Unlucky Blues Go Down Fighting

In a match reminiscent of Arsenal's midweek Champions League, City managed to come away from the Valley without a goal, despite creating numerous good goal scoring chances and taking none of them; Psycho and the players must be wondering just how they didn't manage to find the back of the net this afternoon.

It didn't help matters that Charlton's on-loan 'keeper Scott Carson was having one of those games whereby if he didn't stop it with a spectacular save, the woodwork would come to his rescue - it was one of those days.

I had a feeling Darren Bent was going to score against us today, and he unfortunately he proved me right. Last season's top English Premiership marksman demonstrated he's returning to the sort of form that led to his inclusion in the England team, and he can't be far away recall on today's performance.

City meanwhile make the long trip back up the M6 to ponder where to go from here. Today's losing performance was a lot better than Monday's game against 'Boro which we won so unconvincingly. That just sums up City; they are the ultimate enigma of a football club and it's a wonder that we have such fantastic support ( despite what Graham Beecroft on Talksport thinks - see my earlier article if this means nothing to you ).

It's difficult to put your finger on quite where the problem lies, but to have four international international strikers at your disposal and every one of them looking so inadequate in front of goal suggests to me that there is something fundamentally wrong with the training regime and tactical preparation.

Perhaps the backroom set-up now needs a hard look at, because the players we have are capable of playing a lot better. We just seem to lack ideas and imagination and are crying out for new thinking and a different, more positive approach.

It's ironic that today's opponents were Charlton, at a time when their previous boss is just about to finish his stint of gardening leave and will be eager to get back into the Premiership. This defeat will put Pearce's precarious position back in the national spotlight and if City do feel a change at the top is required, then they will have to move sooner rather than later if they want Curbishly.

What's for sure is that Pearce is running out of time to turn things around. I hope he still can, but it's looking increasingly unlikely.

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