I can't stay away, I'm an Addick...

[Deisler26]

One Season in the Valley

I've been away from FMCU for most of this season, regarding a save. I've lurked and read, but not really stayed around. So this is my only thread this season (I'm the Anti-@Makoto Nakamura) where I'll do the best I can in one season. Let's get it on!

 

 THE CLUB

 

The club was founded on 9 June 1905 when a number of youth clubs in south-east London, including East Street Mission and Blundell Mission, combined to form Charlton Athletic. Their home ground is the Valley, where the club have played since 1919, apart from one year in Catford, during 1923–24, and seven years at Crystal Palace and West Ham United between 1985 and 1992, due to financial issues, and then safety concerns raised by the local council. The club's fans formed the Valley Party, nominating candidates to stand in local elections, in a bid to return the club to The Valley.

Charlton turned professional in 1920 and first entered the Football League in 1921. Since then the club has had four separate periods in the top flight of English football: 1936–1957, 1986–1990, 1998–1999, and 2000–2007. Historically, Charlton's most successful period was the 1930s, when the club's highest league finishes were recorded, including runners-up of the First Division in 1937. After World War II, Charlton reached two consecutive FA Cup finals, losing in 1946, and winning in 1947.

Edited July 21, 2020 by Deisler26

[Deisler26]

Here is the man that will take them to (semi) glory! 

A decent enough side, so we should survive relegation!

Edited July 19, 2020 by Deisler26

[john1]

Good to see you back in FMCU  Good luck with Charlton! 

[Deisler26]

THE SQUAD

So here we are, my first look at the squad..

I used the editor to cancel the loans of Aiden McGeady, Sam Field and Matt Smith as I wouldn't be using them at all this season and it made no sense to have them.

As a rule, the team isn't too bad with a LOT of talent up front, but with Taylor and Williams' contract up at the end of the season, we need to re-up them as a matter of priority. We have weakness on the flanks however, with the full back slots looking particularly bare for a) how I want to play in the right back position and b) just a lack of depth in the left back position.

We've also bolstered the team, by bringing up three youth team players

These three players are pretty talented and are sure to get some game time, especially Doughty as a backup left back!.

Edited July 19, 2020 by Deisler26

[Deisler26]

1 hour ago, john1 said:

Good to see you back in FMCU  Good luck with Charlton! 

Thanks man! It's good to be back!

[Deisler26]

Great news! Let's hope that no-one will activate his MRC..

[Deisler26]

GAME 1

Game 1 in the books. An early goal by debutant Brendan Sarpong-Wiredu, heading home after a good cross by fellow debutant Alfie Doughty, put us on the way only to be pegged back by Blackburn a few minutes later. Sarpong-Wiredu popped up again with a carbon copy goal, even down to the assist coming from another debutant in Jordan Obita. But, once again Blackburn pegged us back minutes later. Blackburn then took the lead with 10 minutes to go, only for Lyle Taylor to equalise with just three minutes to go, heading home from a Forster-Caskey corner.

[Deisler26]

THE STAFF

We needed to re-shape the coaching team to get us to have a decent look at the season. We first approached Hans Schrijver to be our Chief Scout, however VVV Venlo made him a better offer and we lost out. In his place, we signed Northern Irish scout Conor Malin as Chief Scout, with Steve Hetzke bolstering the scouting team. 

On the coaching side, we appointed ex-Ipswich Town player Jamie Clapham as a general coach, with Chris Neville signing on as a Fitness Coach. Finally, we signed John Breckin as an Assistant Manager. Later on in the month, we picked up Polish coach Bartosz Sylwestrzak to round out our coaching staff

[Deisler26]

THE SQUAD: AUG 2019 TRANSFER WINDOW

We were in pretty good shape to be honest, so I wasn't desperate to make any moves.

We scouted Aberdeen's Lewis Ferguson, but he wasn't interested in coming. I'll keep an eye on him throughout the season.

Our scouting team came through with a recommendation of a free agent. Eddi Gomes. I trialled him and when I got a look at his attributes, I snapped him up. He'll be first choice centre back!

Coming in for actual money was RKC Waalwijk centre back Ingo van Weert. He was signed for £400k and will partner Gomes in the centre of defence.

We also saw a trio of loans coming. Striker Troy Parrott and right-sided attacker Folarin Balogun came in from Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal respectively, plus we addressed the left back weakness by signing Reading full-back Jordan Obita on loan.

