Rochdale v Charlton Athletic
Saturday 18th February 2017 … 3pm Kick-Off
Referee: Scott Duncan (Northumberland)
IntroductionOnce again, this Saturday sees the return of the FA Cup and yet another Charlton postponement…
Back in January, we defeated Bristol Rovers and so had a week off, that rest from Footballing matters was due to the fact that our very next opponents (Rochdale) were still in cup action and so the match was re-arranged for early February... In turn our opponents this Saturday (Oxford United), remain in the FA Cup so in turn our home match against the U’s was also cancelled.
If your still with me I’m surprised yet due to an available Saturday for both Charlton and Rochdale our midweek game in Manchester was once again moved to this weekend and maybe, just maybe we can get a game of Football underway… Seeing that this fixture has already been cancelled on five occasions in recent years, I really wouldn’t be surprised for another twist in the tail.
The OppositionName: Rochdale |
Manager: Keith Hill
Ground: Spotland
Defeat against Oldham on Tuesday saw our Play-Off hopes hanging by a thread and so an impressive result is desperately needed on our return trip to Manchester this weekend, especially if we don’t want to see our season tail off into mid-table mediocrity but where could be better to get a result than a Stadium which defined our title winning year in League One.
Visiting Rochdale in September 2011, the Addicks had achieved an unbeaten start yet draws against Scunthorpe and Sheffield Wednesday saw us drop to third and no doubt left fans thinking that it was going to be another typical season… What occurred that day was a 3-2 victory for the Addicks as they initially took a 2-0 lead only to be pegged back to 2-2 with Danny Hollands scoring the winner – It wasn’t just the victory that took on importance that day yet it was also a result that saw us return to the summit of the table and it was there we would remain for the rest of the season.
A similar result on Saturday could revive any slender hopes we have of promotion this term.
Charlton Team NewsWhen our line up was announced on Tuesday there was quite a bit of head scratching as the likes of Ricky Holmes and Tony Watt were left on the bench. With the result not going our way against Oldham you’d expect both players to return whilst keep out the goals has been an issue of late so Lewis Page could replace Adam Chicksen at Left-Back. Josh Magennis now back from his injury will be expected to start up front whilst Nathan Byrne will serve the last of his three match ban.
Rudd
Solly | Bauer | Konsa | Page
Forster-Caskey | Crofts
Watt | Aribo | Holmes
Magennis
Substitutes Bench: Phillips | Dasilva | Teixeira | Jackson | Chicksen | Novak | Mavididi
PredictionThe reason I stopped providing a score prediction was because last season many of you felt that I was a bit optimistic in terms of my score-lines yet if I wanted to bring them back today it certainly would be optimistic… The draws have to go, the wins need to replace them – Anything else and we could potentially be looking over our shoulders.
Comments
Rudd
Solly | Bauer | Teixeira | Page
Konsa | Crofts
Watt | JFC | Holmes
Magennis
I just cant see Aribo being dropped though
The optimists/apologists/clueless will think otherwise.
Win Saturday and keep our hopes alive
Get on the 10/1 for top 6 finish
Tex back at the back, Holmes, Bryne and Magennis start.
Will Page get a start or even a bench place?
Rudd
Solly Bauer Tex Page
Crofts Aribo
Byrne Foster-Caskey Holmes
Magennis
2-1 to the Addicks, Robinson is a great manager again, play-offs beckon, calls for Belguim protest to be called off made, flips flopped.
2-1 to Charlton (Chicksen and Watt).
7-5 to HFC Walking Football.
3-0 to Havant & Waterlooville v Hendon FC.
Botaka Konsa Aribo Umerah Novak Ulvestad Phillips
So
Rudd
Solly Bauer Tex Page
Crofts JFC
Holmes Aribo Chicksen
Magennis
Phillips Konsa Jackson Watt Botaka Mavididi Novak
Watt to have the last 30 mins to terrorise them....
Edit: forgot about Byrne. I'd definitely have him on the right, Holmes on the left and Chicksen dropping to the bench in place of Botaka/Mavididi.
Great preview, although no Botaka, even on the bench? He got good marks from the travelling Addicks v Oldham.
It's the hope that kills you.
By rights after Tuesday, we should be all able to resign ourselves to the fact that, "no, we are shit" and then a short period of mourning then resignation till the end of the season.
But no. Charlton will keep the vain hope alive!
Form table (last 8)
P Pts
Fleetwood 8 18
Millwall 8 16
Milton Keynes 8 15
Oldham 8 15
Sheffield Utd 8 14
Bolton 8 14
Shrewsbury 8 14
Charlton 8 13
Oxford Utd 8 13
Bradford 8 12
Southend Utd 8 12
Walsall 8 12
Rochdale 8 11
Scunthorpe 8 11
Peterborough 8 10
Bury 8 9
Bristol Rove. 8 9
Northampton 8 9
Wimbledon 8 7
Chesterfield 8 6
Port Vale 8 6
Gillingham 8 5
Swindon Town 8 5
Coventry City 8 3
We can turn the corner.
Only 118 points off the play-offs.
Promotion is still mathmatically possible (if you take the batteries out of your calculator).
The attacking football (where we don't shoot or score) has to pay off sometime.
Mr Gobby needs more time to implement his master plan (to be an even worse disaster than Karel Fraye).
Need more games for our recent acquisitions to gel (i.e. leave, reach puberty or get injured ).
All coments sponsored by Mr T Rubinshaw, PR Department, CAFC Sabotage International, Roly Towers, Antwerp.
Um.... 1-2
Maybe.