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Jan 31

6 Comments

Charlton Athletic 1 Rotherham United 1

The apathy, you can feel it running pretty deep amongst Addicks at the moment. The 2nd lowest Valley league crowd this season (despite a healthy Rotherham following) had to endure a much needed 3 points snatched away from them in injury time as Guy Luzon substituted a forward and put another defender on to entice pressure.

Sat in my car with my phone in my hand, the probability of that happening was about as obvious as night following day.

I am willing to give Roland Duchâtelet until Monday night then I might have a right old paddy.
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Jan 30

5 Comments

And another one gone

Joe Pigott has had his loan extended with Southend United until the end of the season.

The Shrimpers manager Phil Brown said: “It takes that element of doubt away. When you see the quality he has in training, it takes that risk away.”
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Jan 30

2 Comments

Give us a goal

I am Coral Gables today. Just a short run from Miami airport, where I got in late last night from Lake Tahoe. I fly back to Bermuda later after I catch up on some work and have a walk around the charming streets of Coral Gables and get some lunch.

As expected George Țucudean said farewell today to Charlton and has moved on a 18-month loan to Steau Bucharest to “win trophies,” which to be fair he has more likelihood in doing bearing in mind Steau have won the league 25 times and the cup 21 times.
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Jan 29

3 Comments

Lepoint signs

The Addicks added to their midfield ranks today by signing Belgian Christophe Lepoint on an undisclosed deal until 2017.

30-year old Lepoint was at Belgium Jupiler League KAA Gent, and has played 17 games so far this season, without a goal. He is said to be a more defensive midfielder, with more ardour than ability. Some would say like his new head coach.
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Jan 27

3 Comments

Where’s the spine?

Rotherham hit four goals tonight, one for every week that we have failed to find the net in the league. If Saturday wasn’t a big game before, it is now.

Guy Luzon would have had another week to get his ideas and positivity across to the players, although yet he has no additional players to work with.

Milos Veljkovic impressed at Wolves with a confident performance but the young Serb just adds to the ranks of holding midfielders. For so long we have lacked that midfield creativity and the club have only until Monday to address that.
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Jan 26

15 Comments

Lake Tahoe

Late last night I arrived in Lake Tahoe in California after a long day of travelling. I am here until Thursday, er working…. it says here.

The week consists of early morning advisory boards and late afternoon breakout sessions, but in between times is reserved for winter sport activities, but Lake Tahoe hasn’t seen snow since the end of December and I think I am going to get more use out of sun lotion than snow boots.
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Jan 24

7 Comments

Wolverhampton Wanderers 0 Charlton Athletic 0

Most unexpected.

I was more interested in the performance, attitude and reaction today than the result, and from what I have read those attributes were all there, so credit to Guy Luzon and the players.

This is a windy road, and I expect plenty more divots in it as we navigate in the darkness around Duchâtelet’s network gimmick.
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Jan 22

4 Comments

New head coach bounce

“He’s met the players, he’s had some chats and they are well aware of how he wants to play as well, so we tried that in the first-half.” – Damian Matthew

So Guy Luzon has his work permit, and the Israeli officially becomes the Addicks 24th manager in it’s colourful history.

At the end of the day he will get my support, because wanting the team to be successful is the only way I know. Life and in particular being a Charlton fan is complicated and draining enough without wishing ill of something that has been part of me for 40 years.

When football fans set off for games it is not to support the owner, or the CEO, it is to support a collection of footballers wearing a shirt, representing a club in a community that they have an emotional connection with, and that will be no different on Saturday.
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Jan 20

8 Comments

One in, but how many out?

No news on Guy Luzon’s work permit, but there was a new player at Sparrows Lane today.

Milos Veljkovic signed on loan until the end of the season from Tottenham.

A 19-year old defensive midfielder, who can also play at centre-half, Veljkovic was on loan at Middlesbrough and although he only made 4 appearances Boro manager, Aitor Karanka, who can spot a young talent, was very complimentary.
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Jan 19

10 Comments

Bob speaks

Here in his native tongue.

You can spin it through Google Translator, but if you allow me to paraphrase it for you, Peeters says he was “idolised” by fans, and he thought he had a good relationship with Katrien Meire, but they ended up in conflict. The supporters could see we needed better players, but the owner thought he was exaggerating.
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Jan 17

10 Comments

Watford 5 Charlton Athletic 0

What a shambles.

Very few times in my years as a Charlton Athletic fan can I ever predict a result or a performance, because we have always been so unpredictable, save the days of games against Manchester United, or the FA Cup.

