League 1 - Charlton Athletic vs Ipswich Town Preview & Matchday Thread
Posted: Sun Dec 05, 2021 8:50 pm
Charlton Athletic v Ipswich Town
Tuesday 7th December 2021 – 19:45
The Valley
Pre-Match Thoughts – Mike
That's The Way The Cookie Crumbles.......
Writing these previews in recent weeks have been anything but easy, week after week I find myself repeating the same stuff, some may say negative and they are probably right but I just felt we were again going nowhere when we should be building something, with amazing backing under new ownership and a really good financial footing the opportunity is there and yet I feel every bit as downbeat as I have the last Four or Five years and that makes no sense.
Thankfully I am writing this with a smile on my face and renewed optimism and belief that things will now start to go forward as they should have been doing. The dismissal of Paul Cook last night came as something of a shock, even to myself who craved the removal of the manager, as much as I was against him remaining here I had kind of prepared myself that this was what we had at least until the seasons end. Let's be clear though as big a shock as it was for me it was 100% the correct decision, far too many poor performances with excuses to follow were starting to grate and the outers were definitely growing by the day, let's be honest here Cook has been afforded much more backing and financial support than any of our previous managers and yet we are treading water at best.
I do not accept the gel thing anymore, the list of teams we have failed to even turn up against is getting ridiculous, Morecambe, Newport, Burton, Cheltenham, Wimbledon, Bolton, West ham U21's, Accrington, Cambridge, Oldham, Colchester, Arsenal U21's and Barrow have all prevented this star studded Town team from gaining victory and to be honest that it unacceptable, it is a list that makes embarrassing and grim reading, it's not the odd week, it is the norm and that is why something had to change and I am delighted that for once we have a CEO and owers that are not afraid to act quickly in their quest to get this club to where they believe we should be and where all true Town fans crave us to be.
I am not sure the debacle we witnessed against Barrow, particularly in the first half when we were again second best, was the straw that broke the camels back, I think Cook was under scrutiny for some time and a decision had maybe been made in the last Two or Three weeks, it is somewhat ironic that Paul Cook was removed just after we finally saw the team play 4-4-2 for Forty Five minutes and actually look much better. OK we didn't win the game but the feel inside the stadium changed in an instant, a crowd that had up to that point been very quiet suddenly found their voices and got behind the team, the songs started and it genuinely felt like a bit of a feelgood factor had returned, nobody expects a manager to go against his way of playing all the time but the inability to change it up was a big part in his undoing, not to mention the inability to coach a squad of very good players to resemble something like a team capable of beating the aforementioned list of teams.
While I am overjoyed that we are now seeking a new manager I genuinely wish Paul Cook all the best for the future, he was the man I wanted here after all and if I am grateful to him for anything it is the demolition of the previous squad which quite frankly was a disgrace, to see the back of names like Judge, Sears, Edwards and co was a gift from god and for that we have to thank Paul Cook, sadly that is where the positivity stopped for me.
Obviously the next few days/weeks will be filled with rumours as to who the next manager of ITFC might be, names already mentioned include the likes of McGreal, Bruce, Lampard, Farke, Appleton, Warnock & Johnson, the list of candidates will surely not be a short one, anyone with belief in their ability will be very keen on a job that offers long term security, provided the owners see progress and us at least challenging towards the higher echelons of the Third tier of English Football, not much to ask really. Personally I hope we aim big and ambitious, John McGreal in the very short term is fine by me, after that I want to see a name that is a sign of intent, much like some of our summer signings did.
The first game post Cook sees us make the short journey to the Valley and a match up with Charlton Athletic who in recent weeks have been much improved, a victory against Plymouth and draw with Rotherham Utd is testament to that and while they are still in the bottom third of the table I think we can expect a rise in the coming weeks so this game is another that could prove a bit tricky, depending on who is in charge I would like to see us go out with a sign of intent and go for it, like we were in some of the earlier games this season. The players definitely have a point to prove, captain Morsy has already come out and said they have not been good enough and let the gaffer down, that is true in part, everyone has to accept some of the blame and they need to step up and show us all why Cook signed them in the first place, the fact they could not do it for a man they say was instrumental in them signing for the club is indeed mystifying and sadly it raises the obvious questions about the manager and his methods.
The first game of the next chapter is hard to predict given things are up in the air right now but I will opt for a low scoring draw, probably 1-1 which I would take in an instant. It is time to now move forward once more, we have some more upheaval to come with back room staff etc possibly feeling a tad itchy right now but that is the nature of the beast, I am thankful to Ashton and co for being brave and pro-active and I thank Paul cook for his efforts in trying to take us forward, sadly it wasn't to be. COYB'S.
The Opposition – Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C. were formed on 9 June 1905 by a group of 15- to 17-year-old boys near to the present-day site of the Thames Barrier.
