Stop moaning at Valley strikers (From News Shopper)
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Stop moaning at Valley strikers
9:58am Tuesday 7th February 2012 in Football
Leon Clarke is denied by Bury keeper Cameron Belford. PICTURE BY EDMUND BOYDEN.
CHARLTON columnist MATT FRICKER urges fellow Addicks fans to quit moaning at their own strikers after Bradley Wright-Phillips and Leon Clarke both came in for recent criticism from the stands.
WHEN Saturday’s game against Rochdale was postponed, I went and looked at the fixtures list.
Sheffield Wednesday and Huddersfield’s matches both went ahead at the weekend meaning we are now seven points clear at the top of League One with a game in hand.
However, there’s 18 games left to go between now and May 5 and I honestly can’t see a week where Charlton could comfortably fit in a rearranged fixture.
Thankfully, Chris Powell has a very large squad, as demonstrated last Tuesday against Bury.
But do we really want to be relying on squad rotation to help us clear the final few hurdles of the season?
Last Tuesday night Leon Clarke made his first start for Charlton in the 1 -1 draw with Bury and I felt he suffered an unfair amount of criticism from home supporters.
Bizarrely, though, the abuse hurled at Clarke as he led the Addicks line was almost identical to the abuse directed at Bradley Wright-Phillips in recent games.
The slurs in question had nothing to do with race, personality or anything like that - both players were merely being called lazy.
In both cases I could see why the crowd were getting frustrated, as neither striker has scored in a Charlton shirt in 2012, although of course Clarke had only previously featured from the bench and this was his full debut.
But I have to wholeheartedly disagree either was being plain lazy.
It happens to be the case both strikers have had good scoring opportunities saved well by keepers.
For Bradley, it was ex-Addick Nicky Weaver who thwarted him as he went through against Sheffield Wednesday, while Clarke was brilliantly denied a first Charlton goal by Cameron Belford on Tuesday night.
Frustration in many ways is justified, as you expect your strikers to score, arguably more so when between them Wright-Phillips and Clarke have 23 goals in League One this season.
This said, if either fail to score, teams continue to frustrate us like Bury did and we have a fixture pile up as the end draws near, could it have a negative effect on our team?
I worry it could, but all we can do is concentrate on the next game, which happens to take us to Chesterfield – the club Clarke was at on loan for the first part of the season.
Here’s hoping for a 6-0 win, hat-tricks for Wright-Phillips and Clarke, or at least something to keep the boo boys at bay.
Come on you Addicks!
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Comments(5)
jofse18
says...
4:42pm Tue 7 Feb 12
Very strange.
jofse18
says...
4:44pm Tue 7 Feb 12
Very strange.
CAFCfan
says...
9:05pm Tue 7 Feb 12
Your reference to Clarke and BWP being denied by great saves is a bit odd, a fully confident BWP would have buried that shot against Weaver, heck Weaver stayed on his line until very late - he should (and normally would) have put the ball in the corner but instead hit the ball straight at the keeper. Similarly with Clarke, instead of placing the shot he just whacked it straight at the keeper, hardly a great save.
Yet the last thing our demotivated strikers need is the fans getting on their back, so I agree we should all get behind them and continue to cheer and sing their name. Lets be honest though, us Valley faithful haven't had much reason to be cheerful over the past few seasons...
ianc9139
says...
8:47am Wed 8 Feb 12
BWP isn't scoring but look at the number of games he's played in.
You can't score everytime and in every game. The only way you'll do that is to get rid of the offside rule which will allow goal-hanging and therefore goals.
If Hales and Flannagan were playing today, they wouldn't be able to do so and they were prolific scorers in their day.
Even Messers Mendonca and Hunt didn't score every game.
Leon Clarke I feel is still learning the way the club and squad operates. Because the others who have come in during the summer has gelled immediately doesn't mean that any other player coming in will also gel that quick.
Plus, with the success the current playing 11 are having, Mr. Clarke is not going to blend in as soon as he does start. It will take time.
Sir Chris has done an amazing job so far and he has put himself on the line by virtually rebuilding the entire squad to that which he inherited.
I'd trust his judgements far more than those supporters who think they know better.
I think that the majority of the 'moaners' are those who started supporting the club in the late 90's and have not experienced the ups and downs that Charlton has experienced.
Yes, I have a quiet 'moan' if that's the word the author wants to use about BWP, but I put it down to the games he's played so far and maybe even a touch of fatigue as a result.
He will score again this season.
Mr. Clarke, I admit that I'm not impressed at the moment but as I've already said, he's got to play games to relight his scoring and get used to the other players styles.
We're past the midway now and effectively have 4 games in hand by virtue of points and GD.
Lets get off of players backs, get behind the squad and ensure we finish as champions and move to where we should be next season.
click2find
Loco_national says...
12:44pm Tue 7 Feb 12