Burnley at home. What was the score? Lost 3-1
Head in the hands again this morning, just like Tuesday. Our home form is now officially awful. Thank god we go back on the road during the week. Promotion today seems very distant but before we all get too carried away, there are 27 games left and realistically if someone told me in the summer we would be 4th at the beginning of December, then I would have taken it. The league down to the bottom half is very tight and the key is to stay in the play-off positions, whilst keeping the top two in sight. As we have found out, things can change very quickly in this division. 4 wins, 4 clean sheets, then two horrible home defeats and 6 goals conceded. The games come thick and fast and it's time for inspiration and not examination.
I stand by what I wrote
yesterday but add Owen Coyle to that list of managers. Pardew should be judged over a course of a season not 180 minutes, just like people weren't throwing his name in the hat for the England job after 4 consecutive wins. Let's back him because we have no divine right to expect this journey to be easy - no one ever said it would be.
Of course I only know what I read and Tony Cottee's occasional comments on
Soccer Saturday but I was surprised Semedo was dropped, and we don't appear to have enough fire power at home to really damage teams. Toddy would certainly be playing now and we desperately need to add a striker in January. I'm bewildered too as to why Dickson wasn't recalled from his 2nd month on loan.
The midfield was changed a lot today and that is fair enough because he has the players to do that but once again it was the defence that was left wanting. Two similiar goals conceded in 13 minutes makes winning almost impossible whether you are home or away, or in the Premiership or Conference South. Simply not good enough, the story of our week. Monday we begin a new one.
Who was at The Valley: From The Hill To The Valley;
Addicks Championship Diary;
Drinking During the Game;
Blackheath Addicted.
Reports: Observer;
Sunday Mirror;
cafc.co.uk;
Clarets Mad.
What Pards' said: "Where we are now is that we have to improve. We have dug ourselves a hole, and we go to Cardiff on Tuesday night, which is not an ideal situation."
A bottle of fizzy pop for: Luke Varney. The only player to come out of the game with any credit, strangely he was substituted for his efforts.