Charlton Athletic Online

Labels: Charlton, Christian Dailly, Oldham

Well, probably not, but that presumes that our friends from down the road don’t come to the party as Leeds arrive at The Valley on Saturday. There are all sorts of scenarios and permutations depending on the result but, basically, if Leeds win and Millwall don’t, then Leeds will be all but promoted.

But there is nothing like backing a certainty in football, and in this League One season we have seen a number of sides, no less than Charlton too, all throwing away the chance to cement the second automatic promotion spot when well placed. Should Charlton now beat Leeds, and should Millwall falter at desperate Tranmere, then the last week of the season could yet be one that many Addicks will remember with fondness. But, to my mind, that really is clutching at straws, as next weeks results (with Leeds losing again, and Millwall and Swindon drawing with each other) would also be required to fall correctly, and the odds on that a quite large.

So how do Charlton approach this game, which, if won, could have a large bearing on who the team will play having made it through to the play-offs? In a fairly laid back manner I would suggest. The opinion coming out of the club this week – which included the shirt-sponsors evening attended by the players – was that victory will be attempted the final two games, as this would have a positive feel going into the knock-out stages. A win would also build confidence, and hopefully the upper hand over Leeds should we have to meet again in May. Similarly, a loss to Leeds would knock confidence, though it would also make it unlikely we would play them again this year.

Manager Phil Parkinson has always talked the talk when it comes to positive attitude and trying to win games, but often this demeanour has fallen short when applied to decisions on the pitch – hence the last six games where only one goal has been scored (last week’s draw included our equaliser which didn’t go in, so I still think there was just one goal in the game!). I believe that he will stick with a 4-4-2 formation – especially after Jonjo Shelvey’s sale, more on that later – but a number of injuries may play a part in who actually takes the field.

At least Parky has shown over recent weeks that he knows the side he would like to be able to pick, but is now the time to rest some of those carrying knocks and have them ready in two weeks? From his perspective, I think not, because he has to still have the belief that Charlton can go straight up with two wins, and he must therefore play his preferred and best team. Players can be rested next week, if we are without that final chance.

That team will continue with Darren Randolph in goal, despite Rob Elliot being fit once more. Elliot intimated before the game last week at Exeter that he thought he was playing, but that turned out not to be the case. Randolph then produced two excellent saves (one in each half) to keep Charlton in the game and it is unthinkable to ponder that he might now be left out. We can forget contract situations and what might happen next season; let’s keep Randy in goal.

Similarly, Parky would love to play with the same back four, though Sam Sodje’s knee-knack may prevent that. Sodje lasted just over an hour in Devon, but had a decent game while he was on the pitch. The danger is that his knee goes at some stage, as it did last week, and that wastes one of the subs that Parky has at his disposal, or worse still, it happens after all the subs have been used. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least to see Miguel Llera start this game, with Sodje told to rest up for a week or two. Possibly unlike Sodje, Frazer Richardson will get a chance to play against his old club, and it was great that he was chosen in the League One team of the Season by his fellow pro’s, and on-loan Gary Borrowdale has another chance to score his first ever goal on the opposite flank. In the middle, Christian Dailly will once more roll back the years and put in another sterling performance I’m sure.

The midfield, so strong an area for Charlton earlier in the season, is now the place where Addicks fans are most unhappy. While Jose Semedo is nailed on to start in the holding role, Therry Racon has been off-colour over recent months and Charlton’s best play has been when he has left the field, with Nicky Bailey moving centrally. In a game that is likely to be fast and frenetic, now may be the time to leave the talented West Indian out of the side, in favour of more direct players? Moving Bailey in field would allow Kyel Reid, scorer of our goal last week, to start; it was only when Reid came on at St James’ Park that Charlton really looked dangerous and if he is on form then he has to play as he does offer major goal threat. Lloyd Sam meanwhile, limped off last weekend, so it will be interesting to see if he pulls on the jersey against the team from the city of his birth. He was in fine form at the sponsors evening apparently, though this may or may not have helped his injury (!). If he doesn’t make it, then the Leeds-supporting Scott Wagstaff will probably take his place on the right wing.

