Ipswich 2 Charlton 0

Another blank scorecard and continued cheerful enthusiasm and manic optimism is at last proving distinctly difficult to maintain as we wait increasingly impatiently for normal service to be resumed.

After a stunning once-a-season strike on Tuesday from a player that has never done it before, we move on to a 35 yard floater, caught by the prevailing winds, sailing rudely over Weaver and going in off the far post. You got to laugh really or you'd be reaching desperately for the bottle.

Except that nobody, least of all Pards, is laughing and certainly not the board after they're read kingshilladdick sparkling analysis of Pardews use, and non-use, of his players, not to mention the apparent twelve million spent. Perhaps all we need now is the board's vote of confidence.

But just when you thought that everyone would be pulling up the bedclothes, surprisingly, there's been an unprecedented volume of posts over the last half-day reflecting at least a fighting spirit from the fans. Predictable back-lash maybe but most point out how stupid we've all been to think we would sail back up despite the the relative mediocrity of the fizzies. Perhaps it's a case of not the hope that kills, its our over-blown expectations, although one person seeing though all the optimism is newyorkaddick who continues to amaze with another spot-on prediction.

But its not what we feel or think that's important right now, its the players and of course, Pardew. He's got 6 days to figure out what the hell to do and who to do it with. As far as the players are concerned, I can only surmise that the second half comeback by Bristol, just when they thought they'd done enough, is still on their minds. Following close on the second-half comeback by Watford, its perhaps confirmed to them that they are really not strong enough to cope.

Somebody used the word relegation yesterday and I suppose that at least there's no fear of that so things could have been worse. And we can only hope that in the 7 games to go, the shock of at last being overtaken by all the over-achieving dross that surround us will somehow fire the players back into contention.

And what a chance to prove it next Friday against another team conceding 4 in their last game, West Bromwich Albion, 4-1 losers at home to Leicester. A clash of the titans then or two teams struggling in a worsening quagmire. Who knows but with all the frayed nerves on hand we could have a 6-6 scoreline that would at least give something to cheer.

As for the papers few of them have bothered and you really can't blame them. The posh_murdoch, although usually accustomed to its owners desire to bend the truth somewhat and to ignore the obvious, have, to their credit, in fact tried to raise the spirits of the dead and give four of our players a score of 7 out of ten - the same as awarded to the Tractor Boys - for effort and endeavour presumably rather than any successful end result.

Charlton: Weaver; Halford, McCarthy, Sodje, Thatcher; Ambrose, Semedo (Iwelumo 59), Holland, Zheng (Varney 83), J Thomas; Lita (Gray 83).
Subs (not used): Elliot, Fortune.
Booked: Semedo 26 (foul on Garvan), McCarthy 32 (foul on Lee)