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Rochdale v Charlton | Sat 06 Feb | 3pm | Match Preview, Predictions, News & Views

Rochdale v Charlton Athletic
Saturday 6th February 2021 ... 3pm Kick-Off
Referee: Thomas Bramall (Sheffield)

Introduction
With Charlton now having made the turn towards the half-way stage all eyes are now on what'll be a frantic few months between now and the end of the season. We all knew that this would be a year where fixture congestion could easily become ridiculous (and thats before we get to the prospect of the Winter World Cup in 2022) and in the coming weeks and months we may certainly see the League table having a drastic shake up as teams either take advantage or blunder their way through games in hand. For Charlton the task is simple, win games, its a task that needs to happen a lot more often and its getting to the stage where any slip ups really will be costly, especially when you consider our final run of games this season. With an "easier" February it means we ourselves need to get maximum points, starting tomorrow at Rochdale, if we want achieve the minimum aim of the Play-Offs this term!!

The Opposition
Name: Rochdale (18th) | Manager: Brian Barry-Murphy
Ground: Spotland
Previous Meeting: Charlton Athletic 4-4 Rochdale

Well for starters you'll surely be getting your monies worth by purchasing a stream on ValleyPass this weekend (Only £10), BUY NOW!!!

Ad breaks aside and Rochdale surely take the award for the most bonkers of sides in the whole of the Football League this season. January's encounter at the Valley would show a game so ridiculous it would be difficult to comprehend what either sets of fans were witnessing, and that was even before the sight of Paul Smyth playing right wing-back. For the Addicks that evening it would be a second half where we showed our potential if we cut out the mistakes at the back, for Rochdale fans it was just another evening of high scoring football that saw twenty goals in just three back to back games.

I've even heard they want a refund for the "disappointing" 2-1 win at Bristol Rovers last weekend!!

Yet attention now turns to the reverse fixture at Spotland; Brian Barry-Murphy is one of those Managers who surely has a promising future in the game, especially when you consider the fact he has Rochdale playing in what is revered to as: "the right way" - Should they be able to get their defence sorted out then Dale could well be dangerous, after all they're level on goals scored with Portsmouth and have only scored one less than Hull City. Unfortunately for Charlton fans, Spotland isnt a happy venue of late, our last victory came courtesy of a late Danny Hollands goal in a 3-2 win, that result would send us to the top of League One where we stayed the rest of the year, two 1-0 defeats since and another high scoring 3-3 draw show that there should at least be goals in this fixture...

Just hope they're heading into the right net!!

Charlton Team News
Ronnie Schwartz has certainly had a Charlton style beginning in South East London, the Dane opened his account in the reverse fixture yet hasnt found the net since (despite having good opportunities against both Bristol Rovers and Swindon Town), he's shown though that he can benefit from a high line and space to exploit so potentially just needs his luck to change, whether he starts this weekend or whether Bowyer goes for Jayden Stockley and Chuks Aneke will be one of the biggest factors in the team sheet tomorrow; Conor Washington on the other hand will remain absent with a calf injury, although should return to training on Monday.

Elsewhere with injury news and I like everyone else grow tired of having to predict when Akin Famewo and Ryan Inniss will make their comebacks. It was hoped the former could be involved this Saturday but it looks like he wont be risked and will be eased back into action with an U23 game first. With the January Transfer Window now closed its an opportunity to see if Matt Smith and Diallang Jaiyesimi can help make the difference, the former would make his debut on Tuesday night and having spent longer training with his new team mates may well get his first start, the latter (having only trained at Sparrows Lane for a few days) may well have to settle for a place on the bench.

Amos
Matthews | Gunter | Oshilaja | Maatsen
Smith | Watson | Forster-Caskey
Shinnie
Millar | Stockley

Substitutes Bench: Maynard-Brewer | Pearce | Pratley | Morgan | Schwartz | Aneke | Jaiyesimi

Prediction
Well I'm sure this has been a fixture everyone has been looking forward to ever since the last game ended. Ever since the second half Charlton have appeared to turn the corner and apart from disappointing moments against Peterborough and Portsmouth have learnt to deal with teams further down the table. Unfortunately it may well be a bit too late for the Addicks hopes of returning to the Championship, yet this is League One and not the Premier League, the further down the pyramid you go, the more unpredictable events become... Lets push on, cut out the mistakes, get results and start to put the pressure on the teams above us to get wins and nothing less!!

