Boro looked decent v Forest and were unlucky to get just a point .. however, we have done well v Forest this season so Monday's game is not really a true benchmark. They have a good attack so our defence needs to be 100% better than of late. I would say that on paper they are much better than us .. all together now .. BUT games ain't played on paper. Surprising that Boro are having such a bad season. There will be no old manager mates reunion when they arrive at the Valley for a REAL 6 pointer .. we'll win this
CAFC 2 v Middlebrough 1
Debatable, seeing that they've scored the fewest goals in the division! I think that's because they generally don't create much, rather than bad finishing.
Yes, they've had to sell players and use more kids this season, but they're definitely underperforming
Boro looked decent v Forest and were unlucky to get just a point .. however, we have done well v Forest this season so Monday's game is not really a true benchmark. They have a good attack so our defence needs to be 100% better than of late. I would say that on paper they are much better than us .. all together now .. BUT games ain't played on paper. Surprising that Boro are having such a bad season. There will be no old manager mates reunion when they arrive at the Valley for a REAL 6 pointer .. we'll win this
CAFC 2 v Middlebrough 1
Debatable, seeing that they've scored the fewest goals in the division! I think that's because they generally don't create much, rather than bad finishing.
Yes, they've had to sell players and use more kids this season, but they're definitely underperforming
They don't see too much of the ball and often resort to taking a lot of shots from distance. I think this will actually suit us quite well defensively. Bow is quite happy to let teams shoot from distance but we close down aggressively in and around the box. As long as we dont gift them too much of the ball.
Despite her unbeaten record (3 wins 1 draw) I couldn't persuade my girlfriend that 4 busses to get from South West London to South East London was a good idea. So I am going with a mate I often go with. I've just worked out that we have sat together 12 times this season and only won 2 of those. Oops. If we dont win then I am banning him to the East stand.
Get her a taxi for goodness sake, our teams future is on the line
Think Bows may go with as much experience as possible, so don't think Lapslie or Doughty will start. Pratley, Purrington back in and probably Davis as well. No idea which Charlton will turn up, but first goal wins the game for me.
Despite her unbeaten record (3 wins 1 draw) I couldn't persuade my girlfriend that 4 busses to get from South West London to South East London was a good idea. So I am going with a mate I often go with. I've just worked out that we have sat together 12 times this season and only won 2 of those. Oops. If we dont win then I am banning him to the East stand.
FFS !
Can't we organise a quick CL whip round to get her a cab ????
I’m driving from Clapham Common and picking up a mate in East Dulwich. My rates are very reasonable :-)
There just has to be a drastic improvement on the Huddersfield game, especially the way we start games, just awful.
Get Williams in the team, Taylor and Bonne together and let's have some positive football with a bit of tempo, urgency and purpose. We have to win this, a draw is no good whatsoever. Huge game.
A pity we couldn't find a way to give Pratley a retrospective booking for a couple of weeks ago, so that he's used up his suspension already! It would be really annoying to get him back fit then lose him for 2 matches again
Great preview as usual FA. Firstly why is Charlton station closed for engineering works when a home game is on. We were away last Saturday and again next Saturday. Why not one of them. Wankers. Anyway as this is another must win game and we are better at home I'm going 2.1 Charlton
From their reply to a similar comment on Twitter, Network Rail stated that rail engineering work is scheduled 18 months in advance, way before any fixtures are announced....and I suppose it can't ALL be done between May and August...
We're always rubbish against Middlesbrough but we really, really have to win this. With Wigan v Luton and Hull v Stoke there's so many differnet ways the table could look after the weekend. We could be as high as 17th or as low as 22nd with Barnsley and Luton breathing down our necks. No-one in this league will lie down, and we need to be one of those teams refusing to die. A loss to Boro would be disastrous and leave us clawing to gt back up instead of trying to stay clear of what's below us. Hopefully we go at them with energy while protecting our back four and get an early goal. Doing what we did against Barnsley, starting brightly and going in 2 up is the dream. We need Cullen to show what he capable of, Taylor and Green to be at it and hopefully Pratley to wreck up the place whenever Boro try and play. I'm nervous
Football teams with piss poor defences rarely win.
Our's isn't very good WITH Sarr and Lockyer and as we have witnessed, it is bloody awful without them.
