1.Nicky Weaver - Looks and plays like he's 34 or 35 - in fact he's only 29. Weaver is a decent keeper but not outstanding and undoubtedly suffers from having to follow Dean Kiely.
Target; Would like to see his 13 league clean sheets from last season increased to 20 and him taking greater command of his area. He's a decent shot stopper but far too often the ball still ends up in the back of the net.
Drinking View; Will need to maintain last seasons level of performance to keep his place and the four in front will be key to that. I expect Rob Elliot to get an opportunity due to form if not injury at some point. Can't see him beating 15 clean sheets.
2. Yassin Moutaouakil - Needs games and early error free performances to secure the right-back berth. Jose Semedo is his only challenger for the shirt at present and may not be good enough in that position to keep him out for any length of time.
Target; Must secure the position by the end of September and dominate. If he can do this and shore up the corner, then the defence will benefit and he can look to get forward and support the midfield which he has previously shown to be his forte.
Drinking View; No reason why he can't become a big plus for 08-09. Hudson can help as might another experineced centre-half.
3. Kelly Youga - In a very similar situation to Yassin. Capable enough but needs to cut out the costly errors and make the position his own. He too can bomb forward and could offer our midfield much needed support.
Target; Ditto for Moutaoukil
Drinking View; I think Pard's criticism folloiwng the loss of possession on Saturday that lead to the Bilbao winner was deliberate and intended to get a solid performance from Kelly this week. Another plus in 08-09.
4. Mark Hudson - Barring injury, he should be an ever-present this season. As captain this will be crucial to settle and motivate the side as well as the defence.
Target; Needs to share the responsibility for protecting Nicky Weaver and the target of 20 clean sheets. Must stay fit and provide support for the youngsters around him.
Drinking View; Much will depend on his central partnering options. Him and Jon Fortune can't expect to see the season out unscathed and a Martin Cranie would certainly help. That still wouldn't give us two for each position and Amady Faye is a desperate measure - an Achilles Heel position for this year.
5. Jon Fortune - Poor Jon probably feels he's never been given the credit he's been due at Charlton. He often over-performed in the Premiership but has a tendency to make the Championship look beneath him. It probably hasn't helped him that we have been ready to let him go several times in the last couple of years.
Target; Needs to form a partnership with Hudson and knuckle down to the fight. I would like to see more aerial threat (and several goals from him) at set pieces.
Drinking View; Likely to become third choice with the arrival of another centre-half. He'll play second fiddle reluctantly and we won't see the best from him.
6. Jerome Thomas - Should be the automatic left wing choice but he isn't nearly consistent enough to keep the shirt.
Target; The same as every year, to play 40 games, score 6 or 7 and supply a dozen more for the strikers. Must look to get in at least 10 decent crosses every game.
Drinking View; Assuming no-one's naive enough to be tabling a £2m offer, he will start the season but be dropped regularly. Won't get more than 3 goals or provide the ammunition for the front men to get their goals.
7. Lloyd Sam - Like Thomas, should be automatic right wing choice but has disappointed since making the first team. Hides too often and panics when in on goal.
Target; He faces better competition than Thomas but should be looking to play 30 games, get 5 or 6 goals and contribute to ten goals from the strikers. Needs to get his crosses in too.
Drinking View; Will play less than half the games and face stiff competition from Ambrose, Wagstaff or maybe Varney.
8. Jonjo Shelvey - Much is expected of this early developer. Will need to put in a Bowyer-like first season if we are to thrive. It's a lot to ask from a 16/17 year old and we could even lose him as he isn't old enough yet to sign pro forms!
Target; Needs to target 25 appearances (probably no more) and get half a dozen goals. I hope he plays with the belief he showed in his first few appearances and doesn't get neutered by having to play a functional role.
Drinking View; Can be the star of the season if we don't ask him to do too much. Needs an experienced holding player alongside him who we have yet to sign. Will be rotated with Racon, Semedo, Basey and Wagstaff to share the workload.
9. Matt Holland - Our 34 year old Player of the Season. Gives everything but is short of pace now and needs more experienced players around him than he's got.
Target; Another season like last year would be as good as we could hope for. I'd like to see one of his 35 yard efforts go in this year.
Drinking View; The elusive experienced signing we need would free him up for the cameo roles he's more qualified to play and keep him fitter for when we're chasing the game.
10 Andy Gray - A make or break season for Andy after a disappointing half-season since signing in January. Looked like a partnership with Luke Varney could have been forming when the season finished.
Target; Must get 15 goals if he stays fit. He won't play every game or certainly not too many 90 minutes due to competition from Dickson, Fleetwood, Todorov and maybe even McLeod. If he can play in 35 games, we need his partner (Varney) to be getting 15 goals as well from playing alongside him.
Drinking View; Looks more like a supplier than an out-and-out goalscorer. I can't see him getting the ammunition he needs from midfield to get the goals he needs to cement his place and will likely rotate with the other forwards.
11. Luke Varney - The most natural footballer at the club. Must concentrate on finishing and scoring. Like Gray, he needs the supply and without it drifts wide to try and get involved. Quick footed and alert, Gray can provide him with the knock-downs and lay-offs he needs, but Gray needs good balls through as well as searching crosses.
Target; Should be getting 15 goals and will likely get enough appearances to support this.
Drinking View; Unlikely to get the service needed from midfield to get the goals or form a partnership with Gray or anyone else.
