Two points dropped on Saturday in the second of three consecutive home matches and the Addicks have still yet to win two games in a row since the end of October-beginning of November. A tough and well organised Shrewsbury side walked away with a point, but the two dropped for Charlton makes the chances of play-offs this season even more slim. Next up though and to round off those consecutive home games is a match that sums up this crazy and unprecedented season... It was 11.45am on Tuesday 15th December that the announcement was made that our match that evening was postponed due to a number of players and staff at Bristol Rovers required to self-isolate due to an outbreak of COVID-19 at Bristol Rovers. Lots has changed since then, but the goal remains the same. We must pick up 3 points this Tuesday evening.
OppositionManager: Joey Barton (40% win rate) Stadium: Memorial StadiumLeague Position: 19th | Last 6: DWLWLLNickname(s): The Gas, The PiratesBristol Rovers played AFC Wimbledon at home on Saturday, drawing 0-0, their last line-up was:
Day
Williams | Kilgour | Baldwin
Rodman | Upson | McCormick | Leahy
Westbrooke | Nicholson
Ayunga
In my last preview for this fixture I wrote about the then new manager Paul Tisdale, who was only appointed on 19th November. That appointment lasted less than 3 months and was sacked on 10th February following a run of form that saw Bristol Rovers pick up 12 points from a possible 45 available. Since, a new manager we all know about has been given the task of keeping them in the division. Joey Barton was sacked from Fleetwood Town on 4th January but was only out of work for 7 weeks when he was made new Bristol Rovers manager on 22nd February. A team who goes through this many managers in a season rarely has any success, so it's no surprise that The Pirates find themselves only one point outside the relegation zone.
Form wise, Bristol Rovers have struggled immensely on the road. Failing to score in 6 of their last 7 away games, and the one they did score in they lost 6-1 to Accrington Stanley. In fact, scoring goals has been their biggest problem this season, failing to score in 15 of their 34 matches so far, and only our last opponents in a midweek fixture, Northampton Town, have scored fewer. Since the defeat to us back in January, they have picked up 12 points from just 16 matches and with 6 of the current top 8 to play between now and the end of the season, on paper The Pirates are up against it and could face walking the plank come May!
Player wise, they really shouldn't be in the position they are in. Bristol Rovers have some good League One quality across the pitch. Jack Baldwin was at Sunderland until the summer but was not in the squad on that incredible day nearly 22 months ago (where has the time gone?!). Max Ehmer had played every minute in the league until recently being dropped from the team, new manager Barton clearly is not such a fan. The tall German defender has made over 300 appearances across the last 10 years in League One, many of them for Gillingham until he left the outside toilet for the west country in July. In midfield, Zain Westbrooke is a talented player who was in the Coventry team that won promotion last season. Chertsey born, Westbrooke would start his development at Chelsea before moving to Brentford, working his way up to their B side. After failing to break through, he'd find a new home in Coventry for a couple years and has since moved further west to Bristol Rovers. He may not score many, but he has the technical ability to find the pass to someone who may be more dangerous. Further back in midfield is another experienced player, Ed Upson. Another with around 300 League One appearances, Upson played for 4 different clubs at this level. The type of midfielder who keeps a team ticking over, always making himself available, always trying to look for the forward pass or the strikers movement in behind the defence. But also the midfielder who has the job to break up play. If we manage to keep him quiet, it will massively help reduce the service into the forward players, allowing us more control in midfield and able to express ourselves better. Up front, I think we all know of Brandon Hanlan, the former Addicks academy striker is another who moved from Gillingham to Bristol Rovers in the summer, but its Nicholson who has played more regularly since Barton came in. The Scotsman signed for The Gas in July from Colorado Rapids, the closest team to Mr Sandgaard's home in the US.
Charlton Team NewsRyan Inniss and Alex Gilbey returned to full training for the Addicks last week meaning only Adam Matthews and Jake Forster-Caskey remain out or doubtful with hamstring problems of their own. Back in the original fixture, we had been decimated with injuries and suspensions, but this time round, thankfully the vast majority of the squad is available for selection.
With many of the players looking leggy on Saturday, you would expect Bowyer to try and freshen things up. Could Purrington come in from the cold and replace young Ian Maatsen at left-back? We surely won't see a midfield two of Pratley and Watson for this one, so is Smith or Shinnie likely to return, or both? Albie Morgan looked shattered by the time he came off on Saturday so is unlikely to start again. Millar was ineffective at the weekend but is unlikely to miss out. Up front Stockley could be rotated with Aneke and partner the in form Conor Washington, whilst it's likely Ronnie Schwartz is going to continue his place on the bench.
Subs: Maynard-Brewer, Oshilaja, Pratley, Morgan, Jaiyesemi, Stockley, Schwartz
8 points from the last 4 matches is good form but we have had great opportunities to have made it 12 points, with the saved penalty against Oxford United and a game against Shrewsbury Town where we really ought to have been taking all 3 points. Those extra 4 points would see us sit joint 5th and looking and feeling a lot more positive. All we can do now though is continue the solid base we have created and kick on again. This game is starting to feel like a must win, and I think we will too...
Charlton Athletic 2-0 Bristol Rovers
Aneke
Millar
Comments
Think we realistically needed six points from these two games
Going to be curious to see how many changes there will be what with the "tired" remark yesterday
Maybe but my confidence has wained significantly and it will take a performance of the season and convincing win to restore the hope. 1-0. Chuck's.
Good feeling about this, mostly because of the confidence Washington is currently enjoying, fancy him to add at least one more to his goal tally.
Realistically the playoffs have now passed us by so planning for next season is our priority.
Pointless playing players who will not be here next season so just concentrate on the ones he intends to keep.
1 . 1 Draw
I see Sage left out Pratley. He never gets tired so I expect him to play ;-)
I'd be tempted to really mess with my own head (and the whole not playing players out of position thing) and go with something like this tomorrow...
Gunter - Famewo - Pearce - Purrington
Jaiyesimi - Shinnie - Watson - Maatsen
Stockley - Schwartz
We cannot keep picking two central midfielders who are both incapable of running. Even in the bad old Parky days we had Nicky Bailly.
Let's get some hungry youngsters in, fill them with confidence and start preparing for next season.
The club's beginning to look like a donkey sanctuary.
1-1
3:2 to the snobs
Without JFC I can't see us scoring more than one and conceding less than one. That says something in its self, hardly peek Stevie G is he?
1-1 and everyone else conspires to still leave us within touching distance of the play offs before Saturday's must win game.
https://c.newsnow.co.uk/A/1070904177?-11197:833
https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/charlton-athletic-centre-back-ryan-inniss-has-exact-return-date-in-sight/
Who will be manager though
Goals from Chuks, Washington and DJ
Famewo - Famewo - Famewo - Famewo
Jaiyesimi - Shinnie - Morgan - Millar
Washington - Schwartz
Have just been sent a code to activate the stream.
And draw 1-1