First Double

Everton 0 Charlton 1

I was not surprised when I checked for the Charlton result on Livescore, when I got back from the supermarket this evening. I have gone back to my system of not following scores as they happen, as Charlton always seem to do better when I don't. As I said in another post recently, it seems absurd, nay it is absurd, but I have always had a superstitious streak, and this is the way I find I have to play it. And most of the time it appears to work.

Anyway my quiz teammate John and I were in the bar (as opposed to the pub) after classes last night, and he assumed that I'd be a trifle worried about Charlton playing away at Everton, but I figured we'd win; Everton are not on form; we'd already beaten them 24 days earlier, and we are on form. Also they'd be missing Mr Gravesen, recently arrived here in Madrid, though I haven't met him yet. Admittedly I told John I thought the score would be something like 1-3, but it still seems that my suspicions in general were well-founded. And that is Charlton's first double of the season. I have a feeling there will be more.

Charlton are still 7th, but have made 3 points up on Liverpool and 2 on Middlesbrough, and all three are now on 37 points, and of course it was Charlton's tendency to indulge in 4-0 and 4-1 defeats during August and October that now make for a 16-goal difference between them and Liverpool in, er, goal difference: +11 as against -5, with 'Boro (why are they never abbreviated to 'Brough?) somewhere in between, though not on a negative number. The only way for Charlton to supersede these two is to have more points than them, a matter which can easily be dealt with on Tuesday week, when Liverpool come down to The Valley. If Burnley, and now today Southampton, can do it, on-form Charlton can surely sweep Liverpool aside.