Reasons To Be Cheerful...

If it was up to me I'd make every Charlton game on a Tuesday night. Football under floodlights always seems so much more intense and the atmosphere is cranked up a notch or two regardless of the gate.

If I didn't know any better, I'd think it was Johnnie Jackson's favourite day of the week as well. Yet again, our talismanic leader drove Charlton on to another memorable victory. Yet another top night at the Valley.

Big Bob's new-look Charlton continue to impress with an attractive passing game that is light years away from Charlton sides of the recent (and not so recent) past. The new players have added something to every area we seriously lacked. We look a decent side capable of playing football. We look hungry and committed. We have options from the bench. Big Bob has created a monster that needs to fully understand just how powerful it can be.

How nice it is to say that.

Buyens (penalty picture above) and Bikey Amougou stood out yet again, perhaps upstaged only by a young lad of 17 years of age in Joe Gomez. Tucudean showed tonight why Charlton fans need to give the man a chance. Surely by now Charlton fans should have learnt their lesson in not jumping to conclusions! Vetokele showing the strikers instinct that could keep him amongst the Championship's leading scorers.

Some of these new faces may turn out to be our new heroes. They are heading in the right direction, for sure.

Johnnie never stopped running. His commitment the very best example of all we can ever ask from a Charlton player. What a man.

I felt for young Pope. Perhaps unsighted for their second goal, he knows he should have done better. He didn't deserve that. It left us with a nervy end to the game, but then it wouldn't have been Charlton any other way. 

The BBC match stats suggested Derby had nearly 65% of possession and it would be hard to argue against that. This was a hard fought victory against a very good passing side who will be up there challenging for promotion, of that I'm sure. Jamie Ward, a player who would not look out of place in the top flight, was outstanding for the visitors; a constant threat and a joy to watch at times. But as was the case with Wigan on Saturday, our minority possession proved to be irrelevant against chances taken. Only one stat counts come the final whistle. 

At this early stage of the season the league table deserves nothing more than a cursory glance at best, but after three games it is impossible to ignore the many positives from this new-look Charlton. Cause to be quietly optimistic? We'll see. I won't get carried away but one things for sure, I'm going to enjoy this positive feeling and embrace it.