Friday, December 28, 2007
The End of the Year Show
2007 has been a long year for Charlton supporters – the excitement of Alan Pardew becoming manager 53 weeks ago; the Premiership revival in early Spring; eventual relegation; new summer signings, and the sale of Darren Bent; an amazing start to the new Championship season; our dodgy defence; our rise up the table; and finally our slide down again coupled with lots of injuries and suspensions. Saturday now brings the final game of this long year, away at Leicester City.I doubt that the match at the Walkers Stadium will have as many highs and lows as the whole year has, but it would be good to see some excitement, some hope for the future, some vision of where this club of ours is heading.
The problem, as we are all aware, is that we have a squad decimated by injuries and suspensions. Definitely out are Cory Gibbs, Ben Thatcher, Grant Basey, Andy Reid, Svetislav Todorov, Sam Sodje, and Danny Mills. Add up the weekly salary of that lot and tell me it isn’t hurting the team? Also doubtful are Yassin Moutaouakil, Darren Ambrose, and Chris Iwelumo, while Zheng Zhi, Lloyd Sam, Jerome Thomas, Matt Holland and Luke Varney have all been carrying knocks or have been ill very recently.
Luckily, we have a big squad, plus players who are willing to play when in discomfort, so we have been able to field teams good enough to draw our last two games.
Leicester have been languishing in mid-table for a couple of years, but now have finances supplied by ex-Pompey Chairman Milan Mandaric. He hasn’t exactly splashed the cash, but has overseen a gradual improvement of the playing squad. That effort is now likely to be stepped up during January with Ian Holloway in charge – The Foxes third manager this season! – as they attempt to get somewhere close to a play off position by seasons end. They are a side without stars; solid but never explosive, combative and not creative. Matt Fryatt caused Charlton problems at The Valley, and Ian Hume is a good player, but if Charlton play to their strengths, they should be able to cope.
Then again, what are Charlton’s strengths? We have a defence that leaks goals; a midfield who can be out-muscled, and a bunch of crocked or mis-firing strikers. What Charlton do possess though is skill. In abundance. And if that can be focussed in the right areas, then the Addicks are capable of scoring and winning any game in this league.
Alan Pardew will try to get that focus from this side on Saturday I believe –
Nicky Weaver
Madjid Bougherra
Paddy McCarthy
Jonathan Fortune
Chris Powell
Jose Semedo
Matt Holland
Zheng Zhi
Lloyd Sam
Jerome Thomas
Chris Iwelumo
Subs from Randolph, Sankofa, Aswad Thomas, Arter, Dickson, Varney, McLeod.
Of course, I am presuming that all the above are fit (or fit enough to play) and none of those not named have miraculously recovered from their various ailments. If either of the wide players is out, then Luke Varney will probably be asked to provide that role, as he did for much of the game at Carrow Road in midweek. If Big Chris is unable to start, then Izale McLeod is the only viable option for the lone front man role, unless Pards changes the set up completely and goes 4-4-2. This would be favourable at any home game, but with the 4-5-1 having served Charlton so well in away games, it is unlikely unless forced by injured personnel.
Pedro45’s score prediction is a toughed out 2-1 win. Leicester have not won back-to-back home games for many months, and I cannot see them being able to here. Beating Ipswich at home (as they did on Boxing Day) is one thing that all Championship clubs get used to, but beating Charlton is another. At The Valley earlier in the season, Iwelumo and Varney scored early and Charlton coasted the rest of the match in total control. If the Addicks can get ahead early on once more, I think we could see a similar result. Mind you, with our defence, we might struggle to keep a clean sheet…
A year that started with three consecutive thumpings, including crashing out of the FA Cup at Nottingham Forest, has a chance to end with a win in the East Midlands. And you know what, I think we can…
Up the Addicks!
Labels: Charlton, Jerome Thomas, Leicester
Thursday, November 08, 2007
More Birds on the Block
It's been a pretty good week to be a Charlton fan, following a week when it wasn't a very nice feeling at all! Two wins, both courtesy of late, late, goals by Chris Iwelumo (left), have brightened up each Addicks smile and taken Charlton back up to near the top of the Championship table. Of course, a third win in a week would be great, and as Cardiff come to The Valley each Addick will be expecting three more points, and a continuance of the resurgence.
There does seem to be a profligacy of bird mascots in this division - The Owls, Eagles, Canaries and Robins have been beaten, now it's time for the Bluebirds! The Throstles are yet to come...
Cardiff will be hoping that their aged forward line are ready to do the business; both Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink - he with the knack of scoring against his old teams - and Robbie Fowler - he with the knack of scoring against anyone - will be dangerous if some of Charlton's previous defensive frailty is to the fore again. Prior to his spell with Charlton last season, Hasselbaink scored against the Addicks for Middlesboro and Chelsea, and also won a game winning penalty at Stamford Bridge one year. Fowler has also scored plenty against Charlton in the past for Liverpool. Even more dangerous is when and where teams concentrate on these two, and forget about the other nine players from the Welsh side; they have a good scoring record from midfield, and (apparently more than one-time Addick target) Darren Purse also heads the odd goal too.
