LOFC - Charlton Athletic (a) Preview

Football is back. After a summer that has seemed as long as time itself, Orient are back in competitive action as we prepare to travel South of the river to last season's League One champions Charlton Athletic.

Its been a long summer. The weather has been poor and with the Euros, Wimbledon and the Olympics failing to have caught my imagination, I've been itching for the season to begin since the announcement of the fixtures for the forthcoming League One season. What a relief it is to say League One after being present at some of the absymal performances at the back end of the season, but I'm not going to dwell on last season.



Charlton Athletic

Chris Powell, a hero as a player and now as a manager at the Valley has hinted that he'll use tomorrow evening's game against The O's to field some squad players and give a rest to first team players ahead of their first game of the Championship season against Birmingham City this weekend.

Powell could hand debuts to his three summer signings, Lawrie Wilson, Jordan Cook and Salim Kerkar who joined the South Londoners from Stevenage, Sunderland and Rangers respectively.

Two Addicks who won't feature will be midfielder Andy Hughes and young goalkeeper Nick Pope who are sidelined through Achilles and knee injuries respectively.



Leyton Orient

The biggest news coming out of Brisbane Road ahead of the trip across the Capital is the recurring shoulder injury to Jamie Jones. The Scouse keeper has missed friendlies with Luton Town and a QPR XI due to a shoulder complaint, the same complaint that kept him injured for all but six games of last season.

With Jones sidelined along with Lee Butcher it gives Ryan Allsop the chance to make his professional debut after signing from Millwall in the summer. The tall stopper joined Millwall from West Bromwich Albion but failed to make first team appearances at either club. The twenty year-old will make his firts team bow whilst highly rated sixteen year-old Charlie Grainger will be Allsop's understudy for the evening.

Michael Symes has also struggled to play many games over pre-season and may not be ready to make a starting appearance for the club.



How will we line up?

Ryan Allsop will make his debut for the club in goal and I imagine that he'll have fellow new signings Nathan Clarke, Gary Sawyer and Lloyd James ahead of him in the back four with Scott Cuthbert partnering the new skipper Clarke in the middle of the back four.

We've tested a diamond midfield in pre-season and going on that, I would expect to see Mathieu Baudry at the bottom of the diamond with Jimmy Smith and new boy Anthony Griffith in front of him with Dean Cox at the tip of the diamond.

Up front, I've already noted that Michael Symes may struggle to start so I would expect Kevin Lisbie to be partnered by Ryan Brunt.



Editor's Opinion

Well, its safe to say pre-season hasn't seen us pick up convincing results. We've lost 1-0 to three Conference sides but beat Sutton United and XI's from QPR and Wolves. But pre-season isn't about results, we know that all too well. We disposed of Newcastle United 6-1 a couple of summer's ago but that didn't reflect in competitive football as the Geordies steamrolled to the Championship title whilst Orient struggled to stay in League One.

Pre-season is more about the side gelling, picking up match fitness and testing new formations and tactics out.

Having seen that Chris Powell will rest a number of players ahead of their first league game of the season, I'm shocked. How can any players need a rest already? They've not had to contend with any competitive football yet, but I'm not arguing. Charlton don't have a fantastic record in the competition and if Powell wants to rest players and keep that poor record going, I'll be delighted.

Having lost to lower opposition in 2008/09, 2009/10 and 2010/11 everyone at Orient will be hoping for another defeat for Charlton to lower opposition. Since the draw was made, I've fancied us to progress to the Second Round. It might be mad optimism or the lack of live football I've seen for a while but I fancy Orient to give Charlton a tough work out and possibly progress.

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