QPR v Charlton
Charlton will have little time to reflect on the dramatic events of Saturday, as a London derby against Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road awaits the Addicks on Tuesday night (8pm).
It's more than 10 years since the Addicks last tasted success at QPR, and another victory would do wonders to boost morale around The Valley after Saturday's 5-2 defeat to Sheffield United in SE7.
Not only did the loss put Charlton back in the Championship relegation places, it also spelled the end of Alan Pardew's time as manager, with the former Reading and West Ham United boss leaving The Valley by mutual consent on Saturday evening.
With Pardew's assistant Phil Parkinson placed in temporary charge for the trip to West London, Charlton will be bidding to get their campaign up and running against the R's, who themselves only appointed a new manager - or first-team coach - in Paulo Sousa last week.
Charlton will have little time to reflect on the dramatic events of Saturday, as a London derby against Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road awaits the Addicks on Tuesday night
Charlton will surely not play much worse this season than they did against the Blades at the weekend, with a catalogue of errors contributing to the defeat - and Pardew's departure after just under two years in charge.
As Pardew stated afterwards in his post-match press conference, a team will not win games if they gift the opposition goals, and it's a problem the Addicks - and Parkinson - must address before they meet QPR.
As they have on countless occasions this term, Charlton again failed to deal with set-pieces, and Parkinson, who has previously managed at Colchester United and Hull City, will be hoping the Addicks can turn in a better defensive performance at Loftus Road.
He believes nearly every goal conceded against the Blades could have been avoided, and must now attempt to lift Charlton's spirits for what is likely to be a tough test against Rangers.
The opposition
Like Charlton, the 2008/09 season has been pretty eventful at QPR, although the club is in the healthier position of 12th going into Tuesday's match.
Former Addicks head coach Iain Dowie took over Rangers in the summer, but left in October, with former Portugal midfielder Sousa taking over last week.
Dowie, who took charge of just 15 Charlton games, was dismissed after reportedly refusing to select a team suggested to him by Flavio Briatore, who owns the R's, along with fellow Formula One magnate Bernie Ecclestone.
Sousa played 51 times for his country and had spells with Benfica, Sporting Clube de Portugal, Juventus, Internazionale, Parma and Borussia Dortmund, but his first game in charge of Rangers saw them slump to a 3-0 defeat to Watford at Vicarage Road on Saturday.
Watford, who themselves only appointed a new manager in Brendan Rodgers on Monday, were 3-0 up at half-time after a Tommy Smith penalty and further strikes from Darren Ward and Lee Williamson.
QPR's misery was compounded with Fitz Hall seeing red in the 81st minute after a foul on Will Hoskins.
On-loan Fulham man Lee Cook, who had a temporary spell with the Addicks last term, is struggling with a knee injury
Sousa said afterwards: "I have been here for two days but I cannot change everything. It was a bad performance, especially in the first half. I do not think the players have confidence in themselves and we need to work very hard.
"To change these things we need to work really hard. I believe slowly it will come. I know what I need to do. I believe in these players."
It's difficult to predict what formation or team Sousa will field in his first home game in charge on Tuesday night.
What is certain is that Sousa will be without the suspended Hall, while Rowan Vine and Akos Buzsaky are sidelined with long-term injuries.
Former Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Radek Cerny is likely to start in goal, with the likes of Damien Delaney, Damion Stewart, Peter Ramage and Kaspars Gorkss pushing for places in defence. Matthew Connolly is struggling with a back injury he picked up against Burnley.
In midfield, Argentine winger Emmanuel Ledesma earned a recall to the starting XI at Vicarage Road after scoring for the reserves last week, but was substituted in the 53rd minute for on-loan Real Madrid player Daniel Parejo, who has recovered from a back problem. Ledesma picked up his fifth yellow card of the season in Hertfordshire but his ban will not start until the weekend and should line up on the flank.
Two from Mikele Leigertwood, Gavin Mahon, Damiano Tommasi and Parejo will take their places in the engine room, with Hogan Ephraim on the other wing.
On-loan Fulham man Lee Cook, who had a temporary spell with the Addicks last term, missed Saturday's game with a knee injury, while Martin Rowlands was absent with a back complaint.
Patrick Agyemang is likely to partner the lively Dexter Blackstock in attack, although Samuel Di Carmine is another option.
QPR will use the game to celebrate the memory of former R's youth-team starlet Kiyan Prince, who was stabbed to death at the age of 15 following an altercation with another student outside the gates of the London Academy in Edgware in May 2006.
Past meetings
Charlton's last victory at Loftus Road came in the first leg of a League Cup second-round tie in September 1998, when a Shaun Newton strike and a Lee Harper own goal earned the Addicks a 2-0 victory.
In the second leg at The Valley, Eddie Youds was on target as Charlton sealed a 3-0 aggregate victory.
The season before, the Addicks earned a 4-2 win in the league at Loftus Road through a John Robinson brace and goals from Steve Jones and Phil Chapple, who Parkinson revealed on Monday would become more involved in first-team duties.
Last season, QPR ended Charlton's fading play-off hopes with a 1-0 victory in West London after a 15th-minute strike by Blackstock.
The meeting at The Valley had also ended in a 1-0 win for Rangers, with Pardew afterwards calling his team's performance against the then-bottom side 'inept'.
There was a silver lining, however, in the shape of academy youth product Basey, who was handed his full Charlton debut by the then-Valley boss.
The first meeting between the teams was way back in the 1921/22 season when a crowd of 10,000 witnessed a 1-1 draw at The Valley in the (old) Division Three South. Arthur Whalley scored Charlton's goal that day.
The overall record stands at 20 QPR wins to Charlton's 22, with 20 draws.
Team news
Phil Parkinson took charge of training for the first time on Sunday
Like QPR, it's hard to gauge what side or formation Parkinson will go for in his first match in charge, but Keith Gillespie is in line to make his Addicks debut after joining on loan from Sheffield United until January 3rd.
Parkinson must decide whether to keep faith with Nicky Weaver in goal or hand a first league start of the campaign to young Rob Elliot.
Mark Hudson and Linvoy Primus are likely to continue at centre-half, although Martin Cranie is waiting in the wings, and although Jonathan Fortune is fit again, he has only played one reserve-team outing following a knee injury. Cranie is also another option at right-back instead of Yassin Moutaouakil.
Kelly Youga scored an own goal and was replaced shortly after half-time on Saturday so Basey will be bidding for a recall at left-back at Loftus Road.
If Parkinson names a five-man midfield, Hameur Bouazza, Luke Varney, Basey, Lloyd Sam or Gillespie could start on the flanks, with three from Matt Holland, Jose Semedo, Nicky Bailey, Therry Racon, Josh Wright and Jonjo Shelvey in the centre.
Andy Gray may lead the attack alone, unless Parkinson plays two up front where he could be joined by Martyn Waghorn, Varney, Svetoslav Todorov, Chris Dickson or Izale McLeod.
