Charlton Athletic (A) Mar 11th, 3pm

[Welsh_Saddler]

"Into the valley of death rode the six hundred" ... well, not totally accurate for Saturday's game at The Valley, where we hope to prevent the Addicks from registering the double over us this season. Their striker that day back in August was Nicky Ajose, who scored both goals in a 1-2 defeat for us, but that won't happen on Saturday as he has been loaned back to Swindon Town for the rest of this season. Lee Novak's striking abilities are well known however, and he seemed to raise his game against us in his Chesterfield days.

Charlton Athletic are currently 14th in the League One table on 45 points, and their welcome win at home to Scunthorpe United ended a dismal run of 8 winless games under manager Karl Robinson, in charge since late November last year. Robinson has a blunt way of motivating his players when talking to the media, and a recent statement (after the Shrewsbury Town defeat) contained the following gems: "Too many people have got away with things for too long" ... there are "deep" problems in the team ... too many players "don't deserve" to wear the red shirt. Nice man, Mr. Robinson, as we know from his Franchise days. Charlton Athletic's recent League One form:

18 Feb Rochdale (A) Drew 3-3
21 Feb Oxford United (H) Lost 0-1
25 Feb Bury (H) Lost 0-1
28 Feb Shrewsbury Town (A) Lost 4-3
4 Mar Northampton Town (A) Lost 2-1
7 Mar Scunthorpe United (H) Won 2-1

I wonder which player holds the record of being booked in successive matches ... striker Tony Watt (nice initials there - T.Watt) has been booked in each of the last 3 games ... but we will let that pass, along with my usual gripe about Charlton Athletic relegating us in 1963 in dire circumstances (for us). Amazing to relate that the Tuesday night game, which was abandoned at half time after a torrential downpour, was attended by over 18,000 spectators. When the match was re-played on the Friday night it still brought in more than 16,000 (me included), and we only had to get a draw to survive and relegate Charlton, but when one player is carried off with a broken ankle and our goalkeeper is stretchered off with a fractured jaw ... it's a lot to ask 9 men to achieve much against a team also fighting for its life. But there we are.......

Anyway, back to this Saturday. Our home form has been largely responsible in lifting us up to the giddy heights of 8th place in the League One table, even though some of the wins in that run could be termed "sketchy" ... it doesn't matter, a win is a win is a win!!! Away performances haven't matched up to that standard, and any improvement on our travels will add weight to the "can we make it to the play-offs" discussion. Jon Whitney has persevered with his tactic of not changing a winning team, and Scott Laird has continued to prove his worth in a solid looking defence. Fitness and injury issues have deprived us of Florent Cuvelier, but fortunately Isaiah Osbourne's consistency has confounded the doomsters who labelled him "sick note" (so far). Simeon Jackson seems to be the preferred choice as a starting striker, but Amadou Bakayoko is certainly a good impact substitute - and after his cultivated strike against Oldham Athletic he may well get the nod from JW. One consistent criticism this season has been concerning the lack of a reliable striker in the squad, but with our Turkish Messi on track to reach 20 goals, and with so-called defenders who maraud upfield and chip in with goals here, there, and everywhere, it seems to be a good tactic. After all, if you have one or two strikers and sod-all else, those strikers will inevitably get marked out of the game, or clogged out, but when you have the situation (as we do) that goals could come from anywhere and everywhere, it must make life more difficult for the opposition. So really, analysing the whole situation, I find it deeply concerning that Neil Etheridge hasn't figured on our scorers list yet - it's about time he pulled his socks up!!!!!

Prediction? Hard to say, as always ... let's be optimistic and go for a 0-2 away win, with Oztumer and Bakayoko on target. :D

UTS

[Exile]

Nice preview!

[Walsallone]

Thanks for the preview....I was at that game in 1963 as well.After all these years it is the result that disappoints the most. What makes it worse we we lost 3-2 at the Valley earlier in that season and that result was also most undeserved!
As for this week's game I hope we can win....UTS

[Ancient Moaner]

Thanks for the preview....I was at that game in 1963 as well.After all these years it is the result that disappoints the most. What makes it worse we we lost 3-2 at the Valley earlier in that season and that result was also most undeserved!
As for this week's game I hope we can win....UTS

Me too, what a miserable, frustrating, shocking, woeful night that was.
At that time, as a 15 yo Laundry Ender, Walsall F.C. was my life, I cried.

Tough ask to go to the valley expecting a win, though they have their problems off field, earlier this year they were up there around the play off places, I think the off field activities have taken a toll on the teams confidence, but they will be VERY hard to beat on their own turf.

