Chris Powell

Oct 2

Charlton Athletic 1 Nottingham Forest 1

It was a real delight to read the Blogs and reports last night and this morning after yesterday’s game. There isn’t much more enthralling than a Charlton game at The Valley, under the lights, singing and shouting yourself hoarse and leaving the ground proud of the team.

It sounded a performance to make the heart sing and the support and backing of Chris Powell and his players showed once again how the gaffer is viewed by the supporters. As importantly to us was that it proved again that the players have what it takes to compete in this division.
Please click for more

Sep 29

3 Comments

Don’t give them an excuse Chrissy

This Blogger and Addick has consistently asked questions of Messrs Jimenez and Slater, I’ve tried to understand their motives, their plans, the capricious running of the club and it’s finances, their hires and reasons behind resignations and sackings of long term staff members and very importantly what their intentions are for The Valley and for the football club I have loved for as long as I can remember.

Apart from some irregular Slater baloney in the programme, we get told nothing so it is left for the fans to make assumptions, and I sense even the most insouciant of Addicks are now asking questions. Those questions I think will be loud and clear this week as we face two home games.
Please click for more

Aug 25

4 Comments

A little pessimistic to be honest

I am not going to lie, but I’m a little worried about the boys in red, but I will soon see for myself as I will be at the Leicester game on Saturday. Subject of course to it not raining!

I may be a little pessimistic, but I’m actually preparing myself for a relegation battle, which I am okay with, as long as the players show the mettle for it. One thing that Powell needs to address is how we start home games. Potential relegation battle aside our home form is critical to keeping the positivity around the club towards these players and the manager. Although this particular blogger remains 100% behind Chris Powell.
Please click for more

Aug 23

3 Comments

Dilemma

There has been a lot of questions asked of the form of four of the Addicks best players from the end of last season – Yann Kermorgant, Chris Solly, Michael Morrison and Rhoys Wiggins – since the season kicked off three weeks ago.

With just over a week left of the transfer window stories persist that these four players have each been made available to other clubs should someone offer a price that Tony Jimenez feels acceptable and if true this will no doubt have an affect on the players, who I believe all had good pre-seasons, especially Yann, but have suddenly looked a little disinterested.
Please click for more

Aug 10

Charlton Athletic 0 Middlesbrough 1

Was that the new bad, or was it only as bad as many of the home games last season? That was the question I was asking myself after the game today.

It didn’t sound pretty with a lacklustre attacking display and an uninspiring sounding midfield in which once again (at home) we failed to get anywhere near to winning the all-important possession battle.

A real shame after the encouraging win on Tuesday and a shame, although not unexpected, to only see two of that vibrant side start today.

Please click for more

Jul 28

2 Comments

One up front

Yesterday’s game for Paddy sounded a bit of a bore, the legendary Addick deserved better, but a friendly is just that and in the greater scheme of things the 90 minutes were just another piece of Chris Powell’s pre-season jigsaw as he takes them into this important final week before we go to Bournemouth.

Even though I purchased a ticket, the wrist slitting amongst some of Addicks last night was a timely reminder why a gave up pre-season friendlies a couple of decades ago.

In saying that the crowd was very disappointing, and there could be a number of reasons for that but 132 from Inverness was a wonderful effort and I saw that one group that travelled down from the Highlands actually upgraded their tickets to the corporate area once they heard it was to benefit an old pro. Very honourable indeed.
Please click for more

Jul 24

Striker a light

The incoming door at Sparrows Lane remains very much intact emphasising the financial constraints that Powell has been put under by the owners. Stories of alleged unpaid bills, loyal employees leaving and out of court settlements have punctured the summer transfer season again and one has to admire how Powell continues to put a brave face on the situation in public meanwhile diligently putting the players through their pre-season paces with help of his coaching team, which is also one short after Nathan Jones left for Brighton. Dagenham & Redbridge were the latest to get the runaround last night.
Please click for more

Jul 18

Nathan Jones leaves Addicks

As so often happens with success your best employees get headhunted.

Nathan Jones, who has performed wonders with Charlton’s promising and hugely successful U21 Development Squad has moved to Brighton as part of new manager Oscar Garcia’s coaching team. Jones played 150 games for the Seagulls and is a Spanish speaker.
Please click for more

May 27

12 Comments

Not bitter

There’s nothing worse I have decided than supporting a team that I really have never cared for very much against a team that I loathe. My brother actually went today, wearing his Charlton shirt under his jacket, sat with some Watford friends. I couldn’t have faced that to be honest even before the game, and judging by his texts he won’t be doing it again in a hurry neither.

