Zi Zi could be the Key

Zheng Zhi

Bad news today is the injury to Zheng Zhi and that would also confirm why he had a bit of a stinker against Ipswich. I cant quite get my head round the fact that the club has not exploited his marketing potential. According to newspaper reports Zi Zi is the David Beckham of the far East and his career is followed by millions in China alone. If I was a foreign investor especially buying a Championship club which lacks the exposure of the Premiership, I would insist that any high profile players remain with the club. Unlike NYA I think Zi Zi will still be with the club after January and could one of the clubs major assets for the new owners . Zheng Zhi skills are far more suited to a slower, more skillful premiership, than a hectic, manic Championship league.

Zheng Zhi is China's Zidane

By CHARLIE WYETT

Published: 31 Mar 2007

ZHENG ZHI lives a bizarre double life between being the most famous footballer in China ? and a virtual unknown in England.

The exception over here, of course, is whenever he decides to stroll through London’s Chinatown.

Yet the midfielder, on loan from Shandong Luneng, is proving to be a hit at struggling Charlton.

The Chinese skipper, whose fan club has over 100,000 members, can play defence and midfield and lists Zinedine Zidane as his biggest hero.

Cardiff Away
What a difficult game and the pressure will be on the team to perform and we become a lot more attractive to prospective buyers if the clubs name appears near a play-off spot in the league table.
Optimistic a s ever Cardiff 1 Charlton 3 Varney 2 Hudson

Come on you Reds.

For the times they are a changing

Come gather round people wherever you roam
And admit that the waters around you have grown
And accept it that soon you'll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you is worth saving
Then you'd better start swimming or you'll sink like a stone
For the times, they are a changing.

OK its a bit dramatic to use a Bob Dylan song in relation to Charlton and the possible buy out from our very rich and hopefully new owners. When I was a kid, professional football was a game played by the majority of players striving to make a living to support a family and pay off a 25 year Mortgage. In my youthful naivety the game was all about passion, loyalty and honesty , but was it really. The game has changed so much and players now, certainly in the Premiership and the the top half of the Championship probably pay off their mortgages in six months. Lets forget the old days and look to the future, maybe this is our last chance and for me personally it cant come quick enough. It was a comedian who supports Fulham who once said I would rather support any team in any league than too never support a team at all and who knows what lies a head for little'old'Charlton -Oblivion maybe . Adrenalin still flows for me when I do not know a Charlton result and I am just about to find out. I love the club for what it stands for but my support will wain if I have to sit through another mundane inept Championship season , for I have been to the promised land although I didn't realise I was there until after it was taken away. Murray and Co have done the business over the years, but its time to move on to the big money men. Call me cynical, mercenary and ready to sell my soul but I think big money -honest big money is the only way forward. Join the revolution and dance in the street -The King is dead- long live the King.

I love my club

Sorry just a short note to say, I have given a lot to Charlton, supporting wise but in return the club has given me lot back. Tonight I think things are going to change and I think we may become a big club. Great as far as I am concerned. Alan Curbishley and Murray gave me the best 10 years of my Charlton supporting life, but possibly if all things go according to plan we may be entering a new era for Charlton Athletic Football Club, and I welcome it with open arms.

Come on you Reds.

I have a dream-and my wife thinks Im mad

Watching Match of the Day in the Evening

A great throw by Buffon to Terry, who passes it to Gerrard (playing in London at last) to Walcott who races down the wing and puts in a great cross to Rooney who volleys a great shot into the corner of the Manchester United net to put Charlton Athletic 3-0 up. Surely now, Charlton are going to be crowned Premiership Champions for the first time, and in front of a capacity crowd of 55,000, at the Valley to close the 2011-12 season . Wow what a dream -it must have been those five pints of Bishop Finger . Jesus whats this hitting the headlines, Charlton to be taken over by one of Dubai's richest Companies. My wife reads it as well and says to me "Charlton wont be little old Charlton anymore" . I know I know but half the fans who attend home games at the Valley think were a big club and should be winning every game 5-0, with this investment it may well happen.

Charlton a good investment-My season ticket might be

How strange I nearly didn't buy a season ticket this year but fortunately did so at the last moment , by doing so I might have bought myself an investment. Just think as we walk away with this seasons Championship and I get a free season ticket for next season, I'm sure with capacity sell out crowds I could well put it on E bay for a couple of thousand smack-a-roons . This is how I see it, the Valley's capacity will be cut to 23,000 whilst the double tier East stand is completed. Demand for tickets will be extraordinary as many fans clamber to see the up and coming Charlton team filled with young premiership stars, who look destined to qualify for the Champions League in 4th Place.

