Saturday, March 27, 2010
Kyel Be There!
Huddersfield Town 1 Charlton Athletic 1No passion; no passion; no passion. Despair. No preview this week. No heart to predict another loss. Where are we going? Injuries. Loss of form. A manager making excuses, unhappy with the fans. Players unhappy – at fans, at the club, at the manager, at other players. Fans unhappy – at other fans, at the club, at the manager, at players. Going nowhere.
New players in on loan, or short term contract. Will Randolph get a chance? Will anyone get a chance? If he plays and we lose, he’ll be out; if he doesn’t play and we lose, he’ll be out – no win. A young defender in – moving Dailly into midfield for the injured Semedo? It’s where he made his name with West Ham, protecting the back four. At least Fry can cover for the next left back injury! A striker who scores goals arrives – shock, horror! Mind you, he is 36 years old….better than nothing I suppose, and nothing is what we have at present. Make my day, week, season, Nicky Forster – score some goals for Charlton!
No more frustration; no more excuses; must win game, or not lose anyhow…
CAFC Player on. Who’s in? Randolph and not Warner; Wagstaff and not Sam. Debut for Forster. But no Skipper – where’s Nicky Bailey? Not another injury? Bust-up? Or just dropped for playing pretty uselessly for a month or more? Maybe we’ve sold him? Ha ha! Ankle injury apparently. Akpo on the bench, so with four others loanees all playing, no place for new boy Fry. Parky going for broke; for broke read broke! Or broken! We’ll see…
At least it isn’t Emma this week – small mercies!
Dailly captain. Mooney chases. Reid wriggles. Nothing. Forster bangs heads. Must stop the crosses. Town dangerous from balls into box. Slow start. Corner. Nothing.
Dean Windass on TV duties; he’s fat…looks like Ricky Hatton!
Racon tackles. Borrowdale boots. Richardson back-heels away from danger. Must stop the crosses. Lose the signal. Nearly concede? Then lose it again…nothing. £3.99 a month, why? Remind me to cancel. 1200 subscribers must be wrong…
Radio on. Bad foul on Racon. Over the top. Peltier. Shades of Blizzard. Not sent off again…Joe Singh – good ref, got it wrong apparently. Racon OK, thankfully. Half an hour. Competing, but is spirit enough? Forster heads wide. Not a sniff of a goal. Nothing.
Randolph punches. Corner. Then another. Cleared. Dailly fouls. Booked. Off the bar. Must stop the crosses! Semedo booked. Nearly half time. Bad time normally. Corner conceded. Uh-oh. Over. Phew. Half-time. Nothing-nothing.
44% possession. One shot. All the top nine level or in front. No help then. At least we aren’t Hayes fans – seven down in 35 mins!
Off again. Corner. Cleared. Goalie hurt. Offside working…so far. Randolph kicks. Corner. Nothing. Don’t stop a cross…goal. Rhodes header. Simples. 53 minutes. Competing, but spirit alone not enough.
Hanging on, Randolph kicking for all his worth. Defence going backwards. GOAL! From nothing. Smashed home by Reid! Bosh! Will it matter? Hope so…from nothing. First shot on target…
Reid on fire. Cross but nobody on the end. Must stop the crosses coming in. Hour gone. Forster fouled. Nothing. Semedo warned…please no sending off! Subs time maybe? A bit more adventure. A bit more open. Scary. All hands to the pumps. Everyone putting in the effort. Will it be enough? Both sides attacking in numbers. Dailly puts in a good block. Goal getting nearer it seems, but at which end? Under twenty minutes left. Nothing in it.
