Morecambe v Charlton AthleticTuesday 23 November | Kick-Off: 19:45Live on Charlton TV (UK included) Referee: Andy Haines - Previously officiated Charlton away at Rochdale back in October 2018 where the Addicks missed a penalty and lost 1-0.Introduction
A packed Valley, a roaring atmosphere, and a performance and result to match. The cohesion of the team now is showing and it's clear they're working themselves into the ground for Jackson. The more they go on, the more they make it simply impossible for the owner to consider anyone else - and why should he? The job has to be Jacko's. This isn't about popularity with the fans, albeit that helps, this is about bringing our club forward, and with the experience of what it takes as a player and assistant, on top of the results as caretaker, we aren't going to find anyone better. With a run of 4 wins (all with clean sheets) and a solitary draw from 5 in charge, Jackson's Addicks are going travelling for the next couple of weeks. First stop off is up to the north west coast in a fixture that has never happened in the combined total of 222 years in our respective histories, Morecambe to be precise.
OppositionManager: Stephen Robinson (37.8% win rate) | Stadium: Mazuma StadiumLeague Position: 18th | Nickname(s): The ShrimpsForm: LLDLLWMorecambe played away in their derby game to Fleetwood Town on Saturday, winning 2-1, their line up was:
Andrésson
McLaughlin | O'Connor | Delaney | Leigh
McCalmont | Jones | McLoughlin
Ayunga | Stockton | Gnahoua
Morecambe celebrated their 100 year anniversary last season with promotion to the third tier of English football for the first time in their history. Some achievement for a club who finished 22nd in two of the previous three years in League Two. Start to life in League One has been relatively steady for a club who were strong favourites to head straight back down. Beating Sheffield Wednesday and Lincoln City whilst holding Plymouth Argyle, all at home, shows a team who are competitive and will be right up for the visit of the most in form team since Jackson took the reins.
A late winner on Saturday against a relegation and local rival of Fleetwood Town will have boosted the confidence of the Shrimps ahead of Tuesday night. With a striker in Cole Stockton - who scored that winner from his own half at the weekend - in the form of his life with 14 goals in all competitions thus far, we will have to be right at it and solid, as we have been of late. To go into a little more detail on the striker, there has only been 6 games this season where he has failed to either score or assist, his goals directly winning Morecambe an additional 7 points. A tally that would see them bottom of the league without him. Stockton is well on the way to getting at least 20 this term, I think we could all agree that is an incredible feat for a club like Morecambe at this level.
Charlton Team News
With results as they have been the team pretty much picks itself. Well, as much as possible with the injuries or suspensions that we seem to be getting almost every game at the moment. The latest player to fall victim is club captain, Jason Pearce. The defender has recently come out and said how he has had to work hard to prove people wrong, including the former manager, and he has done just that. Pearce has been excellent at the centre of the back three and will be missed as he is extremely unlikely to travel. It's expected that Gunter will slot in and take the armband. Stockley serves the second game of his 3 match ban but that doesn't matter too much when you have a goalscoring wing-back who looks to be on his way to double figures!
The game could again come a little too soon for Matthews and Leko but let's hope they're available to us next weekend. Harry Arter will be hoping to be able to make the bench, as will Pape Souaré, but one of the changes I am anticipating is young Deji Elewere taking the skipper's place in the squad. It's a shame that Sam Lavelle is injured as this is a game that he would have been most looking forward to since signing for us on deadline day. Let's hope the former Morecambe captain can get himself fit not too long after the turn of the new year.
Subs: Harness, Elewere, Watson, Morgan, Blackett-Taylor, Leko, BurstowHuge credit to any hardy sole who makes the long trip to the north west on Tuesday evening. This will be the first game I have missed since Jackson took charge but will be tuning in on Charlton TV. With the run we are on, with the players working so hard and the quality we have, how can you go for anything other than the Addicks getting the better of the Shrimps? 3 points head back to south east London.
Morecambe 0-2 Charlton Athletic
Washington
Gilbey
Comments
Am starting to get a bit worried about our centre half and centre forward 'lightness'.
But we are playing as a team. A bit like Liverpool do when they are without key players, they play to a system and perform. That's all we need to keep doing
My brother and six of my lot are having an overnight stay
My personal situation won't allow me to go.
We will win this game and then win at Shrewsbury as well and then Sandgaard will have no choice but to give JJ the job.
For a club like Morecambe I hope they're able to keep him in January as they will surely be doomed if they dont.
Great Preview @Sage... All the more impressive for them is the fact they lost Derek Adams to Bradford shortly after they got promoted, so have really got it right with their new Manager coming down from Scotland.
Just a shame that Sam Lavelle wont be able to go back to his old club - Imagine he will have received a great reception, given how their fans reacted when he left on deadline day.
Be interested to see how Jackson approaches this game, probably the first match where we're not facing a team flying high or seriously struggling since he took over. Dont expect to see a team similar to Accrington but still expect it to be quite a battle for us.
We currently have Famewo, Purrington, and possibly Dobson, all on 4 yellows.
I’m not 100% on Dobson. He has 4 in all competitions but does that mean it also counts for the league?
If they all avoid a booking on Tuesday, we are good until any of them potentially gets 10 yellows, which gets wiped after 37 league games.
Other than that I think we have enough in the tank to bring back 3 points.
So 2-1 to Morecambe.
I don’t think JJ will allow the standards drop so I think we will win.
Philips was the same, though I do remember at Wembley he walked a few yards off his line before charging back !
With Stockley's penchant for a card, we could do with a bit of cover coming in in January as we are an injury away from leaving us very light up top.
Won’t be easy however but can see us coming back with at least a point in the bag
Morecambe 0 v CAFC 2
Harris able to pick the team for the game, opts for Morgan and Watson as the central 2 in a 4-4-2 diamond, Watson at the bottom, Morgan at the top.
We lose 3-0 and utter meltdown on here ensues