IntroductionThe sparsely populated stands at The Valley on Saturday suggest that many Charlton fans are unimpressed by the Senior Management Team’s proclamations of new beginnings and lessons learned, and who can blame them? This is the third season on the spin that has kicked off with Katrien and co hailing the dawn of a new era, and we all know how the last two panned out.
After a dreary first 45 minutes against Northampton on Saturday, Charlton finally managed to muster some determination and urgency in the second half, culminating in past it has-been Johnnie Jackson stepping up to the plate yet again to earn a draw for the Addicks. Russell Slade will be hoping that the rescued point will provide an injection of confidence to take into the meeting with the Shrews.
Disregarding the fictional attendances published by the club, Tuesday evening’s meeting with Shrewsbury Town could see the lowest crowd for a league fixture at The Valley since 7,840 saw a 2-1 midweek victory over Reading in November 1995. Another feather in your cap, Kat.
"Next game is against Shrewsbury Town"
"Right, better dig out that picture of the bloke in the boat"The OppositionName: Shrewsbury Town |
Manager: Mickey Mellon
Ground: New Meadow
Not many familiar faces here. Left-back Mat Sadler played for Birmingham in the Premier League whilst captain Adam El-Abd made over 300 appearances for Brighton as well as earning 7 caps for Egypt. Beautifully-named manager Mickey Mellon oversaw Fleetwood’s elevation to the Football League in 2012 and Shrewsbury’s promotion from League 2 in 2015.
The Shrews finished just above the relegation spots last year and will be reasonably satisfied with their start against tough opposition – a narrow home defeat to MK Dons on the opening day was followed by an impressive win over Championship Huddersfield in the League Cup and a 0-0 draw at Coventry on Saturday.
Previous meetings Won 4 /
Drawn 7 /
Lost 6
Phil Parkinson’s side managed to throw away a 3-0 lead to lose 4-3 at the New Meadow in a standard Charlton Athletic League Cup debacle in August 2010. Prior to that, all of our previous meetings with Shrewsbury are sandwiched between August 1972 and April 1986. Our last home league fixture ended in a 4-1 Charlton victory in front of 3,233 at Selhurst Park on 2 November 1985. Perhaps someone with a copy of Home & Away (or just an exceptional memory) could tell us who the scorers were.
Emphatically not “past it”Team NewsPopular defender Roger Johnson is still awaiting a personality transplant and will once again have to settle for a place on the bench, whilst Patrick Bauer is probably another week away from being ready to return to the starting line-up.
Ademola Lookman impressed as a substitute on Saturday, but Russell Slade suggested afterwards that he is not “physically ready” to be starting games. However, you could be forgiven for suggesting that Katrien has told Russell to make sure that Ademola is “physically ready” to bugger off to Arsenal/Liverpool/whoever for an undisclosed fee before the transfer window closes. Ricky Holmes should be okay, despite some brutal treatment from his former team mates on Saturday. Same starting eleven then.
Rudd
Solly - Konsa - Pearce - Fox
Foley - Crofts - Jackson - Holmes
Ajose - Magennis
Subs: Bauer, Johnson, Lookman, Phillips, Botaka, Holmes-Dennis, Novak
PredictionThese are the games that you should be winning comfortably if you expect to be taken seriously as promotion challengers. I think we’ll win, but not comfortably.
2-1 win, Ajose gets off the mark.
Comments
But a nervy 3-1 win after going a goal behind
2-0 CAFC, Adjose and Lookman
1 - 0 Addicks.
When the ball was booted out of the ground it often landed in the river and was retrieved by this bloke in the circular vessel.
Stuart (2) Pearson, Griffin (OG)
Never seen us beat Shrews at The Valley....
Lost 0-1 in 82-83 Friday night game, to a late dribbler that didn't even hit the back of the net (got stuck in a goal-mouth puddle). Looked like we were on for relegation when that happened but had a barn-storming comeback against Wolves on the following BH Monday which cheered everyone up.
Lost 2-4 late in 83-84. A nothing game which came in the dead period after our March 84 survival in the High Court. I flew back into Heathrow from a cricket tour to Trinidad and went straight to The Valley. It was boiling hot and they slaughtered us! Think Flanagan and Aizlewood scored (the latter with a volley from the edge of the box).
Drew 1-1 84-85 season. Robert Lee with a trade-mark run through and tuck past keeper.
Never seen us beat Shrews at Gay Meadow either in three attempts!
Solly Bauer Pearce Fox
Botaka Crofts Jackson Holmes
Magennis Ajose
Phillips, Konsa, Johnson, Holmes-Dennis, Foley, Lookman, Novak
2-0 win with Ajose anytime is 13/1 on bet365, looks good to me.
Solly
Fox
Pearce
Konsa
Holmes
Jackson
Crofts
Lookman
Ajose
Magennis
Subs:
Phillips
Bauer
Holmes Dennis
Foley
Botaka
Novak
Hanlan
We can't start with the midfield from the first half on Saturday. It was a car crash. Lookman has to start.
Solly - Bauer - Pearce - Fox
----------------Foley
Holmes ---- Jacko -------Lookman
----------- Ajose - Novak
The season starts Tuesday. Title wrapped up by new year
That said, we can't continue with Foley and Crofts in central midfield and Jacko on the left. I'd start Botaka on the right and Holmes on the left, or at worst THD from the lefthand side of midfield. The other options is 3-5-2 with Pearce, Konsa, and probably RoJo (suspect Bauer isn't quite ready to start) as CBs, Fox and Solly are wingbacks, Crofts and JJ in the middle, and Holmes, Mcgennis, and Ajose up front (Holmes with the freedom to roam behind or wide of the forwards).
Solly ... Konsa ... Pearce ... Fox
Foley ... Crofts ... Jackson ... Holmes
Ajose ... Magennis
Wasn't at the Northampton game but am back from my Holiday now so will be there @ Shrewsbury tomorrow, dont see Slade changing the team though (Didnt he pretty much leave the Leyton Orient team alone when in charge there with resources just as limited)... Reckon we'll win it though, Shrewsbury have had just a shakey start and see them in relegation trouble this time round
I'll probably still get it wrong