Roeder plays the Premiership card

It's a favourite ploy of managers this season: Charlton are really a Premiership team. Hence, if we beat them or even get a draw, it's a fantastic achievement. And, if we lose, it's only to be expected.

Norwich manager Glenn Roeder told the Norwich Evening News 'It's a tough game against Charlton, like the Sheffield United game, against a team that were relegated. Alan Pardew is doing an excellent job. He's been fortunate in the respect that only Darren Bent was sold off. Everybody else has played Premiership football and it will be a really tough game but an opportunity for our players to show the rest of football that we can compete with players that played in the Premiership last year.'

Of course, Roeder conveniently overlooks players like Luke Young and also doesn't mention that it was a team that was relegated from the Premiership. But it perhaps helps to explain why teams raise their game against us.

Iwelumo, Sam and Thomas are all doubtful for the Addicks which gives Pards some real selection dilemmas. He could play Varney on the wing and Ambrose could also be told to pretend that he is a winger, although as we saw against Ipswich he is at his best coming forward in an attacking position from the centre.

Norwich are on a roll at the moment and with Charlton so badly depleted, it looks like a case of, as the Sub-Standard would put it, 'Canaries on Song.'