Phillips
Lockyer | Pearce | Sarr
Matthews | Cullen | Davis | Purrington
Williams
Taylor | Green
Substitutes Bench: Amos | Oshilaja | Doughty |
Pratley | McGeady | Bonne | Hemed
Charlton Athletic v Blackburn Rovers
Saturday 15th February 2020 … 3pm
Kick-Off
Referee: Andy Davies (previous games: Wigan | Hull)
Introduction
Following a disappointing performance against Stoke
last weekend; the Addicks would make the short trip across the Midlands to promotion
chasing: Nottingham Forest… It was a game that very few fans expected us to win
but the signs of a potential upset were clear to see, long before a ball had
been kicked. Yet come the full-time whistle there was a new Sarr-iff of
Nottingham in town, and just like the legendary villain, was keeping the spoils for the House of Addicks – This Saturday we play host to Blackburn Rovers, form and confidence
appears to be returning, it’s time to look upwards, it’s time to be the
hunters, not the hunted!!
The Opposition
Name: Blackburn Rovers (9th) | Manager:
Tony Mowbray
Ground: Ewood Park
Previous Result: Blackburn Rovers 1-2 Charlton
Athletic
It seems a lifetime ago when these two sides last
met!! – Like a year before we’d go into the opening day of the season with our
fans expecting the worst; Ben Purrington (carrying on his goal scoring from two
months before) and Lyle Taylor forgot to read the script, earning a deserved
2-1 victory – The unknown Conor Gallagher would enter the fray, showing just
what we could expect from his time on loan at the club!!
Blackburn huffed and puffed that day yet were a bit
like Nottingham Forest the other night, it’s alright to make pretty little
passes but if you don’t use the ball with intent you won’t score and Dillon
Phillips had a pretty uneventful afternoon – Our opponents would then lose
their next game and would have a stuttering start to a second season back in
the Championship, November was when their season truly sprung into life, undefeated
until the new year they’d elevate themselves to what is a mass Play-Off battle
Saturday isnt going to be easy for either team but
our opponents have their own injury woes now… The question that’ll be whispered
around this League is can Blackburn sustain their form without Bradley Dack for
the season?
Charlton Team News
Well there was certainly despair amongst many fans
when the team sheet was released on Tuesday evening, with four changes it was
feared that injuries would once again dominate the talking points of the night –
Instead it appears that Jonny Williams, Andre Green and Darren Pratley were
rested, with more midfielders to choose from its an opportunity for Lee Bowyer
to genuinely rotate without the concern of throwing inexperienced kids to the
lions!!
So with an Addicks side undefeated at the Valley for
two months the big question is who gets the nod… For once we saw successful
results with a back three so it would be sensible for that formation to remain –
As is the way with Bowyer’s rotation now you’d expect Williams to return in
place of the impressive Erhun Oztumer yet Aiden McGeady (making his debut from
the bench against Forest) could also be pushing for his full league debut!!
Comments
I'm gonna keep doing an impression of Gobbinson and go 4231
Whatever happens I think we need to go at them hard. Doughty has to start, whether that be at LB or on the wing. He offers us something no one else does and in the same way that Sarr gives another option for bringing the ball out Doughty does the same.
Taylor
McGeady Williams Green
Cullen Pratley
Doughty Sarr Lockyer Matthews
Phillips
Amos Oshi Purrington Davis Oztumer Aneke Bonne
In reality that's probably a bit too attacking and we would probably see McGeady on the bench and Purrington in with Doughty on the wing.
If we do go 3 at the back (maybe more likely)
Taylor Bonne
Williams
Cullen Davis
Doughty Sarr Pratley Lockyer Matthews
Philips
Amos Oshi Purrington Smith Oztumer Aneke/Green Hemed
2-0 charlton and relatively comfortable
It’s funny how other clubs are now having their own injury problems and struggling. Yet theirs are 5 senior players out, not 13! Really puts our run and previous troubles into perspective.
With so many players to choose from now in comparison to before, I think it’s a headache Bowyer is loving. He can finally assess the opposition and pick the players he believes will go out and get us a result with others saved for different games.
I personally think that we won’t see all three of Aneke, Bonne, and Hemed on the bench. I believe there will be another midfielder included and McGeady will almost certainly be in the squad. But it’s so difficult of who do you leave out?
With The Valley packed out, we need to make sure the atmosphere is top class so you don’t hear any Blackburn fans all game. The weather is going to be awful, so the players are going to need us to give them that lift out on the pitch as well. If we do that, I can see Saturday turning into a fantastic day and where we look at the table come 5pm thinking, 9 points clear of the bottom 3 with far superior goal difference, and only 13 games to go. We’ve got this.
Lockyer Pearce Sarr
Matthews Cullen Davis Doughty
Williams
Bonne Taylor
Amos, Purrington, Pratley, Smith, McGeady, Aneke, Hemed
Charlton Athletic 2-0 Blackburn Rovers
Bonne
Taylor
When I wrote the Preview I accidentally left McGeady off the bench (despite mentioning him being in contention)
I quickly edited the preview replacing Aneke with him on the bench so if anyone is confused as to why he's not in the team its your fault for opening the preview before Id finished amending
I'd like to see Hemed keep his starting spot tbh. Don't think Bonne will be fit enough for a start, and although Hemed's finishing was a bit crap I think he worked his socks off on Tuesday and deserves to keep his place.
Phillips
Lockyer Pearce Sarr
Matthews Cullen Pratley Doughty
Williams
Hemed Taylor
Subs: Amos, Oshilaja, Purrington, Davis, McGeady, Bonne, Green
Pretty strong bench too.
2-0 Charlton... Taylor and Doughty with the goals.
A wet, woeful performance in front of so many.
Really hoping the weather forecast changes for Saturday as a bit concerned my daughter won't appreciate our front row seats in the rain! 😂
I accept Bonne can't start alongside Taylor, but I hope he gets 20 minutes to prepare him to start against Luton.
No correlation between the Stoke match and Forest, but we must reproduce the spirit and endeavour shown in Nottingham but with even sharper finishing.
If Storm Dennis abates then I fancy us to win this with a full house behind the team. 2-0
If not, impossible to predict
CAFC 2 v Blackburn Rovers 0
Taylor Bonne/Green
Williams
Cullen Davis
Doughty Sarr Pratley Lockyer Matthews
Phillips
as backs to the wall selections no longer necessary.
Phillips
Matthews Sarr Lockyer Purrington
Green Davis Cullen McGeady
Williams
Taylor
I like the look of your team and I think it will be close to what Bowyer picks.
With pretty much a full sq5to pick from Bowyer must be delighted to have a selection problem.
It wasn't that long ago we couldn't fill the bench.
With Lyle now fully fit and back to his best (What a goal on Tuesday) and a strong midfield to support him I fully expect a packed valley crowd to go home happy.
2.1 Charlton
So one of green/Hemed to start with Bonne coming off the bench for 20 mins.