Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Norwich FA Cup replay preview

If any Charlton fan is looking for a lucky omen to help break this 18-match winless run, then I'm pleased to report the wife gave birth to our second baby boy (Cameron) on Saturday night.

Our first son was born a few hours before we thumped West Ham 4-0 in Feb 2007, a win which would set in train a most unexpected six match unbeaten run which threatened to salvage our Premiership status.

It would also be extraordinary bad luck surely to have both children born during relegation seasons for the Addicks. After all there have only been four in the last three decades.

This will be a surefire guarantee that both will grow up preferring the arts to football, and will observe their Dad putting on his red and white bobble hat every other Saturday with the look of disdain, that only kids can portray.

Meanwhile, whilst we chose to give our first son a head start in life with the middle name 'Charlton', we were concerned that to do so again at the current time might attract the interest of the child protection authorities. He'll thus have to make do with 'James', and we hope it doesn't hold him back.

I'm not sure whether an FA Cup tie 'counts' with regard to assessing the good fortune that a birth might bring (I'll conclude tomorrow night), but if he has any sense he'll reserve it for Saturday's trip to Hillsborough (his official due date incidentally).

Our 4th Round draw was as uninspiring as our 3rd round draw (likely a trip to Sheffield United), so with a much-needed money-spinning tie off the agenda at least until a 5th round which form clearly suggests we are unlikely to reach anyhow, Phil Parkinson will surely bring his experimentation kit to Carrow Road.

If we end up winning the tie on Tuesday night, then such experimentation would be a problem (or as I would call it, a 'solution').

After all, what credible manager could look his victorious eleven in the eyes and tell them he's reverting to the crew that went more than three months without a win?

Richard Murray was quoted on Monday as believing that, "If you look at our recent performances, I have seen a huge improvement and we could have won almost all of the games that Phil has been in charge of."

With a goal difference of -9 over the course of these ten games, it's hard to know if he's being ironic or not. I don't buy into this idea that teams somehow get less than they 'deserve' from matches.

If Forest for example can clinically score two goals from our defensive mistakes, then we deserve nothing and they deserve three points. The argument may have some merit after a poor run of a handful of games, but ten? Or eighteen?

With the unwelcome news that Jose Semedo is out for two months, whilst Jay McEveley has returned injured to the Rams, one wonders whether Parky can even name the seven subs he's entitled to in the FA Cup after accounting for unavailable loans.

If I were Parky therefore, my teamtalk would be a simple one. Go out and enjoy yourselves, forget about relegation for a night and show the Norwich public that we're not a laughing stock after all.

NY Addick predicts: Norwich 1 (Lupoli), Charlton 1 (Burton). Charlton win 4-3 on penalties, aet. Att: 16, 229.

15 Comments:

At 5:00 AM, Blogger StoneMuse said...

Congrats NYA

 
At 5:38 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Congratulations NYA!

Pedro45

 
At 6:59 AM, Blogger Dave said...

Fantastic news Mr & Mrs NYA. May your boys only know promotion when they are old enough to visit!

 
At 8:33 AM, Blogger bristol addick said...

Many congratulations NYA!

 
At 8:46 AM, Blogger Suze said...

Congratulations to you all. The start of a wonderful new year.

(Having sons with the names Alan and Phil...(they're a lot older)...I think names are part of fate!)

 
At 8:47 AM, Blogger Kings Hill Addick said...

Congratulations. Now you will have something to do during the nights that you can't sleep worrying about where the next win will come from.

 
At 8:48 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

NYA
Many congratulations. To strike a chord , I was born the year we got relegated from the Top Div in 1957 , I spent 29 years following us around the country inc Carlisle 3 times !! and then my wife arranged our wedding day for the first game back in the top div , unbelievable , eh ?
Lets hope your new saucepan doesn't have to wait 29 years too !!

 
At 8:48 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

NYA
Many congratulations. To strike a chord , I was born the year we got relegated from the Top Div in 1957 , I spent 29 years following us around the country inc Carlisle 3 times !! and then my wife arranged our wedding day for the first game back in the top div , unbelievable , eh ?
Lets hope your new saucepan doesn't have to wait 29 years too !!

 
At 8:49 AM, Blogger Kings Hill Addick said...

Suze,

Please tell us you're third boy was called Jose or Favbio!

 
At 8:55 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Congratulations NYA,we must wet Cameron's head in Legends on your next trip.

Have to say I am concerned that every time you become a parent Charlton get relegated.

In the interests of our club can you give up sex please?

 
At 12:53 PM, Blogger charlton north-downs said...

Many Congratulations and hope to see you Legends in the near future and may Cameron's first words be "Come on you Reds" The word da da can come later.

 
At 5:35 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

congratulations new york but don't do it to the little fella give him a chance in life, i'm begging ya. don't let him be weighed down by a burden he'll never recover from. don't do what my father did to me and presumably your father to you, i've been psychologically scared all my life, i never had a chance. when he's old enough take him to arsenal or better still united, let him grow up a normal healthy boy, full of the joys of life. if you don't i'll report you to social sevices for child cruelty and abuse.

 
At 8:31 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thanks for all of your kind words.

1-0 up after 6 mins at Norwich - a good start!

 
At 10:07 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Welcome to the world Cameron - a world with a Charlton Win!

Many congrats NYA - we need another 9 wins in the league now - so you and your missus need to get cracking!

Good luck with the sleep malarkey.

Pembury Addick

 
At 1:02 AM, Blogger Marco. said...

It's a new beginning! Congratulations NYA and congratulations to our team for finally getting a win.
See you in Legends next time you are over.
M.

 

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