On Saturday, Stockport County will face a sluggish Charlton Athletic in the second round of the FA Cup for the first time since 2010. The Addicks are unable to live up to their ambitions of being promoted to League One due to their inconsistent run of results thus far, whereas The Hatters have successfully adapted to life back in the fourth division and were seven games unbeaten in all competitions prior to their defeat last weekend.
Ben Garner, manager of Charlton Athletic, gave an extraordinary media conference in which he slammed the hosts’ style of football and revealed that he has not received the financial backing in the transfer market he expected when he made the switch from Swindon Town in the summer. He did this after witnessing his team lose a scrappy affair at Port Vale from the stands due to a two-game touchline ban.
Once more, an Addicks manager is unhappy with the club’s hierarchy. This, combined with a four-game losing streak in League One and a bleak mid-table position, is putting more pressure on owner Thomas Sandgaard to the point where major protests seem just a bad result away.
Prediction
Charlton, whose club is in a bad spot right now, will hope that the FA Cup can distract them from a league campaign that looks like it will fail once more. Stockport are upbeat after a good run of League Two play, but a trip to The Valley to play a Charlton team with good players may be the end of their season in this competition.
Head-To-Head
| Team | Charlton Athletic | Stockport County |
|---|---|---|
| Played | 3 | 3 |
| Win | 3 | 0 |
| Draw | 0 | 0 |
| Lose | 0 | 3 |
| Score | 8:4 | 4:8 |
| Goals Scored | 2.67 | 1.33 |
| Goals Allowed | 1.33 | 2.67 |
Lineup
Charlton Athletic possible starting lineup:
- Maynard-Brewer;
- Clare,
- Lavelle,
- Inniss,
- Sessegnon;
- Rak-Sakyi,
- Dobson,
- Fraser,
- Blackett-Taylor;
- Stockley,
- Kirk
Stockport County possible starting lineup:
- Hinchliffe;
- Wright,
- Horsfall,
- Hussey;
- Southam-Hales,
- Collar,
- Croasdale,
- Sarcevic,
- Hippolyte;
- Madden,
- Wootton
Betting Tips
This season, Charlton has only lost one of their 13 home matches. In Charlton’s last seven games, both teams have scored. Four of Stockport’s last five matches have gone over 2.5 match objectives.