The build up, at least as far as many Wendies were concerned, was all about just how bloomin' MASSIVE a club Sheffield Wednesday are.
Surely, all they needed to do was show up in their MASSIVE numbers and those upstarts from South London would crumble at the feet of their lords and masters?
Sheffield Wednesday are a great club with a magnificent history but as we have learned to our cost, (over tortuous recent seasons), it all counts for nothing on the pitch.
Wednesday were unbeaten at home until today for a reason.
They are a good side.
It's arguable Jose Semedo wouldn't have been a part of the new and improved Charlton Athletic this season.
However, it's easy to tell he is just the kind of player Megson was desperate to have at Sheffield.
Semedo typifies the Wednesday/Megson style of hard work, crunching tackles and brawn over anything flamboyant.
Regular Megson watchers may disagree with this appraisal but it's been shown many times the approach is just what is needed to climb out of this division.
It's horses for courses isn't it?
The Wednesday glory days of superstars such as Chris Waddle and Mark Bright had teams that were fun for a neutral to watch but that approach, it is assumed, isn't really any use against the cloggers of league one.
Last season we, and Chris Powell no doubt, noted it wasn't the one true path.
Brighton were able to mix it when needed but had players who were comfortable on the ball.
If Gary Megson had come to the Valley instead of Chris Powell one year ago, I'd argue very little would have changed.
Today, one piece of sublime skill from captain Johnnie Jackson was enough to bring the points back to SE7.
A rasping free kick gave ex CAFC Weaver little chance to keep the ball out.
If you take the word of many disgruntled social media savvy Wendies, Charlton then killed the game and relied upon a dodgy ref to keep out the superior Northerners.
It certainly didn't seem that way.
Wednesday, (as the home side would be expected to do), were roared on by 26,000 and tried again and again to break down the dogged Charlton defence.
Some fantastic last ditch challenges, and even a clearance off the line as the game entered the very final stages, were enough to make those of us who care about Charlton really feel the stresses of football.
As Wednesday pushed forward they left gaps at the back and probably should have lost 2-0 with the last kick of the game.
Wednesday gave it everything.
It just wasn't enough.
The 3 points, plus a very satisfying clean sheet, were heading to London.
It's part 2 of our Sheffield double header next weekend.
Still Top of the League, regardless of what happens against the Blades but another win would really make our position at the summit seem rock solid.
Casual Rating.
The team came through what is possibly their toughest test without too many hiccups.
Every one of the Charlton side are recipients of the CC Lacoste polo this time.
A special mention must go to those Charlton supporters who were seriously let down by the East Midland train company.
Perhaps some of them made it to the game before it ended?
If they did, it was no thanks to the train company.
Safe journey home everyone.
So, who has the only unbeaten home record in the league?
12 comments:
Just back myself what a cracking result. It was not the prettyest of games but, I doubt they get many pretty games at Hilsborough. Megson is a right old wally :(
Charlton are a dirty side who don't know how to play the game properly. You are a disgrace and your manager is a cheating bugger too.
You are a nothing side.
The above response is just ONE of the comments I've received from Our Friends In The North.
I'm sorry to to the sweary, (no doubt teenage) keyboard warriors but your words won't be finding their way onto here.
Your comments do not reflect well on your grand old club.
Shame to see a fantsstic old club reduced to a comment like that. You should look closer to home why you arent even a top three side tonight Megson out!
Points available from Sheffield: 12
Points won so far: 7
Points still to play for: 3
Looking good.
Well your attitude is condiscending guys - the game takes 2 to play and you didn't come to play attacking football. Madine did score and the linesman flagged for Wednesday players clearing the area of the attack. Luck unfortunately plays a part - crowds and attendaces - I think you really should leave that well alone - season is not finished and luck only lasts so long
Here we go again...
You mention in the article -
'Sheffield Wednesday are a great club with a magnificent history but as we have learned to our cost, (over tortuous recent seasons), it all counts for nothing on the pitch.'
Do you not think Wednesday fans are similarly capable of understanding this process?
We've suffered twice as much, for twice as long, and over that time one thing I've noticed about Wednesday fans is their ability to take the piss out of ourselves, have a laugh and joke regardless of what tripe we're being served up - all in all the ability to be humble is very much a trait you'd associate with Wednesday fans.