In my mind the power struggle in south-east London doesn’t really change much. Palace’s board will have to decide how much of their new found wealth they will gamble on a team now short of it’s only quality player, and whether they spend some money on trying to upgrade Selhurst Park during the campaign like Blackpool did, because it will easily be the worse ground to grace the Premier League since Fratton Park.

Probably for the first time in a generation Palace will pull in bigger home crowds than us, but that will be the floaters coming through the gate, not Charlton fans I’d hope, even if there are a number of lapsed season ticket holders out there. Millwall mind you could really have suffered if they’d dropped into League One.
Please click for more

May 8

Four off to horizons new

Always sad to see players get released although Waggy was very upbeat about his imminent departure when I spoke to him last week. He felt, rightly so in my opinion, that being a free agent will make him more appealable to clubs and he is hoping for another crack at The Championship. His attitude over the years since his debut in 2008 has been exemplary and he deserves the opportunity to make a good career for himself and I know all Addicks wish him every success.
Please click for more

Apr 27

2 Comments

Middlesbrough 2 Charlton Athletic 2

A pretty decent result up on Teeside today, although a little annoying that we gave away the two-goal lead so late after dominating the 1st half and racing into a lead.

The result ended our away campaign with one of the best records in the division, even though Tony Mowbray thinks massive teams like Middlesbrough should roll over little teams like Charlton!

I’ve stared at the table and it is hard to see how we would have crept into the top six, even if we’d got all 3 points at The Riverside, and then all the moons aligned next Saturday afternoon over SE7. I think we’d be looking at Bolton getting thrashed at home by Blackpool and Palace needing to lose their last two games, and heck that would take all of the fun out of the their game with Millwall on Tuesday.
Please click for more

Feb 22

John Obika in on loan

I have just had another look at Tuesday’s goals. Sweeeet. Love the way Haynes celebrated his goal, he didn’t know what the hell to do.

Now to recreate some of those celebrations at home starting tomorrow. In the early weeks of the season I was at the City Ground to see us well beaten by a very impressive Forest side under the obvious coaching of Sean O’Driscoll. They played the ball around quickly and cut through our defensive ranks like butter for 80 minutes. All of us that day were convinced that by now Forest would be knocking on the automatic promotion door but apparently needlessly it has been a bumpy road and three managers later they are among a possee of clubs ever hopeful of the play-off’s.

Maybe being owned by rich Arabs is not all it’s cracked up to be.
Please click for more

Feb 18

6 Comments

Workmanlike

I can’t really understand the frustrations of some Addicks fans, but then again I have felt strangely detached this season struggling to come to terms with differing opinions and only occasionally being able to form my own as I haven’t seen as many games this season as I did last.

In the absence of transfer funds Powell has, for this division, a workmanlike squad that he has made tough to beat – only 3 times have we lost by more than a single goal and in two of those we were deservedly beaten (Wednesday and Middlesbrough).
Please click for more

Feb 8

Blue noses

I’ve just about got over last Saturday and a Palace mate described the game as I heard and read many Charlton fans. Holloway tactically out-did Powell but only late in the game after he got everything right in the 1st half but stood and watched like everyone else us miss chance after chance that eventually cost us.

Birmingham come to The Valley tomorrow and it is hard to remember that they finished 9th in the Premier League as recent as 2010 but they are now one of many clubs in the Championship struggling to comes to terms with harsh financial realities despite another parachute cheque recently being cashed.

Birmingham’s story of ownership and long-overdue accounts like the Portsmouth takeover is a consistent news item on the sports pages and they sold future England ‘keeper Jack Butland to Stoke on transfer deadline day for £4m but he was immediately loaned back. The Blues turned down £6m from Southampton in the summer but the club were desparate for the money and it was all paid up front.
Please click for more

Jan 28

Will we, won’t we?

