Huddersfield Town vs. Charlton Athletic
24th March 2012
Galpharm Stadium
Town welcome league leaders Charlton Athletic to the Galpharm Stadium this Saturday afternoon in what promises to be an exciting League One encounter. Town currently sit fourth in the League table after Tuesday night’s victory at Chesterfield while Charlton’s midweek victory against Leyton Orient saw them maintain their position at the top of the league.
Although Charlton are in a very good position at the top of the table they will be feeling the pressure as much as anyone else during the end of season run-in. If Town can manage a victory today it could spur on the teams around us and Charlton could begin to panic. If this happens then there could realistically be two automatic promotion spots to fight for and Charlton could drop out of the top two after spending so long there.
Whatever happens, none of the teams fighting for second place want to take part in a playoff campaign...
Not the playoffs again!
The playoffs have been a fantastic addition to the footballing calendar. As a neutral there is nothing better to watch, I know some of my favourite ever matches which haven’t involved Town have been playoff matches. No other sporting event in the world creates such tension, excitement, unrivalled highs or gut wrenching lows. The playoffs are fantastic if you don’t support any of the teams taking part.
But Town fans know all too well that they can be very cruel if your team is involved. Two seasons ago we were outclassed by a very good Millwall team who would go on to win the final, and then last season is one that will be very difficult for any of us to forget. I think we all believed it was our year, we were on an unbelievable unbeaten run going into the end of the season, and rarely did we look like losing in the closing weeks of the season as Southampton pipped us to the post.
The semi-final second leg is perhaps the greatest single night I have enjoyed as fan of Huddersfield. A dramatic 3-3 extra-time draw saw the match decided on penalties, and Town fans invaded the pitch in euphoria as Tony Kay scored the decisive spot kick. However, joy turned to despair only eleven days later as we were humiliated on a grand stage by Peterborough, three goals in eight awful minutes putting an end to our dream of promotion. From unrivalled highs to gut wrenching lows – that’s what the playoffs are all about, so why not just not bother with them this year?
So lets go up automatically!
Only two teams can avoid the lottery of a playoff campaign, and will instead be able to relax and watch the others fight it out safe in the knowledge that they will be playing Championship football next season. At this point I don't think people are interested in being champions, just a top two finish will suffice. Let's look at the table as things stand:
| Team | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | Goal Difference | Points |
| Charlton | 38 | 24 | 10 | 4 | 40 | 82 |
| Sheffield Utd | 38 | 22 | 7 | 9 | 32 | 73 |
| Sheffield Wed | 38 | 21 | 8 | 9 | 21 | 71 |
| Huddersfield | 37 | 18 | 17 | 3 | 32 | 68 |
| MK Dons | 37 | 18 | 12 | 7 | 32 | 66 |
| Carlisle | 36 | 15 | 12 | 9 | 2 | 57 |
Our opponents this weekend are obviously in the best position but they are by no means promoted just yet. As we do battle with Charlton, Sheffield Wednesday travel to Leyton Orient, MK Dons travel to Wycombe, and Sheffield United have a weekend off. If we beat Charlton we will be eleven points behind them with a game in hand - massively difficult but by no means impossible. However, if they drop it will merely be a bonus, the teams we need to be focussing on are the Sheffield teams and the Dons. Wednesday obviously have hit form under new boss Dave Jones but the honeymoon period might just have come to an end as they experienced a disappointing draw at home to Walsall on Tuesday night. It's all to play for!
Draw specialists!
However, if we are to mount a push for second spot (or even first) we need to stop this nasty habit of drawing matches we should be winning. This season we have broken both the football league record for league matches unbeaten (43) and our own record for draws in a season (17). Town have also drawn more matches from winning positions than anyone else in the football league which explains why so many Town fans have been frustrated for much of the season and seem so pessimistic about our promotion chances.
Many of us believed this silly habit would come to an end when Lee Clark was sacked earlier this year. The footballing world was shocked at his departure, he'd just taken us on a record breaking run and we were still well positioned for a top two finish. Dean Hoyle felt it was the right decision to sack him and most of us agreed, bringing former Leeds United manager Simon Grayson in as Clarks replacement was a decision received with less approval. We have continued to draw matches we should have won - Stevenage, Bury, Rochdale and Colchester - and while we are yet to lose a match under his management Grayson has a lot to do to win over the Town faithful.
The opposition!