Being a South East London Club-will seal the deal.

Your traveling from Dubai in your private jet you have an important business meeting in London's Park Lane Hotel on Friday afternoon and the next day you want to see your club, the club that you own play Arsenal . London is the place to be and if you want to throw a bit of pocket money at a Championship club who have the potential to be a big London Club then its a sensible gamble and if it comes off, could well bring substantial bonus's in prestige, exposure and maybe a great return on a small initial investment. After-all Charlton have always had a great catchment area and the Thames gateway will bring in extra supporters by the bus load.

This is the only way Forward

Sorry I have been very spoilt with our seven seasons in the Premiership and I want to see the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal play again to a capacity filled Valley. The Championship is so much second best . The only chance we have of that happening is to get foreign investment and I'm sure there are probably 90 clubs in the Football league who will be dead jealous if this deal comes off.

Just what the Doctor ordered-Charlton 2 Ipswich 1

Charlton 2 Ipswich 1

After yesterday, it feels like the raging infection we have all been suffering from has just been alleviated by taking the first antibiotics which have just started to kick in. It wasn't pretty, it wasn't classic football, but the team got a job done and the little bit of luck we had, was deserved by a determined Charlton team. After playing in a tennis Vets tournament , a Ploughmans, and a couple of pints of guest ale -Shepherd Neame- Late Red I really didn't have much inclination to make the awkward journey to the Valley (Road works playing havoc) but there is one thing I have never been accused of, and that is being a fair weather supporter, how could I be, having supported Charlton for more than 40 years, in fact it is probably more likely that I have been accused of being masochistic, especially in the dark old days of third division football.

The match -I enjoyed the game, probably because there was so much at stake and I have always preferred to watch football when there is a real edginess to it . We started brightly and Bailey was getting amongst the Ipswich midfield, I really do think we have found a gem from the lower divisions and even when he has a below par game, he still gives 100% and does not shy away from the ball. Bailey fired a great free-kick after 6 minutes but unfortunately his prowess in the tackle does mean that he is likely to get injured more often than say Ambrose, and that is exactly what happened after 10 minutes . We go 1-0 up yet again, every home game has been the same, we seem to clam up and go into a shell and allow the wounded opposition to fight back , its about time we went for the jugular . Ipswich pressed after Bailey limped off and we totally lost our momentum. A missed header by Youga allowed Walters to put in a great cross, which I think if Cranie hadn't sliced into his own net, the on rushing Ipswich forward would have had an easy tap-in. So after 34 minutes the score is 1-1 and you can guess how I thought this match was going to end. We dug deep and to be honest I was pleased to hear the half-time whistle. I needed to stretch my legs so I walked around the bar area and I noticed the pessimism and lethargy amongst the supporters -Strange atmosphere indeed. In the second half Semedo replaced Craine who I feel adds nothing to the team, so I was quite happy with his replacement, in fact I thought Semedo was the best player on the park in the second half. We rode our luck and just about deserved the second and winning goal from a great Darren Ambrose cross which was turned into his own net by Voltz on 60 minutes. A nervous 30 minutes later, relieved cheers rang out from the crowd as we secured a very important win . No need to say it but I will, we need to build on this result and a mightily relieved Pardew had this to say to the press "The pressure was on and when you have been manager of West Ham for four years, you get used to the pressure, but this week has been tough. Ive not been sleeping too well , but I can sleep well tonight"

Player Ratings

Weaver -7 More passionate than I have ever seen him -good game- good game as Brucie would say
Cranie- 6. Sorry, for me he adds nothing
Primus- 7 Better game, but he is just here to get fit
Hudson 9 Captain Fantastic
Youga 6 Sloppy sometimes, but should still retain his place
Ambrose 7 One of his better games -So much skill if only he would use it more often
Bailey 7 Missed him when he had to go off-Already player of the year
Zhi 6 Look as though he will need some games before we see his best
Bousazza 7 Busy game just don't think we have seen the best of him so far
Tordorov 7 I watched his game very closely and he played some very clever through balls which Varney didn't read
Varney 7 Made him self a nuisance and on the whole had a good game

Subs

Holland 8 Bloody great game-what heart
Semedo 9 Great second half-Pardew please play him more often