Cardiff City preview

Cardiff will no doubt be looking for revenge tonight for their 3-0 drubbing at The Valley. I wasn't very impressed by the Bluebirds when they came to Charlton but, not having seen West Brom yet, I have not been impressed by any of the teams I have seen so far this season. Nor I have been impressed by Charlton. After several years of enjoying Premiership football, the gap in standard with the Championship is greater than I expected.

The formation issue will be in everyone's minds again, but 4-5-1 seems to work for us away. Sam will presumably have fully recovered from his knock and be able to play a full game, but with his badly bruised leg, Thomas must be more doubtful. Given that he has been doing well with Denmark Under 21, surely there is a case for Christensen on the bench?

The downside of 4-5-1 is that it encourages hoofing the ball up to Iwelumo rather than playing it down the wings. Iwelumo often fails to make contact with his head. Indeed, he is generally marked out of the game, with referees giving little protection for blatant and persistent fouling. The fact that he has been named Chapionship Player of the Month may encourage even more attention, but that could create space for others to exploit.

Despite their poor performance on Saturday, we should stick with the central defence. With Basey presumably not available, there must be a question mark about Sir Chris Powell who had difficulty maintaining an acceptable pace for the whole game on Saturday. But I am doubtful about switching Mills to left back, even if Mou2 is brought in on the right.

This game is a bit of a puzzle for those who like to 'read off' results. Charlton's two home defeats would suggest another drubbing, but our away form points in a more promising direction.

I think that this is a game that will be shaped by the first goal. If Cardiff score an early goal, it will be difficult for the Addicks to get back into the game. But if they can hold out initially and frustrate Cardiff and then score, they could take all three points. However, I think that a draw is the most likely outcome.