Sodje injured. Probably his dodgy knee again. Bet he doesn’t get an injection in his bum like his brother last week! Maybe just a bang in the face. Puts his head in where it hurts again though. Last ten. Wagstaff crosses. Nothing. Solly on for Borrowdale. Lino gives a bad corner, and Dailly not amused. Cleared, thankfully. Last five. Been meaning to cut my nails…no need now! Forster off and Akpo on. Must stop the crosses coming in. Sam Sodje clears for corner. Under pressure. Solly concedes free kick. Must defend better. Randolph saves. Hanging on. Reid wins a corner. Last minute. Nothing. Villa conceded seven, but Hayes went one better and let in eight (8). Groans and moans. Good – goal kick to Addicks. Three minutes injury time. Reid shoots but deflected wide. Last chance corner. Nothing. Full time. All square.
Lots of spirit but what would a win have done? At least we can't hear Parky moan about the crowd this week. Still, down to fifth. But just three points off second – closest we’ve been for a while. If only. If only... Also still six points clear of seventh. Can we hang on in the last eight games?
I’ll keep the blog going till the end of the season; thanks for all the kind words.
Labels: Charlton, Huddersfield
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Terriers Plot Foiled
Charlton Athletic 2 Huddersfield Town 1
A terrific win for Charlton at The Valley yesterday as the team dug deep and went top of the League for the first time in a month. Headed goals early in each half from Sam Sodje and Izale McLeod - who both started the game - were just enough to beat the Yorkshiremen. Huddersfield attacked for most of the match and gave a very good account of themselves; it would be no surprise to see them in the play-off mix up come next May.
I do think that manager Phil Parkinson should warrant a lot of credit for this victory; not only did he bring back Sodje for Miguel Llera at centre half, he also dropped Jonjo Shelvey in place of McLeod, even though Izale took a lot of stick for missing chances last weekend. In addition to that, he also made the obvious required change at half-time where he removed the yellow-carded Matt Spring for the more solid and defensively minded Jose Semedo. Our Portu-geezer had a storming half, reminding us all of what has been lacking over the past five games which he has missed, and ensured that Charlton remained solid under intense pressure as the game wore on. This is no way reflects badly on Spring, who actually had a very decent first 45 minutes – possibly his best half since he came into the side when Semedo was injured.
In fact, nearly all the team came off as heroes in a very physical encounter. Deon Burton led the line and won a fair share of aerial ball too, and with McLeod being up alongside or in front of him, eased some of the pressure that he has carried over the first dozen games of the season. The pair linked well, if not perfectly, and McLeod’s running ability enabled him to get deep into the channels and cause a constant worry for the Terriers defence. On several occasions McLeod went to ground, and if the referee had been as interested in giving Charlton free-kicks as he had our opponents then the Addicks may have had many more shots on goal than they did. McLeod’s goal came from a free-kick that was headed back across the area by Sodje just four minutes into the second half, and though very well received, he did stupidly remove his shirt during the celebrations and pick up his fourth yellow card of the season as a result (top pic).
The midfield four competed in each half, but with Huddersfield playing the ball over the top of them for much of the first half, Spring and Racon regularly found themselves facing the wrong direction and having to retreat to catch play up. When they did get the ball down and play both made good passes, and Racon in particular made some very intelligent runs into space and was always trying to find cracks in a somewhat creaky opposition defence. Nicky Bailey was the subject of a couple of very hefty tackles which went unpunished by anything more than a free-kick to the home side, and hopefully he will shrug off the bruises as he has done for much of this season and be OK for next week. Lloyd Sam made good headway down the right wing but did fail to get crosses in when well placed on more than one occasion. He is still constantly double-marked though, and that seemed to allow McLeod to exploit the space behind him sometimes to good effect.
The defence had plenty to cope with, as the ball came straight to them bypassing the midfield protection. Facing an attack that was much bigger than any of them, they all did very admirably to cope with the succession of high crosses or long throw-ins that came their way with Sodje providing some spectacular headed clearances. Christian Dailly acted calm as always, and cleared his lines accurately, while Frazer Richardson had another competent game and got forward whenever he could. The star of the back line once more though was Kelly Youga, who, after a couple of stray first half passes, put on a master-class in tackling, clearing his lines, and attacking wing play. Youga was simply awesome in his efforts, and at no stage was he that untowardly troubled. Sodje had opened the scoring with a thunderous header (above) direct from a Spring corner in the seventh minute; for a team full of large players and aerial ability, Huddersfield will be upset at conceding two headed goals to Charlton.The defence did have some help, especially in the second half from the immense presence of substitute Semedo, who once more broke up play and gave the simple pass.