In attack, the one and a half game partnership of old-men Deon Burton and Nicky Forster is yet goalless, though they both have come close (not least last week). Burton has yet to score from open play in 2010, which is concerning and not what you need from your centre forward. Forster is lively, but lacks any real pace, but he does get into good positions, and if the midfield and wingers feed him, then he is more likely to score than not. He will be trying hard as he did miss a couple of gilt edged chances at Exeter, and maybe that means that those goals will come this week? The only other options, presuming that Akpo Sodje is still out injured, is a recall for Dave Mooney, or dare I say it, possible game time for fit-again Leon McKenzie. No, that won’t happen will it…

This is the side I expect Parky to send out in the last home League game of the season –

Darren Randolph
Frazer Richardson
Miguel Llera
Christian Dailly
Gary Borrowdale
Jose Semedo
Nicky Bailey
Lloyd Sam
Kyel Reid
Deon Burton
Nicky Forster

Subs from – Elliot, Warner, Solly, Sam Sodje, Spring, Racon, Wagstaff, Mooney, Akpo Sodje, McKenzie, Tuna.

Leeds will be approaching the game to win it, knowing that anything else could see them falter at the last hurdles as they have done on their previous two seasons in this division. Also struggling with a few injuries that have weakened their side (Kisnorbo out for the season, Parker doubtful, etc), they will rely on a solid display knowing that they have genuine goal-threat, even without 30-goals this season Beckford in the starting eleven. Striker Becchio has scored in the last four games and with Gradel alongside, they will be looking to put lots of pressure on Charlton’s central defensive pair. Where Leeds can come unstuck is at the back, and Charlton should remind themselves that they did concede three goals before half-time in their last away game.

My one-to-watch in this game is going to be Christian Dailly. The Scotsman has had a better season than I think any Addicks fan could have hoped for, and it is strange to think that Gary Doherty made the team of the season in his position ahead of him. Dailly may well be crowned Charlton’s player of the season on Sunday night (though my vote went to Semedo), and it would be well deserved. He was a little below par in the games after Xmas when he was carrying an injury, but now he is back near his best and playing very well. I’m sure his body will see him through the last few games, for to lose him would surely end any remote hopes Charlton have of going anywhere this season.

Pedro45 really doesn’t mind what happens in this game, though it would be the Charlton way for us to win and keep the fans guessing until the last minute of the last day of the season. I do suspect that one team will want it that little bit more than the other, and I’m therefore going to forecast a 1-0 defeat, and much celebration in the Jimmy Seed Stand. I obviously hope that that is not the case, but with another tactical, cagey-game in the offing, it may well be until after the break that one or either team attempts to do something positive when they know the scores - no doubt relayed from the crowd - from other grounds.

Labels: Charlton, Christian Dailly, Jonjo Shelvey, Leeds United

Charlton look for that illusive away win tonight with a visit to the Withdean Stadium in Brighton. Not since August have the Addicks tasted victory on the road – not even in the cup! – and if promotion form is to be maintained, then away wins are required to keep the chasing pack behind us.

It will not be plain sailing for Phil Parkinson tonight either, as he will probably be forced into making at least two changes to the side which beat Bristol Rovers last midweek.

Carl Ikeme’s loan spell ended in that last game, so one of either Rob Elliot, who has been out since the Gillingham game with a thigh injury, or Darren Randolph, so long the number two goalie, will be between the sticks. I’m not sure Elliot is quite ready yet, so Randolph may well get his first league start since January tonight, with young Jack Binks on the bench.

The defence also has injury worries, with Frazer Richardson only 50/50 to come back from his own thigh problem, and Kelly Youga also doubtful after kicking a player too hard last week and suffering his own thigh strain. Reserves Elliot Omozusi and Grant Basey will be on standby to play, but at least Sam Sodje is available after suspension to return (with Miguel Llera likely to make way) in the middle, with Christain Dailly making up the back four.

Thankfully, there are no injury concerns in the middle of the park, and on recent form we should see Jose Semedo, Nicky Bailey and Lloyd Sam strut their stuff in midfield. Who plays on the left is open for debate; Therry Racon got stuck in the Yeovil mud when he played there, and Jonjo Shelvey didn’t set the world on fire during his stint last week, so Parky has a choice to make. He will also consider the option of starting Scott Wagstaff (with Sam moving to the left) which is a positive move, and one that at least shows attacking intent. I suspect that if we have reserve full backs, then the more conservative approach may be seen tonight. Racon could also be playing at the club where he spent some successful time on loan a couple of years back, and for whom he said he wished to join should he not get his chance at The Valley, so he will want to do well.