We could nick it 1-0 (again) lets hope so.....UTS

[SoccerHQ]

Haven't Charlton lose to the likes of Bury and Oxford at home in recent weeks?

Big problem here is I'm going to this one...massive jinx I'm afraid. Haven't been to a home game since August which proves the point. :mrgreen:

Let's say 2-2, entertaining game but probably not enough in the long run.

[Barren Flak]

Top stuff Welsh.

What odds on Oztumer recreating the great Jorge Leitao goal against the Addicks? He might do it just because he can.

Away form is poor, but our record against Robinson teams, esp away, is decent. Sneaky away win.

[Gripper]

I remember going there in 09 and we were trounced....god that was an awful side.

Missing this one so will be watching from afar. Hopefully we can get something but our away form makes me think a 1-1 draw will be best case.

[PT]

Be great to win tomorrow. Not because I believe we are in with a play-off shout but because winning away is one of the ever-diminishing list of boxes Whitney needs to tick to bring us doubters all the way over. Since the odd selection at Sheffield United a year ago you sense we have never really believed we can take a game to a home team and impose ourselves. We've only really done that under Whitney during the spell where we needed snookers at the back end of last season, especially at Vale.

If ever there was a time to believe it must be now. On the back of some great home results and during one of those rare times where we have nothing to lose, it would be ace to see us come out with a well deserved win. A top ten finish is within our grasp and that would represent some really good foundations for next year.

So I'll go 3-1 to us with O'Connell, Mcarthy and Osbourne in the goals.

[scott_powell]

Be great to win tomorrow. Not because I believe we are in with a play-off shout but because winning away is one of the ever-diminishing list of boxes Whitney needs to tick to bring us doubters all the way over. Since the odd selection at Sheffield United a year ago you sense we have never really believed we can take a game to a home team and impose ourselves. We've only really done that under Whitney during the spell where we needed snookers at the back end of last season, especially at Vale.

If ever there was a time to believe it must be now. On the back of some great home results and during one of those rare times where we have nothing to lose, it would be ace to see us come out with a well deserved win. A top ten finish is within our grasp and that would represent some really good foundations for next year.

So I'll go 3-1 to us with O'Connell, Mcarthy and Osbourne in the goals.

Agree with this but I'll go for a 2-0 victory for us. Jackson and FINALLY Makris.

[SoccerHQ]

Be great to win tomorrow. Not because I believe we are in with a play-off shout but because winning away is one of the ever-diminishing list of boxes Whitney needs to tick to bring us doubters all the way over. Since the odd selection at Sheffield United a year ago you sense we have never really believed we can take a game to a home team and impose ourselves. We've only really done that under Whitney during the spell where we needed snookers at the back end of last season, especially at Vale.

If ever there was a time to believe it must be now. On the back of some great home results and during one of those rare times where we have nothing to lose, it would be ace to see us come out with a well deserved win. A top ten finish is within our grasp and that would represent some really good foundations for next year.

So I'll go 3-1 to us with O'Connell, Mcarthy and Osbourne in the goals.

Would it not balance out with the exceptional home form under Whitney? Over 50% win ratio at home in the league this season and last season the team won majority of games under him at Bescot (apart from the one that really mattered!)

Overall his home record is much stronger than Smith's seasons (even last season was mediocre losing to likes of Chesterfield and Bury at home) but obviously Smith teams always posted very good away form for the most part so it balanced out.

You only really need to win away regularly if you want automatic promotion.

It's feasible the team could make the top 6 winning the remaining 5 home games and winning just one away which surely has to be a banker 3 points at Coventry.

[booster cogburn]

Anyone who went to Wimbledon will tell you that there was nothing in that performance to give rise to any cause for optimism.
The best we can hope for is lots of nice beer, the trains running to schedule and maybe a draw.

[saddla]

Anyone who went to Wimbledon will tell you that there was nothing in that performance to give rise to any cause for optimism.
The best we can hope for is lots of nice beer, the trains running to schedule and maybe a draw.

Since their 1-0 win at home against us Wimbledon have beaten Scunthorpe away and drawn away at Bolton. I don't thinkl losing there was a disgrace. (yes I was there)

[PT]

Be great to win tomorrow. Not because I believe we are in with a play-off shout but because winning away is one of the ever-diminishing list of boxes Whitney needs to tick to bring us doubters all the way over. Since the odd selection at Sheffield United a year ago you sense we have never really believed we can take a game to a home team and impose ourselves. We've only really done that under Whitney during the spell where we needed snookers at the back end of last season, especially at Vale.

If ever there was a time to believe it must be now. On the back of some great home results and during one of those rare times where we have nothing to lose, it would be ace to see us come out with a well deserved win. A top ten finish is within our grasp and that would represent some really good foundations for next year.