 

Exiting the club was striker Tomer Hamed, who didn't take kindly to being told he wasn't needed. He left for France in a £1.5m deal with Racing Club Lens. With the signing of Gomes, defender Naby Sarr was very unsettled and reacted badly to my assertation that I needed him in a squad. So, being in the last year of his contract, we had to sell and he went to En Avant Guingamp for £1m + 50% sell on. Finally, veteran midfielder Darren Pratley was sold to Mansfield Town on a free!

[Deisler26]

GAME 2

The realities for a newly-promoted club. We absolutely battered Stoke, yet were sucker-punched by their first two shots of the game. We need to have not too many of these if we're to stay up

The stats say it all. Three of those blocks were goal-line clearances, the woodwork came to their rescue as Balogun hit the post with the Stoke keeper stranded. 

[Deisler26]

CARABAO CUP FIRST ROUND

Another poor performance. Leyton Orient took the lead just before HT and we looked all at sea. With just one SoT, we were being embarassed. However, on 83 minutes, a hoisted cross in from the right from Forster-Caskey saw Macaulay Bonne rise highest to head home to tie it all up! Forster-Caskey turned provider again, three minutes later. He got free down the right and slung in a cross from the left to meet a steaming-in Andre Green at the back post. The on-loan Aston Villa winger's header billowed the net, saved our blushes and put us into the next round.

[Deisler26]

GAME 3

Another poor performance against the Championship's bottom side. It took a 20 yard stunner just before full time to bring back a share of the points. We desperately need to do better.

[Deisler26]

GAME 4

Our first win in the Championship, but it could have been so much worse! A far post header by Josh Cullen on 63 mins put us ahead and we were looking good money for the lead, before Ben Amos committed an absolute howler to gift Forest the equaliser.

However, a beautful through ball by George Lapslie saw Lyle Taylor clean through. He took a touch and beat the advancing keeper low to roll the ball inside the right hand post. There was still time for Eddi Gomes to get himself sent off for a second yellow, despite it looking like an innocious challenge. Forest then had the ball in the net in the 95th minute, but Da Costa was called offside.

[Deisler26]

GAME 5

Brentford were 3rd coming into this game and we were shorn of a few players due to fitness concerns. This didn't seem the case as young midfielder Albie Morgan burst through the middle of the park and rounded the keeper to sidefoot into the net. Neither us or Brentford could muster much in the way of attacking intent after that and we cruised to victory.

Standings

Edited July 22, 2020 by Deisler26

[Deisler26]

CARABAO CUP SECOND ROUND

What a ridiculous game! We opened the scoring through Eddi Gomes' first goal for the club from an inswinging corner and then a poor defensive clearance by Brighton cannoned off one of their own players into the path of Lyle Taylor who made no mistake from 5 yards. 2-0 up and cruising, we seemed to take our foot off against the Premier League side. A 20 yard rocket brought Brighton back within one goal on 65 minutes before, in added on time, a long hoisted ball into the area saw the Brighton striker leap highest of all the cluster of defenders to head home to make it 2-2 on 95 minutes. Kickoff happened and a long ball sent down the right saw the Brighton full back bring down Balogun in flight, earning himself a second yellow card. From the resulting free-kick, lofted towards the back post, Eddi Gomes headed home on 98 minutes to seal a crazy win.

[Deisler26]

GAME 6

Another rope-a-dope performance. Reading had 24 shots and we had 9. But Jake Forster-Caskey's venomous blast from 25 yards gave us the lead. Then just ten minutes later, a free-kick, 20 yards out, was buried in the top corner by Jake Forster-Caskey. Sadly, we conceded a minute later and were battered from pillar to post. Luckily, their finishing was wayward.

Standings

Edited July 19, 2020 by Deisler26

[Deisler26]

GAME 7

In a fairly even game, it took til firsthalf added time to make the breakthough. Macaulay Bonne's looping header from a Jake Forster-Casky corner put us into a lead that we rarely looked like relinquishing. Our second was the dagger. Andre Green disposseing the defender on the halfway line and running half the length of the pitch to slot the ball underneath the keeper and make it safe at 2-0 late on

Standings

[Deisler26]

GAME 8

Another even game. We went down just before HT as a swirling deep free-kick beat our defence and left a man free at the far post. We fought back and a long ball out of defence was picked up by Troy Parrott. He advanced and rolled the ball into the path of Lyle Taylor, who took a touch and beat the keeper with a rising shot from 20 yards. 

Standings

[Deisler26]

CARABAO CUP THIRD ROUND

A dominant game, without being particularly incisive. However, that changed late on, when a whipped cross from the right was headed home by Jonny Williams for his first goal for the club. It was a day of firsts as Forster-Caskey's through ball saw Troy Parrott outpace the defence one minute later and finish crisply into the far corner to seal our passage into the next round.