With Thursday’s transfer deadline fast approaching any additions to the squad look unlikely. Chris Powell has been increasingly vague and in the post match press conference on Saturday said “That’s a great question…If we do, great, If we don’t, we just get on with it” suggesting he has not been given any funds to make any moves, even for Rob Hulse, who now seems destined for Millwall.
Please click for more

Jan 11

1 Comment

Chicken pot pie

The Championship managerial merry-go-round continues in earnest. After 2 wins at Blackpool Michael Appleton was headhunted by the Venky’s at Blackburn and signed up as quick as you could say chicken kiev.

Appleton’s managerial record is a little worse than mine on FIFA 13 (semi-pro setting) but he exclaimed that “I am delighted to be joining such an historic club. This is a fantastic opportunity for me and I am excited about the challenge we have ahead of us,” which I believe he also said when he joined Blackpool.
Please click for more

Dec 28

1 Comment

Trust in Chris Powell

If I have a New Year’s wish it is for our board to put any thoughts of sacking Chris Powell to the backs of their mind. Since Christmas Day two Championship club owners have fired their managers, both in what I consider hairbrained circumstances.

On Boxing Day Sean O’Driscoll’s Nottingham Forest side dismantled a revived Leeds United by playing the only way O’Driscoll’s teams know how to play. After his post match press conference he was sacked by the Al Hasawi family, one of whom was only watching his plaything for the first time!

Blackburn spent an age moving on public enemy number one Steve Kean. He was finally put out of his misery and was booted out by Rovers’ Indian owners despite being top before his last game in charge. He was replaced by Henning Berg on a 3-year contract but 57 days later he too was gone.
Please click for more

Nov 6

5 Comments

Powell leaving is not worth thinking about

There is a lot of chatter about Chris Powell’s future at the club. It is presumed, with quite good reason, that he doesn’t have much of a relationship with Tony Jimenez, he does with Michael Slater, but his opinion is becoming less meaningful. One would have thought the only Charlton man left standing, I am of course talking about Richard Murray, would be like the majority of us, and still hold Chris in high regard.

I would think Chris Powell is having a fair few sleepless nights. He is still on a massive learning curve and it has been a very tough introduction to this level. There have been games and situations when he has shown his naivety and made errors of judgment, yet he has shown very promising ability and he has also called many, many decisions correctly. He is a quick learner but this is a callous profession to have to learn on the job, especially if you are getting no moral support from up top.
Please click for more

Oct 1

Our Hulse

As expected Rob Hulse joined the Addicks today on a 3-month loan, and goes straight into Chris Powell’s squad for tomorrow. The 32-year old has slowly rolled down the pecking order at QPR and didn’t make Mark Hughes’ Premier League squad.

On the minus side Hulse hasn’t played much football these last couple of seasons and although he has a Championship winners medal, he was really a bit part player in Warnock’s team, and only scored twice. On the plus point, he fits the mold of a Powell signing in that he has something to prove if he is looking for a move to end his career on a high. Also, other than at QPR, Hulse has enjoyed a lot of success at this level and has moved around for a number of sizeable fees.
Please click for more

Aug 13

2 Comments

Back to 4-4-2

Following my 866 word dissertation on Chris Powell’s formation’s last week he reverted back to a wholesome 4-4-2 at Craven Cottage on Saturday starting the game with 11 players from last season’s squad, and not an awful lot different from the team that played against Hartlepool.

Powell knowing I suspect that he hasn’t the armoury for 4-3-3 went back to his trusted formation and it paid dividends. Despite going behind to an early goal the Addicks grew into the game and in the 2nd period revenged our unfortunate FA Cup defeat with a resounding confidence boosting victory following goals from Johnnie Jackson and Kermie.
Please click for more

Aug 9

2 Comments

In formation. To 4-3-3 or not 4-3-3

Tomorrow behind closed doors Chris Powell has his last chance to experiment before the season kicks off on Tuesday when Leyton Orient visit The Valley in the Capital One Cup, four days before we go to St Andrews.

In pre-season Powell has tried 4-3-3 and 4-1-2-1-2 in every game and has only reverted back to last season’s staple 4-2-2 piecemeal. I read with interest one comment that the diamond formation or a central three with pushing on full backs has looked better when some of the less senior players have been involved in it, such as Bover, Cook and Evina.

