Monday, January 26, 2009
This, That and the Other
Sheffield Wednesday 4 Charlton Athletic 1Sheffield United 2 Charlton Athletic 1
Home from holidays, and plenty has been going on since my last post…while I was away, Charlton got beaten twice in the league, and once in the cup, but did manage to win a game (the 3rd round cup victory over Norwich..).
I’ve not seen the goals or highlights from any of these games, so cannot pass much judgment; it seems the defeats to Forest (described to me by a friend a “shocking”), and Wednesday (described by Phil Parkinson to us all as “shocking”) are best forgotten, while the cup victory was a surprise, and the subsequent cup defeat not so, despite an improved showing.
With all the comings and goings of loan signings, at least the team will (should?) have some sort of consistency over the next crucial three months, although we are now starting to get hit by a crop of injuries that could hurt us, but alternatively, could provide the opportunity for some players to make their mark and a name for themselves.
Since I was at The Valley for the Norwich game, Jay McEveley has gone back to Derby (injured and released early); Martyn Waghorn has rejoined the stiffs at Sunderland (a victim of having too many loan signings originally, and then left out due to the formation Parky used…); Then there was a goodbye to Hameur Bouazza, being recalled by Fulham only to join Birmingham on loan. Tom Soares has joined on loan from Stoke and Graeme Murty from Reading; Matt Spring has signed permanently from Luton (via Sheffield United). Therry Racon is now fit again after injury and Zheng Zhi is almost fit (and not going to be transferred this week it seems?); however, Jose Semedo is out for couple of months, and Mark Hudson is doubtful for the midweek game. Oh, and Izale Mcleod has been loaned to Millwall until the end of the season, and I understand has already started to fluff chances for them (good boy!).
With youngsters like Jonjo Shelvey, Josh Wright, Scott Wagstaff, Darren Randolph, and even Saturday’s substitute Jack Clark pushing for places, Parky still has plenty of players from which to choose. The problem he seems to have though is fitting them together with the senior pro’s and into a winning team – the choices all over the park do seem to be endless!
If we start with the goalkeepers, you will get the picture…
Nicky Weaver is the experienced pro, but he has some sort of hip injury, which came when he fell heavily at Blackpool in early December. Fit enough to play the following week, he then joined the ranks of the hurting too much (back ache from picking the ball out of the net to much?), and hasn’t been seen since. This gave Rob Elliott a chance, and he has done OK, but Elliott was historically always behind Darren Randolph in the reserve goalkeeper pecking order, and now Randolph is back and free from his poor loan experience at Hereford, he has seemed to have been given the nod as first choice over Elliott. Randolph came into the team in the cup replay at Norwich, kept a clean sheet, and therefore his place for the next two league games, but Elliott played on Saturday. I think Randolph will be back on Tuesday night.
As Parky seems to dislike the clubs only true right back, Yassin Moutaouakil has only played on the cup games (when loanees have been cup-tied); he seems to have done OK, showing his known potential going forward and his known weakness defending. With Murty probably available (he did get injured at Wednesday, and would not have played on Saturday if not cup-tied, so could still be out?), Parky will almost certainly bring him back into the team if fit. The central defence make up is coloured by Hudson’s knock; if he is not fit, then Kelly Youga (who allegedly “played” left back on Saturday) will partner Jonathan Fortune, unless Parky throws the ball to Matt Holland and plays him at centre half again? I have a feeling that Hudson will see this as a game he may wish to miss and that will mean a recall for Grant Basey at left back and a surprise recall for Matty. Fortune has fond memories of scoring in this fixture, so let’s hope history repeats itself on that score. Defensive back up is short, so Moots or Youga should make the bench.
The midfield options are enormous – Parky can pick any option in his four or five man midfield featuring Spring, Nicky Bailey, Holland, Shelvey, Wright, Racon, Lloyd Sam, Darren Ambrose, and Soares. The question of who lines up kind of depends on whether Parky plays two up front or just the one.
If the choice is to start with 4-5-1, then I would expect to see Deon Burton start, with Ambrose in the hole behind, and a middle four of Sam, Bailey, Spring, and Soares. If Parky feels that now is the time to unleash Saturday’s scorer Chris Dickson for real, then he will possibly play alongside Andy Gray (with Burton on the bench). This would leave the midfield as above with Ambrose also benched. Bearing in mind our opponents have conceded eight goals in their last two games (which is worse than Charlton!!!), maybe we ought to attack them from the outset?
