SoccerMom

Oh, and Pardew said on Solent this evening that Thomas was doubtful for Saturday. heigh ho.

Doesn't he use two hands?

Molyneux, Pulis, Forecast Can't see any of them ever playing for the first team.

Oh, the confusion of 08/09 - in some of the clips, he's clearly playing on the right. :confused: But, getting to the byline, anyone? Please let Pards play him...

Yep, there just seems to be a reluctance to finish - but I seem to remember in the Bad Old Days being told by JP that there had been close on 100 attempts in relatively few matches, but that the conversion rate was poor. Are the comparative statistics for shots on/off target available anywhere? In any case, by the last ten minutes of every home game, the nipper gets that frustrated with the situation that he's bellowing "SHOOT!" to everyone, even Kelvin, when they get the ball.

Wasn't there, but it sounded good on the radio! As I recall from last year, the Valley has weird acoustics - seem to remember singing, "You're supposed to be at home!" as we couldn't hear anything from the other stands, but my Charlton-supporting mate assured me that there was a lot of noise. Go figure.

> :-k Just thought people would like to know...

Invitation on here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/paulfletcher/2009/09/charlton.html#137444 for questions for Paul Fletcher to put to AP and NC. Someone's already asked why the substitutions are so late...

Umm, I think you're a little confused there.

Get in!

People keep asking why Thomson was brought on? I thought it was obvious. Paterson had to come off or there would be no chance of a goal, Lambert isn't the sort of player to work well alone up front, so the only option was to put Lallana up there with him, or just behind. I suppose he could have brought Morgan on at that point and put James in RM, but Thomson has more pace than James. None of it was ideal, but with the squad so depleted for whatever reason, he had little choice.

Yes, it should.

Finally. Someone who can see this guy blows hot and cold. There is a reason he looks good in L1. He is inconsistent, and was repeatedly getting skinned by their pacey RM (and he wasn't really that pacey). That being said, he has whole stretches of the game when he is absolutely on the money. Looks to me that he has had to settle for LB, and fundamentally would much rather be at LM. An intelligent player who knows what his job is, but who sometimes just can't help himself getting up into the action. What a frustrating day.

Brilliant. Who needs Edinburgh when you have TSW (see Papa Waigo thread)?

Kudos to you both. Really hope this happens.:D:D

or another variation: Wai-go, Papa Wai-ai-ai-ai-go N'Daiye is comin' and and he gotta new home...

Yes, but he scored twice in those 14 games, that's one in seven. Saga's only managed one in six since he signed.

James took them in the reserves-seem to remember he was pretty accurate.

I find all of this really interesting as when I was listening to Pardew on the radio after Saturday's game, he kept referring to the squad being strengthened "for next Saturday." It was like he was forgetting, or ignoring, the Tuesday night game. I guessed at the time that maybe he thought he was just talking to home-attending fans, or something - couldn't really work it out. Now it seems he really didn't have a plan for Tuesday, almost as if he'd completely written it off. Curious.

just about to say something similar on the CB thread. Maybe there is an embargo on permanent signings until some of these are cleared

I guess that the decision to enlarge the family bit has something to do with the new pricing strategy - anticipating that they would get more families with kids coming free or cut price. Funny, we moved out of the enclosure this year as the nipper wanted to, but we feel less inclined to sing in the Kingsland than we did in the FE. We might move back...

+1.

Reluctantly long ball when necessary, and probably more out of lack of confidence or familiarity with a new manager's style of play. Most of the time last night the midfield were trying to get it down on the ground, but it wasn't always possible. Murty and Harding both look as if they want to start play from the back - didn't always work out, though: Kelvin not always taking that option, and Lallana wasn't linking up with Harding well at all. Murty and James looked much better, but were now and again thwarted by something clever (from Murty) just not going to plan. Give it a few more games. It *will* be good to watch.

I would give Holmes a chance on the left (for at least one half of the game). I really don't think that Harding and Lallana linked up that well last night, and that was more down to Lallana than it was Harding (he was *seriously* frustrated for the first twenty minutes of the game, at least). Lallana has the same problem as Surman did on the left - keeps wandering inside. Wotton's physicality would be less crucial if the back five were really, really solid. They got there eventually last night, but there were some dodgy moments in the first third of the game when they seemed to expect to be reading each other's minds rather than talking (and listening) to each other. So if Lallana wants to be in the middle, play him in the middle; put Perry back at CB - or if we have another, bigger and scarier, option by Saturday, play him. Rasiak and Lambert up front (that being said, I'm really looking forward to seeing a McLaggon/Lambert partnership).

Good result, well battled. There were some mighty shaky moments, though, just like on Saturday, when they all, to a man, seemed to have some sort of collective brainstorm and just froze on the pitch. It was bizarre, as for whole stretches they clearly outclassed Northampton, and then they would just go Tyro. So, it clearly made sense to field the whole first team - they need as many games together as they can get!