The introduction
The trip to the youngest club in the Division (MK Dons, Burton Albion and Colchester post date them in the league) has turned from an enjoyable, carefree evening to be spent on an old fashioned covered terrace to a nail biting affair where defeat could drag the Addicks too close for comfort toward a R********** struggle.
The Opposition.
Under the stewardship of AFKA Bartram's long lost twin, Darren Furgusson, the Posh continue to bemuse both their own and opponents' fans. Capable of quality football they are as likely to coincide a hat-full as they are to go nap in a game and will sometimes do both.
A recent improvement in form has seen them win at Blackburn and Millwall but they have also lost at home to fellow strugglers Birmingham. Like another team we can think of, their away form is better than their home.
Tomlin has scored ten goals for them this season but the headlines have been taken recently by young Dwight Gayle. One of the finds of the season the 22 year old, discovered at Dagenham, has also hit ten including a hat-trick at the weekend v Blackburn.
Former Charlton youth player George Boyd has moved on to the relief of many Addicks fans, whose only regret was that it wasn't back to the Valley.
The Line Up
The 4 - 3- 3 v Burnley failed to produce and left three strikers almost standing on each other's toes. The 4- 4- 2 tried for the last half hour gave us plenty of possession but created few chances but at least we were on the front foot.
With Kermongant and perhaps the injured duo of Solly and Stephens still absent Chris Powell is running out of players to rotate/tinker with* (Delete as applicable)
Button is likely to continue in goal and the back four seems safe unless Solly has recovered.
It is the midfield where we have so often won games away and so often looked poor at home.
Preview Towers expects SCP to revert to the 4 - 5 - 1 that has done the job so often away from SE7, most recently at Leicester. Peterborough will attack us which may suit our counter-attacking style. On our travels the players seem under less pressure to take the game to the opposition and for whatever reason this seems to suit them.
The lack of a playmaker with Stephens out may lead to a solid, hardworking but slightly pedestrian trio of Jackson, Pritchard and Dervite but if Powell wants to bring some unpredictability to our play then don't be surprised to see Kerker get a start. A central midfielder who so far has been played at left back and left wing but still with six assists to his name, the young Frenchman could be spark that is needed. And as, bar Cook, everyone else seems to have been given a go we wouldn't be surprised.
Danny Green may have done enough to start but Wagstaff's energy was sorely missed at the last game.
---------Button--------
Wilson Morrison Cort Wiggins
Green Jackson Pritchard Wagstaff
--------Kerker-----------
--------Haynes----------
The Prediction
Posh haven't had a clean sheet in 10 and no 0 - 0 in 155. Charlton haven't kept a clean sheet in 15, not in fact since the 0 - 0 at Millwall which followed the 2 - 0 win over Peterborough.
So there might just be goals in this one. 2 - 2.
0
Comments
*seriously HI what is your relationship with Waggy ?? were you a talentless hardworker in your early days who didn't get the recognition that your graft warranted ??
As for Waggy he's far from talentless. That's why he's playing in the Championship. Noticable that our form improved when he came back into the side and the late reverses happened after he been taken off.
i don't know how we've survived without him !
2-0 defeat.
(BTW how many is 'a hatful'? Presumably it depends on the hat.)
Rumours reaching preview towers are that Solly had a dead leg from the Leicester game which he still played with v Forest.
Also CP has been fulsome in praising Wilson so expect to see Lawrie in front of Chris at London Road.
Other rumours suggest that Joe Jordan was at the Valley, presumably watching Obika. Pat Rice was also scouting the match.
0-0
Jordan is at QPR now,so who are the super R's after?
................and I feel similarly about Evina too, though you can add 'can't tackle' to the list of negatives. He makes Seaborne look competent!
A season defining week started on Saturday.
I'll happily accept the usual loss to Millwall if we pick up 2 plus points from the Peterborough and Huddersfield matches.
A home win for me: Peterborough United 3 v CAFC 1
Solly / Wilson
Morrison
Cort
Wiggins
Wilson/Green
Pritchard
Jackson
Kerkar
Wagstaff
Obika
Subs:
Hamer
Taylor
Dervite
Green/Evina
Harriott
Haynes
Fuller
Solly
Wiggins
Morro
Cort
Green
Jackson
Stephens
Pritchard
Waggy
Haynes
Hamer
Wilson
Taylor
Hughes
Harriot
Fuller
Obika
It's academic anyway as he is playing for the U21s today.