MATCH PREVIEW: Charlton Athletic vs Portsmouth - Saturday 6th December 2025 - 12:30pm Kick-Off
Charlton Athletic vs Portsmouth
Saturday 6th December 2025 - 12:30pm Kick-Off
Referee: Matthew Donohue
Introduction
I don't think that many will argue, when I say that November hasn't exactly been our strongest month in 2025. Four defeats on the row, have seen the Addicks dropping down the table at a bit of an alarming rate... Its not exactly a surprise either, key players absent, and the Championship is a ruthless Division, I think we'd be fooling ourselves, if we didn't expect something like this to happen at some stage. We're about to enter a key month of the season, with "winnable" fixtures coming up. With a long way to go, whatever happens in the coming weeks, it shouldn't and am sure it wont... Define our 2024/25 season.
The Opposition
Name: Portsmouth (22nd) - Manager: Jose Mousinho
Ground: Fratton Park
Previous League Result: Portsmouth 0-1 Bristol City
The Addicks go into this month acting as hosts for the start of December, with Portsmouth making the trip up the A3 on what is a significant date, and fixture in the history of Charlton Athletic - 32-years ago, we finally managed to return to the place we all call home; The Valley, nothing more really needs to be said about that day back in 1992, we all know the story, the opponents, the result from that particular Saturday afternoon.
Fast Forward to the present day, and Portsmouth started the season, not just with the plan to build on a first year back in the second tier, but to avoid the dreaded second season syndrome too - Its quite remarkable that the 2024/25 campaign was the first year at this level for Pompey, since 2012, and the start of a slow demise from having won the FA Cup just four years prior. Like ourselves this year, am sure Portsmouth fans were happy with anything that involved survival back in May, and was something they achieved by just five points, albeit six places above the dreaded drop zone... Clear and further evidence that any outcomes to this season, will surely go down to the wire.
Their latest campaign in the Championship has gone less than smoothly, they come into this fixture as desperate for a win as the Addicks, although unlike ourselves; Pompey currently occupy the final remain relegation spot, having dropped into the bottom three with defeat against Bristol City on Saturday. It was their second loss in succession, having beaten our friendly neighbours Millwall the week before, albeit just their second in the last two months.
Perhaps this is a sign, that this is the best time to play Portsmouth, but they've only lost three games on the trot, just once this season..
"This is the best time to play..." Don't make me laugh... This is the Championship... Its never the best time to play anyone!!
Charlton Team News
Nathan Jones in his weekly press conference was rather open about our absent injuries this week, confirming that some individuals (Charlie Kelman, and Reece Burke) are closer to contention than what we may have suspected, and that Josh Edwards and Matty Godden remain our only long term absentees... Maybe we'll see Amari'i Bell again this coming weekend. After all, the difference in our play was like night and day when facing Coventry City last weekend, his return would certainly be a big help.
Of course we may also see a debut for Jérôme Roussillon who joined the club this time last week. Our new Guadeloupe International took part in an U21 fixture in midweek, and whilst his fitness appeared a concern amongst those watching on; Nathan Jones still confirmed that he'd be a likely inclusion in the Match Day squad this coming weekend. Whether having that natural aspect back at Left Wing-Back helps balance out the team... Who knows... Even then it might never be enough
Kaminski
Bree - Jones - Gillesphey - Ramsay
Coventry
Docherty - Carey
Knibbs
Olaofe - Campbell
Substitutes Bench: Mannion - Roussillon - Bell - Apter - Costello - Anderson - Berry - Leaburn - Fullah
Comments
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1-0, Lloyd Jones from a corner2
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It’s too early in the season to talk of a “ must win”but …. It’s a must win. Another loss would be confidence sapping , a draw a better result for them than us.Maybe the best chance of points until we play Oxford. COYR
5 -
.1
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3-0 win. Leaburn, TC and Kaminski with the goals.3
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I think it’s a “must not lose” rather than a must win. Stop the rot and then build from thereKingKinsella said:It’s too early in the season to talk of a “ must win”but …. It’s a must win. Another loss would be confidence sapping , a draw a better result for them than us.Maybe the best chance of points until we play Oxford. COYR6 -
Head is dazed and confused, so 1-1. But my heart will go on 3-00
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Comfortable 4-0...has to be, nothing short of three points will do, will even take a scrappy 1-0, but this just has to be a win against a Portsmouth side on a real downer at the moment...COYR 🙌🙌
And they can shove that f'in bell where the sun don't shine while they're at it...0 -
Thought Josh L. (captain) looked impressive for under 21s : looks a real defender. Must be on the bench!0
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Great preview FA. I think we'll go:
...........Kaminski
Bree Jones Gillesphey Ramsay
.......Coventry Docherty
Apter......Carey.........TC
............Olaofe
I could see Hernandez on the right for Apter so that it can become a 5-3-2 defensively.
