Charlton Athletic v Preston North End
Tuesday 20 October 2015… 7:45pm Kick-Off
Referee: Simon Hooper (Wiltshire)
Introduction
Probably one of the hardest introductions that I’ve had to write since starting this job on CharltonLife, quite simply… Where do we go from here, yet another lose against Reading means that we find ourselves just two points from the bottom of the table, the results against Queens Park Rangers and Hull City seem an age ago, whilst our own Manager is having to deal with so many injuries that he isn’t even sure now of the numbers that are not available.
In classic irony though, the Championship is proving that not all is lost, last season the top seven quickly pulled away from the rest of the league, whilst on this occasion it all appears to be much tighter, Charlton have faced some of the tougher (in form) sides in the Division and now find themselves facing clubs who are in the same sort of trouble…If we are to be in a relegation battle this season then the 6-pointer phrase is a perfect way to describe our next match against Preston North End
The Opposition
Name: Preston North End | Formed: 1888
Ground: Deepdale | Nickname: The Lilywhites
Formed in 1888, our opponents this Tuesday night were one of the founder members of the Football League, yet when the team; Preston North End was created it wasn’t with Football in mind, instead it was in 1863 when the Preston North End cricket team was created and it would be some years before the football side came into existence… Of course everyone knows about that very first season in 1888-89 when they went the full season without losing a match (a feat that has only been matched the once by Arsenal in 2003-04), yet Preston more so deserve the title of the “Invincibles”, they are the only side in English Football to win both the League and FA Cup without losing a single match, managing to win the latter without conceding a single goal.
Preston though like most sides fell into decline and since the turn of the millennium have bounced between the Championship and League One, between 2000 and 2007 they were the nearly men in the Championship, often finishing inside the Play-Offs yet falling just short of the Premier League (they came closest in 2005 yet lost to West Ham in the Play-Off final)… In 2011, Preston were relegated from the Championship and in League One they remained until last season when they claimed second place and a return to the English second tier.
Charlton Wins: 24 | Draws: 14 | Preston Wins: 32
Last Result @ the Valley: Charlton Athletic 5-2 Preston North End
The Fans View: Preston North End
On Saturday I made the trip to PrestonLife, asking their fans the following questions on their season and the match ahead:
How has the Preston season been so far: It started promising (with five points from the opening three matches where an impressive three clean-sheets were kept), sadly though it’s been eight matches since their last victory now, the main trouble is that their Strikers have forgotten how to score, especially as Preston have held their own in the majority of the matches yet currently lack that killer instinct… the other problem is Preston’s only victory came against another side who have just been promoted themselves from League One.
The Key Player for Preston: A few names got mentioned by their fans when this question was asked, firstly: Joe Garner (the scorer of the epic goal in the Play-Offs a few years ago), he would be a threat yet is currently serving a suspension, instead I’ve been warned that Daniel Johnson is a quality midfielder that has been purchased from Aston Villa whilst Jordan Pickford (currently on loan from Sunderland) is a name to remember as he’s been linked with a big move following his performances this season.
Result: Like the Charlton fans, Preston don’t see it being an epic match this Tuesday night, hopes of a 1-1 or 0-0 draw have been mentioned whilst one fan did believe that Preston could steal victory yet that depended on them gaining momentum from possibly beating Cardiff on Saturday (that match ended 0-0).
How will the Preston season end: The fans think that Preston will be safe as at present they’re not shipping an alarming amount of goals, they see the Championship as being tougher this time round and that it may take until February for them to fully adapt, if the fans were offered 21st place then it looks like it would be gladly accepted.
As an attempt to see how other fans view our club, I was curious to see what Preston would have to say:
How do Preston fans feel about Charlton: One fan sums it up that we’re a strange London club, that we’re not flash like Arsenal or Chelsea yet don’t see us as stereotypical working class nutcases like West Ham or Millwall, one person feels that this match is one Preston need to win if they want to stay in the Championship whilst one final comment on this subject is that many do enjoy the Valley and that it is a favoured ground of theirs.
The Charlton Threat: Possibly because Preston have spent the last few years in League One, it instantly means they haven’t cared about clubs in the Championship, maybe because of this Franck Moussa is the only name one fan knows, whilst another is a keen admire of Tony Watt when he saw him for Glasgow Celtic whilst Johnnie Jackson has always impressed when on show.
Charlton Line-Up
Pope
Solly … Sarr … Diarra … Fox
Gudmundsson … Jackson … Cousins … McAleny
Makienok … Watt
Prediction
Charlton Athletic 1-0 Preston North End.
In Guy Luzon and the players I trust... Thanks for reading
5
Comments
Result: 1-3 (last minute Sarr goal scored in front of remaining 14 people in the North Stand)
Key Player (Charlton): N/A
A Preston Player we should be worried about: All of them
Result: 0-0
Key Player (Charlton): Stimpsons
A Preston Player we should be worried about: Don't know any.
Result: 1-1
Key Player (Charlton): Makienok (even an hour from him would be good!)
A Preston Player we should be worried about: Jordan Hugill (presuming that Beckford isn't fit...)
Result: It's got "dismal defeat" written all over it. Preston must be pretty poor, but I suspect their team spirit is a bit stronger than ours, and they'll see this as an opportunity to get some points.
Key Player (Charlton): Watt - if he doesn't play, or plays poorly, hard to see where else a win can come from.
A Preston Player we should be worried about: Tom Finney?
Line-Up:
------------- S.H
C.S------A.D------N.S------M.F
--------------J.J
JBG-------------J.C--------F.M
----------T.W
--------------KAG
Result: W 4-0, Or lose 4-0
Key Player (Charlton): T.W
A Preston Player we should be worried about: All of them
Henderson
Solly, Diarra, Sarr, Fox
JBG, Cousins, Kashi, Moussa
SM, Watt
Subs, Pope, Bergdich, Holmes-Dennis, Ba, Jackson, Kennedy/Reza/McAleyne, Kag
Score 2-0
Key player SM
Preston player: As they have as many injuries as us, let us hope they have no player that we need to worry about
Solly, Diarra, Saar, Fox
JBG, Cousins, Kashi (if fit) or Ba, Moussa
Watt, KAG
Result: 1-1
Key Player (Charlton): Moussa
A Preston Player we should be worried about: couldn't name one tbh
A.K to play if fit enough ahead of J.J otherwise this bench:
Subs:
N.P
THD
Z.B
A.K
EHB
M.K
S.M
CAFC 2 v Preston North End 0
Pope makes simple saves look difficult and theatrical . Big Mak would be a boost, and would be nice to see TWatt back on the scoresheet
Solly Diarra Sarr Fox
JBG Cousins JJ Moussa
KAG Watt
We'll concede early doors and have a rubbish first half. Then we'll score early in the second, and then again on 75 minutes and we battle hard for the last 15 mins to hold on for the win ... and we'll manage it.
2-1 Charlton. Moussa and Watt.
I would guess at a low score draw here, leveller, one team edging each half.
(I'll be there. Shit game. 0-2 defeat. More pain.)
Great reward for the few who don't stay at home watching the Champs League.
4-1
Stick that up your north end
And the baddie dog from Wallace and gromit.