Charlton v Newcastle

[kennethlindheim]

Glenn Roeder will have to lift spirits on Tyneside, ahead of Newcastle's trip to Charlton on Sunday.

The Magpies slipped out of Europe on Thursday evening with a disappointing display at AZ Alkmaar and the mood in the camp is sure to be sombre.

They return to Premiership action three days later and are sure to be in for a scrap against a Charlton side battling to avoid the drop.

Charlton have been in trouble for much of the season, but they have shown signs of life under Alan Pardew in recent weeks and head into the game six points shy of the safety zone.

The Addicks have had a fortnight to recharge the batteries and will go into the game a fresh side.

Despite this, Pardew has a number of problems to contend with as Andy Reid will miss out after undergoing surgery on a hamstring complaint.

Ben Thatcher, Hermann Hreidarsson and Madjid Bougherra are pressing for recalls, but will have to undergo fitness tests on the eve of the game.

Marcus Bent returned to training in midweek having overcome a hamstring complaint, but Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink has been ruled out.

The Addicks will be eager to pounce on a Newcastle side who are likely to be jaded both mentally and physically.

Newcastle were chasing shadows at times in Alkmaar, but their biggest handicap could be mental fatigue following their exit.

They went into the game in bullish mood, but were comprehensively outplayed and there is a fear their season could now fizzle out.

Nicky Butt is definitely out through suspension, with his place likely to be taken by Emre.

Newcastle were ruthlessly exposed defensively by AZ and Oguchi Onyewu will take over from either Titus Bramble or Steven Taylor in the heart of the back four.

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[Trim]

I hope the TV airs it live, I'm interested to watch it.

[kennethlindheim]

With our shite manager, I expect another crap starting line-up with no effort whatsoever. He can't do anything right.

Charlton are going to be up for it, they've been given a glimmer of hope of getting out of the shite thanks to Man City and our players might be on a downer after out UEFA cup exit. A lot of it depends on how motivated the players are and which Newcastle turns up on the day. If it's the side that turned up against AZ on Thursday we're fucked.

[kennethlindheim]

Charlton's bid for Premiership survival received a huge boost with a 2-0 win over Newcastle at The Valley.

Zheng Zhi, making his first Premiership start, was the surprise hero of a crucial win. After scoring the first goal for his team he then won the penalty from which Jerome Thomas made sure of the points.

Charlton now trail fourth-from-bottom Sheffield United by just four points and a strong second half performance showed just why Alan Pardew's side are the in-form team of the Premiership's lower reaches.

Charlton will rarely face such accommodating opponents as Newcastle even if it was the visitors who began the match as the dominant force with the marauding full backs of Nolberto Solano and Damien Duff pressing the hosts back.

Genuine scoring opportunities at a blustery Valley were at a premium, however, with only Talal El Karkouri and James Milner flashing efforts wide of goal.

Pardew's side's need was much the greater and their manager was becoming increasingly anxious but Charlton did improve as the half wore on and when Shay Given missed Luke Young's cross from the right the ball fell too quickly for Darren Bent to capitalise.

The game's first outstanding chance arrived with the second half barely seconds old. Obafemi Martins controlled Emre's cross-shot superbly but dragged his effort wide.

That miss proved to be a huge let off for The Addicks and it served to rouse the strugglers. Even so, it was without prior warning that Charlton claimed the game's first goal on 53 minutes.

Bent's superbly struck free kick bounced down from the underside of Given's crossbar and Zheng, with only a standing jump, arched his neck to nod in the rebound.

Zheng had another glorious opportunity to hit the target and double his side's lead twenty minutes from time. Bent was denied by a superb save from Given and Zheng struck the follow up over the bar.

An offside flag spared the blushes of Bent who struck wastefully wide with only the goalkeeper to beat and that failure to capitalise could have proved costly - the hosts were perhaps fortunate not to concede a penalty when Kieron Dyer's cross struck the prone arm of El Karkouri.

Bent continued to threaten even if the striker was proving to be unusually profligate in front of goal, with the England international's latest shot at goal clearing the bar after he had done superbly to dispossess the dithering Oguchi Onyewu.

Zheng had proved a real menace to The Magpies and it was no surprise when, with another probing run, he won the 88th minute penalty which settled the destination of the three points.

Nudged off the ball by Solano, referee Dermot Gallagher had no hesitation in pointing to the spot for the foul on Zheng and Thomas sent Given the wrong way from 12 yards.

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Absolute rubbish. The club needs a complete overhaul from top to bottom with some serouis inevstment if we are to challenge Spurs, Bolton or even Reading never mind the top 4.

This has gone on to long, but the worst thing is that I don't even care anymore. I hope we lose all of our remaining games so that Roeder will get sacked.

[SheDevil]

I hope you will lose too.