Saturday 3 August 2013

How good are the Addicks?

So it is Charlton first up for AFCB on Saturday, just for a change. How random is that fixture compiling computer at football league headquarters. Oh well, never mind. By finishing ninth last season you could expect Chris Powell's team to be one of those eyeing a play-off place this season. I don't quite rate them as being that good, but they will be a strong team which is well drilled having spent some of the summer at a Marbella training camp.

It will be strange for them coming to Dean Court to see a four-sided stadium with our crowd as always on top of the players and making a cacophony of noise. So who have Charlton in their ranks? Yann Kermorgrant and Jackson were the Addicks leading scorers on 12 each last season. This does not shout prolific goalscorers.  Charlton have see four strikers depart over the summer leaving them with only a batch of young forwards and Kermorgant. Michael Smith, Joe Pigott and Jordan Cook are among Powell's options but he has also been trialing Adoma Coulibaly a French striker, so we could have two Coulibaly's on the pitch.

Mark Gower is a recent summer signing from Swansea City in midfield. The 34-year old played for the Addicks on loan in the last month of last season. Richard Wood, 28, has also been signed on a one-year deal to play in central defence having been released by Coventry City. Charlton have been slow to replace their strikers but on Thursday they brought in Marvin Sordell, from Watford on a one-year loan, an England U-21 player as well as Simon Church from Reading on a one-year loan deal. Sordell has been given the number nine shirt and he scored 27 goals in 57 starts for the Hornets.

Charlton have been pretty impressive in pre-season with many wins and a big 3:0 thumping of Pompey and 0:4 drubbing of St Mirren. They did come unstuck against Inverness Thistle but it the main they have been playing well against teams like Gibraltar.

It is likely that Rhoys Wiggins will keep his left back position against the Cherries ahead of Cedric Evina, but we may not see Danny Hollands feature for the Addicks.

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