HarryfromBath assesses the mood in the opposition camp ahead of Saturday’s lunchtime fixture at The Valley by delving into their forums.

“Two swallows don’t make a summer, but they do shine some light on a dark period for the team”, “It’s hard to believe we have won two on the trot after being so dreadful in previous games”, “Things are looking up at last, two wins in a row and the first away win in aeons, well done to the team.”

“Celebrate tonight everyone”, “It makes things interesting for the Ipswich game, doesn’t it?” Charlton fans have enjoyed some welcome relief this week after their side climbed out of the relegation zone on Saturday having recorded back-to-back wins for the first time this season.

These victories, at home to Sheffield Wednesday before the international break and against Birmingham at St Andrew’s last Saturday came after a dismal run of five defeats which had a cumulative goal difference of 0-11, which left the side four points off safety at the time and which also led to the dismissal of manager Guy Luzon.

“It feels good to be out of the bottom three”, “Two defeats and we will be tearing our hair out, but it’s nice to enjoy a Saturday night again”, “I loved hearing the return of the old Charlton songs at the Birmingham game. It shows that the fans are enjoying their football again.”

“Even though I dislike our owner [Roland Duchâtelet], I’m glad we won”, “Two wins on the spin doesn’t change things regarding the owner’s and chief executive’s contempt for the fans”, “I still think we should keep up the pressure on them at the Ipswich game and beyond.”

A Very Proportionate Protest

“Spell it out in Black and White”, “We won’t want your money. We don’t want your experiment taking place in our laboratory. Just go home”, “The protest is to demonstrate that the discontent runs much wider and deeper among supporters and is not about any small group of individuals.”

A “very proportionate protest” has been planned to take place on the second minute of Saturday’s televised game. Discontented fans will sport black and white colours, these colours being part of the club’s crest as well as being those worn when the team last won the FA Cup in 1947.

“At the recent meeting with fans, Charlton chief executive Katrien Meire suggested that it was only two per cent of fans who are unhappy with the way the club is being run, despite it having five head coaches in under two years, three major crises on the pitch and numerous problems off it.”

“We have therefore come together to ask fans to join a 60-second demonstration in the second minute of the televised game against Ipswich, holding up A4 posters to show the extent of the two per cent and joining with a chant of ‘Stand up for the two per cent’.”

Karel Fraeye

“Credit to Karel, he is certainly doing something right. It helps if you scout the opposition and go into games with some sort of plan”, “He has shown an ability to understand and adapt to this league. Give him the job. That said, he won’t be supported by the board so he will be sacked within a year.”

Fraeye was appointed to the role of interim head coach on October 26th after Guy Luzon was dismissed following a 3-0 defeat at home to Brentford. The Brussels-born 37-year-old had assisted compatriot Jose Riga when he helped the Addicks avoid relegation at the end of the 2013/14 season.

“I am very pleased with the way Fraeye has gone about his job, playing to the squad’s strengths. It looks like he has the players onside, something that hasn’t been the case for some time”, “We were tactically very sound against Brum and the Wendies. The team is starting to grow in confidence.”

“He deserves a great deal of credit for the way he is conducting himself at the moment. As he turned his players around at the end of the Birmingham game and sent them back to applaud the fans, he didn’t join them but stood by the tunnel clapping his players. The guy has quiet, unassuming class.”

Midfield Rejuvenation

“Credit must go to the management for sussing out a system that accommodates Johnnie Jackson, Jordan Cousins and Alou Diarra in midfield. They are not going to skin anyone but physically they are capable of winning the ball”, “The narrow diamond formation suits our current crop of players.”

The Addicks’ final game in their five-match losing streak at Stadium MK typified the team’s poor run. “Once more we looked like we had four players less on the pitch. Milton Keynes had time on the ball to play pretty patterns around us and we staggered around the pitch aimlessly chasing them.”

Charlton’s starting XI at Milton Keynes (above) was set out in a 4-4-2 with two in the centre and two out wide. Addicks complained about space between the lines which the hosts were able to exploit. They also criticised the anonymity of a toothless midfield and a lack of confidence in the team’s play.

