Saturday's result finally completed a circle of fortune for Charlton that was started two and a half years ago on August 28th 2005. On that day, almost exactly 30 months ago, we demolished Middlesbrough at the Riverside 3-0, in what for me was probably the best performance I have ever seen from the Addicks.
And our fall from grace, from that epic day 30 months ago, has been confirmed in what can only be a Charlton-way. In a performance labelled in the Sporting Life yesterday as an 'embarrassing, abject humiliation' this was, of course, the first occasion since that day that we managed to score 3 goals away from home.
Any comparison with that game, in which we made our best-ever start to a top flight season, would be pointless, but suffice to say that although we can talk of circles we may not yet have reached our bottom.
But we mustn't be negative, supporting Charlton and having a pessimistic outlook is only a receipt for suicide. No, its usual on these occasions to search for some light at the end of tunnel, in the hope, and not forgetting that adage that 'its the hope that kills', that somewhere we can find a trace for some optimism.
Perhaps we should start with Blackpool, the main cause for our current nightmare. Although they were 15th in the table, and 13 points behind us, before the game, it was pointed out last week that their home record was very good and they now have as many points won at home as we have. And in 17 games, only three teams have gone to Bloomfield Rd and won this season.
And they were also part of the infamous quintet of Scunthorpe, Colchester and Norwich that, before Saturday anyway, had big problems with the Big Teams and had only won 2 games each against top half opposition. Thankfully with just 12 games left we have got these boogies out of the way, for alarmingly, when other teams seem to have little problem avoiding defeat when playing them, out of a possible 24 points against this group we only managed to get 9. And of their, now, 9 wins against the best 12 teams in the fizzies, fully a third of them have come against us...
But, as we ponder the dilemma that while we have difficulties in beating teams that are the 'easy-touches', we can, on the other hand, beat the best on our day, perhaps we should recall what the Club Handbook said about that season two and a half years ago. 'A real Roller-coaster' it turned out to be, apparently - shame they couldn't foresee what was coming because the same phrase should really have been saved for right now, for our monthly record is truly a measure of our consistent inconsistency.
Looking at the monthly results, this was our position; August 12th, September 2th, October 21st, November 1st, December 13th, January 5th and February 12th. But before your stomach complains from all the stormy battering, perhaps we should turn it around and rejoice that February will soon be over and we can look forward to fact that in March, with 21 points available in a 7 game program, we are due to raise on the crest of a wave up to our proper level and after a terrible plunge in April with three difficult away games at Plymouth, QPR and Barnsley, raise again from the ashes for a triumphant May.
Madness or a Plan for Promotion, who knows?
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