This is no game to be playing Hacket-Fairchild or anybody younger. We will need the experience of Igor and Parker up front (albeit I am not convinced that Igor was ever as good as some seem to think he was). More importantly we need to give the pair of them some decent service. Ever the pessimist I think we are going to flounder in the final third. 0-0
2-0 loss. The visitors make easy weather of it as our players are trying to work out what a goal is from Jacko's scribbled notes which are still being passed around gone kick-off.
A one goal match. Sorry for the repetition but same as last week. Hopefully my heart beats my head this week and we see a tunnel jump at the end by the scorer Naby Sarr.
After beating them 2-1 at Southend I’d be surprised if they could have improved much since then. We had Page playing that day, and also played Taylor, Grant and Ajose, so a reasonably attacking formation. Southend were quite physical and needly that day, resulting in them getting two players sent off. No reason why we shouldn’t win this tomorrow. Well no excuse at least.
After beating them 2-1 at Southend I’d be surprised if they could have improved much since then. We had Page playing that day, and also played Taylor, Grant and Ajose, so a reasonably attacking formation. Southend were quite physical and needly that day, resulting in them getting two players sent off. No reason why we shouldn’t win this tomorrow. Well no excuse at least.
3 possible reasons, Taylor, Grant and Aribo. Is that another 34 reasons we may not win ?
After beating them 2-1 at Southend I’d be surprised if they could have improved much since then. We had Page playing that day, and also played Taylor, Grant and Ajose, so a reasonably attacking formation. Southend were quite physical and needly that day, resulting in them getting two players sent off. No reason why we shouldn’t win this tomorrow. Well no excuse at least.
3 possible reasons, Taylor, Grant and Aribo. Is that another 34 reasons we may not win ?
After beating them 2-1 at Southend I’d be surprised if they could have improved much since then. We had Page playing that day, and also played Taylor, Grant and Ajose, so a reasonably attacking formation. Southend were quite physical and needly that day, resulting in them getting two players sent off. No reason why we shouldn’t win this tomorrow. Well no excuse at least.
After beating them 2-1 at Southend I’d be surprised if they could have improved much since then. We had Page playing that day, and also played Taylor, Grant and Ajose, so a reasonably attacking formation. Southend were quite physical and needly that day, resulting in them getting two players sent off. No reason why we shouldn’t win this tomorrow. Well no excuse at least.
3 possible reasons, Taylor, Grant and Aribo. Is that another 34 reasons we may not win ?
Aribo wasn't playing, but Ajose was.
I mean 34 reasons we may not win tomorrow when you lose so many goals from your side. We live in hope that why my Charlton heart still thinks we will win 1-0 but my pragmatist head doesn't agree.
With a depleted strike force, I wouldn't be surprised with a draw, especially as Southend have had only two this season.
I saw a Pompey supporting mate yesterday. He said that Josh Parker was outstanding against them on Boxing Day, so let's hope he can reproduce that form.
Think the weather will play a big role tomorrow with extremely high winds which will adversely affect our style of play. Can't see beyond a draw. Think we'll do well to get 4 points out of next two games. Hopefully Taylor will get us over the line Tuesday night.
Think the weather will play a big role tomorrow with extremely high winds which will adversely affect our style of play. Can't see beyond a draw. Think we'll do well to get 4 points out of next two games. Hopefully Taylor will get us over the line Tuesday night.
Think the weather will play a big role tomorrow with extremely high winds which will adversely affect our style of play. Can't see beyond a draw. Think we'll do well to get 4 points out of next two games. Hopefully Taylor will get us over the line Tuesday night.
What is happening Tuesday?
My cock up - thinking ahead, got the Burton game mixed up!
No reliable goalscorers in the team this week. If Powell can keep us subdued in mid-field I can see them breaking away and scoring. They only need one goal to win this one before Taylor returns and alters our threat up front.
What I would normally write for this preview against Southend would be this:
"Southend as we would expect from knowing Powell ourselves usually play a flat 4-4-2 both home and away and usually have an inverted winger on the left hand side of midfield for two very specific reasons. The first is when attacking, it allows the full back to venture forward with ease, the left winger to give another angle on passing, crossing, or shooting, whilst helps to give another option to get into the box from midfield. The other reasons is defensively, having this inverted winger cutting in makes it harder for the opposition team to overload and dominant the midfield, being compact and giving themselves more chance to win the ball higher up the pitch than closer to the edge of their own box. Naturally, it doesn't always have to be a right footed player on the left, it can work on the right too, or sometimes Powell likes to have a left footed player out on the left, but a player who is maybe more of a central midfielder than a winger."