 

Edited July 21, 2020 by Deisler26

[Deisler26]

GAME 9

Urgh. A rude awakening as to our place in the division. Despite taking the lead through Troy Parrott's cross-goal strike, we then went on to concede three goals, all through mistakes. Phillips fumbled the ball into the net for the first, Matthews completely misjudged a header allowing the winger through for the second and an stupid trip on the edge of the box gave them the penalty for their third. FEWMIN!

Standings

Edited July 20, 2020 by Deisler26

[Deisler26]

GAME 10

Two games in three days meant the second XI took the field against Swansea City and they rained down hell on us in the first 20 minutes of the game, to the point where I thought we were going to get hammered after the early goal. Gradually we came back into it  and Erhun Oztumer's first goal for the club came after good work by Bonne on the wing saw Oztumer pick the ball up on the right hand side of the D and hit the ball across the keeper's body to level the scores. Macaulay Bonne was unplayable on the wing and his snapshot crashed off the bar on 80 minutes. Bonne wasn't finished and with time running out, he lofted the ball out to George Lapsile who struck the sweetest volley this side of Di Canio. The ball flew into the net for his first senior goal for the club and gave us all three points.

Standings

 

[Fudal]

I’m loving the game by game updates!

[Deisler26]

On 20/07/2020 at 18:05, Fudal said:

I’m loving the game by game updates!

Thanks man, appreciated!

[Deisler26]

GAME 11

Yeah, this was close until the red card, Van Weert tripping the Fulham winger in the box as last man and seeing red because of it. On 62 minutes, Johnny Williams dispossesed the Fulham defender on the half way line and ran like the wind to beat the keeper from just inside the box to claw back some of the deficit, but it wasn't enough and an injury time third for Fulham was no less than what they deserved.

Standings

[Deisler26]

TRANSFER NEWS

We signed three players on free transfers after successful trials at the club.

Two for the youth team and one for the first team

Edited July 22, 2020 by Deisler26

[Deisler26]

GAME 12

An even match of poor quality (less than 1/3rd the total shots from both teams hit the target) was won by Jonny Williams heading home from a Forster-Caskey cross.

Standings

[Deisler26]

GAME 13

An early promotion clash saw us come off worst as a last minute goal condemned us to defeat, despite Jake Forster-Caskey's thunderous strike from the edge of the area that went bar down on the way in to tie the game up and Eddi Gomes' toepoke high into the roof of the net after Jordan Obita's freekick caused havoc in the City defence.

Standings

[Deisler26]

GAME 14

It all started so well as Andre Green dinked the ball over the keeper to put us 1-0 up early, thanks to Sarpong-Wiredu's clever reverse pass that took the entire defence out. But we then just collapsed. Clearly minds were on the Arsenal cup clash..

Standings

[Deisler26]

CARABAO CUP FOURTH ROUND

Only to be expected and all we had to show for it was Lyle Taylor's weak shot that squeezed in via the post after a good flick on from Forster-Caskey

[Deisler26]

Well, we only score bangers apparently...or concede them...

[Deisler26]

GAME 15

It was the Late, Late Show as on-loan forward Folarin Balogun picked the ball up inside his own half on the counter, outpaced the defence and fired low past the keeper after a 60 or so yard run. However, a last-gasp volley into the roof of the net denied us all three points. C'est la vie!

Standings

[Benjoe]

On 19/07/2020 at 12:30, Deisler26 said:

[Deisler26]

GAME 16

Well. Well, well, well. We put our poor form to bed with a cracking win in the South London Derby! The game started well with Lyle Taylor cutting back for the onrushing Jake Forster-Caskey to hit a clean strike into the far corner from 20 yards. Twenty minutes later, good interplay on the left-hand side of the box saw full back Lewis Page send a ball across the box to be clipped home by Lyle Taylor to double our lead. Barely three minutes later, the jewel in the crown for us. A long throw found Troy Parrott in acres of space on the right, his cross was curling back towards the edge of the box only to be met on the volley by Jake Forster-Caskey for his second of the game. We rounded off the scoring with a well placed side-foot volley from Andre Green.

Standings

[Deisler26]

GAME 17

Cardiff played like their league position (19th). Identical headers from corners by the centre-back pairings of Ingo van Weert and Romain Genevois within two minutes of each other, midway through the first half gave us an unassailable lead. And it was left to Fola Balogun to put the cherry on top of the result, sweeping home a cross from the left after a good counter attack.

