I’ve missed football this season, (a lot), when the experience is dissected the reality is that 90 minutes of football is only a small part of what I’m craving, there’s so much more than the game……. mates, the laughs, the smells, the sounds, the raw emotion etc, it’s an almost exhaustive list. But…. today, it’s the actual game that I’d love to be taking in the most, the sun is shining, we’d be pushing 40’000, the town would be absolutely buzzing with the usual mix of expectation, nervousness and excitement. I can tell it’s a big game because I’m nervous, because I can’t sleep…..

We have a pretty depressing history against Charlton in games that matter, that’s irrelevant today, on Monday we got a good point, (an excellent point in the context of being 1-0 down late on), that’s also irrelevant today – it really is a case of take one game at a time. Given the remit of this blog is match previews and reviews, taking one game at a time is easy enough.

A Results Business…

All the cliches of one match at time, all big games etc ring true, much of the written media look down on such cliches, the reality is following a football team as a fan is actually a very cliched, repetitive existence, in no other area of my life do subscribe to such uniform, repetitive behaviour….. obviously that’s a choice I make and I get plenty back from the package, but like many others as I embarked on midweek trips to the likes of Ipswich expecting to lose, expecting us to play shite, expecting to leave the game early etc, the inability to answer the not unreasonable enquiry from my wife of why are you going? Football is huge, we are on the brink of promotion, results are everything, Wigan on Tuesday is our game in hand, I guess the target for this week has to be, to be in the top 2 when we turn in on Tuesday night?

A Game of Opinions….

….. and rightly so, the desire for promotion is huge amongst our fanbase, realistically we’ve gone from having a slim chance to a decent chance, on the back of 9 wins and 3 draws from 12 games. We have a recent history of draws being our Achilles Heel, the 3 draws in this run have been twice against top 4 teams and the other in a game where we were rubbish and 2-0 down with a few minutes left. Whilst our run is impressive, we have regularly been poor in games, whilst I really enjoyed the stroll in the park at Burton, the ease of dispatching Portsmouth and the thrashing of Doncaster, it’s easy to win when you are playing well – getting results when you aren’t playing so well is everything. Our spirit is good, we have the mentality to get results, as I say it’s all about opinions, but my opinion is we are in a strong position and we are well equipped to get the job done, how we achieve that doesn’t really matter, we just need to achieve it.

Earlier this season at The Valley….

We drew 0-0 down there, we dominated the game, we really should have won, once again that has no bearing on today’s game. Anyone who was a bit disappointed after Monday’s game, remember we played down there with Danny Graham up front on his own for 65 minutes, until he was replaced by Will Grigg…..

Todays Team Selection….

Obviously an improving injury list helps, but I like the fact that Lee mixes it up with his selections, I trust his judgement 100% and only he will know how players are training and how their attitude is etc, but I’d really like to see Maguire involved in the squad. We are spoilt in terms of quality in the final 3rd, but we are faced with the likelihood of a load of tight, tense games and I just think he offers something extra…. the winner vs Ipswich, the play off volley vs Portsmouth, the last second worldie at Crewe…. Big games need big moments from big players, I just feel Maguire remains that man. Away from that, Ross Stewart did ok against Peterborough, O’Brien is a better player and Wyke looks better when O’Brien plays, so that’s a no brainer for me.

I’m not a huge fan of any players been hung out to dry, McFadzean was exposed a bit on Monday, although to be fair he’d done pretty well of late and showed some real character. Let’s remember Wyke was written off as was Burge, as was O’Brien, the assumption seems to be that Hume has to play LB if available – I have reservations about that. McFadzean was out of position for the goal, his other 2 dodgy moments were a result of long punts over the top, replacing him with a LB who prefers to play Left Wing is not going to help with this. I’d stick with McFadzean but look towards protecting the defence a bit more – it’s alarming how often we go from attacking, to conceding a one on one in 5 seconds. I’m not suggesting we pack the midfield for a home game, whilst I’m normally in the attack camp, I think we need to boss the midfield tomorrow, I watched Charlton the other day, don’t know the names, but they have pace a plenty on both wings, I’d go……(assuming Wright not fit to partner Dion)

Burge

Power, McLaughlin, Sanderson, McFadzean

McGeady, Winchester, Leadbitter, O’Nien

O’Brien, Wyke

** plenty on the bench in Jones and Maguire – use from 55 minutes onwards as required

The Actual Starting 11…..

