Charlton Athletic v Rotherham United
Easter Monday … 3pm Kick-Off
Referee: Graham Horwood (Bedfordshire)
IntroductionTwo games played, six goals scored… 6-pts won – that’s the stark reality of Charlton Athletic under the caretaker stewardship of Lee Bowyer. On Friday evening, the Addicks travelled home from Northampton proving that their win over Plymouth wasn’t a flash in the pan. Tomorrow will be another huge match with Rotherham visiting the Valley in what could potentially be a Play-Off Semi-Final clash. Friday we proved it wasn’t a flash in the pan…
Tomorrow is a chance to prove we’re challenges and that our rivals should beware!!
The OppositionName: Rotherham United |
Manager: Paul Warne
Ground: New York Stadium
When Rotherham were relegated from the Championship it was with a whimper and their start to life in League One looked to be a struggle… By the 26th August, just one victory had been recorded by the Millers, and when the Addicks came to town there was only ever going to be the one victor (Patrick Bauer and Josh Magennis getting the goals in what was a 2-0 win).
That result made it look as though Rotherham would be drifting around mid-table. Yet since December the Millers have been on an impressive run (even without Kiefer Moore whose loan ended in January), and like Plymouth have only lost three games in recent months… Funnily we all know how that ended for the latter!!
Charlton Team NewsOther than the wins, the performances, and the clean sheets… the most refreshing part of life under Lee Bowyer is the insight that we get from his press conferences – Ahead of Fridays clash against Northampton, the caretaker was tempted to change things around, that temptation was ignored and you’d expect him to remain loyal to the same eleven players who are firing Charlton back into contention.
Of course, football isn’t about the first eleven, and on Saturday Lee was able to call upon Josh Magennis and Stephy Mavididi to continue making life difficult for the opposition – With just two players stuck in the treatment room, it’ll soon become a case of having to upset players as certain names continue to struggle to get game time.
Amos
Dijksteel | Bauer | Pearce | Page
Reeves | Forster-Caskey | Aribo | Fosu
Zyro | Ajose
Substitutes Bench: Phillips | Sarr | Konsa | Kaikai | Magennis | Mavididi | Marshall
PredictionDespite being on a massive high from our last two games, caution must remain… The Addicks may just be two points from the Play-Offs (with games in hand), yet matching the results of those around us is so important – Beating Rotherham to fourth in the table should now be the aim, home advantage come the Play-Offs will be key!!
Comments
Another clean sheet and we climb into the top six.
We go behind to a first half dead ball move but Bowyer changes it around and we will 2 - 1 (JFC and Magennis)
2-1 us.
For that reason it will be a comfortable afternoon: three points, three goals (although with the chances we'll create there will be disappointment it won't have been four or five), another clean sheet.
Ajose will finally get his well-deserved goal, backed up by Fossy and Stephy.
10-0 to Charlton.
Caretaker boss Lee Bowyer and his Charlton side are back in action tomorrow when they host fourth-placed Rotherham United at The Valley.
Bowyer has started his managerial career with convincing wins over play-off rivals Plymouth Argyle and relegation battlers Northampton Town and the former Charlton Academy graduate is focused on adding another win to his already impressive start.
Tickets for tomorrow afternoon’s game at The Valley are available here.
Speaking ahead of the match Bowyer said: “It’s going to be a difficult game. Rotherham are obviously a good side. They are above us. So it’s going to be difficult but like I said before the Northampton game, if we work hard then I think we’ll be ok.”
Rotherham's form has dipped in recent weeks and Bowyer said he hoped for a good turnout from Addicks fans on Monday to help the team to what would be a very important three points.
The former Leeds man has played the same two starting lineups in his first two game, albeit in slightly differing formations depending on the opposition. He was tight-lipped though on who will be selected to start tomorrow’s crucial game. He said: “Obviously I can change it up if I want to. I’ll speak with Jacko and some other people but if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it and it just depends on how the lads are recovery wise.
“There are a lot of players that have played the last two games that haven’t had much football this season so I might be forced to make changes. At the moment the lads that have been playing have been outstanding.”
Tariqe Fosu: Charlton are reaping the rewards of Lee Bowyer’s formation change
Tarqie Fosu celebrates his second and Charlton's third goal at Northampton. Photo: Kyle Andrews
POSTED BY: LOUIS MENDEZ 1ST APRIL 2018
Charlton midfielder Tariqe Fosu says that caretaker boss Lee Bowyer’s formation change has given the side new impetus.
