Northampton Town v Charlton Athletic
Saturday 4th March 2017 … 3pm Kick-Off
Referee: Ben Toner (Lancashire)
IntroductionAs a British civilian some of the first things you’ll consider upon hearing the name Belgium are the scars of our history dotted around the countryside… Waterloo, Ypres, Ardennes. Of course the events that will unfold on Saturday won’t come close to the horrors of those bloody places yet they are a constant reminder, and are proof that the British are a tough bunch and regardless of the odds against them… We will always win!!
Returning to English shores and as a small side show to what’ll be happening in Belgium, the Addicks return to action as the Football now comes thick and fast as we enter the final two months of the Football League Season… The Play-Offs have gone yet mid-table is still not yet confirmed and as we continue to look nervously over our shoulders, a small group of Addicks will be making the short trip up the M1 as we visit the League Two Champions from 2015/16… Northampton Town
The OppositionName: Northampton Town |
Manager: Justin Edinburgh
Nickname: The Cobblers
The 2015/16 season will always be memorable for Northampton fans as they finally made a return to the third tier of English Football… Relegated from League One in 2009, our opponents this Saturday were forced to spend seven years in the bottom tier of the Football League and apart from reaching the Play-Offs in 2013 it appeared as though they’d never make the return to League One.
Step forward: Chris Wilder; hired as Northampton Manager in 2014, he instantly turned things around… Finishing 21st the year before, Chris ensured that his side would end up in mid-table the following year and the following year would make improvements to the squad to challenge for promotion, one of those being Ricky Holmes (signed from Portsmouth) who would pick up the League Two Player of the Year as they romped to the title.
Understandably though, the summer saw a Northampton exodus with Chris Wilder first courted by Charlton before heading to Sheffield United whilst Ricky Holmes did make the move to South London – The Cobblers form has been steady though (despite a Managerial change midway through the season), a brief spell in the Play-Offs made some wonder if a second promotion would be on the cards yet Northampton did drop away and now sit just behind the Addicks… Makes you wonder if Ricky Holmes made the right move?
Charlton Team NewsOur last two away games have seen goals (a total of 13 goals scored at Shrewsbury and Rochdale) and if we want to ensure that we don’t get dragged into a Relegation battle then that has to change without any question… When the team was announced on Tuesday may questioned why Johnnie Jackson was starting at Left-Back (with Lewis Page and Jay Dasilva left on the bench) so hopefully we’ll start the match with round pegs in round holes.
On the injury front; Stephy Mavididi has been ruled out for the season so has been returned to Arsenal whilst Jake Forster-Caskey is also out for a few weeks… Adam Chicksen who has been out with an ACL will return to training today so could come into contention for a start this Saturday.
Rudd
Byrne | Konsa | Teixeira | Page
Botaka | Jackson | Aribo | Holmes
Novak | Magennis
Substitutes Bench: Phillips | Dijksteel | Barnes | Crofts | Dasilva | Ahearne-Grant | Watt
Comments
Couple of tweaks for me, Byrne (he's like a fish up a tree at FB) RM for Botaka. Konsa to RB, Bauer in at CB and rest Aribo for Crofts.
COYRs sort yourselves out ffs!
Crofts is better than JJ in midfield.
JJ should be in the dug-out instead of Robbo.
Northampton have been ropey themselves. TOUCH WOOD!
In the face of such adversity, many would have faded away, but we just keep getting stronger. I genuinely don't believe that there's another club, either in this country or anywhere else, with supporters capable of coordinating such a sustained, well-organised, imaginative campaign as the one that we are waging against our idiotic owner.
Back on the pitch, we keep finding ways to redefine the meaning of "rock bottom". Karl's post-Shrewsbury rant at the players might have been intended as a quick up the arse, but I reckon it would have felt more like a kick in the teeth to those on the receiving end - we will see on Saturday whether he's motivated his team to fight for their League One lives, or just extinguished any lingering willingness to perform for their manager.
Not lost to Northampton for 53 years, not won in Northampton for 54 years. Praying for a battling 1-1 draw, fearing a Hudersfield 2016-style 5-0 capitulation.
Player to watch for is John Joe O'Toole, most likely to score, most likely to get a booking and the hero of the Shoe Army.
Fans
Listen out for: The chant of "Cobblers" which make the fans sound slightly old-fashioned and restrained.
Watch out for: The strange establishment of a "home end" tucked in to a side stand nearest the away end. If there is needle this is where it will come from.
Result: Either 3-0 to Charlton or incredibly annoying and pointless 0-0 draw.
A-Grant and Watt to start in place of Magennis and Novak, no Botaka .. it's a pity there is no alternative at central defender to Konsa .. I'd try Crofts at right back with Byrne on the midfield right, although they can change this around if necessary .. recall Ulvestad .. this looks to me a stronger team (just) than that at Shrewsbury
Rudd .. Crofts Konsa Teixeira Page ... Byrne Jackson Ulvestad Holmes .. Watt Ahearne-Grant
Northampton Town 2 v CAFC 2
In my opinion, the main thing of the day is the protest in Belgium, it's time to force him out in whatever way we can. Good luck to everyone going, you're the real heroes the club needs right now. Wish I could be there with you.
Onto the team, he will again make changes, he's said so and he can't help himself.
Rudd
Konsa Bauer Tex Page
Crofts Jackson
Byrne Aribo Holmes
Magennis
Phillips, Dasilva, Dijksteel, Botaka, Ahearne-Grant, Watt, Novak
By the way, that's not the team I would play, by something that I can see him doing.
Accrington Stanley, we're coming for you..
Sneaky feeling we will nick this. 1 - 2
I imagine we'll lose by one goal, but on recent results hard to say if it'll be 1-0 or 9-8.
Defeat and it will be Dagenham and Redbridge 2011 all over again. That was the Charlton fan base at its most poisonous, not with out due cause I might say.
Jason Pearce is back doing some running but is not close to a return
Rudd
Byrne Bauer Tex Page
Jackson
Konsa Aribo Holmes
Novak
Magennis
play that formation we'll win 4-1, Jackson, Novak & Holmes (2)
Suspect he won't and it'll be a drab 1-1 if we're lucky
It will be Cobblers all day long...
Rudd
Konsa | Bauer | Teixeira | Page
Byrne |Croft | Aribo | Holmes
Novak | Magennis
Substitutes Bench: Phillips | JJ | Botaka | Ulvestad | Dasilva | Ahearne-Grant | Watt
For KR I feel this is a must NOT LOSE game
The club may be dying, but the clever people at Pitch have convinced the operational powers that be that free travel and bacon rolls will quell the dissenters
I urge all fans who are travelling up to Northampton to save their bacon roll and join me in a bacon roll throwing protest at kick off....that would be a very funny symbolic gesture.
Who is up for it
Not flying pigs again, we've done that