Football League One - Week FourCharlton Athletic v SunderlandSaturday 3rd October 2020 ... 3pm Kick-OffReferee: Andy Davies (Hampshire)IntroductionCharlton return to the Valley this weekend still in search of their first points since the opening day of the season... A harsh defeat against Lincoln City last Sunday would remind Lee Bowyer and his fragile squad of the difficulties of football at this level, the majority of teams will try to contain those who should be fighting further up the table, combine that with the drop in refereeing and you truly dont want to be relying on intervention to achieve any victories!!
Yet the fixture list this season must surely have had a sense of humour, after all our last game at the Valley saw defeated: Play-Off Semi-Finalists from 2018/19 visiting - Now we've another team coming down from the North, even more intent on revenge!!
The OppositionName: Sunderland (5th) |
Manager: Phil Parkinson
Ground: Stadium of Light
Last Result: Sunderland 1-0 Peterborough United
Just over a year ago there was a club who travelled to Wembley who climbed the mountain and wrote their legend!!... Of course in any game like that, with a victor there sadly has to be a loser and like just in 1998 it was to be Sunderland once again in what was a remarkable first repeat Play-Off Final!!
Sunderland fans once again would of course prove to be magnanimous in defeat and would go into last season hoping for a repeat of the following season twenty years ago when they would romp to (what was on that occasion) the First Division title - Unfortunately though it wasnt to be the case; Jack Ross would only last until October before being sacked by the Sunderland board, he would leave the club ironically after a 2-0 defeat at Lincoln City which saw the club in the final relegation spot... Phil Parkinson (well known in these parts) would take up the reigns as someone experienced of getting out of this League, yet the bad luck that all black cats seem to have lingers over the North East, they would finish outside the top six not just on PPG yet by a single point, leaving them to endure a third season in this tier!!
Third season syndrome at this level (as Charlton have found) can sometimes be third time lucky with the Addicks returning to the Championship at the third time of asking in each of their last two spells at this level - Sunderland have certainly strengthened once again this summer, the experience of Aiden O'Brien (Millwall), Bailley Wright (Bristol City) and Danny Graham (Blackburn Rovers) brought in to lead the charge!!
Another Play-Off Final between these two great sides cant happen again though!!... Can it?
Charlton Team NewsFor forty five minutes against Lincoln we looked a team that could be a serious threat at this level, it was the same against Doncaster Rovers to some extent... The problem in both games wasnt the fact that (for our efforts) we couldnt take our chances yet more the fact that once the opposition scored, we ourselves seemed to lose confidence to continue playing the way we'd started the game - In League One, scoring first is so important as so many teams will protect that advantage, to get promoted you must learn how to be resiliant in defence, but also learn how to break down these teams.
Against Sunderland you'd expect a more open game, yet that first goal will be so important so what does Bowyer do? - Marcus Maddison just signed on a Free will surely go on the bench at the very best yet even for 20-30mins could help make a difference if needed... We still need strengthening in areas and with this being our last game before the window closes its a chance to get some confidence and so pass that on to any new bodies coming into the building!!
Amos
Barker | Oshilaja | Famewo | Purrington
Oztumer | Pratley | Levitt
Doughty | Washington | Maddison
Substitutes Bench: Maynard-Brewer | Watson | Davison | Williams | Aneke | Lapslie | Forster-Caskey
*The team will be updated should any new signings be announced todayPredictionCharlton are certainly getting stronger and more depth yet has this fixture come a bit too soon? - Sunderland arrive in SE7 undefeated this season but its a run I dont see them keeping hold of for long, their narrow victory over Peterborough last week suggests they're not the same threat that started their first League One campaign in 2018/19... As I've already mentioned, the first goal is so important, the way we've played at times we deserve another victory as we've played better than what we did at Crewe on the opening day - Unfortunately you deserve nothing in this sport... You earn it!!
Comments
Amos
Oshilaja Pratley Famewo Purrington
Watson
Williams/Lapslie Levitt/Gilbey
Washington Doughty
Maddison
Aneke
Just have to hope one of Watson, Williams, Maddison and Aneke can last the full 90. Not sure how long Gilbey is out for or if his back.
I agree with your first team, bar Bonne gone, Davison in.
I'd have Morgan in ahead of Lapslie too.
We'll win 2-1.
Barker | Oshilaja | Famewo | Purrington
Oztumer | Pratley | Levitt | Doughty
Davison | Washington
Substitutes Bench:
Maynard-Brewer | Watson | Maddison | Williams | F.Caskey | Morgan | Aneke
Defence is still a worry. We need a right back, possibly a left back and another central defender a s a p. Famewo is still too inexperienced to be totally reliable .. left back .. I saw Ryan Haynes of Newport versus us for Shrewsbury a couple of seasons back, he is good and is playing well in L2
Sunderland ? .. their team still does not do justice to the honourable name, we have nothing to fear. The 'takeover bounce' will have reinvigorated the whole club and we will win this .. JUST ((:>)
CAFC 2 v Sunderland 1
Prove us wrong Charlton
Amos
Barker Oshilaja Famewo Purrington
Lapslie Pratley Levitt Doughty
Washington Davison
Probably only 3/4 of them good/experienced enough for a promotion team
Already looking forward to us meeting in the play off final again this season
Impossible to name the starting eleven imo as we have no idea of the fitness (or lack of ) of several players.
As I rate Bowyer as much better tgan Parkinson I'm going 2.1 Charlton.
Maddison to come on for the last 20 minutes and get the winner.
Compared to the last time we played Sunderland in this league, when we had the likes of Aribo, Bauer, Bielik, Dijksteel, Taylor, Naby, Elliot, Cullen etc that team is a bit of a joke.
Sorry but until we get some decent players, we will keep losing.
0-2
Sunderland aren't great, they've been getting results without looking especially good. But then they've had a massive rebuilding in the summer. I suspect they'll have enough to win, say 2-1