Charlton Athletic v Rochdale
Saturday 4th May 2019 … 5:30pm Kick-Off
Referee: Charles Breakspear (Surrey)
Introduction
Doesn’t feel right does it, feels as though only
yesterday as though we were preparing for a season opener against Sunderland at
the Stadium of Light, worrying about what the season might bring, wondering if
we’d be in a relegation or promotion battle and whether Roland would be gone
(of course not). Yet here we are, the end of the season is upon us, come 8pm
tonight our players will be able to rest and look forward to relaxing on the
beach… Yeaaa not quite, regardless of our business against Rochdale tomorrow
there is still a lot more work to be done to our season just yet!!
The Opposition
Name: Rochdale | Manager: Brian Barry-Murphy
Ground: Spotland
Well I don’t know about any other Addicks fans but
this match certainly has a case of déjà vu about it…
Twelve months ago we going into the last day of the
season knowing that only a miracle result from Plymouth would stop us from
enjoying an extended Play-Off campaign, we would travel to Rochdale looking to
carry on our good form from the previous games and against a team almost
certain of being relegated it looked a shoe-in for three points… Of course we
all know it ended (Joe Thompson deservedly enjoying sort of moment you’d expect
in a Hollywood piece) yet a few months ago it felt as though the prizes riding
on this game would be of a similar fashion.
We all know (and have enjoyed watching from afar)
the relegation drama that has unfolded in League One this campaign and for
Rochdale they looked to be one of the many teams involved, only six games ago
they were occupying twenty third spot and you had to wonder if lightning couldn’t
strike twice… For Manager: Keith Hill that answer would be a resounding NO!!!
Yet incoming would be the relatively unknown: Brian
Barry-Murphy, having only just retired from a playing career spent in Midfield
you’d have thought that this would be too much of a task for a man taking his
first foray into Management… Rochdale though have recovered, they sit seventh
in the form table, this game has gone from a repeat of last seasons importance
to that of a dead rubber; Dale will be a League One side next term, in a way
they owe it to Charlton to return a favour and so give us continued form going
into yet another Play-Off campaign
Charlton Team News
On Tuesday night it was confirmed that both
Portsmouth and Sunderland would join the Addicks in the Play-Offs yet for Lee
Bowyer it’s been a pleasure to have been able to rest and rotate his squad over
the last two games, an advantage no other team has enjoyed.
Writing this preview after the weekly press
conference means there is less guessing from me… Lee has already confirmed that
Jonny Williams will be sitting out this encounter (ankle) whilst both Patrick
Bauer and Krystian Bielik will return, the latter needing game time having been
absent with a shoulder problem – Having played his first 90 minutes (albeit for
the Reserves) its time to see if Jake Forster-Caskey will get his first start
of the season, the fan favourite could come in for Josh Cullen who apart from
Dillon Phillips has been our sole ever present since clash with Accrington
Stanley in mid-January
Comments
Ta ra league one
2-0 Home win, not that it matters too much but just keep a bit of momentum going in to the playoffs.
Rest anyone who is carrying a niggle or played a lot, not worth the risk on a nothing game
I originally had him on the bench in place of Cullen but thought leaving Josh out completely might be a bit too much of a stretch
Have enjoyed and appreciated your league match previews this season.
Many thanks for your sustained effort, you are a star.
Only three more for you to do this season. ☺
Charlton to win comfortably 3.0
Southend to draw with Sunderland and we get to play the 2nd leg of our play off at the valley .
One more huge effort needed.
You can do it.
Top effort FA, you sit alongside @ross1 and @lancashire lad on the podium in the CL Poster of the Season awards.
Cheeky edit: Sorry, LL, I forgot your stats! Grab yourself a podium place with the other two
Ross keeps going with updates on games even when we're bloody awful
Lancs and the Prediction League are jobs I dont envy as the stats they have to put together must leave them crossed eyed
Phillips
Dijksteel | Bauer | Sarr | Purrington
Lapslie | Bielik | Aribo
Reeves
Taylor | Parker
Substitutes Bench: Maxwell | Page | Pearce | Cullen | Pratley | Forster-Caskey | Vetokele
I don't think JFC is ready to start yet; he was way off the pace in his cameo last home game, and despite a 90 minute outing in a friendly, I can't see him playing more than 25-30 minutes as a sub in this game. Reeves (as Williams is out) is the ideal replacement. I also think (despite the ridicule) that we need to give Parker more game time, as we have no other options should Lyle or Igor get injured. I hate it when we go 451 if one of those is out, so let's see Parker in a real 442 (for an hour at least). If Bow really does think he's as bad as the rest of this forum, then we should put Aouachria on the bench and give him 20 minutes at the end. Cullen seems a good call to be rested and we might see Pearce instead of Sarr but who knows!
Please, please, please, nobody get sent off!!!!
COYA!
Would like to see both Jake and Lewis Page getting some minutes though
Especially the latter as dont really want to play a Play-Off with an Defence without the balance like what we saw against Oxford
Glad he did well and they stayed up this season, but want us to win 3-0 all the same.
In this crazy Dystopian Duchatelet Charlton impasse and the Brexit world of Alice in Wonderland, the one sign of sanity is seeing the weekly preview, news and predictions.
Cheers feller.
To Rochdale.
Not sure what the team will be. Aribo will be at the top of the diamond I imagine, as Reeves has tended to be deeper as more of a playmaker. Not sure Cullen needs a rest, he seems super fit, if anything Aribo probably needs protecting more. Reeves needs the minutes anyway
Dillon
Djiksteel Bauer Sarr Purrington
Bielik
Reeves Cullen
Aribo
Igor Taylor
I hate that nerk nearly as much as I hate roly.
But yeah he was the idiot who gave Plymouth everything including no reaction from him when they were pushing him when he didnt give a corner