Thursday, November 29, 2007
No Claret Blues
It still feels like a bit of a shock, losing 3-0 at home to Sheffield United on Tuesday, but at least Charlton now have a chance to quickly redeem themselves in front of home fans. Burnley travel to The Valley on Saturday but, as Charlton have found with Scunthorpe, Plymouth, QPR, and the Blades beforehand, they will be no push-overs.The 3-0 loss in midweek wasn’t like any of our other recent losses; when we used to get beaten by that score line by Liverpool, or Manchester United, or Arsenal, it was half (or even fully) expected. They were better than us, so a big home loss was much easier to take. No, what I found hard this week was that although Robson’s team deserved to win, they were not three goals better by any shape or form. United had three shots all game (and one of those was the penalty); they all went in. Charlton had chances - not many, but a couple of good ones; if it had been a 2-1 or even 2-0 game, I don’t think the shock would have been the same.
So to Saturday, and the need is great for the Addicks to bounce back. A lot of teams have to bounce back in this league - Sheffield did that midweek! – and now it is our turn. Charlton bounced back from three consecutive defeats in October with four wins on the bounce in November; now we have to turn the corner quicker, and gain three points immediately following the midweek loss.
Burnley will be no easy game though, and they won handsomely at leaders Watford on Tuesday themselves. Even the most optimistic of the Claret fans would hardly have expected to get six points from consecutive away games at Watford and Charlton, but that is what they now have their sights on. It will be up to Alan Pardew and his Charlton team to stop them.
Burnley have dangerous players, but no real “stars”; Andy Gray has been around for a few years now, and continues to be a 12 to 15-goal a season Championship player. He’ll never make it in the Premiership, but he needs to be respected in this league. Kiraly, Unsworth, Akinbiyi, Robbie Blake and Joey Gudjohnnson are also experienced, and need to be watched carefully.
Charlton meanwhile, tactically, will need to decide whether the 4-5-1 formation they have started with in the last five games is to be continued, or if a switch back to 4-4-2 is a better home-game option. After the limitations with 4-5-1 exposed by Sheffield United, I think there will be a switch back to 4-4-2 this weekend.
This should see a recall for Luke Varney to play alongside the lonely Chris Iwelumo up front. The unlucky player left out will probably be Lloyd Sam, with Reid and Thomas playing wide (although who plays which side is open to question). The midfield is likely to be Zhi and Semedo, although Holland is pushing hard for a recall. At the back, Grant Basey left the field with a groin injury on Tuesday, so either Mills plays on the left with Moutaouakil (or possibly Bougherra) returning at right back, or more likely, Chris Powell is thrown back in. Chrissy is fit it seems, but hasn’t played since picking up his ankle injury at Wolves in October. Tough call for Pards this one, but whatever he chooses, he will have bench options to change things if it goes pear-shaped…
This is the team I think Alan Pardew will pick –
Nicky Weaver
Danny Mills
Jonathan Fortune
Sam Sodje
Chris Powell
Jerome Thomas
Jose Semedo
Zheng Zhi
Andy Reid
Luke Varney
Chris Iwelumo
Subs from Randolph, Bougherra, McCarthy, Holland, Racon, Ambrose, Sam, McLeod.
Hopefully, the confidence that Charlton gained from the four consecutive wins and clean sheets will not have been eroded during Tuesday, and Pedro45 is going to favour a return to winning ways and a score forecast of a 3-1 win. The important thing is to score first; where this happens, Charlton have looked quite calm and controlled. Only where we have fallen behind have panic buttons been pressed (too early possibly?) and that makes games more difficult.
My one-to-watch in this match is going to be Andy Reid. The Little Irishman has had a tough few weeks, playing every few days it seems for either Charlton or Ireland. The last couple of games have witnessed him seeing little of the ball, and the perception is he is tired and off form. Reid tries his hardest every game, and does struggle when he cannot find room in midfield. Ironically, one of the things about playing 4-5-1 is that it suits Reid in some ways but not in others; where teams match up in midfield, it is generally too congested for Andy to get the ball, see the pass, and thread it through. Where teams don’t match up, he has more time and space and can work his magic. I’m hoping he can put the last few matches behind him and show the leadership skills that we know he possesses and lead Charlton to victory, and maybe a goal?This is an important game once more for the Addicks; we really need to find some consistency and get back to winning habits in the run up to Xmas. Otherwise it will be pretty obvious that the only consistency we can show is a complete lack of it!
Up the Addicks!
Labels: Andy Reid, Burnley, Charlton
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Beattie'd and Bruised
Charlton Athletic 0 Sheffield United 3That wasn’t exactly in the script, was it? A poor performance from Charlton, who were completely nullified by an organised Blades unit that competed and won nearly every second phase ball.
Nicky Weaver didn’t really make a save, but three times he saw the ball disappear into his net. Sam Sodje had a battle all night long with James Beattie, and it was Sodje who needed several doses of treatment as Beattie battered and bruised him in a very physical encounter. Chris Iwelumo seemed to have shrunk in the last few days, as that can be the only explanation for him winning almost no aerial duels tonight, or maybe it was the huge central defenders that marked him. Andy Reid was almost anonymous in the first half, and only really saw some of the ball in the last fifteen minutes when the game had been won (and not by Charlton...). This was possibly Reid’s worst game in a Charlton shirt; when he did get the ball, he wasted it or gave it away nine times out of ten.
