MATCH THREAD : West Bromwich Albion V Charlton Athletic : Tuesday 24th February 2026 : KO 19:45

All as expected, but I groan at seeing Berry on the bench. Hopefully just to inflate his resumé in the summer? Surely better to encourage a youngster by naming him in the squad, even if no intention to field him? But if there is any intention to field Berry, I groan even louder.

Dykes and Leaburn should work. Leaburn is not a "lump up front" but better when the ball is on the ground.

0-1 Collins 90+4

So many of us with reservario s about the Dykes Leabuen partnership that it's bound to have an absolute stormer and be unplayable tonight.

cantersaddick said:

So many of us with reservario s about the Dykes Leabuen partnership that it's bound to have an absolute stormer and be unplayable tonight.

My main reservation with it is that it encourages the players to send those aimless long balls into touch all the time but we live in hope 

I hope it’s not an evening of hoofball given our front two.  It was awful last week 

Leaburn played a blinder after he came on, yet we let Southampton get control of the game once Coady and Dykes went off. Leaburn and Dykes worked absolutely fine against Leicester. I've not seen Kelman do anything in his recent sub appearances to justify starting in such a crucial game.

YannTheMann said:

cantersaddick said:

So many of us with reservario s about the Dykes Leabuen partnership that it's bound to have an absolute stormer and be unplayable tonight.

My main reservation with it is that it encourages the players to send those aimless long balls into touch all the time but we live in hope 

Ohh I agree. I put myself in the category of having reservations about it. Was just making a comment that with so many of us in 2 pages stating our reservations it would be very charlton life for them to have a great game. 

If we can get our wing backs forward and they can put in good balls from wide it will be fine. If WBA manage to pin our wing backs deep (maybe by doubling up on them?) We will be stuck with long balls down the middle and hopeful diagonals.

YannTheMann said:

cantersaddick said:

So many of us with reservario s about the Dykes Leabuen partnership that it's bound to have an absolute stormer and be unplayable tonight.

My main reservation with it is that it encourages the players to send those aimless long balls into touch all the time but we live in hope 

It wouldn't matter if we played the man mountain that is Jack Payne up front - we'd still be launching aimless long balls that would miss the target by a country mile.

cantersaddick said:

eastterrace6168 said:

Dazzler21 said:

Currently have a splitting headache. Let's see whether Charlton:
A - Send me to sleep with a worse headache. 
B - Usual dull formula means the headache remains as is. 
C - Clear my headache and make the Mrs wish I had fallen asleep in pain. 

D - We win and you get yer end away...😉

Realistic scenarios only please.

Midweek nookie is a blue moon occurrence 

wolfgang said:

All as expected, but I groan at seeing Berry on the bench. Hopefully just to inflate his resumé in the summer? Surely better to encourage a youngster by naming him in the squad, even if no intention to field him? But if there is any intention to field Berry, I groan even louder.

Dykes and Leaburn should work. Leaburn is not a "lump up front" but better when the ball is on the ground.

Jones trusts him and he's there to throw on late on if we are trying to get a goal. I get that, he has, in fairness, despite looking fairly poor all-round, come in few games and come close to scoring, along with getting the equaliser at Hull. He does still have the right place right time instinct, even if his all round game is declining.

The trouble is, if Carey goes down injured after 20 minutes, with Knibbs already injured, would we rather be bringing on Fullah or Berry? I'd say probably Fullah.

Bailey said:

Mmmm, interesting selection up front, I take Golfie's point about getting crosses in but also there was a tendency in the first half against Pompey to hit long ball at both Leaburn and Dykes, I like to think that it was down to the way that Pompey set up, but it becomes too easy an option if our wing backs don't get forward. That said, I don't think that either Campbell or Kelman looked game changers on Saturday, whereas Miles did. 

Comes down to whether WBA can do what Pompey did and stop our wingbacks getting forward? If they can and do then its lump it up front time again and we need to change it earlier and get TC on......

Just very weak in creative midfield. We know that. That’s why we need a high press when they get the ball. Don’t give them any space in the middle of the park. That’s it really. Let’s hope the good Charlton turns up. 

Not a must win, but this is a game we ought to be targeting for a win. Yes our next 2 games are at home, but against WAY better opposition than WBA.

Pompey are a better team than WBA as well, I never thought they would go down. Well coached, and they made decent additions in January. Plus the players and fans are totally behind Mousinho, whereas it won't take much to get the Baggies fans to turn tonight.

Clarke playing tonight makes sense, as him and Ramsay together will create more attacking threat than Ramsay and Sichenje. 

Sky stream has started and VFR belting out already 

wolfgang said:

All as expected, but I groan at seeing Berry on the bench. Hopefully just to inflate his resumé in the summer? Surely better to encourage a youngster by naming him in the squad, even if no intention to field him? But if there is any intention to field Berry, I groan even louder.

Dykes and Leaburn should work. Leaburn is not a "lump up front" but better when the ball is on the ground.

Would much rather Fullah gets his place on the bench.