Why I know nothing about football - part 2

I see that the keyboard warriors are out on social media again saying that Jones has to go.  I don't 'love' Jones: I prefer the Curbishley 'cool as a cucumber' style on the pitch, but I think that has done a job for us and deserves a chance with a bigger playing budget and better players next season.   Of course, some gloom merchants are trying to construct scenarios where we still get relegated as Oxford discover they are really Bayern Munich.

Recently I looked at how football has changed since I first watched it in 1953.  It seems to me that it has changed quite a lot in the last few years.

I don't want to get in the controversy about VAR as it is not used in the Championship, but it has revealed how marginal so many decisions are, particularly on offside.   Referees seem to me to be as inconsistent as they have ever been and there is more of the 'it's all about me' syndrome..   Now that linos are called assistant referees, I wish they were allowed to get more involved in decisions.   As it is, they ignore incidents right in front of them as the ref has told them to stick to offsides and throw ins.   And is a keeper ever going to be sent off for time wasting rather than getting a late yellow?

The new fashion is playing out from the back.   I think that to make that work you have to have really good players, especially defenders.  As things stand, it leads to too many unforced errors.  I don't think there is anything with a long ball if it is a directed long ball not a hopeful punt up field.

I do quite like the idea of a sweeper keeper as I think it is what Sam Bartram was trying to do.  At my non-league club Leamington we had the 'barmy binman' who set off on forays down the wing.  I saw him score from the half way line.

The extension of games to 100+ minutes may not the best way of dealing with time wasting and certainly calls for new skills in making substitutions.  

I never see the team training, so I lack vital information that the coach has.

What I do know something about is the economics and finance of football. Of course, there are better people working on this.  Kieran Maguire at Liverpool University is a qualified accountant and is on all sorts of media as well as regularly speaking to meetings of fans.

We would have once called the Swiss Ramble a gnome of Zurich.  He has accumulated an incredible amount of data about clubs across Europe which he subjects to forensic analysis on his Substack platform.

So, wake up and smell the coffee!  Modern football is the playground of billionaires and private equity companies.

Tough times next season

I liked Stevc 'he'll never let you down' Brown as a footballer.  I recall his stand in sessions as a keeper, for example at Villa (a great save) and at Southend United.   I also recall him getting sent off after being injured.

I am less keen on him as a pundit as I think he is a professional moaner, although that doubtless goes down well with some Addicks.

However, I think he is right that the Championship is going to be tougher next season.   There won't be any clubs blighted by massive (or smaller) points deductions.

Wolves have good financial resources and that certainly applies to one of Forest, Spurs and West Ham.  The regulator is looking at the distorting effects of parachute payments but no action yet.

Assuming that Wrexham don't get promoted, we will making three trips to Wales next year following the promotion of Cardiff City and the retention of Swansea City.

Clubs like Norwich and Birmingham City will be formidable opponents.   Only Lincoln look likely to have a small playing budget.

The owners need to dig deep or attract an additional investor.

One is never enough

Charlton moved six points clear of the relegation zone with three games remaining as they drew with Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough. Their inability to score more than goal a game cost them again.

Charlton are limping towards the end of the season, but the objective has always been to stay up and then have a clear out of lower league players.

West Brom won 2-0 at Preston, but it looks as If Leicester City are all but relegated.

Matty Godden gave the Addicks the lead just after the break, having hit the crossbar on the stroke of half-time.

Gabriel Otegbayo tapped into an empty net to level the score after an error from Charlton goalkeeper Will Mannion, while the Owls felt aggrieved not to be awarded a penalty in the first half.

The result moves Nathan Jones' team up to 50 points, while the Owls have become the first team in Football League history to go 37 consecutive matches without a win.

In a match that lacked quality, Charlton were perhaps fortunate not to have conceded a spot kick when Reece Burke brought down Tayo Adaramola on the edge of the area, with the challenge looking very close to the line.

Godden had the best chance of the first half when he acrobatically flicked the ball against the crossbar from Harry Clarke's deep cross right before the break.

But the 34-year-old, who has missed much of the season through injury, broke the deadlock on 49 minutes when he chested down a flick on from Lloyd Jones, took a touch on the turn and finished into the bottom corner via the post for his second goal of the season.

The Addicks came wickedly close to doubling their lead as Sonny Carey's low strike hit the inside of the post and came back out into play.

The Owls equalised with less than 15 minutes to go as Addicks goalkeeper Mannion dropped Sean Fusire's cross when he came out to claim it, under pressure from Jamal Lowe, with Otegbayo tapping home into the empty net despite Mannion's calls for a foul.

Chastened manager Nathan Jones commented: '“I’m disappointed. In the cold light of day it is a positive point because it means we go further away from the relegation zone. But the level of performance, I expect us to be better.'

Yestreday's visit of the Super Hoops to Millwall might have seen a coming together of the two leading Charlton critics from the Spectator.  Rod Liddle actually lives up north so probably doesn't get to the rust bucket much these days.

However, Lord Young of Acton was there, having mysteriously decided to travel to Shadwell station which left him half an hour from the New Den.   He was too upset about losing the double to Millwall to direct any invective at Charlton.

Pompey overtake Charlton

Portsmouth pushed Charlton down to 19th after their 1-0 victory over Leicester at Fratton Park today.  However, as the BBC points out that puts Leicester nearer League One.  Charlton are eight points ahead of them.

With Oxford losing 1-0 at Derby, the Addicks are five points ahead of them.

Should Charlton be able to win this afternoon, they will go eight points clear.

Burke, Clarke, Coady and Godden come in. Richard Cawley talked on his pod this week about expecting Nathan Jones to go with experience for this one. Rankin-Costello, Campbell, Fevrier and Ramsay drop out. Latter not in squad, so looks to be an injury.

Hellsborough?

Charlton are unbeaten in six on the road (despite having just 39 per cent possession in these matches) and Sheffield Wednesday have not won a game at home this season. They did secure a surprise 0-0 draw away at league leaders Coventry last weekend, putting their promotion celebrations on ice. This is just the kind of scenario that appeals to the negativity and pessimism of so many Charlton supporters.

Charlton Athletic manager Nathan Jones wants his team to be more ‘clinical’ and ‘get back to basics’ against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.

He said: 'We have had opportunities to win games lately and we haven’t. We have let ourselves down on one or two little things. We have to work so hard to get chances, to get goals. We have created enough chances in recent weeks and I just want us to be a bit more clinical. If you can’t keep a clean sheet and you don’t convert your chances then that is not a good sign so we have to get back to basics this weekend.'

The Addicks will be backed by around 2,000 fans on Saturday and the visitors are set to be boosted by the return of former England defender Conor Coady after he was stretchered off and taken to hospital after being knocked unconscious on Easter Monday.

The Massives have won their last four home games against Charlton, keeping a clean sheet each time.  The Addicks have not completed the league double over the Owls since 1953/4.   Jamal Lowe has scored in both of his last two league games against Charlton, although in 2020 it was for Wigan.

Interesting that Lincoln University's student paper reckons that the Imps will have as small a playing budget as Charlton next season: https://thelinc.co.uk/2026/04/lincoln-city-finances-championship/

Shelvey's Arabian dream

Jonjo Shelvey started his career at Cbarlton, but now he is heading to the UAE to manage third tier minnows, the Arabian Falcons: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/clyjj2pjdypo

It is no clear whether falconry instruction comes as part of the package.

Tonight's results

Portsmouth had a surprise victory over Ipswich tonight with former Leamington ace Colby Bishop scoring the second goal.   Pompey are now just one point behind Charlton.

However, Blackburn lost, have now played one more game and have an inferior goal difference.