Only on one other occasion can I remember feeling this detached from those players wearing the Charlton shirt after a game and that was on the 19th of December 2006 when we lost to Wycombe Wanderers one-zero at the Valley in the League Cup. If you was there, you'll know exactly what I mean. That night, Matt Holland aside, not one player gave a single ounce of shit. Nobody cared. Our season was already doomed.
Today was worse. Much worse.
The body language across the entire team today spoke volumes. These players have given up. Don't kid yourself otherwise. Roland has ripped the heart out of this club and it's reached the dressing room in the most inglorious fashion. There is a sizable argument to say the players should always play for the fans if nothing else, and there was 2,000 of us at Vicarage Road today after all, but they couldn't even manage that. How we missed Johnnie, if only to have someone we could believe in.
There is not one single positive sign they are prepared to dig deep and fight tooth and nail to get us out of this shit. Not one. It pains me massively to be this negative.
It is normally the case an incoming manager will create a 'bounce' to a flailing team, but Guy Luzon is not kidding anyone. Addicks are not impressed one bit whilst numerous well-respected Belgian journalists give absolutely no hope whatsoever of Luzon's ability. After today it is painfully obvious the players are not convinced either. I don't know if Luzon was in attendance (I would imagine he was) but I doubt there can be a better example of players failing to make any effort to impress a new manager.
What are you doing, Roland? Yes we're grateful you offered us financial stability; undoubtedly saved us from administration. Yes you gave us a spruced up Valley, a new pitch and some pulled pork burgers, but why can't you see the immense harm you're doing to the one thing that really matters? How can you really be convinced that what you are doing is right?
After Watford scored their fourth a young lad in front of me (perhaps 7 years old) burst into tears. His dad consoled him. His old man will have seen it all before, but I wonder if the boy will fancy putting up with that sort of shit much longer. Attendances will go down; revenue with it. But it's OK, the pitch at the Valley is holding up well and the burgers are nice.
I left Marco and Martin to it and sneaked out 5mins early to beat the rush. As I headed back to my car I heard the cheer from the Golden Boys as they celebrated their fifth.
Charlton are in big, big trouble.
It is, to be frank a load of old bollocks. I ain't given up, and I won't give up. Shame on those players that have. They actually get paid to be part of this joke. I don't, I pay for the 'privalage'. Shame on them. I actually could not care less about the owners, OR the current crop of players, who it would seem do not have the conkers or personal pride to actually represent themselves. It's not rocket science. It's football. Turn up for yourselves ffs!
ReplyDeleteCan't argue with any of that, Scoops. Very well put.
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