The problem with a formation other than a 4-2-2 is that I don’t think we have the players, or at least enough of them to play it with aptitude, hence why last season we saw the infinite use of 4-2-2, predominately because that was the style that most suited the players available and/or bought by the CP.
Please click for more->

Jul 31

Powell restrained in transfer market

The pre-season rolls on and it’s Nick Pope’s Bury Town tonight. Ian Cartwright’s guide is as good as always, and the line-up is expected to be mostly developmental players but should include Danny Hollands as he catches up on his pre-season. Sadly Nick Pope misses the game in the pretty cathedral town of Bury St Edmonds due to injury.

A development side captained by Danny Hollands beat Bromley Town 2-0 on Saturday, with Ruben Bover’s stunning free-kick the highlight. On Thursday last week a 1st XI comfortably beat Barnet at Underhill 4-1. Kermorgant (both free-kicks), BWP and Jackson got the goals and Jon Fortune captained the Bees.

The first team go to Crawley Town tomorrow night and this is followed by Gillingham, whose hard-to-love chairman has vowed to clear his club’s name of racial discrimination. Pre-season is completed with a game at Tonbridge Angels and finally behind closed doors the Saturday before the new season, Fulham.
Please click for more

Jul 22

Back from Spain

Chris Powell and his squad return to London tomorrow after a week of pre-season work in Spain. I am sure the coaches and sports scientists will pick out other highlights from the trip but the fan’s focus will be on the 1-0 win over Sporting Lisbon on Thursday night in Lepe. I never get very excited about friendlies but they have to generate a winning mentality and Sporting is a considerable scalp.
Please click for more

Apr 16

2 Comments

The Reds are going up

48 hours on and the party is still going on in my head. I have watched every available video clip, read every report and smiled over every photograph. How kind it was of our friends at Carlisle to host another one of our promotion parties!

I have stared at that ‘P’ next to our highlighted name in the table and watched the pitch invasion from every camera phone of a Charlton fan who took time to post it on the internet and I have proudly worn the only pair of Charlton cuff links I own to work today (thanks Chris).
Please click for more

Apr 8

Oldham Athletic 0 Charlton Athletic 1

Nerves of steel. No not me I was once again pressing the refresh button on my phone like a demented one, but those wearing the red shirts yesterday. Finally men we can be proud to support.

We may have won nothing yet but I think Powell will look back at yesterday as an afternoon when all is said and done and point to a performance that summed up everything about this group of strangers he put together last summer. Powell may well be learning the coaching game but his man management abilities match him with almost anyone with decades more experience in the game. Those players will run through walls for him, it is all there for us to see.
Please click for more

Jan 27

1 Comment

In the middle

Chris Powell has talked this week about his central midfielders and coincidentally Blackheath Addick summed up perfectly the different midfield partnerships available to him.

Powell talked highly of Dale Stephens, a player I was very impressed with early season. “He’s a creative player, a player I do like and I just want him to be right and ready so that when he is called upon he does himself justice and adds to what we already have.” said Powell.

He was less gushing over Mikel Alonso. “We’ve got a long list of midfielders and there are plenty in front of him.” Alonso has been the forgotten man and he may now be fit but he still didn’t feature in the Kent Senior Cup tie the other night when Stephens, Waggy, Hayes and Ruben Bover did.
Please click for more

Dec 9

Men of the month

It had to happen didn’t it? Despite being met with intrepidation by fans, Chris Powell’s November Manager of the Month award is finally recognition for our start to the season. I can only assume that Lee Clark didn’t enter his name this month!

Michael Morrison, who is looking more and more like a cross between Eddie Youds and Steve Thompson, was also the League One Player of the Month. Congratulations to both.
Please click for more

Oct 21

1 Comment

Right wrongs

Big game tomorrow. Big because a lot of us are looking for a response after last week’s disappointment at Stevenage and big because we want to walk away at 5 o’clock with the early season declaration of a stirring promotion campaign back intact. Oh and big because Chicago Addick will also be in attendance, well I will if my Dad can lend me a fleece!

The players in red shirts will win, lose or draw the game tomorrow but I am keen to see how Chris Powell reacts to last week’s first league defeat because he struggled to right wrongs last season.
Please click for more

Oct 14

3 Comments

The life and times of Graham Westley

I’ve been thinking about the Stevenage game a lot this week. Google their manager Graham Westley and you can read a lot about his past endeavours. Of a journeyman footballer, who at 28 years old cut his teeth in management at Kingstonian and how he left Farnborough Town in the lurch just days after a much publicised ‘home’ FA Cup game against Arsenal.