I could go on, but actually, that might not be very fair. The simple fact to me was that Sheffield United came with a plan, and executed it impeccably. They gave the ball playing Charlton midfield and defence no space to pass. They marked very tightly all across the pitch. They competed for every ball and made sure they were first to every knock down, both defensive and attacking, and in midfield too.
We can all knock Bryan Robson for not being much of a manager, but he won the tactical game hands down tonight.
Alan Pardew tried his best to counter the plan; he withdrew Lloyd Sam and Jose Semedo at half time when both were doing OK. Sam had a couple of early shots on target, and Semedo broke up much of the midfield possession that came through that area (as opposed to over or round it). Replacements Luke Varney and Matt Holland also did OK; Holland ran as he always does and challenged when he could, and Varney used his pace and put over a couple of good crosses, one of which should have seen an equaliser from Zheng Zhi (who shot wastefully over from ten yards). Pardew’s last throw of the dice was to send on Bougherra for Basey with around twenty minutes left. Young Grant was given a bit of an education by Keith Gillespie, who constantly pressured him into mistakes, and was looking like he might provide another goal at any time.
In the end, the first goal came from a James Beattie penalty on 32 minutes after Jerome Thomas pushed a forward who was odds on to head home at the far post; luckily, otherwise fine referee Mark Halsey did not even book Thomas. The second, with fifteen minutes left, was from a knock down after Sodje’s defensive header did not get cleared, with Armstrong completely unmarked to turn the ball home from five yards. Mills got booked in the goalmouth melee that followed as he tried to retrieve the ball. Strangely, Charlton then tried to take a free kick from the six yard box and it was surreal to see players unsure or unaware if it was in fact a goal 30 seconds after the ball was rolled in. Mills spoke to the linesman and Halsey produced the yellow card without hesitation as a deterrent. The final goal, two minutes from the end was a breakaway, with Cahill sent free from the halfway line to finish with aplomb.Charlton’s only other chance of note came following a good period of pressure, not long before the second goal came. Mills broke infield from the right, and shot left footed across goalkeeper Kenny, who could only push the ball out toward the onrushing Iwelumo. Sadly big Chris failed to win the race to the ball by enough and his shot was blocked up and over by the recovering goalie.
It was real disappointment tonight not to get something from the match. However, this may jolt the team into being more cut-throat and competitive when facing similar big, hard, sides.
Saturday now becomes a little more important, and it will be interesting to see if Pards decides that 4-5-1 is not the way to start at home. In away games, Sam and Thomas seem to have more time to hold the ball and move it forward, whereas at home, they are pressured quickly and do not provide much variation if closed down giving the midfield a lack of passing options.
Or maybe this was just a ploy so that Pards doesn’t win the dreaded Manager of the Month award, for which he has been short-listed?
Roll on Saturday…
Labels: Charlton, Sheffield United
Monday, November 26, 2007
Addicks go for Double Nap Hand
It’s a long time since Charlton had a chance to make it five wins in a row, or even five consecutive clean sheets, but Tuesday nights game against Sheffield United offers exactly that.The doubts raised by a hat-trick of defeats last month has been lifted by the euphoria from the four subsequent victories – three away from home – and the added bonus of nil-goals going into the back of the Charlton net; the question is – can it continue?
Alan Pardew will certainly think so - he has issued only positive notes from the dressing room ever since he took over as Manager of the club. I’m sure in his mind the club record of 13 consecutive wins is something we should be hoping to put in danger, even though their is a long way to go before we even get close (end of January?).
The team is settled, and this has allowed some players to get back to fitness (Ambrose, Holland for instance) and others to find form (Weaver, Thomas). The backbone of the side is unchanged, and during this long season, players like Andy Reid, Zheng Zhi (top, scoring), and Jose Semedo will all have good games and bad, but with the solidity of the team, their poorer games should go un-noticed.
Apart from Chris Iwelumo getting a bang in the face on Saturday (and he’s had a few of them in his career!), there were no apparent new injuries received at Preston; all of the substitutions (Semedo, Reid, Sam) were merely to give players a rest and/or break up the game and/or freshen things up. I don’t therefore see Pards making any changes to the starting line up for this match unless forced.
The bench is the only place where we could see changes, and competition to sit in the dug out does seem to be intense at the moment.
This is the team I expect to see start –
Nicky Weaver
Danny Mills
Sam Sodje
Jonathan Fortune
Grant Basey
Jose Semedo
Zheng Zhi
Andy Reid
Lloyd Sam
Jerome Thomas
Chris Iwelumo
Subs from Randolph, Moutaouakil, Powell, Bougherra, Holland, Ambrose, Racon, Varney, McLeod.
Sheffield United will be a tough game; their poor league position may give false hope and any underestimation by Charlton could be severely punished. They were beaten at home by Plymouth on Saturday (something Charlton know about all too well), and will be looking to bounce back at The Valley and win three points. In James Beattie, they have the leagues highest goalscorer, and Charlton need to stop crosses coming in toward the back post, as he will definitely try to pull away and match up against a full-back rather than a centre back. On Saturday, Basey found himself similarly isolated a couple of times, and he was beaten in the air once in this way. Mills too, is vulnerable when jumping backwards, so needs to be on his guard. The Blades will probably be physical (old habits die hard), but don’t appear to have huge pace anywhere on the pitch.
Charlton will just try to carry on the good work; it would be nice not to have to wait until injury time to score, but we shouldn’t complain if that is the case (even if you are one who prefers to queue for beer/coffee prior to half-time rather than see the ref blow the whistle). A nice scenario would be improving Charlton’s ability to shut a game down when leading, by scoring a second goal - something that happened against Cardiff, but not at Deepdale until the very end.
