Well, I'll start by saying what I imagine a lot of people will say about that match, we were tepid, certainly didn't deserve to win but we didn't deserve to lose it either. /It was funny in a way to watch the game and see Charlton as this season's Everton in terms of their methods of play and current position - having said that though they did look a good team on the ball when given time and space they rarely threatened and scored with their only real chance of the game (how many times did we say of Everton last year at times?!). Our tactics, well I can only assume that the players started pressing the panic button in the second half as a post half time cavalry charge failed to come to fruition the ball was then hit long to Dunc more and more and more as the half went on and though we did have a lot of possession it was almost always in front on the defence and never in behind and getting them turned and panicked at all. Passes were misplaced, people didn't close down or track back as they should have done and we seemed bereft of movement and/or late runs into the area for any crosses that came over.

Felt sorry for Jeffers when he came off myself - he didn't look quite there to me today and is clearly lacking in confidence as a Jeffers who was more on his game would've taken a shot on on one or two occasions when the half chance was there, and he didn't gamble on mistakes or mistakes you would expect. Radzinski came on to a very large ovation which probably didn't help Franny feel any better - but Radz can't stay on the bench anymore it's that simple, we need him starting upfront for every game left in the season when fit, you only need look at the tail end of last season to see what a difference his absence makes to the team. Ferguson had another good game though I thought, though he seemed to tire a bit towards the end (for those who like to keep a record of these things he was second off the pitch today) he competed well, and in one moment for the ages went full tilt from the centre to chase down and keep in a lost cause wayward pass on the left wing and fire in a cross on the half volley - just hope he can stay fit and continue this sort of effort and commitment on the pitch and it's something we do badly need right now even if his presence does lead to too many long balls at the moment. Campbell did come on for a few minutes but didn't do much of note though I did think it was nice that the programme did a feature over several pages to mark his 500th career game complete with pics of him scoring the winner in the Anfield derby a few years back and headlining the feature with a photo of him with his player of the month award for April 1999 - nice reminder to his more vociferous detractors of what he has done and maybe, it's a long shot I know, but just maybe it might make one or two think twice about hurling abuse at him, presuming of course they bought the programme and were actually capable of reading the feature.

Elsewhere Naysmith and Pistone looked generally ok in the full back positions, Stubbs wasn't particularly all there mentally either, several times he made bad choices and let the ball bounce which could've resulted in disaster, Unsy had a solid game, though he resorted to the hoof too much for many people's taste with the way the central midfield was playing he can't be blamed for that. Which leads us nicely onto our central pairing today - the Gravesen twins were again present with the "evil" one of the two having far more control today - I still find it shocking that a supposed great midfield player still fails to display the basic ability week in and week out to play a simple one touch pass, each time it's stop the ball, look up look down and hope someone hasn't spotted the now telegraphed pass across the pitch. Apologies to those who are big fans of his but today he didn't do anything near enough whether it was getting tackles in or tracking back or creatively going forward, and the problem I think is that there isn't a clear enough competition for his place for the more creative midfield berth. Mentioning Carsley briefly I can't see how he'll play against Fulham next week after another fairly anonymous performance that like Gravesen included way too many poor and easily intercepted passes, one of which led to the goal though blaming him for the goal, as some did, is a bit harsh.

Kilbane gave his usual amount of hard work and effort but didn't quite get the breaks today, Rooney linked well with Pistone when he could but I think it's an obvious understatement to say we'd all much like to see Wayne upfront instead of out on the wing, but at the moment we don't really have any other option but to play him there with both Watson and now McFadden out injured. In a way it's difficult to write thoughts on a match like today's because if you write down the teams clear faults and how you think they would be best solved you are basically repeating the same thing from every other match report you and others have done not just in average/poor games this season but last season too to a degree. Something clearly has to be done with our central midfield and all the restrictions aside it does frankly pain and annoy me as I'm sure it does everyone else that we haven't been able to do anything to try and rectify that situation during the transfer window, due to our well known financial restrictions, especially when this is an area that has stood out for so long as being a weakness of the team to everyone watching.

Ah well - in three weeks time, when we've dumped Fulham out of the Cup, beaten the shite at their place and taken a point off United we'll be feeling better!

