Charlton Athletic vs PortsmouthMonday 17th October 2022 - 8pm Kick-OffReferee: Dean WhitestoneIntroductionTime to throw out the red carpet, the SKY cameras have decided to pop down to our corner of South East London - It'll be a whirlwind of an hour Addicks fans, what with finding out our FA Cup opponents shortly before kick-off - Yet this Monday the focus will be firmly on the League with Portsmouth the visitors this time around. Given our impressive run against South Coast sides, this could be our last opportunity to win a game at the Valley this season!!
The OppositionName: Portsmouth (5th) | Manager: Danny CowleyGround: Fratton ParkPrevious Result: Portsmouth 1-1 Fleetwood TownAs one of the oldest ties that Charlton fans have witnessed, its ironic that in recent years, the meetings between these two have been more favourable for the side in red - Various Pompey Managers have tried, and like a Charlton side facing Millwall, have mostly failed in spectacular fashion - Thankfully our opposing fans haven't had to wait quite as long for a win against us, the last coming in February 2021 with the visitors running out 3-1 winners.
This term and Pompey once again look set to be Play-Off challengers - A number of players were moved on or released in the summer, meaning there was another rebuild on the South Coast... Ex-Addicks; Michael Morrison in defence, and Joe Pigott in attack will be looking to end our hopes of back to back wins - However the Portsmouth machine has once again stalled in recent weeks, there has been just the two points won in the last three games, albeit two of those games came against Plymouth and Ipswich... The latter consigning our opponents to a first defeat of the season, perhaps we can hand them another and so start our own charge.
Charlton Team NewsIt was a bit of a fairy-tale seeing Chuks Aneke back on the bench for Tuesday night, so it was perhaps written in the script that he'd come on, and within minutes help secure the all three important points for us - Many Charlton fans will be aware of his fragilities, and will be reluctant to see him starting too many matches - However 4-4-2 is a formation that has suited us in recent weeks, and with Miles Leaburn now potentially carrying a knock (ankle?), we'll surely either see a change back to 4-3-3, or we'll see Aneke risked from the start.
Elsewhere, and once again none of our wingers have really cemented one of the wide roles in the side - All seem to show why they're playing at this particular level, with Charlie Kirk once again unable to capitalise on a starting role - Corey Blackett-Taylor on the other hand took his opportunity on Tuesday with an assist, so will surely come back into the side in his stead.
Wollacott
Egbo - Inniss - O'Connell - Sessegnon
Kirk - Dobson - Fraser - Blackett-Taylor
Stockley - Rak-Sakyi
Substitutes Bench: MacGillivray - Clare - Thomas - Payne - Morgan - McGrandles - Aneke
Comments
Portsmouth like last year look dangerous, and had a really fast start to the season, but it looks like they have stuttered a bit - so feels like a good time for us to play them, with our recent win, and especially with how well we have done under the lights at home this season.
I am going to go for a confident 3 - 1.
TV cameras plus home game equals defeat sadly....
Who, other than Plymouth? 🙄
Portsmouth - I saw us draw with them at home last season. Did we win away?
Bournemouth, Southampton, Brighton - we haven't played for ages.
Eastbourne Borough and Dover- have we ever played them?
Our other two wins this season were not against south coast teams.
Just googled and our previous 19 fixtures have been:
Charlton won 12
Drawn 2
Portsmouth won 5
It’s a pretty good record against them. And of course, we beat them 1-0 in one our most famous victories and important matches of our history.
We don’t have much to cling onto as a club with successes against others, let’s at least acknowledge we usually do well against Pompey.
Oh this one is at home!
Forget the above. 1-1 draw.
After seeing Payne and CBT come off the bench on Tues, I think they’re both players that are better making an impact coming on, so I wouldn’t start either. Probably have to go back to
Wollacott
Egbo Inniss O’Connell Sessegnon
Morgan Dobson Fraser
JRS Stockley Kirk
Amazingly, should we win, we will move up to tenth and only two points off a playoff spot…..doesn’t seem possible given our current form but there you go, it’s an implausible fact!
However, given our inexplicably awful record playing in front of live TV cameras, like you dear reader, I ain’t holding my breath.
2.6/3.4/2.7
More tempted by the away odds and hope I lose
So here goes with my latest contribution in keeping the tradition alive…..……”they are the team we have played more than any other in our history.”
I shall of course be posting a similar missive next time we play them.🙄
I would play Clair instead of Morgan, Dobson, Fraser and CBT.
Stockley up front and give R-S a free role in and around Stockley.