Charlton Athletic v Accrington StanleyFriday 8th January 2021 ... 7:45pm Kick-OffReferee: Sam Purkiss (previously took charge: Charlton v Fleetwood)IntroductionIts pretty grim reading isnt it... Ever since the performance against Ipswich things have turned rather sour, we've only lost two games since that performance yet for such an experienced team the amount of individual mistakes (both from players and Manager) that appear to be happening is staggering and quite simply costing us any chance of making an instant return to the Championship, as we know too well, get stuck at this level and you're only going to make it harder for yourselves to get out the right way!! - 2021 clearly didnt start the way we wanted it to but thanks to the never ending pandemic we're not even half way through our season, we've got plenty of football to play between now and May (if thats when the season ends) so we've time to put things right
The transfer window is now open, the television cameras have turned up... and Accrington Stanley are in town, whoever they are!!
The OppositionName: Accrington Stanley (8th) |
Manager: John Coleman
Ground: The Crown Ground
Previous Result: Accrington Stanley 0-0 Blackpool
If you're a Charlton fan and know the history of this fixture then you'll know that a Friday night under the floodlights with the SKY cameras in town is rather a bizarre choice for television coverage... The television broadcaster have the battle of fighting for viewers who either dont have BT Sport or arent interested in the two Premier League match ups, what with this being FA Cup third round weekend!!
Two years ago and these two sides met for the first time competitively under the newest formation of Accrington Stanley, the only other time Charlton have faced a version of Accrington wasnt long after the Addicks joined the Football League, in 1924 the two teams met in the FA Cup with the young side from South East London advancing against their Third Division North opponents - Back to the present though and two years ago, Accrington made it to League One for the first time since 1958, they'd only survive at that level for two years before dropping back to the Fourth Division, it was effectively the beginning of the end for Accrington FC... Ten years after winning promotion to the third tier they folded and Accrington Stanley were established, it took until 1970 (another two years) before this new club could play again, joining the Lancashire Combination and so starting the new journey to where they find themselves to this day!!
Now every year at this level I tend to predict that there will be one club who'll upset the establishment and surprise the rest of the league; Lincoln City (sitting pretty at the top) appear to be doing a good job of that, yet friday night's opponents have perhaps fallen under the radar... We saw two years ago that Accrington are a team which is extremely organised and difficult to beat, they themselves have four games in hand on the table toppers, which if they win will see a new team on the top step.
Perhaps there is method in SKY's madness to select this game for coverage after all...
Charlton Team NewsEvery game we sink further into this "rut" means that the next game will see greater scrutiny of Lee Bowyer's selection choices and tactics... Players being played out of position has been a recent complaint from the Valley faithful yet perhaps the longest question mark from some quarters has been the fact that Darren Pratley and Ben Watson continue to start, of course, alongside Alex Gilbey those two are now either suspended or injured for friday night so in some respect it'll be quite a different Charlton team that lines up to the one we've seen in recent games... You'd hope so anyway.
Of course there is the Transfer Window to take into account and whilst fans have been disgruntled with tactics of late, they'll be no doubt pleased by the speed of the club bringing in new attacking faces: Ronnie Schwartz (who probably lacks fitness to start so soon) signed from Denmark and Liam Miller on loan from Liverpool have been brought into to bolster our offensive side of the game. The fact still remains though that our last four games have seen us concede twice in each match, so the defence will certainly require its own focus; Deji Oshilaja will obviously come into the team this week, whilst there appears positive news what with Ryan Inniss being close to match selection himself.
Amos
Gunter | Oshilaja | Pearce | Maatsen
Maddison | Forster-Caskey | Morgan | Miller
Washington | Bogle
Substitutes Bench: Maynard-Brewer | Purrington | Matthews | Levitt | Williams | Aneke | Schwartz
*As with every Preview this is the team I think Bowyer will play, rather than what I'd playPredictionUp until the Transfer Window there has been constant talk about the need for a twenty goal Striker to fire us to promotion... We cant hide the fact that scoring goals doesnt seem to be the problem, four of the top six have more goals but arent far ahead for it to be a problem in my eyes - Funnily I've constantly mocked Peterborough United for not having the defence to win promotion and its now Charlton who have the worst one out of all our rivals - It is that area that needs to be stronger, if Accrington get the first goal they tighten up even more...
Lets cut out the individual mistakes at the back... the chances at the other end, as they always do at this level, will come!!
Comments
Being in my usual pessimistic mood re Charlton matches, I won’t make a prediction for fear of making this a too negative post.
Agree, the arrival of Schwartz and Millar ‘time’ is most welcome, though the news of Alfie going is not unexpected but doesn’t lighten the load!
No point sending him back yet and leaving us overly short in Midfield
But if he's meant to be backup to Watson | Forster-Caskey and isnt even getting on the bench, I cant see how he starts Friday night
Accrington are a bloody physical team too, he'll be bullied like hell, it'll be like Pigott v Millwall all over again!!
Even I read it and thought... Nah he cant do that!!
Amos
Gunter | Oshilaja | Pearce | Matthews
Morgan | Forster-Caskey | Maatsen
Maddison | Washington | Miller
The back 4 is what he should play, it wouldn't surprise me to see Matthews continuing at LB, just to prove it wasn't wrong in the last two games.
The team I would play
Amos
Gunter:Oshilaga:Pearce
Matthews:JFC:Morgan:Maatsen
Maddison or Williams
Washington:Aneke
Give Bogle some time off now we have options.
I would assume AMB, Williams, Smyth and Schwartz will be in the bench, probably Purrington but no idea on the other 2 or 3.
When you are ticking off the days to watching Charlton v Accrington Stanley in an empty stadium in the vain hope you might see a large Danish bloke called Ronnie make a fleeting cameo appearance, it really is time to broaden your interests.
Something is very wrong somewhere at the club and Sky wont help. Have we ever won a Sky televised game? Wasn't the forty season Huddersfield unbeaten run ended on Sky?
Anyway, sincerely wish I had something better to do on Friday night but I haven't.
0-2
Indeed in the last 3 games he's started twice and was subbed at HT in both games, you don't do that for planned tactical reasons
Gunter | Osh | Pearce | Purrington
JFC
Morgan | Maatsen
Maddison
Aneke | Washington
We need to start taking the initiative in games and going on the attack.
It makes my blood boil to see us behind in the late stages of games and throwing the kitchen sink at the oppo.
We need to start doing that from the start - and please please please stop all that horizontal passing in our own half, then back to the keeper.
Get the ball up to Chucks ASAP, and let the others pick up the scraps from his hold-up.
Next week............how to understand rocket technology.
Maatson is an effective wing back so play him there. JFC can sit in front of the defence. Bogle's confidence is shot so maybe it is best to start him on the bench and Washington can drift in and out of games.
This would be my side:
Amos
Gunter Deji Pearce Maatson
JFC
Morgan Williams
Smyth Maddison
Aneke
That's it