If you had asked any Charlton fan at the end of last season what their hopes for the new season were, most would have said better performances from the team and a push for promotion. Come the end of July, and the best part of a new team signed, the fans were getting were positive. Thoughts of a push for promotion had changed to thoughts of promotion, through the play-off final if need be.
The season started and we won. And then we won again.....and again. In fact apart from loses in both the Carling Cup and Johnstone's Paint Trophy it was twelve on the trot. Even the cup matches were against beatable opposition, but Charlton played their second eleven. In my opinion these seemed to prove two things. One was that not all the players left from last season were up to the standards that Chris Powell was obviously demanding. Two was that the lack of a reserve league wasn't doing the club - or players - any favours.
So we got to match thirteen which was Stevenage away. The signs were that teams that didn't play open football were going to cause problems and so it proved. The inevitable loss happened and from all accounts fans were more annoyed at the teams poor performance than the loss.
Would this mean the team would now go on a poor run? The only way we would know would be to see how the team responded against Carlisle. And respond they most certainly did! With easily the best performance of the season, Carlisle were demolished 4-0 with the 4th goal being one of those that ends up on a goalkeepers blooper tape!
Did this mean the start of a new run? Wycombe Wanderers away was the next test and a 2-1 away win was ground out there. Which brings us to today. With just minutes remaining Charlton have a commanding 4-0 away lead over Hartlepool. From the radio commentary it is no more than Charlton deserve and that is three wins on the trot and currently a five point lead at the top of the table.
It is "So Far So Good" and we now march on for the rest of the season. Come on You Reds!
