100 (AND A BIT) YEARS OF PRIDE & PASSION

Charlton - for 90% of the game - were awful on Saturday. Everyone was depressed, the faithful who made the trip were considerably beyond
restless. What am I doing here was in the mind of many.

Then that late, late Nicky Bailey strike and pandemonium ensued in the away section. The Nicky Bailey song nearly raised the roof.

We had got out of jail, secured a point we did not deserve and it felt as though we had won promotion. The solo journey home simply flew by.
The adrenaline rush from a goal like that - even allowing for all the dross that went before - makes it all worth while, money can not buy moments like that.

No-one who was there will forget the finish at he County Ground in a hurry.

In the cold llght of day however, questions have to be asked as to what Parky was doing. Things have gone downhill, performance and results wise, of recent times. Some of the changes smack of desperation in a bid to get back to winning ways.

After ringing the changes at Walsall Parky said how pleased he was with his team's performance. Strange then that he changed both personnel and formation for the game at Swindon. By the midway point of the second-half, there was the stench of Pardew-itis around the County Ground.

Parkinson played two holding midfielders, Bailey and Racon, both strong going forward while our master in that position, Semedo, was left on the
bench.


When that didn't work, Wagstaff was hauled off at half-time, Semedo went in the middle, the left-footed Reid went on the right with Bailey pushed out on the left. Three minutes later Racon had to be taken off with a head wound.

Chris Solly came on and slotted in at left-back with Basey moving forward and Bailey moving back to the middle. Then Swindon scored.

Immediately, Parky brought on Burton - amazingly dropped - to play up front with lone raider Akpo Sodje. Basey made way for Burton so Reid switched
back to the left with Shelvey moving to the right. Why, if these fancy systems are so good does the manager always revert to 4-4-2 when
chasing the game?

Parky will probably argue that his changes got us a point. The clear catalyst to our improvement was the introduction of Burton. Why was he
left out in the first place? The manager's obvious glee when the equaliser went in demonstrated that he knew he had got out of jail.

Football's a simple game Phil, play your best side, deploy the players in their natural positions and we are a match for anyone in this League.

Look at Swindon. They do not have players anywhere near the calibre of ours yet the excellent Danny Wilson has produced a neat, passing side with a potent goal threat. Look and learn should be the lesson learned from events in Wiltshire.

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