Charlton Athletic v GillinghamTuesday 15 March | Kick-Off: 19:45Live on Charlton TV (UK included)Referee: Will Finnie - Previously officiated Charlton in our opening day 0-0 draw against Sheffield Wednesday.Introduction
Charlton lack discipline. Be it carrying out duties, making the same mistakes over and over again, the pathetic goals we concede, the lack of leaders, or the concerning, yet seemingly unmentioned, number of yellow cards dished out to our players this season being so far and away ahead of any other team in this division. Whether that's a lack of anticipation or players showing frustration, whatever the reasons, likely to be an accumulation of many, it shows a struggling and fragmented side that have performed miserably throughout a season so reminiscent to 2010/11 that it's quite frankly embarrassing. Despite the soundbites we hear, this team lack desire, passion, character, and fight, not to mention a glaring lack of quality. Are the players too friendly with the management team? Do they lack respect for what they're trying to achieve? Are there bad apples within making the whole lot rotten? This horrible season has posed many questions but one answer stands out from the rest. Too many are not good enough to represent Charlton if Charlton is a club that represents ambition. An overhaul is required, and a limp finish will do nothing but epitomise what has been, and undoubtedly will be, our worst ever season. But football never stops and there's another just around the corner. This time a team who looked doomed themselves until a change at the end of January means we now face a slightly rejuvenated side on Tuesday, Gillingham travel to The Valley for the 'A2 Derby' - exciting.
OppositionManager: Neil Harris | Stadium: The Scaffolding Stadium, AKA Priestfield StadiumLeague Position: 21st | Nickname(s): The GillsLeague Form: WLWDLDGillingham played away at Doncaster Rovers in a massive game at the bottom on Saturday, winning 1-0, their line up was:
Dahlberg
Tucker | Ehmer | Masterson
Jackson | O'Keefe | Lee | McKenzie
Thompson
Kelman | Oliver
Neil Harris was appointed manager of Gillingham on transfer deadline day and has picked up 14 points and 5 clean sheets from his 9 games in charge. In the same time, we have picked up 4 points and kept just the 1 clean sheet. Prior to his appointment, The Gills had won just once away from home all season, now they've won their last 2 away games, keeping clean sheets in both, and have overtaken us in the away league form table. However, staying up for Gillingham is still going to be a tough ask. With fixtures after Tuesday evening including Sheffield Wednesday, Accrington Stanley, Sunderland, Wycombe, Portsmouth, and Rotherham, they're going to have to pick up points against the sides vying for promotion to give themselves a chance.
The Gills do have a two or three players to call upon though. Jack Tucker is a centre back who has got a lot of attention from Charlton supporters over the last 12 months and will be out of contract in the summer. Whether he is a player we, or Martin Sandgaard, has identified we will find out, but he has been crucial to their success in shutting teams out of late. Behind the front two is Ben Thompson. A midfielder Harris will know well from his days at Millwall, he is a player who can be a talent in League One. Up front, Oliver scored an impressive total of 20 goals in all competitions last season but has struggled to have a similar impact this time round.
Charlton Team News
As the cut off point for a 2 game suspension for 10 yellow cards is 37 games, players like Dobson and Famewo (if involved) must avoid showing that lack of discipline if they wish to be available for selection for the rest of the season. Washington returned to the squad after a month out from a hamstring injury so you would anticipate he starts alongside Stockley for the first time in 15 games, at home to Cambridge United on 11th December. Blackett-Taylor, who was also out with a hamstring injury, travelled up north to Stanely but was not deemed fit enough to be included. You would hope he can make the 18 this time. In some really positive news, Forster-Caskey is set to play for the U23s on Tuesday at Watford, with the aim in getting 45-60 minutes, it will be a timely return to game time for the midfielder. Good luck, Jake.
Although Stockley scored our first goal in an eternity, it was from the penalty spot meaning we have not scored from open play since the 7th minute against Wigan on 12th February. In fact, we haven't scored with our feet from open play since Washington's goal against AFC Wimbledon on 5th February. Something has to change and it must start now.
I believe a large number of the players either aren't good enough or don't want to be here enough and with that will mean huge changes in the summer. Maybe the less I say the better because we are all feeling it, and we all have our own opinions on the players and the situation and of course, much talk has been about the formation. But whatever happens from this point on, I hope we start to see a bit of true discipline and togetherness to be able to pick up the points that we need to at least restore a tiny little amount of pride.
Subs: Harvey, Pearce, Matthews, Blackett-Taylor, Morgan, Lee, BurstowHarris will be right up for this knowing we are a damaged and wounded animal. We are weak with huge vulnerabilities. It's Jackson's job now to pick a team that care enough to want the 3 points. It's not going to be pretty and a worrying statistic is that we have won just once in a midweek fixture all season, at home to Ipswich. Maybe we need to play a team in blue, maybe that will be the case on Tuesday. I won't hold my breath, but we shall see.
Charlton Athletic 2-1 Gillingham
Washington
Stockley
Comments
We're shit and they know we are.
0-3 Gillingham.
I don't suppose there is a cat in hells chance of a change to this failing formation but I would prefer to see Morgan in for Gilbey - at least Albie doesn't try to hide and is fully committed.
If we move the ball well and quickly Gillingham won't cope. Their best ayer was Clint Dempsey who is now at Bolton, they have some players capable of hurting us at set pieces and Danny Lloyd is the sort of forward our defenders hate not to mention Vadaine Oliver being the type of robust target man that always causes us problems, how we handle him will largely depend on who is marking him and how the referee deals with both sides of that battle but he could easily dominate out centre halves and enable their very keen midfield runners to cause us nightmares.