In goal, Rob Elliot was once more assured, and he again did well with the many crosses that came his way, punching or catching as the situation demanded. Elliot made one great stop with his legs to keep the score at 2-1, and though beaten by a headed corner midway through the second half, there had been a foul committed well before the ball went into the net. The one legitimate goal he conceded, five minutes before half-time, was a thunderous free-kick from 25 yards by Pilkington that went in off the post, after Spring was adjudged to have fouled and subsequently booked for dissent.
Substitutes Scott Wagstaff (for Sam) and Dave Mooney (for McLeod) came on during the last fifteen minutes for cameo appearances, and both did what they needed to during those last few tense minutes.
So overall, the whole team contributed to the win, and just about deserved the three valuable points that take them to the top of the table once more.
The one concern to come out of this game is the battering that some of the Charlton team took – both Richardson and Dailly suffered cuts to their heads, with the right back playing on with a large daub of vaseline stemming the blood seeping from the side of his head, while Dailly needed to change his shorts late on after suffering a cut near his eye. With Bailey also receiving on field treatment twice, I hope all the players are fit for next weekends Kent derby game.
Charlton may not top the table for long, with Leeds playing on Monday night, but the effort and skill that won this victory does go to show that the team is capable of beating pretty much anyone in this league on their day. A gap is now becoming visible in the league table, with six real contenders for the two automatic promotion places, and any teams outside of this mini-league have to be seen as cannon-fodder and ripe for three points. With Gillingham, Yeovil, and Carlisle all outside this elite group, consecutive victories in these forthcoming games must be sought, and if won, will cement Charlton’s rightful pace as one of the favourites to return to the Championship in May.
Labels: Charlton, Huddersfield
Friday, October 16, 2009
Counter-Terriers
Charlton have another important home game this weekend at The Valley, with eighth placed Huddersfield Town the visitors. With the Addicks in second place in the league table after a quarter of the season things should be rosy red, but after three games without a goal and only one win in six league games, is this just a rocky little patch in league form, or have the wheels totally come off Charlton’s league title ambitions?Manager Phil Parkinson will be concerned about the lack of goals in recent games, even though the club is still fourth in the goal-scoring charts for the season, but we haven’t conceded many this year either, which is a bonus. Two consecutive goalless draws have kept Charlton within touching distance of leaders Leeds (who could once more be overtaken with an Addicks victory on Saturday), but the chasing pack have closed the gap that looked like it was being built, and that sits uncomfortably with the majority of supporters I feel.
So if it is all going pear shaped, where is the problem, and what can Parky do about it?
Running through the team, we do not seem to have a major problem in goal, where Rob Elliot has, bar his calamitous game at Colchester, been the modicum of consistency. Elliot has made some very good saves in games during the first quarter of the season, and probably won Charlton points by maintaining leads, or not allowing Charlton to fall behind at crucial times. He does still have the occasional flap at crosses, and the rush of blood to the head evident during Charlton sole loss this year, but overall he is the first choice ‘keeper and that is unlikely to change unless he starts letting in a lot more goals he should be saving.
The defence, with Frazer Richardson, Christian Dailly, Miguel Llera and Kelly Youga featuring, has been solid bar that one Colchester game. Richardson, Llera and Dailly have all played games when injured this season, which shows that they have the club at heart and want to succeed; it is possible however that playing too many players carrying knocks can have a detrimental affect on the team as a whole, and I do think that this might need to be managed a little better as the season progresses. This is more than true when we do seem to have capable deputies in Grant Basey and Chris Solly, plus the now fit and able Sam Sodje, back from time with the Nigeria squad. I expect Sodje to now become first choice centre back in partnership with Dailly, with Llera being an able reserve, simply as he is more dominant in the air. Llera has filled an important gap in the team over the opening weeks of the season, but his communication issues (with either the language or his head-guard causing him not to understand requirements at vital times) need addressing.
