Guy Luzon | Chicago Addick

Oct 20

Formulae

I wrote the other day that it’s nigh on impossible to guess how we will line up in games. Bow said yesterday that it was the first time the team had played to that formation. It looked like (from watching on Valley Pass) that we were 5-4-1 with Solly and JFC advanced wing backs and a flat midfield. That put a lot of trust in Bonne, but he did not disappoint, despite the fact a year ago he was playing in a FA Cup qualifying tie at Maidstone.

Whilst Jacko and Marsh are drilling the players on set-pieces, Bowyer must spend hours in a room studying opponent’s strengths and weaknesses. Derby and Phillipe Cocu are no slouches but yesterday we picked them off at a corner and targeted the £10m Krystian Bielik. Teams appear to be obsessed in playing out from the back pedestrian like believing they are playing for Man City.

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Jun 18

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Auf wiedersehen Pat

This is not a week for those Addicks with a dodgy ticker. Bad news tonight as Patrick Bauer aka BFG said his farewells to Charlton fans.

Not wholly surprising and we can’t say he never warned us. You have to think with a slightly more healthy budget he may have stayed but he maybe ready to move on after an often difficult four years. And of course he’s leaving on the ultimate high.

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Apr 6

10 Comments

Ipswich Town 0 Charlton Athletic 0

In isolation a decent result, and performance. Tactically we were accomplished, not outplayed in any part of the pitch and we controlled large facets of the game. There were some good performances and we gave it a good go. Yet last night was the game that probably sent us down. Other results went against us and this is all too little too late.

We weren’t relegated last night we were relegated during that 14-game spell under the interim reign of Karel Fraeye. Interim. 3 months. Fraeye, handpicked by Roland Duchatelet. Every decision better than the last and let us not forget Guy Luzon. His bloody hands are all over this disgraceful relegation of our great club.

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Jan 13

12 Comments

Comedy gold

Unlike Karel Fraeye, who took little persuading to take the Interim job at Charlton following the departure of Guy Luzon, mostly because old Karel had his head up Roland’s backside at the time, it appears that Nebojša Vignjević was less than happy with Roly’s suggestion that he should leave 2nd placed Ujpest of the Hungarian League and take charge of the laughing stock that is Charlton Athletic.

A backward career step he presumed added to the fact that he would be forced to work with Katrien Meire, so Vignjević said “ne” and who can blame him.

Jose Riga was ahead of Vignjević in the new old coach queue but apparently made too many demands.
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Dec 21

31 Comments

The circus of Karel Fraeye

The timing of Guy Luzon’s sacking was a surprise to a lot of people but not to Karel Fraeye. He was waiting patiently in the wings confident and ready for the job that he had long been earmarked for. The Interim tag was to appease us, Duchalelet and Meire hopeful that his articulate and open manner would grow on Charlton fans. More engaging with the players especially Johnnie Jackson, all he had to do was turn around the disastrous form of Guy Luzon before being given the job of his dreams full time.

I wrote after Fraeye took over as Interim Head Coach that his ability or lack thereof would stand on its own two feet. His appointment was another piss take, but there would be no hiding place. Time would judge him in front of us all.

After his 9th game which has yielded two wins in Fraeye said “To be fair, we’ve had an away game at Middlesbrough, an away game at Birmingham, an away game at Burnley and a home game against Ipswich.” Yes Karel my old son this is The Championship. It does not suffer fools gladly.
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Dec 14

Ahmed out. Bless you

Ahmed Kashi was Guy Luzon’s number one target last summer and impressed up until the 86th minute of a match in Cardiff at the end of September when he was replaced by Franck Moussa, yes I know I am really testing your memories now. Kashi then went AWOL and despite Luzon’s reliance on him as his midfield anchor the Algerian then missed the next four games of Luzon’s stewardship rather mysteriously.

Little came out of club as Luzon cleared his office and some wondered in the communication black out that Kashi had downed his boots.

Fraeye, the Interim Head Coach, then told us that Kashi didn’t look good but struggled to explain why until the club today told us that he needs surgery on an Achilles Tendon injury which sounds like he will be out for the season. 9 league appearances.
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Nov 22

3 Comments

Tony Watt to leave

Half of the Covered End and probably every kid under 16’s favourite player, my son included, is being sent out on loan. Tony Watt, one of the club’s best players is set to leave for rival Championship club Cardiff City.