Farnborough conceded home advantage in that 4th Round to play at Highbury and Westley was not only manager but also owner. After the 5-1 defeat Westley took his assistant manager, goalkeeping coach, seven players and alleged £500,000 of profit made from the Arsenal game to Stevenage Borough. Search a bit harder on the net and you will come across a “Westley is a c***” website. He has always stirred a lot of passion, and he thrives on it.
Please click for more

Sep 25

Charlton Athletic 3 Chesterfield 1

Yesterday was a long day and I won’t bore you with the details but some of our obstacles included hangovers, a driver that was one late, and two incompetent, the TSA, our daughter who was naughtier yesterday than on any other day since she popped into our life and lost work permits.

The shining light was Charlton, who rose to the occasion yesterday afternoon at a packed Valley.
Please click for more

Aug 5

3 Comments

This is it

My son and I landed at Gatwick this morning after a lovely couple of weeks together in Bermuda. We have timed our trip back to the UK in order that we can be present at the inauguration of what we all hope is a brand new chapter in the history of our great football club.

Chris Powell and the owners have done everything any fan could have asked of them after years of despair where Charlton have for past seven years finished in a lower league position than the season previous. Powell has single-handedly disassembled the squad that he inherited last January and created a whole new team and fashioned, or at least began to fashion, his own style of play, one a lot more attractive than what we were used to.

In what has been hands down the most exciting summer and pre-season for a couple of decades the strength of overwhelming support for our manager is palatable. 15 new players have signed and 15 have moved on in an incredible summer of activity at The Valley. Only two players that started last season’s opener against Bournemouth will run out of the tunnel tomorrow, although both Hollands and Wiggins were on the opposing side.
Please click for more

May 30

6 Comments

Jacks pot

Football was the winner this weekend wasn’t it? Barcelona. Swansea. Different players, but coaches with the same beliefs. What did Darren Ferguson change at Peterborough after they sacked Gary Johnson? Not the players, but the style of their football switching to a diamond midfield on arrival. Torquay United by all accounts also have a pleasing passing style but they lost the League Two play-off final to a more direct Stevenage (no longer Borough I understand) despite having the better of the game.

Swansea, like Brighton are a delight to watch under two manager’s with Chelsea connections, Rodgers clearly getting the very best out of Scott Sinclair, who was like a rabbit in the headlights at The Valley.
Please click for more

Apr 23

Two up, three off, don’t win, dodgy ref. Yep typical Charlton!

Bristol Rovers 2 Charlton Athletic 2
As someone said on Twitter: “So if you’re sat in London it’s all Powell’s fault, if you were at the game, you’re proud of the team and feel robbed. I trust those in Bristol.”

Well I’m even further away and was as frustrated as the next Addick as I scurried around pushing kids out of the way to get my hands on as many creme eggs as possible at the Easter egg hunt I was at, whilst periodically checking my phone for match updates. Yes, we threw away 3 points but not only did it sound as if we played pretty decent and scored two goals, we also battled to take something away from the game and fought for the shirt. And then I’ll reserve my wrath for the referee until I see the highlights. But it does sound like he was a twat.
Please click for more

Apr 21

3 Comments

If you know your history

6 points from 45 is not big nor clever and I wonder how many of us actually have any expectations of Charlton getting any more than 54 points by the time the curtain is drawn over this awful season.

The next three opponents all have something to play for. Bristol Rovers have a poor home record, whereas Rochdale have one of the leagues best on the road, but both will desperately be trying for 3 points. Powell has recently installed a bit more desire in the players, but one is sceptical that this will be sufficient enough to claim victory against sides with greater targets.

Walsall are in the relegation dogfight like Rovers and by Saturday week the Sadlers will probably need to win to stay up. Then the Hartlepool fixture has all the makings of a harmless draw as both sets of players look to avoid a summer injury or an early season suspension. God, I’m a cynical old bugger aren’t I?
Please click for more

Mar 19

2 Comments

Fatally wounded by Daggers?

Dagenham & Redbridge 2 Charlton Athletic 1
Another horrible performance from the Addicks today. Paul Benson failed a late fitness test and was replaced as match summariser by the helplessly optimistic Liam Happe but it was desperate listening and the 1,156 Addicks in the away end voiced their opinions loudly at the end of each half and particularly when Wagstaff, seemingly our best player, was replaced by Reid just after the hour when we were already two-down.

