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Charlton v Doncaster | Sat 03 Nov | 3pm KO | Match Preview, Predictions, News & Views

Charlton Athletic v Doncaster Rovers
Saturday 3rd November 2018 … 3pm Kick-Off
Referee: Gavin Ward (Surrey)

Introduction

It’s rather ironic that last night would be Halloween; Charlton’s form at the moment appears to be frightening and cannot be explained… The Addicks have recorded just the solitary point since despatching Barnsley with such ease two weeks ago, and it’s a struggle to understand where that form has gone – Returning from Rochdale with no points was more than Lee Bowyer’s side deserved, a 1-0 loss the outcome last Saturday.

This weekend we welcome Doncaster Rovers to the Valley, as one of two surprise packages currently chasing for a place in the Play-Offs this wont be an easy game… We can only hope that there is more of a treat than trick come 5:05pm on Saturday evening!!

The Opposition
Name: Doncaster Rovers | Manager: Grant McCann
Last Five Matches: L | W | D | L | L

It’s quite clear now that every season there appears to be at least one surprise package challenging at the top end of the table, this time round it appears to be Accrington and Doncaster who appear to be surprising everyone, the latter arrive at the Valley this weekend just outside the Play-Offs yet despite avoiding relegation by just six points last term it seems as though Grant McCann has gotten things ticking in South Yorkshire.

When you look through the changes at Doncaster in the summer it helps that much has been kept the same – Just four permanent players have joined the club with Paul Taylor the most notable from Bradford City… As always though it’s the loan market that comes in use at this level; John Marquis once again leads their goal scoring charts with nine already this season, whilst Mallik Wilks on loan from Leeds has five to his name.

Charlton Team News
Until Lee Bowyer’s press conference (presumably at some stage today) there is little to speculate… It felt as though all players made it through the Rochdale game without any injuries flaring up yet a week is a long time in Football and anything could have happened in training this week.

The feeling among the stands though is that Bowyer must return to basics, that feeling from fans will no doubt start with Darren Pratley; playing as an emergency Centre-Back, you’d hope that Krystian Bielik can return to his natural position and so add some much needed balance to the back line… Further ahead, you’d expect Jamie Ward to once again start, whilst Billy Clarke could be ready to take some part in our FA Cup clash in a weeks time (pure speculation on my part).

Steer
Dijksteel | Bielik | Pearce | Solly
Aribo | Cullen | Reeves
Ward
Grant | Taylor

Substitutes Bench: Phillips | Sarr | Pratley | Lapslie | Fosu | Vetokele | Ajose

Prediction
Once aspect that has been completely ignored in this preview is the fact that the legendary Seb Lewis will reach 1000 consecutive games – Having hit previous milestones against Doncaster you’d hope that Seb will have better luck this time round seeing that both 500 and 750 targets ended in an Addicks defeat.

Should that happen then for the first time this season you have to start looking over your shoulder at the relegation teams – Should Oxford win this Saturday then they themselves go just five points behind the Addicks!!
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Comments

  • edited November 2018
    Typical!!... I wonder if its worth putting Fosu up front with Grant

    As mentioned in the article, need to get Taylor to pick up a Booking against Walsall on Tuesday to be banned for the Mansfield game
  • Typical!!... I wonder if its worth putting Fosu up front with Grant

    As mentioned in the article, need to get Taylor to pick up a Booking against Walsall on Tuesday to be banned for the Mansfield game

    No dont try Fosu up front when we have Vetokle who deserves a chance at least!

    Heart says 2-1 Charlton, Heads says 1-1. Not feeling optimistic of late all of a sudden, result needed!
  • Scoham said:
    We'll have to rely on our midfield for goals.

    Doncaster are in a poor run of form so I assume that will end on Saturday. 3-1 to Donny.

  • Comfortable home win 4-0.
  • They are as shit as us at the moment.