“When we had the ball we made it up as we went along with no patterns, and we didn’t have any time on the ball”, “I think we would at least compete defensively if we had a better midfield but they are consistently under pressure”, “We never at any stage looked like scoring.”

Karel Fraeye changed to a narrow midfield diamond formation for the win over the Owls and the starting line-up at Birmingham on Saturday (above) retained this shape. This adjustment has been widely seen as pivotal to the team’s change in fortunes in the last two fixtures.

Gaps between the lines have disappeared and the midfield has been strengthened with players operating in naturally stronger positions while also being able to link play better. An improvement in confidence and energy has also been regularly highlighted.

“The interplay and passing at Birmingham was the best I have seen this season”, “Some of the build-up play through midfield was slick”, “We avoided looking for the long ball, avoided dropping deep to invite pressure and avoided releasing the ball too early. Our composure really stood out.”

Birmingham 0 - 1 Charlton

“I love Birmingham, something I thought I would never say”, “A fighting determined performance not lacking in skill and finesse”, “A great result, beyond anything I thought we could get”, “We had confident players playing to a cohesive and effective game plan”, “A typical Charlton away win.”

“A classy away performance got the points.” Charlton picked up their first away win of the season and clambered out the relegation places courtesy of Jackson’s powerful header on 61 minutes. “The highlights make it look like they were all over us but this couldn’t be further from the truth.”

“We could have scored from at least three clear chances. Brum had more speculative attempts and showed a lack of quality in the box”, “Our tactics were spot on. I liked the way we didn’t just sit on the lead. We could have had another on the break if it wasn’t for a poor final ball or finish.”

Charlton 3 - 1 Sheffield Wednesday

“What a start to the comeback”, “The goal fairies have visited”, “I was expecting us to get hammered and found myself looking at a 3-0 lead in disbelief”, “It was like watching a different team. We were hungry and so much livelier”, “Much more like it and like everyone else I never saw it coming.”

Johnnie Jackson's header broke the goal drought on 26 minutes before Simon Makienok doubled the lead from short range just before the break. A third was added when Reza Ghoochannejhad finished Morgan Fox's cross on 55, before Fernando Forestieri pulled back a late consolation goal.

“We were a completely different side to the Milton Keynes game. We really battled and played some nice stuff as a team”, “The midfield diamond worked really well and we looked more threatening. I was worried we were being naïve and would be torn apart through the middle but we were fine.”

“The intensity shown in the first half is what all of us wanted to see”, “The denial of space and time to the Owls made the difference and was a breath of fresh air”, “In some recent games we have looked like we were running through treacle. We looked much sharper this time.”

Milton Keynes 1 - 0 Charlton

“Shambles”, “Milton Keynes were rubbish but still had it easy tonight”, “We lost to a God-awful pointless team and we barely mustered a shot. We are properly screwed”, “I am deeply, deeply concerned. They were absolutely shocking. We were even worse, a pathetic performance.”

Milton Keynes won this game through a finish from former Blue Dean Bowditch on 29 minutes and the Addicks struggled to get a foothold in the game. “That was honestly one of the worst matches I have seen. I have seen Sunday League teams with more of a game plan”, “When will it ever end?”

Defenders

“Stephen Henderson is a hugely authoritative figure.” The 27-year-old former Town loan signing “is certainly a calming influence on the centre-backs”, “He always oozes confidence. I feel so much better with him at the back”, “As he did last season, he has made a huge difference in goal.”

The former Hammer “is a real asset to the team and a great keeper”, “He talks to the defence a lot”, “Perhaps we forgot that we missed Henderson with his shoulder injury during our poor run. If he had been there we maybe would have picked up more points and not ended up feeling so desperate.”

“Patrick Bauer has been our best player in this recent debacle so long may his good form continue.” The 23-year-old ex-Maritimo centre-back “played very well especially later on against Birmingham when they finally started stringing two passes together”, “He has been very solid and a stalwart.”

“Bauer is solid and physically imposing.” The former Germany U20 international “is strong in the air and passes the ball out of the back well”, “He even made a marauding run down the right wing at St Andrew’s and crossed like a winger”, “Playing like this, it is very easy to take him for granted.”

