Pre-Match Thread Charlton Athletic vs Southend United

[Up the Shrimpers]

Probably due to the time of year. Early season is never great. Also, when we played Gills and Charlton away last season it was further along in the season, therefore people were thinking about playoffs. Whereas at the start of the season there's less interest from casual fans.

People are maybe put off by our current away form too! At least under Sturrock you was almost guaranteed an away win or draw (not at home though). However, under Brown, away form has gone down but the home form gone up.

Our away support compared as a percentage to our home support is one of the lower ones in the division.

As T2H pointed out you would have thought 2,000 to Charlton would be possible this season but as we only played them a few months back people less inclined to go. Plus we never hardly win at Gillingham or Charlton doesn't help matters.
Always amazes me how clubs like Grimsby and Port Vale take large away support compared to thier home support.

 

[LBBlue]

Our away support compared as a percentage to our home support is one of the lower ones in the division..

Is that surprising in this division of northern clubs? - We only have three fixtures within about 50 miles and one of them has a limit of around 600 away fans. The sooner Orient, Colchester, Daggers, Barnet, Cambridge, Brentford and Wycombe get back in our division the better.

 

[Up the Shrimpers]

Is that surprising in this division of northern clubs? - We only have three fixtures within about 50 miles and one of them has a limit of around 600 away fans. The sooner Orient, Colchester, Daggers, Barnet, Cambridge, Brentford and Wycombe get back in our division the better.

Hmm more chance of us going down than most of those coming up to League 1 (apart from Brentford of course). We could of course go up to the Prem loads of local London games then!

Yes it's a northern bias once again. So you would have thought more people would want to go to the local games then.
We took 600 to Rotherham so that wasn't bad, but only 400 more went to Gillingham. Obviously the 5 nil didn't help.

 

[Tommy2holes]

It's pretty simple. Like most clubs our fans are fickle. When we get key players back from injury are start winning games we will inevitably get more fans in.

We played Blackburn and got 9k+ in. I'm not sure if it's because it was Blackburn or genuine excitement for the squad assembled.

Reasonable numbers away at Rotherham and gillingham considering the facilities there.

Was dissapointed with the gate against rochdale. I know they didn't bring many , but surely around 7k should be the level of home support now. As for charlton away. There will definately be around 1500 + for that. Fwiw Charlton s fans are also coming out of the wood work now they are improved.

As for the game we have to look to build on a clean sheet.

If fit then:

Oxley
Kyprianou
Ferdinand
White
Bwomono

McGlashan
Yearwood
Lenny
Kightly

Cox and Ranger

 

[DCC]

Our away support compared as a percentage to our home support is one of the lower ones in the division.

As T2H pointed out you would have thought 2,000 to Charlton would be possible this season but as we only played them a few months back people less inclined to go. Plus we never hardly win at Gillingham or Charlton doesn't help matters.
Always amazes me how clubs like Grimsby and Port Vale take large away support compared to thier home support.

To be fair, if I lived in Grimsby I'd jump at the chance to spend an afternoon somewhere else...

 

[Zeuss]

Thanks for that, hubby's cousin will be grateful, lol! :hilarious:

We always love going to Charlton, got our tickets yesterday, and are taking Kev's nephews rather than them taking comps up in the Charlton end as they usually do.

Bit of a dilemma for Brown, Charlton are well organised and disciplined. It's interesting from TSNB's training update that Lenny is still being utilised defensively, which is a real shame as I think we really need him in midfield Saturday. I know Woody is desperate to be back, but I still think it's too early for him although he may make the bench.

I thought Kyprianou did really well, and that it would be harsh on Elvis to drop him after two fantastic games - I really hope White will be back, and could see a Bwonomo, Leonard, White, Kyprianou back 4. Very difficult to predict the team at this stage.

This time we are facing more formidable attacking opponents,but it looks like most of our best defenders ,except Coker and Turner,should be fit to start,so field this line-up with 3 stand-by defenders on the bench:
Oxley
Demi. Ferdinand. Kiernan. Hendrie

Kightly Leonard Timlin(or Wright or Richardson!) McLaughlin

Ranger. Cox

subs:Smith
Elvis
White
Kyp
Yearwood
McGlashan
Fortune'

 

[Swiss Tony]

Is that surprising in this division of northern clubs? - We only have three fixtures within about 50 miles and one of them has a limit of around 600 away fans. The sooner Orient, Colchester, Daggers, Barnet, Cambridge, Brentford and Wycombe get back in our division the better.

Or Arsenal,Chelsea,Westham,Spurs,Watford and Crystal Palace.:winking:

 

[bess30]

If players are to be back for Saturday I would imagine they would train tomorrow and Friday, so we will see! I wouldn't mind Lenny at centre half again no one will run in behind him!!!

 

[Massimo Giovanni]

Or Arsenal,Chelsea,Westham,Spurs,Watford and Crystal Palace.:winking:

QPR maybe, Fulham will go on the slide soon.