My guess is LB will revert to five at the back using Pratley and put Davis into midfield but we will still concede.
0.1 or 1.2.
Not staying up for it.
If we do go 5 at the back we should not play Davis in midfield. Not a sleight on him but more the role he plays.
When 3 at the back worked best for us early season Pratley dropped into the back 3 or he dropped to the bench. We had a midfield 3 of Cullen Galagher Williams. With 3 at the back there is simply no need for a deep lying defensive midfielder shielding the back 4. It's simply too many players operating in the same defensive space and creates space elsewhere. When we've gone 3 at the back with Pratley or Davis in midfield it hasn't worked. Cullen can do enough mopping up as well as add something with his passing.
If we go down that route and I really hope we dont the midfield should be Cullen Lapslie and Williams/Oztumer.
We're always rubbish against Middlesbrough but we really, really have to win this. With Wigan v Luton and Hull v Stoke there's so many differnet ways the table could look after the weekend. We could be as high as 17th or as low as 22nd with Barnsley and Luton breathing down our necks. No-one in this league will lie down, and we need to be one of those teams refusing to die. A loss to Boro would be disastrous and leave us clawing to gt back up instead of trying to stay clear of what's below us. Hopefully we go at them with energy while protecting our back four and get an early goal. Doing what we did against Barnsley, starting brightly and going in 2 up is the dream. We need Cullen to show what he capable of, Taylor and Green to be at it and hopefully Pratley to wreck up the place whenever Boro try and play. I'm nervous
We beat them in the protest game in our relegation season. Maybe some balls on the pitch and whistles could be distributed to help the cause?
Despite her unbeaten record (3 wins 1 draw) I couldn't persuade my girlfriend that 4 busses to get from South West London to South East London was a good idea. So I am going with a mate I often go with. I've just worked out that we have sat together 12 times this season and only won 2 of those. Oops. If we dont win then I am banning him to the East stand.
FFS !
Can't we organise a quick CL whip round to get her a cab ????
I’m driving from Clapham Common and picking up a mate in East Dulwich. My rates are very reasonable :-)
I'm in Streatham if you're offering!
Still dont think she will come though. It's as much about her not fancying standing outside all day in the freezing cold and probably pissing rain just to keep me happy when she has better things to do....
We're always rubbish against Middlesbrough but we really, really have to win this. With Wigan v Luton and Hull v Stoke there's so many differnet ways the table could look after the weekend. We could be as high as 17th or as low as 22nd with Barnsley and Luton breathing down our necks. No-one in this league will lie down, and we need to be one of those teams refusing to die. A loss to Boro would be disastrous and leave us clawing to gt back up instead of trying to stay clear of what's below us. Hopefully we go at them with energy while protecting our back four and get an early goal. Doing what we did against Barnsley, starting brightly and going in 2 up is the dream. We need Cullen to show what he capable of, Taylor and Green to be at it and hopefully Pratley to wreck up the place whenever Boro try and play. I'm nervous
We beat them in the protest game in our relegation season. Maybe some balls on the pitch and whistles could be distributed to help the cause?
Indeed we generally played well during the protest games, and no coincidence perhaps, West Ham also played well against Soton at the weekend after their fans had a protest
Perhaps we need to have an "ESI out" demo before the Boro match
Hoping for a 2-1 win. Really miss our mid field trio of Williams-Gallagher-Cullen. All together they worked so well complimenting each other. Any one of the 3 missing doesn't have the same balance and, obviously, one has gone ... . Hope we can regain the balance.
A pity we couldn't find a way to give Pratley a retrospective booking for a couple of weeks ago, so that he's used up his suspension already! It would be really annoying to get him back fit then lose him for 2 matches again
I just checked and after Saturday's game (Match 37), the threshold for a suspension moves up to 15 yellow cards for the season. However, if you get to 15 it results in a 3 game suspension. So Lockyer could afford an additional 4 yellow cards in the last 9 games and Pratley 5 (assuming he doesn't get booked if he plays on Saturday).
Phillips Matthews Oshilaja Pearce Purrington Cullen Pratley Forster-Caskey Williams Taylor Bonne
Amos, Solly, Doughty, Davis, Oztumer, Aneke, Green
That’s what I would go for, but I think we will see McGeady, Lapslie, and Hemed in the squad. But would really like to see Aneke back in the squad for this.