Up front, it was excellent news to see that Dave Mooney’s loan spell has been extended for another month, and he has looked the part during his time with the club. The effort has been turned into goals in his last two home games, and he may well have scored in Somerset had he not been sacrificed after Sam Sodje’s early sending off. Deon Burton has also revelled in the recent games now he has someone who will do their own share of the work (and then some) alongside him; his hernia problem strangely seems to have got better, and he was able to play two full games in four days last week even though we were told it takes him several days to recover normally. With Akpo Sodje on the bench, despite his two goals in the last two games, we now have a potent attack that is to be feared. Add to that the experience and threat that Leon McKenzie and Izale McLeod bring in reserve, then Charlton have a decent forward line for every occasion.

This is the side I think Parky will pick to face the Seagulls –

Darren Randolph
Elliot Omozusi
Sam Sodje
Christian Dailly
Grant Basey
Jose Semedo
Nicky Bailey
Therry Racon
Lloyd Sam
Deon Burton
Dave Mooney

Subs from – Binks, Elliot, Llera, Richardson, Youga, Spring, Shelvey, Wagstaff, McKenzie, McLeod, Tuna, Sodje A.

Brighton will look to improve on results against the better teams in this league having lost to Leeds at home recently and also Norwich away; they have won their other three games under new manager Gus Poyet (a player I always admired…) so Charlton will have to be on form. The main threat to the Addicks is from a front line that features old hand Nicky Forster, and also Liam Dickinson, scorer of two goals for Blackpool against Charlton last season and a player once touted as Valley bound.

I have an old friend who works at Brighton, coaching some of the younger teams, including players who have made it all the way through to the first team. He is rightly proud to have seen these players come through following his input to their careers, but he is shortly due to move on to pastures new, even though he gets to travel the world in his role setting up and helping coaching schemes in Africa and the Far East. For him, it is now about doing things for himself, and with all the recent changes at his club – the new management team coming in and the forthcoming move to a new stadium – it is time to go. Sadly we will not have the chance to watch the game together as I cannot get down to the coast tonight, but I hope his boys do well but Charlton win. Pedro 45 is predicting a 2-1 victory for the Addicks.

Labels: Brighton, Charlton, Christian Dailly

Although Charlton’s unbeaten run to the 2009-10 season continued on Saturday, it was not without a few scares, and Exeter may have thought that they had enough chances (and a goal disallowed for a tight offside) that they deserved a point. I simply don’t buy into that line of thought; the Addicks, in my opinion, were well on top for most of the game, even if the away team had more possession in the second half. It seems to me that Charlton are, whether deliberately or not, coasting in some situations, and against some teams.

Where Charlton have needed to up their collective game – away at Orient, and Norwich, plus at home to Southampton – they have pretty much come up with the goods, and won points during tough times. At home against the Saints, the half-time deficit was quickly turned around, and only the linesman’s (incorrect) flagging denied Charlton all of the points on offer; similarly, the away game at Orient saw the team battle back to snatch a win; and the Norwich game, possibly one of the hardest Charlton will face this season, saw a terrific early display take Charlton two up, and then some resolute defending all but saw the game out (though not quite). The ability to turn up the heat is certainly there, and in the next two games, starting on Tuesday night at Colchester, that ability will be put to the test once more.

I suppose that the game can be looked at in a couple of ways – one, that Colchester are just another team to beat and we can hope that Leeds fail to win at home so that we go back to the top of the table (or at least maintain the pressure on them if they win), or you could say that Colchester are a good team so it is an opportunity to put even more daylight (and points) between the two clubs, thereby squashing their play-off ambitions while promoting our own. My own opinion is somewhere between the two barrels; sure, it is good to keep as close as possible to the top, and sure, it is good to see off other teams promotion ambitions. So why not satisfy everyone and just win this match?

Well, Colchester will have their own views on the game, and parties on each side are working against their former employers, so there is plenty of spice in store.