Simon Saeyez

Match Report

I had my usual trip to the game today. Up early and the 09:27 direct to Liverpool Lime Street, then the Wirral Line to Hamilton Square, before a lift home where a cooked breakfast awaited me (supposed to be dieting), and then in the mood for the match. Felt like an early start as its been a busy week so left early, wanting to catch the Wolves vs Man Utd game, so left before midday. Some drunken RS was on the train which was some funny. A middle aged fella who was flat out asleep, overheard someone talking about Liverpool and immediately sprung to life and started shouting about how 5 games into the season Houllier was happy with 4th place and should be sacked before returning back to eiderdown.  He was a sorry state, I just hoped Everton were not to be the same.

Got to the pub and some fella had nicked my usual seat, hence me missing the Wolves vs Man Utd game due to a lck of viw and a sea of heads turned up. Well it wasn't long before the troops arrived, and by then he beer had gone down nicely. Before you knew it, it was he short but nice (allbeit cold) walk to the match.

Honestly didn't know what to expect from the formation, and Moyes didn't dissapoint. I was hoping to divert back to the 4-4-2, giving McFadden a game on the right, with Li Tie and Linderoth (assuming Gravesen wasn't fit) in the middle, Pistone in for Naysmith on the left, with Unsworth and Weir at the back, and then Dunc and Radz up front. Well I was close!!! Didn't see the need to rush Stubbs back who in periods of the game was doing groin stretches, and I don't know if Hibbert was injured or not but if he wasn't, then I'd rather play Pistone at left back and drop naysmith. While why Radzinski didn't start was simply beyond me, and I don't think this 4-3-3 will ever really work. Yes, it worked against the Gooners, but I think that's the only time it has. Full marks for Moyes for being positive though I guess

Everton started well and put the pressure on in the first 20 minutes. Charlton, impressively, didn't panic though, and kept at it well. Ferguson was getting free kick after free kick given against him by the imbecile who calls himself a referee (the same imbecille who gave Van Nistleroy that peno last season) and that was the tone for the game. Everton had a lot of possession but to no avail. The final ball was always lacking and there wasn't much creativity, while Eull and Cole maintained a big threat up front. Both big strong and powerful.

Well it was neither of those who prooved to be Everton's downfall, and it was always going to be ironic. Diamonds.

Good work by Di Canio. Making a fool of Naysmith and a decent ball in which could have been defended better, and I think Martyn could have done something with. Neverthelss, it fell to Diamonds who had an easy goal after getting up well from midfield (why do our players not do that?). It was a similar goal to that of the 2001-2002 season when Simo and Xavier made a mockery of a long ball.

That happened in the 39th minute, and the damage was done. Similar to last week, Charlton grew in strength from that goal, and I was desperate for the final whistle, when in injury time Jason Eull missed an even easier chance which could have buried us, although Ste seems to think offside would have been given.

The second half didn't yield any changes, and Everton kept at it I guess, but Robinson really didn't have much to do. An excellent Carlsey header from 16 yards produced a full strength save was about it, as Everton applied the pressure with determined but ultimately uninspiring football. Ferguson came close with an effort hacked off the line when with my blue tinted specs it looked over, but overwise, nothing to shout about, and Charlton defended very well, with some decent counter attacking football away from home and deserved the 3 points. They reminded me of us last season. All this without their best player.

Defensively Everton weren't bad. The midfield kept pummeling away, but if anyone's to blame for this result, it's the strikers.  Ferguson was statuesque.  Very little movement, hence the big boot was usually the option, and Jeffers reading the flicks a good 5 seconds after the ball had been cleared. He didn't look very sharp, and although Radzinski and Campbell never really had time or a chance to get into the game, neither really made the expected impact, particularly Radzinski.

The only player that did move was Kilbane, hence he was the only one he ever got the ball. He'd get the ball and look up, but no movement. hence a ball into the box which was easily cleared.

The nest 3 games really could prove to be catastrophic. A home defeat to Fulham knocking us out of what is probably the only thing going for us this season, an unbearable derby defeat to RS and a home defeat to Man Utd and we'd be looking at the bottom 3. It's make or break time.

Overall: Uninspiring, but Charlton showed they deserved to be where they are. A good professional away performance. It must get better. 6