Charlton’s undoubted strength over the opening weeks was in midfield, with a surfeit of players all trying to squeeze into the team. In order to accommodate Jose Semedo (top pic), Terry Racon, and Nicky Bailey, our skipper has been played out wide on the left, which is definitely not his best position; Bailey has though made a really good fist of it, and for him to be able to beat full backs at will, as he consistently does, shows how good a player he can be. He is also great at arriving in the box at the right time, and of getting in good crosses for others to feed on. Racon has also had a good season to date, with his skill and enterprise carving out openings and tempting others to run into space. The biggest loss, and almost certainly the reason for Charlton's dip in form has been the absence of Semedo though injury and it is great news that he seems to be fit once more to return against Huddersfield. His presence is immense, and his ability to track, tackle, and give an easy ball should not be underestimated. With him in the side, it allows Racon and winger Lloyd Sam the freedom to go forward and not worry about counter-attacks. While Matt Spring has got better as he has played over the last few weeks, he is not a great tackler, and as a consequence, the possession that Charlton have had has been less and the team have looked more vulnerable as a result. If he is fit, I expect Parky to bring back our Portu-geezer at Spring’s expense.
It is key to this Charlton side that we have a good winger in the team, and Lloyd Sam has fitted that bill perfectly this year; his League One August Player of the Month award was well deserved, even though we know that Lloyd can on occasion be a bit hot and cold. It’s easy for fans to shout out at wingers, simply because they tend to be closest to the by-lines during games, and I’m sure that most readers of this blog have someone who sits near them at games who shout out for Sam to go wider, or get down the line, or work harder. It cracks me up when you see Sam or someone else cut inside with someone shouting out to go wide and it results in a goal or penalty of such like. Teams set themselves up to force players into positions they don’t want to be in – like Oldham forcing Sam inside every time last week where they had ample defensive cover; it is up to Sam to deliver even when he is shown the inside, and with two good feet, he really should be making teams pay and letting fly with shots from 25 yards if that’s where they want him to run,or at least making killer passes from those positions when he has dragged defenders away from other areas. In Scott Wagstaff, we have a good reserve if and when Sam is not playing well, we need to rest him, or he is injured. Last week was a classic example of a time when Wagstaff, fresh off the back of a goal scoring performance against Barnet, should have been on the pitch earlier and possibly from the start bearing in mind Sam’s injury concern.
In attack, Charlton have come to the point where Parky really needs to decide when it best to use Plan B. The first quarter of the season has seen the use of Deon Burton playing a lone striking role with Jonjo Shelvey tucked in behind trying to feed off scraps and drive the team forward. This obviously worked with Burton scoring five times, Charlton winning their first six league games, and Shelvey growing in confidence week on week. Now though, some of the better teams (with better managers) have got wise to this rigid formation, and have set themselves up to choke Charlton’s possession, and cut off the service to Burton while bullying the young Shelvey. Neither player can be faulted for effort, but when the service is not there, for whatever reason, there effectiveness becomes nullified. Plan B is to have Izale McLeod and Tamer Tuna running at defences, with or without the ball, in a way that Burton and Shelvey cannot. Barnet could not cope with it, though they are from a league below, but even League One teams have struggled to cope with McLeod’s pace when he has been brought on as a substitute over recent weeks. It is a shame then that goals in consecutive games preceded some poor misses last Saturday by McLeod, and this not only lost Charlton two precious points but has seen many calls by fans for McLeod to be dispensed with in favour of Tuna or new recruit Clinton McKenzie. McKenzie’s own cameo last weekend looked decent, and he should have plenty to offer based on his career stats, but calls for him to start this weekend are premature fitness-wise, and certainly unfair on the other strikers who have worked hard to get the club where we are today. My own view is that it is time to look at alternatives, especially as Burton is carrying a hernia injury that needs an operation, but that it might be best to give Shelvey a break from starting in favour of live-wire McLeod. If McLeod’s introduction works, then Shelvey would be a great substitute to introduce for the last half hour to close games out, and if it doesn’t, then at least it shows that Charlton are flexible when choosing a first eleven and changes can be made as necessary depending on the game situation. With Tuna, Shelvey and McKenzie all on the bench, any eventuality in a game situation is covered.
