Former Addick and now Scunthorpe player Simon Church reckons that Charlton made a big mistake in letting Lee Novak and Andrew Crofts go at the beginning of the season. Novak is now the Iron's leading striker, although Crofts has struggled with injuries: Charlton strengthened the Iron
Church himself will not be available to demonstrate his unerring instinct for goal on Saturday as he has a hamstring injury.
In what might look to some like an implicit criticism of Charlton chief Karl Robinson, star player Ricky Holmes has said that he would not have let Lee Novak and Andrew Crofts leave the club: Star's regrets
In particular he was gutted to see the departure of Novak with whom he roomed. Who he will have to share with now remains to be seen.
Lee Novak is joining Scunthorpe United on a permanent deal. No fee was involved. It is known that he has been unsettled at The Valley for some time. But if someone does not come in to replace him, we shall be ill provided with strikers. Even Karl Robinson with his Great Big Book of Excuses will have a hard time explaining that one away.
Karl Robinson has now talked about his respect for Novak's decision in terms of needing a new challenge and also being nearer to his family who are 'oop North (although somewhat further north than Lincolnshire): Boss's words of wisdom
A young Charlton side lost 4-1 to Norwich City to Carrow Road tonight, not a surprising result. The Addicks went 1-0 ahead through Lee Novak. Returning from suspension, he provided a rasping shot into the top-left corner from Tarique Fosu's pass, but then Norwich equalised and it was 1-1 at half time.
Josh Magennis came on after 57 minutes and gave the home side some problems, but his presence did not prevent the defeat. Indeed, the best chance for Charlton to get back into the game when they were 2-1 down and Magennis headed wide.
The Canaries had 59 per cent of the possession, twenty shots to four (nine to two on target) and ten corners to five.
The home support gets the prize for the silliest chant of the season so far: 'You're just a small club in Millwall.'
This morning a Canary supporting friend who no longer lives in Norwich posted that he had taken his two boys to their first game. He had to explain to them that it 'wasn't always like this' and described Charlton as 'lacklustre'. He also said, 'We gifted them a goal after five minutes and they looked genuinely puzzled.'
A report from Louis Mendez can be found here: Much changed team
His reports are always good, but he increasingly reminds me of the US vice-president who asked to describe his role said 'You die, I fly.' In the case of Mendez, it sometimes seems like a case of travel a long distance to irrelevant match and stay in the local doss house (although he did do better on his Devon break).
Our priority is promotion.
It is being reported that Lee Novak is considering leaving The Valley. It is known that he has been unhappy here for some time and Karl Robinson has held talks with the player's agent. While it is unlikely that many fans will rend their shirts at the prospect of his departure, but it leaves us even more short of 'strikers'.
It can't be a question of wages as Chris Lines has told the Bristol Post that he is surprised how much Charlton players are paid.
Meanwhile, glamour club Barnsley are the latest to be targeted by Chinese investors: Barnsley takeover
10 man Charlton battled for the points in a 1-0 nil win over Bristol Rovers yesterday. They showed considerable resolve after they went down to ten men after five minutes and there was good team work. Bristol Rovers also failed to take advantage of the situation.
Novak had the chance to show what he could offer Charlton today but went in for a completely unnecessary challenge. The referee hesitated but then showed red. It could have been yellow, but the referee has grounds for his decision. There was then a scuffle in which Solly out himself about and for a moment I thought that a yellow card had been shown.
Charlton stood firm after the early blow while Gashead's bearded wonder Sinclair was advised that he lived 200 miles from Shoreditch. On 38 minutes Bauer scored for Charlton. I did not think that it had completely crossed the line, and Karl Robinson later admitted that it hadn't, but the linesman gave it.
Congratulations to Stuart McRae on winning the crossbar challenge at half time and £10,500. He had been practising and Jason Euell's advice to stay calm paid off.
Rovers still failed to offer any sustained pressure after the break, although Amos had to save from new boy Liam Sercombe. Tom Lockyer's 35-yard lob nearly caught the keeper out, but he tipped it over the bar. Tony Watt was brought on after 70 minutes in the hope that he might score a second goal, but he was a complete waste of space, failing to chase the ball. The sooner he goes out on loan the better.
In the last 15 minutes or so Rovers started to dominate the game more, possibly because Charlton were tiring after playing so long with 10 men. We were vulnerable down the left with No.3 for Rovers, Lee Brown, looking threatening. However, we held on, to the relief of the recorded attendance of just under 13,000 (there seems to have been a late surge in season ticket sales).
Amos only had one save to make, given the wayward nature of the shots from the visitors. However, he seemed to have trouble holding on to the ball, punching it out riskily at one point. As Steve from Petts Wood commented, 'He's a typical Charlton goalkeeper.'