However, recently Southend have changed their formation a fair amount which would probably indicate that Powell is having a little bit of trouble finding the right formula, the right personnel to regularly get results. Their last win was away Bradford, 4-0 where they played a 4-5-1. Since that win, Powell has changed things into a 3-5-2, both games being at home, both games they have lost. It would be a fair comment to say that their most influential player is Simon Cox, top goal scorer this season with 10. They do of course have other players who can cause us problems if they were to play such as, Stephen Humphrys, Michael Kightly, and Stephen McLaughlin. Regarding Southend's form, their last 6 away games has only resulted in six points, having won two and lost four, scoring and conceding six. As you would expect with a Chris Powell side, they don't concede many goals at all, only 5 more than we have this season. However, they don't also score many either, 39 from 30. Southend's biggest defeat this season is away at Sunderland where they lost 3-0, and out of their 16 games lost this season, 12 of them have been by only one goal, including our win back in the very beginning of September. This means that they're usually still in games but maybe lack a little bit of quality across the park to get results regularly. Overall, Southend's form this season has portrayed a side who have underachieved at home but will do enough to be a solid mid-table team with not many thrills and spills.
Our situation is different as we know that Bows is going to play a diamond midfield and we know who the back four and goalkeeper are going to be. It's the personnel in midfield and up front to which we will have to use our educated guesses. What would be interesting is whether Igor plays alongside Parker up front, as even with him not being fully fit, I would imagine he is a better option than the raw Recco Hackett-Fairchild, who being honest, looked out of his depth last weekend away at Fleetwood. We desperately need to start scoring goals from midfield as the burden is becoming too big on the strikers to score. We have failed to score in each of the two games that Taylor has been suspended for so far. However, being at home tomorrow I do expect that to change. Personally I would go for an attack minded midfield, we must take the game to Southend and try to score an early goal to calm the nerves. Fosu hasn't performed well this season and needs to start showing his worth to the team, and although I would personally start him, I am unsure that is going to happen when we can almost guarantee that Williams, Cullen and Reeves will start. Reeves needs to be getting into positions again to score goals, he is good enough and maybe is lacking a little bit of confidence in front of goal. Williams we all know is a class player, someone who is above this level without doubt, but in the last couple of games he has started to hold onto the ball a little too long when other options are available to him. With an expected back four and Cullen, Williams and Reeves all to start, we need a bit of height and fight in midfield so although I would have a couple of players ahead of Pratley, I can see him starting tomorrow.
It's going to be a difficult game and Powell will know the importance of the crowd, how influential we can be to the performance of the team. It is this that even if we don't start well, we must continue to support the boys. Southend will be well drilled and organised and with the two centre backs of Bielik and Sarr, I can see Southend pressing us high as although both are very good with their feet, they're also prone to giving the ball away cheaply. But I think that we will add to the four games this season that they have lost by more than one goal as although both teams have many players missing through either injury or suspension, our home form will be too much for Southend.
This might be tricky but I think Powell is under huge pressure to get some wins in a season that must be disappointing to those in charge there. Brown was sacked for a similar season and I expect Powell is on borrowed time. Lucky he is up against a toothless Addicks, 0-0 and not one for the purist.
Comments
2-0 win with Igor and Reeves on the scoresheet.
Phillips
Solly, Bielik, Sarr, Purrington
cullen, Reeves, Lapslie
Williams
Igor and RHF.
We will need the experience of Igor and Parker up front (albeit I am not convinced that Igor was ever as good as some seem to think he was).
More importantly we need to give the pair of them some decent service.
Ever the pessimist I think we are going to flounder in the final third.
0-0
A rather nervy dull 1-0
Sorry for the repetition but same as last week. Hopefully my heart beats my head this week and we see a tunnel jump at the end by the scorer Naby Sarr.
Southend were quite physical and needly that day, resulting in them getting two players sent off.
