How is this fair?

I speak for a large portion of Addicks supporters who, like myself, must by now be sick to the hind teeth with what we are witnessing from our beloved Charlton. The season that started so well is now being torn apart by teams who if we are very honest with ourselves, are no better than us. Today at Roots Hall, the home of Southend United, we once again orchestrated our own downfall. In the first ten minutes our defence was poor and allowed two quick goals for the home side that finished off the game before it had even started.

Sloppy defending has been our Achilles heel for best part of this season. How can this team of players even consider being a contender for the top six when we have a problem beating teams who are below us in this division? How is this fair to all who come to games expecting a team performance and getting a disjointed made up set of players who have yet to learn the fundamental basic skills that make a real competitor to challenge in the modern game?

I have up to now been a staunch supporter of Duchatelet who I regarded the one to save Charlton from extinction from the bankers, and by doing so opened up a new beginning for this club to push forward and bring back stability that was lost with the bankers who were never in the football industry for the right reasons.

Duchatelet at least had the club`s interests at heart and set about restoring the club infrastructure to make the whole involvement in this club from a supporter`s perspective a pleasant experience. Unfortunately not many agreed with his approach and with the club and team failing with far too many interferences from personals whose knowledge of football was non-existent, a downward trend was developing.

From a good start from our new owner, things were allowed to fester and deteriorate with numerous managers who tried but failed miserably. Dropping through the divisions like a stone was the outcome with very little signs of a reprieve. Our team and players had become predictable and what was needed urgently was a manager who had a no nonsense approach to right many bad habits which were allowed to creep in from those previously in charge.

Russell Slade came in as an experienced manager and English to boot. He lasted six months and was replaced by Karl Robinson. By then the vast support for the Addicks had evaporated just like the team`s performances. Demonstrations and discontentment was the main performers at home games and it became clear that Robinson had a major task on his hands.

The first season in charge, he might be forgiven for those players who were not his. He did the best with what he had to work with and the faithful to the Addicks gave him a chance to prove himself come the next season. In the beginning I have already mentioned the good start we made. Although players were needed to boost the team, there were signs that Robinson had found a good balance. But now I`m in total shock at how we are falling behind without even giving our beleaguered supporters a team performance that even with an unfamiliar team formation we should be capable to produce a result.

There is no way we will make an impression in this division without a proven striker who can score on a regular basis. The odd goal we have scored will not bring the desired finish to make the difference. We are being taken over by teams who have what it takes to win games that we have a problem with. Unless there is a marked improvement in the second half of this season, by that I mean bringing in new players, I`m sorry to say, we are not going to advance any further and will be stuck in this division which will be a disaster.

I want Charlton to do well and I`m not alone in this. After supporting this club for over a half a century nothing would please me more. But there is a need to understand nothing comes from nothing. The ownership has a commitment to the supporters who have been loyal.