Bee Movie.

Charlton Athletic 0-  Brentford 1.


I've seen this movie before.
Since last Summer I've seen it three times now and each time I've left disappointed.

Brentford.
I don't want to see you again for a while.
You've turned into a bit of a bogey team for the Addicks.

Sometimes everything seems to go your way.
You rock up to a stadium nearly 4 times the size of your own and despite bringing a very poor number of supporters, (considering the easy journey), manage to catch the home team in the middle of a colossal slump.
 The home support are almost mute due to the recent appalling football on offer and the low interest your team will generate as visitors.
Needless to say, your supporters are the only ones to be heard for huge periods of the game.

Throughout the whole of the first half, you don't have a single effort of note on goal and witness the home team squander some good chances.

In the second half, the home team seem to up their game for a few periods and hit the cross bar, miss more good chances, have a few goal mouth scrambles and finally when it seems the ball is destined for your net, your 'keeper pulls off a fantastic save.

You have still not made the home goalkeeper earn his money as the game enters the final, 'next goal's the winner' few minutes.
You win a few corners and despite there seeming to be enough defenders to deal with your late effort, the ball ends up in the back of the home net.

The poor crowd of well below 15,000 evaporate into the South East London evening leaving you to wonder at the beauty and majesty of days like these.

Brentford supporters, these are the days that remind you why you follow your team.

Charlton supporters, these are the days when you question why you keep coming back for more, only to be repeatedly kicked in the knackers.

Chris Powell has a huge job to do.
The job is not to try and get the team up to the (now a pipe dream), Play Off positions. The job is merely to maintain his dignity while his Charlton Athletic empire crumbles like a pack of cards.

Powell is very lucky to find himself held in such high regard by all at Charlton.
Anybody else would have been chased out by now.

In general, the crowd are still supportive of him though the team are very, very poor and awful to watch. Powell is just about keeping his head above water with the crowd.
The boos that were quite obviously personally directed at Parky, do seem to be being shared out amongst the team for now.

We all love Chris Powell and he will always be a Charlton legend.
Unfortunately, the goodwill vouchers are being used up fast.

I just want to get to the end of the season, pack it all away and start again, hopefully with CP's own players, playing a system they are willing and capable of following.

Insanity is trying the same thing time and time again and expecting a different result.
Perhaps CP needs to be reminded of this particular platitude?

A Casual Rating.
A poor game, contested by two poor teams.
Late on, if it had been a boxing match, Charlton would have won it on points but unfortunately, there was a final round knock out blow to hand the visitors the victory.

Brentford must hardly be able to believe it.
How could they win it by doing so little?
How could Charlton be so poor?

Nobody is getting the Lacoste polo this time though an honourable mention must go to Chris Solly who came back into the side as a second half substitute.
He made some good challenges and looks to be one for the future, if he can stay injury free.

I'm awarding myself the Primark novelty slogan tee shirt.
You daft plum.
Earlier today, I was wandering around a really pleasant market town in Hampshire, looking at the Saturday farmers market, purchasing some cheese and other artisan style products.
It would have been so easy to have stayed there and enjoyed the afternoon sunshine, maybe with a few beers sat outside a country pub.

Of course, I got in my car and hared back home to London and raced to the Valley.

As I wrote earlier, I've seen all this before.
I've learned nothing.