Heather McKinlay previews this weekend's match up.
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Are Charlton sleep-walking their way to mid-table mediocrity? After a tremendous first five minutes against high-flying Shrewsbury, the stupor set in for the next 85 as the points slipped away with barely a whimper.
The Beast from the East devoured last weekend’s fixture – perhaps giving the squad a break to rest and recuperate. Instead news has emerged from the treatment room of fairly serious injuries to Da Silva and Kashi. We may not see the classy duo in Addicks’ red (or blue melange) again. It seems Magennis, Fosu and Forster-Caskey all have knocks too and could be doubtful for the Peterborough match.
Even more concerning than the accustomed frailties of the squad is the pall of uncertainty cloaking the club and just about all connected to it. Yesterday (8th March) was the 34th anniversary of our reincarnation: the day Charlton Athletic made headlines in dramatic last-minute fashion. Not, on that occasion, a spirited equaliser as clinched by Ahearne-Grant in the home fixture v Posh, but rather a financial package presented to High Court judges to save the very being of CAFC. No-one tell Roland, but I still vividly remember dancing exuberantly with joy at the college disco that night.
The following decades have, of course, brought extreme highs and lows both on and off the pitch, plus a record of six wins, three draws and three defeats v Peterborough.
We may not be on the brink of going out of existence right now, yet it feels like our fate is shrouded in thick fog as we await news of progress on a potential takeover. Robinson has recently been linked with a move away, the dreamy spires of Oxford and United’s 16th place in League One perhaps not quite a tempting enough prospect for him. Instead he will lead out the Addicks tomorrow in the hope of clipping Steve Evans’ new manager bounce. Posh emerged from their own shadows last time out to clinch their first win in eight. The recent stuttering form of both potential play-off contenders suggests a draw is the most likely outcome. I’m predicting that the Addicks will raise us all from our zombie-like state and battle their way to a share of the points in a 3-3 thriller, with Michael Zyro the unlikely hero. Stranger things have happened in football.