12. Grant Basey - Strong left-sided player who will be pressing Youga, Thomas and maybe central midfield.
Target; Should build on his first six appearances last year. If he can 20 games we might see where his best position is. For me, he should be challenging Kelly Youga closely for left-back.
Drinking View; Will get 20 games next year and could become a regular.
13. Jose Semedo - Hot-headed Jose is a good ball player but prone to attacks of the Red Mist and racks up the disciplinary points. Something of a utility player, he's probably best in central midfield but, again, like a number of the others would benefit from a better, more experienced player alongside him.
Target; Needs to challenge for a midfield place if Yassin Moutaouakil sews up the right-back spot. To do this he needs to be more adventurous and incisive with his passing. Square running and passing in the Championship invites pressure.
Drinking View; Shelvey and Racon might make enough of an impression in midfield to limit Jose's chances this year and he will probably feature more from the bench than as a starter.
14. Amady Faye - I have to include him because he's still here, big enough to play in the middle of defence or midfield and he made an appearance on Saturday!
Target; Needs to find himself a fresh start, hopefully for a fee, albeit a fraction of the £2m Iain Dowie wasted on him, not to mention the £1m in wages.
Drinking View; No-one's going to take him and he'll get a few substitute appearances if things aren't going well and we are desperate or thin on the ground.
15. Darren Ambrose - Still yet to fulfil his potential and currently looking injury prone. An infuriating player to watch and one that we need to finally get something from or cut our losses.
Target; Should be a goal-scoring midfield regular. I'm not sure he knows where his best position is but for me he goes missing in games far too often. Bags of ability when he wants to know but not the best team-player.
Drinking View; He will get plenty of games this year when fit because the workload in midfield will be too much for the youngsters and our wide players are unlikley to deliver enough. I suspect he'll be satisfied with that and 5 goals.
16. Therry Racon - Has made a good fist of the pre-season and will get some appearances early on. He's busy and prepared to shoot but too naive to hold midfield, so I hope he's used carefully. He has an eye for a pass and could become good friends with Messrs Gray and Varney.
Target; Great chance for Therry after the disappointments of last year to break into the side ona regular basis, particularly if we fail to strengthen before the window closes. He should be looking to play in 25 games and get 3 or 4 goals.
Drinking View; I think he can get the appearances but will have to settle for more from the bench than the whistle and I think he can get and create goals.
17. Scott Wagstaff - Another youngster with a great opportunity to break into the first team. Lloyd Sam looks a soft target to me and must take his chance when it comes.
Target; a couple of ten-game runs would be a great second season, especially if he can up the crossing rate which shouldn't be hard from where it was last year.
Drinking View; needs to be protected in terms of the games he gets as his confidence could suffer if he's played in a struggling side. I can see him getting games and appearances at the expense of Lloyd sam.
18. Zheng Zhi - With all the outgoings he looks like a seasoned pro and one of the last links to Premier League football.
Target; Needs to find a club with bigger international appeal than Championship Charlton.
Drinking View; Won't trouble Holland, Shelvey, Racon & Co again and will be moved on before the Olympics finish.
19. Svetislav Todorov - Potentially the best "new" player at the club. Fingers crossed that he can stay injury free and get back the goal-scoring heights of his past.
Target; To break into the front two positions and net 10 goals.
Drinking View; I can't help feeling he's passed his best and that a repeat injury (third time) stalks him. Curiously absent from the pre-seasons despite being "fit" for some time. Hopefully it is a case of slowly slowly and he can contribute 10 goals.
20. Chris Dickson - late developer who has raw ability, pace and a sniffer's instinct. Debut season ruined by loans and injury.
Target; to get a goal from every other game he plays. I think that would give him ten.
Drinking View; he might not get the appearances he needs and may be relied upon too heavily as a super-sub. I wouldn't be surprised if he's loaned out early on to give him games (and redcue the wage bill).
21. Stuart Fleetwood - Hard to tell from the ten minutes I saw of him on Saturday. Another who could be loaned out to give him league games.
Target; doing "a Dickson" wouldn't be bad and getting goals on a short loan before returning and scoring but managing not to fall through a glass table would be a good season.
Drinking View; To do just that.
23. Darren Randolph - On a season's loan at Hereford to get experience and I can't see him returning.
24. Rob Elliot - I expect him to deputise for Weaver but will need him to break a finger to get a prolonged shot.
25. Harry Arter - 19 year old midfielder who will be lucky to get a handful of substitute appearances and maybe a few end of season appearances.
26. Josh Wright - another 19 year old midfielder who will compete with Harry Arter this year.
27. Martin Christensen - A mysterious midfield prodigy who has yet to play for the first team. Signed from a link-up with a Danish club last year and has been out on loan overseas pretty much since. Don''t expect to see him this year.
28. Mikkel Jensen - Read the same as Christensen but in the reserves.
29. Dean Sinclair - Signed from Barnet but nothing much has been seen of him. Has generally disappointed when he ha made the rare appearance.
30. Rashid Yussef - Promising youngster who might get a chance this year if everything goes tits up.
31. Chris Solly - Promising youngster who's too young to get a chance this year whatever happens.
32. Aswad Thomas - On the fringes last year and would benefit from a loan.
33. Izale McLeod - Another disappointing signing so far. Currently coming back from a long injury.
34. Danny Uchechi - Young striker making his way in the Reseves.
--oo0oo--
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