Charlton Athletic Online

I don’t actually get very excited when games against Croydon come around; I refuse to travel to that dump of a ground, as I have no intention of paying money into the coffers of idiots like Noades, Goldberg, or the Tango-man himself. I get upset when we do badly, and over-excited when we beat them, as do all Addicks I guess. I won’t even be listening to the commentary as I have a prior engagement and that will be hard enough on my blood pressure as it is…

Ultimately, this is just another league game, and one which Charlton need to draw something from. The two late home wins have given the crowd a buzz, but shown up severe weakness in defence. Danny Mills arrival and expected selection at right back could help, but Sam Sodje – if he arrives – will be suspended and cannot play; Sodje was sent off for the eighth time in his career in midweek.

This is the team I expect Pards to put out –

Nicky Weaver

Danny Mills

Madjid Bougherra

Jon Fortune

Chris Powell

Jose Semedo

Zheng Zhi

Andy Reid

Jerome Thomas

Svetislav Todorov

Chris Iwelumo

Subs from – Randolph, McCarthy, Faye, Ambrose, Sinclair, Sam, McLeod.

My one-to-watch in this game is Jon Fortune. Big Jonathan was a hero last time we played the Nigel’s, and another glancing header into the (right) net would go down a treat with us Addicks (or he could even use him bum again...I don't mind!). It is, however, his defending that will be most important in this game, and if he can help garner Charlton’s first clean sheet of the season, then that may be enough to gather all of the points.

Pedro45’s score prediction has been troubling me all day. I wouldn’t be surprised to see us ship four goals, but would hope that the addition of Mills may solidify the porous rearguard that we have. In that case could we sneak a one-nil or two-one win? Is a nil-nil draw likely, bearing in mind how many we have been banging in at the right end? Probably not, though if Curbs was still manager that’s where my money would be! My concern is that this “team” hasn’t the experience to tackle a high-profile game like this, and one or two may get a bit carried away with the energy coming from the terraces; this could end up with, say, Mills, Reid, Thomas, and even Iwelumo and Bougherra entering the referee’s book, and maybe more than once. I’m therefore going to hope that I’m wrong and predict a 4-2 defeat.

It would be lovely to find out the score and celebrate a fine victory, and then we would be in the top half of this very even looking division and aiming ever upwards.