Glass half full or completely empty?

It is difficult to know what to anticipate in this afternoon's match against Bristol Rovers at the Memorial Stadium.   Pessimists and the 'Bowyer out' crowd see Charlton on a downward spiral from which we will not recover until a new manager (usually unnamed) is brought in.   

Those of us whose glass is half full saw glimmers of hope in the goals scored on Tuesday night.  A partnership between Chuks Aneke and Ronnie Schwartz could boost our goals tally.

The problem is our injury and suspension beset defence which is even weaker than usual after Trevor 'Steaming' Kettle sent off Jason Pearce, not that the skipper has impressed in recent games.

No surprise, then, that the CAST preview doesn't know what to think: https://www.castrust.org/2021/01/bristol-rovers-three-wins-in-four-but/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=bristol-rovers-three-wins-in-four-but

However, the Gas have their own injury and suspension worries: https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/expected-bristol-rovers-team-play-4893595

In the form table Rovers are 9th and Charlton are 16th.    In the real table the Addicks are 7th and the Gas 18th, reflecting the poor start that Rovers made to the season.

I know three Bristol Rovers fans well: one in Hong Kong, one in Sidmouth in Devon and one in Birmingham.  The one in Birmingham offered me a lift to the game when we put five past them, just as well I didn't accept as he says he would have left me there!

A Bristol Rovers supporter has complained: 'I do not like the [term] Gas.   The Pirates were always the name.  The Eastville ground - hardly a stadium - was next to a gas works and the plant where waste food was boiled up for pig food.  Terrible smell but long ago before the first move to Twerton Park [Bath].'

There are three changes in the team: https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/bristol-rovers-v-charlton-athletic-team-news-three-addicks-changes-but-chuks-aneke-keeps-place-to-make-first-consecutive-starts-for-the-club/

 

Addicks sweep for Gashead nomad

Charlton have put in a bid for Bristol Rovers striker Jonson Clarke-Harris:

Bristol sources say that Charlton have been interested for ten days in both the striker and Rovers captain Ollie Clarke. Charlton have now strengthened their interest in the 25-year-old striker, submitting a bid that Bristol Live understands to be around £1m plus add-ons.

The offer of around £1m is likely to be rejected by Rovers who hope it will start a bidding war. They are also looking for loan players for Charlton, unlikely given the thinness of our squad.

Clarke-Harris has netted 21 league goals in 35 appearances since joining Rovers from Coventry almost 12 months ago, with his form at the end of last season winning the Gas vital points in their bid to escape the drop zone.

Plenty of Championship clubs have run the rule over Clarke-Harris since he joined on January deadline day last year, including the likes of Sheffield Wednesday and Middlesbrough - both of whom have been heavily linked with the player this month.

The 25-year old has extensive loan experience in the lower leagues. He started his career playing park football for Leicester's Beaumont Town: Career details

Richard Cawley has tweeted that if JCH comes in it means Taylor is off.

Gasheads face 'huge' club

Manchester City used to describe themselves as a massive club, but in the eyes of Bristol Rovers the Addicks are a 'huge' club. The Gasheads see tomorrow's match as a 'must win' fixture. They are hoping that the enthusiasm of their fans will help them to tame Charlton's 'very good individual players'.

Rovers have been boosted by the return from injury of their top scorer Will Hoskins:
Hoskins

I find this is a difficult match to call. A lot depends on the spirit of the Charlton team and who scores first. I am going for a 2-2 draw, but 2-1 is also possible.

Anyinsah tweeted earlier today that he will be out for the rest of the season. Not a great surprise. A spirited player, but evidently injury prone.

It will give Bradley Wright-Phillips and Paul Benson a chance to develop their partnership. 'Benno' has been looking better in recent games, so there is some hope.

Gasheads not looking forward to Saturday

Relegation threatened Bristol Rovers are not looking forward to their encounter with Charlton on Saturday whom they rate as a quality side with quality players. Read more here: Rovers

I've been commuting up and down to London this week so I haven't had much time to read the post mortem on Huddersfield, but broadly speaking there are two schools of thought. One was that it was a quality performance and that we just got caught out by the set piece. The alternative view is that it was two mediocre sides and that it's points not performances that matter.

Looking back to the Curbs days, everyone remembers the Wembley triumph and the automatic promotion and forgets the long years when we were building up the side and sometimes clinging on by our fingertips to what was then Division 1. Apparently the new board has a seven year plan and that's what it's going to take.

Valley of frustration

There was a sense of what might have been for the bulk of the 13,468 (in reality smaller) crowd at The Valley last night as Charlton drew 1-1 with Bristol Rovers to stay 2nd in League 1. Brighton and Southampton drew 0-0 after the Saints keeper saved a penalty, so the gap with the league leaders stays the same. Colchester lost at home, but Bournemouth and Sheffield Wednesday won at home against weak opposition (Yeovil and Walsall respectively) to place themselves two points behind us.

