"We need to sacrifice all three points at Barnsley by playing for a draw. Tomorrow isn't about winning the game it should be about making sure Barnsley don't beat us. We have a depleted squad so we need to get what we can out of the game. We cannot simply allow them to have gained 6 points on us over the Xmas period. Let's be brutally honest we are not going to win the game at Oakwell, we simply have too many injuries to achieve that so if we cannot win the emphasis has to be not to lose the game and a 4-1-4-1 or a flat 4-5-1 should ensure that we can come away with a point. We have to put two banks of four in front of them to try and break down, they simply cannot be allowed space especially in between our midfield and back four, we need a tight cohesive unit to frustrate them and prove hard to break down. Barnsley like to get the ball out wide especially to Brad Potts on the right. Both their wide men like to run at the full backs and have a very high success rate of getting crosses into the box for the likes of Kieffer Moore and Cauley Woodrow. Moore may not feature due to a combination of injury and imminent transfer speculation but they didn't miss him against Peterborough yesterday when he sat out the game for the same reasons. I don't think we'll be strong enough to have a go at Barnsley if I'm honest and by doing so I thing they will expose our weaknesses and we cannot afford that to happen. I would play a back four with Bielk in front of them and another bank of four in front of him with Grant left to plough a lone furrow up front, play Taylor deeper as he is good at breaking up play which is another tactic we have to slow the game down. We have to make ourselves very hard to beat for 95 minutes and really dig in deep to come away with a point. A draw against a promotion rival away from home with a depleted squad will feel like a victory believe me. Here are the highlights of Barnsley's win yesterday and you can see how fast they poor forward in possession and how much they like to find their wingers. Our usual diamond formation is will be exposed more than it has in any other game this season if LB sticks with it so like I said we need two banks of four to make ourselves difficult to breakdown, we need to frustrate them and perhaps as they pour forward late on looking for the win we may just nick one at the other end." http://intothevalley.proboards.com/...-charlton-match-thread-reaction#ixzz5b3FMxR00
Seems sensible to me. 90 minutes is a long time to play like that though. If this is their plan I predict a 1- 0 win to us with a goal in the second half. We need to take advantage of their weakened side though so I hope we don't take a win for granted and make stupid mistakes.
They can't be that bothered about promotion. They needing to be winning these promotion 6 pointer games to boost themselves. I'd be entirely annoyed if Stendel played this kind of fixture for a draw. That being said, I hope we give them a lesson on how to take this time of the season seriously, hit them for 4 and take all 3 points. I hope we contain Ahearne-Grant as he's a serious danger.
If they are going to park the bus and play for a point,it’s no good playing Moore and just hoofing it to him.We want to be footballing them to death until they tire and make a mistake.Just my view.
Their manager has intimated that it's business as usual, it's the fans that are suggesting going for a draw.
Oh I think we do but we don't have anyone there who can consistently do anything with the ball when it goes wide. We have our moments, obviously, but an out and out winger is a useful tool for any side. Charlton have that ex-Port Vale one that ran us ragged a few years ago - Mark Marshall.
Also “Barnsley are a physical side and they can play as well." From Bowyer. I would say we havent been physical enough this season . Didn't Charlton do a job on us in this manner earlier in the season?
Yes they did.....and their game management/ dramatics are right up there. Nice try Bowyer...asking for a strong ref....virtually Fergy esq. ......Never did care for him much...hope the ref ain't influenced today...and we do a proffesional job.