Manchester City 0 Charlton Ath 0:Alan Pardew has endeavoured to alter his players' collective mindset by asking them to take the field pretending they are challenging for honours rather than attempting to avert relegation. This act is working so well that Charlton last night moved out of the Premiership's bottom three for the first time since September and have now gone five games without defeat.
Nevertheless, no spectator could possibly have been fooled that this largely underwhelming stuff was top-of-the-table fare on a nervy evening punctuated by some incisive defending and generally insipid finishing.
Although the resultant point helped further dispel City's own relegation concerns, the attacking flaws which dictate that Stuart Pearce's side have not scored a Premiership goal here since New Year's Day were all too apparent and most home fans looked thoroughly disillusioned.
In contrast, Charlton fans seemed quietly encouraged. While Pardew's men have climbed above Sheffield United purely thanks to having scored more goals than Neil Warnock's team, this achievement should nevertheless serve as a significant psychological boost to a club who, for so long, looked doomed to the Championship.
"The teams around us will be feeling nervous," said Pardew, who had stellar central defensive performances from Talal El Karkouri and Souleman Diawara to thank for yet another clean sheet.
"It was a tough game and we didn't start well but we eventually got to grips with them and it was a good result; we've got a big chance now."
Pearce may still be destined for the sack this summer but Pardew admitted: "Tactically, they had us struggling at first."
Ironically, City's manager has been criticised for a lack of tactical imagination but here, he displayed a hitherto latent innovative streak by deploying Jihai Sun, normally a right-back, as a quasi sweeper protecting the area between defence and midfield, while Stephen Ireland and Darius Vassell alternated between midfield and attack.
Some of Sun's long forward passes proved dangerously accurate as his side forced the early tempo.
Yet though Emile Mpenza, often City's lone striker, was presented with a couple of half chances, Charlton gradually began asserting themselves.
"Charlton finished quite strongly," conceded Pearce. "But we've kept three straight clean sheets now and had the lion's share of the first half. I'm more pleased than disappointed."
Ditto Pardew and Charlton.
Guardian Service
MANCHESTER CITY: Isaksson, Onuoha, Dunne, Distin, Ball, Johnson, Barton, Jihai, Ireland (Sinclair 74), Vassell (Samaras 74), Mpenza. Subs not used: Weaver, Dabo, Beasley.
CHARLTON ATHLETIC: Carson, Young, El Karkouri, Diawara, Hreidarsson, Zheng, Song Billong, Faye, Thomas (Rommedahl 90), Marcus Bent, Darren Bent. Subs not used: Randolph, Ambrose, Lisbie, Bougherra.
Referee: A Wiley (Staffordshire).