    5-0 to them.
  • edited November 2018
    1 - 0 Charlton , Vetokele with the strike.
  • Taylor to play and score.
    2.1 Charlton
  • edited November 2018
    Hopefully the doubt over Taylor is a Holmes-style mind game.
  • Years ago we played Exeter City in a cup the at the Valley. I think it was in the days of Jonathan Johannson. They had a big following, and a mascot dressed as an ancient Grecian warrior.
    Anyways young Coppinger played in that game and definitively stood out. Respect to him, like Akinfenwa before. Good player, honest p!ayer, possible decent managerial material.
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  • Fed up being optimistic and expecting us to win, but I cannot bring myself to say lose, so I will have to settle for 2-2 (if Taylor plays), 1-1 if not and hope they prove me wrong (the right way) again
  • More likely to see Marshall than fosu
  • Feel like it will be mope of the same. Oppo. come and park the bus, we run about a lot spraying the ball sideways, then backwards before lumping it up the field to their centre backs who promptly return it with gusto. Lots of 10-man passing moves without really threatening their keeper. They have one, maybe two chances and take one of them. 1-0 it is to Donny then. Followed by 'we should have beaten them' 'we have too many injuries' 'certain players not up for it' etc etc.

    OR we run riot and smash in six goals!
  • addick05 said:

    Feel like it will be mope of the same. Oppo. come and park the bus, we run about a lot spraying the ball sideways, then backwards before lumping it up the field to their centre backs who promptly return it with gusto. Lots of 10-man passing moves without really threatening their keeper. They have one, maybe two chances and take one of them. 1-0 it is to Donny then. Followed by 'we should have beaten them' 'we have too many injuries' 'certain players not up for it' etc etc.

    OR we run riot and smash in six goals!

    You forgot to mention the 'dodgy ref' excuse.
  • Summoning up the will to live, I would say a home,away... errrrr, do you know what, who cares?


    Only joking!

    2-0 home win
  • High scoring thriller but we don't win : - (
  • Charlton will host its annual Armed Forces Day when the Addicks take on Doncaster Rovers at The Valley on Saturday, November 3rd (3pm).

    The Addicks will wear poppies on their shirts for the match – ahead of the 100th anniversary since the end of the First World War on Sunday, November 11th. A period of silence will also be observed before kick-off.

    Around 20 troops from Woolwich Barracks will be in attendance on Saturday, alongside a dozen submariners, and they will lead Charlton and Doncaster onto the pitch.

    https://www.cafc.co.uk/news/view/5bdb1e3948f26/charlton-to-host-armed-forces-day-at-the-valley-on-saturday
  • Sadly I can't see past an away win for this one.

    The good news is that I'm hopeless at predicting the outcome of Charlton games.
  • addick05 said:

    Feel like it will be mope of the same. Oppo. come and park the bus, we run about a lot spraying the ball sideways, then backwards before lumping it up the field to their centre backs who promptly return it with gusto. Lots of 10-man passing moves without really threatening their keeper. They have one, maybe two chances and take one of them. 1-0 it is to Donny then. Followed by 'we should have beaten them' 'we have too many injuries' 'certain players not up for it' etc etc.

    OR we run riot and smash in six goals!

    You forgot to mention the 'dodgy ref' excuse.
    Bang on, that should have come first on the list!!

  • Grant McCann says Doncaster Rovers are very likely to be without two ‘important’ players for Saturday’s trip to Charlton Athletic. Refusing to divulge the identity of the injured duo, the Rovers boss confirmed one will not to play with the other a major doubt for the game.

    Read more at: https://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/football/doncaster-rovers/doncaster-rovers-two-important-players-are-major-doubts-for-trip-to-charlton-athletic-1-9424325
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  • edited November 2018
    seth plum said:

    Years ago we played Exeter City in a cup the at the Valley. I think it was in the days of Jonathan Johannson. They had a big following, and a mascot dressed as an ancient Grecian warrior.
    Anyways young Coppinger played in that game and definitively stood out. Respect to him, like Akinfenwa before. Good player, honest p!ayer, possible decent managerial material.

