Going into this match is not an easy one to call. Although Plymouth are bottom of the league they could show some signs of a threat against Charlton as we are one of these teams to go on a fourteen game unbeaten run and then go on to lose against the team at the bottom of the league.
I hope I’m wrong about that but history does not lie. In the 1999/2000 season we went on a fourteen game unbeaten run only to be taken out by bottom of the league Swindon 1-0, so it can happen.
We are on a four game unbeaten run and we have won three on the spin, not a huge amount but it’s a confidence builder for us. Following on from last week at Bradford we looked like a quality team, the build-up play for the goals were magnificent it shows what we can do. Josh Cullen has added in that penetration that we have needed for a long while, but from where he has done it twice and he’s only played two games, it shows his quality and understanding of the game and he knows how to get a wicked ball through defences after a beautiful assist for Karlan Grant to score just three minutes in to the game last week.
Let’s take a look at Plymouth now and after a strong finish to the l17/18 campaign coming off the back of a dreadful start to the season, it seems to most Argyle fans that it feel almost like déjà vu to them.
The Pilgrims currently sit bottom of the league and winless with three draws and five losses from their opening eight games, but will that come to an end or will it just be another day at the office for Plymouth.
Plymouth Captain 33-year-old Gary Sawyer spoke with the Plymouth Herald and he had this to say
“It is my role. I have to try the best I can to look after everyone, but the boys are professional here.
“No-one needs an arm around them. Everyone knows what they need to do.”
“Everyone needs to get their heads on it, which they are doing. We need to all pull together in the right way to get the results we want.”
The Captain continued “Football is not an easy sport. You need a group of men to stand up, and we have got that in there.
“We are looking forward to Saturday and we take it from there.”
Sounds as though he is trying to get his team to man up ahead of this game as we all know Charlton have a huge target on their backs as we are one of the biggest teams in the league. Sawyer sounds like your classic Captain, he is reminding everyone of what they need to do and also getting it into their heads that they are not little boys they are men and a result at The Valley could turn their season around.
Let’s talk team news now and Plymouth have also been struck with an influx of injuries to some of their major players. Starting with midfielder Jamie Ness who featured for twenty games last season, however, he has hurt his groin after taking a shot in training. Connor Grant who is also a midfielder has a calf strain while defender Niall Canavan will be out after a groin injury during their 1-0 defeat against Blackpool last weekend. So we are not the only team with injury problems, thank god!
On to our team news now and Patrick Bauer is out for the next 10 weeks so Naby Sarr is likely to replace him in the centre of defence. Krystian Bielik is also one of our casualties in defence but should be back for the Luton Town game next Saturday. Darren Pratley, Nicky Ajose and Billy Clarke are also still out, Clarke has become forgotten to some fans, but should be back in training within weeks. Tariq Fosu is on the final game of his ban after he got sent off away at Southend.
Since our first meeting in 1922 which we lost 3-0 away at Home Park, Charlton and Plymouth have fought against each other a massive sixty-seven times with us only just getting the majority of the wins with twenty-seven against twenty-six.
Plymouth have not beaten us at The Valley since 2007 which was a 2-1 loss, but since then Charlton have beaten Plymouth 2-0 three times in a row on home turf, which will be a huge boost.
So my prediction will be 3-0 to Charlton with Grant scoring first. I honestly think we will absolutely walk this game and I think 3-0 is a respectable result to sweep aside the Pilgrims.
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