Game of poker
It was little over a week ago now since Roland Duchâtelet announced in front of a large audience that he was discussing Chris Powell’s contract “for the coming years.”
That night Powell and Alex Dyer cancelled an appearance at Bromley Addicks, probably to avoid difficult questions from an audience as fans assumed that negotiations were ongoing. That was Thursday.
Saturday Johnnie Jackson dived into an ecstatic crowd after scoring a dramatic last minute winner at home to QPR, The Valley at the final whistle made their opinions of Powell’s future loud and clear.
Two nights later under the floodlights at Hillsborough, Powell swung on the cross bar in a moment of unbridled joy as Addicks wildly celebrated another unlikely victory.
Powell’s love for the club and the pride he has managing it is indisputable, and the vocal majority of supporters beg Duchâtelet on forums, in living rooms and in pubs to extend the manager’s contract, whilst those against Powell hide back behind the settee.
It is also worth remembering that other heroes from this past week, Michael Morrison, Johnnie Jackson, Ben Hamer, Lawrie Wilson and Diego Poyet are also in the same contract situation as their manager.
One surmises that Duchâtelet and Powell are disagreeing over the terms of any extension. RD could be suggesting a different coaching team, a change of job function, head coach role perhaps, with a Director of Football parachuted in between Powell and Katrien Meire and Duchâtelet. Who’s also to say that the owner is making it known to the manager that some or all of the players out of contract should not expect to improve their terms in the summer and will be moved on?
Duchâtelet may have taken away any threat of administration or financial instability but he will not throw his money around and has very strong ideals on how to run a football club, that are both interesting and nonconformist.
Meanwhile Powell and his players will have to take continued pride in the shirt and with our support let us hope that the thrills continue as the next few weeks unfold. It might be that Powell and his team will hold some very good cards in Duchâtelet’s game of poker.
