Close Season Stimulous

I have previously conveyed my views on thoughts about players contracts and renewals.

Not that much has been set in concrete as yet.

Of what I have picked up, I am pleased about Mambo(and it looks like he will get a chance to back my faith), disappointed about Anyinsah whom I felt was a good player but perhaps a safety first policy in respect of his injury problems is justified?
Reid I am not sorry to see go, and my previous post suggested others whom I would not lose sleep if they left. I'll be sorry if Dailly leaves as I think he still has a role to play, and alongside Mambo might have been interesting.
Unlike my old mate Keith, I would be happy to see Samedo stay but there seem to be strong rumblings to the contrary. I am less concerned about Racon though I think he could perform a role, hopefully not alongside McCormack. Indeed, I still am far from certain that Stewart is the answer and hope that CP can come up with someone else, though a fit Jackson would help out a lot.
Finally, I have to say I was disappointed to learn that Drinking During the Game has 15 years on the right side of me. I had already found that Chicago Addick has a good few years to the benefit against me. At least there is Major Ken on CAFCPICKS who is of similar vintage,
I cannot boast a new Samsung like DDTG either.
My GP read the riot act on my weight following a surge in blood pressure (prob. heightened by attendance at the Valley last season. Nevertheless, I have been on a strict diet and have lost a stone and have a least seen the BP react positively to that (and all the associated pain).
My reward for a month of a Spartan diet is to 'celebrate' with my bespoke Steak, wine and mushroom pie, as per pic, which was extracted from the freezer. That and a bottle or red wine or a genuine Czech Budweiser may just bring me back to normality, and help me get over Blackpool's plight.

Final Game Typifies Season

A pretty dull draw and difficult to prise many positives from this game.
Perhaps the biggest positive was that a surprising proportion of the fans stayed to clap (not quite a strong as "applaud") the side on a 'lap of honour' and I detected no booing or disrespectful chants.
Much of the 'applause' was probably a "goodbye courtesy gesture" to some for the team's performance this year. We managed a few more efforts on goal than usual hitting the crossbar a couple of times (to their one similar effort), Bessone's effort was a real piledriver and crowned a reasonably solid game for him. Once again the opposition were nothing to shout about; though their fans put on a good show in their fancy dress in the Jimmy Seed stand, and at London Bridge.
Harriot managed a full game and whilst he was not utterly convincing and had an average game he did show a lot of promise from such a young player, with a welcome tendency to try and beat his man and shoot (even though he failed to beat his man fairly regularly). He looks like persevering with and may be one for the future.
Even his detractors were prepared to say that Samedo had his best game for a very long time, getting stuck in as usual and spraying a lot of long passes to good effect: was he trying to impress someone?
Stuart was neat and tidy but not a lot more than that. No doubt, he would look better in a better side on a winning streak but whether we can pin too much on his shoulders to achieve that is in doubt; certainly not if a much inflated deal is required.Liera was give a chance to show what he could do and had a fair game spraying a lot of good ball around like Samedo. However, though strong in the air there were times when he looked to be in trouble on the ground with his pace which is why he has detractors and may not secure a contract.Jon Fortune seemed to do himself quite a serious injury after falling badly. It did not look like the kind of injury that would would overcome by a combination of the wet sponge and acupuncture. Therefore, if he is to be out of action for a while, one assumes that this will not help his case for a contract; whether it might help Liera is another matter.
Racon was demoted to the bench and given very little chance to impress following a late substitution for Harriot. You get the feeling that CP has made up his mind and that this may have been a cameo farewell performance.
I was more impressed today with BWP. He has an undoubted scoring pedigree but I have doubted his overall application and ability to control the long balls and bring others into play. Today, he impressed on all fronts and looked the part on all fronts; now we need an effective midfield and convincing wingers to open up the defences next season. I still have little confidence in Wagstaff's ability to do that; he is certainly not a winger or attacking midfielder/winger and if the club is convinced in his ability and intend to play him regularly then they must find out his best position: I cannot offer any clues.
I had hopes for Benson when he first signed but like Wagstaff he simply drifts out of the game and goes hiding. On top of that he always wants to lay the ball off and the thought of turning and taking on the opposition never seems to occur to him and his total lack of dominance in the air just about completes a sorry picture at the moment. I woul;d be the first to admit that he has received little decent service this season but he does not seem to be the kind of player to shrug that off and make it happen himself.
We have had a terrible run after CP's initial run, for which luck played a fair part.
He must now grasp the challenge and very quickly get on to building a side by bringing several good players ASAP, and not leave team building so late that a bad start is on the cards though players' lack of familiarity with their teammates. This is going to depend on good scouting, player assessment and of course the courage and ability of the board to find the resources top invest in the squad. In these troubled times that will not be easy.
Unless we can do all of this and make it click quickly (like Lennie Lawrence did to assure promotion to the old Division 1) then we could be struggling to keep in touch as early as October. If that is the case CP may also find himself under pressure that will be difficult to keep at bay

All on the Last Game (plus thoughts on next season)

  As my previous post suggested, it has gone to the wire as to which 'London' club finishes in the lowest position this season (excluding D & G and Barnet; relative newcomers to 'Greater London').

