The news that Darren, 'Sharon' Ambrose is due to be joining our local friends from Selhurst was greeted by an almost universal shrug of the shoulders.Nobody can deny that Darren has had a rather tricky time of it when it comes to his relationship with the Charlton support.
He arrived in South London from Newcastle with plenty to prove. Bobby Robson had raided his old club Ipswich for what seemed like a fantastic player for the future. Unfortunately for Darren, the Geordies only seem to be able to wait five minutes before their team, (or manager) are cast aside in favour of the new flavour of the week for failing to deliver their rightful place as supreme beings of the universe.
Both Robson and Ambrose were to leave, Robson being particularly badly treated. So, Darren started off for Charlton with a bang, showing us all what he is capable of, by being sent off during his debut at the Stadium of Light.
I always found it quite ironic that the first experience most of us had of our new pacy player seemed to be of a ruthless hothead who went crashing into rather unnecessary tackles.
We were to wait another two seasons before Darren went in for another 50 : 50 challenge.
He acquired a reputation for being a bit of a softy. He was nowhere near as bad as our greyhound like Danish winger in this respect but no amount of tattoos, marriages or children could rid him of being compared, unfavourably, to a rather delicate flower by many at the Valley.
We were unfair to Darren. He played through the pain apparently and it wasn't his fault that we expected too much. However, he had the tendency to go missing in games and though obviously a very skillful player, his final ball was sometimes woeful.
I shall remember Sharon for two things.
Firstly the sublime goal he scored from distance against Manchester United facing the North stand. It was a peach and no doubt figures heavily, from a multitude of angles, on the DVD his agent has for emergencies.
Secondly, I shall remember the reports of him failing to turn up on time for a home game due to being caught in traffic. That's just SOOO Charlton!
Can you imagine that happening to a Manchester United player?
Actually, I've just thought of Rio Ferdinand so scrub that but you get my point. He was like us. He wasn't a fancy superstar. He got caught in traffic. Oh how I laughed!
So, farewell Sharon. It's difficult to say that you will be missed as you have played no more than a bit part in our lives over the last season. I wish you well and have to agree that any player willing to wave his appearance fee to help out his hard up club can't be all bad.
Darren Ambrose : Casual Rating.
I would rate Darren as a Lonsdale polo shirt. On the face of it, not too different from a Lacoste but just not quite 'there'.
Totally acceptable for taking home to mum but never going to make much of an impact when you need to make that big impression.
Under different circumstances Ambrose may prove to be a more than solid Blue Harbour sweater but he's never going to be the full Pringle.
11 comments:
Sharon has enormous talent & I think he may well have suffered from 'Charlton-itis' & his career will again blossom in its new home.
Colin is just the sort of manager to get the best out of him.Watch the moaners start the 'why couldn't he do it here' cries.
Maybe ask why it happens so frequently guys.
At least he can't come back to haunt us this season by scoring - unless we meet Palarse in the cup...
Pembury Addick
'enormous talent' - that is truly laughable. I'm really fed up with this myth that he somehow has this amazing potential that has never been realised. He hasn't got anything to his game: he's not particularly quick, can't dribble, hates having possession, invariably hides in games, hasn't really got a decent shot, and perhaps the worst goalscoring record for a goalscoring midfield player I have ever come across. Maybe Colin can get the best out of him, but even if he does I imagine he will still be disappointed.
So Sharon played in pain - not as much as the poor fans who were trying to spot him on the pitch during those many periods when he disappeared - where was he hiding?
So good that he waived his appearance fees after he came back from Ipswich. Perhaps makes up for waiving his appearance during games - is there a cave under the pitch where he hid because I don't know where else he was except possibly within Piggybanks shorts.
A total waster - lazy, egotistical, over rated and a twat when i met him at the Player Awards Dinner...slow, scare of the ball, why people think he is talente in any respect save for theodd decent goal (flukes obviously! - think i saw him play well about 3 times in the whole time he was with us, lastly against Ispwich,and even they didnt want him back!! so he's gone to Palace - what a w*nker...good riddance, they deserve each other
Sharren has some talent it's true. His rightly punished debut tackle was the only one he committed himself to during his chrlton stay. I don't expect all 11 players to show the fearlessness and tenacity of Scot Parker but Sharren's avoidance of contact is shameful and the 2nd worst to have desported charlton red. He might have been injured for the last year but he was hiding for a full year before that. My abiding memory arose at Bramall Lane as momentum built in the dash to relegation from the PL. Charlton were 1 up but Sheff U were getting back into the game in their own brutish style, Shazza hugging the left touchline quailed in the none too close attention of a couple of Blades and tamely surrendered possession to SU's full back who promptly ambled back up the touchline into charlton's half. Shazza kept very steady pace behind the fb making no attempt to recover possession and atone for his 'blunder' the unchallenged full back duly crossed the ball into the box, Bingo 1 all. Shazza barely shrugged, loafed back up the touchline and remained hidden for the rest of the game. Recently waiving his appearance money is an unexpected bit of news but if he really had any heart or backbone he would have handed back 2/3 of his entire earnings from day one. "One of us" Ketts? "Cares about the club"? It's precisely that kind of care that has charlton where it is. Of course he's not alone in having taken us all for a very well remunerated ride but his tenure at charlton was good only for his bank balance. Colin should get a player at his peak, I doubt if Sharren can remember what being a professional footballer actually entails.
I remembera shirt signing he came to too. he was an hour late and Hermann gave him a knuckle sandwich so his hair was messed up for photos.... Sums up both these players eh?
A great blog Marco...keep it going.
CR
I know I'm probably well wide of the mark here Marco, but I just get that tinsy winsy feeling in my bones that Sharon wasn't that popular..
Pembury Addick
I have no idea who Sharon is but I'd just like to say that this blog is really impressive!
Post a Comment