Charlton spent the years before the First World War playing in local leagues. After the war, they joined the Kent League for one season (1919–20) before becoming professional. They were accepted by the Southern League and played just a single season (1920–21) before being voted into the Football League.
In 1923 it was proposed that Charlton merge with Catford Southend to create a larger team with bigger support, however, the move fell through and the Addicks returned to the Charlton area in 1924.
Charlton finished second bottom in the Football League in 1926 and were forced to apply for re-election which was successful.
Three years later the Addicks won the Division Three championship in 1929 and they remained at the Division Two level for four years.
After relegation into the Third Division south at the end of the 1932/33 season the club appointed Jimmy Seed as manager and he oversaw the most successful period in Charlton's history either side of the Second World War.
Seed, an ex-miner who had made a career as a footballer despite suffering the effects of poison gas in the First World War, remains the most successful manager in Charlton's history. The organisation Seed brought to the team proved effective and the Addicks gained successive promotions from the Third Division to the First Division between 1934 and 1936.
In 1937, Charlton finished runners up in the First Division, in 1938 finished fourth and 1939 finished third.They were the most consistent team in the top flight of English football over the three seasons immediately before the Second World War.
Charlton reached the 1946 FA Cup Final, but lost to Derby County.
When the full league programme resumed in 1946–47 Charlton could finish only 19th in the First Division, just above the relegation spots, but they made amends with their performance in the FA Cup, winning the 1947 FA Cup Final.
In this period of renewed football attendances, Charlton became one of only thirteen English football teams to average over 40,000 as their attendance during a full season. The Valley was the largest football ground in the League, drawing crowds in excess of 70,000. However, in the 1950s little investment was made either for players or to The Valley, hampering the club's growth. In 1956, the then board undermined Jimmy Seed and then sacked him, and Charlton were relegated.
From the late 1950s until the early 1970s, Charlton remained a mainstay of the Second Division before relegation to the Third Division in 1972 which caused the team's support to drop, and even a promotion in 1975 back to the second division did little to re-invigorate the team's support and finances.
In 1979–80 Charlton were relegated again to the Third Division, but won immediate promotion back to the Second Division in 1980–81.Even though it did not feel like it, this was a turning point in the club's history leading to a period of turbulence and change including further promotion and exile. A change in management and shortly after a change in club ownership led to severe problems and the club looked like it would go out of business.
In 1984 financial matters came to a head and the club went into administration, to be reformed as Charlton Athletic (1984) Ltd. But the club's finances were still far from secure, and they were forced to leave the Valley just after the start of the 1985–86 season, in the wake of the Bradford City stadium fire after its safety was criticised by Football League officials. The club began to groundshare with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
Despite the move away from the Valley, Charlton were promoted to the First Division as Second Division runners-up at the end of 1985–86, and remained at this level for four years (achieving a highest league finish of 14th). Eventually, Charlton were relegated in 1990 however Manager Lennie Lawrence remained in charge for one more season before he accepted an offer to take charge of Middlesbrough. He was replaced by joint player-managers Alan Curbishley and Steve Gritt who started to achieve results, however, the club was forced to sell players to help pay for a return to The Valley, which eventually happened in December 1992.
In 1995, new chairman Richard Murray appointed Alan Curbishley as manager of Charlton. Under his sole leadership Charlton made an appearance in the playoffs in 1996 and the following season brought a disappointing 15th place finish. In 1997–98 Charlton's they reached the Division One playoff final against Sunderland which they won on penalties and were promoted to the Premier League.
Charlton's first Premier League campaign began promisingly but they were unable to keep up their good form and were relegated back to Division One on the final day of the season. The club's board kept faith in Curbishley, and were rewarded with the Division One title in 2000 which signalled a return to the Premier League.
After the club's return, Curbishley proved an astute spender and by 2003 he had succeeded in establishing Charlton in the top flight. Charlton failed to build on this level of achievement and Curbishley departed in 2006, with the club still established as a solid mid-table side.
In May 2006, Iain Dowie was named as Curbishley's successor, but was sacked after twelve league matches in November 2006. Les Reed replaced Dowie as manager, however he too failed to improve Charlton's position in the league table and on Christmas Eve 2006, Reed was replaced by former player Alan Pardew. Although results did improve, Pardew was unable to keep Charlton up and relegation was confirmed in the penultimate match of the season.
Charlton's return to the second tier of English football was a disappointment, with their promotion campaign tailing off to an 11th place finish.
On 22 November 2008 Charlton suffered a loss to Sheffield United at home, which meant that the club had gone eight successive games without a win and had slipped into the relegation zone—particularly disastrous considering they were among the pre-season favourites for promotion. Hours after the game, Alan Pardew left Charlton by mutual consent.
Matters did not improve under caretaker manager Phil Parkinson, Charlton's were relegated to League One.
After spending almost the entire 2009/2010 season in the top six of League One, Charlton were defeated in the Football League One play-offs.