There is a view that Chris Powell should be given time to build his own team, and I understand that. There is also a notion that we should write this season off, Peter Varney has allegedly already said as much. Powell denied that tonight but the players have clearly given up the ghost and by their lack of effort look to have given up on Powell. Question is should we?
Please click for more

Mar 14

5 Comments

Ignorance

Charlton Athletic 0 Brentford 1
I was ignorant to what was happening at The Valley on Saturday and frankly, I wish I still was. I did manage to switch my phone on as we rushed to get our Chicago connection at Miami just around the 88th minute of the game. Timing is everything.

I was very disappointed to see the starting line up. Too many out of form players, although Francis was dropped but there was not enough adventure or hope in the team. The top 6 is way beyond us now and spectacularly those chasing promotion all appear at the top of the form table whereas us and Oldham are stranded at rock bottom. Thank heavens for those first four, some would say fortunate, wins under Powell.
Please click for more

Mar 4

2 Comments

Despair

There is a real air of despair amongst Addicks at the moment. After the furore of Powell’s return and an immediate call for calm and all that getting our Charlton back stuff, just 6 weeks later, whilst only the insane are calling for Powell’s head, the majority are writing off promotion and questioning his ability to be a coach and a manager.

After Parky left I was championing for a new manager without any previous Charlton connections, I felt we needed to move on as a club and not dwell on the past. I was excited about the prospect of Eddie Howe but it didn’t happen. I was bloody excited about Chris Powell, but in a different way and made some reservations at the time.

I was anxious over Powell’s appointment and on the day before he was unveiled I wrote: “I just wonder if we as fans need to adjust our immediate expectations a little. A Wise/Poyet or Wise/Wilkins combo rightly or wrongly would have got us all thinking about instant success, but with Chris it has to be about rebuilding the confidence, stopping the decline and the beginning of a new era. This just might take some time. Climbing up the cliff face certainly takes longer than falling of it.”
Please click for more

Feb 21

10 Comments

Mascot memories from Saturday

Saturday’s mascot experience was fantastic, and a real credit to the club. We’ve glossed over the middle 90 minutes in our family but to be fair kids don’t dwell on results, and my son is still buzzing from the day. Hopefully most of those that came on Saturday for the first time or the first time in a while will remember the atmosphere and the experience as a whole and not the result. I know that I pick my games and therefore have to take the rough with the smooth.

Anyway our day started at 12 noon when we met the mascot co-ordinator Sue and we were given our excellent goodie bag. We waited for the other match mascots in a little waiting room by the players entrance and greeted each player as they showed up for ‘work.’ First we were taken to the Director’s Lounge, which had just been overhauled and redecorated by the new owners, with the whole intention to move on from our past achievements and allow the club to embark on a new era, a theme that we heard a lot as we toured the west stand.

Overlooking the car park the Director’s Lounge was unfussy and simple, a bit like like the trophy cabinet, although I will never tire of staring at the sparkly Play-Off and Championship trophies.

Next we were up in the Director’s Box complete with panoramic views of an empty Valley before the gates opened. Then down onto pitchside for some irresistible photo opportunities. The dugouts sadly showed signs of how tight the purse strings were previously. Half the seats were a faded and torn red leather, the other half replaced by the plastic seats one finds in the stands. A chirpy and huge Bob Bolder greeted us, Colin Walsh shook my hand and I’m in two minds whether to wash it this week and then there was Colin Powell patrolling the right wing, like he used to, who at any minute I expected to scream “keep off my grass.”

Please click for more

Feb 12

5 Comments

One half wonders

Charlton Athletic 3 Peterborough United 2
Does it really matter if we only play for 45 minutes? Chris Powell’s 4th win following a stunning 2nd half performance, that followed a dismal first 45.

I’ll try not to dwell on the first half for too long but we sounded second all over the pitch and constantly compounded our problems by keep giving the ball away. Doherty and particularly Dailly sounded every day their combined age of 68 as Mackail Smith and Tomlin gave them a torrid time and we were lucky to be just one down at the break which was met with frustration from the stands and some boos.