Charlton though will be hoping to put in a better home performance than we have seen for some time. It's true that the home support has been quiet recently, and was almost anonymous during the early kick-off against QPR which resulted in a second consecutive home defeat. Hopefully, the two great results at Southampton and Bristol and a 3pm kick off will bring the vocal element back and the team will respond with the early goal which will settle everyone down.
The team, barring any unknown injuries, pretty much picks itself, with the only changes likely to be Jose Semedo returning after suspension in place of Therry Racon, and the possibility of Luke Varney starting instead of Lloyd Sam. Bearing in mind the defence has kept two clean sheets, I doubt any changes are expected there, although if Chris Powell is nearing fitness, he will come back in for Basey. The Sam/Varney conundrum is dependant on whether Alan Pardew wants to remain with the 4-5-1 formation he started both recent away games with, or switch back to 4-4-2 as this is obviously his preferred starting line up.
I think that Varney has done enough to warrant a start, and it seems he has regained his confidence following a great run and cross to set up Iwelumo at St Marys, and a strong second half at Ashton Gate. This will be tough on Lloyd Sam, but he will probably get some game time whether we are winning or losing come the hour mark.
This is who I think Pards will pick -
Nicky Weaver
Danny Mills
Sam Sodje
Danny Mills
Sam Sodje
Jonathan Fortune
Grant Basey
Jose Semedo
Zheng Zhi
Andy Reid
Jerome Thomas
Luke Varney
Grant Basey
Jose Semedo
Zheng Zhi
Andy Reid
Jerome Thomas
Luke Varney
Chris Iwelumo
Subs – Randolph, Bougherra, Racon, Ambrose, Sam, McLeod.
Subs – Randolph, Bougherra, Racon, Ambrose, Sam, McLeod.
My one-to-watch this game is going to be Jerome Thomas. I could have gone for Big Chris (aiming for a very unlikely hat-trick!) but that was too obvious, and Reid and ZiZi plus Mills are too consistent to pick out every game, so I've gone for JT, who still has something to prove. Strangely, I did think I saw him on Monday evening as this man walked past me heading toward Jack Barclay's Bentley showroom near Vauxhall; it may have been Jerome (who does have a Bentley to his name...), but I couldn't be sure... What I do know is that JT needs to come up with the goods on a more consistent basis; he has bundles of skill, good pace, and a not bad workrate. What we need is to see all of this on a regular basis. It is no good him thinking that he is the most skillfull player in the Championship, he has got to show that week in and week out! Not only must he be able to beat players, but he must cross accurately (the benefit of this shown by our last two goals!) and score goals himself when he gets chances. Pedro45's score prediction needs to be an Addicks loss in order for a home win; I am convinced that whatever I predict will never come true! But sooner or later I will get a result right (much as Killer eventually did with his predictions last season), so I am going to pray and hope for a third Addicks win in a week and a relatively comfortable 2-0 victory.
This is yet another important game for Charlton; to go four games without a home win will bring doubt back to the club, and we do not want that lurking in the back of our minds as we head toward Xmas. Other teams are starting to get hit by injury (WBA with Phillips for instance) and suspension and the strength in depth that Alan Pardew has built should stand Charlton in good stead well into the new year (especially with Sinclair, Wright, and Dickson doing well out on loan and ready to come back at any stage, plus Holland, Powell, Thatcher, Gibbs etc soon to return from injury).
A win gets us closer to the top, and that can only be a good thing!
Come on you reds!
Labels: Cardiff, Charlton, Jerome Thomas
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
The Wrong Bent Signs
A friend sent this image to me with the "Bent Signs" headline; he had been sent it by an Arsenal supporter...Now we are Championship, and not Premier League, we are going to be the butt of lots of jokes.Martin Jol certainly thinks so if he imagines he can prise Darren Bent away for a mere £10million!
Other jokers are -
Steve Bruce - reportedly willing to pay £1.8m for Big-Time-Charlie Jerome Thomas. Have you checked out the nite clubs and talent in Brum yet JT?
Radostin Kishishev - on the verge of joining Leicester, or Stoke...When you go down, you really go down!
Mr Justice Tugendhat - for keeping all the world waiting for decision on whether Iain Dowie "fraudulantly misrepresented" himself or not...how long do you need to know who was lying and who was telling the truth? Will Dowie still be invited to sit in as a pundit on BBC and/or Sky if he is found guilty?
Labels: Darren Bent, Jerome Thomas, Radostin Kishishev
