Charlton Athletic Online

That wasn’t really what we wanted, or expected, even following two previous defeats. Basically, the Rangers players wanted it more; they stifled out any early enthusiasm, rode their initial luck, and when presented with the opportunity to grab all three points, they took them - albeit at the third time of asking!

Alan Pardew has accepted some of the blame, and it did look obvious to me that the main problem during the second half was the lack of possession and protection centrally in front of our wobbly centre backs. I can see why Pards wanted Andy Reid to see more of the ball; he had a very quiet first half, and the close marking he got was a reflection of the influence he has on games when left to roam free. Sadly, taking off Semedo and bringing on Jerome Thomas simply gave the away team way too much open space to exploit.

Other reasons for the loss were the lack of confidence up front; just what has happened?

Sure, teams now know how to play against this revised Charlton team (that is still gelling and probably will be until May…) – press and close down the defence and midfield when they are in possession; attack the central defence when you have the ball; win second phase when defending. If you do those three things well, then Charlton have no chance!

But worryingly, Varney, Iwelumo, and McLeod really have all gone off the boil at once and none look like ever scoring again. Varney thrashed his left foot at a great opening midway through the first half (after a fantastic through ball from Lloyd Sam) and the ball sailed over the bar. Iwelumo messed up a fairly routine header shortly after (from Varney’s good run and cross), and McLeod did very little once he had come on for big Chris with a quarter of an hour to go.

The midfield worked hard but looked jaded, with only Semedo (in the first half) and Sam playing anywhere near their potential.

In defence, Sam Sodje did provide a better option than Bougherra, especially against man-mountain Mark Nygaard, but all together still looked far from sound. Jon Fortune gave away a (blatant) penalty (thankfully missed!) but did OK otherwise. The left back position was filled by debutant Grant Basey, who reminds me quite a lot of Anthony Barness – unhurried and calm. The Count did the simple things well, but was reluctant in going forward when that was what was needed. As for Danny Mills, he was great for an hour, but then lost all his composure after almost gifting Leigertwood a goal.

Rangers finally grabbed the points after Bolder knocked home unchallenged after Weaver failed to hold a cross under pressure from Nygaard.

At least the referee had a reasonable game for once!

I guess this will be a big week on the training pitch. With no midweek game and no internationals, Pardew will be making sure that the players know that the last week is not good enough , and if they cannot raise their play and standards, then they won’t be in the team for very much longer once the troop of experienced players start to get fit once more after injury.

Labels: Charlton, QPR

Not a good week to be a Charlton fan; two consecutive defeats, and the team have slipped down the table to sixth. Add to that disquiet in the ranks about team selection, tactics, formation, and a lengthening injury list that has a number of experienced professionals out for significant periods. The latest injury is a season ending one for Svetislav Todorov. Sadly, Toddy has ruptured his cruciate knee ligament and he will not be seen again this season.

So how can Alan Pardew turn things round and get the side back to winning ways aganst QPR on Saturday? In my humble opinion, he doesn’t have to do too much in terms of team selection, but he does need to be firm with the players and direct them on formation and tactics.

The goalkeeping position isn’t really a problem, even though we are conceding too many easy goals. We can all probably remember the good saves Nicky Weaver has made since August, simply because there haven’t been that many. It’s not like it was with Scott Carson last year, where he made great saves every game and every point we won was pretty much down to him. Weaver seems to have had no (or little) chance with any of the shots that have gone past him, even though soft goals are horrible to let in. There is no pint playing Darren Randolph, good as he may be, when Weaver isn’t making mistakes.

The defence is a problem however, and can directly be to blame for nearly every goal that has bulged (or not) our net. With no experienced left back available, Danny Mills played brilliantly to calm left side nerves on Tuesday and that allowed Yassin Moutaouakil to come back into the team after injury and do a good job on the opposite flank. It was the first time I’d seen Yassin play live, and he started quietly before coming good later in the match. More games and experience at this level will help him progress, though he is better going forwards than defending. Centrally is where the problems really lie; looking back, all Plymouth really did was run at Bougherra and Fortune with the ball. Totally unable to cope, we can expect the scouts present to have reported this back to about every other Championship club! Both have looked quite solid at times this year, but not against teams whose strikers are agile. Hopefully Rangers have a couple of lumbering Carlton Cole’s. The only option available is to play Sam Sodje instead of one of the incumbents. I don’t know if it will happen, or who should be dropped; both have had ‘mares at times so far this season! The one thing I do know is that Paddy McCarthy doesn’t look to be the answer either!

