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English Premier League Preview: Middlesborough v Charlton Athletic [Sat Aug 27th, 2005]
Sunday’s lunchtime game in the Premiership sees Middlesborough, fresh from a fine midweek victory, attempt to halt Charlton’s unbeaten start to the season.
BACKGROUND
Steve McClaren’s side suddenly found form in midweek. After a goalless draw at home to Liverpool and a defeat at Tottenham, Boro thrashed Birmingham 3-0 at St Andrews. They now take on Charlton who have made a 100 per cent start with wins at Sunderland (3-1) and Wigan (1-0).
The last five games between these two sides at the Riverside have been drawn, and the clubs are level in the league head-to-head meetings with 32 wins each and 18 draws. In February it ended 2-2, teenager Danny Graham rescuing a point for Boro three minutes from time on Teesside.
Charlton have made their best start yet to a Premiership campaign, and a welcome turnaround for manager Alan Curbishley from the way they ended last season. Then they endured a run of nine games without a win.
Boro go into the weekend in 9th place with four points, while Charlton are 5th on six points.
Boro are unbeaten in their last four home Premiership games, and have kept three successive clean sheets at home. In fact they’ve played 278 minutes (four hours 38 minutes) of Premiership football at The Riverside since conceding a goal to Brian McBride against Fulham in a 1-1 draw on 19 April.
Charlton are seeking their third successive Premiership win since beating Crystal Palace (a), West Brom (a) and Fulham (h) on 5, 11 and 20 December 2004. However, they won just three out of 18 League games after the turn of the year – until this season.
FORM
Middlesbrough: DLW
Charlton: WW
TEAM NEWS
Middlesborough: Emanuel Pogatetz is in the Middlesborough squad for the first time after his suspension ended.
Aiyegbeni Yakubu returns to the squad but Szilard Nemeth, Chris Riggott, Stuart Parnaby, Tony McMahon, Malcolm Christie and Danny Graham are all out.
Charlton: Darren Ambrose and Gonzalo Sorondo are still suspended, but Jonathan Spector, Talal El Karkouri and Kevin Lisbie could feature. Midfielder Matt Holland returns from concussion.
WATCH OUT FOR:
Middlesborough: Mark Viduka celebrated his first start in months for Boro by scoring tow superb goals against Birmingham in midweek. The big Australian made a significant difference to Boro’s attack, and will be making his 150th career Premiership appearance (with Leeds United and Middlesborough).
Charlton: Three of the Addicks’ four goals so far have been scored by their Summer recruit from Ipswich Town, Darren Bent, who was recently called up for the England squad.
PROBABLE STARTING XIs:
Middlesborough (from): Schwarzer, Jones, Reiziger, Ehiogu, Queudrue, Southgate, Bates, Wheater, Boateng, Parlour, Downing, Doriva, Mendieta, Morrison, Hasselbaink, Viduka, Maccarone, Pogatetz, Yakubu.
Charlton (from): Andersen, Young, Perry, Hreidarsson, Powell, Rommedahl, Smertin, Kishishev, Murphy, Thomas, Bent, Johansson, Hughes, Holland, Bartlett, Fortune, Myhre, Spector, El Karkouri, Lisbie.
Graham Lister
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