At home, the plan will be to push Sam and Thomas as far forward as possible, without affecting the balance, and Zheng Zhi will be filling the gap behind or alongside Iwelumo. How far forward ZiZi plays depends on the state of the game really, but he is starting to shine in the deep lying forward role. If he can start to communicate a little better with team-mates (he isn’t always on the same wave-length as Thomas or Reid for instance) then he will definitely benefit, but slowly that part of his game is coming along.
Defensively, Sodje and Fortune will need to compete with Beattie, and out wide, it is important that Basey and Mills (plus Thomas and Sam) prevent many crosses being put into danger areas. I can see the midfield being one big battle area…
Last season, in the equivalent Premiership fixture, it was Jonathan Stead who broke Addicts hearts with a second half equaliser. Not only did that mean two dropped points for Charlton, it also meant the Blades maintained their points lead over Charlton and that was never recouped enough to influence the final table and prevent the predicted relegation.
This year, I think we may find it tough again and have to settle for a share of the points once more – Pedro45’s score prediction is another 1-1 draw. I’d like us to carry on the winning run and the empty goals conceded column, but I have to accept that something will give and one of those less-often but still-apparent defensive errors will be made to pay sometime.
My one-to-watch in this match is going to be Sam Sodje (left, flying). Our loanee from Reading will have one of his toughest matches facing Beattie, and his defensive skills will be sorely tested. When not defending, he is a constant threat from set pieces, and as NYA and other bloggers have mentioned before, his bookmakers odds for first goalscorer are ridiculously high (and almost guaranteed to provide a winning payout if backed consistently over a season). Hopefully Sam can win backers some money for the second home game running and get Charlton off to a good start.A win, and the push toward Watford at the head of the table is well and truly on; a defeat and the chasing pack will have a chance to gain the ground they lost at the weekend (the fixtures look easier for most of them than they did at the weekend).
Come on you reds!
Labels: Charlton, Sam Sodje, Sheffield United
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Digging Deep Into Stormy Waters
Preston North End 0 Charlton Athletic 2It all came right in the end, for both Charlton and me as the 53-year wait for a win at Deepdale was laid to rest by goals late in each half.
At half time, with Charlton having just taken the lead through Zheng Zhi's magnificent left foot strike from the edge of the area, remarks were passed in the gents loo about how the Addicks don't do much until that additional time board goes up.
The second half was much the same, with Luke Varney making sure of the points deep into the stoppage time at the end of the match.
My trip up to Lancashire had been unremarkable, except my connecting train from Preston to Blackpool was cancelled; no problem, another turned up fifteen minutes later. The hotel was fine, but the room cold and you could hear the wind howling all night.
Saturday morning was cloudy, wet, and very windy.
Waves were crashing over the sea wall, and giving the piers a terrible pounding.
The Tower was closed due to the high winds, and the Pleasure Beach couldn't run the huge big dipper for the same reason; Blackpool was pretty much closed! I was genuinely worried that the evening game in Preston may be cancelled too!
I caught the train across and jumped a cab to the ground, arriving around 4.45. I picked up my ticket refund voucher (well done again Ben!) which went quite smoothly, and inside, found about 500 other Addicks had made the trip.
Pards picked an unchanged side unsurprisingly.
The game itself has been covered in other blogs and most Addicks were either there or saw it on TV.
I thought Jerome Thomas had a great game, and caused huge problems for Preston all night. Even in the second half, when Preston doubled up on him, he created space for others. Nicky Weaver made one fantastic save (I'd love to see that on tele...is it on YouTube anyone?), and a couple of other good ones. Mills and Basey did OK, especially with a lot of long crosses going to the back post. Fortune and Sodje also looked solid.
In midfield, Reid had good moments and bad; Semedo was good in what he does best, and Lloyd Sam held the ball brilliantly when necessary and was unlucky with his shooting opportunities.
I thought ZiZi had a quiet (or even poor) game prior to the goal, but his class shone through in the second half when he played slightly deeper. It was a class goal too...
Big Chris tried hard all game, and the subs also had varying cameos; it was good to see Holland back (even if he was a little off the pace initially) and Varney's confidence should be boosted by the goal.
A fine win in the end, and well worth the long walk back to the station, and even longer train ride home today. I'll just have to leave the trip up the Tower and flying round on the Big Dipper until we play at Bloomfield Road in February.
Labels: Charlton, Preston, Zheng Zhi
Thursday, November 22, 2007
In at the Deepdale End
A week of sorrow and disappointment can be salvaged for Charlton fans, if the Addicks can continue their winning streak at get a result at Deepdale against Preston this weekend.Sure, England failing to qualify for the European Championships next summer hurts, but nearly every football supporter in the land is actually more bothered about their own clubs fortunes, than that of the media circus that follows the international eleven when they play. Maybe if the media didn't build up the hopes of every household that this might, just might, be the year that Alf/Sven/Turnip/El-Tel/Second-choice Steve's team (delete as applicable) do the business because they are paid lots so must be good. The red tops love to knock them down, but actually it is their own promotion of expectation that provides them with the fodder which the seek to exploit. A vicious circle that they are very apt at maintaining...
None of this should matter to Alan Pardew; it is very unlikely that he will be mentioned (more than just in passing) in despatches as a possible next England manager, so thankfully he can concentrate on getting Charlton promoted this season!
Team-wise, I doubt we'll see much change from the 4-5-1 starting formation that has been apparent over the last three victories, unless there are any injuries that we haven't been made aware of.