O'Keefe is a walking red card in midfield and aside from Tucker who is genuinely a class centre half they can be got at defensively.
They work very hard and have done since Harris has come in which has been reflected in the turnaround in results and performances.
I personally think we do not have the arsehole required for how this game will be played, we absolutely need to win the midfield battle and play high up the pitch, get balls in the box and give their defence decisions to make as invariably players like Jackson and Ehmer will make the wrong one they might have a worse keeper than ours too
Heart says 2 nil Charlton head says 1 nil Gillingham
Your match preview tonight reminds me of how much I value your posts & how I wish you were ready, willing & able to increase their number.
And I'm certain that others would welcome that too.
You succinctly & insightfully express what, I would guess, the majority of us think but find it difficult to put into words....Possibly because we lack the knowledge you seem to possess and can merely dance around the fringes of the actual issues at our club that urgently need addressing before it implodes. I'm good at asking questions but tend to baulk at stating what I REALLY believe are the answers, feeling that I am no way equipped to make pronouncements on the situation.
In your "Introduction" you emphasise that "Too many ( players) are not good enough to represent Charlton if Charlton is a club that represents ambition". But when YOU state that fact, together with additional harsh words such as "pathetic" & that the team is one that "lacks desire, passion, character and fight". Many would fervently agree with you but don't have the balls to commit those sentiments to print...and I guess that I am in that category.
We WANT to believe that every player to pull on the red shirt is 100% committed to our club; will give their all and leave nothing on the pitch when the final whistle is blown. And, for me, it's difficult to come to terms with the possibility that I am deluded at times. I WANT to support, cheer on our players, believe in our players, not question their commitment or desire out there on the pitch. You could call it the ostrich approach. Or supporting with heart, not head.
But it seems the time has come to finally face the reality of our current situation. And it hurts. In some ways it feels like a betrayal to judge those lads so harshly but our famous football club & its future is more important than any player who will not, or cannot give their all for it. Sadly, this will include those who have been signed without, perhaps, due diligence - who will never be a good fit for CAFC & who become casualties of the recruitment system utilised. Maybe that's another story....
Then of course there are additional elements that will have in part contributed to this abysmal season, with the management of the squad & the system adopted in question too. All I'd like to say is that I hope JJ is given the opportunity to choose his squad for next season and the chance to take it forward successfully and yes, that is definitely a heart over head pronouncement. But he must be judged on results in the end like any other manager and left to do the job with his chosen management team with no outsider influence.
There is inevitably much more you could share with us, Sage but I applaud your loyalty & the need to keep some thoughts to yourself.
My final thought for tonight is that a decent, winning performance on Tuesday evening will raise everyone's spirits & hopefully pave the way for a reasonable end to the season.
But, I'd like to hope that the team out there will dedicate this match to "Our Ben" whose funeral will have taken place some hours earlier. A truly inspirational young man who loved this club SO much and had Charlton engraved on his heart. If this team can raise its game and show just what it's capable of, then it must be tomorrow night.
This one's for you, dear Ben.
I'm thinking of sitting in the west stand for this one, so I can watch JJ a bit more closely. I'm interested to see his demeanor.
As for the team, I'd drop MacG for Harness. The rest, well, it doesn't seem to make much difference.
I am looking forward to seeing Dobson play, and Fraser, that's about it.
@Henry Irving, is the museum open pre game mate? I may as well enjoy some part of my evening!
I can't put up a losing prediction on a game I'm coming to watch after so long away, so gonna go with a 2-1 win, stocks and wash to score, but the reality this season is we'll lose this one too.
Regardless of the squad we have, the inept performances of late, it will be brilliant being back at the valley supporting my club, with a Charlton legend as manager again.
COYR'S...!!!!!!!
don't know why, but fancy us to turn up if Stockley and Washington start.
both to score in a 2-1 win
When Jackson was caretaker manager, our form was top 4 in the league.
Since he got the job, the form must be bottom 4
MacG
Clare Lavelle Famewo
Jaiyesimi Gilbey Dobson Purrington
Fraser
Stockley Washington
Subs - Harness, Gunter, Pearce, Lee, Burstow, Campbell, Kanu
I do not believe the clear out of players will be anywhere near good enough.
Matthews is out of contract and Leko's loan expires. We may not be moving on players under contract, but I think it's safe to say those two won't be around given their form this season and the fact that neither has been particularly trusted despite playing multiple positions.
If we lose tomorrow, and I've got a feeling we will, then Jacko has to bin the 3-5-2 until the summer. Play 4-4-2 with the right players in the right positions to get us out of this hole and maybe he'll see more reason to change his future tactical plans.
Gunter Lavelle Famewo Purrington
Dobson
Clare Gilbey
Fraser
Stockley Washington
We won't play it, but I'd like to see us try.
We should beat a poor Gulls side.
They have a bit of form/confidence, Harris likes a bit of hoof ball which our defenders and keeper can't deal with. I suspect we will wilt and lose 0-2 with little to no shots. I hope I am wrong.
Win this and we are looking at safety, draw and it maintains a decent gap. Lose and we are firmly in the crap.
For me that would require a change in formation and that isnt going to happen...definition of insanity anyone?
At this point, we are relying on other teams to be worse than us to win games and that is a hell of a drop in expectation. 1 shot after Accrington going down to men is quite honestly disgusting and the players should hang there head.
Cant see anything other than a Gillingham win at the moment.
One bonus....its 2 for Tuesday at Dominos so thats a result.
Play 3.5.2
Wing backs stay in own half.
Midfield over run.
Concede from set piece and a shot from right back position.
Lose
Repeat until sacked or we are relegated.
Even gifted a one goal head start and playing against ten men we can't even draw doing this so why persist with it ?
It's just unfathomable.