The midfield does look to be settled, and provided they are all fit, we can expect to see Semedo, Zheng Zhi, Andy Reid, and a back from suspension Lloyd Sam strung across the park. The question though is, good as they are going forward, are they giving enough to protect the back line? Sam and Reid have certainly tried desperately at times to track back and cover any opposition attackers, much more so than Ambrose or Thomas generally do (although both have their good moments). So is the problem the middle? We have all been extolling the rise of Semedo, and he does make plenty of tackles and use the ball pretty well. I am concerned though that he may go missing at vital times, being dragged toward the ball out wide when a static central position may be a better option for the team. I still like him and think he is a player with enormous potential; I’m just worried that the goals seem to come from central drives right through where he should be… ZiZi also tackles as much as he can and should, but he does ball-chase a lot, and agin if he and Semedo get dragged away from the middle, there is little protection for Forch and Boogey.

In attack, the loss of the Toddy option means we are left with Iwelumo, Varney and McLeod. Sure, Dickson may come back and help at some point in the season, but he cannot be guaranteed success and more than those currently plying for the team. Sadly, the confidence that Dickson may have is lacking from the three strikers left; Iwelumo tries hard but looks like he doesn’t want high balls into him all the time, while Varney runs the channels well, but has looked a little weary after missing most of pre-season. McLeod is quick, and direct, but missed a hatful of chances early in the season, and his head visibly dropped after his awful pass that led to the winning goal on Tuesday evening. All three could do with a couple of goals to cheer them up!

Tactically, I think Pardew’s flirtation with playing Varney wide has to be dropped (forever) from what we saw against Plymouth. He isn’t the best crosser of the ball, and actually prefers cutting back in from wide left to allow him to shoot right footed. The potential for playing 4-5-1 is there, but that surely cannot be on the table for a home game against a team near the bottom of the table like Rangers.

Where Pardew can help is to instill the team with belief that if they are being bullied (a claim against Wolves) then they feel able to stand up for their collective rights, and dish out some stick in equal measure. We do have experience, and some players who know how to foul! What we don’t want is a whole bunch of bookings like Styles gave for silly little fouls and dissent. If we are being kicked (as Semedo and ZiZi have recently), let’s kick back. If the oppo are being wound up, stand back and smile!

So really, it is about getting the right players in the team, playing to an agreed suitable formation, and with enough confidence to show that some of this team should be playing in a higher league (as they showed in parts of early season games).

This is the team I think Pards will pick for Saturday –

Nicky Weaver
Yassin Moutaouakil
Madjid Bougherra
Jonathan Fortune
Danny Mills
Jose Semedo
Zheng Zhi
Andy Reid
Lloyd Sam
Chris Iwelumo
Luke Varney

Subs from Randolph, Sodje, McCarthy, A Thomas, Basey, Racon, J Thomas, McLeod.

My one-to-watch for this televised match is going to be Andy Reid. Our little Oirish fella has played his socks off over the last few weeks, for both Charlton and Ireland. He looks in desperate need of a rest, but he can have a few days off after Saturdays game, as we have the luxury of a midweek lacking a fixture! We just need one more massive effort from him and with three points in the bag, he can get off home early if that nice Mr Pardew allows him.

Pedro45 has had a feeling for a while now that a team is going to get a pummeling from the Addicks, and I do feel it is very imminent. My score prediction is a resounding 4-0 win. It may simply paper over some of the cracks (the defence for instance), but hopefully it will allow confidence to return and things to start moving in the right direction once more.

Come on you Reds!