In goal, Nicky Weaver will play, but with Darren Randolph carrying a knock, the reserve position may go to Robert Elliott.
Danny Mills will play at right back, and with Chris Powell still not yet playing after injury, Grant Basey will start at left back. Centrally in defence, it is highly unlikely that either Sam Sodje and Jonathan Fortune will be left out, especially after three clean sheets on the trot.
In midfield, Matt Holland is almost back to full fitness, and he may squeeze onto the bench (where he is a pretty good option), but Semedo, Reid, and Zhi are starting shoe-ins. Out wide, Jerome Thomas is at last starting to show some form, and Lloyd Sam is an excellent, skillful, workhorse who doesn't mind being taken off if Pards thinks it will benefit the team.
Big Chris Iwelumo will be bandaged up and start (or maybe have the cotton wool bandages removed and start?) on his own through the middle.
On the bench, Bougherra, Racon, Moutaouakil, Ambrose, Varney and McLeod will all be hoping to join Holland and Elliott or Randolph.
This is who I think Pards will pick -
Nicky Weaver
Danny Mills
Jonathan Fortune
Sam Sodje
Grant Basey
JeromeThomas
Jose Semedo
Zheng Zhi
Andy Reid
Lloyd Sam
Chris Iwelumo
Subs – Elliott, Bougherra, Holland, Ambrose, Varney.
Danny Mills
Jonathan Fortune
Sam Sodje
Grant Basey
JeromeThomas
Jose Semedo
Zheng Zhi
Andy Reid
Lloyd Sam
Chris Iwelumo
Subs – Elliott, Bougherra, Holland, Ambrose, Varney.
Preston have a new manager - Alan Irvine - after sacking Paul Simpson last week. Hopefully, this boost will have come a little too late to influence their team too much, and we can all wish Irvine well after this game. The ex-Addick of the week in the Preston ranks is one time Lee Bowyer-clone, Kevin Nicholls. As a youngster, Kev scored on his home debut within a minute of kick off. Sadly, appearances were restricted after that, and Charlton soon accepted a very good offer from Wigan for the tough midfielder. He has subsequently played with honour for Luton, and had a short spell at Leeds where he didn't settle. Please no goals from an ex-Addick this week!
Pedro45 is looking forward to the game, as he will be there (and also trying to get his voucher for the negotiated ticket discount - well done Ben!); this is number 83 in league teams that I have seen Charlton play away at, and with luck, I'll be up to 85 after February (if I negotiate the Scunthorpe and Blackpool trips succesfully). I'll also get a chance to see the Blackpool illuminations for the first time, as I'm staying there for the weekend, and will hopefully survive the big dipper thing too. It may be 53 years since Charlton won at Deepdale, but I'm confident that the TV camera jinx can be broken, and three points will be won through a 2-1 scoreline.
My one-to-watch in this match is going to Chris Iwelumo; three goals in his last three games in an Addicks shirt have thrust big Chris into the spotlight. If he has now settled down, and his confidence is high (and why not following his Scotland B call up?), then we could yet see more from the big man. Wouldn't it be lovely if he could set his sights on over 20 goals this season? Another one or two on Saturday evening would be a good start to this stage of the season.
Charlton lost the first three games after the previous international break in the season, but let's all forget about McLaren and Hamilton, and McLaren and England, and concentrate on a victorious period with win number four on the trot on Saturday!
Up the Addicks!
Labels: Charlton, Chris Iwelumo, Preston
Friday, November 16, 2007
Mills makes a Name for Himself at last!
The BBC is reporting that one of the Licensed players' agents charged in the Luton Town bungs scandal is ex-Addicks General Manager Andrew Mills. Mills has been charged with failing to ensure that payments to him were made and disclosed through the proper channels, and failing to enter into representation contracts with the club for specific services rendered in relation to above negotiations.I suppose all Addicks fans now hope that Mills' intepretation of the rules didn't involve misdemeanours while he was based at The Valley - he was certainly involved in plenty of transactions during his brief tenure in 2006.
This one may run...
Labels: Andrew Mills, Bungs, Charlton
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Wham, Bam, thank you Sam!
Charlton Athletic 3 Cardiff City 0Three more points for Charlton in a good win over an average Cardiff team, and a good week incorporating three wins and three clean sheets.
Two goals in first half injury time - from Sam Sodje and Chris Iwelumo - set up the victory, and a third from Zheng Zhi ten minutes from time made sure the points were homeward bound.
As expected, Jose Semedo came back into the side after suspension in place of Therry Racon, and Alan Pardew opted to try the 4-5-1 line up at home.
The first chance fell to Iwelumo very early on, but he just failed to convert a Reid cross. As the game settled, Cardiff created a number of opportunities but failed to get much on target. Hasselbaink drew a save out of Weaver following a free kick routine, and other chances went wide, mainly after some horrific defending from the Addicks. On several occasions, routine clearances were either missed, or failed to clear the penalty area, and Charlton could have easily been behind at this stage. In addition, one penalty shout was turned down by the otherwise excellent referee, where if the teams had been reversed, all mayhem would have ensued so blatant did it look.
Alan Pardew changed the formation midway through the half, switching ZiZi up front to play almost alongside Iwelumo. This opened the game up more and gave Andy Reid more time and space to work his magic. Mills and Basey got forward at every opportunity, but most shots seemed to go high and or wide. ZiZi did have the ball in the net following a great move down the left, but the goal was disallowed for pushing by big Chris.