Fosu had been billed by one commentator as likely to be a 'livener' from the bench, but he started and made a considerable contribution. Clarke got a standing ovation when he went off. However, my man of the match was Jay DaSilva who showed real skill.
Football League Paper player ratings
Amos, 7; Solly, 6; Bauer, 8 (star man); Pearce 7; DaSilva, 8; Forster-Caskey, 7; Kashi, 8; Fosu, 8; Clarke, 7; Holmes 7; Novak, 2; Watt, 4; Ahearne-Grant 5. It is unusual to get so many scores of 8.
Karl Robinson puts Lee Novak's slow start at Charlton down to injuries, but reckons that he will come good. He is a hard worker who wants to do the best for the fans: Reasons for slow start
Robinson also reckons that Jake Forster-Caskey will turn into a more consistent goal scoring midfielder as he benefits from coaching from Lee Bowyer and Johnnie Jackson.
Lee Novak says that the current season has been his worst ever in football, plagued with injuries: Worst in career
However, he thinks the team was never in danger of getting sucked into a relegation struggle.
This was the comment of Steve from Petts Wood after I witnessed my first live game at The Valley since my operation in December.
The goal conceded to Bury was a defensive shambles, and I did not see how we were going to score a reply. Admittedly, as Karl Robinson commented after the game, we created some chances, the best falling to Lee Novak in the second half, but we were unable to take advantage of them. Robinson, however, thought that we did enough to win and that the team's mentality was better than against Oxford: Created enough to win
There seems to be a lack of pattern in the play and organisation in the team. The midfield seems to disappear completely at times. If one is going to play with one up front, the support needs to arrive more quickly. Novak looked increasingly frustrated as the game wore on.
Mavididi was the one play on the pitch with a touch of flair and some pace and it was not good to see him stretchered off at the end with a hamstring injury. Forster-Caskey has also picked up a hamstring injury.
Curiously, the announced attendance was the same as for the football for a fiver match against Rochdale. Clearly the programme which generates the attendances had a glitch.
Karl Robinson said that we are now hitting the post or the bar an average of two times a game. Unfortunately, there are no prizes for that unlike the £6,500 nearly won by the fan who came close to hitting the bar at half time. It was one of the best moments of the game.
Charlton beat lowly Chesterfield 1-0 at The Valley this afternoon thanks to a late goal by substitute Lee Novak. However, they made hard work of it. With the exception of the energetic Ricky Holmes they seemed to lack pace, allowing the Spireites to get all ten outfield players behind the ball as Charlton mounted one of their laboured attacks.
The game was held up in the first half by long lectures by the referee in an attempt to demonstrate that he had not recently been promoted out of the non-league system.
Both sides hit the post in the first half, in Charlton's case from Ajose as he burst through on goal.
A superb one-handed save by Ryan Fulton prevented Josh Magennis heading Charlton in front shortly before the break. Magennis again went close with his head 12 minutes into the second half, placing his attempt inches off target after being picked out by Ricky Holmes' delivery.
Ajose should have broken the deadlock with a quarter of an hour remaining but instead headed wide when it looked easier to score. But the winning goal eventually arrived four minutes from time when Novak headed home from a Holmes cross.
Charlton had improved somewhat in the second half. However, Ademola Lookman had a poor game by his standards and was eventually substituted. Nicky Ajose missed some chances to score and was also substituted. Once again the midfield surrendered possession too easily.
The result puts Charlton 14th in the table and four points off the play off places.
I can't remember it being so empty and quiet walking back to the station and at the station itself, reflecting the low attendance. 'Free Speech Day' was a bit of a damp squib inside the ground apart from a few home made banners and the occasional North Korean flag.
Charlton manager Russell Slade must decide whether to recall Johnnie Jackson and Lee Novak for tomorrow's visit of AFC Wimbledon to The Valley. Both have recovered their fitness after injury. Novak scored as a substitute in last weekend's 2-2 draw at Fleetwood following his recovery from a hand injury.
AFC Wimbledon will be at full strength as they attempt to bounce back from last weekend's 3-2 defeat to Sheffield United. The Dons had been seeking to build on their 2-1 win over Chesterfield but conceded three times at Kingsmeadow, and they remain on five points from seven games.
Odds are: Charlton Evens, Draw 12/5, Wimbledon 14/5.
AFC Wimbledon defender Paul Robinson is hopeful of a win: Up for the challenge
CAS Trust see AFC Wimbledon as an 'inspiration to us all': Inspiration
Many fans will be taking part in a 'black and white day', with free scarves available, but not all fans welcome the protest.
Picture courtesy Brian Cole
Charlton fell back to 13th in League One after drawing 2-2 with Fleetwood Town at the Highbury Stadium this afternoon. (They are 8th in the form table). The Addicks were 2-1 down at half time, but secured a late equaliser scored in the 87th minute by Novak.
The Addicks have now been unbeaten in six games.