Labels: Andy Reid, Charlton, QPR

Charlton Athletic 1 Plymouth Argyle 2

This chant wasn't being sung about either of the teams, though neither would look very good in the top tier at the moment, but it was aimed at the referee - Rob Styles.

Mr Styles completely ruined this match as a spectacle, starting with his stupid booking of Svetislav Todorov, and ending with his winding up of Danny Mills that earned him a yellow card too. In between, eight other players (four from each side) saw the dreaded yellow card lifted from Styles breast pocket and waived high above their heads.

The problem with Styles is consistency; he books one player for kicking the ball away, but lets others do the same and go unpunished. One player back-chats him and gets booked immediately (McLeod), while others (Andy Reid waving his arms around several times for instance) were allowed to show obvious and consistent dissent until eventually they end up in the book too. His style (sic) is to loudly blow the whistle and attract as much attention toward him as he can at every stage of the game. He is just very annoying and not fit to referee in the Championship let alone the Premiership!

Is this all bleating as Charlton lost - I think not. Ask any Plymouth fan, and they will also say that Styles was awful - and they won!

In fairness, he wasn't helped by some of the things that Charlton players and staff did; if Alan Pardew had been a player, he would have been in the book too after kicking the ball away from a Plymouth player who tried to retrieve it for a throw. Pardew's obvious assertion that he was kicking it toward another Argyle player was twaddle! Mills was very wound up and he could have been in trouble for telling the linesman loudly that "the referreeing is a joke", well before he was booked (for running the ball up behind a slow retreating visiting player!).

He really did spoil the game...

And Charlton's play didn't really make the fans happy either! A weak opening goal conceded after a tame cross took a deflection just five minutes in, and what turned out to be the winner after an atrocious midfield pass from Izale McLeod and some more kamikaze defending. Iwelumo missed two chances and took some stick - a first half scuffed shot after being beautifully set up my Reid, and a flicked header just wide in the early stages of the second half. Varney was embarassingly inept out wide right, and McLeod totally lacking in confidence. Add to that the fact that the Charlton central defence was so pourous in the first half that the pitch was in danger of becoming waterlogged! Even the Charlton equalising goal after ten minutes was lucky; Mills left foot shot from outside the area went through a crowd of players, was pushed onto the post and then rebounded in off the back of the goalkeepers head!

Plus points could go to Reid who kept urging the team forward; Thomas who was at least direct when on as sub for the last twenty five minutes; and the full backs coped well with both attacking and defensive duties. Sadly Todorov went off injured after 30 minutes, and he looks like he could be out for a few weeks.

This was pretty depressing from the Addicks, and even the crowd became dissillusioned for the first time this year, with Sodje, Varney, Iwelumo, and McLeod all getting venomous stick from sections of the fans.

Saturday now brings a must win situation; Charlton are now down to sixth place in the table after around a quarter of the season. The form reversal needs to be stopped quickly and QPR on TV on Saturday afternoon is a good chance to do so. Whether the team that has consistenly started recent games is on show again is unlikely, as it is now time for Pardew to whip the players into shape and bring a few Champioship home truths into play.

Labels: Charlton, Plymouth, Rob Styles

You really don't get time to draw breath in the Championship; as soon as the weekend game is out of the way, along comes the midweek fixture and off you go again.

Labels: Charlton, Chris Iwelumo, Plymouth

Wolverhampton Wanderers 2
Charlton Athletic 0

Bang goes the unbeaten run, as Wolves beat Charlton convincingly with two second half goals. The first goal was scored by Charlton reject Jay Bothroyd, who turned in a cross at the near post a mere 25 seconds into the second period, and the game was wrapped up five minutes from time when Karl Henry decided to emulate his namesake Thierry and score against the Addicks.

Alan Pardew went into the game with an unchanged starting eleven, but Chris Powell soon picked up a game-ending knock. This required the back line to be re-arranged with Sodje coming in on the right side and Mills playing on the left. Chances came for Varney, Iwelumo, and Ambrose, but the Wolves goalkeeper had only one real save to make before half time.