At two nil up, Charlton went in much the happier team, although I did feel a little sorry for the away side (but not too much!), as they could have been in front with luck on their side.
Iwelumo then missed a right foot volley after being set up by Reid very early in the second half, and Charlton settled back into a counter attack formation, and soaked up the pressure. Hasselbaink headed wide, but little else troubled Weaver.
It was really a case of if Charlton's defence would hold, or we would would see a return to the silly season that categorised the August games, and then if the Addicks wanted to build on the win and score more goals. Ambrose came on for the hard working Lloyd Sam, and soon after a free kick on the left proved the undoing of Cardiff once more.
From my one-off seat in the upper north (I swapped with a friend so he could bring his boy; picture taken well before kick off), it was a great opportunity to see if the free kick ploy whinged about by opposition managers really was used, and if it worked; and the answer is yes! Basically, the player you see who stands in a blatant offside position prior to the free kick being taken (in this case, Jerome Thomas) has a very important job to do - he blocks off the marker of the intended target.As Reiddy whipped the ball in, Thomas retreated and gave the nearest nudge to the defender (travelling in the opposite direction) just in front of ZiZi, allowing the ball to get to him to head home. It could be very difficult for a referee to give a foul, as the contact was minimal, but it certainly prevented the defender from getting clear run, and allowed Charlton to score the third. Thomas timed his retreat perfectly, and at no stage was looking at the ball, just the defender he needed to "take out".
One up for Pards on this, as I'd never noticed it before I had a great view ten minutes from the end yesterday!
ZiZi does seem to love scoring at this end of the Valley, and he celebrated enthusiastically - his black eye obviously didn't stop him seeing the ball and heading it in!
McLeod and Varney came on for cameo roles as the clock ticked down, and Thomas could have scored a fourth too, in the last few minutes, following great solo run, but he was nudged aside just as he chose to shoot.
Overall, the whole team played well - Weaver was commanding; Mills and Basey were solid; Sodje excellent at winning headers; Reid imperious; Thomas and Sam skillful and elusive; and Iwelumo and Zheng full of running.
The win takes Charlton back up to second place, eight points behind Watford. The management now have a couple of weeks to clear up the injuries and get the whole squad fit, and hopefully this international break will not result in three consecutive losses as the last one did. The team head to Deepdale in two weeks to take on Preston, and the fit-again Matt Holland and Chris Powell will further strengthen the squad, as the hard push before Xmas begins in earnest.
I'll be at Deepdale, as it is one ground I have not seen Charlton play at before - it will be number 83 on my list of league teams I've seen the Addicks play away. Hopefully, we'll get another win and clean sheet.
Thursday, November 08, 2007
More Birds on the Block
It's been a pretty good week to be a Charlton fan, following a week when it wasn't a very nice feeling at all! Two wins, both courtesy of late, late, goals by Chris Iwelumo (left), have brightened up each Addicks smile and taken Charlton back up to near the top of the Championship table. Of course, a third win in a week would be great, and as Cardiff come to The Valley each Addick will be expecting three more points, and a continuance of the resurgence.
There does seem to be a profligacy of bird mascots in this division - The Owls, Eagles, Canaries and Robins have been beaten, now it's time for the Bluebirds! The Throstles are yet to come...
Cardiff will be hoping that their aged forward line are ready to do the business; both Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink - he with the knack of scoring against his old teams - and Robbie Fowler - he with the knack of scoring against anyone - will be dangerous if some of Charlton's previous defensive frailty is to the fore again. Prior to his spell with Charlton last season, Hasselbaink scored against the Addicks for Middlesboro and Chelsea, and also won a game winning penalty at Stamford Bridge one year. Fowler has also scored plenty against Charlton in the past for Liverpool. Even more dangerous is when and where teams concentrate on these two, and forget about the other nine players from the Welsh side; they have a good scoring record from midfield, and (apparently more than one-time Addick target) Darren Purse also heads the odd goal too.
Charlton though will be hoping to put in a better home performance than we have seen for some time. It's true that the home support has been quiet recently, and was almost anonymous during the early kick-off against QPR which resulted in a second consecutive home defeat. Hopefully, the two great results at Southampton and Bristol and a 3pm kick off will bring the vocal element back and the team will respond with the early goal which will settle everyone down.
The team, barring any unknown injuries, pretty much picks itself, with the only changes likely to be Jose Semedo returning after suspension in place of Therry Racon, and the possibility of Luke Varney starting instead of Lloyd Sam. Bearing in mind the defence has kept two clean sheets, I doubt any changes are expected there, although if Chris Powell is nearing fitness, he will come back in for Basey. The Sam/Varney conundrum is dependant on whether Alan Pardew wants to remain with the 4-5-1 formation he started both recent away games with, or switch back to 4-4-2 as this is obviously his preferred starting line up.
I think that Varney has done enough to warrant a start, and it seems he has regained his confidence following a great run and cross to set up Iwelumo at St Marys, and a strong second half at Ashton Gate. This will be tough on Lloyd Sam, but he will probably get some game time whether we are winning or losing come the hour mark.
This is who I think Pards will pick -
Nicky Weaver
Danny Mills
Sam Sodje
Danny Mills
Sam Sodje
Jonathan Fortune
Grant Basey
Jose Semedo
Zheng Zhi
Andy Reid
Jerome Thomas
Luke Varney
Grant Basey
Jose Semedo
Zheng Zhi
Andy Reid
Jerome Thomas
Luke Varney
Chris Iwelumo
Subs – Randolph, Bougherra, Racon, Ambrose, Sam, McLeod.
