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Posts from the ‘Karel Fraeye’ Category

Jan 6

6 Comments

Blog stats from 2018

In early January 2018 my millionth visitor clicked on this Blog. Prior to my move to WordPress in August 2010, I was less popular but still had 350,000 visits when my Blog was hosted by Blogger. In 2018 these pages had 177,649 visits, which means I have passed the 1,500,000 mark. Something to be proud off. And thank you.

Last year’s visit total was up on 2017 by 27%, although not quite as good as my record ever count in 2016.

I was pretty consistent in my output writing on average 17 posts a month. My most active being 20 in January. I did 14 in November. I wrote 207 in total, and still manage to hold down a full-time job!

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May 16

6 Comments

Contract talks

As clubs start to issue their ‘not retained list’ the Addicks have very few players actually out of contract this summer.

Only young Serbian keeper Marko Dmitrovic, World Cup ‘star’ Reza Ghoochnannejhad, Joe Pigott and Zak Ansah are recognizable names that have their contracts ending. From the U21 squad stopper 20-year old Dillon Phillips, who played 37 games for National League champions Cheltenham before injury curtailed his season and Ayo Obileye, who had a spell on loan at Dagenham & Redbridge are two noticeable exits.

Both Callum Harriott and Alou Diarra have their contracts ending but have a one-year extension offer built into their deals. I would suspect that Harriott will feel it’s time to move on after being at The Valley since the age of 9, and Diarra’s salary is now out of range.
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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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Mar 9

3 Comments

Next off the Merry-go-round

Jose Jeunechamps has left the club about a month after he joined. Riga pushed the addition of Jeunechamps, who has little command of English, onto Duchatelet to be his Assistant First Team Coach but he has now departed back to Belgum to join 2nd Division RFC Seraing. Karel Fraeye is at fellow 2nd Division side Lommel. The Charlton Athletic book of “Who” will be a much sought after Christmas present in years to come.
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Feb 23

3 Comments

Solution or more of the same?

Unless Jose Riga can pull a rabbit out of a hat at Preston tonight I would expect him to start to come under increased scrutiny amongst Addicks. Tonight is Jose’s 7th game in charge and I am starting to wonder if he is not the solution but part of the continuation of the problem.

Riga has been appointed and left/sacked/walked *delete as applicable four times under Duchatelet. He may claim to be his own man, but the facts betray a different image.

Riga was only accepted because he was a known quantity, a decent man, and the best of a horrible bunch of sycophantic no-marks. And frankly Nebojša Vignjević walking into The Valley would have been the end for just about everyone.
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Feb 20

4 Comments

Fulham 3 Charlton Athletic 0

I think that is it. 7 points from safety isn’t any different from this morning, but a gutless 2nd half ending in a sixth 3-0 defeat leaves us rooted to the bottom of The Championship and there isn’t a cat in hells chance of us being able to finish above three other teams.

This relegation was totally avoidable but everything points to it being so meticulously planned by Roland Duchatelet and Katrien Meire, with Richard Murray looking on, encouraging the complete dismantling of this once proud football club. Whereas Meire can’t get out of her own way and Duchatelet, he who doesn’t do failure, happy that his experiement is working, Murray should be utterly ashamed of himself.

If Riga, who I am starting to think we gave far too much credit for in keeping Powell’s squad up last time, is banging the nails in the coffin, then it was the clown Karel Fraeye that bought them from Homebase and left them on the side with a hammer.
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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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Jan 12

4 Comments

Huddersfield Town 5 Charlton Athletic 0

This is not like watching a slow death, it is like witnessing a murder. 

This madness has to stop. Now. 

And as for the gutless coward Fraeye, who refused to speak to press and ran onto the team bus leaving Stephen Henderson to apologise to fans. What sort of person does that? Fraeye, Meire, Duchatelet all refusing to talk to us. It is some kind of sick joke.
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Jan 10

13 Comments

The mark of insanity – Mark 6

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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Jan 9

7 Comments

Colchester United 2 Charlton Athletic 1

A new low but believe me under these three executioners lows worse than this are coming. And Richard Murray should not escape either. Honestly Richard show some humility.

Fraeye put out a team to win, on paper it was decent, but you win nothing in life without having any dignity or balls. For all that Fraeye is an half-arsed clown, those representing our great club today should have a good look at themselves in the mirror tonight.

No one came out of the game with any credit. No one except Pope that is, who kept the score down to two in the first half. One of the goals obviously coming just before half-time, this after we get another injury. It’s like Groundhog Day.
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Jan 8

5 Comments

Cup fever. Or will it end in the flu?

When you think about it, it is astonishing that we are only one point from safety. We have won 2 games in 22 matches! That stretch of games over two different managers, Fraeye’s record worse than Luzon’s even though that is hard to believe because it had to be a better decision.