This is the side I would like Parky to send out under the floodlights –
Darren Randolph
Graeme Murty
Mark Hudson (or Matt Holland)
Jonathan Fortune
Grant Basey
Tom Soares
Nicky Bailey
Matt Spring
Lloyd Sam
Chris Dickson
Andy Gray
Subs from Elliott, Moutaouakil, Youga, Shelvey, Racon, Wright, Ambrose, Burton, Wagstaff.
Pedro45 hasn’t seen a game for over three weeks, hasn’t seen a win for over three months, and hasn’t seen a good season for over three years. I predict that our run has to come to an end sooner or later (please) and that a 2-0 winning score line would be just the job.
My one-to-watch in this derby game is going to be Chris Dickson; he has the gift of knowing where the goal is, and how to get the ball into the net – now is the time to let him loose. He's been on the transfer list for over a month and nobody has made a decent enough bid for him, and this game is the last in which he will have a chance to shine if he really wants to leave The Valley this month; a goal or two may just push the asking price up a bit which would be no bad thing and work out well for all parties.It’s been a tough three months or so to be a Charlton supporter; 19 league games without a win is a record that nobody at the club should be proud of. I can remember so pretty bad Charlton teams in the past (I’ve witnessed relegation years in ’72, ’80, ’90, ’99, and 2007, and some pretty close scrapes in other seasons too…), but none of those teams ever went this long without winning a match. This squad is far superior to others that have represented the Addicks in the recent past – regular players like Ray Tumbridge, Peter Shaw, Bobby Goldthorpe, Kim Grant, and Lawrie Madden were far worse than anything we have on the books now (the debate is open however!). Now is as good a time as any to end the winless league run, otherwise one or two of the current crop might start to feature in future worst ever Addicks elevens team lists, and we don’t want that do we!
Come on you reds!
Labels: Charlton, Chris Dickson, Sheffield United, Sheffield Wednesday
Friday, January 16, 2009
It's Brightening Up a Bit...
Norwich City 0 Charlton Athletic 1
In some ways, Charlton's season so far could be argued to mirror the weather I'm having on this holiday(!): Bright sunny mornings initially (home wins over Swansea and Reading in August) followed by rainy afternoons (defeats away at Preston etc). Then some prolonged rain, with the odd sunny period (Pardew's last ten games) and then from Sunday, 54 hours of constant heavy rain which replicates our 18-game winless streak during which time Phil Parkinson took over as manager.
To say I was happy that we beat Norwich would be an understatement, but surprisingly, here on the day of the game, it didn't rain on Wednesday - a sign of better times? Let's hope so. Darren Ambrose scored the winning goal as early as the sixth minute, so wonders never cease!
In a strange way, if you had seen the team that Parky picked beforehand, you would probably have felt that he had already conceded the game, and merely wanted to protect certain players from injury and yellow cards. In came home-grown youngsters Darren Randolph, Josh Wright, Scott Wagstaff, and Rashid Yussoff was on the bench along with the even younger Jonjo Shelvey (given a rest...). The fact that this team, with up to 12 players who could be called home-grown in the squad of 18, held on, not only shows how poor Norwich were (a negative view, with Roeder since being sacked), but how well they actually did (the positive aspect).
Actually, since then we have have some sunshine even (a couple of hours on Thursday afternoon) and when we woke this morning, it was positively tremendous weather, with clear blue skies and very little in the way of cloud even out to sea.
Now I'm not expecting everything with the Addicks to be hunky dory from here to season end, but maybe, just maybe, we have turned the corner and brighter prospects are in store? Sure, it did rain a little this afternoon (it normally does in the afternoon's here...), but that has even stopped and it is brightening up a bit as I type.
I cannot see Parky sticking with the same starting eleven at Sheffield Wednesday tomorrow - the first of consecutive trips to the city, as we now meet United in the 4th round of the cup next weekend - even though NYA has intimated that to not do so would be an injustice to the youngsters that finally made Charlton a winning team again. More likely is that Rob Elliott will be restored in goal, Graeme Murty will come in at right back (for Moutaouakil), Matty Spring will play in midfield (for Wright), and Jonjo will be restored to the starting side (for Wagstaff). It may still be 4-5-1, but the options are better with these players starting I feel - Ambrose and Shelvey can alternate between playing in the gap and wide left (or right).