Subs – Randolph, Bougherra, Racon, Ambrose, Sam, McLeod.
My one-to-watch this game is going to be Jerome Thomas. I could have gone for Big Chris (aiming for a very unlikely hat-trick!) but that was too obvious, and Reid and ZiZi plus Mills are too consistent to pick out every game, so I've gone for JT, who still has something to prove. Strangely, I did think I saw him on Monday evening as this man walked past me heading toward Jack Barclay's Bentley showroom near Vauxhall; it may have been Jerome (who does have a Bentley to his name...), but I couldn't be sure... What I do know is that JT needs to come up with the goods on a more consistent basis; he has bundles of skill, good pace, and a not bad workrate. What we need is to see all of this on a regular basis. It is no good him thinking that he is the most skillfull player in the Championship, he has got to show that week in and week out! Not only must he be able to beat players, but he must cross accurately (the benefit of this shown by our last two goals!) and score goals himself when he gets chances. Pedro45's score prediction needs to be an Addicks loss in order for a home win; I am convinced that whatever I predict will never come true! But sooner or later I will get a result right (much as Killer eventually did with his predictions last season), so I am going to pray and hope for a third Addicks win in a week and a relatively comfortable 2-0 victory.
This is yet another important game for Charlton; to go four games without a home win will bring doubt back to the club, and we do not want that lurking in the back of our minds as we head toward Xmas. Other teams are starting to get hit by injury (WBA with Phillips for instance) and suspension and the strength in depth that Alan Pardew has built should stand Charlton in good stead well into the new year (especially with Sinclair, Wright, and Dickson doing well out on loan and ready to come back at any stage, plus Holland, Powell, Thatcher, Gibbs etc soon to return from injury).
A win gets us closer to the top, and that can only be a good thing!
Come on you reds!
Labels: Cardiff, Charlton, Jerome Thomas
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Have you ever had that feeling of Deja Vue?
Bristol City 0 Charlton Athletic 1Have you ever had that feeling of Deja Vue? Have you ever had that feeling of Deja Vue? Have you ever had that feeling of Deja Vue? Have you ever had that feeling of Deja Vue? Have you ever had that feeling of Deja Vue? Have you ever had that feeling of Deja Vue? Have you ever had that feeling of Deja Vue? Have you ever had that feeling of Deja Vue? Have you ever had that feeling of Deja Vue? Have you ever had that feeling of Deja Vue? Have you ever had that feeling of Deja Vue? Have you ever had that feeling of Deja Vue? Have you ever had that feeling of Deja Vue? Have you ever had that feeling of Deja Vue? Have you ever had that feeling of Deja Vue? Have you ever had that feeling of Deja Vue?
Up to fourth once more...now for a home win and the big push toward Xmas...
Labels: Bristol City, Charlton, Chris Iwelumo
Monday, November 05, 2007
Giving Bristol the Blues
It was a truly great result for Charlton on Saturday, and Addicks fans will hoping for more of the same when the team travel to Bristol City on Tuesday night for another tough game. I didn’t make it Saturday, mainly due to the engineering works which compromised the trains, and I cannot get time off work in order to make it to Ashton Gate either.The three points won by Chris Iwelumo (left) in the late, late show at St Mary’s have taken Charlton up to fifth in the league table, but a couple more wins would mean Charlton are right back in promotion contention. Winning will be tough at Ashton Gate, as Bristol City have had a very solid start to the season, and their passion and commitment has seen them rise to the heady heights of second place, leading the pack chasing runaway leaders Watford.
The red half of Bristol are playing well, and ex-Yeovil bass Gary Johnson has made an exceptional job of limited funds as he has tried to build a side capable of making the Championship play-offs. The City team have no stars, but the blend of journeyman footballers and youngsters hoping to make a name for themselves has worked so far, and given Johnson hope that he can bring Premiership football to this major city for the first time. They don’t seem to be scared of anyone!
Charlton are in a much more fast-tracked environment when it comes to building a team fit for the Premiership; but Alan Pardew’s buying skills have been good, and the make up of up-and-coming overseas stars and experienced English based players is settling in well, albeit with the odd blip (the three games in the last week in October for instance!).
The game is therefore set up to be a good one - can the City upstarts maintain their form and show that early season promise is something that they can maintain as the nights get longer, or will the undoubted class of Charlton’s midfield shine through and prove too strong?
Alan Pardew will obviously be hoping that that 93rd minute goal on Saturday has turned around Charlton’s fortunes (we haven’t had much luck for a couple of years really when you think about it…), and the solidity shown by the clean sheet (the first by a team against Southampton this season) and work ethic can be maintained with eleven players on the pitch.
Nicky Weaver finally had a chance to work hard during a game, and made several good stops at St Mary’s on Saturday. He has obviously found it hard to shine when most games have seen him only required to make the odd save here and there during the majority of matches. Saturday could have been a turning pint for him, as he won over the fans with his command of the penalty area, something he has failed to do while wearing a Charlton shirt over recent months.
