Charlton Athletic vs PortsmouthSaturday 25th September 2021 ... 3pm Kick-OffReferee: Anthony CogginsIntroductionIts been a disappointing start to a season which is a bit of an understatement, grey clouds cover a small corner of SE7 and already there are many who believe that any hopes of finishing in the top six are disppearing quicker than an English summer. Tuesday night saw some improvement against Gillingham, yet the second half resulted in a return to the normality of this season so far - We return to the Valley this weekend and play hosts to a Portsmouth side that have equally suttered of late.
The OppositionName: Portsmouth (12th) | Manager: Danny CowleyGround: Fratton ParkLast Meeting: Charlton Athletic 1-3 PortsmouthWhat a difference a couple of months can make, after all it wasnt long ago when three teams went into the final day of the season all looking to finish in the last Play-Off spot... Ironically it was Portsmouth, the team in prime position that would end up as the lowest side of the three, and proof at how hard it can be to escape this Division with this now being their fifth consecutive season at this level.
Yet after the opening exchanges it looked again as though Portsmouth would be the team to beat this season, three wins out of three, and that was despite a summer exodus of players (nine players would depart to other clubs in League One or higher) - Unfortunately for their fans it seemed to put them in a false position, those wins after all came against the three lowest teams in League One at the time and they've not won since. Just two further points have been obtained, putting them level on points with Oxford United, evidence that all three Play-Off challenges have had slowish starts this term.
Despite that exodus though; Pompey will be a dangerous side and Danny Cowley will have them organised. With Craig MacGillivray facing his old team this Saturday afternoon it'll surely be the battle of the Goalkeepers; Gavin Bazunu (on loan from Manchester City) is already an Irish International and is experienced at this level having spent last year with Rochdale, our opponents may be out of form, but only Ben Amos has conceded fewer goals this term.
Goals however could be an issue with our opponents having scored the same amount as ourselves - Some fans (on both sides) have viewed this game like a bald man fighting over a comb so I dont think we're in for a classic.
Charlton Team NewsWhen your Manager is making wholesale changes every game it doesnt exactly inspire confidence, a total of thirteen players have been chopped and changed these last two games meaning that we go into this Saturday without knowing who we could potentially see this time out.
Corey Blackett-Taylor was the outstanding player against Gillingham and surely deserves another start, Albie Morgan (a player who will always divide opinion) is another who improved last time out so should potentially keep his place in what is a pretty weak area of the team at present - At least we managed to see the return of Ben Purrington and Alex Gilbey, the latter will surely be eased back into the squad, whilst the former will now have to compete with Papa Souare for that Left-Back slot.
MacGillivray
Matthews - Lavelle - Pearce - Purrington
Arter - Morgan
Blackett-Taylor - Lee - Leko
Stockley
Substitutes Bench: Harness - Famewo - Souare - Dobson - Clare - Davison - Kirk
PredictionIt doesnt matter how pretty it is, it doesnt overly matter if we score a goal similar to the one that Gillingham achieved on Tuesday night, with the goal being credited to the referee's rear end - At the end of the day, this is clearly a team lacking in confidence and heads clearly drop the moment we go a goal down, the understandable impatience from the stands means that frustrations will equally grow should that happen once again this coming weekend.
Comments
Matthews LaVelle Famewo Purrington
Arter Dobson
Leko Lee CBT
Stockley
subs Harness Pearce Gunter Watson Kirk Davison DJ
I haven’t got a clue to be honest
Two teams enter the Valley of hope, dreams and memories.
One team will leave as the victor
(Possibly neither)I believe we will start in a 4-3-3 again.
Purrington on the bench as he's probably not ready to start the whole Sat/Tues run of every game. If Washington is out, I expect Leko to drop straight into the starting line up. Finally I wouldn't be surprised to see Arter in for Watson or Morgan. Davison has earned another start IMO, He can always be subbed off should he be struggling.
Matthews - Lavelle - Pearce - Souare
Lee - Watson - Morgan
Leko - Davison - B.Taylor
Subs:
Harness, Famewo, Purrington, Arter, Clare Gilbey, Kirk, Stockley
Washington's injury, after missing our best chances on Tuesday shows up how weak our strike force is . Not much choice except to play Leko up front with either Stockley or Davison.
Lee will play as an advanced tucked in winger.
Not brilliant but this is our best option.
MacGillvray
Matthews, Lavelle, Famewo, Purrington
CBT, Arter/Watson, Morgan, Lee
Leko, Davison/Stockley
Subs, Henderson, Pearce, Souare, Clare, Kirk/DJ, Arter/Watson, Davison/Stockley
I would always have Washington as first on my team sheet. Rate of success in shooting practice in training would determine his partner.
I dont think id change much from the Gills game except the CM 2. Would swap it Arter and Clare for some energy. Not dropping Watson but purely he cant do Sat,Tues,sat etc.
Morgan isnt playing well....bottom line...not digging him out but he isnt playing well and other people need a chance as we cant keep carrying him.
Think we might sneak a 1-0 win as these are the sorta games we win.
1-0 Davison.
If fit CBT cannot be dropped after Tuesday, nor Lee imo. May e Kirk comes back in as well to hopefully show what he can do.
What ever team I see written down, or I try and come up with myself, it's the "2" that's the problem. Hopefully Arter getting match fit and Gilbey coming back will address that, but that's 3 months into the season!
I would bring Arter in for Washington, assuming he isn't fit. Quite how you write that down on paper 4321?
If Washington is fit to start I would be tempted to play the diamond, but that would harshly leave out Davison or CBT.
Sort the 2 out and everything else will fit into place, probably not "blowing the league out the water" but not relegation form either. Anything else is rearranging the deckchairs on the titanic.
Every match is massive now, it’s gotta turn soon, as per the mathematical thread, we need wins now.
Im done trying to predict us, if we draw it’s just another delay to our season wondering whether Adkins is the answer, win and Adkins can hold his head a little higher because we’ve got four points in 4 days, lose and his head will be called for.
Im going for more anxiety, 0-0.
Now what I would do is.... ( No one gives a flying fuck what you think Sam)
Please win for Steve Gallen's sake as he looked quite stressed on CAST Zoom and suffering with Covid in the last week of the Window, Steve explained his remit which was to work his way down the list of targets which is normally 5 for each position.
Hoping for a good game and a win but won't be at all shocked if we are walking back to the car discussing how poor we were following a defeat.
Hoping for a good game and a win but know this won't happen.
Won't be at all shocked if the car breaks down on the A2 on the way home and I get a parking ticket.
Matthews - Lavelle - Pearce - Purrington
Arter
Blackett-Taylor - Lee - Leko
Stockley - Davison
Substitutes Bench: Harness - Famewo - Souare - Dobson - Clare - Morgan - Kirk
Um, not sure I’ve got that right.
I was alarmed at how easily Evan's half-time tweaks nullified our first half dominance on Tuesday.
However, what we did in the first half gives us some scope for optimism.
Above all we need to be far more clinical with our chances, but at least on Tuesday we created some.
This is one of the games I looked forward to in pre-season, however I have a twice postponed commitment with a life long friend and so I am gonna miss this one.
May be just as well, as I've been getting a bit apoplectic recently and it's not healthy.
0-2