The biggest cheer of the first half came when the referee went over like he’d been shot by a sniper from the East Stand, and then followed by the loudest applause when he left the field on a stretcher. The club should consider producing an end of season referreeing highlights DVD such are the kerfuffles we have had down at The Valley this season.

Please click for more

Feb 11

What has changed?

Next Saturday I will get to see for myself Chris Powell’s new look team, but in the mean time I’m left to listen to the radio and witnesses and observe the results.

So, forgetting the minor thing of results, what else has changed? Powell has signed BWP of course and added left back Bessone (have we ever had an Argentinian play a first team game before?). Fry’s loan has been extended until the middle of March and Akpo Sodje was moved onto Hibs.

Also significantly Alan McCormack has been preferred to Racon, although the Frenchmen impressed when he came on for him at Yeovil. It’ll be interesting to see if the boss reverts back to McCormack tomorrow. Powell has clearly tightened up a previously porous defence (12 goals conceded in 4 games) and by all accounts got our full-backs working higher up the pitch. Francis in particular has come in for some praise. Chris also appears to have gained favour with referees and linesmen, as for the first time in an age we have been on the receiving end of some very good ~~officialdom~~ fortune.

But, and Powell has been honest on this, we haven’t been playing anywhere near an expansive game and our performances are patchy, especially in the first half. The reason then for all of this? The same players mostly, but a different motivator and definitely a more patient crowd.

Please click for more

Jan 28

7 Comments

Suits you sir

Question. Sod who Chris Powell will play up front tomorrow, what suit will he wear? I mean how bloody good did he look on the touchline last Saturday? Dark grey suit, single breasted, great cut, Gucci belt and a shocking pink lining. He looked the mutts nuts.

Parky had a strange liking for wearing a jumper under his jacket, Pardew switched between a cheap suit and a tracksuit, Les Reed was a baggy sweats type of guy, Dowie had a liking for suits but they didn’t like him and Curbs only wore a whistle on a big occasion.

Chris was asked in one of his first interviews whether he would be a tracksuit manager or a suited one. He said at that point he hadn’t decided but he certainly made an impression prowling the technical area on Saturday.

I wonder if he has a different suit for Spotland tomorrow? It might be a bit blustery up in the Pennines so maybe a thick double breasted navy blue herringbone will look the part.

Jan 23

3 Comments

Perfect

Charlton Athletic 2 Plymouth Argyle 0
A perfect start then to Chris Powell’s reign as Charlton manager. I think at this stage of the re-birth it wasn’t about the performance yesterday but more the result and the players showing some positive signs of better things ahead.

Chris now has another week to work with the players and the coaching staff to further put his personal stamp on things, such as set-places, which by all accounts continue to be awful. I liked Dave’s comment commending Simon Francis for his accuracy. As a former full-back I’m expecting Powell can improve the distribution from out wide.

From the commentary it did sound like both Francis and Fry did a fair amount of overlapping (I’d be interested to hear if that was correct). This would be something influenced by Powell I would presume.

Please click for more

Jan 21

3 Comments

Emotional pull

I’m feeling an emotional pull tonight. It was a normal Friday evening in our house, I put our daughter to bed, I cooked dinner, we drunk some wine, we made plans for the weekend and my other half and I caught up on our week’s stories.

But I have been distracted tonight, my head is not really here. Most Saturday mornings I wake and invariably wish that I was somewhere in England watching the Addicks. It is fair to say that often 90 minutes later I’m pleased that I wasn’t, but on the eve of tomorrow’s game at home to Plymouth, tonight I have an unfamiliar feeling inside me.

It’s the feeling I always used to have as a teenager before every Charlton game, you know the one after you are too young to understand and too old to have other things to worry about.

Tomorrow is the first game of the season, the FA Cup 3rd Round, the Play-Off final, a relegation 6-pointer, promotion decider and local derby all rolled into one. I know that it’s just one game, and we might have to go back to go forward but I’ll have trouble sleeping tonight, probably like many others, perhaps even like Chris Powell because we all want this to work out.

Come on you Addicks.

Jan 21

2 Comments

Alex Dyer

Word on the street is that Alex Dyer is expected to become Chris Powell’s assistant manager next week. According to CP he has 3 or 4 names in the frame.