Fleetwood's on-loan Burnley striker Chris Long netted his third goal in as many league games in the fourth minute as he rocketed the ball from 35 yards past Declan Rudd from distance. It was all Fleetwood until Charlton finally sparked into life just after the half-hour-mark. Nicky Ajose was just too short to head into an open goal when Magennis turned provider, but a minute later the Northern Ireland international nodded in Ricky Holmes' cross in the 32nd minute.
David Ball restored Fleetwood's lead, picking up a loose ball on the edge of the box and curled an unstoppable ball into the top corner in the 44th minute.
Holmes cut inside McLaughlin but curled wide on 62 minutes. The second half was largely a game of attrition until the match exploded back into life in the final 15 minutes with Town keeper Chris Neal twice making fingertip saves to thwart Holmes and Novak before the striker popped up with the late leveller.
Football League Paper player rankings
Rudd,7; Solly, 7; Konsa, 5; Pearce, 5; Fox, 6; Holmes, 7 (Botaka, 81, 6); Ulvestad, 5 (Foley, 81, 6); Crafts, 6; Magennis, 8; Ajose, 4 (Novak, 60, 6); Lookman 5.
The excitement of being in League One increases with Charlton playing their first ever game against Cheltenham Town at Whaddon Road tonight in the League Cup. It would not have been possible last year as Cheltenham were in the National League.
Cheltenham is a spa town, but if you come in from the motorway you will pass the Government Communications Headquarters which undertakes Britain's electronic surveillance. No doubt there will be a few anonymous men and women from GCHQ in the crowd tonight, but at Charlton we have people who work for MI5. Incidentally, I can recommend my colleague Richard Aldrich's book on GCHQ, available at an airport bookstall near you or at a knockdown price on Amaazon: GCHQ
Cheltenham Town manager Gary Johnson has only 14 fit senior players for the tie. Club captain Aaron Downes (ACL), Jack Munns (knee), James Dayton (ankle) and Asa Hall (groin) are out along with suspended midfielder Kyle Storer.
Addicks striker Lee Novak is likely to retain his place, again playing with a cast to protect his broken hand.
This may seem as if it is a meaningless match, but it would be good to get a win rather than lose to a newly promoted League 2 side. My fear is that we will lose on penalties, exhausting the squad, although it is likely to include a number of players who would not normally feature. Odds are: Cheltenham Town 15/8, Draw 12/5, Charlton Athletic 7/5.
Referee Brendan Malone from nearby Wiltshire will make sure the city boys are shown no favours. You can read an interview with tonight's 44-year old man in black here: Family business
Incidentally, it is being reported that £7m is now being offered by Burnley for Dale Stephens and we have no sell on clause!
According to Four Four Two magazine, Charlton will finish 3rd this season. Of course, this same magazine had us hovering just above the relegation zone in Chris Powell's promotion season.
The magazine says: 'The discord between Charlton fans and the club's owner Roland Duchatelet seems irreparable, not helped by chief executive Katrien Meire adding fuel to the fire every time she opens her mouth. But if there's one manager who can bring any sense of calm back to The Valley, it's probably Russell Slade.'
Commenting on Slade, Four Four Two states: 'The softly-spoken 55-year old delivers more than his resources allow and with a remit to get results while slashing the playing budget he did good work at Cardiff, even if the football was a little dreary. Simplicity and continuity are key. Slade tends to find a system to suit his best XI and then stick with it.'
With Ricky Holmes now providing the ammunition for a front two of Lee Novak and Nicky Ajose, it's possible to see a promotion charge taking shape. The drop in standard should also enable Johnnie Jackson to boss matches in a way he hasn't done with any real consistency in recent years.'
Lee Novak is selected as key player: 'Charlton beat off stiff competition to land the Birmingham City striker following on an impressive loan spell at Chesterfield. Novak bagged 15 goals for the Spireites - not bad for an unselfish player who stretches defences.'
Millwall are forecast to be champions and Gillingham 14th.
Putting a more sceptical view, VOTV editor Rick Everitt commented on the Glynne Jones list: 'Rudd’s a good signing as are the other three, but bearing in mind the loans and short contracts we had at the end of the season we’ve lost about a dozen players (Fanni, Motta, Suk-Yung, Sanogo, Makienok, as well as those sold, loaned out or just released) and replaced them with five so far. The squad is way too small and key parts of it are injured. I like Diarra and Kashi a lot, but will they ever play again regularly for us?'
The Rickster continued, 'A lot now hinges on Teixeira, Harriott and Lookman staying. Not sure I’d put any money on it. We have some good kids, but most will need to be played sparingly and when they are ready, whereas the Belgians will probably expect Konsa, Hanlan, Umerah, Thomas, Kennedy, Charles-Cook and Mitov to slot in at this level, along with Ahearne-Grant.