In all seriousness it is incredible that in 25 games we have seen us win just 4 times, yet we are still within a very good fighting chance of staying up, even though the bookies have given up on us. Corals have us at 1/5 to go down.

A long time ago, in fact probably on the eve of the opening weekend, I looked at the teams in The Championship and tried to find 3 other candidates for relegation. Who will be worse than us? And that scheme still very much applies.
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Jan 6

4 Comments

Nathan Jones

Congratulations to Nathan Jones on his first managerial post at Luton Town. 

Jones was always destined to make the move into management and his reputation that he had built at Charlton with the U21’s has only magnified following his two and a half years at Brighton, where he once played, and was also caretaker manager for a while. Good luck to him.
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Dec 30

7 Comments

Time to unite and protest before it is too late

It is now time to unify and take our protestations against Roland Duchatelet and his utter mismanagement of OUR football club to a new level.

For many months, and in fact since Duchatelet bought the club nearly two years ago, there has been much division amongst the supporters, more than at any time in at least the previous 50 years, which has only helped Duchatelet and Meire continue their arrogant and systematic destruction of everything Charlton Athletic stands for.

But even now the most ardent Duchatelet apologists or understandably those Addicks who didn’t concern themselves with what goes on off the pitch, must now have no doubt where this ruinous occupation of OUR club is going.
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Dec 28

2 Comments

Charlton Athletic 0 Wolverhampton Wanderers 2

I wrestled with my conscience today but decided that I wanted to spend the day with my family and Roland Duchalelet could stick my £17 and my son’s quid up his a**e.

Rather disconcertingly we spent the afternoon close by at the O2 travelling by Clipper on the Thames and beforehand giving the Emirates Air Line a twirl. As we climbed into the air my other half caught me staring a little bit too long at The Valley down below in the short distance. It was a strange feeling being that close but not going to the game.
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Dec 23

8 Comments

If M. Duchatelet doesn’t do failure….

January is such an important transfer window for the club. At least it is for everyone I talk to. There is not a lot of evidence that Roland Duchatelet and Katrien Meire think this, but the squad gravely needs reinforcements. Effective ones at that, not any old network rubbish.

But who is charge of this essential transfer window? And who can we trust? Let’s look at the candidates.
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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 20

Burnley 4 Charlton Athletic 0

Another embarrassing capitulation yesterday for Fraeye’s Charlton, this time at Turf Moor. According to the Interim Head Coach we were the best team for 44 minutes, I haven’t checked how long they play in the Belgium Sunday League, but playing well for 44 minutes is not good enough. On the bright side it was longer than the 26 minutes we played well last week at home to Bolton. Baby steps and all that.

In those 44 minutes we didn’t score but looked lively on the counter until a disastrous Reza free-kick gave the Clarets the opening goal. The half-time pep talk must have been inspirational because 10 minutes later we were 3-0 down. I saw the goals and the defending was pitiful.
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Dec 4

If you know your history

….Well it’s enough to make your heart go wo-wo-woa.

Enough of this frivolity, but I was pleased to see that Karel Fraeye picked up on the significance of tomorrow’s date yesterday.

An away game against the only unbeaten team in all four leagues is a tough prospect, whatever our situation but the team at least go into the game without any expectation. A committed and unified performance should still be respected, although we could still find ourselves back in the bottom three by tomorrow evening.
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Nov 29

6 Comments

Charlton Athletic 0 Ipswich Town 3

A third 0-3 home defeat in four games and any thoughts of a renaissance after two wins were squashed by an apathetic performance in front of a worryingly sparse and disinterested crowd.

This club is only going one way at the moment and it is runaway train with Ms Meire at the steering wheel and M Duchatelet in the control box. Whether the 2% Protest made any impact on the two of them I very much doubt it, but the fact that ‘Stand up for the 2%‘ posters were held aloft by at least half of the home fans, sitting amongst a sea of empty red seats was a very respectful but poignant image, one that got the message out to a broader audience and showed up Meire’s arrogance for what it is.

Congratulations to all of those that helped and supported it. It was a good start and I will write more on that in the coming days now that I am back in Bermuda and once I can shake off the hangover of another pitiful display.
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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 20

11 Comments

Another bitter ex-employee

Katrien Meire told us not to trust any ex-employees because they are liars. So Michael Morrison must have had his toes and fingers crossed when he told the SLP that Meire tried to offload him to Romanian team Astra Giurgiu on loan.

Lies, lies I tell you. But who do you trust? A loyal wholehearted performer who played 150 times for the Addicks or the CEO who we are forced to rely upon for successful recruitment and trading of players?

Birmingham signed Morrison for nothing, zilch, nowt. Tremendous work by the CEO. Bravo.
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Nov 18

4 Comments

Are words enough?

Katrien Meire has spoken to us. An update following last week’s supporters meeting was released today on the Official Site. Baby steps and all that.