However today’s defeat was a dead cert, but despite this 2,024 Addicks spent hard earned money to travel and watch the team they love, and gave the players total backing for the entire game. And this was their reward.
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Jan 16

20 Comments

Farcical

“Charlton are disappointed to announce that Guy Luzon will not be able to take charge of the team at Watford on Saturday due to issues with his UK work permit.” (more)

You couldn’t make it up could you.
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Jan 15

10 Comments

Penny for a Guy

He may well not turn out to be the next Alex Ferguson, but perhaps we have a budding Ronald Koeman on our hands, or Marc Wilmots, or a young Avram Grant. Hey, a young José Riga would satisfy me.

Known by Standard fans and most of the Belgium sports media as a clown, who brought some strange touch-line antics and the long ball to the Belgium’s Jupiler League that had along with the Belgium FA developed some excellent academies and talented young players in less than a decade, we will find out soon enough whether keeping Guy Luzon on the payroll was one of Roland Duchâtelet’s more insightful decisions or one of that of a madman.

The name Guy Luzon first came into our sightline when he was sacked by Standard Liege in October, and I wrote then with an element of surprise that Luzon would remain in the network.
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Jan 14

29 Comments

Press conference awkwardness

Anyone see the press conference this afternoon? It was an embarrassment to the club.

No Roland of course, allergic to talking to supporters, but Katrien was there complete with shovel in her hand. They rolled Richard Murray out to put our minds at rest and then there was Guy Luzon, who I had trouble understanding.
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Jan 14

18 Comments

A load of old waffle

New manager head coach, new sheet of paper, clean slate.

Of course, I’m willing to give anyone a chance, including Guy Luzon, despite his press being worse than a combination of Iain Dowie and Alan Pardew. Read this interview with respected Belgian journalist and Standard Liege fan Douglas de Coninck and weep.

A British born Belgium journalist I have grown to respect John Chapman said this:

“And so it came to pass that Guy Luzon became coach of Charlton Athletic. Only reason is that he’s already on Duchatelet’s payroll. Luzon made no friends at Standard Liege. Had promising start but lost the plot when pressure on. Has no record of club success.

Duchatelet running his network of clubs like he would a multinational company. People ‘transferred’ between countries as vacancies arise. But football ain’t like that. To be successful, all football clubs need a soul. Sadly lacking now at CAFC and Standard.”
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Jan 13

14 Comments

Luzon appointed

Well, well, well, who would have thought it!

24 hours after the club said they were in the process of searching for the right appointment, after a night at the Bexleyheath Marriott, Guy Luzon shows up at The Valley with his suitcase as shown on Sky Sports for the shortest of short interviews, and is appointed as Charlton Athletic’s new head coach

“I think the appointment of Guy Luzon will prove to be a very good one for the club.” – Roland Duchâtelet (more)

What a joke!

Jan 13

3 Comments

Will it be anyone else other than Luzon?

I was quite expecting no further comment from the club yesterday, until late in the day Katrien Meire did follow up with comments on cafc.co.uk.

Meire said that the decision was only taken after the game on Saturday, which seems both unlikely and a little too impetuous. I don’t believe her, nor does Bob, especially knowing of recent informed reports from the Israeli media about Guy Luzon, and the fact that Karel Faraeye was at the Cardiff game, but after her comments in the programme on Saturday, I expect Roland Duchâtelet allowed her, a lawyer, to choose her own words.

It doesn’t matter now, what does is who is appointed next as the 4th manager/head coach in 10 months.
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Jan 12

5 Comments

Who is to blame?

Football is all about the blame game, whether we like it or not. Personally my only blame laid at the door of Bob Peeters was his tactical naivety, and as time went on I questioned whether he was able to get his points across to the players.

However Peeters was responsible for introducing a momentous change in the way Charlton played the game. Some of our play was truly inspiring and I thank him for giving that to me, albeit for a only a tiny amount of time, but it is something I will remember.

Peeters’ trouble, our trouble, is the squad is made of straw and has more perforations in it than a Belgium waffle.
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Jan 12

4 Comments

Charlton Athletic 0 Brighton & Hove Albion 1

I wrote this on the plane yesterday afternoon flying back from Gatwick after watching the Brighton game on Saturday, which was to be Bob Peeters’ last.

I thought I’d still post my report, particularly as some of it could serve as Bob Peeters’ epilogue….

“You know how we used to say anyone can beat anyone in this league? We’re proving that wrong.” – Brian Haines, Charlton Blogger

Terrible wasn’t it?

How have we fallen so far since those heady September days, that Derby game on that August evening. What an earth has happened?
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Jan 11

6 Comments

Peeters sacked

“Charlton have terminated the contract of Head Coach Bob Peeters with immediate effect, the club can confirm. The contracts of Senior Professional Development Coach Patrick Van Houdt and Performance Analyst Guy Kiala have also been terminated.” (Club statement)

24 hours after CEO Katrien Meire told supporters in the matchday programme that the club can take many positives from the first six months of the season, tonight the club decided that Bob Peeters, given to us by Roland Duchâtelet, wasn’t one of them.
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Jan 11

2 Comments

2014 Top Five Favourite Restaurants

Just a few more 2014 Top 5’s to share. Two of my favourite hobbies are eating out and going to new places and I managed to combine that a lot in 2014.

