CHARLTON ATHLETIC 2–5 SHEFFIELD UNITED (20,328)
Alan Pardew admitted he feared for his job as Charlton Athletic manager on Saturday night following his team’s woeful display against Sheffield United at The Valley. The boo-boys vented their frustrations outside the ground long into the wintery night following the 5-2 defeat that sunk Pardew’s team deep into the Championship relegation zone.
Charlton have now won only three points from their last eight games and conceded 13 times in the past four – a point not lost on their 47-year-old manager. “That was bloody awful,” said Pardew. “We gifted them five awful goals – we have to do a lot, lot better. The results have been disappointing and we have put in another abject performance. We looked short of confidence – that was evident, and that resulted in the goals.”
Former England striker James Beattie took only seven minutes to net his eighth goal of the season for United, lashing home Greg Halford’s drag-back from close range after Charlton’s shaky defence failed to deal with Stephen Quinn’s low cross.
Against the run of play Linvoy Primus hit back for the home side on 17 minutes, nodding in Nicky Bailey’s free-kick from the right. But the 35-year-old centre-back’s first goal for the club brought false hope for Pardew as his team conceded twice again before the break thanks to veteran midfielder Gary Speed’s glancing header and Matthew Kilgallon’s chip after a Nicky Weaver mistake.
Pardew had blamed last weekend’s 3-2 loss to Birmingham on the former Manchester City No1, and again pointed the figure at him. He continued: “He did look nervy – I will have a good chat with him and reassess where he is at.”
The final nail in the coffin arrived three minutes after the break when Halford’s long-throw led to Kelly Youga deflecting in to his own goal. Quinn then scored a cracker five minutes later to take the score to 5-1. Though Hameur Bouazza did pull a consolation goal back with 34 minutes left, Pardew was left to reflect on what could be his last game at The Valley.
“I have been through tough times before but of course I fear for my position when the results have been so poor,” said Pardew, who joined the club on Boxing day two years ago when Charlton were in the Premier League.
“We are in sticky situation and I have to accept whatever decision is made. It has been difficult here – it was a club on the slide when I arrived and I haven’t managed to stop that.”
Charlton: (4-5-1) Weaver 3; Moutaouakil 5, Primus 6, Hudson © 5, Youga 4; Sam 5, Semedo 5 (booked 28), Bailey 6, Holland 6, Bouazza 6; Gray 5
Subs: Elliot, Todorov 5 (on 62 for Gray), Varney, Racon, Waghorn 5 (on 51 for Youga)
Sheff Utd: (4-4-2) Kenny 6, Naughton 6, Morgan © 7, Kilgallon 7, Jihai 6; Halford 8, Speed 7, Howard 6, Quinn 7; Beattie 7, Sharp 7
Subs: Naysmith 5 (on 79 for Jihai), Henderson 6 (on 54 for Beattie), Webber 5 (on 62 for Sharp), Dyer, Spring
Referee: Steve Tanner (Somerset)
Alan Pardew admitted he feared for his job as Charlton Athletic manager on Saturday night following his team’s woeful display against Sheffield United at The Valley. The boo-boys vented their frustrations outside the ground long into the wintery night following the 5-2 defeat that sunk Pardew’s team deep into the Championship relegation zone.
Charlton have now won only three points from their last eight games and conceded 13 times in the past four – a point not lost on their 47-year-old manager. “That was bloody awful,” said Pardew. “We gifted them five awful goals – we have to do a lot, lot better. The results have been disappointing and we have put in another abject performance. We looked short of confidence – that was evident, and that resulted in the goals.”
Former England striker James Beattie took only seven minutes to net his eighth goal of the season for United, lashing home Greg Halford’s drag-back from close range after Charlton’s shaky defence failed to deal with Stephen Quinn’s low cross.
Against the run of play Linvoy Primus hit back for the home side on 17 minutes, nodding in Nicky Bailey’s free-kick from the right. But the 35-year-old centre-back’s first goal for the club brought false hope for Pardew as his team conceded twice again before the break thanks to veteran midfielder Gary Speed’s glancing header and Matthew Kilgallon’s chip after a Nicky Weaver mistake.
Pardew had blamed last weekend’s 3-2 loss to Birmingham on the former Manchester City No1, and again pointed the figure at him. He continued: “He did look nervy – I will have a good chat with him and reassess where he is at.”
The final nail in the coffin arrived three minutes after the break when Halford’s long-throw led to Kelly Youga deflecting in to his own goal. Quinn then scored a cracker five minutes later to take the score to 5-1. Though Hameur Bouazza did pull a consolation goal back with 34 minutes left, Pardew was left to reflect on what could be his last game at The Valley.
“I have been through tough times before but of course I fear for my position when the results have been so poor,” said Pardew, who joined the club on Boxing day two years ago when Charlton were in the Premier League.
“We are in sticky situation and I have to accept whatever decision is made. It has been difficult here – it was a club on the slide when I arrived and I haven’t managed to stop that.”
Charlton: (4-5-1) Weaver 3; Moutaouakil 5, Primus 6, Hudson © 5, Youga 4; Sam 5, Semedo 5 (booked 28), Bailey 6, Holland 6, Bouazza 6; Gray 5
Subs: Elliot, Todorov 5 (on 62 for Gray), Varney, Racon, Waghorn 5 (on 51 for Youga)
Sheff Utd: (4-4-2) Kenny 6, Naughton 6, Morgan © 7, Kilgallon 7, Jihai 6; Halford 8, Speed 7, Howard 6, Quinn 7; Beattie 7, Sharp 7
Subs: Naysmith 5 (on 79 for Jihai), Henderson 6 (on 54 for Beattie), Webber 5 (on 62 for Sharp), Dyer, Spring
Referee: Steve Tanner (Somerset)