This is the side I would pick to start against Huddersfield, even though I think Parky will be brave if he matches it –
Rob Elliot
Frazer Richardson
Christian Dailly
Sam Sodje
Kelly Youga
Jose Semedo
Therry Racon
Nicky Bailey
Lloyd Sam
Izale McLeod
Deon Burton
Subs from Randolph, Solly, Basey, Llera, Spring, Stavrinou, Wagstaff, Shelvey, Tuna, McKenzie.
Huddersfield are a big team and that aerial threat will need to be countered by the Addicks (hence why I think Burton will keep his place even though injured); in Jordan Rhodes, the Terriers seem to have one of the most potent strikers in this league with eleven goals so far, and Dailly and Sodje (or Llera) will need to be aware of his ability to break into dangerous areas late and get on the end of crosses. Our full backs will need to mark the wide players closely and cut off the supply into the box, while Elliot will need to be at his commanding best when those crosses do come near him. Centre Half Peter Clarke (interestingly one of three players named Clarke on the clubs books) was strongly linked with a move to The Valley in the summer, so he will want to make a point that he chose the right club, while solid partner Chris Lucketti has been doing the rounds in the lower leagues for quiet a few years. 19-year-old goalkeeper Alex Smithies is one to keep an eye on, as big things are thought to be on the horizon for the local born shot-stopper. Moreover, Huddersfield work as a team, and Charlton will need to be near their best if they are to contain the attacking threat posed by the Northerners.
Charlton had such a good first six games of the season that whatever followed was likely to be slightly inferior. These recent games have seen a wobble but not a fall from grace, and it is now time to stand up straight and start winning games once more. This will not be easy this weekend, but with Semedo back in the side, Pedro45 is hoping that a return to winning ways is imminent – I am forecasting a 2-1 victory.
My one-to-watch this weekend is going to be Izale McLeod (left), even if he does not feature from the start. Izzy needs to forget about missing those chances last week, and get back to doing what he does best – causing havoc in opposing defences through his sheer pace and presence. It is much better to be getting into goal-scoring positions and miss the chances than to not get into those positions at all; strikers put themselves on the line when they shoot, and if they miss, they have to take all the flack that come their way. When the ball goes in, they get all the adulation as recompense, and I am banking on McLeod to bounce back with a goal at The Valley this weekend.
Should Charlton fail to win once more, then the pressure will mount even more on the players and management at the club. I cannot help thinking back to two seasons ago, when Charlton sat near the top of the Championship at around this time, yet fell spectacularly down the league as winter drew in, finishing mid-table. That scenario cannot be allowed to happen again, and all the known problems that brought about that fall need to be countered before they start to perpetuate once more. Parkinson needs to be flexible in his team-choice, tactically countering our opponents before the game commences. With Plan B, McLeod, Wagstaff, Tuna, McKenzie, Sodje, and Semedo all at his disposal this weekend, we should have enough tactical options to throw Lee Clark’s team and planning off the scent, and that should bring about a return to winning ways.
Come on you Reds!
