Quiet Desperation

Well, we took a point that could have been three. Two points lost in the blink of a prematurely celebrating eye. I think most of us would have taken a point before the game began, and it does take us out of the bottom three, but once again, it feels like underachievement. On to Birmingham, a game where I suspect expectations of a favourable Charlton outcome will be minimal.

As has been reported elsewhere, Pardew will almost certainly not be with us come Christmas, unless there is a marked upturn in Charlton fortunes, and I am interested in what criteria the board will be using to define "upturn". League position whilst important, is too nebulous, unless we are in the bottom three, so I assume that points will indeed make prizes. For me, the logical decision point would be mid December, as by that stage, we will have played exactly half the season, once the Derby County game has been played. The telling games between now and then, are the three games immediately preceding the Derby game, against Southampton, Blackpool, and Coventry. All of these should be winnable, and a decent haul of points from them would probably save Pardew's job until the summer at least.

Over the past ten seasons, the range of points for the team finishing third bottom, has ranged from 42 - 52. Indeed, Leicester's relegation last season, saw them go down with the highest points total in that ten year period. So, using that as the worst case scenario, means that we should really be sitting at a minimum 26 points at the halfway stage. We currently have 16 points, so three wins and a draw in our next seven games is required. I am assuming here, that the board are accepting survival as a positive result.

Pardew has been oft quoted, regarding his dislike of using loan players, and yet, it would appear that we are about to juggle the books, and bring more of them in. Much will depend on Ambrose going out on loan, as I suspect he still retains a Premier League salary level, but does anybody else on a high salary need to go out? As to who comes in, I think this highlights the poor position we are in, as essentially we are looking for a spine to the team, comprising a central defender, central midfielder, and a striker. Quietly desperate times indeed.