Charlton Seek Rise in Interest Rate

There is time for just one more match before October 2005 draws to a close. Your team is in second place in the premiership, nine points behind Chelsea, and you have a game in hand. Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool are behind you – in the case of the European Champions 9 points behind. A few days ago you dumped Chelsea, who have nearly all the money, and Jose Mourinho, and Peter Kenyon, out of the Carling Cup. So what exactly do you have to do to get the recognition you deserve?

You can understand Alan Curbishley’s exasperation when Charlton Athletic does not appear to have received the same prominence on the sports pages as the achievements of Wigan and Spurs for instance, who have also started the season well. Charlton, by contrast, seem almost to have been ‘damned with faint praise’, since coverage of their ‘good start’ has too often been delivered in the manner of a clichéd school report, with thinly veiled references to lack of consistency in the past – the ‘can do better’ syndrome.

So let’s get it straight. Despite modest financial resources and a squad which is not packed with household names, Charlton are playing very good football and they fully deserve to be in second place in the premiership at this stage in the season. What’s more, Luke Young has broken into the England team, Darren Bent is in Eriksson’s squad and by all accounts Danny Murphy, who is having an outstanding season so far, is under consideration.

Add that lot up and it’s scarcely surprising that manager Alan Curbishley is often talked about as a potential successor if the dynamic Swede decides to call it quits – or is eased out.

Credit where it’s due. It doesn’t come much better than that.