Standings

Edited July 22, 2020 by Deisler26

[Deisler26]

GAME 18

Urgh. Poor from us. I'm pretty disgusted.

Standings

[Deisler26]

GAME 19

We bounced back from the disappointment of the last game by dominating Sheffield Wednesday. Macauley Bonne confidently dispatched a penalty after he was brought down by a wild tackle to get us on the board. Then Fola Balogun doubled the lead, heading home from a Forster Caskey free kick. The goal conceded looked to be poor from Ben Amos and was only their second shot all game.

Standings

[Deisler26]

GAME 20

Another big loss to a relegation-haunted side. Eff.

Standings

[Deisler26]

TRANSFER NEWS

Currently trying to steal this guy away from his club. Let's see what we can get for him. He's been scouted for the last two months

 

[Deisler26]

GAME 21

I'm going to scream. Fola Balogun's accurate strike gave us the lead just before HT and, despite being pulled back just after, we struck twice more through Troy Parrott's tap in and Jonny Williams' close-range volley. But we switched off and conceded two late goals to end up with two points lost, not a point gained.

Standings

Edited July 22, 2020 by Deisler26

[Deisler26]

2020 Youth Intake: Preview

This is a bit of Schrodinger's Intake. Is it a good one or bad? Some good greens, but the last yellow tempers that.

Edited July 22, 2020 by Deisler26

[Deisler26]

GAME 22

A dominant win for us as we peppered Hull's goal. We breached their rearguard midway through the first half with Lyle Taylor losing his marker and slotting home a deep free-kick by Lapslie. Lyle Taylor stepped up again to seal the win, sending the Hull keeper the wrong way from the penalty spot.

Standings

Edited July 22, 2020 by Deisler26

[Deisler26]

GAME 23

Never got out of the traps in this one. We were second best all game and lucky to escape with a point

Standings

[Deisler26]

GAME 24

F**ks sake. Another draw, We need wins.

Standings

[Deisler26]

GAME 25

At least there was a goal this time. Fola Balogun sweeping the ball home after good work by Andre Green down the left flank

Standings

[Deisler26]

GAME 26

A good away win in Wales was set on it's way by Andre Green arriving late at the left hand side of the box. His shot went under the keeper and in to give us the lead. We then went further into the lead just 15 minutes later, when a flick on by Troy Parrott was collected by Albie Morgan and his shot across the keeper nestled in the far corner. 

Standings

[Deisler26]

THE EMIRATES FA CUP THIRD ROUND

A quiet, but dominant performance in the Potteries for this one. Our goal came from defensive pinball as the Stoke defence blocked three shots in a row, only for the ball to fall to Troy Parrott with an open goal. No more encouragement needed to put it away.

[Deisler26]

GAME 27

A good result against top of the league West Brom. Lyle Taylor opened the scoring, tapping into an empty net after good work on the byline by Lewis Page. Conceding just before half-time wasn't ideal, but just after, Balogun cut in from the right on the counter and rolled the ball into the path of Lyle Taylor who's cross-shot was accurate, but lacking power. Luckily for us, the WBA keeper had wrists of chocolate and the ball found it's way into the net. The away side then dominated and it was only a matter of time before we conceded.

Standings

[Deisler26]

GAME 28

Sigh. The Preston striker torments us again by scoring the opener, then providing the killer blow for their winger. So many poor performances against relegation-haunted teams...

Standings

[Deisler26]

GAME 29

WOW! What a match! Down early doors, a dawdling Fulham defender let Balogun steal the ball off him and cross it for the unmarked Andre Green to head home into an unguarded net. Five minutes later, Andre Green was at it again, this time breaking the offside trap to knock in Lewis Page's low cross. Page and Andre Green combined again for his hat-trick, a pass into No-Man's Land and Green just rolled it inside the near post on 36 minutes. Conceding soon after wasn't in the script however. But we made it to HT, 3-2 up. Just after the break, a long pass from Forster-Caskey cannoned off the back of a defender's head to George Lapsile, who's 25 yard bobbling shot caught the Fulham keeper unaware and crept in the near post. 

Standings

[Deisler26]

THE EMIRATES FA CUP FOURTH ROUND

When the team sheet came out for this, the fans must have groaned and in truth, I had completely written off this game. In came two new January signings, one for his debut. In came the three free agent signings made during the first half of the season, two of those for their debut and one exile to the reserves that was given a one-game reprieve. 

0-4 down at HT and I didn't care. The spot of light came from a route one play. A long clearance found Fola Balogun outpacing the defence and slotting home past a dithering Man Utd keeper.