Saturday’s game against our East London rivals Dagenham and Redbridge marks 25 years since the darkest day in our history. Since that day in 1985, players, managers and boards have come and gone but one thing has remained and that’s the fans. Of course attendances have gone up and down over the years but there was always a feeling that we were all in it together and gave our all in terms of support regardless of the level we were at or the players we had at our disposal. Has that drifted in recent years?
Regardless of the answer to that question, the game on Saturday needs to be a kickstart to an indifferent spell of results and performances in recent weeks. We need to be looking to beat most teams in this division at home, not least a newly promoted team of whom we nicked their legend.
Dagenham dragged themselves from the foot of the table in the week with a 1-1 home draw against Exeter and would consider any type of result at The Valley a bonus. It was of course only a couple of weeks ago since we beat D&R in the JPT with a goal from Therry Racon and which marked former Daggers hitman Paul Benson’s debut for Charlton. Since then, “Benno” has not set the world alight in Addicks Red although this seems more down to a lack of service than a lack of ability.
In a front-to-back sort of preview this week I expect and would like to see Benson start up top. By himself. I think we then go with Martin in a withdrawn striker role with Wagstaff and Reid regularly foraging forward to create a front 3 or 4, forcing us to play foot, rather than hoofball. Semedo and Racon to continue in their central berths. Sorry Mac.
Without knowing anything about the Dagenham front line, I’m not sure whether Parky will plump for Fry or Big Mig but the remaining three seem pretty much nailed down in their positions. Worner started against Tranmere but I think we may see a home debut for loanee goalkeeper Paul Luke Daniels.
We need to win our next two home games and if we do – considering some of the strange results in our league – we could find ourselves in a very healthy position after 9 games.
The crowd will demand a win and a performance this week. We may not get the free flowing performance we desire, but we will get a win. And Benson will score. 2-0.
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Comments
A messy draw
benno and abbot from the bench
but we're still gelling
---------------Worner----------------
Francis - Doherty - Llera - Jackson
---------------Semedo---------------
Wagstaff----------------------- Reid
----------------Martin----------------
----------Benson - Abbott------------
Or even a 4-3-3. Would really like to see us go for it and if we get a goal, not sit back on it and go for more and kill a team off for once. Want to see some creation and imagination.
My 'fear' is that it will be a repeat of the Gillingham home game last season. A poor side raising their game in a decent stadium and a better than an average following against a side that just aren't performing to the levels they should.
So heart is saying draw. Head though is telling me we are much better than them, there isn't too much fundamentally wrong and it is going to come together very soon.
Ps. great intro once against WSS, short and succinct, everyone has been on the money so far this season IMO.
However I've been going to Charlton long enough to know it'll be a disastrous defeat and we'll lose half of our members on here by Monday morning as they'll all have jumped off a cliff somewhere!
like the sound of either WSS's team or nichorob's....have to be positive and attack from the outset.
nice intro piece as well !
If we get the ball down and pass it through midfield - a comfortable win. If the opposition bully us into playing long passes from the back - a tough game. I'm hoping for the former.....2-0.
or else
1 nil daggers ;-)
Like AFKA, I fear this could be our Gillingham or Orient at home from last season, so 2-1 defeat.
I am literally willing Abbott & Benson to score, I've loved Pawel Abbott for years, always signing him on football manager so I really want him to be a success simply because he's done it everywhere else (including Football Manager!!!)
Francis Dohery Fry Jackson
Wagstaff Racon Semedo Martin
Sodje Ayinseh
Think Sodje deserves a start although it won't happen and Benson will start, hope to see more from him and hopefully he'll open his account against his old club, the longer it takes him to score the more pressure will be on him.
Francis Dohery Fry Jackson
Wagstaff Racon Semedo Reid
Martin
Benson
Worner, Llerra, Sodje, McCormack, Fortune
Ps I've just gone opening 5 games season 2025 / 2026 in FM 2009 without scoring and only 1 point, so my selection credentials may not be that good
I really do hope the team are up for these two home games.....
Charlton expects........
we should play our in form players!! I dont understand how Akpo is one of the only players that scores regular goals when he starts games, but gets dropped as soon as some one who is supposedly better than him gets signed.
hopefully parky will have scouted them and will decide that if we want to win then he'll have to abandon his overly cautious tactics of trying to just not lose to these part time footballers in this league and will in fact go for the win.if he does attack then you will see us comfortably win.
d&r will bring plenty of loud support but this will be counteracted by our psychologist that parky uses so effectively,going through the playing cards with the players putting them in the right frame of mind for these games
4-0 home win.
Easy win for Charlton, chance to improve the goal difference.
Nice away stand though
I don't know how many of their ''stars'' they rested that night but if Benson was their best player, we have nothing to fear.
We/re playing poor football at the moment, but so are 23 other teams in this division. Some are poorer than others, though, and D&R are among the poorest.
2-1 Charlton. Goals from Wagstaff and Llera.
Personally, I'd like to see Ackpo and Joe up front with Benson on the Bench to come on to win the game for us or to gain confidence when we are comfortable. Why Ackpo and Joe -because as a pair I think they have the physicality to cause problems for defenders. My head says 2-1, my heart says 4-0 and the season starts here.
Now I have said that, Benson will probably bang in a hat trick.