Dyer played 3 seasons for us in the early 90’s. Signed by Lennie Lawrence for £100,000 from Palarse he predominately played up front for us and scored 13 goals, including a couple of crackers. One I remember at home to Bristol City. But mostly my brother and I thought he was useless, but I suppose looking back we have had many worse.

Dyer did go on to have a long and decent career, appearing in almost 500 games and played well into his late 30’s but by then he had converted to a defender.

He is currently reserve team boss at West Ham, with a reputation for being er, nice. We shall wait and see what Chris Powell decides.

Talking of assistant managers, I can’t make my mind up about Lennie Lawrence’s decision to go back to Selhurst Park to be Dougie Freedman’s number two. At least he won’t have found Selhurst would have changed much, although the floodlights may now work. I will always hold Sir Lennie in high esteem. I used to have a beer with him in the Catford Cricket Club, and he is about as normal as you can get. He lives in Bromley and at 63 I can see the advantage of working near home. Just it will be a shame for him to end his career with a relegation to Division 3 blotting his copybook!

Jan 18

7 Comments

The Chris Powell era

After the drama of last week, a boon to us bloggers after an ostensibly endless period of gloom, we now begin the Chris Powell era, and with clearer heads we can begin to start to think what kind of manager he will be.

Yesterday at his first press conference he still came across as slightly dazzled by his appointment but he referred often to the hard work that now needs to take place. He asked for time and support and when quizzed on what type of manager he will be, he said he won’t be throwing tea-cups but will be a leader of men.

On how his teams will play football he remarked that he wanted to see the game played the right way, but equally football is about winning and the 3rd Division is not the best place to showcase keepy-uppies (he didn’t say that but you know what I mean if you didn’t hear it for yourselves).

But Powell left no one in any doubt that his team would play with a passion and honour in the red shirt. A team to be proud of again has been the message Powell has consistently talked about since his appointment on Friday.

Please click for more

Jan 14

2 Comments

Welcome home Chris

My heart aches with undying joy but also trepidation but I know more than anything else that Chris Powell’s heart has Charlton Athletic Football Club running through it like a stick of rock.

Welcome home Chris. Make us proud again.

Jan 13

10 Comments

Looks like it’s going to happen. Some very good sources on Twitter saying the new owners have offered the manager’s job to Sir Chris after Sven-Goran Eriksson and their new Thai owners gave him permission to talk to us.

Without a shadow of doubt Chris will be a hugely popular choice and it should unite every Charlton fan everywhere but it also represents a huge gamble. But is it more of a gamble than Eddie Howe, Dennis Wise or Gary Johnson?

I won’t lie I have butterflies at how excited I am about Chris Powell being our manager. I once spent 2 weeks in his and his families company on holiday in Italy and the bloke is an absolute superstar.

I just wonder if we as fans need to adjust our immediate expectations a little. A Wise/Poyet or Wise/Wilkins combo rightly or wrongly would have got us all thinking about instant success, but with Chris it has to be about rebuilding the confidence, stopping the decline and the beginning of a new era. This just might take some time. Climbing up the cliff face certainly takes longer than falling of it.

Jan 13

4 Comments

Eddie Howe – Loyalty eh?

Unbelievable. It appears that Burnley are set unveil their new manager…. Eddie Howe with assistant Jason Tindall. What a drama queen and I feel for the Bournemouth fans, who must be exhausted and upset by all that has gone on.

As a football fan, I feel let down too. There we were admiring Eddie Howe’s loyalty only two days ago and his words were as empty as Turf Moor on a Saturday afternoon. Burnley of course have the benefit of a few more years of parachute money and are 4 points off the play-offs. Money, there is that word.

Please click for more

Oct 6

2 Comments

Chris Powell interview

“Whoever you play for, you’ve got to remember that you’re wearing the shirt and you’re lucky to be part of the club. You should represent them in the way the fans want you to. They know you’re not going to win every game, but they want you to give them a bit of pride.” – Chris Powell

Chris gave this interview here just before Paulo Sousa was sacked as Leicester City boss. Unsurprisingly Chris talks with clarity and balance, unaffected by his time in the game. On Saturday he jointly coached and picked the team for the home match against Scunthorpe. Leicester won for only the second time in the league this season.

Now Sven-Goran Eriksson is his new boss, the manager who gave Powell his five caps. Anyone else have re-occurring dream that Chris Powell occupies the manager’s office at Charlton one day?