Charlton Athletic v Southend United
Saturday 9th February 2019 … 3pm Kick-Off
Referee: Simon Hooper (Wiltshire)
IntroductionWell its certainly felt an age since the Addicks were last at home, an eventful win over Accrington Stanley being the last time we got to see our boys in red at Fortress Vallée – Since then we’ve had two trips on the road with visits to Peterborough and Fleetwood respectively… It was against the latter that saw our unbeaten start to 2019 end, yet when one unbeaten run ends there is only one thing you can do which is start another… With Southend United making the short trip across from Essex what better way to start it.
The OppositionName: Southend United |
Manager: Chris Powell
Ground: Roots Hall
Of course any match against a team managed by Chris Powell is always going to make Charlton fans reminisce about the past yet with Southend visiting the Valley this weekend it might not be the case so much – Just like our last game at home, the early season fixture at Roots Hall would have plenty of drama, three red cards (one to Tariqe Fosu) would see an ugly end to a fiercely contested match yet Krystian Bielik scoring a winner ten minutes from time would mean the points would return across the Dartford Crossing.
For Southend fans; any hope of Chris Powell repeating the same feat he achieved at the Valley has surely gone... It’s been a season where the Shrimpers have struggled for form and whilst there is surely no danger of relegation you’d think (like Fleetwood last week) that there is little hope of them reaching the Play-Offs…
As we now play our second game in February it’s a chance to take stock and look back at how a side coped in the January Transfer Window and for Southend it was a bit of a quiet month. Just the two players have been brought in with the first of those being Sam Hart (Left-Back) on loan from Blackburn Rovers; the second is Stephen Humphreys… Signed on a permanent deal from Fulham, the young Striker has made an impressive start in front of his new fans and with two goals in two games will potentially be one to keep an eye on for our makeshift defence.
Charlton Team NewsWell let’s get the easy bit out the way first… For those at Fleetwood and those who watched on iFollow last week they’d have seen one of our weakest performances of the season, the result wouldn’t have been helped with Patrick Bauer receiving a weak second yellow card and so earning a one match ban, you’d expect his place to be covered by Krystian Bielik who’ll no doubt operate in his more natural position.
As for who replaces him in the Midfield is another question; whilst Josh Cullen will surely sit in front of the Defence you’d expect the spare slot to be taken by either George Lapslie or Tariqe Fosu – Its up front that’s the main concern, with just two goals from open play this calendar year its important that Lee Bowyer finds a solution until we can finally call on Lyle Taylor next week.
Phillips
Solly | Bielik | Sarr | Purrington
Williams | Cullen | Lapslie
Reeves
Parker | Vetokele
Substitutes Bench: Maxwell | Dijksteel | Stevenson | Fosu | Pratley | Marshall | Hackett-Fairchild
PredictionWhilst Southend is certainly winnable our toothless attitude in front of goal without Grant and / or Taylor has left me concerned at what Charlton can achieve – We’ve relied upon those two too much this season and last week showed how a lot of players need to step up in front of goal… Failure to win again and we may need to start looking over our shoulders again from what was surely a comfortable Play-Off position
Comments
2.1 Charlton.
Parker and Vetokele get us back to winning ways.
He's really started with the mind games of late by saying players are starting when they're not so not sure if I believe him about being undecided on Igor
1-2 Powell to take his revenge. The fact that we are missing key players does not fill me with much confidence.
Another defeat sadly . We’ve a team with no goals in it until Taylor is back . 1-0 loss ( Cox for them)
“It’s another game, and a huge one for both teams in different ways.
“Charlton have lost one and drawn their last two. We’ve lost our last two and we need to bounce back, so I think the game will take care of itself.
https://www.londonnewsonline.co.uk/southend-boss-chris-powell-not-expecting-repeat-of-roots-hall-ruckus-at-charltons-valley/
3-1 and the reds are on the march again
CAFC 1 v Southend United 0
Late Southend goal flatters them but RHF, Parker and Igor are too much for the shrimpers.
Cullen, following up a saved penalty.
Purrington, deflecting an off target shot from Sarr after a corner.
Another outstanding result for us x
But hopefully we are both wrong and that changes tomorrow and williams gets on the scoresheet and maybe as LB said the training this week with parker has helped and we see a few goals
Its nice to visit home every now and then ay Chris.