Next... Bristol City at home

When we played Bristol City at The Valley in March I was in good heart. I even made some joke about calling them Boobies in relation to the rhyming slang for Bristol Cities. March now seems a long time ago, and we find ourselves in a very different state of affairs.

I also noticed from reading my own words that I used to be (well I thought I was) quite light hearted, and dare I say it funny with some of the things I wrote.

I have been feeling nothing like that recently. I must confess that my whole outlook on life has changed following the Credit Crunch. I work in what has probably been the worst industry to be in for the last six months, and that, along with Charlton's fortunes, have taken a bit of a toll on my humour.

All that is, however, about to change.

Years ago I read Dale Carnegie's "How to win friends and influence people". I know you are all thinking "Didn't you have any friends Kings Hill?" The answer is, of course, yes I did, but I would say that wouldn't I? It was because I wanted to convince a member of the fairer sex that I was the answer she was looking for. Just for completeness I can confirm that I did indeed convince her - just before I realised that she wasn't the answer I was looking for.

Anyway, one of the chapters (and remember I read it 17 years ago) talked about people liking you more if you behave like you are happy. There was a suggestion that if you feel happy you behave like you're happy. However the relationship is apparently not one way. If you behave happy (even if you don't feel like it) eventually you will feel happy.

You can already see where I'm going with this can't you?

Following a reminder from Chicago Addick that it was much worse in the 1980s, coupled with the thoughts that followed, I have decided to put Mr Carnegie's theory into practice. Yes, I am going to behave like things at Charlton are making me feel happy in the hope that I end up feeling like it.

So this week we entertain the team with the funniest name in football. Last season we beat them away, and were worth the win at home, but came away with a draw. The first ten/fifteen minutes against Cardiff we could have scored a couple of goals. Thus I am going to go to The Valley tomorrow night fully expecting an entertaining game of football and a win to boot.

If I'm honest I actually think we will come away from the game with a draw, but under the circumstances that will be ok. It's better than a defeat after all.

See? It's working already.

I think the problems at the back will make us nervous, and we will need an early goal to settle the players and the fans. Frankly if I can decide to be happy with what we've seen so far this season then I'm sure the players can play with confidence, even if they have none.

I cannot promise that this new upbeat attitude will last long, but I have little to lose, and besides we will hopefully be the second richest club in the world by the time we play Burnley.

Thus, I invite everyone to join me in being happy about what we have got.

If not look at the picture below and decide if, on reflection, things are really as bad as we think?

Up the Addicks!