Francis going, Llera going, Semedo gone

As predicted Jose Semedo signed for Div 3 rivals Sheffield Wednesday today. I’m sorry to see him go but it was hardly unexpected, it’s just a shame that he has chosen to go to a team in the same division as us when one would have thought he had options higher up. Wednesday obviously were prepared to match or improve his current contract and gave him the stability of a 3-year deal.

But, in saying that I belong to the band of people that thought Jose was part of the problem and not the solution. Powell has already signed a whole new midfield and we should be more excited by that than the re-signing of the Portugeser and his Guadalopian mate Racon.

Nonetheless he only ever gave his all in a red shirt and I was proud to sponsor his shirt in his final season at The Valley.

Wednesday, who appear to be holding out for more money for Michael Morrison, are in re-building mode themselves and new manager Gary Megson has been very critical of what he has inherited. Before allowing Morrison to leave, Megson is trying to sign Danny Batth from Wolves. Rumours are that we are in for him as well.

Meanwhile young German trialist Niklas Andersen will have a chance to impress at Welling Saturday. For those Addicks going to Park View Road they will need to buy a teamsheet.

One player that won’t be at Park View Road is Simon Francis. Bournemouth and Charlton finally agreed a fee today (thought to be £50,000) and he is expected in Dorset tomorrow to agree terms.

Francis is a good crosser of the ball and an excellent build for a defender but poor positional awareness and lack of pace severly restricts him.

Another out of contract defender Miguel Angel Llera is being chased by two Championship clubs, which somewhat validates his proponent’s view. I always quite liked Llera, who scored some important goals and has a left foot that with some coaching could become a real weapon. I thought he was unfortunate as seemingly every time he made an error he was thrown under the microscope unlike his peer’s Dailly, Fortune and Doherty.

Llera is being chased by Brighton’s Gus Poyet and Blackpool’s Ian Holloway, who one would think can pick a player.

Joe Anyinsah yesterday went back to the place of his birth and signed for Paul Buckle’s Bristol Rovers. Good luck to him and finally out of contract Jason Euell announced on his Twitter page that he is training with the Addicks.