The Half Year Review"So this is Christmas
And what have you done
Another year over
And a new one just begun"
The home draw with Sheffield United's lesser neighbours marked the half way point in the season. 23 games in and the Addicks sit on 23 points, 3 places and four points above the relegation zone. Given performances, especially at home, few could claim that this was an unfair reflection. And ultimately the table doesn't lie. You are where you are for a reason. A point a game wasn't enough to stay up last season (Barnsley grabbed 21st with 55 points) or the year before that (Barnsley again with 48). That was the lowest total to secure survival since what is still really division 2 was rebranded "the Championship". So either this is going to be a record breaking low or we need to do better in the second half of the campaign than we did in the first.
There are mitigating circumstances of course, just as there are at every club. "If only we had sacked Chris Powell and got in a manager who know something, anything about tactics, team selection or substitutions we'd be top half at least." some have said and still say. Not that that is what we at Preview Towers think of CP. The suggestion that sacking CP would be the cure all for all our woes is just guess work and wishful thinking. Other boards decided to make a change. Barnsley, Doncaster, Wednesday and very recently Millwall. All still sit below Charlton. So maybe the manager isn't the whole story.
We have been missing some key players such as Solly and Kermorgant. Yann and Wiggins took a while to get fully fit and back to their best but we saw v Brighton what a difference all three make. Richard Wood is another player whose absence weakened what is a threadbare squad. You only need to look at the benches for recent games to see that there is really no back up to the first 14 or so players.
On the plus side "Ann-ick", like Wood, has proved a shrewd free transfer and must be considered at least level with Hamer now as first choice for the gloves. Stephens has found some of the form that made him a target for Villa.. Some of the credit for that must go to Powell for sticking with Dale but a big slice must go to Jordan Cousins. Still young, still not the finished article so it is scary to think just how good he could be with a couple of seasons under his belt. The worry, as always in SE7, is will those seasons be in a Charlton shirt?
Harriot hasn't made the impact that he did at the end of last season and is now injured while Andy Hughes, so influential in steadying in the team during our great run to 9th, has perhaps gone on a season too long. The same could also be said for Mark Gower. But players have been written off before and come back. Johnnie Jackson seems to have been dismissed as "past it" every few months but like an old heavyweight he gets back up and carries on swinging, albeit rather slowly.
Every team in the division, top, bottom or middle will be looking to add that extra ingredient that will lift them up the table. For some it will be yet another expensive striker or a new all powerful, tactically brilliant, motivationally wonderful manager who comes very cheap and is, inexplicably given his huge talents, currently unemployed.
For Charlton the need goes a lot deeper. We all know what is needed to take this club forward. They may be Belgian, they may be American but they ain't the current lot. Sort that and we have a chance of sorting everything else.
Happy New Year
The OppositionIt seems like only a few weeks since we played Ipswich Town at home and that is because it is. 30th November we lost 1 - 0 to an early Tommy Smith goal and the Town haven't looked back. Unbeaten in the league since they are now in the play-off places. But going into that game we were on a good roll and just three points behind then 13th placed Ipswich. How things can change in a month.
Their team has changed little but McGoldrick and Murphy having been getting the goals. Former Addick Frank Nouble has been starting games and will no doubt be pleased to meet up again with Michael Morrison after their flare up at the valley.
Like a lot of teams in this division Ipswich are hard-working and efficient rather than spectacular but they get the job done, especially at home. Anything we can get from this game will be a positive.
The Line UpChris Powell must have kicked a black cat under a ladder into a mirror last week. Having finally found a settled and winning side he loses both full backs. His problems weren't helped by what even before the game seemed the odd decision to break up the Cousins/Stephens partnership in centre midfield. Assuming Wiggins isn't doing the afternoon feeds or nappy changes and Solly's knee has had enough rest the same team that faced Brighton would appear the obvious choice.
With any take over not likely to have gone through until after the game we don't expect to see any new faces other than perhaps Michael Smith replacing homeward bound Marvin "what's going on?" Sordell on the bench. Dom Dwyer's status and availability isn't clear but he has been training with the squad so if a deal is done ASAP he could feature but don't be disappointed if it isn't.
The PredictionThe Jimenez/Slater/Cash Era comes to an end with a 0 - 0 draw
Le roi est mort, vive le roi
Comments
Wiggins wasn't unfit for the last game
Wiggins is fit, but might be on nappy changing duty
Powell needs to revert to the side which played well at Bolton and beat Brighton. I hope he has the 'courage' and practical, tactical sense to leave Jackson out and that Wiggins has recovered sufficiently from the rigours of new fatherhood and can return to do the job for which he is well paid. We need Solly back as well so that sharpshooter Wilson can return to the midfield. Let's hope that Wilson's new found scoring flair will prove to be as productive in the long term as was Jackson's
Ipswich Town 1 v CAFC 1
2-2
So there's now FRENCH interest in the takeover race, Henry ?
( So no rumour of French involvement then, Henry?)
In my opinion our best XI is
Alnwick
Solly
Wood
Morrison
Wiggins
Wilson
Stephens
Cousins
Stewart/Harriott
Church
Kermognant
Substitute Jacko for Church in a 4-5-1
If we play that side we will get a result.
I will be there POTD if I wake up (Prodigy at The O2 NYE)
I dont think that is fair at all on powell he has been brilliant and is the best manager for us at the moment, without him I think we would be even lower. Also he is not "part of the problem" but a big positive.
I predict a 1-0 to charlton as revenge for the last round!
Alnwick
Solly
Morro
Wood
Wiggins
Wilson
Stephens
Cousins
Jackson
Stewart
Yann
1-1 with that team, a defeat if we go 4-4-2 or solly doesn't play
Well capable of a point - but we'll see.