Jan 14
What exactly does “a search for a new Head Coach has commenced.” mean?
Roland calls Jose Riga on speed dial, concedes on a couple of points, agrees to give him a proper contract after last time, and hey presto. The search for a new Head Coach ends 18 hours after it started.
Lies, lies, lies.
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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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Incredulous.
It is widely expected, and we can’t be shocked, that Jose Riga will become Roland Duchaletet’s 6th manager in less than two years by the time Charlton take to the field at Huddersfield on Tuesday night. 6th, 5th, whose counting?
Now if Jose and Karel were the last two managers left in the playground and it was your pick, then there is absolutely no doubt who would be left standing staring at their feet, but REALLY?
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To the surprise of no one the South London Press appear to think that Roland Duchatelet will once again ignore any semblence of common sense and install Belgian network patsy Karel Fraeye at The Valley this week, initially in a caretaker role. What is it they say about insanity? Doing the same things over and over again but expecting different results.
This for many Addicks will be a step too far.
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Breaking News! Charlton have announced the signing of Ahmed Kashi. Nope, me neither but I am partial to his cereal.
The Algerian was believed to be the player that the club was hoping to play in Belgium, but instead he will watch tonight’s game against St-Truiden and complete his move on Monday.
Born in the north-east of France, Kashi chose to play for Algeria, the birthplace of his parents, and did represent the North African country at the recent African Cup of Nations. The holding midfielder has been signed from Metz, the Ligue 1 team managed by Jose Riga, who took over after Metz were relegated to Ligue 2 last season. Kashi played 21 times last season scoring once.
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With Bolton’s goalkeeping coach Lee Turner (photo) set to join David Martane on Guy Luzon’s coaching staff we are left to wonder when they will have some more players to coach….
Dougie Freedman & Lennie Lawrence took Turner with them when they left Palace for Bolton in 2012. Freedman knew the 50-year old from when he finished his playing career at Southend United. Turner is Scottish but played his football at Ebbsfleet and Margate before moving into coaching with Southend. Former Addicks favourite Andy Hughes is at Bolton and I would expect gave Turner rave reviews of life in SE7.
David Martane is someone we should know more about, because he will probably one day take over from Guy Luzon as head coach. Let’s be honest, that wouldn’t be a surprise would it? Little is known of Martane, who is just 27 years old, so I took it upon myself to find out about him.
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If only the makers of Spitting Image were still about, they would have an absolute field day with Roland Duchatelet and his crazy network of puppets characters…. actually I think I was right first time….
Is this really for real? Someone please wake me from this very strange dream I am having.
Standard, who won yesterday in an eventful game at bottom place Lierse, have already fired Guy Luzon and Duchatelet appointed his number two Ivan Vukomanovic in November.
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“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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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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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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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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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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“We get good results, there is a good flow around Charlton. People are starting to respect us again and for me that’s the most important thing.”
On Monday night over steak and chips, and no doubt a cold Flemish beer Bob and Roly met to discuss the Addicks season so far and if like me you watched the live You Tube show 1905 yesterday then you would have heard that they are pretty pleased with each other.
Roly as we know is a hands off owner, but came across as reasonably tuned into the happenings at The Valley and in The Championship. We know that Katrien Meire is his eyes and ears and although not the greatest communicator unless there is steak and chips involved, the 1905 interview if hardly ground-breaking was helpful for us Addicks that try to understand his ambitions and persona.
He talked for long lengths about young players and how difficult The Championship is knowing that it can change quickly. Strangely after sacking Guy Luzon on Monday he told us that results are not important. I beg to differ, but I can accept that we are in a long game, which I think to most of us is a more sensible and more satisfying approach.
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With Tal Ben Haim missing tomorrow’s game at home to Birmingham one would have think Peeters will turn to Michael Morrison to play in his first league game of the campaign.
Morrison is not as cultured in his style as Bikey and Ben Haim, but he is no clogger either and he deserves his opportunity, and I hope he grabs it. Morrison might be a bit game rusty, but he is known as a hard trainer and would have been privvy to the same drills and methods as everyone else and I see no problem with him playing.
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Days after Chris Powell got himself back in the game, José Riga looks set to leave Blackpool by the end of this weekend as his peppery relationship with chairman Karl Oyston looks to have irretrievably broken down.
Riga has overseen just 6 games, all lost, but despite this is popular with fans. Matters came to a head with Oyston after he refused to sanction any of Riga’s proposed transfer deadline signings.
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Chicago Addick 