Dave hinted at this yesterday and his fears have been confirmed by the SLP tonight. The ludicrous decisions continue apace down at The Valley.
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Nov 21

3 Comments

Birmingham City 0 Charlton Athletic 1

An excellent result and not just a clinging on rear guard action. The Addicks created chances too, with youngsters Ademola Lookman and Tareiq Holmes-Dennis outstanding, especially Holmes Dennis playing out of position at right back who danced down the wing to provide a teasing cross for super skipper Johnnie Jackson to head powerfully home.

Lookman started up front with Simon Makienok with Reza on the bench along with the returning Harry Lennon and new loanee Ricardo Vaz Te. There was no place for Moussa.

We were under the gun for a lot of the 1st period, especially before half-time but the Blues never caused many heart-fluttering moments, at least listening to the radio. That was until the final seconds when Holmes-Dennis rounded off a terrific performance preventing Grounds from a sure equaliser.
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Nov 11

7 Comments

Tuesday’s fan meeting thoughts

I was one of hundreds of Addicks getting angrier and angrier on Twitter last night following Tweets from a couple of media outlets supposedly reporting the fan’s meeting with Katrien Meire and Richard Murray at The Valley. I got myself so wound up I had to go to the pub.

Upon watching the video this evening the narrative from last night as recorded by the News Shopper and London24 certainly painted a different picture and many of the 140 character missives took out of the context what was actually said.

I sat through the whole 110 minutes of the video, and a lot of it was respectful and uneventful. However my own opinion is that this was not the discussion that I was hoping for. It is possibly a start but there was still no substance to the same old trotted out mantra we have heard many times before.
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Oct 29

15 Comments

Stooge

The media team rolled out Simon Makienok today and he spoke with some heart about how difficult the past week or so has been, and I don’t doubt it. Makienok’s absence had become a bit of mitigation for the team’s recent form, but for the on-loan striker who has played just 7 games to be pushed into the spotlight to speak on behalf of the team and the new managerial staff I found odd.

The word had it that Charlton players have been told not to talk to the press and new Interim Head Coach Karel Fraeye wasn’t going to talk publicly until after Saturday’s game with Middlesbrough. However the Official Site will carry an exclusive interview with Fraeye tomorrow.
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Oct 24

2 Comments

Song for Guy

Well not really. A slight maunder of “Guy Luzon’s red and white army” from a few in the Upper Covered End but that was about it as the Israeli left just like he arrived. By the back door looking like a rabbit in the headlights.

I grew to accept Luzon like a child-hating Auntie, but then the £5 WH Smith voucher at Christmas would see that acceptance grow to a like and when Luzon talked passionately and sensibly about his players and the club in a language that wasn’t his mother tongue, I think a lot of Addicks took kindly to him. I know I did.
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Oct 24

Charlton Athletic 0 Brentford 3

A second 0-3 home defeat in a week as Lee Carsley like Simon Grayson on Tuesday comfortably picked a team short in confidence and backbone apart. It was to be Guy Luzon’s 33rd and last league game in charge of the Addicks

Understandably Luzon gambled and threw back in 90% fit Mackienok plus Jacko, Gudmundsson and Henderson and although Diarra was missing through suspension it was the strongest team we had available with Reza and Moussa on the bench. Only Kashi and Igor were sidelined and the fact that we were well beaten says about everything we need to know.
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Oct 24

6 Comments

Luzon and Matthew sacked

“Charlton have terminated the contract of Head Coach Guy Luzon with immediate effect, the club can confirm. The contracts of Assistant Head Coach Damian Matthew and First-Team Coach David Martane have also been terminated.” (more)

A clean sweep including Damian Matthew who has been at the club since 2006.
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Oct 23

7 Comments

When Saturday comes

I started a number of Blog posts this week, but after a few sentences I stopped, counted to 20 and closed it down. There are so many things wrong but I don’t know yet if Guy Luzon is one of those things. I watched yesterday’s press conference and felt myself siding with him again. I like some of the things he says, I like his passion, I do, and I am willing to see how tomorrow goes.
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Oct 20

13 Comments

Charlton Athletic 0 Preston North End 3

That was disgraceful and it all began with the team selection. Dropping Jackson for Ba is unforgivable. Playing three left backs. Relying on Ahearne-Grant again. Way to ruin the boys career. If a senior player is fit to be on the bench, he is fit to play!

I have backed Luzon because he has been given nothing to work with and I would stick my neck out and proffer he has had very little say in player acquisitions, but have no doubt tonight’s embarrassment lies with Luzon and Luzon only. The players too. Where is the desire? The professionalism? they too are hugely culpable.

Between this merry lot, the mercenary players, the dead-man-walking head coach, the naive CEO and a mute of a mad professor owner, they are killing the very essence of what this club is about.
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