Andy Hunt certainly seems to have found the good life in Belize with his superb tourist resort: https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/24427380/andy-hunt-premier-league-luxury-holiday-resort-jungle-wife/?fbclid=IwAR3MHBCbqxBZuCf5Nv3KesVmsx1jM02pZOx0HEvUhkl3HGWrRrYJnardRDs
One of my all time favourite players.
Charlton face Eltham-based Cray Valley Paper Mills in the first round of the FA Cup whose team includes one of Kevin Lisbie's sons. Kyrell Lisbie scored twice for them in their 5-2 win over Enfield Town.
Their website is here: https://www.crayvalleypmfc.com/
Paul Elliott thinks that the whole culture and set of values was ripped out at Charlton, but now thinks that the club is back on the right track with the current owners: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/oct/13/paul-elliott-charlton-athletic-diversity-football
Jesurun Rak-Sakyi was a standout player for Charlton last season. Many thought that the Glaziers would loan him out to a Champinship club this season, but Roy Hodgson could see Premier League potential, saying 'I think this was the best learning curve for him.'
Yesterday 'he galvanised a deflated crowd' at Sainsbury's according to The Times, bringing 'a burst of zeal' but also showing 'defensive discipline'. Hofgson praised his skill at 'manipulating the ball' and creating 'a yard of space', but also praised his defensive awareness.
The Times managed several paragraphs of salivating without mentioning his development at Charlton, but The Athletic brought the Addicks in to their report
'This is a player who is not easily daunted. Rak-Sakyi
has impressed Palace’s staff and team-mates in training with his performances,
application and his character. There is an eagerness to learn, demonstrated by
his decision to take French lessons while on loan with Charlton Athletic
in League One last season given his ambition to play for Ghana, with a
number of their squad either born in France or now with clubs there. There has
never been any question of allowing his early Premier League involvement — his
debut actually came in August 2021, at Chelsea — to think he had
‘made it’.
Understandably there were a a few nerves in the early stages
on Saturday, but once he had the chance to run at Forest’s left-back Harry
Toffolo he gained confidence.
Toffolo looked afraid of the tall, skinny winger with clever
feet and good close control. None of his team-mates had managed to create such
panic in the visitors’ back line and by the end of the afternoon, no player on
either team could surpass Rak-Sakyi’s tally of dribbles (five) and successful
dribbles (three).
Rak-Sakyi was stepping into the space created by injuries
to Michael Oliee and then Schlupp. Providing the same impact as Olise
would be too much to ask, but this was his most encouraging showing yet. The
step up from the third tier with Charlton to the Premier League is a
significant one, but the only way he will bridge it is with continued exposure
to challenging match situations.'
It's a bitter pill to swallow to help the Glaziers, but it may encourage other clubs to lend out promsing players.
Charlton have the chance to make it four home wins in a row when they face Blackpool at home. The teams are adjacent in the form table (13th/14th) but the Seasiders have a better home than away record (won just one). Three points might eeen get us in the top half of the table: https://www.castrust.org/2023/10/the-top-half-beckons/
Streaming allowed me to watch Tuesday's game. The result was obviously pleasing even if the dirty Devonians were in part the architects of their own misfortune. I particularly enjoyed Leaburn's goal. I thought that the right substitutes were brought on at the right time.
Derided as scraping the barrel when he joined us, Corey Blackett-Taylor showed once again that he is a class act. Chuks Aneke;s physicality is a challenge for opposition defences and he has good ball control. Alfie May should have taken the penalty and should be positioned up front. Louie Watson is a great loan signing. Tedic is a very technical player, not sure whether he will deliver. Good to see Scott Fraser back on the pitch.
Without joining that nabob of negativity Steve Brown, there are clearly areas for improvement. The space we gave Exeter for their goal was worrying, although Maynard-Brewer could have done better. Our corners rarely threaten and often give the basis for a counter attack where we are often at sixes and sevens. One of the corners taking short was more threatening, but this is a skilled art.
So far so good for the new manager, but he has been fortunate in the players coming back from injury.
Shrewsbury Town may not exactly be 'china in Charlton's hands' (to parody the hit of Shropshire's only famous pop group) tomorrow given that the teams are 16th and 17th in the form table.
However, the Shropshire Star is not exactly optimistic: 'It has been a really tough September for Salop "nd fans are beginning to grow restless. It is perhaps too early in the season to class the game as a ‘must win" but it certainly feels as though it fits into the "must not lose’ category" – especially with a trip to second-placed Oxford just around the corner.
Town have struggled a little bit with consistency this
season, they have been bright at times but then there are other occasions where
they simply have not been at the races.
Proof of this is demonstrated by the fact they have not
managed a draw yet – and arguably that would not be the worst result this
weekend, especially if they can score.
Failure to score for Salop will mean they have gone a whole calendar month without managing to get on the scoresheet. That is something they haven’t done – barring the odd one-game May – since March 2010 when they failed to score in four League Two matches.
Although Charlton have not had the best start to the season,
they do have some good players and they have beaten Shrews comfortably already
this year.'
CAS Trust preview here: https://www.castrust.org/2023/09/staying-on-the-rails-in-shrewsbury/
The very full minutes of the latest Fan Forum also give some cause for encouragement as the Chicago Addick has pointed out. Read them here: https://www.charltonafc.com/news/fans-forum-notes-september-2023
There does seem to be a more professional approach on the part of the club, including the need for proper processes and protocols, something very much absent during the Sandgaard era. It is also evident that the removal of Dean Holden was not an impulsive decision, to read between the line it seems that he went 'off the boil' over the summer and in early season.
It does seem that the future of Charlton Live is in some doubt, particularly with the ending of live UK streaming next season. For me, it was Sandgaard's 'aqueducts' moment and I learn a lot from the trio of Curbs, Brownie and Scott Minto. It is, however, expensive to produce.
I find it increasingly difficult to say anything useful about the team, indeed I have had some difficulty in identifying the latest recruits to the first team, let alone evaluating them.
Anyway, I have seen another consultant who has prescribed a new operation, one justification being that my normal life 'involves some travel to London'. Helpfully, she referred to my role as a part-time commissioning editor for a publisher which in fact just involves two or three meetings in London a year.
I still know what a South-East London accent sounds like though. I was shocked when the director of a local art gallery referred to 'Gren-wich' in a speech. To me my birthplace has always been 'Grin-idge' and a Facebook storm I provoked on Plumstead People confirmed that the overwhelming majority agreed. It's never been the same since Liz Truss moved in.
So what about tomorrow's game? I put it down as a 2-1 win the Badger prediction league. The Chairboys are currently 8th in the table and 3rd in the form table. Charlton are fourth from bottom in the form table. Away from home, the visitors have lost one and won two.
In the Four Four Two season preview the selected fan refers to how strange it seems to be starting a season without Gareth Ainsworth and forecasts a 15th place finish.
The magazine is more upbeat in its verdict: 'A season of transition? Perhaps - new boss Bloomfield has a different style to Ainsworth, which will take time to implement. Nevertheless, the Chairboys will think they can push for the play offs again if they add wisely to a strong core. They certainly have the know-how.'
The CASC preview does its best to encourage fans to attend: https://www.castrust.org/2023/09/why-come-to-wycombe-on-saturday/