Our opponents for this weekend are enjoying a fantastic season under Chris Powell. They currently sit nine points clear at the top of the table and have not been outside of the top two for six months. While Town and both Sheffield clubs have been deciding whether or not they want to get promoted the Addicks have simply gone about their business and developed a stranglehold on top spot.
Charlton had previously gone three matches without a win but their comfortable 3-0 win at home to Yeovil on Tuesday night means they come into this weekends clash with a bit of confidence restored. Bradley Wright-Phillips is their top goalscorer and scored for them on Tuesday night to make it six goals in his last six matches and twenty league goals for the season (although he had gone fourteen league matches without scoring before his current hot streak).
The other players I have been impressed with for Charlton this season are Yann Kermorgant, Johnnie Jackson and Michael Morrison. Kermorgant was the stand-out performer for them in the return fixture earlier in the season, scoring a goal and causing our defence lots of trouble with his physical presence. Jackson was runner-up League One player of the year behind our very own Jordan Rhodes and is the skipper and heartbeat of this Charlton team, and we will be looking to limit how often he is able to get the ball onto his dangerous left-foot. The Addicks have the best away record in the league and that is in no small part down to their impressive defensive record, having conceded only thirteen away goals all season, six less than any other team. Michael Morrison is an integral part of that defence, and the centre back who had a loan spell at Sheffield Wednesday last season will be hoping to keep hot-shot Jordan Rhodes at bay this weekend just like he did at The Valley.
Head to head!
| Competition | Huddersfield Wins | Draws | Charlton Wins |
| League | 27 | 15 | 33 |
| FA Cup | 21 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 28 | 16 | 34 |
The most recent match between Huddersfield and Charlton was definitely one of the most memorable in recent memory. The two teams met live on Sky with Town placed below the league leaders but on an impressive 43 match unbeaten run. Something had to give - either the dominant Addicks would be reeled in or the seemingly unbeatable Terriers would be defeated. In the end it was the unbeaten run which was ended as Charlton ran out comfortable 2-0 winners with goals from Yann Kermorgant and Hogan Ephraim.
Charlton also have a historical advantage over us heading into this weekends clash having won 33 of the overall 75 matches played between the two clubs. Things are close between the two teams though as Town have won 27 meetings with 15 ending in stalemates. If Town are to stand a chance of finishing in the top two then they will have to overturn the form books and beat a team who they defeated 3-1 in this fixture last season thanks to goals from Jordan Rhodes, Jamie McCombe and Gary Roberts.
Manager comments!
To come when available.
How I'd line up!
| Position | Name |
| Goalkeeper | Alex Smithies |
| Right Back | Jack Hunt |
| Centre Back | Peter Clarke |
| Centre Back | Sean Morrison |
| Left Back | Callum Woods |
| Right Wing | Danny Ward |
| Centre Midfield | Diego Arismendi |
| Centre Midfield | Tony Kay |
| Left Wing | Gary Roberts |
| Centre Forward | Alan Lee |
| Centre Forward | Jordan Rhodes |
Town boss Simon Grayson seems to have found a settled selection in recent matches but I would make a few changes for Saturdays match. Tom Clarke played okay once he settled into the match on Tuesday night but if fit I would select Callum Woods who has for me been nothing but solid when played at left-back this season. Joey Gudjonsson has been brought back from the wilderness recently having not featured once under Lee Clark this season, but Diego Arismendi has been brought in from a Premier League club and we need to take advantage of his talents. He seems to be comfortable on the ball and he always looks to play the ball on the ground - a good trait for someone in a team of hoofball merchants! Finally, and perhaps most controversially, I would replace Lee Novak with Alan Lee. Supernovak did a good job Tuesday night but Alan offers a more physical threat which might prove useful against a Charlton defence which has conceded the least away goals in the league this season.
Danny Ward and Gary Roberts have to be utilised as much as possible, get the ball down the flanks early and get the ball in the box early. The quicker you spread the ball and get it in the box the less time defenders have to get themselves positioned. Alan Lee and Jordan Rhodes are two of the best forwards in the league in terms of aerial threat so get the balls in early and they will cause damage. Perhaps more important is that we keep the ball in Charltons half for long periods of sustained pressure. We are very dangerous to the opposition when playing in their half but we are very dangerous to ourselves when playing in our own half.
My prediction!
2-2. Rhodes and Ward to net for Town as we come back from two goals down in a pulsating tie.