The defence worked hard and also gathered plaudits; Danny Mills didn’t get booked for a change, and his experience alongside the central defence is definitely required. That is especially so when young Grant Basey is playing at left back. Basey has settled in during both of his first two starts, making good tackles, passing reasonably well, and getting forward when he has had the chance. He is quick enough without ever looking fast; tall, so reasonable in the air; and unfazed, it seems, by playing in front of twenty thousand plus crowds. Some of his tackling, or lack of, does worry me, as opposition players are obviously encouraged to take on the youngster, and although he doesn’t make mistakes, he does seem to get beaten too often. Maybe this is being harsh, but it is an early observation. Although Chris Powell travelled on Saturday, I expect Basey to continue to play until Powell is definitely ready to return. Centrally, Sam Sodje has at last started to bring to some attacking play to the centre of defence; no longer are we seeing players watching the ball and then reacting; Sodje goes for it and then picks up the mess afterwards. This has helped Jon Fortune, who now no longer struggles to communicate with his defensive partner, although he too still needs to improve and make his mark in each game.
The midfield played very well on Saturday, and after Jose Semedo was sent off and a re-grouping at half-time, really took control. The skill level from a midfield combination of Andy Reid, Zheng Zhi, Jerome Thomas, and Lloyd Sam is probably higher than at any other Championship club. What is needed though is a work ethic to match, and with the team down to ten men, this was very evident too. The options to replace the suspended Semedo are to either bring in a straight midfield replacement like Therry Racon, or to go with a more attacking option like Darren Ambrose. Alternatively, if Pardew wants to switch to 4-4-2, Luke Varney could return to the starting line up in Semedo’s place after his late goal-assisting cameo at St Mary’s. I fancy Racon will be asked to play, with options to attack later on the bench.
That will therefore leave big Chris Iwelumo to start again up front on his own. Although he scored the only goal at the weekend, his general play wasn’t great, but this may have been down to the volume of possession (41%), and the lack of anyone else being in his vicinity (especially after the team were down to ten men). Iwelumo does lead the line, and runs his heart out in every game; hopefully, he will have something left in the tank after Saturday. What has he done to his strapped up hands though? I don’t think Varney could do the one-up-front on his own, though maybe Izale McLeod could?
This is the side I expect Alan Pardew to send out in the Seahawk Blue and Denim shirts (provided they are back from the cleaners in time?)–
Nicky Weaver
Danny Mills
Sam Sodje
Jonathan Fortune
Grant Basey
Therry Racon
Zheng Zhi
Andy Reid
Lloyd Sam
Jerome Thomas
Chris Iwelumo
Subs from Randolph, Moutaouakil, Bougherra, Ambrose, Varney, McLeod.
The whole mentality around the club could and maybe should have changed after that late winner, and it would be great if the team could turn around a bad run of results from one week, and fly back with three wins to counter those three defeats. I’m not sure that we can though, even with the renewed confidence; Pedro45’s score forecast for this match will therefore be a 1-1 draw. I toyed with a 2-1 defeat, but hope that maybe we can hang on for a point. It definitely won’t be easy, and it really is becoming a bit of a pain playing against teams who see Charlton as a big scalp and then raise their game accordingly. Bristol will be one of those, and cheered on under floodlights by a partisan crowd, it will be another tough match, even if we can keep eleven men on the pitch for 90 minutes!
My one-to-watch at Ashton Gate is going to be Danny Mills. Danny boy has bags and bags of experience, and has now got the fitness levels he lacked in September up where they should be. We loves interacting with the crowd, and does get an awful lot of abuse. He also pushes his luck with referees, and is finding that he cannot get away with as much in the Championship as he did in the Premiership. We now need Danny to stabilise the defence – Sodje and Basey are new guys, and Fortune has gone through a bad patch. Without Semedo to bottle up the midfield, there may be a few gaps that Bristol will try to exploit; it will be up to Mills to prevent this happening if Charlton are to get anything from the game at all. The clean sheet on Saturday was a fillip to us all (and the first since September!); if we can get another in quick succession, then we will all be happy!Up the Addicks!
Labels: Bristol City, Charlton, Danny Mills
Saturday, November 03, 2007
Addicks Go Fourth!
Southampton 0 Charlton Athletic 1That's more like it - down to ten men after Jose Semedo was sent off in the first half for a dubious second bookable offence, Chris Iwelumo silenced the doubters on other blogs and finally headed in the winning goal for the Addicks three minutes into injury time.
I started the game listening to Radio Kent, but by half-time, reception was almost non-existent, so I had to rely on Sky Sports News for any goal updates. Nil Nil it said. Pards started the game with Varney dropped and Thomas starting, and the team shaping up in a 4-5-1 formation. Nil Nil it remained, half an hour left; on and on. Obviously backs to the wall stuff. with ten men, 4-4-1 was how we played. Nil Nil. Just ten minutes to go. Could we become the first team to stop Southampton scoring this season, and with only ten men? I'd heard the commentary about all the missed chances in the first half - Sodje hitting the bar, both keepers making saves, and shots flying wide. It didn't sound like a goalless draw but still it remained nil all, all the way to 4.50.
All the other scores were in and the classified results started to be read out - "Southampton Versus Charlton Athletic, late result, not yet in". On to League one. Then it flashed up. GOAL - Chris Iwelumo (90)! Yeahhhh!!!! A couple more minutes, then the final score came up.
This is a tremendous boost to the team and the clubs fans; all the hopes that had been diminished by three successive defeats in a week have now been put to bed, and nothing could be better than coming back with three wins on the trot, if we can!
If we can avoid defeat at Ashton Gate, our season is going to be well and truly back on track, and we can start to look upwards once more.
Labels: Charlton, Chris Iwelumo, Southampton
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Hail Mary for St Mary’s?
