Charlton Athletic v ReadingSaturday 11th July 2020 ... 12:30pm Kick-OffReferee: Darren Bond (Previous Games: Cardiff City (H) | Nottm Forest (A))IntroductionAs we approach yet another fixture its mini-season that I continue to struggle to get used to yet at the same time am quite enjoying. Itts less than two weeks now the 2019/20 Football League Championship will be complete and we'll finally know the outcome in what has truly become a marathon season, whether we find ourselves remaining in England's second tier or whether we get relegation is largely irrelevant at the end of the day, especially when you compare it with every day life and the troubles that more and more Football clubs appear to be finding themselves under.
This Saturday we welcome Reading to the Valley... Its a time of the year where we should be looking forward to seeing players back for pre-season, and the traditional curtain raiser against Welling United at Park View Road should be the talk of CharltonLife. In some ways it'll be a relief when we eventually get back to normality in every aspect of our lives, should that ever truly happen again!!
The OppositionName: Reading (13th) |
Manager: Mark Bowen (Win Rate: 36.11%)
Previous Result: Reading 0-0 Huddersfield Town
Established in 1871 Reading are one of the oldest teams in England (Still older than that lot) yet did not in fact join the Football League until 1920, just one year before their famed South East London opponents this weekend. The two sides would meet in the Third Division South in our first season, I hope you're not looking for a sign... Reading would win that first encounter 1-0 at the Valley (anyone here remember it?), ironically played on the 13th April 1922, with this fixture itself originally due to be played: 14th April 2020!!... Spooky
Both teams have come a long way since that encounter at the Valley, both teams have enjoyed relative success in the Premier League and now find themselves battling in the Championship, you'd probably argue its the natural level of both clubs - Obviously neither club will be vying for a return to the top flight this season; Reading would briefly spend a few short weeks looking over their shoulders at the relegation battle, results for Mark Bowen (ex-Charlton players pop up everywhere dont they!!) havent been perfect but the five points achieved appear to have hauled the Royals into a mid-table position that should ensure their Championship status for another twelve months at the latest.
In terms of playing opposition it is Goalkeeper: Rafael Cabral who was one of the signings of the summer for any Championship club, the Brazilian not only has international caps to his name yet would also spend the 2014/15 season as Napoli's first choice Goalkeeper... Whilst wound up by an ex-Striker of ours in the reverse fixture, he's surely the reason for them being safely in midtable, our opponents having conceded far less goals than anyone else in the bottom half of the table!!
Charlton Team NewsSo at the Addicks complete their run of London derbies and return from the West End you have to wonder what changes Lee Bowyer will make compared to the team that for so long held out against one of the best footballing teams in the Division - Behind the Strikers there has been much fan debate over whether Aiden McGeady or Jonny Williams should be starting and the welsh wizard surely presented a case proving that he should be starting more games.
Sam Field was another who impressed, and put in a display that was well deserved after a frustrating season on loan from West Bromwich Albion... Another sixty minutes could be a bit risky for someone who has been injury prone this season so you'd expect to see a return for Darren Pratley - Meanwhile it is in defence that Naby Sarr put in yet another display that has seen a complete three sixty from fan opinion, does Bowyer take the risk and go with three at the back, especially when those three Centre-Backs have complemented each other so well when called upon since the restart?
Phillips
Matthews | Lockyer | Pearce | Sarr | Doughty
Cullen | Pratley
Williams
Hemed | Bonne
Substitutes Bench: Amos | Purrington | Oshilaja | Lapslie | Morgan | McGeady | Aneke | Davison | Field
PredictionSitting in 13th position and you'd expect Reading to be pretty safe now. Of course they could lose their next two, everyone below could win (impossible with the matchups) and they could be dragged back into it, yet from so high in the Division they're a side that can effectively take a break until next season - So with big matches against Birmingham and Wigan to come in the next week that is a position that would suit us very nicely; Huddersfield came away from Berkshire with a point on Tuesday evening so I see little reason why we cant achieve the same at the very least, these next three games are without doubt vital to our survival, we certainly afford no slips, no lapses in concentrate now!!
Comments
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGPXBu2TsXU
Still haven't forgiven Roger Johnson tbh
I am still convinced that Luton and Barnsley will not get more, I am just a bit concerned that Sheffield Wednesday still haven’t received the relegation/points deductions I was expecting.
I still think Wigan will Struggle to get to the 46.
They wont score less than one.
1.1
Which always means a solid 2-0 Loss.
We do lack pace and movement up front other than Bonne, which is a shame as it makes so much difference if you can counter attack quickly.
Will Cullen at some stage be rested, with us starting with Pratley and Field?
Definitely getting down to squeaky bum time. Can't see us winning this one & seeing as Reading are no Brentford I think a draw is on the cards.
1-1.
A win would be absolutely massive. In my humble opinion, there's no overstating it. A win means we either put distance between us and the teams below, or we can overhaul the likes of Huddersfield and Birmingham (should they both lose or possibly fail to gain maximum points). The psychological effect of a win would be immeasurably helpful to our survival hopes.
And for that reason I am not thinking about the score until the final whistle. I am so scared.
Win and we are almost safe
Lose and we are probably back in the bottom three.
It really doesn't get much bigger than this.
2.1 Charlton and we all breath a little easier.
1 point from the last 3 games is relegation form but we did better in them games than the wins against the shit teams we beat .
Hopefully Reading are as pony as Hull and the hoops were and we can grab something .
A win would let us breath but this is Charlton so it’s a draw at best and the reliance on Wigan’s point deduction (don’t punish the fans, oh it’s not us please punish the fans ;-) becomes more and more essential.
For the rest of the season I will look at it as: As long as we stay above Hull, we are safe.
Also personal opinion but i know we cant really change it but i would prefer if Doughty was an out and out winger rather than have to worry about defending, maybe thats for next year.
Great preview, on paper the least hardest game we have left, 3 points would be great.
1-0 Charlton
With Aneke only getting a handful of minutes on Tuesday, he will have enough in him to start. As I would anticipate Hemed also pushing hard with being rested in midweek. If Bonne is on the bench, expect him to come on with 30 minutes or so to go.
Thinking probably a very similar team to the one we have seen us play on the weekend games.
Shame in a way as I think Sarr deserves to start, his range of passing and control on the ball allows us to keep possession better and build rather than hitting it a bit longer. However, Pearce has been excellent for us since the return and was so close to getting another goal on Tuesday.
Whatever team selection Bow makes, this is a must win game, and one I feel we will.
Team I‘d like to see:
Matthews Lockyer Sarr Doughty
Field
Cullen Morgan
Williams
Aneke Bonne
Team I would expect to see:
Phillips
Matthews Lockyer Pearce Oshilaja
McGeady Cullen Pratley Morgan
Aneke Hemed
Charlton Athletic 2-1 Reading
Aneke
Bonne