No reason why we shouldn’t win this tomorrow. Well no excuse at least.
Is that another 34 reasons we may not win ?
I saw a Pompey supporting mate yesterday. He said that Josh Parker was outstanding against them on Boxing Day, so let's hope he can reproduce that form.
My cock up - thinking ahead, got the Burton game mixed up!
"Southend as we would expect from knowing Powell ourselves usually play a flat 4-4-2 both home and away and usually have an inverted winger on the left hand side of midfield for two very specific reasons. The first is when attacking, it allows the full back to venture forward with ease, the left winger to give another angle on passing, crossing, or shooting, whilst helps to give another option to get into the box from midfield. The other reasons is defensively, having this inverted winger cutting in makes it harder for the opposition team to overload and dominant the midfield, being compact and giving themselves more chance to win the ball higher up the pitch than closer to the edge of their own box. Naturally, it doesn't always have to be a right footed player on the left, it can work on the right too, or sometimes Powell likes to have a left footed player out on the left, but a player who is maybe more of a central midfielder than a winger."
However, recently Southend have changed their formation a fair amount which would probably indicate that Powell is having a little bit of trouble finding the right formula, the right personnel to regularly get results. Their last win was away Bradford, 4-0 where they played a 4-5-1. Since that win, Powell has changed things into a 3-5-2, both games being at home, both games they have lost. It would be a fair comment to say that their most influential player is Simon Cox, top goal scorer this season with 10. They do of course have other players who can cause us problems if they were to play such as, Stephen Humphrys, Michael Kightly, and Stephen McLaughlin. Regarding Southend's form, their last 6 away games has only resulted in six points, having won two and lost four, scoring and conceding six. As you would expect with a Chris Powell side, they don't concede many goals at all, only 5 more than we have this season. However, they don't also score many either, 39 from 30. Southend's biggest defeat this season is away at Sunderland where they lost 3-0, and out of their 16 games lost this season, 12 of them have been by only one goal, including our win back in the very beginning of September. This means that they're usually still in games but maybe lack a little bit of quality across the park to get results regularly. Overall, Southend's form this season has portrayed a side who have underachieved at home but will do enough to be a solid mid-table team with not many thrills and spills.
Our situation is different as we know that Bows is going to play a diamond midfield and we know who the back four and goalkeeper are going to be. It's the personnel in midfield and up front to which we will have to use our educated guesses. What would be interesting is whether Igor plays alongside Parker up front, as even with him not being fully fit, I would imagine he is a better option than the raw Recco Hackett-Fairchild, who being honest, looked out of his depth last weekend away at Fleetwood. We desperately need to start scoring goals from midfield as the burden is becoming too big on the strikers to score. We have failed to score in each of the two games that Taylor has been suspended for so far. However, being at home tomorrow I do expect that to change. Personally I would go for an attack minded midfield, we must take the game to Southend and try to score an early goal to calm the nerves. Fosu hasn't performed well this season and needs to start showing his worth to the team, and although I would personally start him, I am unsure that is going to happen when we can almost guarantee that Williams, Cullen and Reeves will start. Reeves needs to be getting into positions again to score goals, he is good enough and maybe is lacking a little bit of confidence in front of goal. Williams we all know is a class player, someone who is above this level without doubt, but in the last couple of games he has started to hold onto the ball a little too long when other options are available to him. With an expected back four and Cullen, Williams and Reeves all to start, we need a bit of height and fight in midfield so although I would have a couple of players ahead of Pratley, I can see him starting tomorrow.
It's going to be a difficult game and Powell will know the importance of the crowd, how influential we can be to the performance of the team. It is this that even if we don't start well, we must continue to support the boys. Southend will be well drilled and organised and with the two centre backs of Bielik and Sarr, I can see Southend pressing us high as although both are very good with their feet, they're also prone to giving the ball away cheaply. But I think that we will add to the four games this season that they have lost by more than one goal as although both teams have many players missing through either injury or suspension, our home form will be too much for Southend.
Solly Bielik Sarr Purrington
Cullen
Reeves Pratley
Williams
Parker Vetokele
Maxwell, Dijksteel, Stevenson, Lapslie, Marshall, Fosu, Hackett-Fairchild
Charlton Athletic 2-0 Southend United
Reeves
Parker