All the plans for the second half push went out of the window as soon as Bothroyd scored, and although Charlton tried to chase the game, they had no luck in getting breakthough. Todorov and Thomas came on in search of the goal, but it just wan't to be. Referee Beeby didn't do the Addicks any favours and, according to Pardew, allowed Wolves to "rough us up."

The result is a setback for the Addicks, and knocks us down to third place (behind Bristol City), even though many other results went in our favour (WBA and Coventry losing for instance). The game was against a decent side, away from home; of more concern is how the team bounce back on Tuesday against another team who have ridden high up the league table (Plymouth) and who will be wanting to extend Charlton's winless streak (now two games long!). With injuries to the the left back position (Powell, Thatcher) becoming worrying, this could lead to Mills getting an extended run on that side of the pitch with Moutaouakil brought back in on the right, or even potential left back outings for Aswad Thomas or Grant Basey.

Thus ended a very poor week sport-wise for English Charlton fans, following the England football team getting beaten in Russia in midweek, and the rugby lads losing the World Cup Final to South Africa. Hopefully Lewis Hamilton can restore some British pride in the grand prix tonight and become a World Champion and then Charlton can return to winning ways on Tuesday?

Labels: Charlton, Wolverhampton Wanderers

Have you ever, as I have, noticed that whatever password you have on your work computer lends itself to bad luck?

As you need to change the secret letters every couple of months or so, I have had quite a few different passwords, ranging from places I’ve been to on holiday through to favourite footballer or cricketers, that sort of thing.

But it does seem that whatever password I have falls from grace; either while I have it or soon after I have had to change it.

For instance, some of the cricketers I have had – Atherton, Gatting, Flintoff, Strauss, Harmison, Hoggard – they all seem to lose form or get injured as soon as I glorify them on my keyboard! It’s the same with footballers: Parker, DiCanio, Rommedahl, and Curbishley, all heroes of their day, but all got injured very soon or left Charlton under a cloud.

Then there are the holiday places – I won’t list them, but you can guess that a riot, terrorist attack, political upheaval, or some unexpected outrageous weather or natural disaster will befall the area I have just been to as soon as I commit their name to password memory.

And I better not mention Blunkett, Blair or Mandelson!

You can all thus be happy that after a number of years of typing in some of my favourite things, I am now going to start with some of my least favourite, starting with Watford! I know I shouldn’t really be telling anyone my password, but I’m guessing and hoping that you won’t be having access to my work PC!

Why Watford – well it’s easy; they are the only team above Charlton in the league, and therefore a danger. I am confidently predicting that they start to suffer a downturn from this weekend, with defeats, player unrest, hooliganism, managerial casualties, and boardroom strife all beckoning due to my new password. This, hopefully, will leave the way free for Charlton to climb above them over the next few weeks and take their place at the top of the Championship!

If any other club threatens our boys, I’ll simply make them my next password…

Up the Addicks!

Labels: Charlton, Watford

Labels: Charlton, Jose Semedo, Wolverhampton Wanderers

Charlton Athletic 1 Barnsley 1

After a hectic round of seven games in 22 days, this may have been one game too many for the Addicks. Having taken the lead with just eight minutes left on the clock, Charlton could not hang on to the lead, and let Barnsley snatch a last minute equaliser to share the points.

Zheng Zhi (left), who was immense in midfield all game, scored the Charlton goal, heading into the corner after Andy Reid's deep cross had been headed back into the middle by Chris Iwelumo.

Barnsley, who had seemed to have settled for a draw very early during the second half, immediately threw on extra forwards, and when a cross was not cleared, sub Kim Christensen crashed home the loose ball. The Tykes actually almost won the game deep into the five minutes of added time, but Charlton survived.

The other notable points from the game were that Andy Reid hit the bar, and had a tremendous influence throughout; ZiZi also hit the top of the bar with a header; Sam Sodje, on as a repacement for the ill Jon Fortune, had a header cleared off the line; and the wide right berth is still looking to be Lloyd Sam's once he is back from suspension, as neither Darren Ambrose, nor sub Jerome Thomas seemed to put in that strong a performance. Oh, and I thought the referee had a reasonable game too...

