One way or another:- Charlton bound for Wembley?

As a Charlton Athletic supporter, the last five years or so have been an emotional roller-coaster. From top flight Football to League one in just a matter of seasons to then win League one and get a top half finish in our return to second tier Football at the end of last year. But this year, once again is a very different story.
             
The Addicks have had what can only be described as an dreadful season in the Championship so far. Sitting third from bottom with the lowest amount of goals scored by any team is not where many fans expected their team to be when the season kicked off. Scoring just one goal in their last five league games (which came from a 92nd minute corner), Charlton simply have to improve if they are to remain in the Championship next year. They have bought in several new faces in the January transfer window but also sold a few, including French fan favourite Yann Kemorgant who netted a hat-trick for his new club Bournemouth this past weekend. So many fans expected the reds to travel to Wembley this year. But as scary as the end of the season may seem, their dreams are still within reach.

Church sends Charlton through to the Quarter Final

The team are fighting for a spot at Wembley in a very diffe
rent way. A way in which no one could have imagined. The FA Cup. A trophy which year after year brings us shocks, incredible plot twists and fascinating Football. The Quarter finals will take place this weekend and the under-dogs are in perhaps the most enviable position of any team as they take on League One team Sheffield United. It sounds like a god-send for Charlton after beating one half of the Steel City but they may have their work cut out. The blades have now won 8 matches in a row since the start of February including a 1-0 over Premier League team Fulham in the FA Cup.

Sheffield will go into this match with a lot of momentum, there is no doubt about it. It will be up to the Addicks to halt that momentum from the word go and ideally get themselves an early lead. They have the talent to do it. Simon Church has become a crucial part of the offence in recent weeks and new signings Nego and Reza Ghoochannejhad will be eager to prove to the clubs new owner exactly what they can do.

Iranian international Reza Ghoochannejhad
will be keen to net his first goal
for his new club this weekend.

IF Charlton get past Sheffield Wednesday, they would be just 90 minutes of Football away from a game at Wembley. This is the furthest Chris Powell's men have ever gone in a Cup Run and they certainly will not want it to end any time soon. But, standing in their way are going to be three of the potentially most dominating teams imaginable. The other three games this weekend are as follows.

Arsenal vs Everton
Hull vs Sunderland
Manchester City vs Wigan

This means that no matter what the outcome, Charlton will have to face a top flight Premier League side in both the Semi Final and the Final. Current cup holders Wigan are in a rematch of their final last year as they take on runners-up Manchester City. Wigan have beaten the blues before and are well equipped to do it again. But City will be determined to play as well as they are in the league and stop Wigan from retaining the decorated trophy. So either way, Charlton IF matched up against either of these, are going to have an almighty task on their hands.

Current holders Wigan could potentially retain their title.

With the other four teams perhaps poising to be just as much of a threat, all Charlton can do is their best. Miracles do happen, and if the Addicks can make their way into the final even in the flukiest of ways. It will restore both hope and faith. Two emotions that possibly had been lost months ago for fans across the country. The squad morale would be through the roof and if they could carry that into their remaining league fixtures, including the two they have in hand over the teams around them, then maybe...just maybe..they could avoid relegation and bring home the team's first ever F.A Cup.

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"Center" of attention:- Philly ink Jason Kelce and Riley Cooper to new extensions

The off-season always beings a mixture of emotion for fans no matter what team you root for. Reflection on what has transpired the year before, excitement over the prospects in the up coming Draft and perhaps a little anxiety as some of your favourite players could end up as free agents.
   
 For a lot of Philadelphia fans, that was certainly the case as Wide Receiver's Riley Cooper and Jeremy Maclin joined Center Jason Kelce in free agency. Two of those players have been signed to an extension, ending the endless comments on various forms of social media begging for the stars to be penned back to Philly...well, they still won't stop entirely until Maclin signs an extension!

Riley Cooper was originally going to
start last season as the Birds number 3 receiver behind Maclin and DeSean Jackson, but his destiny took a swift detour as Maclin suffered from a torn ACL back in July. This opened the door for the University of Florida Star. And boy did he ever rock that door so hard it fell off its hinges by having his greatest season to date. His season truly picked up pace when Nick Foles took control of the offence.
 
Cooper was a consistent Big play target and he delivered more often than not. Averaging 18 yards per catch and ending the season with 835 total yards and eight touchdowns. In his previous seasons, he had never topped 23 catches or 315 yards so this was a very promising sign for Coach Chip Kelly  to see how much the 26 year old has improved.
   
The former fifth round pick made it clear from the start that he wanted to stay in the city of brotherly love and those intentions were met with a 5 year deal worth $25M today! Most fans assumed that the team would keep one or the other, letting the unsigned receiver go into Free Agency but General Manager Howie Roseman didn't say no to the possibility of keeping both receivers.

However, it wasn't Maclin who was also signed today like many fans hoped it would be but a rather different prospect, Center Jason Kelce. The 6 year deal worth $37.5M was embraced with open arms by fans after the former sixth round pick had a fantastic season, adapting to the new Chip Kelly offence brilliantly and showing the new Coach why he is the perfect athletic Center for the new system. The man who has exploded onto the scene since his rookie debut in 2011 now has a deal that lands him within the top-5 centers in the NFL on an average per year basis. 

 So what next for the birds? Many fans are still hoping for the re-signing of Maclin before Free Agency begins on March 11th but according to numerous sources, both parties have not reached a deal that is within reach.

If there is one thing we can take from this, it's that with the Offensive line nearly complete, it leaves a lot of focus to be turned onto the other side of the Football. The Defensive side of things started to look up towards the end of last seasons campaign, but there is still a long way to go. With an Offence as strong as it already is and re-signing two top players to long term deals, it makes Coach Kelly's intentions for the 2014 draft seem very clear.

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