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After 84 minutes this column threatened to be a repeat of Fulham away before Mr Rakels saved the day!
Modern football is pretty much about money and Charlton are demonstrating what happens when owners get it wrong, with massive demonstrations taking place after the game. Each week I spend many an hour trawling twitter for comments on the game for this piece, and is the first time I have failed to find a pro-comment on a topic.
This is highlighted in the tweets below and they broadly fall into three areas, being the love for Kermorgant, the hatred for the owners and as they call him Roger "relegator" Johnson.
Social Media
Dark days at the Valley
@CAFCofficial Just a reminder-He has loaded us with debt & the interest that comes with it.NO REAL INVESTMENT.#cafc pic.twitter.com/MFihWekFv7
— Robert Waghorn (@Rob_Waghorn) February 28, 2016
Euro Addicks
In Belgium protesting. Just had our banner confiscated and the st Truiden fans weren't happy with their stewards at all #cafc
— Joe Read (@JoeyRead97) February 27, 2016
Can’t see Nigel Howe doing this.....
Katrien Meire just pointed at myself and other fans and said "you’re not helping". #cafc
— David Norris (@Nozza_) February 27, 2016
No love for Johnson
In any other job Roger Johnson would have been done for impersonation and fraud by now. #cafc
— Bruce (@bndcafc) February 27, 2016
Home grown?
Only one British player in #cafc starting xi. Roger Johnson. #readingfc
— CAFC Facts & Stats (@CafcFacts) February 27, 2016
Yann the Man
Yann Kermorgant, who tore @CAFCofficial apart deemed not good enough by Duchatelet & Meire. Roger Johnson. 18-month contract. #cafc
— Robert Shore (@ShoreRobert) February 28, 2016
Honestly couldn't care less anymore. Well done Yann. You deseve it. Proper footballer. #cafc
— Dan Tyler (@dantyler90) February 27, 2016
So you believe in Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny then?
#cafc anyone fancy coming in with me on a huge bet on Charlton to stay up? 16/1. £50 each. We'll be loaded.
— Tom Spurling (@CharltonTom5) February 28, 2016
One for the stat fans
#cafc How many players have scored a hat-trick & still ended up on the losing side?
— Bob Swanston (@SwanstonRobert) February 28, 2016
Media Reactions
I always seem to mention how little media attention we get and despite a seven-goal thriller, nothing changes!
I’m going to start with the BBC whose report is a lot longer than it normally is! They do give us credit and praise for a first half where they describe it as a dominant performance from us. The "blindingly obvious statement of the week" award however has to go to Charlton boss Jose Riga for saying "It’s about defending in an effective way" I know there are more than a few Charlton fans who would be happy with "just defending".
They also carry a good pre-report with Kermogant who lay’s in to the current hierarchy at the Valley, and also the Addicks fans who made the trip to Belgium to protest the owners.
Sky Sports have their usual video highlighst packag, and are you ready for this – a colossal 4 min 25! That has to be a record for an untelevised game right? It’s just a pity that the best goal of the game was disallowed. The report once again focuses on the trouble and strife at the Valley, Kermorgant's hero worship by the home side and a poor defensive display all round.
Over at the national press and it’s a poor show all around. The Daily Mail give us a few lines in the roundup, mentioning Rakels, Sanogo and again the protests, whilst the Guardian have a good picture of Williams arguing with some overzealous stewards following Rakels' goal and mentioning the misery for Charlton fans.
In the local papers then The Newshopper only carry an interview post-game with Riga, where he blames the defeat at players not playing with each other before, and that they were the better team in the second half. Over at GetReading and Charles has his normal video report, and makes a good point that a few months back we would have lost this game and whisper it quietly has our form taken a turn on the up side? As usual there’s the full round up on the site of the game.
So it’s Fulham at home on Saturday and hopefully another win. As always make sure you stay up to date with The Tileshurst end for the latest on what’s happening at Reading, and whilst we can but dream, 10 wins out of the last 13 games, could we, really could we?
Urzzz