The fact that three of my Top 5 Restaurants are in Miami tells me that I spent a lot of time in the city in 2014 and also that Miami’s restaurant scene, historically listless, is booming.

I was lucky to eat in a number of great places, so I also picked a couple of Honourable Mentions, but firstly these were My 2014 Top 5 Favourite Restaurants:
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Jan 9

4 Comments

Kevin Nolan

Word comes via Rick Everitt on Charlton Life that well-known Addicks’ scribe Kevin Nolan had a stroke on Sunday morning and is currently in hospital.

Gladly, according to Rick, his prognosis appears good, so we all hope for a speedy recovery.

Kevin is about as Charlton as you can get, and with the likelihood of him not being at The Valley Saturday as both a fan and a matchday reporter for Greenwich.co.uk, it got me wondering when the last time he actually missed a game?
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Jan 6

3 Comments

Watt signs on a permanent

Tony Watt will be a fully fledged Charlton player after the club announced that the Scotsman has signed a three and a half year contract. Strangely with the No. 9 sat getting dusty in the laundry basket, Watt has been given the No. 32 shirt, one which I hope to see him in on Saturday.

The fee is described as undisclosed, so I assuming that Roly closed his eyes and moved some loose change from one trouser pocket to the next.
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Jan 6

1 Comment

Charlton in new network signing shocker

Whilst I don’t understand a lot about the benefits of the network, it does seem strange to me that the club let two of it’s young goalkeepers leave on loan, but then sign another young keeper on a permanent deal from Roland Duchâtelet’s Újpest. A 22-year old who has not played a competitive league game this season.
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Jan 6

10 Comments

Big game Saturday

So I have decided to come home. I will scoop my son up from school on Friday, go and grab my brother on Saturday morning and we’ll head to The Valley early for drinks and conversation with mates before giving Bob and the team all our support.

As my brother and I have always said to each other: “they need us bro.”
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Jan 5

1 Comment

Arguments in dressing room

“There were some arguments in the dressing room – it has to happen. The manager has to understand. No one is happy. We have to try and get a solution.” Andre Bikey (more)

Probably comes as no surprise to most, but cracks have started to appear in Bob Peeters armour, and need to be addressed.

Whether Bikey was right to take this to the press I don’t know, but it clearly smells of frustration and exhaustion.
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Jan 4

4 Comments

Bob’s sound bites

I hope Bob Peeters is showing a little more variation in his training techniques than he is in his post-match conferences. Sadly since the Duchâtelet era began we rarely hear from our head coaches other than a few sentences post-game, which is not helpful in building rapport with supporters.

The last few weeks Peeters’ has bemoaned tiredness, other teams being better headers of the ball, injuries, young guns, a lack of physicality, set pieces, Tal Ben Haim and the size of the squad. It’s getting a little tiresome.

I took to Bob early because he came across as passionate and honest, and had an endearing amalgam of naivety and ambitious. This is a massive test for Bob, both in managing and getting the best out of his players and how he gets the best out of those that employ him.
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Jan 3

4 Comments

Charlton Athletic 1 Blackburn Rovers 2

“Even after you’ve made allowances – the injuries, the youth of the squad, the lack of a competent, confident striker – there was no excuse for it. It was a broken team, pretending to play football until the clock ran down, but looking like a blindfolded kabaddi team.” – Stickleback
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Jan 2

3 Comments

Cup half full?

You know it is a bit of a myth that we are rubbish in the FA Cup, in fact we are more rubbish in the League Cup.

What am I talking about? Well for a team that spent the majority of the last 21 years in the 2nd tier, we have been to four quarter finals. That’s one every five years.

1993/4 (Old Trafford, things can only get better), 1999/00 (Bolton, bloody Fish & Jensen), 2005/6 (Middlesbrough replay, Operation Riverside) and last season, the Bramall Lane embarrassment.
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Jan 1

8 Comments

The year in Blog numbers

Hangover central in our house today after a night out in town with friends. The other half is already in bed (7.10pm), the little ‘un was next (note to social services: she does not have a hangover) and I’ll be next.

Good hangover reading was going through my WordPress Blog stats for 2014 and they were pleasantly surprising.

I had 199,000 page views in 2014, which is more than double the previous year, probably because after 9 years of writing News Now finally acknowledged my Blog as a ‘Charlton Athletic one’ and carried links to it on their club page. News Now referred 55,000 readers to my posts.
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