Randolph's big chance..

It wasn't so long ago that the Charlton support was split over whether Rob Elliot or Darren Randolph should be the next first choice keeper. It really is something that Elliot's torn abductor muscle injury and six or seven week lay-off should be greeted with doom and gloom from the Addick faithful.

I have always been in the pro-Elliot camp and was alarmed by Randolph the first time he got the nod over Elliot and conceded a couple of poor goals. However, he is a highly rated keeper who has done pretty well wherever he's gone on loan, even if he has thrown a strop on occasions after not being selected. The botton line here is that Randolph is our first-choice reserve keeper and he should be putting on the gloves to face Carlisle. We should all get behind him and hope that this spell is his big opportunity to prove how good he is and give Elliot some stiff competition.

Carl Ikeme has been drafted in from Wolves on loan as cover but we will all have to hope that he is not called in action. He is a 23 year-old who looks like he's only ever been a second or third-choice keeper and made only 25 league appearances in his career.

I see that Phil Brown has finally paid the price at Hull City and his sacking comes in the wake of Audit concerns over Hull's finances. With relegation looming large, Hull could be the next club to "do a Charlton."