Portsmouth Preview

Next up are young Harrys boys from Portsmouth who visit us tomorrow at the rather strange time of 12.45. Must be on TV then.

Much like the Addicks last year, they'd had an easy start to the season with not too much in the way of quality to face so far and have made the most of the opportunity to get points on the board. Despite Blackburns 5-0 trashing of the same New Zealand that we could only draw with, they were easy prey for Portsmouth in their opening game and were beaten 3-0. After a goalless draw away to Man. City, they then travelled to the Riverside and demolished Middlesbro 4-0 before returning home last weekend to beat Wigan 1-0. So 4 games, 10 points, 8 goals scored and none conceded.

The History

We've been catching up during the Premiership years but overall we're still behind.

League: Played: 94, Wins 31 wins, Draws 25, Lost 38.
At Charlton: Wins 19 wins, Draws 15, Lost 13.

Talk The Talk

Can't find any quotes by Monica this week. He's got too much thinking to do, I fancy, to have time to be talking to the press, internal or external.

The Opposition
No goals conceded seems to be because of a strengthing of the defence by new signings Campbell and James, with our old boy Linvoy Primus filling in beside Campbell and full-back Glen Johnson, on loan from Chelsea. Seems we're not the only ones with left-back trouble as club captain, Serbian Stefanovic seems to have broken a toe and will be missing while up front they have recruited from West Brom Kanu who has been knocking the goals in with 4 to date. Alongside him will probably be Pompeys biggest signing, the tall Benjani Mwaruwari , the captain of Zimbabwe no less, that they bought from Auxerre in January for £4M.

The Addicks

So what team are we going to put out against a side that has conceded no goals and scored 8? With 7 players in the medical centre and the Herminator sitting in the stands for 2 more games its even more of a conundrum than Monica faced against Chelski.

The key to the solution has to be who to play at left-back. Once that's been sorted out the rest will fall into place, (forgetting the midfield, of course). If Ashton plays, then the back four will be Young, El Karkouri, Faye and Ashton thus freeing-up Kish for midfield. If Young switches to the left, then the back four will read Kish, El Karkouri, Faye and Young. Either way Faye will be at centre-back as there's nobody else available.

The warning of two pulled hamstrings in 30 minutes against Chelski will probably mean no appearance of Pouso although with the strengths (!) of our midfield a place on the bench cannot be ruled out. And with Andy Reid also gone AWOL ( was it Martin Jol who said he was always injured ) it'll probably mean another start - wait for it - for the infamous duo of Holland and Hughes.

After his recent performances, for club and country, it seems odds-on that Dennis Rommedahl will start and with Darren Ambrose the only other fit person about he'll no doubt be on the left of midfield.

Up front, no prizes for guessing, its jimmy and darren with 4 goals between them and raring to go against an unbeaten, so far, defence.

Predictions
Dear old Lawro gives us an outside chance with a 1-1 draw while pedro45 goes with a 2-1 home.

Mine? Don't know why, and its a bit worryingly that despite our injuries and H&H in midfield nobody foresees a demoralising defeat but for me, 1-0 to the Addicks.