Overall, Alan Pardew will be happy to see Charlton sitting in second place in the table after ten games of the season; whereas this may mark the quarter point in a Premiership year, Charlton have several games to go before reaching that point in the Championship. It is a good marker for how well (or badly) each team is doing, and an unbeaten run of eight games is excellent form that should bode well for the long winter months ahead.

As we now enter another two week internation match break, here's a quick appraisal of how I think each member of the team is doing -

Nicky Weaver
Definitely the number one keeper at the club after initial doubts; has made good saves but not instilled great confidence when dealing with crosses. Communication with his defence can be fraught with danger, but that may not be his fault if they cannot understand his nothern English tones.

Danny Mills
Oh Danny Boy - where did you go all those years ago. A friend asked me if it was just like the old Danny, and I had to say yes! Powerful, direct, strong, experienced, and that superhuman ability to wind up both opposition fans and players without trying too hard! Great to have him back, and he is keeping a good French full back out of the team on merit.

Chris Powell
At 38, he thought he'd be doing other things, I'm sure. But he is still the best left back at the club. If his legs can keep him going - one game a week is fine, but two is a problem - then he could even be player of the season!

Jon Fortune
It took a while for Forch to get into the team, but now he is there, he looks solid, and able to cope without too much trouble at this level. Striking up a pretty good partnership with Magic...

Madjid Bougherra
Good to see our Algerian settling into the team on a regular basis. His skills compliment Fortune's solidness, and they go together well. He does make errors, but the crucial thing is not to make them when they will hurt the team.

Jose Semedo
An excellent buy, and a player who is playing well below his class. As a centre half, he may have struggled with the physical aspect of playing in this division, but in midfield, or at either full back (when called upon to play there in an emergency), he is excellent. I do think he has more to give, and wish that we could see him shoot every now and then when in a position to do so. This will come from confidence, and another early player of the season contender.

Zheng Zhi
A fantastic purchase by Pardew; this season, we are seeing ZiZi pay in his best position in central midfield, and he is great. Other teams are now starting to recognize how good he is and have started to kick lumps out of him; luckily, he hasn't got injured or reacted to this pummeling. he could end the season with more than ten midfield goals, and that may be enough to get back to the league where his countrymen will be able to watch him on TV each week.

Andy Reid
Keeping Reid was another Pardew coup; he manages the game from onfield, dictating where the ball goes, and at what pace. A slight criticism is that he does like to play the pinpoint ball through minute gaps most times, when an easier pass might retain possession and be a better option. The captain is a great little payer, and could be the one to hold the Championship trophy aloft if the season goes to plan.

Lloyd Sam
Homegrown Lloyd is starting to become the player that we hoped; fast, direct, an eye for goal - all those things that Dennis Rommedahl had, but with bottle too! And he didn't cost a penny!

Chris Iwelumo
Big Chris (left) might end up top scorer for Charlton this season. He is very good in the air, but mobile too. He's also unselfish, and is setting up goals for his onfield partners simply through his presence and vision. A key man to keep fit...

Luke Varney
A sluggish start caused by injury, Luke is now settling in to playing for the Addicks, and has two goals already. Quick, and willing to work hard, he gives Pardew options. A good buy, and we have yet to see the best of him.

Svetislav Todorov
Toddy banged in goals in three consecutive games, but niggling injuries have kept him out recently. A good sqaud player, he will see plenty of minutes as a sub, especially when we are chasing games or off-form.

Izale McLeod
Strangely, although Izzy has won four penalties so far this seaosn, he has yet to shine. The reason for that is that he has yet to score a goal, even contriving to mess up the one penalty he took! He is fast, direct, and gets into great positions, but is so keen that he snatches at chances, or takes the wrong option. A goal would make a great difference to him I'm sure, and it will come. He could have a great second half to the season, a la Martin Pringle about eight seasons back.

Paddy McCarthy
Not my cup of tea; slow, lumbering, not great in the air, and not too good at distribution. A definite weakness whenever he plays on the evidence so far. Hoefully the other three centre backs will stay fit...

