(FOUR!!!)
We all learned something yesterday.
I learned I have a tipping point.
I reached it yesterday when Crispy and myself joined the thousands of glum looking faces, streaming onto Floyd Road while the game was still going on, (though of course, the game had been up for quite some time).
Until yesterday I didn't realise I could attach a number to my Charlton misery.
The number is 4.
As a general rule, I don't leave Charlton games early, preferring to hang on until the bitter end.
Back in December 2006, (is it really such a short time ago?) a Charlton team under the stewardship of Les Reed crashed to a 5-1 defeat at the Lane.
I headed back down Tottenham High Road soon after their 5th goal settled in our net.
Last season, I was part of the mass exodus, except we couldn't exit, at the home of our genteel neighbours Millwall.
It was the 4th goal that prompted me to move on.
I now know that I'm prepared to stay until there is a 4 goal deficit.
It hasn't always been like this.
I stayed until the final whistle when Leeds United hammered us 6-1 at home back in 2003 and also when Manchester United knocked 4 past us at the The Valley, without reply, in 2005.
Perhaps as I've got older I'm less inclined to put up with the crap?
I would say that something died inside me the day I found myself leaving Spurs early.
A point had been reached and I'd decided to cross it.
I could never go back.
So, I learned something personal but did Charlton Athletic learn anything from yesterday's debacle?
Probably not.
We learned we aren't good enough but we don't look like we know what to do about it.
I've slept on it after having a few pints of 'cheer up juice' in one of my favourite pubs but the sad fact remains.
We were outplayed and out thought.
Brighton weren't that great, they were just better at the simple things.
They stroked the ball about, looking comfortable, even on the edge of their own penalty area.
Why someone didn't pressure their goalkeeper when he had the ball at his feet I couldn't explain but time after time he was left with the ball, playing as a sweeper.
Through the first half, Charlton were more than in it.
We had enough chances to be in the lead at halftime but as the teams plodded back to their cup of tea we were 1-0 down.
A well worked corner had left an unmissable chance that looked so easy I felt it must be offside, though it probably wasn't at all.
The second half was:
i) A terrible defensive cock up give away goal.
ii) A fantastic free kick that was so well executed it had me clapping an opposition goal at The Valley.
iii) A goal that was the result of our team having already given up.
So, a 4-0 defeat.
At home.
Against Brighton.
Yes, BRIGHTON.
If I'd known what I know now, as I was walking back to Seven Sisters tube station in December 2006, would I have tried to enjoy the moment?
We were still a Premier League team, playing in a sold out 27,000 stadium for most home games with current and future international stars pulling on our team shirt.
On that day, I felt it couldn't get much worse.
Please tell me that in a few years, I won't be looking back on mid October 2010 as a period when I should have been taking the time to look about and smell the roses.
A Casual Rating.
Where to start?
I think Parky and his team should do the honourable thing and contact me to claim their own Primark novelty slogan tee-shirts.
What a load of cock.
The Lacoste polo is going to our Radostin Kishishev.
Whoever Kish plays for, he will always be ours. I feel he shares the sentiment.
It was good to see him at his spiritual home yesterday but it would have been better if he had been playing for us.
We more than need him.
8 comments:
ALBION!
ALBION!
u r shit.
we r top of the lege.
Ah, the voice of the honourable member from Sussex South.
You aren't the idiot who was shouting into his sleeve on the train to London Bridge are you?
And how did your tear up with Millwall go that you were so keen everyone on the train knew you had arranged?
Nice coffee in Costa's?
Just a point of order, if you are at the top of the 'lege', you are probably scratching your testicles.
L-E-A-G-U-E.
I'm not sure if I have breaking point Marco as I stayed to the bitter end. I know my lads do now though. Aged 19 and 22 they've always stayed to the end as I've never let them go before the end no matter how bad it was. We were already travelling back separately as I was always going to the Oak for a post match beer. Even I didn't have the heart to stop them leaving, after all I've made them suffer enough !
P.S. good to see a Seagull so gracious in victory eh ! And such a way with the language too !
Parky said on Sky,Brighton passed the ball around well.You don't have to be Einstein to know that we were crap at not letting them dictate play.
Well, I have to confess I once left a game at 2-0. We were playing Wimbledon, at selhurst, 1989 I think, and we were rubbish.
Ironically we scored (well, actually Eric Young scored an og off his k**b) after I left.
You also missed out the 5-2 home loss to Boro (94 maybe?). However losing a meaningless game to Boro (or Leeds) and losing to Spurs or ManU isn't comparable to this debacle.
Top Post. I'll confess the number four strikes fear in me, also.
I mentioned it in a post recently, but do you recall a game a good few years back when Norwich were beating us 4-2 at the Valley? With perhaps just over 5mins remaining I thought I'd seen enough and beat the traffic (I didn't have the hump, as I don't think we played that badly). As I climbed in my car, turned on the classified results, I learnt that Lee and Leaburn had both scored late on to grab a 4-4 draw!!!
Gutted!
Worst still, I was so embarrassed the following morning when I turned out for my football team I couldn't bring myself to admit not to seeing the grand finale.
Needless to say, I don't leave early anymore.
I might edge my way to the back of the stand…but surely I can be forgiven for that?
I remember the Norwich 4-4 game.
Strangely, it wasn't the excitement of the come back I can really recall, it was one of the Norwich defenders completely losing it when the equaliser went in.
He was beyond words and could only just manage to convey his disgust by flicking 'v' signs at our celebrating players, us, the referee and also his team mates while looking around him with a face like thunder.
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