Since Charlton set up this Saturday’s fifth round FA Cup meeting with Brentford they have only taken four league points from as many games. With huge encounters in the league coming up this month against Newcastle and Aston Villa, these factors may have been behind leaving out Holland.
Last season the Addicks turned to a 4-5-1 formation with Radostin Kishishev featuring in all but seven league fixtures, alongside Holland in the middle, with the pair just behind Danny Murphy.
This time around Holland was injured as Charlton got off to a tremendous start in which they were mixing results with attractive football. Murphy was in the kind of form that led many to believe he would be included in the final World Cup qualifiers but no such call-up occurred. Then within a month the results stopped suddenly for Charlton and the 3-0 defeat at Wigan was the final time Curbs would consider deploying a five-man midfield. Murphy was included in the next game against Arsenal on Boxing Day but he was sent off for venting his frustration and it was the last time the trio would appear together.
That game also marked the end of trying to play attractive football as the old Charlton work ethic was reinstalled in a desperate attempt to gather points by whatever legal means necessary. Following Premiership freefall during a torrid November, and after the JJB debacle Kishishev and Holland both immediately featured again in the Addicks midfield where they remained for the next six games, including the two FA Cup wins, two Premiership wins at the Valley, the draw at Chelsea, and the defeat at Everton (in which Murphy returned for the first 67 minutes before substitute Kishishev replaced him).
Then another midweek game popped up at the end of January, this time at home to West Brom and Kishishev started on the bench for this one as well, although the Bulgarian did eventually replace Holland after he picked up a thigh injury that caused the Irishman to miss the next two games beginning at Spurs. In the meantime of course Murphy was sold to the north London club, but that was soon forgotten about thanks to the shock win against Liverpool, although admittedly against a tired outfit. However, the week still ended as it had almost begun with yet another defeat away from home.
Curbishley admitted last week he was at a loss trying to understand why some Addicks fans have booed Kishishev for running more than any other player on the pitch on many occasions. Hopefully Saturday will see the return of Holland beside Kishishev in midfield, with Alexei Smertin or Bryan Hughes making way, the latter for a well earned rest having started every one of the last eleven games, while the former hasn’t rediscovered his best form since returning from injury.