The defence, with Frazer Richardson, Christian Dailly, Miguel Llera and Kelly Youga featuring, has been solid bar that one Colchester game. Richardson, Llera and Dailly have all played games when injured this season, which shows that they have the club at heart and want to succeed; it is possible however that playing too many players carrying knocks can have a detrimental affect on the team as a whole, and I do think that this might need to be managed a little better as the season progresses. This is more than true when we do seem to have capable deputies in Grant Basey and Chris Solly, plus the now fit and able Sam Sodje, back from time with the Nigeria squad. I expect Sodje to now become first choice centre back in partnership with Dailly, with Llera being an able reserve, simply as he is more dominant in the air. Llera has filled an important gap in the team over the opening weeks of the season, but his communication issues (with either the language or his head-guard causing him not to understand requirements at vital times) need addressing.
Charlton’s undoubted strength over the opening weeks was in midfield, with a surfeit of players all trying to squeeze into the team. In order to accommodate Jose Semedo (top pic), Terry Racon, and Nicky Bailey, our skipper has been played out wide on the left, which is definitely not his best position; Bailey has though made a really good fist of it, and for him to be able to beat full backs at will, as he consistently does, shows how good a player he can be. He is also great at arriving in the box at the right time, and of getting in good crosses for others to feed on. Racon has also had a good season to date, with his skill and enterprise carving out openings and tempting others to run into space. The biggest loss, and almost certainly the reason for Charlton's dip in form has been the absence of Semedo though injury and it is great news that he seems to be fit once more to return against Huddersfield. His presence is immense, and his ability to track, tackle, and give an easy ball should not be underestimated. With him in the side, it allows Racon and winger Lloyd Sam the freedom to go forward and not worry about counter-attacks. While Matt Spring has got better as he has played over the last few weeks, he is not a great tackler, and as a consequence, the possession that Charlton have had has been less and the team have looked more vulnerable as a result. If he is fit, I expect Parky to bring back our Portu-geezer at Spring’s expense.
It is key to this Charlton side that we have a good winger in the team, and Lloyd Sam has fitted that bill perfectly this year; his League One August Player of the Month award was well deserved, even though we know that Lloyd can on occasion be a bit hot and cold. It’s easy for fans to shout out at wingers, simply because they tend to be closest to the by-lines during games, and I’m sure that most readers of this blog have someone who sits near them at games who shout out for Sam to go wider, or get down the line, or work harder. It cracks me up when you see Sam or someone else cut inside with someone shouting out to go wide and it results in a goal or penalty of such like. Teams set themselves up to force players into positions they don’t want to be in – like Oldham forcing Sam inside every time last week where they had ample defensive cover; it is up to Sam to deliver even when he is shown the inside, and with two good feet, he really should be making teams pay and letting fly with shots from 25 yards if that’s where they want him to run,or at least making killer passes from those positions when he has dragged defenders away from other areas. In Scott Wagstaff, we have a good reserve if and when Sam is not playing well, we need to rest him, or he is injured. Last week was a classic example of a time when Wagstaff, fresh off the back of a goal scoring performance against Barnet, should have been on the pitch earlier and possibly from the start bearing in mind Sam’s injury concern.
In attack, Charlton have come to the point where Parky really needs to decide when it best to use Plan B. The first quarter of the season has seen the use of Deon Burton playing a lone striking role with Jonjo Shelvey tucked in behind trying to feed off scraps and drive the team forward. This obviously worked with Burton scoring five times, Charlton winning their first six league games, and Shelvey growing in confidence week on week. Now though, some of the better teams (with better managers) have got wise to this rigid formation, and have set themselves up to choke Charlton’s possession, and cut off the service to Burton while bullying the young Shelvey. Neither player can be faulted for effort, but when the service is not there, for whatever reason, there effectiveness becomes nullified. Plan B is to have Izale McLeod and Tamer Tuna running at defences, with or without the ball, in a way that Burton and Shelvey cannot. Barnet could not cope with it, though they are from a league below, but even League One teams have struggled to cope with McLeod’s pace when he has been brought on as a substitute over recent weeks. It is a shame then that goals in consecutive games preceded some poor misses last Saturday by McLeod, and this not only lost Charlton two precious points but has seen many calls by fans for McLeod to be dispensed with in favour of Tuna or new recruit Clinton McKenzie. McKenzie’s own cameo last weekend looked decent, and he should have plenty to offer based on his career stats, but calls for him to start this weekend are premature fitness-wise, and certainly unfair on the other strikers who have worked hard to get the club where we are today. My own view is that it is time to look at alternatives, especially as Burton is carrying a hernia injury that needs an operation, but that it might be best to give Shelvey a break from starting in favour of live-wire McLeod. If McLeod’s introduction works, then Shelvey would be a great substitute to introduce for the last half hour to close games out, and if it doesn’t, then at least it shows that Charlton are flexible when choosing a first eleven and changes can be made as necessary depending on the game situation. With Tuna, Shelvey and McKenzie all on the bench, any eventuality in a game situation is covered.
