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Friday 2 December 2011

Charlton and the interlull



Well it’s been some time since my last blog to you folks, in the  time since my last update we have beaten Nottingham Forests 42 league unbeaten run. We made it to 43, but unfortunately lost to Charlton, in reality thinking back to it, I don’t think anyone was too confident of us beating Arsenals record considering our tough run of games.

Anyway 43 league games unbeaten is a wonderful thing, and something that will be remembered for some time to come. However, the loss to Charlton could be a blessing in disguise. We are no longer the focus of media attention, we no longer have to continue running battles with Adrian Durham and Gabriel Zakauni over twitter; and most importantly we can focus on winning games rather than not losing.
Unfortunately for us, we have a rather long wait before we can attempt to put this right and bounce back, Bournemouth is next on the agenda, and is in my opinion a must-win game. Not only for the 3 points, but to show we have reacted properly to this setback, and to set us up nicely for the forthcoming games.
A mention must go out to the unbeaten run, and it should be commended. We went nearly a year without losing in the league, however we didn’t achieve our ultimate goal of promotion in May, and we still haven’t. We can look back on it with pride, however if we don’t win promotion this season, then it will lose significance. Not losing isn’t everything, winning is what matters, and if any further proof of this was needed, then look no further than Sheffield Wednesday; a side tanked 5-1 by Stevenage but still sitting pretty in second.

Now onto the game itself... I think we dominated the game for large periods, but when the first goal came in I never thought we would get back into. With this Town team it seems possible to gauge their fortunes very early on. Our attacks were repetitive and predictable and our defence failed on two occasions. A goal early on in the second half may have changed it, but as time wore on, and passes were misplaced my hopes of a result dipped. Yes we had much more possession than Charlton, and yes we dominated the second half, but we scored none and conceded two. Not a recipe for success.

 However it was pleasing to see Charlton give us so much respect in the second-half, and credit must be given to them for the result. The first was the result of a fantastic delivery, and their defensive display was nothing short of fantastic. They stood firm, resolute and gave their all, and for that they thoroughly deserved their victory. Perhaps we played the way we did because of the pressure regarding the unbeaten run, and the added intensity of being live on sky, or maybe it was just a bad day at the office. Oh well we move on, one result doesn’t decide the season and we must put it behind us and kick on now. We all remember how strong we were in the second half of the season, and If we do that this season then there is no doubt we will be promoted, so fingers crossed.

On to the signings made, Jon Parkin and Alex Bruce on loan from Cardiff and Leeds respectively. Two very astute signings I think, Parkin is a similar player to Lee, and will probably provide more of a goal threat than the big Irishman. Alex Bruce is a competent defender, and will hopefully provide some stability to the defence, regardless of his family connections. It wasn’t shocking to see Mccombe go to Preston on loan, as I think he has perhaps found himself marginalised after his sending off against Orient. So if Parkin and Bruce fit in, and play to their capabilities the team will be improved, which is all we can ask for.

A special mention must go to Gary Speed, a fantastic footballer, talented young manager and model professional who sadly passed away last weekend. Thoughts must go out to his family and friends at this time. A great shame and a very sad time for the world of football.
RIP Gary Speed