“The Bauer-Sarr partnership continues to impress.” Former Sporting Lisbon centre-back Naby Sarr “is improving game by game and beginning to look the part”, “He has been much better and helped by having Alou Diarra playing the holding role in front of him”, “I’m pleased to see he is improving.”

“The Birmingham game was Nabby’s best performance with no slips this time.” The 22-year-old has been error-prone. “It was a shame Sarr slipped for Sheffield Wednesday’s goal which was a shame as he had played well”, “He needs to cut out the ridiculous mistakes but he clearly has got potential.”

“Time and time again, Morgan Fox made sure Demarai Gray and the ball didn’t get past him and he tracked back well after getting forward.” The 22-year-old youth product and one-time Town schoolboy was praised for his display at St Andrew’s. “Fox did a decent job against one of the most exciting talents in the league.”

The Wales international “was his usual committed but technically limited self” against the Owls. “Fox is good defensively but not great on the ball”, “Distribution is not his strength”, “Some of his passing out of defence can be erratic”, “He is really growing into the left-back role. Not much gets past him.”

“Will Chris Solly get back in the team?” The 24-year-old youth product “has struggled and will have to up his game to get his place back after Tareiq Holmes-Dennis’s performances at right-back”, “He needs a rest or a kick up the backside”, “His substitution against the Owls was a blessing in disguise.”

Tareiq Holmes-Dennis

“Tareiq has a good game at Birmingham and went forward with confidence knowing Alou Diarra was dropping in behind him when required”, “Looked composed on the ball and has pace”,“ Intelligent on the ball interplays well in midfield”, “A constant thorn, equally good in defence and attack.”

Naturally a left-back, the 20-year-old youth product “has stepped seamlessly into Chris Solly’s role” at right-back in the last two games. “He kept a tidy player in Barry Bannan quiet playing in a foreign position”, “He was a force down the right and link well with Gudmundsson”, “Looks very promising.”

“Tareiq looked good but one-footed”, “I was impressed that his cross for the winner at Birmingham was with his weaker foot”, “The one time he used his right foot, he created a goal”, “He only used his right foot one, but it was worth waiting for”, “My man-of-the-match for his attacking play.”

Midfielders

“There might just be a player in El-Hadji Ba”, “He puts in a real shift.” The 22-year-old ex-Sunderland man “reminds me of Yaya Toure on the ball. He has pace and intelligence in possession, sometimes”, “He is a mixed bag, with flashes of excellence but can lose the ball or take too many touches.”

“Ba looks better playing in this midfield system”, “His touch and general accuracy improved greatly in recent performances”, “He does have the odd moment when overcomplicating a move instead of playing a simple pass puts us on the back foot”, “Some good play but needs to cut out silly errors.”

“I can’t put my finger on Jordan Cousins’s inconsistency in games. Is he trying to do too much?” One player who has struggled for form lately is the 21-year-old academy graduate. “I’m not sure where his head is now”, “He’s a much better player than the last few displays. I hope this is just a bad patch.”

“Cousins runs around a lot but that is it”, “He looked like a young Gerrard when he first appeared. He was composed, breaking up play, putting in quality tackles and threatening runs on goal. He now looks like a headless chicken at times, caught between defending and pressing and doing neither.”

Former West Ham and Barnsley striker or winger Ricardo Vaz Te signed for Charlton on November 13th until the end of the season. The 29-year-old made his debut from the bench at St Andrew’s. “I can see him being decent once settled in”, “Quick, direct and can take play out wide if under pressure.”

“If Vaz Te is rusty and a long way from match fitness, I can’t wait to see him when fully up to speed”, “He was a handy man to bring on. Despite a lack of sharpness, he displayed a degree of nous”, “A clear talent is there but he looked a bit sloppy. He just needs to get some match sharpness.”

Alou Diarra

“Having Diarra sitting in front of defence protecting the back four makes a huge difference”, “Playing him in the holding midfield role has been key. It’s the role Ahmed Kashi [absent with a heel injury] played so well at the start of the season and we have missed so obviously during this terrible run.”