    I remember that game well, Seth. Remarkably, Jonatan Johansson's two goals were both scored by overhead bicycle kicks.

  • They don’t seem to be in great nick so scrappy home win 2-1.
  • edited November 2018
    RedChaser said:

    I really hope Bowyer shakes it up a bit both personnel and formation wise with a 4-4-2 along the following lines;

    Steer

    Solly Bielik Pearce Sarr

    Ward Pratley Cullen Fosu

    Vetokele Grant


    Subs, Phillips Djiksteel Marshall Lapslie Aribo Reeves Ajose

    this ..attack attack attack attack attack ((:>) .. and when is Toby (hat trick) Stevenson going to get a spot on the bench or even a start .. after his phenomenal debut he must be really raring to go .. I'd have him at left back with Sarr in midfield (yes) in place of Pratley

    CAFC 2 v Doncaster Rovers 0
  • edited November 2018
    We look like a team that's drifting with a young, inexperienced manager and only one (also young and inexperienced) assistant. One of the hardest things to do in football is reverse a slide. Bowyer managed it last year with the Pompey/Blackburn performances, which were gutsy, gritty, and a little lucky. It was always bound to happen this season, and the way that things are we were always going to be going on this journey with Bowyer at the helm learning on the go.

    Tactically I don't think we need to change things in terms of shape. It's more about approach. Getting back to basics and looking to play through our midfield. They were completely nullified against Rochdale, we just went back to front, and as a result we looked poor for large stretches.

    I'd be tempted to bring Sarr back in to the side. His distribution from the back is a major help in us playing out. I'd be tempted to bring him in at CB and move Bielik into midfield but Cullen just looks so much better at the base of the diamond than he does on the right of it. He looked absolutely lost in the first half on Saturday, and in the first half against Scunny.

    Taylor would be a big miss, but perhaps without him it will force us to play shorter. Unless Bowyer wants to go 4-3-3 with Fosu and Ward either side of Grant--whose hold up play isn't great--I think Igor deserves a run out. Whenever he's come on he's looked a nuisance but desperately short of service. So if we can get playing through our midfield and get him some decent service he should do well at this level.

    Again, it's little things, tweaks, that we need right now. A bit of nous, a bit of patience, a bit more solidity in defense, take that extra touch to play out in possession.
  • Keep the same team and formation as we had v Barnsley. Igor for Taylor if he's unfit.
  • RedChaser said:

    I really hope Bowyer shakes it up a bit both personnel and formation wise with a 4-4-2 along the following lines;

    Steer

    Solly Bielik Pearce Sarr

    Ward Pratley Cullen Fosu

    Vetokele Grant


    Subs, Phillips Djiksteel Marshall Lapslie Aribo Reeves Ajose

    Pratley over Aribo? Yuck
  • edited November 2018
    wmcf123 said:

    RedChaser said:

    I really hope Bowyer shakes it up a bit both personnel and formation wise with a 4-4-2 along the following lines;

    Steer

    Solly Bielik Pearce Sarr

    Ward Pratley Cullen Fosu

    Vetokele Grant


    Subs, Phillips Djiksteel Marshall Lapslie Aribo Reeves Ajose

    Pratley over Aribo? Yuck
    On paper skill wise Aribo would always get my vote but the lad is raw. Did you see his performance last week? He (along with Solly) was at fault for their goal and was a shadow of the player he can be. He needs to be managed carefully or else he'll be another youngster to suffer from burn out.

    So if it were me I'd rest him this week and go with the experience of Pratley. It'll also give Aribo a little gee up. Might not be conducive to pretty football but we need a win and it doesn't matter if it's ugly - I'll be happy with the three points. I'm most surprised though you didn't comment on my selection of Sarr :wink:
  • edited November 2018
    "1:0 to us,
    1:1,1:2...
    but 1 for us will have to do"

    Roald Dahl

    Roland dull
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