‘Difficult to predict’ – Charlton boss on Norwich selection + his first FA Cup memories

Charlton Athletic manager Johnnie Jackson admits it is hard to predict how full strength Norwich City will go in Sunday’s FA Cup third round tie at The Valley.

The Addicks disposed of non-league opposition – Havant & Waterlooville and Gateshead – in the first two rounds. Now comes a Canaries side who are bottom of the Premier League table.

Norwich won their first match after appointing ex-Aston Villa boss Dean Smith in mid-November – 2-1 against Southampton at Carrow Road – but have banked just two points from a possible 21 since.

They head to SE7 on a run of five straight losses, the most recent one at the hands of Crystal Palace (3-0) on December 28.

“It’s very difficult for me to predict,” said Jackson, when asked how he expected Norwich to line up. “They find themselves in a tricky situation in the league and I know that will be Dean’s main focus. But at the same time he is not going to want a cup upset on his hands.

“I expect them to take the game seriously. They probably will make changes but he has the luxury of a putting a strong team out there whatever he does.”

Charlton will not be able to field centre-back Akin Famewo as part of the loan agreement between the two clubs.

Asked about his earliest FA Cup memories, Jackson, 39, said: “I vaguely remember watching the Liverpool-Wimbledon game. I was at the 1991 semi-final when Spurs beat Arsenal with Paul Gascoigne’s free-kick, that was probably my earliest memory, that was at Wembley.

“Two years later Arsenal won the FA Cup and League Cup, we played Sheffield Wednesday both times. I remember Tony Adams throwing Steve Morrow over his shoulder and [Paul] Merson did the drinking sign. I always loved the cup occasions. I’m probably from the last generation where the FA Cup had the full focus of the football world.”