The hope, and let's face it we are clinging to any faint hope we have at present, is that we can follow up the cup win with another in the league, and get that 17-game without a league win monkey off our back in the same week too. Wednesday are no great shakes - they scored twice in a minute (including arguably a wonder goal) at The Valley some months back, but then had to cling on luckily for the win. I'm not really sure what their form is like, or how they have been faring at home recently, but if we play well, then the fact that they, and their fans, will be expecting an easy win against the league's rock bottom team could work in our favour. I also presume that the cold weather has relented enough to allow the game to proceed?
If we can start to put in more consistent displays between now and May, then at least the sunset we have been hoping to see (any sort actually, as there has been too much cloud on the horizon every day so far to make even the merest hope of seeing the sun as it sets impossible!), could be a good one.
The Norwich result has given the club - players, management, and fans - a lift;
what we now need to see is more of the same, and sunnier times ahead.
In some ways, Charlton's season so far could be argued to mirror the weather I'm having on this holiday(!): Bright sunny mornings initially (home wins over Swansea and Reading in August) followed by rainy afternoons (defeats away at Preston etc). Then some prolonged rain, with the odd sunny period (Pardew's last ten games) and then from Sunday, 54 hours of constant heavy rain which replicates our 18-game winless streak during which time Phil Parkinson took over as manager.
To say I was happy that we beat Norwich would be an understatement, but surprisingly, here on the day of the game, it didn't rain on Wednesday - a sign of better times? Let's hope so. Darren Ambrose scored the winning goal as early as the sixth minute, so wonders never cease!
In a strange way, if you had seen the team that Parky picked beforehand, you would probably have felt that he had already conceded the game, and merely wanted to protect certain players from injury and yellow cards. In came home-grown youngsters Darren Randolph, Josh Wright, Scott Wagstaff, and Rashid Yussoff was on the bench along with the even younger Jonjo Shelvey (given a rest...). The fact that this team, with up to 12 players who could be called home-grown in the squad of 18, held on, not only shows how poor Norwich were (a negative view, with Roeder since being sacked), but how well they actually did (the positive aspect).
Actually, since then we have have some sunshine even (a couple of hours on Thursday afternoon) and when we woke this morning, it was positively tremendous weather, with clear blue skies and very little in the way of cloud even out to sea.
Now I'm not expecting everything with the Addicks to be hunky dory from here to season end, but maybe, just maybe, we have turned the corner and brighter prospects are in store? Sure, it did rain a little this afternoon (it normally does in the afternoon's here...), but that has even stopped and it is brightening up a bit as I type.
I cannot see Parky sticking with the same starting eleven at Sheffield Wednesday tomorrow - the first of consecutive trips to the city, as we now meet United in the 4th round of the cup next weekend - even though NYA has intimated that to not do so would be an injustice to the youngsters that finally made Charlton a winning team again. More likely is that Rob Elliott will be restored in goal, Graeme Murty will come in at right back (for Moutaouakil), Matty Spring will play in midfield (for Wright), and Jonjo will be restored to the starting side (for Wagstaff). It may still be 4-5-1, but the options are better with these players starting I feel - Ambrose and Shelvey can alternate between playing in the gap and wide left (or right).
The hope, and let's face it we are clinging to any faint hope we have at present, is that we can follow up the cup win with another in the league, and get that 17-game without a league win monkey off our back in the same week too. Wednesday are no great shakes - they scored twice in a minute (including arguably a wonder goal) at The Valley some months back, but then had to cling on luckily for the win. I'm not really sure what their form is like, or how they have been faring at home recently, but if we play well, then the fact that they, and their fans, will be expecting an easy win against the league's rock bottom team could work in our favour. I also presume that the cold weather has relented enough to allow the game to proceed?
If we can start to put in more consistent displays between now and May, then at least the sunset we have been hoping to see (any sort actually, as there has been too much cloud on the horizon every day so far to make even the merest hope of seeing the sun as it sets impossible!), could be a good one.
The Norwich result has given the club - players, management, and fans - a lift;
what we now need to see is more of the same, and sunnier times ahead.