Yassin Moutaouakil
I haven't seen him play live yet, so cannot really comment, but I do think he is a great improvement on Osei Sankofa as back-up right back!

Darren Ambrose
Darren has had a strange start to the season, one which started promisingly for him. He led the way with shots early in season, but now, after niggling injuries and the birth of his daughter meant he took time out of the squad, he looks back to his lightweight worst. We want the Darren who made goals for Dazza, and thumped in twenty five yarders against Manchester United, not someone who stands out on the wing unwilling to work.

Jerome Thomas
I remember Yorkshire (and then Sussex) bowler Paul Jarvis once saying that someone thought he was the best batsmen in Yorkshire. Sadly, that person was Paul Jarvis himself. JT is a bit like that; way too good for the Championship back in August it seems, but not anymore if he cannot even get in the Charlton team. He has strange mates too, who have led him astray... Part of the baby Bentley brigade, JT will have to buck up his ideas if he doesn't want to end up as a Big Time Charlie, or with Footballer, Part-Time on his CV.

The others - Therry Racon, Dean Sinclair (who has now gone out on loan), Darren Randolph, Ben Thatcher, Matt Holland, and Sam Sodje, haven't really played enough to give much thought to. They are all good players though, and may well get their chance in the second half of this long season.

One quick word about Pards - he's doing fine!

Ten games gone; 36 to go. Another 72 points will see us back in the Premiership!

Labels: Barnsley, Charlton, Zheng Zhi

The latest round of as many games as you can play in a month finishes tomorrow with the visit to The Valley of Barnsley. Our second consecutive Yorkshire club meeting pits us against a team doing very well, and currently lying fourth in the league, just three points behind Charlton.

Hull City 1 Charlton Athletic 2

No quiet Tuesday night game this one! With a player from each side dismissed just before half-time, the referee close to losing control and not wanting to end the game, plus the crowd going mad, Charlton did well to win by two goals to one.

Alan Pardew picked the same League eleven that he has for the previous three games, obviously hoping that defensive mistakes would be a thing of the past, and the team would revert to winning ways. The only change from Saturday’s squad came on the bench, where Jerome Thomas was given a seat in place of Matt Holland; JT has, it seems, been forgiven for his poor attitude that saw him dropped for several games.

Hull started with the ancient front line pairing of Pedersen and Windass, but two games in a week was too much for Jay-Jay Okocha, and he was conspicuously absent. In his place came ex-Addick Bryan Hughes.

It was fairly quiet start to the game, with few chances, and Charlton’s front line being caught offside all too often. Weaver had to make a couple of decent saves and later, Bougherra was booked for a foul.

Charlton’s first goal came in the 40th minute when Reid whipped in across and Boaz Myhil, the Hull keeper, punched the ball into one of three onrushing Charlton forwards. The ball fell for Luke Varney (top) to stroke home his second goal for the Addicks.

This set up the next highlight, if it can be called that, with the crowd vexed, and Hull deciding to dish out some Northern hospitality and kick anything that moved. Ashbee clattered into Lloyd Sam, who fell on the City player. Thereafter all hell broke loose with Sam and Ashbee trading blows, and almost all the rest of both teams, plus some of the management getting involved in breaking up the melee. The referee didn’t gain control very quickly, but once he had, he sent off both the players involved in the original incident.

The second half was mostly Hull pressure, then a great Danny Mills drive hit the bar after an hour or so, but bounced to safety. It was one of the few chances during this part of the game. Hull used all their subs in an effort to claw them selves back into the game, or possibly so that the veterans had something left for Saturday? Hull’s Marney and Windass were booked for whingeing, and Andy Reid had a shot saved.

Chris Powell then got a whack on the head from a Hughes free kick and needed treatment for possible concussion; he stayed on the pitch though but with a left back shortage, let’s hope he is fit enough to start again on Saturday.