Huddersfield have Brentford at home and to avoid the ignominy of finishing bottom I suppose we should be shouting for them. However, by common consent it would be better to see Southampton gain automatic promotion and Huddersfield win the play-offs to get them both out of the division for next year. 

Southampton are obviously the better side, but both have money to invest next season which could dwarf our own resources (?).

We still have the task of beating Hartlepool at the Valley (no small feat at present).

Looking ahead: if rumours are to believed, we will not see Liera next season. I was not a great fan due to his frailty on the ground  but he is domineering in the air and has put his heart into going 100% (and wishing to stay at the Valley). I wish him well and feel confident he will get fixed up somewhere (and probably come back to haunt us by scoring from a corner).

Stories persist about both Racon and Samedo leaving. I will be sorry to see both leave (especially Samedo who gives 100%) , as although they have underperformed, the presence of another gutsy midfielder along side them (a La Bailey) would have brought the best out of them.

We still need a player of that sort, but I do not see him around at present. Parrett is a promising but lightweight option, and I have seen little to convince me that Stuart can fulfil that role, despite adulations from others around the web. Always like to be proven wrong but……

Unlike other,I feel that Dailly can be an important skipper and providing we have adequate cover for when he is unavailable he can remain important (but it is liely that will not come from Liera and probably Fortune

It’s kind of nice over the last few games that it’s been possible to relax and not remain glued to results to see if we can survive. Let’s hope for better next season!

Lost Opportunity- Little Improvement in Key Areas

An opportunity to defeat a misfiring Huddersfield side was lost for the usual reasons of lack of creativity, ineffective wing play and little ability to beat a man. 
Reid came on and was totally ineffective, though it has to be said it was late in the game and he got very few passes. However, this may have been his last chance to impress, and he didn't.
Many have expressed hope that Stewart is the Messiah. I have yet to witness anything that suggests that's the case. Sure he likes to make a lot of noise but otherwise he contributed little.  Perhaps it was lack of match fitness, but whether he can do it at this level after failing to do do it at a higher level (a La Martin) remains in question.. However, unless substantial funds become available, he may be the best that we can afford, which does not auger well.
The goalkeeper looks a potential valuable find, my suspicion is he was unsighted for yesterday's goal.
Wagstaffe had a better second half, but he had to after the first. Racon was poor today, but his chances are not enhanced by playing him out of position on the wide left.
BWP did not do a lot (unless he scores he adds precious little); however, he seems to be trying hard to improve his first touch and distribution. However, he had one moment of near magic; perhaps that's all he needs to add value.
Where we start building for next year is a real challenge. Some want a complete clear out, but this is unrealistic. The optimum solution would be 4-5 good players with something to prove (as per Lennie Lawrence) who are prepared to put in some elbow grease and cast off the coloured plastic boots.
As to who remains? Most have highly different views. I have suggested my own preferences previously, though I guess I will probably refine those by the end of the season. No doubt so will others.
If we give CP the benefit of the doubt, we could attribute the poor run to experimentation and using the games to assess existing players. Alternatively, if he really was trying to get a winning side together then he has failed and you could take the view that Parkinson would probably have ground out a significant number of extra points over the same games.
It will be interesting to find out how the senior directors view the outcome of the season and CP's tenure.

The Run-In

I knew there could be some reason for excitement in the run-in apart from guessing who wins the annual prizes at CAFCPICKS.
The race that we should try to win is the one to avoid being London’s bottom club in the Football League.
If, quite rightly, you eliminate the outer fringe location teams that were never historically part of London (I.E. Barnet, D & R, Southend, and even Gillingham from deepest Kent) then we have a real risk this season of finishing bottom. The prize always used to be won regularly by others,  including Millwall.
The challenge is to move above Brentford and Leyton Orient.
Years ago it would have been shameful to consider that we could finish below both of these teams.
The outstanding fixtures are as follows (thanks to Dick Shepherd):

Brentford:
15:00 Rochdale v Brentford
15:00 Brentford v Colchester United
15:00 Notts County v Brentford
15:00 Brentford v Southampton
15:00 Huddersfield Town v Brentford

Leyton Orient:
19:45 Leyton Orient v Carlisle United
15:00 Exeter City v Leyton Orient
15:00 Leyton Orient v Peterborough United
15:00 Carlisle United v Leyton Orient
15:00 Leyton Orient v Tranmere Rovers
15:00 Plymouth Argyle v Leyton Orient

“Heroes”:
15:00 Charlton Athletic v Huddersfield Town
15:00 Bristol Rovers v Charlton Athletic
15:00 Charlton Athletic v Rochdale
15:00 Walsall v Charlton Athletic
15:00 Charlton Athletic v Hartlepool United

What’s the betting?
There is a fair chance that we will avoid the ignominy of bottom place by pipping Brentford on goal difference, though it would be nice to think it will not depend on that.