I am pleased to see that the club followed up from last week and met again with Steve Clarke from the CAST. Now Meire has issued a list of strategic objectives. As I said it is a start.
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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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Nov 7

5 Comments

Charlton Athletic 3 Sheffield Wednesday 1

It has not been easy being a Charlton fan in recent weeks, in fact it has been pretty depressing, but my slumber has been awoken by the unification of Charlton fans, those who remember Sam Bartram, those that remember Derek Hales, those that remember Clive Mendonca, those that now cheer on Johan Berg Gudmundsson. All Charlton fans coming together to claim the football club that we love back.

I was today at my daughter’s first ever swimming meet. I was nervous for her, but those nerves turned to an upside down stomach when on my phone I watched footage on Twitter of around a 1,000 fans gathered in the West Stand car park demonstrating against the leadership of our club before the game. 

This had a poignant effect on me as I watched video clips, saw photos and read on the ground comments from those Addicks amongst them. This was a very significant moment for Addicks as all ages came together, men and women, and protested peacefully, pointedly and loudly. 

And this is only the beginning.
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Nov 6

7 Comments

Anger, apathy and action

Anger, apathy and action will come together at The Valley tomorrow with a 2.30pm protest against the club owner Roland Duchatelet and his CEO Katrien Meire set to take place behind the West Stand. 

I hope the protest is peaceful especially with kids and families occupying the same area thanks to the club’s Family Activity Day. However I also hope the protest makes Meire as uncomfortable as possible with her office and ‘her’ lounge facing out towards the car park. After, during the game, there will be plenty of time to express how deeply we are hurt and angry by their mismanagement of our football club. 
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Nov 3

5 Comments

MK Dons 1 Charlton Athletic 0

Improvement? Quicker out of the blocks? Didn’t lose 3-0? More possession? 3 shots on target? Ademola Lookman? Or according to the Interim Head Coach “We had the game in our command.”

Positives? 

Let us not get into the rarefied air of Karel Fraeye’s tactical mind. Let us look at the facts. 

Tonight’s game was against a team that will be a relegation rival, that’s if we can stay in touch. MK Dons had lost 7 of their last 9 games, and 5 of their last 6 at home. They hadn’t scored in 5 hours of football up until Dean Bowditch scored his first goal since the opening day of the season. And Churchy missed an absolute sitter the give the result a more realistic scoreline.
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Oct 31

4 Comments

Middlesbrough 3 Charlton Athletic 0

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahaha.. what? Oh this is not one big joke?

“I’ve been training first division teams, youth teams, U16’s, U15’s and second teams. I’ve been training first teams for 11 years. But it’s not up to me, I don’t have to defend myself, because I need to focus on the job I have now.” – One. Big. Bad. Joke.

“Today we were able to compete with them for 60 minutes, but after the goal we had some difficulties.” Hanging  on for dim death with a possession rate of less than 20% up until they scored with just hapless, hopeless hoofs forward to an isolated Makienok is not competing in a football match. Look at the heat map from the game.  

“We can only play 11 players. If we have 11 or 30 in the squad, it will still only be 11 on the pitch.” – Thanks Roly Karel. In answer to the size of the squad, but hey as long as they were smiling, then that is the most important thing, right?
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Oct 30

1 Comment

Lip service

Cynicism comes easy when you have been a Charlton supporter for 40 years and sadly I read this morning’s announcement of a planned meeting with fan’s representatives through a lens of mistrust. No sign of his lordship getting on the Eurostar of course, but I am sure he will send his apologies with a message to like it or lump it. 

It seems strange to me that the CEO continues to avoid direct communication with the Supporter’s Trust. I know it doesn’t represent everybody, but what would? But it is the largest organised group of supporters  that has over 1,000 paid up members. It will contain a broad mix of supporters and includes many bright minds that can only contribute to the future well being of the club.
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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 27

8 Comments

SLP speak out. We need others

Not a dickie bird in the main stream press about the stealing of a club’s identity in broad daylight in a little corner of south east London. Googling Karel Fraye or Roland Duchatelet brings up a couple of local press paragraph fillers but nothing from a national press too wrapped up in Jose Mourinho, Jurgen Klopp, Wayne Rooney and the best league in the world (sic).

Yet today, SLP journalist Richard Cawley who has been closer than most to the recent theatre at The Valley has written an excellent piece which sums up the despair with which Addicks’ fans look on helpless with what is happening to their club.
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Oct 25

12 Comments

Enough is enough

I don’t know whether to laugh of cry. Mind you, I can’t imagine what it must be like working in the media department at the club. Poor sods.

“Interim Head Coach.” In capitals. So Fraeye has given up a full time job at homely VW Hamme to take up an interim position? As has Wim De Corte. Then again it is like giving up a full time paper round to take up a makeshift role in the city at an investment bank. You wouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth would you?
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