for neutrals, we wouldnt be at the top .
can you imagine any other team in the league having this discussion if they were 10 points clear at the top having only lost 2 games all season?
Amazing isnt it ?!! As someone said above, we are certainly head and shoulders above any other team in being effective - but , best footballing side, nah. As i said above, Arsenal were always regarded as boring but they were always at the top end of the table ! Long may it live for us, but i'm not sure that i can suggest that we are a good footballing side. After we beat Sheff Wed, i had a bit of a banter with Owlstalk, and they were all saying that whenever theyd watched us on TV, we were crap, and they gave Brentford,Orient and Udd as examples - and i couldnt argue against it.
You couldn't help think of the old Arsenal when we were grinding out our 1-0's.It was a great achievement to keep our run going when you remember how dependent we used to be on BWP's goals, and then they dried up. When you consider that we are a new young team put together on not much money, to be the best footballing team on top of that would have been expecting a lot, which fans often do. The Wham fans for instance never took to Curbs although they were 6th when he left. They loved Zola, who got them playing pretty patterns as they plummetted down the league, and they don't like Big Sam, who is about to get them promoted!
Probably not AllHell, but it confirms this board as being intelligent, fair, open-minded, analytical and steeped in a pessimism born of years of under-achievement. Fans not only of our beloved Charlton Athletic, but also of this wonderful game.
Not necessarily, especially if they get 6 point taken away from them because of Pompey - they'll be out of the top 2 then, with Soton top and Reading 2nd. Anybody noticed Reading's Charltonesque defence this season ? The way they are playing i can see them overtaking Wham.
Not necessarily, especially if they get 6 point taken away from them because of Pompey - they'll be out of the top 2 then, with Soton top and Reading 2nd. Anybody noticed Reading's Charltonesque defence this season ? The way they are playing i can see them overtaking Wham.[/QUOTE] Is it just me who thinks that there would be an element of poetic justice if West Ham got stuffed due to the misfortunes of other after the Teves scenario a few years ago? Not that I am bitter or anything! But what goes around comes around....
Ha, never thought of that ! - Good point Jimbob. Must admit i would have a little more than a chuckle !
