From the Huddersfield Daily Examiner
LEE CLARK looked ahead to tackling League I leaders Charlton on their own patch on Monday night and smiled: “I want to be playing games like this every week.”
Town’s boss says the Sky-televised clash in South London (7.45) comes too early for it to be season-defining.
But the man who has guided the Galpharm club to a new Football League record of 43 games unbeaten warned: “It’s important we keep getting points on the board.”
Chris Powell’s Addicks would go eight points in front of a Town side currently second by becoming the first to beat them in a League I game since Southampton last December.
But Town, whose next milestone target is matching Arsenal’s 49 matches without loss Premier League run of 2003-04, are determined not to let that happen.
“As I’ve said throughout the run, it’s all about taking things one match at a time,” continued Clark.
“It happens that this one is the toughest of the season so far because we’re playing a team who are top of the league, and deservedly so, on their own patch.
“I think the clubs have a lot of respect for each other, and I certainly rate Chris and the side he has built very highly.
“He was an outstanding player (for Crystal Palace, Southend, Derby, West Ham, Watford and Leicester as well as Charlton) and a terrific guy, very bubbly.
“He’s also proving himself to be an outstanding manager, with the players he has recruited combining to form a very good group.
“I’ve watched a lot of footage of Charlton and read a lot of reports, and they are certainly a side who like to go for the jugular.
“But I’d like to think we are too, and while The Valley is a proper football ground with a Premier League history, this will be a proper football match.”
Comments
ha, very good !
Soon as i saw the heading i was coming on to rant about that man... thrown me right out that has.
Charlton, who were in the top flight as recently as 2007, are desperate to regain the Championship place lost in 2009.
They have held the league leadership for the last 11 matches and are
eyeing a sixth straight victory after beating Carlisle, Wycombe,
Hartlepool, Preston and Brentford.
The loss of influential skipper Johnnie Jackson with a hamstring
injury is a blow, but Powell has on-loan QPR midfielder Hogan Ephraim to
call on.
With former Tottenham, Colchester and Notts County man Jackson out,
only two of the predicted Charlton starting XI, right-back Chris Solly
and 14-goal top scorer Bradley Wright-Phillips, were around last season.
Powell’s close-season business included the recruitment of keeper
Ben Hamer from Reading, left-back Rhoys Wiggins and midfielder Danny
Hollands from Bournemouth and centre-backs Michael Morrison (Sheffield
Wednesday) and Matt Taylor (Exeter).
Midfielders Danny Green and Andy Hughes moved from Dagenham and
Redbridge and Scunthorpe respectively, while French striker Yann
Kermorgant arrived in September after his release by Leicester.
Former Oldham midfielder Dale Stephens is out injured, but
ex-Leicester coach Powell can also call on one-time Town loan striker
Paul Hayes, a summer signing from Preston and tricky midfielder Scott
Wagstaff, like Solly, a Charlton youth product.
Well, hopefullly anyway!!
Can't stand the man, their's no one I dislike more in football than him.