The team did well in trying to run the clock down, seemingly settling for a 1-0 win. Then in the last minute, with Hull pushing forward, Zheng Zhi was found by Reid, drew the defence, and slipped the ball to Chris Iwelumo who finished easily to make it two-nil to the Addicks. The referee indicated five extra minutes of play, and Hull continued to press, but Weaver was a match for anything they threw at him initially. Sodje and Thomas came on to waste some of the added on time, with Varney and Zhi being removed. Then, with still two minutes of additional time to play, Hull scored when a Hughes corner was headed home by substitute McPhee.

Labels: Charlton, Chris Iwelumo, Hull City, Luke Varney

This midweek it's yet another Tuesday night game, for the third week on the trot, and sees Charlton travel to Hull City for an important Championship match. Although unbeaten in the league for six matches, the team have also gone two games without a win (Luton and Coventry), and have yet to hit the heights on the road this season. Hopefully, a game at the KC Stadium will change all that.

Alan Pardew seems to have nearly all the players fit once more, with just Bougherra, Zhi, and Fortune taking knocks on Saturday (none should be out injured though), and only Thatcher on the treatment table. We may still see some changes from Alan Pardew as he seeks the right formula that will bring three more precious points on the road back to the Premiership.

Hull will be no mugs, and have had a solid looking, if unspectacular start to the season. They currently sit in mid-table, but are only four poiints behind the Addicks, and will be looking to close that gap by the end of the match. They have a number of good-if-veteran players - notably ex-Bolton duo Jay-Jay Okocha (so good they named him twice?) and Henrik Pedersen, and Dean Windass - plus ex-Addicks Michael Turner and Bryan Hughes. Indeed, it will be something of a reunion once more for Phil Parkinson, as he returns to yet another club where he was manager last season, albeit for just five unsuccessful months. It's also a return to Humberside for Danny Mills (top), who played on loan at Hul last year under Parky. You would like to think that Charltons much younger squad (barring Chrissy Powell) would be able to cope with 30-somethings Pedersen and Windass, but you never know!

Pardew will probably go for a team that looks like this -

Nicky Weaver
Danny Mills
Sam Sodje
Jon Fortune
Chris Powell
Jose Semedo
Zheng Zhi
Andy Reid
Lloyd Sam
Chris Iwelumo
Svetisvlav Todorov

Subs from everyone else barring Thatcher (and probably Randolph, Moutaoukil, Ambrose, Varney, McLeod).

For me, the two inconsistent areas are central defence, and attack.

Madjid Bougherra is having a bit of an up and down time - excellent one game (Leicester) and awful the next (Coventry); in between, he gave away a goal at Luton (OK, it didn't make any difference...). Will Pardew give him the chop (or a rest as he may call it)? I think he may, as Sam Sodje should be fresh and really hasn't been able to show his value since joining on loan from Reading yet, and he is more preferable than Paddy McCarthy.

Up front, we have four good players, all of whom could do with a run in the team. Iwelumo is the only real target man among them though, and adds to the defensive cover at set pieces, so I think he'll play, even after that glaring miss late on at the Ricoh. Luke Varney has done well since coming back into the side after injury, but he has run out of pace in the last couple of matches, and it might be the right time to give him a breather and introduce him from the bench if need be. That might let in Todorov, who only really dropped out of the side due to a minor injury in the game against Norwich. Izale McLeod seems to be a favourite substitute option for Pards, coming on when legs around him are tired.

My one-to-watch in this match is Andy Reid (left). The little Oirish fella has no excuses in this game; Ireland are out of the Rugby World Cup and he's had a day to get over the anguish (and Guinness!). I expect our Andy to be firing and getting back to scoring goals from open play. Come on Andy, we need you to make and score goals!

Pedro45's score prediction is another tough one; I'd love us to get back to winning ways, and I know we could do it, but I have a nagging feeling that Okocha, Pedersen and Hughes, who have all scored against Charlton in the past, may think otherwise. I'm going for a 2-1 reversal, but desperately hope I'm wrong so we get back into the top two places in this league.

This was a tough run of three away games on the trot, and if we can come out with a win (Hull), draw (Coventry), and loss (Luton), I'll be a very happy man.

Up the Addicks!

Labels: Andy Reid, Charlton, Hull City