After a goalless first half, Brown opened the scoring for the Pirates on 63 minutes, but Benson replied with his 7th goal of the season on 77 minutes, taking advantage of a cross from Reid (who had come on as a substitute on 65 minutes). Victory might still have gone to the Addicks if Lee Martin had not shot wide, while McCormack and Sodje (both brought on as subs) tested the keeper late on.

The stats show that although possession was 50-50 we dominated goals on target by 12 to 3 which says something about the Rovers keeper who made a couple of excellent saves to deny us the three points. We were also ahead on corners by six to two.

As usual, Blackheath Addickted has a good and thoughtful report.

Tough challenge at The Valley

Bristol Rovers boss Paul Trollope admits that his side face a tough challenge at The Valley tonight against one of the biggest clubs in the division: Gasheads

Rovers have encountered defensive problems and Trollope is going to have to re-shuffle the pack tomorrow night, bringing in a central defender who has not played since September and has had recent injury problems. With a makeshift right back, the visitors should be vulnerable on Charlton's left and we should try and take advantage of that.

However, Rovers had their confidence boosted by their draw at Brighton and they think that the good playing surface at The Valley will work in their favour.

To cover their defensive shortages, the Addicks have brought in Dutch defender Marcel Seip in on loan from Plymouth until January: Seip

Seip has made nine starts for the Pilgrims this season at both centre and right back. He began his career with BV Veendam in 1999 and then signed for Heerenveen in the Dutch top flight, playing for the club in the Uefa Cuo in 2005. When he joined Argyle, the assistant manager was Tim Breacker, now at The Valley.

However, one comment has been that he is not as good a player as he thinks he is, but another is that he could be worse than Francis.

Come on you Reds!

Gasheads face defensive problems

Bristol Rovers boss Paul Trollope faces defensive problems after Byron Anthony, one of their most consistent performers, picked up his fifth yellow card of the season in the draw at Brighton. He had switched to the right back position with first choice player in that slot, Carl Regan, serving out a three match ban. Read more about their defensive woes here: Pirates

Of course, we face our own defensive challenges. Rob Elliot, who has been playing well, was once again let down by the defence in front of him on Saturday. Leaving aside the own goal, Doherty was constantly hoofing the ball up the field to an opposition player. After showing some signs of improvement, Francis had another mare. Only Fry was really solid.

Now we have lost Dailly with the sending off evidently justified when the evidence was reviewed. Dailly has not looked at his best in recent games. Fortune was solid enough when he came on as a sub on Saturday, but can he keep it up for 90 minutes? Llera can be good in patches, but he is also prone to serious errors.

At least we can score goals, but we need to stop them going in as well.

Unfortunately, neither Paul May nor Philippa Nicholson will be available to cover tomorrow night's match, but I am forecasting a 2-1 win for the Addicks.

Shipshape and Bristol fashion

A Bristol perspective on tonight's game: Pirates

Rovers will be giving a debut to on loan Wolves defender Daniel Jones.

Chris Dickson was on the train to Gillingham today after he was loaned out to the Gills for the rest of the season, but he will not be able to take part in the return leg of the so-called 'Kent Derby'.

A sporting treble?

Leamington pulled off a last minute victory against Cambridge City on Saturday. Last night Coventry Blaze continued their march towards the Elite League championship with a 5-1 victory over Sheffield Steelers (in a match in which a lino was attacked and a Steeler sent off after a brawl in which a Coventry player was injured). Can Charlton complete a sporting treble over three days against Bristol Rovers tonight?

Saturday's results went quite well for us. Admittedly, Norwich won after going behind at Brighton and Leeds equalised in the 95th minute through Owen Goal. Some had predicted that the game between Stockport and Colchester was a foregone conclusion, but I predicted a draw on the Glynne Jones list and so it turned out to be. Supposedly in form Swindon recorded their third draw in a row, although Millwall continued their home form with a 1-0 win over mighty Exeter.

I'll leave team selection recommendations for tonight to others, although I would start with a 4-4-2. Rovers are recovering from the injury problems that have hit their form, but I am going for a 2-1 win for Charlton, although it has to be admitted that it could be yet another draw.

Paul May will provide his usual comprehensive match report.

Free weekend a respite for Gasheads

Bristol Rovers are hoping that a weekend free of football will hope some of their injured players to recover in time for Monday's televised clash with Charlton: Gasheads

The general tone of the article is that Charlton are a big club going through a sticky patch and potentially there for the taking.