Addicks v. WBA [r]

[hartley]

I will miss the first half of this one. Coaching my daughter's U7 team and we are having an extra practice Saturday morning.

WBA has been playing better of late. But like Norwich and Southampton, the Baggies haven't won a road match all season.

With that in mind, if we are to keep pace with Bolton [who host Norwich] and stay above Boro [who host Southampton], we must take all three points.

If Bolton, Boro and Liverpool all draw while the Addicks win, then Charlton jumps above all three to fifth place.

Not accounting for injuries suffered against Hotspurs, I would expect Curbs to put out the same side. That would be:

Kiely
Young - El_K - Perry - HH
Rommedahl - Murphy - Holland - Konchesky - Thomas
Bartlett

Subs: Andersen, Fish, Euell, Jeffers, JJ

Go, Addicks! March up the table a bit will ya!

[RobtheAggie]

From today's e-mail:

Addicks boss Alan Curbishley today told the media that hamstring victim Radostin Kishishev is his only doubt ahead of tomorrow's match against
West Bromwich Albion.

"Kish is the only problem," he said. "He's got a slight hamstring complaint; it's not really a pull, more to do with fatigue.

"If he does play fine but if he doesn't, then we have the old international situation where he's expected to go off and report for duty for his country even though he's missed our last two league games."

Both Shaun Bartlett (bruised thigh and sore back) and Dennis Rommedahl (sprained thumb) have trained towards the end of the week.

Looks promising for the same team.

[hartley]

Rob,

Thanks for the update. Great news!

I really like the thought of HH, Konchesky and Thomas all playing on the left side. We can really attack with those three.

Now if we could only figure how to make Rommedahl more of a threat. How doe we get him the ball where he can make a run at the defense?

Go Addicks!

[RobtheAggie]

If Liverpool were to loose or draw against Everton and the Addicks were to win, along with a Bolton draw or loss against Norwich the Addicks would move into 5th place.

[hartley]

If Liverpool were to loose or draw against Everton and the Addicks were to win, along with a Bolton draw or loss against Norwich the Addicks would move into 5th place.

Isn't that what I said above?

Predictions are Addicks to win with a clean sheet either 2-0 or 1-0.

I would love to see a clean sheet. But I am afraid the Baggies will get one along the way somewhere simply because we will relax. Hopefully they will not convert -- like Hotspurs.

[RobtheAggie]

Isn't that what I said above?

Well I said that the three could all loose. That is a big difference. :)

Sometimes I amaze myself.

[hartley]

I am wondering if Thomas will get as beat up this game as he was against Tottenham? He could do himself some favors by showing a better ability to stay on his feet and keeping his mouth shut a little. Let Curbs do the yelling at the center referee.

Thought it was humorous how kicked he got, then just about the first time he puts a good foul on a Hotspur he gets a yellow card. Poor officiating.

Any chance we get a lead and Curbs puts Jeffers on in a 4-4-2?

Here's hoping that after 60 we have a two goal lead. I would like to see Franny get a run out.

[kevruth]

Just a reminder that you can see a replay of the match at 8:00PM Eastern tonight on ESPN Asia through CoolStreaming. For more info on Coolstreaming and where to get it go to: http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=172848

And let's hope for a nice 3-0 thrashing of West Brom.

[hartley]

Well, it was a thrashing. Only we are the ones who got completely beaten.

I guess this was a trap game. We played so well against rivals Tottenham. We have been on pretty good form. We were playing at home. West Brom had never won a road match. They were playing good, but had trouble scoring on the road. So, we made it easy for them and totally didn't play.

Oh, and again, Barlett cannot finish to save his life. He should now be considered surplus to requirements. Curbs better get himself a bona fide striker in the off season or we will not progress beyond being middle table survivors.

I rather disappointed with the squad and emabarrassed for the club.

For this weekend we can only hope that Liverpool now loses to Everton and Boro loses to Southampton. Unlikely. Everything that could go wrong this weekend has.

[kevruth]

I think more of the problem was the introduction of Fish to the starting eleven. Why? Then once El K gets sent off they move Hermann to the middle to work with Fish. Talk about two nervous center backs.

And why did he bring on Rommedahl to play a lone striker role? Wouldn't Euell have been a better choice? Let Dennis patrol the right. Again Alan manages just like Sven.

I'm glad I didn't watch the replay on ESPN Asia last night.

[servotron]

What's odd to me is that in watching the highlights on the EPL Review show, we really didn't play THAT badly, just caught some bad breaks and got snuffed out by a hat trick hero.

[hartley]

Considering we played so long with only 10 men, we did okay until Earnshaw came on the pitch. But Curbs didn't respond when that substitution was made.

But I would agree that the confusing lineup changes made for a bad day. Perry should have been on. Seriously, if he starts, I double El_K gets himself in trouble. Fish is adequate, but not a starter. I would rather have seen Fortune on instead.

Now we are a little stuck. No El_K for three games. It should be Perry and Fortune with Fish on the bench.

HH might need a bench day also, though I'm not sure having Konchesky back there is as good as having him in midfield. Yet, if Kihsishev gets healthy, then it would be nice to have both Paul and Rad on the field.

Too much time to mull over before the next match. Curbs must start putting his team down a little after a big win. He should not talk up Murphy publicly. Every time he does, Danny plays like a boy the next match.

And I cannot understand bringing on Hughes when you are a man down. He can be good in attack but is a tremendous defensive liability.