Charlton v Rochdale | Sat 04 May | 5:30pm KO | Match Preview, Predictions, News & Views

Charlton Athletic v Rochdale
Saturday 4th May 2019 … 5:30pm Kick-Off
Referee: Charles Breakspear (Surrey)

Introduction
Doesn’t feel right does it, feels as though only yesterday as though we were preparing for a season opener against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light, worrying about what the season might bring, wondering if we’d be in a relegation or promotion battle and whether Roland would be gone (of course not). Yet here we are, the end of the season is upon us, come 8pm tonight our players will be able to rest and look forward to relaxing on the beach… Yeaaa not quite, regardless of our business against Rochdale tomorrow there is still a lot more work to be done to our season just yet!!

The Opposition
Name: Rochdale | Manager: Brian Barry-Murphy
Ground: Spotland

Well I don’t know about any other Addicks fans but this match certainly has a case of déjà vu about it…

Twelve months ago we going into the last day of the season knowing that only a miracle result from Plymouth would stop us from enjoying an extended Play-Off campaign, we would travel to Rochdale looking to carry on our good form from the previous games and against a team almost certain of being relegated it looked a shoe-in for three points… Of course we all know it ended (Joe Thompson deservedly enjoying sort of moment you’d expect in a Hollywood piece) yet a few months ago it felt as though the prizes riding on this game would be of a similar fashion.

We all know (and have enjoyed watching from afar) the relegation drama that has unfolded in League One this campaign and for Rochdale they looked to be one of the many teams involved, only six games ago they were occupying twenty third spot and you had to wonder if lightning couldn’t strike twice… For Manager: Keith Hill that answer would be a resounding NO!!!

Yet incoming would be the relatively unknown: Brian Barry-Murphy, having only just retired from a playing career spent in Midfield you’d have thought that this would be too much of a task for a man taking his first foray into Management… Rochdale though have recovered, they sit seventh in the form table, this game has gone from a repeat of last seasons importance to that of a dead rubber; Dale will be a League One side next term, in a way they owe it to Charlton to return a favour and so give us continued form going into yet another Play-Off campaign

Charlton Team News
On Tuesday night it was confirmed that both Portsmouth and Sunderland would join the Addicks in the Play-Offs yet for Lee Bowyer it’s been a pleasure to have been able to rest and rotate his squad over the last two games, an advantage no other team has enjoyed.

Writing this preview after the weekly press conference means there is less guessing from me… Lee has already confirmed that Jonny Williams will be sitting out this encounter (ankle) whilst both Patrick Bauer and Krystian Bielik will return, the latter needing game time having been absent with a shoulder problem – Having played his first 90 minutes (albeit for the Reserves) its time to see if Jake Forster-Caskey will get his first start of the season, the fan favourite could come in for Josh Cullen who apart from Dillon Phillips has been our sole ever present since clash with Accrington Stanley in mid-January