Addicks columnist MATIAS GREZ this week explains why he believes winger Danny Green is the unfortunate recipient of undeserved stick from some fellow Charlton fans.

If I learned one thing from Saturday’s 3-0 defeat against Burnley it is that Danny Green is a scapegoat.

Green was certainly no worse than any of the other players on the pitch, bar Diego Poyet and Jordan Cousins who are clearly head and shoulders above the rest.

Every time Green delivered a cross, accurate or otherwise, everyone around me erupted with rage and shouted the most outrageous abuse.

When Rhoys Wiggins faffed around with the ball in his own half, was dispossessed and allowed Scott Arfield to run through on goal, the same fans who castigated Green for putting a ball into the box did not even bat an eyelid.

The same thing happened when John Obika was running at the last defender and stood on the ball - not a peep from those same fans who berated Green for having a previous shot on target blocked.

Saturday was to be Jose Riga’s first stern test against quality opposition and it is fair to say he did not pass with flying colours, in particular during the final 15 minutes.

Aside from Ben Hamer and the four defenders, only Cousins and Marvin Sordell looked as though they knew their positions – Sordell as a loan striker and the academy product as a holding midfielder.

The rest - Johnnie Jackson, Reza Ghoochannejhad, Astrit Ajdarevic and Obika - appeared sporadically in different areas of the pitch, lacked any trace of cohesion and clearly had no idea themselves as to where they were supposed to be playing.

While Saturday’s result was one to forget as quickly as possible, Tuesday’s at Nottingham Forest certainly was not.

It confirmed yet again that what this teams lacks in quality in certain areas, it more than makes up for in determination and a genuine desire to do well for the club.

Tuesday night was the perfect opportunity to take advantage of a managerless Nottingham Forest squad ravaged with injury, without a win in seven and off the back of a 5-0 hammering at the hands of their bitterest of rivals Derby County.

If our result at the City Ground was big, then coupled with Doncaster and Millwall losing, and Yeovil throwing away two points by conceding a 92nd minute equaliser, it was massive.

Looking up, it means the gap between ourselves and Doncaster is down to five points, a surmountable margin with our three games in hand.

More importantly, however, it means we have opened up a three point-gap on the relegation zone, a much more comfortable margin than just hovering precariously in 21st on goal difference alone.

Should the team continue in a similar vein to how they have started life under Riga, then we just might find ourselves looking up instead of perilously over our shoulders.

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