So I'll go 3-1 to us with O'Connell, Mcarthy and Osbourne in the goals.

Would it not balance out with the exceptional home form under Whitney? Over 50% win ratio at home in the league this season and last season the team won majority of games under him at Bescot (apart from the one that really mattered!)

Overall his home record is much stronger than Smith's seasons (even last season was mediocre losing to likes of Chesterfield and Bury at home) but obviously Smith teams always posted very good away form for the most part so it balanced out.

You only really need to win away regularly if you want automatic promotion.

It's feasible the team could make the top 6 winning the remaining 5 home games and winning just one away which surely has to be a banker 3 points at Coventry.

It is nice to be winning at home where the majority of fans watch us play. But if you are strong at home there is little logic as to why you'd be poor away. And three away wins all season, none in 2017 is poor. It suggests that something is missing. Possibly only a tweak to convert draws into the odd win.

I think we are mentally taking a 0-0 as a good outcome from an awayday. If we nick one like at Sheff Utd then great, but the 0-0's at Millwall, Oxford and Scunthorpe were games that with a bit of belief or clinical finishing we could have yielded maximum points from. I was at Millwall and Oxford and in both of those games we were settling for nothing happening for 80 minutes at Oxford and all 90 at Millwall. I think we'd have won those at home because mentally we wouldn't be taking 0-0 as a decent outcome.

Like I say, we are close but not quite there. Whitney has the luxury of finding the winning formula under no pressure in the next couple of months.

[saddlerphil]

After extensive statistical research i will have to go for:-

ATT: 9789 (476Saddlers)

SCORE:1-2

CHARLTON
Goalie: Etheridge
Goal: Deon Burton

WALSALL
Goalie: Andy Petterson
Goal: Mark Kinsella
Steve Gritt

[El_Nombre]

0 - 5 Makris Hatrick. You heard it here first.

[NEWPORT SADDLERS DAD]

0 - 5 Makris Hatrick. You heard it here first.

3 goals in 7 minutes,I'd like to see that.

[saddla]

Ref tomorrow is Nick Kinsley. Reffed us when we were at home to the Sloppies. Booked 7 and sent off 2 that day including Baka!
Everyone better be on their best behaviour. He's on 99 yellows for the season so far (bet he can't wait to make it 100) and 6 reds from 24 games reffed. He booked 13 in one game in league 2 including 8 for Newport county :lol:

[saddla]

Just setting off. Come on you saddlers! :D :D :D :D
I love matchdays :D

[cumbria-saddler]

3-2 Win, with Oztumer, Makris and McCarthy scoring.

Whitney to put Robinson in his place. :D

[Ancient Moaner]

0 - 5 Makris Hatrick. You heard it here first.

3 goals in 7 minutes,I'd like to see that.

7 whole minutes? Whitney would be spoiling the lad! :wink:

[chunkster]

I am going for the win, 1-2 with action jackson and baka on the score sheet. Just wondering welsh, have you ever thought about going into journalism :wink:

[Welsh_Saddler]

I am going for the win, 1-2 with action jackson and baka on the score sheet. Just wondering welsh, have you ever thought about going into journalism :wink:

:D Too old (as Pedagogue will gladly confirm) - but if I did, which journal/paper/medium would be best for me? :wink:

[Mike Vale]

A reinvented pink Sports Argus !!!! I do miss it.

[Walsallone]

Completely unchanged...same 11 ,same18.....no surprise there!

[chunkster]

I am going for the win, 1-2 with action jackson and baka on the score sheet. Just wondering welsh, have you ever thought about going into journalism :wink:

:D Too old (as Pedagogue will gladly confirm) - but if I did, which journal/paper/medium would be best for me? :wink:

I would say in this day and age anything on the internet would suit, if you are as old as you say then you wouldn't have to worry about mobility issues and it is something you could do at home :wink:

[BathSaddler]

A 2-1 win for Charlton, with Makris scoring late on for us.

[Welsh_Saddler]

1 minute gone, and we've already had a shot on target!!!! What's going on? :shock:

Some very early goals - Chesterfield 0 Sloppies 1 (2 min)

Bristol Rovers 1 Southend Utd 0 (2 min)

Gillingham 0 Scunthorpe Utd 1 (3 min)

[boringteacher]

DingleFM reports Jackson missing a sitter and one being cleared off the line already. CMON!

[Whaleoilbeefhooked]

We are battering them without scoring.. Expect a 0-0 result!

[Welsh_Saddler]

Fleetwood Town 1 Bolton Wanderers 2 (22 min)

M K Dons 0 Rochdale 1 (17 min)