This is the side I would pick to start against Huddersfield, even though I think Parky will be brave if he matches it –
Rob Elliot
Frazer Richardson
Christian Dailly
Sam Sodje
Kelly Youga
Jose Semedo
Therry Racon
Nicky Bailey
Lloyd Sam
Izale McLeod
Deon Burton
Subs from Randolph, Solly, Basey, Llera, Spring, Stavrinou, Wagstaff, Shelvey, Tuna, McKenzie.
Huddersfield are a big team and that aerial threat will need to be countered by the Addicks (hence why I think Burton will keep his place even though injured); in Jordan Rhodes, the Terriers seem to have one of the most potent strikers in this league with eleven goals so far, and Dailly and Sodje (or Llera) will need to be aware of his ability to break into dangerous areas late and get on the end of crosses. Our full backs will need to mark the wide players closely and cut off the supply into the box, while Elliot will need to be at his commanding best when those crosses do come near him. Centre Half Peter Clarke (interestingly one of three players named Clarke on the clubs books) was strongly linked with a move to The Valley in the summer, so he will want to make a point that he chose the right club, while solid partner Chris Lucketti has been doing the rounds in the lower leagues for quiet a few years. 19-year-old goalkeeper Alex Smithies is one to keep an eye on, as big things are thought to be on the horizon for the local born shot-stopper. Moreover, Huddersfield work as a team, and Charlton will need to be near their best if they are to contain the attacking threat posed by the Northerners.
Charlton had such a good first six games of the season that whatever followed was likely to be slightly inferior. These recent games have seen a wobble but not a fall from grace, and it is now time to stand up straight and start winning games once more. This will not be easy this weekend, but with Semedo back in the side, Pedro45 is hoping that a return to winning ways is imminent – I am forecasting a 2-1 victory.
My one-to-watch this weekend is going to be Izale McLeod (left), even if he does not feature from the start. Izzy needs to forget about missing those chances last week, and get back to doing what he does best – causing havoc in opposing defences through his sheer pace and presence. It is much better to be getting into goal-scoring positions and miss the chances than to not get into those positions at all; strikers put themselves on the line when they shoot, and if they miss, they have to take all the flack that come their way. When the ball goes in, they get all the adulation as recompense, and I am banking on McLeod to bounce back with a goal at The Valley this weekend.Should Charlton fail to win once more, then the pressure will mount even more on the players and management at the club. I cannot help thinking back to two seasons ago, when Charlton sat near the top of the Championship at around this time, yet fell spectacularly down the league as winter drew in, finishing mid-table. That scenario cannot be allowed to happen again, and all the known problems that brought about that fall need to be countered before they start to perpetuate once more. Parkinson needs to be flexible in his team-choice, tactically countering our opponents before the game commences. With Plan B, McLeod, Wagstaff, Tuna, McKenzie, Sodje, and Semedo all at his disposal this weekend, we should have enough tactical options to throw Lee Clark’s team and planning off the scent, and that should bring about a return to winning ways.
Come on you Reds!
Labels: Charlton, Huddersfield, Izale McLeod
