Burnley Preview

To say it's been a rollercoaster week as a Charlton fan would be somewhat of an understatement. I can't remember the last time there has been so much thought and comment on the blogs, and a lot of my week has been spent reading and digesting it all. Opinions of events both on and off the field have been varied and it's pretty clear that emotions are running high amongst the Addickted right now (and with good reason).

The withdrawal of Zabeel Investments from negotiations yesterday was a blow, but after close to a two week gap after their initial 'indicative offer', perhaps not all that surprising. Like many, I'm not entirely convinced that their reasons for withdrawal completely stack up. There was a genuine eagerness amongst most for this deal to go through, and I include myself in that number. But now the deal is dead, I have started to ask myself whether there would have been such an appetite for it had the situation on the pitch not been so bad.

I think the reason many were so keen for this deal is that it presented itself as a kind of escape route from our current plight, buying ourselves out of trouble if you like. Manager not getting the results? Sack him and to hell with the financial consequences. Strikers not scoring? Buy a couple of new ones in January. As frustrated as I am about our manager not getting us results and our strikers not scoring us goals, it would be far more rewarding to come up with a more constructive and measured approach to the problem than simply throwing cash at it. I am conscious that this could be perceived as showing a lack of ambition and willingness to move forwards, but maybe I'm just stuck in the Charlton way of things.

Regardless of opinions on the takeover (or lack of), it's crucial that the club moves on quickly. Lest we forget, it's still about eleven men on a field on a Saturday afternoon trying to win a football match. This is something which we've not being too well at of late if it had escaped your attention. I wrote Tuesday's match report without having heard Pardew's press comments. Unfortunately I found them to be as predictable as I did disappointing. He commented that we 'lost our way' in the second half and also trotted out the usual line about bringing in 'fresh faces' for the next game (although worryingly he did say that this could be from 'outside the squad', which I hope doesn't mean he's thinking about starting one of the tea ladies up front or something).

To say we lost our way in the second half is to state the obvious and anybody at the ground on Tuesday could have told you that. The question is WHY we did, something which he failed to address. Fresh faces are all well and good, but are Josh Wright (promising youngster with no first team experience) and Izale McLeod (long term injury victim who hardly proved himself when fit) really going to be the solution? They are no better than the players who started in their positions on Tuesday. Pardew seems to be missing point. It's all about how to get the most out of the team you have on the field for ninety minutes, which he simply is not doing right now.

So what to expect tomorrow? Today's latest from Pards creates more questions than it does answers to be honest (more) and a detailed breakdown of this interview would take more time than I have at my disposal right now unfortunately. He does assure us however that he is going to change the team a bit, as well as the 'formula' of the way we play. What this means I have no idea but it sounds like a man on his last roll of the dice and I hope it pays off because we badly need a win.

For tomorrow, the return of Mark Hudson to central defence after his suspension is a given I would imagine. I thought Moutaouakil had a decent enough game at right back on Tuesday so would like him to retain his place, and I would also like to see Sam return on the wing to compliment the Frenchman. Matt Holland could do with a rest so I would put Jose Semedo in a defensive midfield role to allow Nicky Bailey to push forward. With Varney being given Pardew's backing despite missing a couple of decent opportunities against Bristol City, I expect Gray will be sacrificed with Todorov taking his place.

I have more chance of my lottery numbers coming up than predicting accurately the team which will take the field tomorrow, but here's my guess: Weaver; Moutaouakil, Hudson, Primus, Youga; Sam, Semedo, Bailey, Bouazza; Todorov, Varney. Subs: Elliot, Cranie, Holland, Gray, Dickson.

It's pretty clear that the team needs some support from the fans, and it's been throughly encouraging to read the comments on the blogs of those who are intent on providing it. We have a part to play in getting us out of the situation we're in and I will be there tomorrow to try and do my bit along with a few thousand others. If the players show as much of an eagerness and desire to fight back as the supporters, we might still be alright.