Friday, November 03, 2006
Blue Moon over The Valley
Manchester City come to The Valley tomorrow for a vital Premiership fixture - a real six-pointer. If City win, they will be well out of touch and it would be unlikely that Charlton could overhaul them during the remainder of the season; if Charlton are triumphant, then the gap is much closer, we could move off the bottom of the table, and the resurgence has really started.
Iain Dowie has seen no goals conceded in the last three matches, and he will be looking to continue with a solid defence that includes Carson, Young, El Karkouri, Diawara, and Hreidersson. The midfield is again likely to include Holland, Faye, and Reid, while Darren Bent has had a week off to get over any niggles he may have had and regain some form. The only question marks are over the wide players, and whether the team plays 4-4-2 (as at Newcastle when we switched to this formation we did OK) or 4-5-1 (as against Watford). Dennis Rommedahl should be accomodated in either formation, so that leaves a place to be taken by either Jerome Thomas, if he is fit, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, or Marcus Bent.
This is the team I expect to see take the field - I'm on a three timer here, so fingers crossed!
Scott Carson
Luke Young
Talal El Karkouri
Souleymane Diawara
Hermann Hreidersson
Amady Faye
Matt Holland
Andy Reid
Dennis Rommedahl
Darren Bent
Marcus Bent
Subs from Myrhe, Sankofa, Fortune, Pouso, Hughes, Ambrose, Hasselbaink.
City are on the back of a home win, but have the awful memory of a 4-0 walloping from their last away game at Wigan.
My one-to-watch in this match is Souleymane Diawara. Our Senagalese warrrior is playing very well at the moment, but he will have to cope with different sorts of attackers this week, with the diminutive Dickov and the tall lumbering duo of Corradi and Samaras, plus the pace of Vassell at some stage.
The key to this game, and any we have played against City recently is keeping Trevor Sinclair quiet. Hopefully Hermann can do that this season, and Pedro45 is going to plump for a 2-1 win, in a fairly hard fought (and potentially dirty) game. This result will contnue the improvement that Addicks fans have seen recently, and take the team into the three away games (two league, one cup) that will shape the rest of the season full of confidence.
Come on you reds!
Iain Dowie has seen no goals conceded in the last three matches, and he will be looking to continue with a solid defence that includes Carson, Young, El Karkouri, Diawara, and Hreidersson. The midfield is again likely to include Holland, Faye, and Reid, while Darren Bent has had a week off to get over any niggles he may have had and regain some form. The only question marks are over the wide players, and whether the team plays 4-4-2 (as at Newcastle when we switched to this formation we did OK) or 4-5-1 (as against Watford). Dennis Rommedahl should be accomodated in either formation, so that leaves a place to be taken by either Jerome Thomas, if he is fit, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, or Marcus Bent.
This is the team I expect to see take the field - I'm on a three timer here, so fingers crossed!
Scott Carson
Luke Young
Talal El Karkouri
Souleymane Diawara
Hermann Hreidersson
Amady Faye
Matt Holland
Andy Reid
Dennis Rommedahl
Darren Bent
Marcus Bent
Subs from Myrhe, Sankofa, Fortune, Pouso, Hughes, Ambrose, Hasselbaink.
City are on the back of a home win, but have the awful memory of a 4-0 walloping from their last away game at Wigan.
My one-to-watch in this match is Souleymane Diawara. Our Senagalese warrrior is playing very well at the moment, but he will have to cope with different sorts of attackers this week, with the diminutive Dickov and the tall lumbering duo of Corradi and Samaras, plus the pace of Vassell at some stage.
The key to this game, and any we have played against City recently is keeping Trevor Sinclair quiet. Hopefully Hermann can do that this season, and Pedro45 is going to plump for a 2-1 win, in a fairly hard fought (and potentially dirty) game. This result will contnue the improvement that Addicks fans have seen recently, and take the team into the three away games (two league, one cup) that will shape the rest of the season full of confidence.
Come on you reds!
