AFC Wimbledon v Charlton Athletic
Saturday 11th February 2017 … 3pm Kick-Off
Referee: Carl Boyeson (East Yorkshire)
IntroductionAfter a stop start January; The Addicks returned to action at the Valley against promotion chasing Fleetwood Town last Saturday… With both sides on unbeaten runs it was always going to be a tough encounter and despite taking the lead late in the first-half, Charlton could hold on and late in injury time our Lancashire opponents earned themselves a fully deserved share of the spoils.
Once again though… Football has ground to a halt in South East London as we begin another three game haul of matches away from the Valley – This Saturday will finally see Karl Robinson facing a side below us in the table as we make the short trip for another South London Derby as we face: AFC Wimbledon.
The OppositionName: AFC Wimbledon |
Manager: Neal Ardley
Ground: Kingsmeadow
In September, the new Dons made their first visit to South London… In my match preview prior to the fixture I gave them the plaudits they deserve for rising from the ashes and on the day they came to the Valley they showed their fighting spirit. With Charlton taking a deserved lead, they couldn’t find another route past the Dons ‘keeper and we were made to pay… Wimbledon had two attempts on goal that after and with both ending up in the net it meant that the points would return to the South West of London…
As mentioned, this is an opposition that don’t do failure and despite a slow start to life in League One, Neal Ardley has adapted well and for a brief few weeks it would look as though another promotion challenge was on the cards as they entered the Play-Offs… Sadly for the Dons though, that dream has faded in recent weeks as their form has stuttered (just two wins in the last 10-games), yet relegation candidates they surely will be not.
Charlton Team NewsWhen the injury time board went up last Saturday, many Addicks fans knew that despite leading against Fleetwood there would be more drama to come… Come the full-time whistle and it felt as though we were lucky to get a point and with Nathan Byrne earning himself a late red card it meant that he’ll now miss the new three matches whilst Lewis Page having been sent off for Coventry earlier in the season will serve the second and final game of his own suspension.
In addition; Jake Forster-Caskey (calf) and Adam Chicksen (illness) both had to be substituted against Fleetwood yet should hopefully be fit to return this Saturday… The good news is that Josh Magennis has now resumed full training so will no doubt lead the line for a Charlton side looking to keep up their unbeaten run.
Rudd
Solly | Bauer | Teixeira | Chicksen
Crofts
Botaka | Forster-Caskey | Konsa | Holmes
Magennis
Substitutes Bench: Phillips | Dasilva | Jackson | Aribo | Ulvestad | Mavididi | Watt
PredictionI said last week that Fleetwood was a must win match if we wanted to reach the Play-Offs… That aim now is simply going to become harder as slowly run out of games. A win at AFC Wimbledon this weekend won’t be easy but with our opponents on a poor run, failure to win will surely end any hopes of extending our season into May.
Comments
Rudd
Solly Bauer, Konsa, Chicksen
Crofts, Forster Caskey
Holmes, Watt, Aribo
Magennis
Subs Phillips, DaSilva, Texeira, Mavididi, Jackson Novak Botaka
People have been saying though that in his pre-match video; Robinson is saying that we're playing 4-1-4-1 and because of that I cant imagine Watt pretty much playing in Midfield
He may also rest Aribo and pput Konsa back to midfield and Tex at the back. Although Botika will be well rested, I still think he is better from the bench.
Anyway, despite our fine pedigree, we're farcking rubbish at the moment ("the moment" being virtually all of the last 3 years). Despite the Dons poor form, can't see us getting anything better than a draw.
Last away meeting against the Dons were a 2-1 defeat at Selhurst, I think on Boxing Day 1998. Neil Redfearn scored quite a good goal to put us 1-0 up in front of about 6,000 away fans. We went down that season, but we fought all the way, kept hold of pretty much everyone except Danny Mills (flogged to Leeds) and Paul Mortimer (harshly released), bought Dean Kiely in the Summer and stormed our way back up the following season. Can you spot the similarity with last season's relegation and our subsequent transfer dealings? That's right, there isn't one.
Pretty sure the only other away fixture against them in the last 25 years was the 5-4 victory at Selhurst in the League Cup, Lee Bowyer scored a hat trick, think Peter Garland might have got one as well. Only about 3,500 there to see it, but great days nonetheless.
Yet another 1-1 tomorrow, to keep up our magnificent record of averaging a 1-1 draw every three games (currently nine 1-1s in 28 games). Boring.
Otherwise, 4-1-4-1 or not, I can't see Botaka starting ahead of Watt, although KR's surely gonna have to rotate the squad a bit with so many games coming up in quick succession.
Hopefully a Bolton style performance, 2-1 to Charlton, with much drinking, dancing and merryment in Crossbars until the early hours of Sunday
Robinson sent off for fighting with the Wombles fans booing him.
..... Magennis
Aribo Watt Holmes
........Crofts JFC
Chicksen Tex Bauer Solly
Rudd
Novak Konsa Jackson Ulvestad Novak Mavididi Botaka
I do agree that Homes would be better on the right though.
I could see some merit in bringing Tex back into central defence and moving Konsa into midfield in order to try and counter the aerial threat of Elliot and Poleon. Regardless of who lines up, we need to defend set plays a hell of a lot better than we did last week.
I'm finding it difficult to see much of a goal threat from us, although hopefully Ricky Holmes - with another week's training under his belt - will pose a threat.
1-0 Big Josh.
That said, I think it would be a good time to go with a back three against the two forwards of AFCW, but I don't see him ditching his favored formation.
3-5-1-1:
Rudd
Solly...Konsa..Bauer...Tex....Chicksen
......JFC....Crofts...Aribo
..............Holmes (free role)
..............Watt
Could also go with Novak and Watt up front with Holmes behind them, but I don't know that Novak has really done anything to justify a starting spot.
3.1 Charlton and time to start believing