A very Athletic affair. Home to Charlton Tues, 21st Jan, 19-45.

[TANGODANCER]

No such thing as a certainty, might well be the truth right now in Division 1. Last years grapes are all a bit this years bananas in a season of much change in management and players. The mighty Whites are a wee bit less than mighty at the moment, more fallen than we'd hoped for at season start. Big Ric is the latest dodgy injury victim and with Toal less then certain, leaves our defence in bit flaky. I've never been one to jump all over our manager, but even he seems less than confident of where he's currently at.

Charlton , lower down the ladder a little from us, are no mugs and the video, How to beat Bolton" will be well scanned based on our recent performances. Can we turn it round then and get the fans back on side? With Huddersfield waiting in the wings, we'd better hope so. Once more unto the breech dear fiends then, and get amongst those southerners.

[The_Gun]

Loss.

[dave the minion]

It'll be reet. Week shit em

[Harry Genshaw]

We'll concede at least once, that's for sure. I'll be 'optimistic'. 1-1 draw.

[Spartan2]

Might be a new manager bounce?

[Bijou Bob]

Could he survive another draw and a poor performance or a loss? The atmosphere will be absolutely toxic if we go one down, but I fully expect them to come and bully us off the park. I'm really not sure I can be ar5ed driving down for this one and my log burner, tea and TV might well be the way for me and I suspect, many others.

[Bertie Wooster]

Anything but a win and it will be as toxic as yesterday, and if / when we go a goal down the Anti Evatt chants will begin. I can't see anything other than a loss, Charlton are a much better team than Cambridge despite losing at Rotherham.

It will be a very low crowd despite what the club publish as the official attendance.

[BorsdaneWhite]

There weren’t many, but positives from Cambridge were Forrester’s 45-minute performance in the heart of defence—admittedly against almost nothing in the way of attacks—and Sheehan’s return. Looked so much better with him in there (tallest dwarf and all that) as we, on occasion, drove through the middle. He at least allows the CBs to find a mon and, christ, they have struggled for two months.

I’d go for solidity in midfield and stop pissing about with a 10. Just a waste with the way we’re playing. And I don’t think Sheehan and Randall can play in the same side unless we go one up top.

Assuming Santos is crocked, and Toal not ready, the back three pick themselves, which is a bloody shame.

I’d go:

Southwood
Jones-Forrester-Johnston
Sheehan
Tutu-Morley-Thommo-Williams
Macca-Collins

Thommo lucky to make it.

Out of curiosity, I’d be interested to know how people would design a four-at-the-back Whites. I don’t think, with the personnel, it can happen yet: CBs too short, wing backs too forward-thinking, no natural wingers. I know we tried the diamond yesterday, but it looked absolutely mental. No-one knew what they were meant to be doing. No worse than anything else we’ve tried, mind.

[Prufrock]

I'd have more sympathy for it can't happen yet if we weren't absolute wank with a 3

[TANGODANCER]

Seems "We must win this one" has been posted more times than "Dear Santa" this last couple of months. The fact that we seem to play better against good sides gives a bit of hope amongst the clouds of despair that are hovering like vultures above the Unibol right now. It's all a bit like "Jury is out" on the prosecution v Ian Evatt with indecision holding the judgement gavel up.

A fact worth noting is that teams like Cambridge are suddenly looking like good sides against our supposed quality outfit. Only their finishing stopped them slicing us up like prime bacon. It isn't hard to se that players in spaces made their passing game look better than we should have let it be and Ian Evatt surely can't have missed that obvious fact amongst others just as blatant. Our defending of corners and set pieces was amateurish to say the very least, and our defenders, Schon apart, wouldn't win an egg and spoon race. We're really better than that and it's about time we proved it.

[boltonboris]

Another Desmond

[Worthy4England]

Another Desmond

Gotta win our home games if we have top 2 aspirations. Do you think we'll score 2 or need to ask them to contribute like happened at weekend? 2 Conceded is a pretty decent bet at 50/50.

[boltonboris]

Another Desmond

Gotta win our home games if we have top 2 aspirations. Do you think we'll score 2 or need to ask them to contribute like happened at weekend? 2 Conceded is a pretty decent bet at 50/50.

I think it will be almost identical to Saturday

Chasing the game after going behind twice. To shite goals

[Mar]

We were one of Charltons bogey teams. Weve won roughly half of the games over our history so we're historically good against this lot.

Given our current mire however I think this year it'll be different. Charlton to win 2-1. A spirited performance undone by a corner.

[TANGODANCER]

We were one of Charltons bogey teams. Weve won roughly half of the games over our history so we're historically good against this lot.

Given our current mire however I think this year it'll be different. Charlton to win 2-1. A spirited performance undone by a corner.

No Sir. Nothing less than a win will do. The days of 4-0 etc, are over in this league (in most leagues as a matter of fact) with one goal wins the norm, but I'll be well happy with a 2-0. Go get em Whites... ..

[Mar]

We were one of Charltons bogey teams. Weve won roughly half of the games over our history so we're historically good against this lot.

Given our current mire however I think this year it'll be different. Charlton to win 2-1. A spirited performance undone by a corner.

No Sir. Nothing less than a win will do. The days of 4-0 etc, are over in this league (in most leagues as a matter of fact) with one goal wins the norm, but I'll be well happy with a 2-0. Go get em Whites... ..

Not saying i'll be happy with a 2-1 defeat, but that's what i'm expecting. We should be winning this, just like most games where we've come undone this season.

[GhostoftheBok]

It's the God derby game.

I don't know who Jesus loves more between Nathan and Ian. Perhaps, as the line goes, he'll toss a coin and hope it explodes and kills him.

No prediction. Both managers are all over the place and I've no idea which version of either team will show up. Hopefully we show up and they don't. A full 90 minutes of good football is probably too great a miracle even for Jesus.

[Prufrock]

Oh god is this tonight?

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Mendes Gomes starts in the B team (ko 1pm) so I suspect we can rule him out of tonight, unless he's going to 'do a Gethin'

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Mendes Gomes starts in the B team (ko 1pm) so I suspect we can rule him out of tonight, unless he's going to 'do a Gethin'

In case you're wondering, CMG played for an hour as the Bs beat Wrexham 6-1. Trevon Bryan scored a hat-trick as a sub; other goals from Mark Isong, Luke Matheson and an oggy