No red robins bobbing at the Valley this season!! (Charlton Athletic F.C.)

Member Name: welling1

Product:	Charlton Athletic F.C.
Date:	06/04/09 (50 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good family club.

Disadvantages: Lack of atmosphere, no money to progress!!

As I write this Charlton have just won their second away game of the season, but are staring relegation in the face to league one which will be their second relegation in three seasons. Charlton have, over the last three years, in my eyes, made some of the worst managerial decisions ever namely that of Les Reed and Ian Dowie and we are now under the managerial services of Phil Parkinson and a Charlton legend in Mark Kinsella, who after every loss say the same old things - we are trying, it is getting better, etc, etc. Just be a little bit honest these are men who are earning thousands of pounds a week and they are not playing good enough and not doing their job in the correct way. I have been to five games this season and have not seen them win and when at the home game against Southampton I nearly feel asleep!

For me though my worst moment over the last three years has to be the Carling Cup defeat to Wycombe at home - I have never seen the home fans so angry some threw their shirts on the pitch and lets just say language was not exactly PG. Going back to the present and the team we have this year it's just not strong enough - Luke Varney shipped out to Derby and lasts three games there - come on that is shocking; Chris Dickson some may say doesn't get enough of a chance but what I have seen of him he is one of the laziest players I have ever seen no effort what so ever; Andy Gray look at appearances and goals he has scored for us this season - enough said; and finally bringing in Matt Spring and Keith Gillespa, well five years ago maybe but not when they joined the club - they would struggle to get in my local team.

Next season in league one we will be many teams cup final and I am not saying there are very good teams in there because there are and I think Charlton should be aiming for a play off place at best. The team at present is not good enough to go higher. Shining lights this year are Nicky Bailey, Rob Elliot and Jonjo Shelvey. What feels really hard for me to take in is that we could be playing Rochdale in a league game - I never in my life thought I would be saying that, but that seems to be the case. Next year will be very hard and a total different style of football. I feel that we need to get rid of Parkinson and bring in Martin Allen or Aidy Boothroyd. I hope that this time next year I will be writing about Charlton having won the league and looking forward to life in the championship but with dwindling crowds at the valley to be expected and a loss of our better players on the cards, who knows anyone for league two .......!!!!!

Summary: Nice run club, who are having a bad time of it.