“What a change to have Diarra in his true role showing what a classy player he is.” The 34-year-old former Hammer “is a colossus in midfield”, “He is so assured on the ball and his positioning is on point”, “You can’t mistake that Diarra was the absolute catalyst for the Birmingham performance.”

“Diarra is an athletic yet composed performer receiving the ball from centre-backs and using it well”, “He is a fantastic midfielder but he does run the risk of getting overrun by nippy opponents as he is not the quickest”, “He makes a tireless effort which defies his age”, “I just hope his legs hold out.”

Johnnie Jackson

“Well done Jacko for digging us out of a hole once again”, “Charlton Athletic is imprinted through Johnnie Jackson like a stick of rock and the opposition write him off at their peril. He leads by example, fights for every ball and urges his men forwards from the first to the last whistle.”

“Captain Marvel comes up with the goal, brilliant as ever.” The 33-year-old former Colchester and Notts County man was widely praised for his powerful winning header at Birmingham. “Johnnie is still the heartbeat of what is left of our club. His relationship with the fans should never be underestimated.”

“Johnnie is still a step behind playing-wise but the passion and desire he shows are just what we need”, “While slower than he was he is a vital element in the way we play, leading by example and telling his players what for”, “Where would we be without Jacko?”, “He can do it when it matters.”

Johann Berg Gudmundsson

“Johann was class at Birmingham and looked the player we saw numerous times last season.” The 25-year-old former AZ Alkmaar man and Iceland international “started to impose himself the longer the game went on”, “He was mustard in a free role. His movement was really noticeable.”

“JBG was a good outlet when we cleared the ball. No hoofing it, just playing intelligent balls and initiating counter-attacks”, “Playing through the middle was great. He looked like he enjoyed the role”, “It is noticeable how composed he is when he is close to or in between opponents.”

“Having JBG as playmaker was the biggest reason we won well against Sheffield Wednesday. On the right wing he is predictable and teams work him out. In the centre he was everywhere. The centre-backs didn’t know whether to go with him or not”, “His free role caused the Owls lots of problems.”

Strikers

“Karlan Ahearne-Grant is a young talent with plenty to learn and who should regularly be playing little cameos while he develops.” The 18-year-old youth product “has had far too much responsibility this season and having other players relieving the pressure will be good for him in the long run.”

Addicks were more impressed with 19-year-old youth product Ademola Lookman, who made his full debut at St Andrew’s. “Lookman has pace and confidence on the ball. He has the ability to make the most adept defenders look foolish”, “He has the appearance of a super-fast 10-year-old.”

“Lookman reminds me of Shaun Wright-Phillips when he was a top player, hard to predict, fast and with an open mind to the game”, “He looks lively and skilful, has a blistering turn of pace and no little skill. The occasional wrong option with a final pass but it was pretty impressive for a first start.”

Reza Ghoochannejhad

“I hold my hands up. Reza played well today. He beat his man and was a danger”, “He showed us today that he has actually kicked a football before”, “Whoever made Reza give a damn deserves a lot of credit. It was a great committed performance against the Owls topped by a deserved goal.”

“I couldn’t believe Reza’s work rate and aggression.” The 28-year-old ex-Standard Liege man “is a real live wire, still a bit lightweight on the ball but he puts in a few crunches to break up attacks”, “He takes up great positions off the ball, takes people on and has a decent shot on him.”

“Amazingly Reza stayed on his feet for long periods of the game and cut down on pointing hither and thither. He was the Reza of Iran’s World Cup and contributed well”, “When he combines movement and footballing intelligence with tenacious harrying of the opposition, you’re on to a winner.”

Simon Makienok

“The Great Dane. Welcome back, big Mak, you have been sorely missed”, “The most underrated player at the club and brings so much”, “He is an average player but is an important cog in the wheel for his presence and awkwardness”, “He is strong in the air and attacks and defends set-pieces well.”

“Wednesday fans spent much of the second half guessing the height of our Great Dane.” The 24-year-old season-long loan signing from Palermo started in the last two victorious games. “He was outstanding, winning everything in the air, putting in a lot of effort closing defenders down.”

