Everything about the club is downbeat and apathetic right now. Even the message boards and blogs are not their usual lively selves. It’s almost as if everyone has accepted that the club is set for a lengthy stay in League One and aren’t paricularly bothered. Here’s an example. Prior to the Notts Coumty game I bought some tickets for various upcoming away games. I paid by debit card and normally the money would be taken from my account on the Monday, which would have been 13 September. The transaction did not actually go through unil 21 September, 10 days after I picked them up.
Phil Parkinson made five changes for last week’s game at Tranmere, saying that he was in a position to pick horses for courses. This statement was at odds with the manager’s previous utterance, that the team needed time to gel and would get better with time. I don’t entirely buy the ‘time to gel’ theory. While undoubtedly true, virtually every team in Leagues One and Two face the same problem on an annual basis. There did not appear to be any lack of gelling at Leyton Orient did there?
Cautious by nature, Parkinson seems to suffer with self doubts. It is hard to imagine he would have stuck with the struggling Steve Morison long enough to reap the rich harvest of goals that Kenny Jackett did last season.
Parkinson implied that a more muscular side was required for the trip to Prenton Park but does replacing McCormack with Racon and Abbott with Joe Anyinsah really add credence to that claim?
McCormack and Semedo are clearly not a pairing that will ever supply enough bullets for the front line and a change was essential. The truth is, the manager is still trying to work out what his best team is.
Dagenham & Redbridge are not a good side at this level and anything other than a win, accompanied by a decent performance, will set the alarm bells ringing. Charlton need to win, and win well, on Saturday before they face Milton Keynes Dons at The Valley on the following Tuesday.
The Addicks recorded their best result of the season against the Dons last year and will be hoping for a repeat performance.
After just seven games, Gary Doherty is the only player to have started every league game. Stability is an ingredient that must be added to the team as soon as possible if it is to prosper.
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