Charlton Athletic Online

With memories of Tuesday nights great win still fresh in the mind, sad realities have come home on transfer deadline day, and Andy Reid has been sold to Sunderland.

Labels: Andy Reid

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

Labels: Andy Reid, Charlton, Southampton

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

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

Labels: Andy Reid, Charlton, Lloyd Sam, Norwich