The Addicks have won both of Bowyer’s game in charge so far, with the former Charlton academy graduate utilising a 4-4-2 rather than the 4-2-3-1 system that former boss Karl Robinson deployed.
The latest success, a 4-0 win away to Northampton Town, made it two wins out of two for Bowyer – and joint top-scorer Fosu reckons the switch affords the side a new-found freedom.
“He’s given us freedom – just told us to go out and play,” explained the 22-yard old, signed from Reading last summer.
“He’s changed the formation and that’s helped us a lot. He’s allowing us to play freely. Not giving us too much pressure. Everyday we’re training hard, doing things in training. It’s about putting it into the game.
“We’ve changed [the formation] and it’s working really well. It’s just about continuing and getting three points. (Michal) Zyro and Nicky (Ajose) have been very good. The link-up play has been very good. They’ve been holding up the ball running in behind. They’re supporting well and effecting games. It allows me to come inside and link up with the strikers – it’s been very good.”
The win over the Cobblers, in which Fosu grabbed a brace, leaves the Addicks just two points shy of the play-off positions, with at least one game in hand on those sides directly above them.
Fosu, who had to endure a frustrating few months on the side lines due to injury whilst his teammates struggled to get results on the field, says that points are more important than sparkling displays like the one seen at Sixfields in the race for the play-offs.
“The main thing is winning, getting the three points and trying to get into the play-off positions,” he said.
“That was the target. We won last week against Plymouth who are a good side and this game following is a good result as well. We went on a little spell where we were losing to it’s very good to win again – to get three points. The main thing is getting into the play-off positions, to try and get promoted.
“[My injury was] a bit frustrating but as a professional, these things happen. You get injured and it’s about bouncing back.
“[Reaching the play-offs has] always been the main objective and it hasn’t changed. We’ve been mentally strong and for us to come and perform is very good for us. Everyone’s buzzing and raring to go for the game on Monday (against Rotherham United). We want to get three points again. We’re in [on Saturday], we’ll recover well and go again on Monday.”
Hopefully everyone has recovered well enough going into tomorrow. Same team, add Dasilva on the bench for well, not sure as it’s strong anyway. But same result.
3 points tomorrow, up to 6th.
Mattock has already been ruled out with a hamstring injury and Towell is a major doubt for the clash at the Valley because of a similar problem. “I think Mattock might be a grade-one hammy,” said Warne after seeing his side concede in the 98th minute when they were set to take three points from Steve Evans’ Posh outfit. “The diagnosis on Mattock was given to me before the final whistle.
“Towell, I don’t honestly know because I haven’t spoken to the physio yet, but I think it could also be a hammy. It will be a blow if both are out.” Warne, who was intending to shake up his team anyway, was watching a replay of the game with his backroom staff yesterday before finalising his starting 11 against opponents who are two points and two places off the top six after winning their two matches under caretaker boss Lee Bowyer since the departure of Karl Robinson.
The Rotherham players were given yesterday off before travelling to London following training today. “I was already planning to change the side. I’d sort of told the lads that,” the manager said. “I was going to change the way we play and bring a couple of fresh faces in.
“I need to check how Charlton are playing. By all accounts, they’ve gone 4-4-2 now and got back-to-back wins.” In Towell’s likely absence, Will Vaulks is poised to move back into central midfield from centre-half, with Richard Wood returning to the heart of the defence. Warne, whose team dominated against Peterborough before their last-gasp setback, has to decide whether to play central defender Michael Ihiekwe at left-back or turn to out-of-favour Ben Purrington who hasn’t featured in the first team since September. The Millers are six points clear of the team just below them in the table, Scunthorpe United, and eight ahead of the side occupying the last play-off slot, Plymouth Argyle.
Read more at: https://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/football/rotherham-united/rotherham-united-warne-making-changes-for-millers-charlton-clash-1-9092839
Would either be Marshall or Kaikai your leaving out...
Much tougher than the last two games
we hang on for 1-0
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Mar 31
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2️⃣ wins from 2️⃣
Will you be joining us at The Valley on Monday when we host promotion rivals @Off@CAFCOfficial
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Lee Bowyer previews tomorrow's Valley clash against @Off@CAFCOfficial
https://www.cafc.co.uk/news/view/5ac0c54557630/bowyer-previews-crucial-easter-monday-clash-against-rotherham-at-the-valley … #cafc