Labels: Charlton, Norwich, Sheffield Wednesday
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Wednesday Week Never Happened At All
Charlton Athletic 1 Sheffield Wednesday 2OK; let’s get this straight – it wasn’t all bad…but the ending was very lethargic and poor.
For the first half an hour or so, Charlton actually played quite well; Linvoy Primus hit the post in the eighth minute; Luke Varney scored after 25 (left); and then Varney hit the same post that Primus had a few minutes later. All Wednesday had to offer was a low free kick that Weaver scooped un-elegantly to safety. The Yorkshire club supporters were starting to get upset, as pass after pass went straight to the home team, and us local lads had smiles on our faces.
Then it all changed –
Varney went into a hard but fair fifty-fifty challenge, but came out the aggrieved party; he kicked out at the prone Wednesday player and a small fracas ensued. Varney was booked when he could so easily have been sent off by a less lenient referee - possibly evening out some of the luck we haven’t had from referee’s so far this season. Charlton are never good in fights, and it started to show...
A few minutes later, Wade Small set off on one of those runs from the half-way line that you dream about as a footballer – allowed time and space, he waltzed past static Charlton defenders until he was in the box, then hit a good cross-shot back into the far corner of the net. He isn't a Theo Walcott but he was made to look like him! The Owls supporters erupted and you could see the Addick players’ heads drop. It was the first goal Charlton had conceded in over 200 minutes play, but such are the low levels of confidence, it was enough to change the game.
Next to take advantage was Marcus Tudgay; he didn’t have to run quite so far but he too found Charlton players (Bailey, Holland, Primus, and Hudson) willing to let him run across the face of the box without too much of a challenge and then he poked home into the same corner. From being in control to having no control in just three minutes.
Early on, Primus had met the first Addicks corner (taken by Bailey) with his head and the ball looped onto the post and bounced to safety. For the goal, Varney was first to react after a free-kick was headed up in the air and his scuffed shot after it dropped beat the keeper on the line. Varney then battled his way onto a ball and shot past the keeper but saw the ball rebound from the same post already hit and Gray volleyed the high bouncing ball wastefully over.At half time, and losing, fans knew that it would be a matter of time before tinker-man Pardew switched things around in an attempt to get back into the game. Sure enough, after another fifteen minute of toil and effort, but no great impact, off came Primus (possibly getting a bit tired anyway in his first senior start/game back after over 18 months out injured) and Gray (who tried but made little headway all afternoon) and on came Ambrose and Todorov.
Now here Pardew did create a first – I haven’t seen Matt Holland play centre back before! You would have thought that Holland would switch to right back (where he has ended up on occasions) and Crainie would switch inside, but no…
Varney had fired a snap shot just wide early in the half, and Ambrose did similarly after he came on. Bouazza fired over too. Bailey got involved, which was good as he had a poor first half, but Lloyd Sam was still very ineffective. Ambrose thumped a free kick straight at the wall. The referee blew his whistle time and again and the fittest man in the ground had to be the Wednesday physio who ran on every couple of minutes to help stricken blue shirted players every time they stubbed their toe on the ball or felt a little out of breathe.
The game degenerated into a nothing match, with the ball taken to the corner flag by the blue team to run down the clock, and there were few chances at either end. Todorov (who looked way short of match fitness still) fell deeper and deeper, Sam did get involved in the last ten minutes (but it was all too late by then), and Pards brought on Basey for Crainie allowing Youga (who had a poor game from a passing/distribution perspective) to move to another new position on the right side. Basey’s passing was just as bad as last week at Forest, and he had a loud demonstrative argument with Varney (who was the one player still running his socks off and winning headers…) after one less than perfect pass forward from the back that gave the ball straight back to Wednesday.
As four minutes injury time ticked off, Charlton finally got the ball away from a corner flag and into the opposition half. A corner was won and I thought it great that Nicky Weaver, a Wednesday-ite all his life, trundled forward to hope to score against his boyhood team. Sadly, we then saw a corner kick that simply summed up the whole problem with Charlton at this time. Bouazza’s dead ball swung behind the goal-line before it even reached the space where Weaver was waiting forlornly…quite pathetic.
Another home loss.