“Although Mak is unsurprisingly good with the ball to his head, he can also play the passing game very well”, “His feet were very good for the third goal, once again proving he is not simply a big lump who is only useful in the air”, “We just need to see him attack the box a bit more.”

Addicks’ Views on ITFC and the Game

“Charlton? Television? Sky? Two straight wins? We're screwed - 0-1”, “We're on Sky, so obviously it will be a 3-0 victory for Ipswich and the worst performance of the season.” Addicks are struggling to find any good omens and believe that the curse of being on Sky is a huge detriment to their chances.

“The history book of this fixture makes for bad reading”, “I can see this going one of two ways. Either they win 0-1 like last year in a good open game or it may well be drubbing to them, a 0-3. It depends more on what Ipswich turns up being honest, plus the Sky curse obviously.”

“Despite our current form, I think we're going to slip up on this one. Ipswich have been unbeaten in five games and combined with the fact that we rarely win when we play on Sky, it's going to come back and haunt us; 0 - 1 Ipswich.”

That said, in match prediction threads 71 per cent have predicted a home win with 12 per cent going for a Town victory. A narrow Charlton 1-0 or 2-1 win are the most popular scores while a 1-1 draw has also been popular. It is more a case of Addicks not wanting a winning streak to end than any overconfidence.

Our manager is well respected. “I'm fed up with seeing Mick McCarthy mug us off, but I'm afraid he'll do it again. We can't keep relying on Jacko to dig us out of a hole. It will be the usual 0-1”, “Mick Mac always sets his teams up well. It will be a tough game with one goal in it, no idea to whom.”

“Hopefully we will get another positive result, this time in front of the cameras. It will be harder as Ipswich don't have any big threats out wide so will be quite a central midfield battle. Wednesday had wingers and Birmingham had Gray and Maghoma”, “Sit back and we will lose no question.”

“**** the game, there is a protest going on.” It has to be added that some home fans may have different priorities on Saturday.

Websites

The busiest Addicks’ message board is the polite and knowledgeable Charlton Life while more information on their proposed match-day protest can be found .

@HarryFromBath

Photo: Action Images

Bluebell added 11:47 - Nov 27 Thanks as always Harry. Their form seems to have improved recently but so has ours so I still think we will beat them. I only hope we don't wait till the last minute to do it. Not sure my heart could stand that!
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theipswichman added 11:54 - Nov 27 Their right we don't have much threat out wide until Fraser returns to tear up the championship again.. Looking forward to it, a win and suddenly our form and league position looks decent heading into Christmas and hopefully we can go into January in a top 6 position.
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essextractorboy93 added 14:31 - Nov 27 Great stuff once again Harry! Favourite part is reading what opposition fans think of us as a team. Hard to call this one, obviously unrest at Charlton with the fans but with these 2 recent wins they'll have plenty of confidence. Sadly seems like another unstable club at this level with very impatient owners and an increasing amount of foreign players. Only 10 years ago they were a solid mid table Premiership team. COYB!

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LankHenners added 14:44 - Nov 27 Thanks again Harry. Seems like we could do with putting them on the back foot early on and taking control of the game. They've got plenty to take from their last two games but nevertheless a good opportunity for us to take 3 points from them, hopefully in a fairly convincing manner this time around. Bit early perhaps to talk about it yet but I'd like to see that Goal Difference improve at some point.

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Seasider added 16:36 - Nov 27 Hope yet another former player,Stephen Henderson doesn't spoil the party as other former players have this season.Pity we didn't play them a month ago;but still think we can win this one although would like to see Bart in goal. Pity we don't have Hendo in goal but there you are.Mick has said he will stick with the usual guys at the back despite poor defensive record. Understand that Mick gave them a talking to as far back as the Blackburn game.Well results have certainly improved since then; but I think that the costly mistakes by Smith and Gerken would mean that any other Manager would have dropped them so they should count themselves very lucky.Not so Bart and Jonny Parr who must be very frustrated at being continually ignored.

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