Barnsley v Charlton Athletic
Tuesday 22nd October 2024
Kick-Off: 19:45
Referee
Lewis Smith - Only previously officiated a single Charlton match, at home to Coaville in the first round of The FA Cup in 2022.
Introduction
Performances have improved since the change of formation and it really should’ve been back to back wins on Saturday. The positives are we’re creating chances and looking good going forward. The football is better and we’re starting to play through the thirds. Additionally, the introduction of Dixon added another dimension and excitement to the attack and his good play and back heel to Leaburn nearly set up the winning goal. Jones described him like a firework so coming off the bench in future is a nice weapon to have. In a big week for the club, where a lot of attention is on our next home fixture, we have an away game to deal with first. Next up, a trip to Barnsley.
Opposition
Stadium: Oakwell Stadium
Manager: Darrell Clarke
Nickname(s): The Tykes
Form: WLDDWL
Previous result: A 2-1 win away at Blackpool. Their line up was:
Slonina
de Gevigney - Roberts - Earl
Russell
O’Keefe - Phillips - Connell - Gent
Keillor-Dunn - Humphrys
Barnsley have some good players in forward positions, Stephen Humphrys joined on a free from Wigan after leaving the Lactics in the summer, the left footed striker usually plays well against us so will be looking to continue that form on Tuesday. Another summer signing for the Tykes was Keillor-Dunn, the attacking midfielder/forward player scored over 20 goals for Mansfield in League Two last season, playing a major role in their own promotion to this level and it was he who opened the scoring at the weekend in the north west coast. At the opposite end of the pitch, Barnsley have one of Chelsea’s 852 goalkeepers, this one is Gabriel Slonina, a young American who is highly regarded despite Barnsley keeping just one clean sheet so far this season, at home to Crawley.
Away from players, the appointment of Darrell Clarke was a surprise to many during the summer as it was one that went completely against what has been the norm for Barnsley for a while. A team that lost in the play-offs last season to Bolton, despite a late fight to salvage their chance for a trip to Wembley but falling short, the next appointment in the dugout was one that they needed to get right and Clarke is deemed as a safe pair of hands at this level. With 5 of their starting lineup at the weekend also played in that play-off second leg, in the whole they’ve kept a decent amount of quality making this midweek trip up north one that is going to be tough.
Charlton Team News
Injuries are starting to dent the squad with Kayne Ramsay coming off at the weekend due to a knee injury and he joins fellow defender Lloyd Jones, and strikers Daniel Kanu, Chuks Aneke, and Gassan Ahadme. The right back has been one of, if not our best, player so far this season and will be a big miss defensively and offensively to a team that fluency is beginning to come into our performances. This offered the chance for REG to come in and make an impact, which he duly obliged by scoring his first goal for the club. Whether he starts ahead of Watson at right back is a decision Jones is going to have to make.
Terry Taylor came in for the suspended Conor Coventry on Saturday and his overall play was excellent, winning man of the match and providing some great deliveries into the box where we were unlucky not to score from at least one of them. Jones described Taylor’s attitude to be along the lines of being an animal in training, he would have done himself no harm going forward. The big question is though, with it being his first league start in over a year does this game come too soon? Does Jones see him able to play alongside Coventry? Personally I hope he starts as I feel he would give us more control in midfield.
Away from the obvious decisions, including whether Leaburn makes his first start since his birthday in November 2023, I have an issue with centre back when Jones is not available. Personally, I don’t rate Gillesphey and his hesitation and lack of physical domination puts a lot of pressure on Mitchell getting the first contact right. The difference in feeling through the defence without Ramsay and Jones, in an away game, is something that needs to be considered. Who else comes in though, I am not sure.
With that in mind, and that Barnsley play a back 3 themselves, it wouldn’t surprise me to see a midfielder drop out and for us to revert back to the formation we had for the first 9 league games. REG could come in to centre back with Watson at wing back. Jones will likely see REG able to go into midfield at times making up the numbers that we lose by taking one out, and away from home, it’s something that we might just do. This is not something I would do, I’d start REG at right back and continue with the 4-2-2-2…
Mannion
REG - Mitchell - Gillesphey
Watson - Docherty - Coventry - Anderson - Edwards
Godden - TC
AMB, Small, Taylor, A.Campbell, Berry, Dixon, Leaburn
Barnsley 1-2 Charlton Athletic
TC
Leaburn
Comments
REG for Ramsay and Coventry for Docherty , unless Taylor needs a rest . Leaburn for A Campbell might wait until Saturday
Barnsley 2 Charlton 0
Barnsley will be solid and well organised under Darrell Clarke , but I fancy a 1-2 away win.
Hope Taylor is fit enough to start again, but think it’s more likely we see Coventry and Docherty as the sitting 2. Just hope we get the Docherty we saw against Birmingham
Mannion,
ReG, Mitchell , Mitchell , Edwards
Coventry, Docherty/ Taylor
Anderson , T Campbell
Leaburn, Godden
Already defensively weak we now find ourselves hollowed out by injuries. Ramsey has been our best player by a distance and despite Tennai Watson being an adequate right back he doesn't hold a candle to Ramsey's all around game, he is far more mobile and effective than REG at right back.
The fact we miss a moderate defender like Lloyd Jones so desperately reveals just how awful the rest of the centre halves actually are.
Terry Taylor's performance on Saturday has given NJ a selection headache. He can't reasonably play him and Coventry together, they're too similar. Taylor's vastly superior dead ball delivery should give him the edge. His ability to recover in time after so long in the cold, may mean that Coventry gets the nod. Plus leaving Coventry out now also requires NJ to acknowledge he's probably not got that selection right when he's had the choice.
Kanu and Ahadme being ruled out at the same time limits NJ's starting and bench options, with Miles Leaburn's playing time still necessarily being managed.
Many found fault with Karoy Anderson and Tyreece Campbell's performances on Saturday and both were culpable to a couple of errors each. Those errors were however small price to pay for their relentless endeavour and commitment to the cause. Faults and all we're a much better side with both of them in cos they put in tremendous shifts and never give up
Word across the Curbside on Saturday whispered that Kaheim Dixon's inclusion had as much to do with the presence of his former Mount Pleasant colleagues as it did with form etc. We shall see if he's on the bench Tuesday. However small he is (and jesus he really is small!) pace and ball control is fatal for 3rd division defenders, hopefully he'll be running rings around lots of statuesque dimwits in the latter stages of many games to come. We had similar hopes for Jamal Campbell-Ryce once upon a time, unrealised in Charlton red.
Starting should probably be:
Mannion
Watson Mitchell Reg Edwards
Coventry Docherty
Anderson Berry/ACampbell
TCampbell Godden
with Miles introduced after an hour
and Dixon with 10 minutes to go to run defenders ragged or keep the ball in the corner if we're ahead(!)
If Taylor has recovered fully he ought to keep his place but I just don't see NJ entertaining it. Taylor may well get to replace whichever ineffective midfield makeweight has been ponsing around in the form of Berry or ACampbell.
I think we lack too much up front to win a tough away game like this, but we're also fairly steady, smart money is the draw I'd say.
Poor numbers attending. Will be less than 400 on the night. I hope people on social media who mock other clubs supports and harp on about our sell out at ManU will be there.