Charlton Athletic managed to pick up a point on the road against Barnsley on Tuesday night (October 22) thanks to some late action.
They probably felt they’d done enough for all three points when substitute Luke Berry netted his second of the game, but a Barnsley substitute, Max Watters, rescued a point for the Tykes.
A respectable start to the season has Charlton in 11th place, but a tough fixture at home to Wrexham beckons.
FLW’s Charlton Fan Pundit, Ben Fleming, has given us one change he can see being made for this weekend.
Nathan Jones was disappointed with Charlton Athletic’s performance during their 2-2 draw with Barnsley on Tuesday night.
Charlton Fan Pundit predicts midfield swap against Wrexham
While he doesn’t believe Karoy Anderson had his worst game against Barnsley, the Addicks fan believes a more experienced head may be required for Wrexham’s visit.
Speaking to Football League World, Ben said: “Karoy Anderson didn’t have his best game.
“He’s started quite a few games; I think he started Birmingham and Stockport, and last night he came off at half-time.
“He’s still young, so he’s going to have fluctuations in his performance levels, but I think it’s better when you’ve got someone like Luke Berry, who came off the bench and had the impact he had.
“I wonder, especially against a team like Wrexham on the weekend, whether he might want a bit more experience, a bit more of a veteran head in that midfield for what’s going to be a difficult game.
“So, yeah, I don’t think he had a terrible game but I don’t think he had his best game, perhaps he’s one that could look to be rotated out for Saturday.”
Lyle Taylor arrived at Charlton Athletic with not an immense amount of hype, but scored a number of goals and helped them reach the Championship.
It’s a swap that appears likely based on Nathan Jones’ changes
Getting taken off at half-time, as Anderson was, rarely bodes well for a player’s chances of starting the next game.
What won’t help the Jamaica international’s case is that former Luton Town man Luke Berry was substituted on just past the hour mark and managed to grab both of Charlton’s goals, despite only being on the pitch for just over half an hour.
With both men primarily focused on midfield spots, Berry’s angle for a start is clear, and it seems obvious who the first to make way may be in manager Nathan Jones’ mind.
| Anderson’s League One season so far, as per WhoScored | |
|---|---|
| Starts (Sub) | 6 (3) |
| Goals | 0 |
| Assists | 0 |
| Tackles per 90 | 1.4 |
| Interceptions per 90 | 0.7 |
| Key passes per 90 | 0.2 |
| Dribbles per 90 | 0.8 |
| Pass success rate | 76.6% |
As Ben also mentions, the opponent may also play a factor.
If Anderson, still only 20 years old, is not going through his most positive spell, then the intense focus that a visit from Wrexham can bring, documentary cameras and Hollywood stars in tow, may not be the best place for him.
Jones may want to shield Anderson and give him a break out of the spotlight, so he can hit the ground running once JOnes requires him once more.
Inconsistency as Anderson displayed against Barnsley is to be expected from a young player, so Ben may be correct in his call to give the player some space to regroup.