Forster-Caskey to start to allow for more natural balance, experience, and support for both Pearce and Purrington. He will have the freedom to go forward to put good crosses into the box as well due to having Cullen and Pratley in the team. It’s also another player capable of putting a good set-piece in too. Unfortunately, too often they have been poor and we know he can do it.
Aneke to come on and bully them and force us higher up the pitch. Green to come on and stretch them in behind.
This team has experience, leaders, and players who genuinely care, rather than those who joined just over a month ago and haven’t done anything to warrant a spot in the team.
Back to basics, use our strengths and the balance of the side. Use the crowd to our advantage and we will get a result.
Nervy game but a late goal makes it comfortable at the end.
Get back to basics, defend properly cut out the mistakes, old school two banks of four and get on the the front foot with two strikers and wide men. COYRs
With two depressing defeats on the road you’d hope
that we see a Charlton team truly fired up come 3pm
More likely to see a Charlton team passing it across the back four, into the centre circle, then back to the keeper. Any attacking FK or Throw, will be directed towards our own end.
The truth is, we have to come out the tunnel (both times) and overrun them from the off.
Get a lead, hold onto it, build on it, then put subs into the defence to secure the points.
The probability is that we will be asleep, one down, chase the game, and throw tons of attacking energy into the last 5 minutes of the game, and come away with nothing.
These players need to step up to the reality.
Just like Lapslie clearing off the line with his face at Pompey last season.
Comments
Yes, they've had to sell players and use more kids this season, but they're definitely underperforming
Our's isn't very good WITH Sarr and Lockyer and as we have witnessed, it is bloody awful without them.
My guess is LB will revert to five at the back using Pratley and put Davis into midfield but we will still concede.
0.1 or 1.2.
Not staying up for it.
Pratley, Purrington back in and probably Davis as well.
No idea which Charlton will turn up, but first goal wins the game for me.
I’m driving from Clapham Common and picking up a mate in East Dulwich. My rates are very reasonable :-)
quiet. Notice that he scored against Forest on Monday.
Get Williams in the team, Taylor and Bonne together and let's have some positive football with a bit of tempo, urgency and purpose. We have to win this, a draw is no good whatsoever. Huge game.
When 3 at the back worked best for us early season Pratley dropped into the back 3 or he dropped to the bench. We had a midfield 3 of Cullen Galagher Williams. With 3 at the back there is simply no need for a deep lying defensive midfielder shielding the back 4. It's simply too many players operating in the same defensive space and creates space elsewhere. When we've gone 3 at the back with Pratley or Davis in midfield it hasn't worked. Cullen can do enough mopping up as well as add something with his passing.
If we go down that route and I really hope we dont the midfield should be Cullen Lapslie and Williams/Oztumer.
Still dont think she will come though. It's as much about her not fancying standing outside all day in the freezing cold and probably pissing rain just to keep me happy when she has better things to do....
Perhaps we need to have an "ESI out" demo before the Boro match
Matthews Oshilaja Pearce Purrington
Cullen
Pratley Forster-Caskey
Williams
Taylor Bonne
Amos, Solly, Doughty, Davis, Oztumer, Aneke, Green
That’s what I would go for, but I think we will see McGeady, Lapslie, and Hemed in the squad. But would really like to see Aneke back in the squad for this.
Forster-Caskey to start to allow for more natural balance, experience, and support for both Pearce and Purrington. He will have the freedom to go forward to put good crosses into the box as well due to having Cullen and Pratley in the team. It’s also another player capable of putting a good set-piece in too. Unfortunately, too often they have been poor and we know he can do it.
Aneke to come on and bully them and force us higher up the pitch. Green to come on and stretch them in behind.
This team has experience, leaders, and players who genuinely care, rather than those who joined just over a month ago and haven’t done anything to warrant a spot in the team.
Back to basics, use our strengths and the balance of the side. Use the crowd to our advantage and we will get a result.
Nervy game but a late goal makes it comfortable at the end.
Charlton Athletic 2-0 Middlesbrough
Taylor x2
With two depressing defeats on the road you’d hope that we see a Charlton team truly fired up come 3pm
More likely to see a Charlton team passing it across the back four, into the centre circle, then back to the keeper. Any attacking FK or Throw, will be directed towards our own end.