Because come the business end of the season there is still a sliver of a chance that we can be there in contention 
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Comments

  • Could be another 3-3. God that was a dire game. A mate summed up Rochdale well, somewhere you go just so you never have to go back there.
  • Amos
    Matthews, Gunter, Oshilaja, Maatsen
    Pratley
    Shinnie, Smith, Millar
    Aneke, Stockley

    I think he will stick with the same back four, Pratley in front because he played well until he had to go off before he was sent off Tuesday, I reckon Smith will get the nod can’t see why not he’s gotta be fit enough, not sure about the strike pairing part of me thinks he won’t play the two big men together, but then how do you drop our midweek goal scorer and/or our top scorer for Schwartz who’s looked toothless.  Hope to see Famewo off the bench to get 20 minutes into the legs.  

    Can’t be easy calling our results these days, anything but a win is more pressure and rightly so on the management team, but I fancy a similar display to Bristol rovers/MK Dons away with defence being prioritised because you can rely on us getting a goal, 0-1 Aneke.
  • Dazzler21 said:
    I have no idea what Bowyer will do. 

    I would probably go with something like this:

    Amos
    Matthews - Gunter - Oshilaja - Purrington
    Jaiyesimi - Shinnie - F.Caskey - Millar
    Schwartz - Stockley

    Bench:  M.Brewer, Pearce, Maatsen, Pratley, Morgan, Aneke, Ghandour


    If we can't blood in some of the kids now, then when? I'm going to go for Rochdale 1-2 Charlton.
    Millar and Schwartz to score.  
    Are you Lebanese...? - You'd leave out Matt Smith?
    How did I miss Smith? I don't know if he goes in for Pratley, Morgan or Ghandour. We need fit, hungry attacking players to be able to replace any tiring attacking players going off.

    If this game isn't one for inspiring forwards with confidence, I don't know what is!
  • Rochdale 2 - Charlton 1
  • Very good review @ForeverAddickted. I have wondered if Bows will play Pratley and Watson together in a desperate attempt to ‘shore up’ the defence. If we’re not going to work on supplying Ronnie more then don’t play him. Stockley and Chuks will hopefully cause them some issues. We simply have to get a winning run going. 
  • Dazzler21 said:
    Dazzler21 said:
    I have no idea what Bowyer will do. 

    I would probably go with something like this:

    Amos
    Matthews - Gunter - Oshilaja - Purrington
    Jaiyesimi - Shinnie - F.Caskey - Millar
    Schwartz - Stockley

    Bench:  M.Brewer, Pearce, Maatsen, Pratley, Morgan, Aneke, Ghandour


    If we can't blood in some of the kids now, then when? I'm going to go for Rochdale 1-2 Charlton.
    Millar and Schwartz to score.  
    Are you Lebanese...? - You'd leave out Matt Smith?
    How did I miss Smith? I don't know if he goes in for Pratley, Morgan or Ghandour. We need fit, hungry attacking players to be able to replace any tiring attacking players going off.

    If this game isn't one for inspiring forwards with confidence, I don't know what is!
    To be fair I almost risked the wrath of CharltonLife by forgetting to put Jaiyesimi on the bench
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  • Rochdale have failed to score in just 5 games this season:

    Hull, Doncaster, Lincoln, AFC & Portsmouth.

    It will certainly be interesting to see whether we can be the 6th. 
  • Last six games DWLDWL so I fancy us for a draw. 3-3 with more poor defending and a late sending off.

    Post Match thread to have usual debate.
  • Bowyer has his first real headache of the season, as while he will be frustrated by central defensive options, he has an abundance of riches in midfield and up front to play with. After Tuesday’s poor defending and performance I would not be surprised to see yet another shake up.

    That said, it is now or never and think we will get back to winning ways. 4-2 Stockley, Schwartz, Aneke and Millar.
  • Who's this Ghandour fella?
  •                            Amos
    Matthews - Gunter - Oshilaja - Maatsen
        Jaiyesimi - Watson- Pratley- Millar
                    Aneke - Stockley

    is what I think Bowyer will do but I wouldn't be surprised if he put Maatsen on whatever wing Baah is on. If Baah is on the left then Maatsen could play RB and Purrington brought in at LB.


