Hope and No Expectations.

With a fine sense of symmetry, our game against the Spurs of Tottenham tomorrow will be the first time I've seen a Premier League team 'live' since our last home game in the Premiership against..... yes, Spurs.

On that night, we were outclassed and fell out of the high spending big league, (only for a short time we hoped), yet now we find ourselves even lower down the pecking order.

Nobody will be expecting anything other than a handsome victory for Spurs.

They are a team who have been brushing aside some of the best sides in Europe lately and even if, as rumoured, 'Arry is going to be sending out some of his peripheral players, they should canter to victory against a third tier team.

Not only are we a third tier team, we are a team who haven't been playing well and have our one 'expensive' purchase, (by our current standards), sitting in the stands due to an unfortunate 3 game ban.

Our defence have been wobbly, our midfield has found it hard to dominate other tier 3 teams and our forwards have been relying on a left back / midfielder to paper over the gaps. 

It doesn't look good does it?

However, football is a game where strange things do sometimes happen.

Personally, I'd be happy if I left the stadium at the end of the game feeling the players had given it a go and made our supporters proud.

I'm not asking for the very unlikely win, just a performance where our players understand what it means to the supporters when they are representing us.

My last visit to the Lane was during the ill fated Les Reed period and I'm afraid to say, it was one of  those extremely rare occasions for me.

I was off towards Seven Sisters tube station while the game was still in progress.

We were awful.

Previous visits had seen us do fairly well.

I've been there, I'd guess, around 6 times. 

Highlights would include a draw one evening, (which enraged the home support, during our first Premier League season), and also a win, when Thomas scored his first Charlton goal and Bartlett was sent off for saving with his hands.

Despite the air of pessimism surrounding our chances of even scoring a goal, there is always the tiniest of very tiny chances we could be that FA cup story everyone is talking about on Monday morning.

Whatever happens, the largest away following we have managed to cobble together in ages will be right behind the Addicks.

This week has not made me particularly proud of Charlton Athletic.

First there was a bad televised defeat. 

Next, the shady new owners dismissed the current Manager of the Month, only a few days after being told he was to be part of the decision making in the near future.

It's left a sour taste in my mouth.

Tomorrow, against the odds, we must get behind the team.

All together now:

"Keefy Peacock's Red & White Army!"