Phew! - 3 points (after a few breaks) relieve the pressure

Well, the 3 points are likely to have laid to rest the prospect of a last minute relegation battle and a tense away game at Walsall even though it was achieved with a fair share of luck with BWP's goal, the solidity of our woodwork and a disallowed 'goal'.

Nevertheless, a victory was deserved after a solid second half performance.
Regrettably, Wagstaffe lost his way again in the first half though he but picked up somewhat in the second half. You can understand how Ecclestone, and even Reid must get very frustrated in being let out. Perhaps, Powell does not see them figuring next season and is persevering with home grown resources, though I think Wagstaffe does not merit a place in the side at the moment. He is not a winger (rarely beats his man) and his crossing is poor. Other than his supposed athleticism, it is difficult to pinpoint his perceived current contribution to the side. Perhaps, Powell can see he can develop further with perseverance?
Racon was the only one who could beat his man in the first half and look to create something; after the break added two great shots that were deflected wide. It was good to see Samedo crown a good display with a rare goal and the emotional response that followed: I'm sure it was largely relief but I feel that this man really wants to play for the club. Bessone has added a footballing dimension at the back, and hopefully can ensure us in the coming weeks that he can stay injury free.
The new boys played well (Parrett after a shaky first half). Stewart looked to have the talent to fulfil his earlier career promise and provide that missing link in midfield. With Jackson due to return selection will be an interesting exercise in the remaining games.
Benson did not cause much of a threat but it was encouraging to see his 100% commitment.
The imperious Dailly and Liera could provide the core backbone at the back, perhaps with Doherty being on hand to cover. However, Liera returned to his old ways of making crucial errors that could have lost us the game so I am not 100% confident he can command a regular place next season. I still have faith in Mambo coming through though others shed doubt because he does not seem to have shone in loan spells and they question why he has not yet come through (??).
Whether the future is bright seems to depend on whether Powell can find a middle road between his apparent commitment to a passing game, without the necessary talent to fully deliver, and adopting a more direct game which this division demands (plus the availability of some funds to bring new talent in, though we should not assume megabucks are in store).

Food For Thought: from A previous Diabolical Season

The point gained with a fair stroke of luck at Bournemouth may prove crucial in the run-in, providing we can secure a few more points beforehand. Given the fixture list, the remaining  home games are key to our survival in this division, starting with the home game against Leyton Orient which I feel has now become a crucial fixture. They have been on a good run but we need to raise our game as against Southampton and get a vital 3 point as I cannot see points easy to come by in the remaining away fixtures and the home games against Rochdale and Hartlepool.
In any 'normal' season those teams should provide adequate cannon fodder to secure our future. However, this is no 'normal'season and the collapse in recent games has been as bad and frustrating as many of our New Year collapses in recent years. As we all know, being a CAFC supporter can be a roller coaster experience, the likes of which no other supporters seemed to be 'blooded' on.
If history is to be avoided, we need to win the next two home games as I can recall a nail biting night sitting by the radio in May1964 when we needed to win at Walsall in the last game of the season to avoid relegation.
We were only in with a chance in the final game because the late Cliff Durandt had fired in an 89th minute winner to beat Southampton at home in the penultimate game. I remember seeing him fire in the long rage shot that was going over until it inexplicably dipped at the last minute.
It was a most uncharacteristic performance for CAFC in that the reports stated that we went out there on raw meat and immediately set about delivering crunching tackles, much in the style of Harry Cripps' Millwall sides. By the eight minute Walsall were reduced to 10 men with another hobbling along without making much of a contribution.A winning goal from Mike Kenning in the 63rd minute kept us up and sent Walsall down.
I hope we do not require the same outcome away to Walsall this season. In those days, we had players like Kenning (a bit of a softie but with a thunderbolt shot) and those with true grit such as Sewell, Hewie, Tocknell, Lucas, Kenning and Kinsey: not sure where they are now.
Keith Peacock was also I the side and gine the thought may have crossed his mind about the Walsall fixture.

I would not place bets on many 100% tackles other than from a minority of our current players or managing a draw at Walsall without an uncharacterstic 'superhuman' performance; let’s hope we secure the required points beforehand as my blood pressure is unlikely to hold out as well as if did in 1964 second time around!.