If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you, if you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, but make allowance for their doubting too; if you can wait and not be tired by waiting, or being lied about, don't deal in lies, or being hated, don't give way to hating, and yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise…
Preview Towers thinks that his cakes are exceedingly better than his poems but the words uttered above can resonate not only with Charlton fans but with all teams in League One this season. With nervous Chairmen pushing the lever of the managerial merry-go-round into the ‘overdrive’ setting at a pivotal time of the season, Chris Powell and his team are going about their business efficiently and in the case of Tuesday’s game, ruthlessly. The departures of Huddersfield’s Lee Clarke and Sheffield Wednesday’s Gary Megson suggest that owners believe there is only one promotion spot up for grabs with the Addicks riding off into the Championship sunset – and they need to do all they can to nab second spot from an increasingly impressive Sheffield United.
Saturday offers the class of 2012 to become record breakers by securing the most number of away wins in a season by any Charlton team in its history. Victory against a Bournemouth side that have lost their last two games at home (but won the previous four) will see the Addicks move onto 78 points and pretty much guarantee a play-off place in the first week of March which is a truly fantastic achievement. Bournemouth themselves are still in with a shout of the playoffs themselves - and will be hoping to put behind them a bizarre week in which a Russian wife gave a half time team talk and Eddie Mitchell went a bit mental on the radio - by slowing down our run to promotion.
The duo of Danny Hollands and Rhoys Wiggins return to the South Club coast for the first time since becoming part of Powell’s Red and White Army and will be hoping to link up like the old days to inflict defeat on the club in which (initially) made their name. A healthy away support spanning two sides of the three-sided stadium will hopefully drown out any negativity aimed towards them and spur them on to a winning performance. After a midweek away performance that allowed Johnnie Jackson and Michael Morrison to be semi-rested, the rest of the team should be ‘as-you-were’ with the improving Danny Green hoping to supply the ammunition to the three scoring (lolz) Bradley Wright-Phillips and his French friend Yann Kermongant. The Fort Knox-like defence will be hoping for another clean sheet against a team that has the 7th worst attack at home and if that happens we have enough in our locker to win on the road once again.
It took heroics from Robbie Elliot last year for us to come away from Bournemouth with something last year but I expect this season to be a little more relaxing on the nerves for the travelling faithful. On Saturday, we’ll witness a record being broken and Simon Francis will help us do it. 0-2.
Come on you reds!
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Comments
- our only defeats have been 1-0 to deflected goals by former Addicks we should be cautious when the oppostion have one i.e. Harry Arter - 6 goals this season, and Simon Francis looking for hist first of the season.
- Borunemouth have won the last 5 games in which Wesley Thomas has scored, and are unbeaten in 9 such games this season
Would be happy with a 1-1.
:-)
My previous away games this season have been the defeat at Stevenage, the turgid draw at Walsall and the defeat at Fulham, so my track record isn't good. Apologies in advance.
3-1 T'Addicks.
Got it pretty much bang on with my Chesterfield prediction (even down to the Bradders hatrick) so I'm on a roll here...long may it continue.
What will work in our favour I think, much like it did on Tuesday - this is not a game where a draw will be good enough for them so they will be going for the points and I think we play better against teams who do that rather than the ones who set out to frustrate us.
For that reason, I am going for a comfortable 2-0 with BWP getting another. A draw wouldn't be a disaster but I do think we will win this.
1-3 to the Haddocks. BWP pwoper 'atrick!!
At least one red card and a few yellows handed out but that won't stop this Charlton side winning again.
Now the levee has broken for BWP I'm expecting another 10 goals before seasons' end and he'll notch at least one on Saturday.
2 - 0 to the Londoners
As for the game, I was very confident last weekend and in the week. Really don't know about this one. If we score first I can see us going on to win comfortably but otherwise I feel a low scoring draw coming on.