The best thing I suppose about the game was the crowd – not only did it beat the magical 20,000 mark (by a couple of hundred) thanks to many more Wednesday fans travelling down than I expected (about 1800 or so), but the atmosphere throughout was good and loud. Well done lads! The worst thing, apart from the result, was that the two blokes behind me were in very talkative mode throughout and felt much of what they witnessed was hilariously funny…If I was picking a man-of-the-match, it would probably have been between Varney and Holland, who both gave everything all match without much return.
The last time we had three games in a week, we came out with a win, draw and defeat; if Charlton are to achieve a similar return from this three-game week, then they will have to raise their confidence and play a hell of a lot better than they did yesterday at The Valley.
Labels: Charlton, Sheffield Wednesday
Saturday, September 27, 2008
20,000 Plus?
Just a mention about the crowd figure for today – Charlton are rightly proud of the fact that the last 160-odd league games at The Valley have attracted support of over 20,000 fans. This record is now in danger I think…We saw that when Reading arrived last month that they only brought about 800 – 1,000 supporters with them, and this enabled the announced attendance figure to just creep over the mark – 20,020. Wolves brought much more support, and Swansea did too in the first game of the season. Whether there where sufficient Charlton fans in the ground to keep all those attendances over 20,000 is debateable; tickets sold equated to enough bums on seats to keep the target figure intact.
If you look at the make-up of the figures, you can see why the 20,000 barrier is in danger:
Charlton have around 15,000 season ticket holders; walk up attendees (i.e. non-season ticket holders) are between 1,500 for an average game, and 5,000 for a bigger match; away support can be up to 3,100, but this cannot be guaranteed and will usually be less.
Simple maths means that for an average game, we need to have about 5,000 supporters filling the away end or at the game supporting Charlton without a season ticket.
Next week, I’m sure Ipswich will bring sufficient support to keep that balance over 20,000, but will that be the case with the less glamorous game today against Sheffield Wednesday? Possibly not…
So if anyone is in two minds about going today, please try to make the match as it would be great to keep the run going (for a few weeks longer at least).
Labels: Charlton, Sheffield Wednesday, The Valley
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Can Any Centre Halfs Please Report to the Manager!
It’s back home on Saturday after two away games, where Charlton will be looking for another clean sheet and not a repeat of the thumping they took from the table-toppers last time at The Valley. If only the penalty in that game hadn’t been given and the team could have hung on, we would be in a pretty good position at this stage of the season, and even better than the table shown on Second Division and Proud’s blogsite.Venturing south with a not too good record this year come Sheffield Wednesday. We can expect them to face up with a 4-5-1 formation, and simply try to stifle the heart out of Charlton, while hoping to snatch something on the break or when they do get the chance to venture forwards. Of course, the last two away games have seen the Addicks opposition with plenty of chances to attack our heroes, as Pardew has tinkered his way to a position where he is happy for Charlton players to give the ball away as long as the rest of the team defend properly...hmmm.
I’m hoping for two things – one, that Charlton no longer deem it worthy to give the ball away (cheaply) and, two, if they do, that Wednesday are as inept as both Rovers and Forest in trying to get the ball in the back of the net! It must come to Pardew’s attention some time soon that the plan to hold on to a game until later when he can change the formation will fall over at some stage; maybe not in Yorkshire or Nottinghamshire recently, and maybe not at home to the Owls this weekend, or hopefully in the next two games, which may be construed as slightly more important to Addicks fans, where it must also hold tight. Anything less would be catastrophic for the team and the supporters, and maybe Pards himself!
The first thing Pardew needs to do, having announced that the team will play 4-4-2 on Saturday, is to pick a defence. He can concentrate on that mainly because the rest of the team will practically pick itself – Weaver, Sam, Bailey, Holland, Bouazza, Varney and Gray are all shoe-ins in this blogs opinion, though there are alternatives (which I will come to later when we look at who could be on the subs bench). The defence though could be practically anything or anyone, as long as two of the four are Hudson and Youga. At Forest, Crainie and Fortune had to go off injured, and it has been announced that Fortune is out for several weeks now; Crainie may be fit, but hamstring strains normally take a bit more time to heal than a few days or a week even, so I’m not convinced that we will see this Pompey loanee at right back. That leaves a gap for either Yassin Moutaouakil or Jose Semedo. Moots did little wrong before Crainie arrived, so will be eager to win his position back; he will certainly provide an attacking option which could be put to good use in this home game. Pardew may, though, decide to play Semedo at right back, as he did very well in the last ten minutes at Forest going forwards, and has always given his best at any and every stage he has played for the club.