After three defeats on the trot, a trip to play Southampton away is not really conducive to getting the Addicks confidence back; Charlton players have failed to score in the last three games, whereas Southampton have knocked in at least one goal in every game this season so far.Alan Pardew cannot blame results on the curse of winning the manager of the month award; although he came close to getting the gong after results in September, he had no chance this last month. Maybe it was just a bad October and November will bring us back to winning ways? Charlton have a bit of history when it comes to performing in certain months of the year...
Pards has the same old same old problems to deal with this weekend, but at least there are no new injury worries that we know of. With Holland, Todorov, Powell, Thatcher, and Gibbs all out, he really only has to choose between the old faithful 4-4-2 formation, or maybe switch to 4-5-1 for the second time this season. The previous occasion followed a couple of dodgy results in August, and playing Iwelumo upfront on his own ended with a 1-0 win in Croydon. Of course, by the time we scored, we had dumped the holding formation and Todorov had come on to a revertion of 4-4-2. It would not surprise me to see the team switch once more, and perhaps a slight hint of this came with the midweek reserve side win where Sam, McLeod and Thomas formed a three-pronged attack. Bearing in mind that two of them scored in that game, I guess it could have been classed as successful?
So in goal, Nicky Weaver is almost certain to continue. Although blamed by some (including himself) for the only goal last Saturday, it would be a real surprise to see Darren Randolph thrown in at St Mary’s. Weaver has made good saves this season, and they can directly be attributable to points that have been won. Sadly, he has yet to convince on crosses (which will be in abundance on Saturday), and he really does need to start to take control of his six yard box, or the clamour for Randolph to be given a chance will increase.
Weaver hasn’t been helped by the shy-ness of our central defenders to head the ball so far this season. Sodje is the only centre back we have who attacks the ball, and Fortune and Bougherra must be stronger against big raw strikers (like Rasiak) or they will just get bullied. Sodje proved last week (when he offered to meet Rowan Vine in the car park after the game to settle their differences) that he won’t stand for any nonsense, and I expect him to retain his place.
The full backs will be Mills, who needs to forget about his errors and revert to his firm, strong-minded attacking play (hopefully the crowd will be against him as this does seem to spur him on…), and Grant Basey (left). Young Basey did little wrong on his debut last weekend, but it would be good to see him more confident in his own ability and get forward to support when he gets the chance. He also needs to try to stop crosses coming into the box, and stick tighter to his marker than he did last week.The midfield will probably have the same look to it, even if Pards switches formation. Semedo, Zhi and Reid will all play, and hopefully they will all get 90 minutes so the team has balance throughout whoever plays in front of them.
The options for the wide positions and up front is more open. Darren Ambrose is fit again, and a bit of a Pards favourite. He would have been substitute last weekend if he hadn’t been stuck in traffic on the M25 (what, no police escort Dazza?). I doubt he will displace Lloyd Sam though, as Lloyd had a decent game against Rangers - his first after suspension - and deserved better from his team-mates. Then it’s a case of do we play with two strikers – one of which will be Iwelumo – or Big Chris and another winger (Thomas or Ambrose)? Certainly the confidence seems to have evaporated from Luke Varney, and it would be no surprise to see him rested (dropped) after several missed chances and lacklustre performances. That leaves the only other striking option to be McLeod; Izale really hasn’t looked quite ready for the Championship so far, even though he has started to find the net in reserve games. Even then, he missed two good chances before he scored according to reports.
I therefore think this is the team that Pards will send out, and in a 4-5-1 formation –
Nicky Weaver
Danny Mills
Jon Fortune
Sam Sodje
Grant Basey
Jose Semedo
Zheng Zhi
Andy Reid
Lloyd Sam
Chris Iwelumo
Jerome Thomas
Subs – Randolph, Moutaouakil, Bougherra, McCarthy, Racon, Ambrose, Varney, McLeod.
Southampton are another of those Championship teams who have an ex-Addick who would love to score against us, and he probably will! Jason Euell left The Valley for Middlesboro, but he didn’t seem to fit with Gareth Southgate’s Premiership plans last season, and he has moved on to the South coast after just one year up north. He is playing, and scoring, so will be out to upset us Addicks fans I’m sure! The Saints sit a couple of places below us in the table, but only on goal difference. Obviously, a win takes them above us, so we are again a target to be aimed at…
Pedro45’s score forecasts this season have been pretty rubbish; every time I say we will win, we don’t, and when I think we will lose, we win! I do think that this game is another tough one (as are the three afterwards too!), and much as I want us to get back to winning ways, I really cannot see us preventing Southampton from scoring, and I don’t have confidence in our forwards to find their goal touch again. I think we will go down 2-0, but really hope I’m wrong.
My one-to-watch in this match is going to be Andy Reid. Reiddy has had two frustrating games where he was marked tightly and didn’t get to use the ball as much or as well as he normally likes. He may get a bit more space if we play 4-5-1, and he could therefore get to influence the game in a big way. He hasn’t scored for a while either, and it would be good to see him back on the score sheet (though I wish he would let Lloyd Sam take the free kicks now, if just for the surprise value).We are coming up to another three games in eight days period, and in reality, this period could make or break Charlton’s season. Southampton will be tough, and Ashton Gate on Tuesday potentially even tougher. If we entertain Cardiff next Saturday after five consecutive defeats, who knows how or when the streak will end or what damage that may do to the club in the short and longer terms. Of course, if we have 25 points in the bag by then, we would be thinking once more about the positive aspects and how long it might take to catch Watford!
Fingers crossed eh?
Up the Addicks!
Labels: Andy Reid, Charlton, Southampton
