Charlton Athletic v Yeovil Town Saturday 7th December 2013 3pm Kick-Off Referee: Craig Pawson So after visits to the likes of ex-Premier League sides Queens Park Rangers and Reading where Charlton struggled against strong sides we now face one of our more important away fixtures in the long season as we make the trip across to the West Country where we face surprise League One Play-Off winners: Yeovil Town. Whenever you think of this small team from Somerset you think of two things… Giant Killers (from their days in the Non-League) and Rain after a 1-1 fixture three years which has to be described as one of the wettest fixtures ever played / witnessed involving the Addicks. The Opposition Like I said… Surprise winners of the Play-Off final against Brentford in May, Yeovil and Gary Johnson were written off for survival minutes after they won promotion to the Championship and after a slow start to the season which sees them as the lowest Goal scorers in the Division (Just behind Charlton), they’ve managed to pick up some good wins against Nottingham Forest, Watford and Blackpool which see them just inside the Relegation zone and just two points behind the Addicks. Key Men Having the budget of a relegation League One contender, Yeovil have had to be astute in the Loan market this season for sure… With the Goalkeeper position jinxed at Huish Park this season (three injuries in this position) Chris Dunn will likely be between the sticks after keeping a clean sheet in his last outing, assisting the ‘keeper at the back should include highly rated Everton loanee Shane Duffy, whilst it remains to be seen if experienced Captain… Jamie McAllister will fit enough to play. In Midfield Ed Upson will be the main danger who has four goals to his name this season whilst up front they can rely on the experience of Ishmael Miller brought in on loan from Nottingham Forest. Previous Meetings 20.03.2012 - Charlton 3-0 Yeovil Town (N'Guessan, Wright-Phillips, Russell) 26.12.2011 - Yeovil Town 2-3 Charlton (Obika, Huntington; Hollands, Kermorgant, Green) 05.02.2011 - Yeovil Town 0-1 Charlton (Wright-Phillips) 20.11.2010 - Charlton 3-2 Yeovil Town (Jackson (2), Racon; Williams, Doherty (OG)) Yeovil Town have never beaten Charlton in a League fixture only managing the one draw (the 1-1 fixture mentioned above) their only victory against the Addicks was a 1-0 win in a League Cup match in 2008 Charlton Team News In his Press Conference this week Chris Powell has confirmed that Ben Hamer is still not quite ready for First Team action so Ben Alnwick should again keep his place in goal whilst Chris Solly is back in training yet only with the U21s so I imagine a Friendly may be arranged for him before being placed back into a competitive environment. Likely Team to Face Yeovil Town Alnwick Wilson – Morrison – Wood – Wiggins Green – Cousins – Stephens – Jackson Kermorgant - Sordell Substitutes Bench Pope – Evina – Dervite – Hughes – Stewart – Pritchard – Church The Referee Travelling From: South Yorkshire Matches This Season: 9 (5 in the Championship) Yellow / Red Cards: 34 / 2 Penalties Awarded: 3 Familiar From: 27.10.2012 (Wolves 1-1 Charlton) A4L’s Prediction: 3-0 (Jackson, Kermorgant, Morrison)
Thanks A4L, great thread. I'm going for an optimistic 1-0 Charlton win....a 90th minute OG from a Yeovil defender.
Nice one, A4L; like your prediction too.Unlikely team: Alnwick; Cousins, Morro,Wood,Wiggins; Pritchard,Hughes, Stephens, Harriott; Pigott, Kermit(if fit)
Agree with FHB that we have to try something different tomorrow. I have seen Yeovil a couple of times on TV this season and they are a pub side. If we lose tomorrow we are well and truly in the brown stuff. If Sordell cannot score against the Glovers then it should be 'thank you (or no thank you) and goodbye' Maybe a 3-5-2 , Dervite, Morrison & Wood at the back? Evina and Wiggins out wide. Agree that Hughes should be recalled, alongside Cousins and Stephens in the centre. A reluctant but necessary dropping for Jackson. A very necessary dropping for Stewart. An equally essential non recall for Pritchard. Up front...err... our options look a touch limited
I've got a strange feeling the travelling faithful will see us scoring TWO goals, and will be able to celebrate a win!
As Vol says, if we lose we're in big trouble, nervy 2-1 win for us I reckon, Sordell to come good and grab the winner.
Can see us letting in our normal goal but am confident of our goal machine at left back so Ciderspace 1 Addicks 2...... Wiggins and we will feed the Pig with a 92nd minute winner Nice work as ever A4L
Team for me Alnwick Wilson, Morrison, Wood,Wiggins Green, Stephens, Cousins, Stewart Sordell, Kermy I have picked an attacking team as I would like us to go at Yeovil from the start.
I'm taking the kids to see Santa in Barcelona today, which I expect may be more entertaining than a basement battle in the west country. However, entertainment be damned, three points will do from santa today, though I doubt the ability of the CP elves to deliver. Just a quick quote from Alan Durban, Stoke City manager in the 70's, after his side had ground out a draw at Highbury. "If you want entertainment, go and watch clowns".
We need to be careful not to turn this into the be all and end all. If we win we are still in deep doo doo. If we lose we are not knackered. It's a very important game but there are about 30 important games to come. Every time I think we'll win we lose and vice versa. I think we'll lose.
What worries me is that teams may have sussed out that if they put our back 4 under the slightest pressure we welly it. I still think we can be a decent side when we knock it around, but it seems to be a bit too easy for opponents to stop us doing this. I feel that bringing in the extremely vocal Andy Hughes would bring a bit of discipline into our play.
The upturn in our fortunes in the second half of last season coincided with Andy Hughes' only proper run of games in our midfield
We never lost with Andy Hughes until one game earlier this season, when he was paired with Gower and Jackson in midfield, a combined age of about 100, and he has only played a few minutes since
Don't disagree that it would be good to see Hughesy but can't see how to get him in the side. Cousins and Stephens are untouchable at the moment and I don't want either of them neutered by being moved wide to accommodate another central midfielder. We have no effective width. We have width in Pritchard, Harriott, Stewart and Evina but none of them are any good/have their heads up their arses at present/have fallen out with CP/need a rest/flatter to deceive (delete as appropriate). That leaves Green about whom I have pontificated ad nauseam for nigh on three years but this isn't a game to throw a half fit luxury player into - at least not for 90 minutes. Just depressed myself. Off for a lie down.
I sat down at the front at Oakwell last season (behind me were Mrs Hughes, his kids and his Mum and Dad, lovely family). What impressed me about Hughsie is that he takes no s--t on the pitch, he barks at our players for the full 90 min. Just the sort of character we need right now.
No-one's untouchable. Cousins played a lot at RB last year and was very sound defensively. Didn't get many chances to get forward under the system, but he could replace Wilson, whose form appears to be dipping again. Or he could play alongside Hughes, where he'd surely learn a lot. Stephens had a couple of good games on the left earlier this season. Or Cousins could even be rested for a game- he's only 19, and it wouldn't do him any harm.
I suppose I could see Hughes and Cousins as the deep midfielders with Stephens in a more forward midfield role in front of them. Still can't sort out the width issue and the fact that we have no decent forwards/and decent forwards we have are fat and unfit. Off to have a bowl of happiness for lunch. See if it works.
Chilli garlic chicken and rice here ! Watching the highlights from Swansea's last win, still feel a shiver of pride when I see shelve carving it up, he is superb. He even tried his hand at headbutting !