I thought TC looked much better in the first half an hour on Saturday when 1) He was played as a natural LW, and 2) He had Tanto up front to stretch the defense and thus create space. Could be the same on Saturday. My only concern is TC and Apter as out and out wingers crossing for...Tanto who is not very big.
But we'll see. Should be an interesting game. COYR.2 -
i doubt Bell will be on the bench - i would get back to our 352 formation - get fullah in for bell and carey back playing at the tip of the 3 - we need to stop switching a lot of the team around because of one position - i.e LWB. Campbrll up top and i'd toss a coin for who with, between tanto and leaburn.2
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just listened to a bit of charlton live - they kept saying we set up with a back 4 last week against coventry - we didn't - we started with a back 5 with bree and bell as wing backs and we were back to the 'formula' and were playing ok - it was after bell went off that everything got jumbled about again and we had gillesphey getting skinned at full back and TC out of position again - am i missing something? it was as clear as day that was when it started going wrong - 532 works for us, end of.1
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Last weekend we started 4-2-3-1 withDOUCHER said:just listened to a bit of charlton live - they kept saying we set up with a back 4 last week against coventry - we didn't - we started with a back 5 with bree and bell as wing backs and we were back to the 'formula' and were playing ok - it was after bell went off that everything got jumbled about again and we had gillesphey getting skinned at full back and TC out of position again - am i missing something? it was as clear as day that was when it started going wrong - 532 works for us, end of.
...........Kaminski
Ramsay Jones Gillesphey Bell
....Coventry...Carey
Bree....Knibbs..........TC
.........Tanto
We then went to
Bree Jones Gillesphey Ramsay
.....Cov....Carey
Tanto....Knibbs.....TC
........Leaburn
I forget how we evolved after that but it was definitely a back 4 with Bree playing as an out and out winger, albeit a defensive one. Jones even said in his post-match that Bell was played as a LB because he couldn't withstand the demands of LWB.0 -
If tanto starts we win ,if he dosent i see another loss0
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Just win. I'd take a uncontrolled shot off Leaburn's shin with a ricochet off the right arse cheek of Hernandez at this point.1
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For me this really is a must win. Get back to winning ways and I can see us having a decent December lose and pressure is on !
I think we will win this 2-1. Tanto to start0 -
Great preview as always FA.
Following our last few results this is without doubt our most important game of the season so far.
We are 6 points above Portsmouth and a win will give us a nine point cushion.
A defeat could leave us 3 points above the drop zone.
Some including me see this as a must win.
Others see it as a must not lose, either way it's our most important game so far.
I'm hoping we might have a couple back from injury and we start the game on the front foot.
Head says 1.1
Heart says 2.1
Another early kick off that's annoying but I shall be there cheering us on.
Keep the faith
COYA1 -
It was definitely a 4-4-1-1 defensively, and then was more of a 3-5-2 when we had the ball. So kind of the reverse of what we usually doDOUCHER said:just listened to a bit of charlton live - they kept saying we set up with a back 4 last week against coventry - we didn't - we started with a back 5 with bree and bell as wing backs and we were back to the 'formula' and were playing ok - it was after bell went off that everything got jumbled about again and we had gillesphey getting skinned at full back and TC out of position again - am i missing something? it was as clear as day that was when it started going wrong - 532 works for us, end of.0 -
Just wasted 20 minutes googling the Portsmouth manager - thanks a lot FA or Frankie Abbott as I now call you
Anyway for what it's worth whilst Jose was at the likes of Benfica, Inter Milan, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Man U John was serving time at Woking, Slough and Yeading. This has renewed my hard found optimism to believe we can draw with Portsmouth ... or maybe even score one more goal than them.
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A must not lose imo, get our confidence back 2-0 will grigg up the dicks!1
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Yep, mustn't lose this one. Hard to predict the performance level we'll see. Portsmouth have their own issues of course.
One thing I am certain of - The Valley will be buzzing like no other game this season if we manage the win.0
