Charlton 1-3 Barnsley

Apologies for the delayed match report but I've needed a bit of time and a few stiff drinks to come to terms with what I (and 20,000 other poor souls) witnessed yesterday afternoon. As I stood in the pouring rain waiting for a train to take me back home, I could not remember a more miserable Charlton experience. When I thought things couldn't get much worse, a fan who I was chatting to told me that Southampton had won and that we were in the bottom three. Great stuff.

Like all the other blogs who have already expressed their thoughts, I don't really see much point in detailed review of the match. In summary: they scored after two minutes, got another two before half time when we couldn't muster a shot on goal, they protected their lead comfortably in the second half and we managed a goal which we hardly deserved and was hardly cheered. We were an utter shambles. Like the Inspector, I was pretty much ready to leave at half time but hung around in the hope of something which never came.

When people around you are literally laughing at the team's performance, you know something has gone badly wrong. Pardew's team selection was again changed although he could have put our the under-11's and they would have at least looked like they cared a bit. With the possible exception of Nicky Weaver (who I feel sorry for), I don't think I could pick out one player who played with any kind of urgency or desire to claw our way back into the game after we had gone a goal down. Barnsley are not a first rate team, but they were organised, committed and made us look stupid.

But wait folks ... according to Pards it's because Linvoy Primus wasn't fit. Once the 35 year old injury prone loanee is fit again, we'll be fine. Won't we? Pardew's book of excuses gets longer and longer. A couple of weeks ago it was because we were missing Zheng Zhi, then Todorov, and now Primus. The fact of the matter is, injuries or no injuries, Pardew has a squad at his disposal which should be capable of mounting a promotion challenge. To send out a team to put in a performance like that and serve up half baked excuses to the fans is frankly unacceptable.

It would be nice to think Pardew has a shred of professional integrity and would walk away from the job but judging my his comments he is not prepared to do that. What is clear is that one way or another we need a change because at the moment we are hurtling towards League One at a frightening rate of knots. This season can be salvaged but Pardew is not the man to do it. Sign me up for the Redvolution.