 

[Shrimpersfan]

This time we are facing more formidable attacking opponents,but it looks like most of our best defenders ,except Coker and Turner,should be fit to start,so field this line-up with 3 stand-by defenders on the bench:
Oxley
Demi. Ferdinand. Kiernan. Hendrie

Kightly Leonard Timlin(or Wright or Richardson!) McLaughlin

Ranger. Cox

subs:Smith
Elvis
White
Kyp
Yearwood
McGlashan
Fortune'

Playing two struggling full backs behind two out and out wingers will see us get a battering in my opinion.

I'd possibly put Kightley on the left and have Leonard on the right to give Demi a bit of help

 

[Clinton Baptiste]

Can see us getting a battering, hope I am wrong but Charlton have some serious firepower. We have too many players way off their best.

 

[Napster]

Oxley
Bwomono White Ferdinand Hendrie
Kightly Leonard Timlin McLaughlin
Cox Fortune

Smith, Demetriou, McGlashan, Kyprianou, Ranger, Robinson, Ba

 

[Massimo Giovanni]

Oxley
Bwomono White Ferdinand Hendrie
Kightly Leonard Timlin McLaughlin
Cox Fortune

Smith, Demetriou, McGlashan, Kyprianou, Ranger, Robinson, Ba

I think you have that about right; ideally I would like to include Dru in the squad but I don't know who would then be left out, possibly Demi as Harry can play CB and full back.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

QPR maybe, Fulham will go on the slide soon.

Heresy.:moon:

 

[Zeuss]

Playing two struggling full backs behind two out and out wingers will see us get a battering in my opinion.

I'd possibly put Kightley on the left and have Leonard on the right to give Demi a bit of help

Demi is an extremely good right-back.Admittedly problems do arise when he's out of position after surging forwards but the management surely could restrain him a little,as necessary.
I'll reserve judgement on Hendrie-he's certainly not been great so far, this time round-but in front of him McLaughlin is very capable defensively-he played quite a lot of games at LB for Nottm. Forest.

 

[Ayrshire Blue]

Like to see Demetriou played a bit further forward, might bring something to the midfield.

Good god no! The reason the guy is a right back in the first place is because he's a failed winger

 

[jaffa1]

Ben Reeves will not feature for them (injured).....

 

[jaffa1]

The corresponding game last season 'a turning point' ;

The last time Southend United rocked up in SE7, they faced a Charlton Athletic side that were in genuine danger of suffering a second successive relegation.
That the Charlton side the Shrimpers faced in April were four points above the bottom four with five games to play was enough by itself to create discomfort. But the real fear came from the manner in which the Addicks were playing. A pathetically poor performance, lacking both quality and effort, at The Valley against MK Dons four days previously seemed to bring the relegation zone closer than it already was, through fear that few points would be collected in the campaign’s remaining fixtures.
For there was no faith in Karl Robinson’s side, and even less in the club. One win in 14, the manager suggesting that 40% of his squad didn’t care enough, and the chaos created by a failing regime. The embarrassment of a second successive relegation, when a top-six finish as minimum was promised, entirely avoidable, but almost seemed justified.
The subsequent victory for the Addicks, creating something of an upset to defeat a play-off chasing side despite coming into the game in total crisis, was a mightily important one. Not only in the short-term, with relegation worries and fears this side simply didn’t know how to win eased, but going into this campaign. It the start of faith and trust in Robinson’s side developing.

Faith and trust feelings that will always be lacking towards the club among many while Roland Duchatelet’s regime remain in charge, a simple and understandable consequence of damage done and continued incredibly questionable running, but faith and trust now certainly existing in those who represent the Addicks on the pitch.
So much so that, in the space of five months, Charlton have gone from fearing the arrival of the Shrimpers at The Valley and anticipating a crushing defeat, to having full belief that Robinson’s men will once again deliver and provide home supporters with a third league win out of three in SE7 this season.

Faith and trust that could have been slightly tested after a somewhat fortunate, and most certainly sluggish, victory over Oldham Athletic last weekend. But the admittance by all, with Robinson and several of his players speaking in honest fashion, that the flirt with capitulation wasn’t good enough has shown this group won’t allow themselves to get complacent on the back of an impressive, victory-filled, beginning. You’d feel, with a degree of confidence, the performance this weekend will be much more fluent as a result.
That not to say Southend don’t provide tough opposition. A slow start to the campaign, drawing their previous three league games as injuries have hurt a small squad, but a well-organised group under the stewardship of Phil Brown that will want to once again challenge for a top-six place. Competition, even with a few absentees, for any side in this division.
But they will face a very different Charlton side to the one they last played in SE7. Not one in total disarray, almost expected to suffer defeat. One that is now expected to win, and will place the Shrimpers under serious pressure.

 

[Jam_Man]

Oxley
Bwomono White Ferdinand Hendrie
Kightly Leonard Timlin McLaughlin
Cox Fortune

Smith, Demetriou, McGlashan, Kyprianou, Ranger, Robinson, Ba

This but Yearwood instead of Ba as need a midfielder on the bench.

 

[Ayrshire Blue]

Playing two struggling full backs behind two out and out wingers will see us get a battering in my opinion.

I'd possibly put Kightley on the left and have Leonard on the right to give Demi a bit of help

Did you go to Rotherham? Demitrou is obviously the problem so stop trying to give him help and protection and just drop him