Obviously, Phil Parkinson is returning to the club where he had his first taste of success, managing United to promotion from this same division four years ago. If matters had gone the way that Charlton chairman Richard Murray had wanted at that time, Parky could have been in charge of the Addicks in the Premiership, and all that managerial history of Dowie (spit!), Reed, and Pardew would have been destroyed and replaced by something else – who knows what? History does recall that Parky was refused permission to talk to Charlton, and then went to Hull instead, where he failed. We know what happened at The Valley at this time, and in a weird twist, it is Parky leading us now that seems to have turned the club’s fortunes around.

Kevin Lisbie on the other hand, had a similar troubled time about four years ago, starting with a nasal problem, and ending with him not having his contract renewed by incoming Valley managers. When Lisbie faced Charlton two years ago, before his transfer from Colchester to Ipswich, he made an immediate mark, scoring with a trademark near-post header in the Essex fixture, and then doubling that feat when he returned to The Valley on New Year’s Day (a match that saw the second-placed Addicks stumble, and ultimately fall embarassingly down the table). Suffice to say that Lisbie will be keen on doing the same (or better) in this forthcoming match.

Colchester themselves have lost the manager they had at the start of the season (Paul Lambert, to Norwich) and he has been replaced by Watford’s ex-manager Aidy Boothroyd. They are slowly rebuilding after their strange start to the campaign, and are unbeaten since Boothroyd took over. The manager has brought in long-term prospect John-Joe O’Toole – a previous scorer against the Addicks - on loan from Watford, but the rest of the squad is pretty much as Lambert left it. O’Toole could be joined in midfield by another former prospect, and graduate of the famed Charlton academy, Kemi Izzet, who has now served a three game ban after being sent off.

Phil Parkinson will be hoping that everyone came through the game on Saturday without any further injuries or worries, and there were few occasions (if any) when the trainer was involved, so that may well be the case. With Jose Semedo apparently able and willing to resume his midfield berth alongside Therry Racon, Charlton could once more return to their best starting eleven, for the ninth time so far this season.

This is the side I think Parky will send out to win in Essex –

Rob Elliot
Fraser Richardson
Kelly Youga
Christian Dailly
Miguel Llera
Jose Semedo
Terry Racon
Nicky Bailey
Lloyd Sam
Jonjo Shelvey
Deon Burton

Subs from Randolph, Solly, Basey, Sodje, Spring, Stavrinou, Holden, Wagstaff, McKenzie, Tuna, McLeod.

Pedro45 thinks that Charlton are in this for the long haul, and a win is a win, and is three points; it doesn’t matter if the game is dirty, or wide open, Charlton have the ability to play in any manner at this level. Parky will be itching to beat his old team, and the match being played under lights, with a large Charlton fan contingent, should be one with a great atmosphere. I am predicting a 2-1 victory that keeps the pressure on Leeds prior to the top two meeting on Saturday.

My one-to-watch this week is going to be defender Christian Dailly. A bit of an unsung hero so far this year, as the goals go in at the other end, Dailly was not my cup of tea in previous incarnations, but he has certainly used his experience and brain in this league for Charlton. He was key in maintaining a point late on at Carrow Road, and also did well on Saturday when Exeter were threatening to get back into the game. Dailly snuffed out any of those thoughts, and he will need to be on his toes once more to deal with a potent Colchester attack. If Lisbie plays out wide right, as he has been, Dailly will need to provide cover for Kelly Youga, and if Lisbie plays centrally, then he will need to be prepared to match Lisbie’s pace (especially when attacking corners at the near post!!!). Provided Charlton have the majority of possession, then Dailly has time to recover from the bursts of energy he expends; that could be key in the winning of all three points in this game.

After this match, the tenth of the season, Charlton will find themselves in the top two of the league. This stage is always a good pointer to how a season will progress, and to me, there is no reason why the club cannot go on and maintain or improve on this lofty perch. While it is true that the Addicks have played few of the current top half of the table, the simple fact is that some of those we have played would have been in the top half had they not lost to Charlton! We are not going to go through the season unbeaten, but I am quietly confident that Phil Parkinson will take that record up to Yorkshire on Saturday, in what is already being bigged up as the game of the last two unbeaten sides in English league football.

Up the Addicks!

Labels: Charlton, Christian Dailly, Colchester