Leroy Lita is the latest loanee to join a burgeoning squad which must be the largest in the Championship if not the Coca-Cola League. His signing after last night's disappointing draw with top of the table Bristol City looks to me like a knee-jerk reaction and probably underlines an increasing desperation at Board level.
In one way I am pleased that our inconsistency is obviously hurting the Board as much as it is us. Signing Lita this stage when he was clearly available in January probably reflects as much on the decision to buy Andy Gray as anything else and the natural conclusion that he has not given us the immediate return we had hoped for and the added concern that without it we have missed the automatic promotion chance and are now risking a play-off place. Lita may well add the goals we need to secure the play-offs which is now a minimum requirement for Alan Pardew. What we have to consider is the consequences of missing the play-offs or failing to get promoted if we make them. The squad will need a hefty trim and whilst the loanees will all be obvious targets, that would need to be balanced with who's performing and who isn't or we would simply be left with the nucleus of the squad we started with this year which hasn't been good enough. Alan Pardew might be feeling a little more heat than we suspect right now, although he's felt worse at West Ham and survived it. Far too early to panic and I am still right behind him before I get a deluge!
East Stand Re-Development - Interesting to learn that Greenwich Council have rejected Charlton's latest plans to develop the East stand and that we are apparently threatening to appeal. As a veteran follower and natural anti-Council advocate, I find myself unmoved by the latest mutterings and unsympathetic to what I am hearing from the club. I am a local resident and have always done my bit to speak up in favour of Charlton's plans, sometimes at strong odds with neighbours. However, it reads to me like we have simply tried to push our luck on the existing planning consent by adding "some flats" with the justification that the additional development is necessary to finance it. Frankly, that's not the Council's problem and our stance looks like amateur brinkmanship. We need to be careful here because the Council have been good supporters of Charlton over the last ten years and you shouldn't bite the hand that feeds.
Levels of Support - I owe Bristol City fans an apology for my dismissive claim that they wouldn't bring more than the usual 1,000 maximum last night. I was impressed to see a good 2000 and maybe closer to 2500. They were in fine voice and are obviously convinced that Gary Johnson is going to deliver Premier League football next season. Whilst I remain convinced they are over-performing, won't make it and would get battered every week in the Premier League, you can't take anything away from what they have done so far and their fans have responded magnificently - you have to wish them well.
On a similar topic, how many turned out at Selhurst Park last night to urge Palace on to claim 6th spot that Neil Warnock believes they can make? Well Cardiff City were the visitors and let's be generous and assume that there were only 500 visitors. That would mean Palace attracted 12000+. That's right, a gate of 13,446 for a "big" club supposedly pushing for a play-off place. If anyone needs any reminding, the last time we had a paltry gate for a league game to match this was 10 years ago.
There, that's off my chest.
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