Charlton haven’t been involved in a no score draw for over 60 league games (Oldham at home October 2009 I think) and we’re playing a team who have been involved in games with a stupid amount of goals this season (77 in 15 games at home alone). It’s got 0-0 written all over it…
Three clean sheets on the spin for new boss Chris Powell suggests a shoring up of a previously porous defence although we have had a couple of visits of the very welcome Lady Luck on more than one occasion since he took charge. On paper, Peterborough should not pose too much of a threat going forward on Saturday: out of the 60 goals Peterborough have scored all season, just 15 of them have come on the road and they are the 3rd worst away team in the league with just three wins all season.
In the past five away games Peterborough have conceded, on average, 2.2 goals per game but that doesn’t mean we’ll be ‘smashing’ them come Saturday as in the past 5 home games we’ve only scored 1.2 goals on average. That being said, we seem to have more of a goal threat now in the form of Bradley Wright Phillips who has two-in-two and seems to be building a great understanding with the industrious Joe Anyinsah. They’ll start up top again.
Sod’s law will dictate that Matt Fry resigns for us before Saturday but I’ll presume he has gone back to West Ham to make up the necessary quota of a 25-man squad and keep my fingers crossed that Freddy Bessone has overcome his injury to slot back in at left back. The rest of the back line picks itself but Simon Francis may feel a touch of pressure now that Chris Solly is getting a glut of 90 minutes under his belt in reserve games.
The cliché of ‘you don’t change a winning team’ kicks into gear with regards to the midfield and I see McOxo being relegated to the bench to allow Racon and Semedo to pass sideways and backwards once again…
Once again, we will have a strong and attack minded substitutes’ bench which will allow us to force the issue if things aren’t going well but with the prospect of a new screen and a return of the fish, we can’t lose. 3-1 Charlton.
Come on you reds.
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Comments
BWP, Waggy and Eccles
This will be a very tough match and again I feel its a must win as its against a team we are competing for promotion with. A win and results going our way could really see us pushing for a high league posistion.
We do lack creativity, but I just hope that BWP can take any chance that comes his way and get us some more points. Eccelston could be important as well, especially if the posh are chasing the game.
I think we may be better off playing mccormack instead of racon to add to our defensive side and then as the game progresses we can expand a little bit more.
Though it'll probably be a typical dogged performance won by 1-0, not that it matters as only the 3 points matter at this stage.
If McOxo's hamstring is OK , I think he will start, whatever else happens. But if Jackson moves to full-back there's a place in midfield which will surely go to Racon, with Mac moving to the right, where he offers Francis good cover.
Another three points and Powell's winning run to continue - although I can see it ending with a draw up at Hartlepool next Tuesday.
Is McCormack fit? If not Racon to start.
***rolls dice***
charlton 5 peterboro 4
Peterborough use a 4-3-1-2 system, with George Boyd in a free role behind the front 2, which caused Southampton problems last Saturday. We need to pay attention to how they are set up, and nullify Boyd, who wasn't playing in our first meeting. How many times he gets on the ball, will be an indication of how well we are doing, as he is a potential match winner at this level on his day and sets up Mackall-Smith with through balls. The Southampton Back Four was run ragged at times, and my worry is that Doc & Dailly aren't the quickest.
However, Peterborough are also wide open at the back. So if we contain Boyd & M-Smith, we should capitalise. I'm looking forward to see how SCP and his coaches approach this one. Do we go with 4-4-2, 4-5-1 or match their system
and play man - for - man on Boyd.
3-2 to Charlton for me, and as enjoyable as the away match, which was the highlight of the season so far.
Have started to really look forward to Saturdays again lately.
I hope I'm wrong!
Good news also that Bessone is likely to be fit.
Think it'll be a cracker.
0-0.
We struggle when favorites at home...
BWP 23' and Benson 90' to rescue a point.
This will be a tough game, I would expect racon to start on the bench though, as McCormack will give us more bite and defensive nowse in midfield. If semedo can stamp his authority on the match and break down their attacks and get us moving again then I think we are capable of beating them. Alot depends on how we can stop their attacking threat.
Very good points TT. Hope you are right with the outcome
It depends however if we can get our own supply going to the forwards and therefore I would use as much pace on the wings as possible, with NE and Reid either side, Jackko in the middle and Semedo making up the mid-field.
We need some pace in the defence as well, and now we have re-signed Fry I would have a CD pairing of Dailly and Fry, with Bessone and Francis either side, this is assuming Bessone is fit of course. I think we should take the game to them and so my line up would be-:(but of course it wont be)
[align=center] Elliott
Francis, Dailly, Fry, Bessone
Semedo,
Eccleston, Jackko, Reid
BWP, Anyinsah[/align]
Subs, Benno, Racon, McOxo, Warner, Waggy, Llera, Abbott.
If it starts going pear-shaed, then we could switch to a more defensive style of play and leave a lone striker up-front and bring Racon or McOxo in place of Anyinsah.
3-1 and hopefully close the gap on those above us.