Data Data: High Voltage….

MAKING YOUR MIND UP…..,

Complex business this match predicting, in a handy seamless link, Cheryl Baker of Bucks Fizz is a Charlton Athletic fan…

Anyone can make a prediction on today’s result, but the addition of High Velocity Advanced Data can only add veracity to any said predictions…. I’m saying SAFC 2 vs CHARLTON 0… why? Here’s why? (Graph sponsorship opportunities available, email the SAFCBlog Digital Marketing Squad at safcblog1@gmail.com for a price list)….

I’ll be honest, it’s quite a complex prediction today, I’d said 2-1 earlier in the week, but that was Pre Information Sunderland Statistic analysis, (PISS for short). All pretty self explanatory to anyone familiar with Advanced Scientific Data – but in layman’s terms…. taking into account goals scored and goals conceded over the last 12 games, the SAFCBlog Data Team are saying, SAFC 1.38 vs CAFC 0.05. Obviously rounded off that suggests a 1-0 win, but our 1 is nearer to 2 than their 0 is to 1, we have home advantage and the better form, so the actual predicted score scientifically defaults to SAFC 2 vs CAFC 0. The said outcome is just 7/1 at SKYBET, but I guess 700% is still above Base Rate?

3pm ….. COME ON YOU BEAUTIFUL RED ‘N WHITE WIZARDS OF WONDERLAND 🔴⚪️⚫️

5 minutes…. McGeady > Wyke = just wide

10 minutes….. Wkye 1 on 1, does everything right, (apart from the obvious), great save by Amos Brearly

12 minutes…. the post saves us from a lovely delivery by them. Teams generally have 2 big bad bastards at Centre Half for a reason, we just have 1 today. I’m not sure we can cope in the event of any consistency of crosses into the box.

16 minutes…. McGeady > O’Brien…..fucking big hands these farmers! Stunning save from Amos.

27 minutes…. best game I’ve watched in a while. We have done well so far, Charlton are no mugs, this is not going to be a comfortable afternoon.

31 minutes…. 0-1….decent delivery, their 7ft tall number 24 wins the header. Burge should possibly save it? He perhaps did, if so Scowen should have cleared it? 30 seconds later it’s almost 1-1 as Amos makes his 3rd great save of the afternoon. This happened vs Oxford last week, same again please Lads, please…..please….

41 minutes….. we’ve responded very well, as is so often the case, next goal wins?

Half time…. decent game, we’ve had the chances and if you don’t take chances you don’t win games? Huge 45 to come, absolutely huge…. I’m still confident, they are decent, but we have created plenty? Get 1 and we’ll get more…. let’s do this

Second half…..
55 minutes…. right, take Gooch off and put Jones on ASAP.
59 minutes…. they hit the post again!
60 minutes…. this isn’t finishing 0-1, definitely a case of next goal wins

61 minutes…. we switch off, shit defending, 0-2,

Be good game to win now??

Going to give Social Media a swerve tonight and get Completely Ant Mapartlined, I’ll write something tomorrow. Bad day at the office, 21 points to play for, let’s fight for every single one of those points…. KEEP THE FAITH….. what else can we do?

72 minutes…… West stand Car Park closes for cars leaving at 4.40pm and doesn’t reopen til 5.30pm, contentious issue leaving early, but I’m offski as I want to watch The Masters. We go again on Tuesday.

Oh Lads……