I’m in a foul mood but not quite for the reasons you might expect. Yes, like all Charlton fans I’m still hurting from our drubbing at the hands of Burnley yesterday and nothing but time and good results will take that away. My head is already starting to throb as I write this so I really feel for the brave souls that trekked all the way north on Saturday. However, what makes it worse is that it doesn’t end there.
In the past, if your team lost, you’d have a moan to your fellow supporters as you left the ground, then you’d sound off to your mates down the pub or go and stew at home as you listened to the results on the radio. On Sunday you’d be reminded about the appalling game in the newspapers and you’d prepare for the stick your work colleagues were going to give you on a Monday morning but that was about it, onwards and upwards to the next game.
Now with the advent of the internet I also get to endure a torrent of abuse every time I turn to my favourite social media. From mindless comments from people I don’t know on twitter to the facebook trolls you’re not helping to ease the pain of defeat for me. The dedicated Charlton bloggers on the whole are pretty rational but some of the fan forums seem to attract the worst in people that would put off any one wishing to follow us. I sometimes wonder whether they have shares in pharmaceutical companies as my use of headache pills almost always goes up following a few hours on the net after games.
However, when the club has to issue a warning on facebook about foul and abusive language you know that’s a step too far. We know it’s not just a Charlton issue, the same thing happens at clubs up and down the country. It’s unfortunately going to continue until the day when like rugby fans (and at today’s NFL game at Wembley) opposing fans can all sit together and enjoy a pint while watching the game. It’s a nice idea but I can’t see it happening and to be honest I’m not sure I want it to happen as it would lose some of the rivalry.
Of course we should be able to criticise our team, it was a poor result after all, and I would defend anyone’s right to do so but please leave out the abuse. Some people seem to think that they are immune hiding behind their electronic devices but I’m sure in most cases it’s just a case of people letting off steam and not thinking. Remember post in haste, repent at your leisure. One well known Charlton follower has a good rule of thumb for twitter (apart from not posting when drunk) which is to ask yourself whether you would say your tweet to the person it was directed at if they were standing in front of you right now. It’s a great guide to abide by and I’d encourage you to try it.
“Chris Powell out” I heard some fans cry yesterday, you’ve got to be joking. The Championship has a history of rash sackings and Nigel Clough’s departure yesterday is just the latest in a long line. The quote from the BBC yesterday was as follows:- "The decision by the club will come as a surprise to some, but supporters have become increasingly frustrated by poor performances at home - despite some encouraging displays away.” This sounds familiarly like the situation we were in last season. Imagine sacrificing that late run of form that saw us finish 9th last year? While the Derby situation is a little different what makes us think that another manager. Remember, there is no budget for a new coach to change around the squad, let alone the money to even bring in a new coaching squad. Now Powell does suffer from a bit of tactical naivety but he’s learning fast and in all fairness the spate of injuries has left him having to experiment with previously untried formations out of a limited squad. Incidentally, Clough’s sacking puts Powell up to 11th in the league of longest serving English league managers (www.leaguemanagers.com/managers/longest-current.html).
Others were calling for Jimenez to leave too. Well go figure that one out Charlton fans. With many clubs struggling we were lucky to have them in the first place. While I have to acknowledge that we don’t make comfortable bed fellows with the current owners or their front men we are stuck with each other and the fact is that Charlton would have long gone to the wall without them. Yes, we’d all like a sugar daddy, including the board, the only difference is that we didn’t stump up the cash in the first place so they have a right set the asking price even if according to some the bar is currently been set too high. We as fans need to ensure that we do our bit by joining the Supporters Trust and getting behind the petition to turn the Valley into an Asset of Community Value so that we at least have some say in the future of the club. If you don’t do this one small thing then we all lose out and the ability to have our voice heard will be severely blunted.
In my last blog I said we had a tough ten days ahead with Burnley, Forest and Blackpool in quick succession and our 3-0 drubbing yesterday proved at least part of it right. Buckle up Charlton fans because it’s not going to get any easier from here on in. If you’re one of those fair weather glory hunting fans I would have pointed you to join a Manchester team or maybe even Chelsea….oh hang on they didn’t have a great weekend either did they? It looks like the Premier League is catching a dose of Championship fever which is great news for us neutrals but not so good for the betting slips of a few Charlton fans judging by some comments on twitter yesterday!
There was a glimmer of hope for us in yesterday’s game, where we seemed to have the upper hand for the majority of the first half. Possession and shots on goal were pretty even with Burnley and I think Chris Powell has now worked out his midfield, even with injuries. We still have a game in hand too if that is any consolation. I don’t expect a great crowd on Tuesday nights visit by Forest but am expecting a larger crowd for the Blackpool game as the club appear to have been handing out free tickets to Greenwich University students so let’s make sure we as fans at least, introduce them to the loud passionate Charlton family we want them to see.
Anyway, that’s my little rant over. Its one way of allowing me to work the stress of losing out of my system with out resorting to alcohol or therapy, it’s a lot cheaper too, you should try it some time.
Hear Hear!
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