If Crainie is fit, then he could play centrally alongside Hudson, but with that in doubt, the only viable option (provided Semedo isn’t used there) is to play Youga inside, with Grant Basey pushed back to one of his more regular and favoured positions at left back. I thought Youga did very well for the half hour he played at centre back last Saturday, and with a league cup game in that position too this season, that does seem to me to be the obvious choice. Playing both Youga and Basey also gives Pards the option of allowing Basey to take all the dead-ball kicks that we get all match... Oh, and the other Pompey loanee - Linvoy Primus - is not available either.
As for the subs, well Pardew does have a wealth of veritable talent at his disposal; last weekends non-playing squad members – Fleetwood and Shelvey – both scored for the club in a friendly in midweek. Todorov and Ambrose also played a full part in that match and are now considered fully fit. One absentee in midweek was Zheng Zhi, and I do think that this match might be one too early for him, bearing in mind everyone else is fit, and we have other games coming up where he can be eased back in.
This is the side I believe Pardew may have to send out at The Valley on Saturday –
Nicky Weaver
Yassin Moutaouakil
Mark Hudson
Kelly Youga
Grant Basey
Lloyd Sam
Matt Holland
Nicky Bailey
Hameur Bouazza
Luke Varney
Andy Gray
Subs from Elliott, Semedo, Thomas, Solly, Zhi, Shelvey, Ambrose, Fleetwood, Todorov, Dickson.
This really is the chance of a home win, and to look good while doing it, for Alan Pardew’s team; the crowd will expect three points after the last couple of results, and the players will know that they have to perform, or they will face being left out next Tuesday, especially with a plethora of fit and experienced players hoping to get back into the team.
Pedro45’s score prediction is a uniform 2-0 victory.
My one-to watch in this game is going to be Kelly Youga. Always the bridesmaid, and never the bride, the man has the persona to be a bit of a cult hero if he really, really wants – we know that he can play at left back, but can he cut it in the middle of defence if asked? He has the pace, the tackle, and the battling aerial qualities necessary, but does he have the temperament? Last weekend, he reacted badly when wronged by a Forest Hood-ie; he survived by being held back at that time, but minutes later a slightly mis-timed tackle (OK, I’m being kind here…) was rightly punished by a yellow card. That left him on a tightrope for the rest of the game, but he did hold it together, just! I think he can do it, and should be given the chance. It might be for just one match, but we will know at 5pm if he can be good enough or be trusted enough to play there over the next few weeks while other, more obvious, choices for centre back get fit.This is another three-game week, and therefore another important time for the Addicks; if we can start off well, we might just have a chance of bettering the four points we won from the last such week. It won’t be easy, but it is possible…we just have to believe!
Come on you reds!
Labels: Charlton, Kelly Youga, Sheffield Wednesday
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
No Goals - Three Views
Sheffield Wednesday 0 Charlton Athletic 0Not much to add to any other reports of this game, although I haven’t had a chance to read any as work is a nightmare at the moment.
I listened to the game on the radio, and interrupted that with the in-game SSN reports. It was interesting to compare the opinions on both channels, and that of the highlights shown on SSN after ten o’clock.
Radio London obviously had a southern bias, with the referee and in particular the linesman being useless. It was strange how attacking throw ins by Greg Halford seemed to end up with Showunmi on the half way line, but that’s commentary for you! Although the home team seemed to have the best chances, with Nicky Weaver making three very good saves by all accounts, it was a close game, and Matt Holland did hit the post with a drive from ten yards or so in the first half. Luke Varney did get the ball in the net in the second half but he was adjudged to be just offside by the linesman who apparently got every decision wrong. Oh, and Paddy McCarthy was fantastic!
The reporter at the ground for Sky needed to be woken up every time the studio went to him for his opinion. This report balanced the Radio view and was full of northern negativity – Wednesday were always the better side; Weaver had kept Charlton in the game, etc etc. Varney was rightly flagged offside apparently…hmmm.
