The cold weather may well have snapped back in London, but most Addicks are currently so warmed by the league table they would have happily walked out the front door with no shirt on this morning.
Quite simply, Charlton are on fire.
At the pivotal point of the season where rivals need to be bridging the gap, Chris Powell has given a crack of the whip and what increasingly looks a championship-winning thoroughbred is kicking clear.
As the hefty schedule of two games a week continues, the opportunity for rivals to launch an amazing run, or Charlton to monumentally cock-up, continue to fade at a quickening rate. The only League One team unbeaten in 2012, it is the resolute defence that is providing the rock-solid foundations to this title charge; just four goals have been leaked in the last 11 games, against a backdrop of conceding two goals in just four matches this season. Charlton’s goals conceded / games rate is currently just 0.68, the meanest rate out of the whole 92 clubs. Whether we perform on not in an attacking sense, the opposition are simply not being allowed to capitalise and put us under sustained pressure. As Man U showed at Tottenham yesterday, when you’ve got that little bit extra you don’t always need to be at your best to walk away with the points.
Colchester are the latest visitors at The Valley on Tuesday night (7.45ko). The U’s form has been erratic this season, but they are unbeaten in three and will be buoyed by their comfortable 3-0 defeat of Preston on Saturday. With bus-parking the tactic of choice for visitors to The Valley, don’t be surprised for Colchester to come with more adventure than others of late. They still have an outside shot for the final play-off place and need wins not draws, and they will be hoping for more luck than last season when they had a bizarre goal chalked off after the referee had given it.
Chris Powell quite rightly seems loathe to change his favoured starting formation, but he may have no choice following the injury sustained by Ben Hamer on Saturday. Hamer is currently rated 50:50, but i would expect Sullivan to start tomorrow. Captain Fantastic is also clearly being nursed through games and not fully fit, but the manager clearly feels a half-fit Jackson provides more for team balance than an absent Jackson, so expect to see this scenario continue.
If Charlton are to ridiculously implode, then a tricky midweek game followed by the divisional form team Notts County visiting on Saturday is where it will happen. But the numbers of the nervy few fearing the worst have been slashed in the last week, and if the positive results continue through the next two games, then anyone left in that camp could face sectioning.
Reds go marching on – Charlton 2 (Stephens, Green) Colchester 0
Recent Valley Encounters
Feb 11 – Lg 1 – CAFC 1 (BWP) CUFC 0, Att. 13,830
Apr 10 – Lg 1 – CAFC 1 (Forster) CUFC 0, Att 17,427
Jan 08 – C/ship – CAFC 1 (Varney), CUFC 2 (Lisbie 2), Att 21,508
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Comments
Bradley and and Solly scores tomorrow!
Have a feeling Powell is going to shuffle the pack a little and give Haynes a start.
I'll have half an eye on Stephen Gillespie and Anthony Wordsworth. Two youngish players who might fit the Powell profile for players we could realistically afford and play at a higher level.
Just remember that when we sign Wordsworth (if we haven't done so already) you read it here first : - )
Open game with lots of chances and goals which we'll win 4 - 2
A frustrating first half see's us nick a goal from nothing in the last 5 of the half then a commanding second half of total domination with slow but concise build up play against the 11 men from colchester 1 rooted to the goal line and the other 10 rooted to the 16 yrd box line.
the Reds go Marching On
I think this is going to be a tough test, possible draw
I'll be happy to maintain our unbeaten home record in front of a flakey midweek Valley crowd and will be ecstatic with anything better.
The important thing is to edge closer to our ONE AIM! COYR!
.... however the 6 teams to take away a point from The Valley this season have a latitude within a very of narrow range of 53.36 to 53.62 (Sheffield, Tranmere, Oldham, Scunthorpe, Bury, Rochdale).
Colchester is virtually equatorial by comparison with a latitude of 51.88, so they have no chance.
Charlton 2 Colchester 0
1-0 BWP
Assuming we won't have our strongest 11 I'm plumping for a Desmond (2-2).
think it'll be a draw.
And the reds go marching on to the title.
He's good enough.
Hope the crowd is bigger and louder than the last few midweek games at the Valley this team deserve the best support possible