                              Amos
    Matthews - Gunter - Oshilaja - Purrington
         Jaiyesimi - Morgan- F.Caskey - Millar
                   Aneke - Stockley

    is what I think Bowyer should do

    I actually think we miss Washington quite a bit. The other 3 aren't mobile enough to offer something different.
  • Must admit I don't know what Bow will do but he will change it around again. Losing confidence in Getty results now. I can't remember predicting we will lose but I fear a loss unfortunately. Can we please start this run of winning games that we hear we close to achieving.
  • edited February 2021
    ozaddick said:
    Who's this Ghandour fella?
    U23 Striker signed from Non-League last season, did reasonably well in the EFL Trophy against Leyton Orient - He's Lebanese and their fans have suddenly clocked on that we've got one of their players (He's never played for their National Team) so constantly talk about him on twitter / facebook
  • Amos
    Gunter Deji Fam/Pearce Purrington
    Miller Prats JFC DJ
    Schwartz Stockley


  • ozaddick said:
    Who's this Ghandour fella?
    U23 Striker signed from Non-League last season, did reasonably well in the EFL Trophy against Leyton Orient - He's Lebanese and their fans have suddenly clocked on that we've got one of their players (He's never played for their National Team) so constantly talk about him on twitter / facebook
    Obviously Aouachria is the other option up top, but I am uncertain if he is currently fit. 
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  • Thanks for a great preview. 
    Couple of things
    I know BBM, and he is a great guy - so I always want Dale to do well. (Not against us tho)

    As for Femewo and Innis, their return will be too late to help us this season (IMO), we might just make the playoffs if things go our way. I get fed up with the “free beer tomorrow” from LB after a defeat, using the return of these two key players to pacify fans. 

    As for this match, they bomb forward without fear, and we will attempt to contain them and go one down. The rest you know - loads of attacking bluster without an end result (while Lyle is warming the bench at Forest). 

    Sorry to be negative but we have to lower our expectations, as we aren’t actually any better than a mid table side. 
  • Dazzler21 said:
    ozaddick said:
    Who's this Ghandour fella?
    U23 Striker signed from Non-League last season, did reasonably well in the EFL Trophy against Leyton Orient - He's Lebanese and their fans have suddenly clocked on that we've got one of their players (He's never played for their National Team) so constantly talk about him on twitter / facebook
    Obviously Aouachria is the other option up top, but I am uncertain if he is currently fit. 
    He's going to be another who'll be unable to reach his potential because he cant get over his injuries :(
  • Thanks for a great preview. 
    Couple of things
    I know BBM, and he is a great guy - so I always want Dale to do well. (Not against us tho)

    As for Femewo and Innis, their return will be too late to help us this season (IMO), we might just make the playoffs if things go our way. I get fed up with the “free beer tomorrow” from LB after a defeat, using the return of these two key players to pacify fans. 

    As for this match, they bomb forward without fear, and we will attempt to contain them and go one down. The rest you know - loads of attacking bluster without an end result (while Lyle is warming the bench at Forest). 

    Sorry to be negative but we have to lower our expectations, as we aren’t actually any better than a mid table side. 
    I mean if their return occurs in Feb/March and we (very unlikely) go on to not concede any goals after that.... I think we'd still scrape playoffs. Every side has shown inconsistency at times this season. 
  • Hard to predict, think we both have goals in us, I'll go 2-2. Hoping for this formation though i'm pretty sure Bowyer would have a haemorrhage if we didn't have one of Pratley or Watson in CDM.

    Amos
    Matthews | Gunter | Oshi | Purrington
    DJ | JFC | Shinnie | Millar
    Stockley | Shwartz
  • The team i'd like to see

                              Amos
    Matthews - Gunter - Oshilaja - Purrington
    Jaiyesimi - Shinnie/Pratley - F.Caskey - Millar
                     Aneke - Stockley

    Bench:  AMB, Pearce, Maatsen, Shinnie/Pratley, Morgan, Schwartz, Smith

    We showed in the 2nd half against them we can go at them, no reason why we shouldnt start the game with the same formation and similar personnel. Would be good to have Purrs in for the solidity to start the game
  • I'd love to see two centre backs actually playing at centre back!
  • edited February 2021
    agim said:
    I'd love to see two centre backs actually playing at centre back!
    I agree but unless you want to bring Pearce back in alongside Deji? The pairing that were bullied by Accrington and dominated by Rochdale?

    Until we have Famewo fit, I'd keep Gunter in there. 
  • Excellent preview as usual FA. 
    I've been resigned to the fact that we are not going up this season since before Xmas. 
    We  are playing without confidence and without a settled side. 
    I have no idea what formation Bowyer will go with tomorrow and I'm pretty sure he's not either. 
    I expect us to score tomorrow but I'm also confident we will concede. 
    As for the actual score I haven't got a clue. 
    I'm just hoping that things improve soon because it's been very depressing supporting Charlton this season. 
  • Snow forecast for Rochdale on Saturday, preceeded by heavy rain. Might be sensible to defer purchasing your VP subscription until 2pm tomorrow (or following a possible pitch inspection).
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