Then you see the highlights and it was pretty much all Charlton bar one very good save from Weaver. Holland’s shot was unlucky, and other chances came and went. The Varney “goal” was a bit too quick for me to replay, so I couldn’t tell if he was on or off – maybe others can confirm?
The other things to note from the match were that Kelly Youga was picked upon apparently, and after being punched, and booked for receiving it, he was withdrawn by Alan Pardew to ensure that he was not sent off (and consequently a five game ban!), and that Lee Cook made his debut for the out of sorts Lloyd Sam after an hour. Cook almost set up a wining finish but it wasn’t to be.
Sadly, we were not helped by other results, with Scunthorpe losing to a late goal by Bristol City, and Southampton failing to claw back the three goal lead they gave Stoke. Watford hung on with ten men to win 1-0 and continue to head the league, so it is the leaders we will face on Saturday at The Valley.
That game now takes on huge significance, and could be one of the defining moments if Charlton are to win automatic promotion out of this division.
Labels: Charlton, Sheffield Wednesday
Monday, February 11, 2008
Birds of Prey Part 2
After well and truly dismissing the Eagles, Charlton’s attention turns to the Owls of Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough on Tuesday night. This is the first in a double header of consecutive Sheffield away games, with just Saturdays home game against Watford sandwiched between. A win would keep the pressure on those four teams above Charlton in the league, though a winning result is unlikely to move the team up any positions at all.Alan Pardew (left) has a tough job on his hands this week – the euphoria following Friday nights win must be controlled; as other writers and players at the club have pointed out, to lose against Wednesday after the home win would be useless; Charlton simply must start stringing consecutive wins together if they are to fully justify the tag of being good enough for promotion.
Pardew is unlikely to tinker much with the team, and the only changes are likely to be
replacements for any injuries picked up since Friday. One such injury Pards will be hoping clears up in time will be the shin damage that scorer Luke Varney gained after one particularly vicious challenge. Varney admitted today that the leg was stiff, but with luck and the knowledge that he is guaranteed a place in the initial line up if fit enough should ensure he plays from the start.Jerome Thomas is still out apparently, although his illness which caused his omission on Friday has now become a hamstring injury according to the club.
There were no other apparent injuries from that game, so unless others have been kicking themselves rather than the ball in training the last couple of days, this is the line up I would expect to see take the field at Hillsborough –
Nicky Weaver
Greg Halford
Madjid Bougherra
Paddy McCarthy
Kelly Youga
Zheng Zhi
Matt Holland
Darren Ambrose
Lloyd Sam
Andy Gray
Luke Varney
Subs from – Randolph, Moutaouakil, Fortune, Sodje, Powell, Basey, Racon, Semedo, Iwelumo, McLeod.
I just cannot see Pardew wanting to change the defence at all – Weaver is playing well; Bougherra and McCarthy are looking solid and playing with consistency at last; and Kelly Youga now has a solid opposite number in Greg Halford who gives the team balanced attacking and defensive options judging from his debut game on Friday.
It is unlikely that Varney will be paired with anyone other than Andy Gray, with Chris Iwelumo coming on as a late substitute either in search of additional fire power, or defensive acumen, depending on match circumstances.
On the wings though, if options were available, then Pards may have thought a little before deciding who he might pick. Lloyd Sam has great ball skills and works hard, but he really needs to start making all those runs count and get the odd decent cross or an on-target shot in that his build up play deserves. Lloyd must realise that once he beats his man the once then that is the time to cross the ball or shoot, and not to go back and try to humiliate the full back time after time before being closed down by other defenders. Darren Ambrose also has great room for improvement; in the last two matches, Ambrose’s corners and free kicks have been quite poor. He must start to make the right choice in these situations, and if the initial play is not looking like it will work, then Ambie must be strong enough to vary the planned delivery. And it is that delivery where Charlton fans have been most exacerbated with about 90% of dead balls failing to get past the first defender. Get it up Darren!
Sheffield Wednesday have themselves a few injury problems, and that seems likely to keep out ex-Addick Franny Jeffers, and current Addicks player Sam Sodje’s brother Akpo. Likely to lead the line is on loan striker Enoch Showunmi, and the game should also feature veteran midfielder Graham Kavanagh who is on loan from Sunderland. Kavanagh has had a distinguished career, playing for a large number of clubs and doing very well wherever he has been. He may be long in the tooth now, but Holland (who should know what to expect) and Zhi will need to put themselves about and not let the Irishman dominate the game as he likes to do.