This portrayal that Wednesdayites are a bunch of arrogant, cocky and big-headed fans with delusions of grandeur is in my opinion very unfairly attributed, in fact I have often wondered where it comes from.
Perhaps, because we are the most successful and most supported club in the division (two facts - not arrogance), people automatically assume that our fans must be of the deluded variety.
This season Sheffield United fans started labelling us as MASSIVE, perhaps because they wanted to deflect people from their own clubs' poor image, but Wednesdayites reclaimed this title, light-heartedly referring to ourselves as MASSIVE, at any given opportunity.
Some people 'get it'. But a lot, including the author of this blog, seemingly don't, and when they see us on message boards and social media sites referring to ourselves in such a manner they get their knickers in a twist.
So in conclusion, if you want to believe that all Wednesday fans have a tendency to believe we're deserving of bigger and better things just because of our fanbase and history, maybe next time have a chat with one, rather than reading some quotes online and printing them as gospel truth.
Onto the game. Wednesday were poor, probably our worst display of the season at home, and Jonnie Jackson's strike was one worthy of winning any game, especially at this level.
But your shirt-pulling, time-wasting tactics after that were very frustrating. Would we have done the same? Probably. But what was hard to take was the stoppage time being just FOUR minutes, when we had SEVEN against Huddersfield when there were hardly any stoppages to speak of.
Also, it may just be sour grapes, but I thought the way your manager and Michael Morrison acted at full-time, going to the Kop end and pumping their fists, showed a distinct lack of class, and for a team riding high in the league it was poor to see.
Perhaps if we'd done such a thing you'd have mentioned it in your blog as an example of our club's lack of class.
All in all I thought a draw was a fair result, but you ground out a win by any means possibly - probably the signs of a championship winning team.
As long as you beat our neighbours next week, all will be forgiven.
Yours truly, the MASSIVE.
As the away side, against a team who really wanted (needed) the win I think we did enough.
I'm not sure what's condescending about saying you are a great club with a fantastic history, are a good side but unfortunately have a manager who has favoured hoofball and bullying tactics over his entire career.
I quite like Sheffield Wednesday.
Not overly keen on Megson and I'd say 95% of people who know football would agree.
The flag for offside was raised before the ball went into the net so it's irrelevant.
As for attendances, we live in a huge city where there are a multitude of other, more exciting things to spend money on than tier 3 football.
There are higher ranking teams only minutes away from many of our homes for the floating supporters.
In Sheffield, where else do you go?
It's Wednesday, United or I'd guess Rotherham.
All much of a muchness.
The £ goes much further up there too so people often pick and choose games, not to mention the price of beers etc. before and after the game.
Charlton are a tier 3 club in a city where there are many people attracted to success.
I'd say our attendances are pretty good.
(though obviously not MASSIVE).
;-)
Thanks to Anon 12:46.
Interesting reading
Well CC, are you Frankie Valley in disguise?
Light blue and white touch paper and stand well clear!
I thought Megson swearing at Powell and Morrison showed a lack of class myself, rather than celebrating a well earned victory, but its all about viewpoints I suppose.
I'm just starting to believe we might go up...
Pembury Addick
Haha!
I had an email from FV only this morning funnily enough.
Not for publication- just the usual friendly chit chat.
If we don't end up in the top 2 after this fantastic start it will surely go down as one of the biggest disappointments Charlton have ever had, plus completely cementing any late season collapse as 'doing a Charlton' as far as football supporters are concerned.
I was one of the fans held up...we got to the ground as the second half kicked off. Couldn't work out why everyone was celebrating and then left when it was 0-0 at half time!
From my perspective, for the second 45, there was only one dirty team and they played in blue and white stripes. Wednesdays 'tactics' were terrible, constant fouling, claiming for everything, moaning and a cynical foul by Semedo that was more deserving of a sending off than most of the tackles being shown every five minutes on Sky Sports News.
It's a shame that more Addicks couldn't get there, but there were still substantially more Charlton fans at the match than Wednesday fans at The Valley (691)....despite the fact that a lot more Wednesdayites live in London than Charlton fans in Sheffield.
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