1986 and all that...

1986 feels like a long time ago doesn't it? The 'hand of god' was the big football story in England at least, but elsewhere the year saw the Space Shuttle Challenger blow up, the Chernobyl reactor explode, and Charlotte Church's birth. It really was a terrible year.

But there was one bright spot of course; Mark Stuart scored a stunning winning goal versus Manchester United at Old Trafford. Some optimistic fans sense Wednesday might be the time to spring another surprise against the most famous club in world football.

The Red Devils are without Rooney, Scholes and Carrick, whilst the Portuguese winker Ronaldo will have to face the wrath of Aunt Doris (and her homemade fruitcake) from the West Stand.

There was certainly nothing in the performance at Upton Park to suggest a surprise result might be on the cards, and United's demolition of Fulham will have struck fear into Charlton fans and players alike.

Dowie's post-match comments suggested he was relatively satisfied with the performance (even if most fans were not), and hence wholesale team changes seem unlikely. The jury remained out on Scott Carson after Saturday with a couple of smart saves counterbalanced by some imprecise handling. In defence, Hreidarsson will likely replace Traore at left-back with Sorondo starting in the centre as was the case after 25 minutes at the weekend.

Every Charlton fan with a modicum of football knowledge however, is aware that the midfield is a big problem with Holland and Hughes usually taking the brunt of the criticism (and not without reason). Despite having several midfield options, very few central midfield pairings offer the right mix of steel and creativity that say Smertin/Murphy and Parker/Jensen did for example. The best compromise in my view would be starting with Reid on the left and Ambrose on the right, with each likely being asked to dampen their natural attacking instincts (at least whilst Charlton remain level). This would permit Dowie to persist with two 'stoppers' in midfield, likely Faye and Holland (though Kishishev should be preferred in my view). In the likely event that we fall behind, we can throw caution to the wind and bring on Rommedahl for a cameo.

Although the 3/5 odds on Man Utd to win on Betfair are hardly screaming value, I am struggling to suggest opposing them and thus will predict Charlton 0, Man Utd 2 (Saha, Giggs).