Pedro45 would love to predict an away win for the Addicks, but will not for this game for two reasons – one, is that every time I seem to think we will win, we get stuffed, and every time I say we will lose, we get the correct result and three points. Secondly, Wednesday have a fascinating home record this season, and going in to their fifteenth home game, they have yet to draw. For these reasons, Pedro45’s score prediction is a 1-1 draw.
My one-to-watch in this match is going to be Paddy McCarthy (left). Our Irish centre back has been right back on form since Xmas, and is now a fixture in the team that will be tough to budge. As long as he plays sensibly, with heart but his head ruling, he is rock like. He also has to take lead at the back, as Bougherra is returning to his old club and will no doubt get some stick for deciding to leave them just over a year ago.
The home team will be dangerous, especially early on as Addicks fans will remember from back in August when they took a 2-0 lead at The Valley. The key point to remember from that match though, is that Charlton won it after a stirring second half fight back. I’m hoping that won’t be necessary in South Yorkshire, and that Charlton can deflate any new found Yorkshire confidence and continue to pressure the teams above them in the table with an easy win. It can be done, if the belief is there.
Up the Addicks!
I just cannot see Pardew wanting to change the defence at all – Weaver is playing well; Bougherra and McCarthy are looking solid and playing with consistency at last; and Kelly Youga now has a solid opposite number in Greg Halford who gives the team balanced attacking and defensive options judging from his debut game on Friday.
It is unlikely that Varney will be paired with anyone other than Andy Gray, with Chris Iwelumo coming on as a late substitute either in search of additional fire power, or defensive acumen, depending on match circumstances.
On the wings though, if options were available, then Pards may have thought a little before deciding who he might pick. Lloyd Sam has great ball skills and works hard, but he really needs to start making all those runs count and get the odd decent cross or an on-target shot in that his build up play deserves. Lloyd must realise that once he beats his man the once then that is the time to cross the ball or shoot, and not to go back and try to humiliate the full back time after time before being closed down by other defenders. Darren Ambrose also has great room for improvement; in the last two matches, Ambrose’s corners and free kicks have been quite poor. He must start to make the right choice in these situations, and if the initial play is not looking like it will work, then Ambie must be strong enough to vary the planned delivery. And it is that delivery where Charlton fans have been most exacerbated with about 90% of dead balls failing to get past the first defender. Get it up Darren!
Sheffield Wednesday have themselves a few injury problems, and that seems likely to keep out ex-Addick Franny Jeffers, and current Addicks player Sam Sodje’s brother Akpo. Likely to lead the line is on loan striker Enoch Showunmi, and the game should also feature veteran midfielder Graham Kavanagh who is on loan from Sunderland. Kavanagh has had a distinguished career, playing for a large number of clubs and doing very well wherever he has been. He may be long in the tooth now, but Holland (who should know what to expect) and Zhi will need to put themselves about and not let the Irishman dominate the game as he likes to do.
Pedro45 would love to predict an away win for the Addicks, but will not for this game for two reasons – one, is that every time I seem to think we will win, we get stuffed, and every time I say we will lose, we get the correct result and three points. Secondly, Wednesday have a fascinating home record this season, and going in to their fifteenth home game, they have yet to draw. For these reasons, Pedro45’s score prediction is a 1-1 draw.
My one-to-watch in this match is going to be Paddy McCarthy (left). Our Irish centre back has been right back on form since Xmas, and is now a fixture in the team that will be tough to budge. As long as he plays sensibly, with heart but his head ruling, he is rock like. He also has to take lead at the back, as Bougherra is returning to his old club and will no doubt get some stick for deciding to leave them just over a year ago.The home team will be dangerous, especially early on as Addicks fans will remember from back in August when they took a 2-0 lead at The Valley. The key point to remember from that match though, is that Charlton won it after a stirring second half fight back. I’m hoping that won’t be necessary in South Yorkshire, and that Charlton can deflate any new found Yorkshire confidence and continue to pressure the teams above them in the table with an easy win. It can be done, if the belief is there.
Up the Addicks!
Labels: Charlton, Paddy McCarthy, Sheffield Wednesday