At that time, Charlton went through a change in ownership. The new owners decided to remove both Parkinson and Charlton legend Mark Kinsella after a poor run of results and another Charlton legend, Chris Powell was appointed manager of the club in January 2011.
In a busy summer, Powell brought in 19 new players and after a successful season, on 14 April 2012, Charlton Athletic won promotion back to the Championship.
In the first season back to the Championship since the 2008–09 season, the 2012–13 season of the Championship saw Charlton finish ninth place with 65 points, just three points outside of the play-off places to the Premier League.
In early January 2014 during the 2013–14 season, Belgian businessman, Roland Duchâtelet took over Charlton Athletic football club. On 11 March 2014 , two days after a disappointing FA Cup quarter-final loss to Sheffield United, and with Charlton sitting bottom of the table, Chris Powell was sacked by Duchâtelet.
New manager, Jose Riga, despite having to join Charlton late into the season, was able to help Charlton survive relegation and the club ended the season in 18th position. Riga resigned at the end of the season to take charge of Blackpool which saw Bob Peeters taking over the managers role.
In January 2015 Guy Luzon was appointed head coach from Peeters and he saw the season out with the Addicks finishing in 12th place on 60 points
On 14th January 2016, Riga was appointed head coach of Charlton Athletic for the second time, but could not prevent Charlton from being relegated to League One for the 2016–17 season. Riga resigned at the end of the season. To many fans, the managerial changes and subsequent relegation to League One were symptomatic of the mismanagement of the club under Duchâtelet's ownership and several protests began.
Lee Bowyer was appointed Manager in March 2018 on a one-year contract and after finishing third in the regular 2018-19 EFL League One season, Charlton beat Sunderland 2–1 in the League One play-off final to earn promotion back to the EFL Championship after a three-season absence. Bowyer later signed a new one-year contract following promotion, which was later extended to three years in January 2020.
On 29 November 2019, Charlton Athletic were acquired by East Street Investments (ESI) from Abu Dhabi, subject to approval from the English Football League (EFL). Approval was reportedly granted on 2 January 2020. However, on 10 March 2020, a public disagreement between the new owners erupted along with reports that the main investor was pulling out, and the EFL said the takeover had not been approved.The Valley and Charlton's training ground were still owned by Duchâtelet, and a transfer embargo was in place as the new owners had not provided evidence of funding through to June 2021.
On 20 April 2020, the EFL announced that the club had been placed under investigation for misconduct regarding the takeover. In June 2020, Charlton confirmed that ESI had been taken over by a consortium led by businessman Paul Elliott, and said it had contacted the EFL to finalise the ownership change. However, a legal dispute involving former ESI director Matt Southall continued. He attempted to regain control of the club to prevent Elliot's takeover from going ahead, but failed and was subsequently fined and dismissed for challenging the club's directors. On 7 August 2020 the EFL said three individuals including ESI owner Elliot and lawyer Chris Farnell had failed its Owners' and Directors' Test, leaving the club's ownership unclear; Charlton appealed against the decision.
Meanwhile, Thomas Sandgaard, a Danish businessman based in Colorado, was reported to be negotiating to buy the club.After further court hearings, Elliott was granted an injunction blocking the sale of ESI until a hearing in November 2020. On 25 September 2020, Sandgaard managed to acquire the club itself from ESI, and was reported to have passed the EFL's Owners' and Directors' Tests; the EFL noted the change in control, but said the club's sale was now "a matter for the interested parties".
Charlton had been relegated back to League One at the end of the 2019–20 season after finishing 22nd.
On 15 March 2021, with the club lying in 8th place, Lee Bowyer resigned as manager of the club and soon after was appointed manager of Birmingham City. His successor, Nigel Adkins, was appointed three days later.
The club finished the 2020–21 season in 7th place, but started the following season by winning only two out of 13 League One matches and were in the relegation zone when Adkins was sacked on 21 October 2021.
Johnnie Jackson was named caretaker manager of Charlton Athletic for a second time on 21 October 2021 following the departure of former manager Nigel Adkins.
The Manager – Johnnie Jackson
Form Guide
Charlton Last 5 Matches – currently in 15th place with 23 points
2 Nov Charlton 1 - 1 Rotherham
13 Nov Burton Albion 0 - 1 Charlton
20 Nov Charlton 2 - 0 Plymouth
23 Nov Morecambe 2 - 2 Charlton
27 Nov Shrewsbury 1 - 0 Charlton
Ipswich Last 5 Matches – currently in 11th place with 27 points
2 Nov Wycombe 1 - 4 Ipswich Town
13 Nov Ipswich Town 0 - 0 Oxford Utd
20 Nov Sunderland 2 - 0 Ipswich Town
23 Nov Ipswich Town 0 - 2 Rotherham
28 Nov Ipswich Town 2 - 1 Crewe Alexandra
Match Referee – Christopher Sarginson
CHARLTON ATHLETIC 1 IPSWICH TOWN 1
