Roland Duchâtelet | Chicago Addick

Nov 13

Uwe makes it 12

He never quite recovered from his tete e tete with Big Bad Bob, who he accused of over celebrating our winner in his space.

I took it upon myself to subsequently follow Uwe Rosler’s after match comments, and the German turned into a right old sour puss, this after a scintillating spell at Wigan after he joined them last December from Brentford. His record this season is about as far away as last as you can get. One win in 12 games, and despite signing 4 players on deadline day including one Andy Delort, Wigan dropped into the bottom 3 after losing their last game to local rivals Bolton and today Uwe Rosler was sacked.
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Nov 2

Charlton Athletic 1 Sheffield Wednesday 1

At half-time yesterday I started to believe that the players were on the same page as Roland Duchâtelet, i.e. they were content with 22 points.

However the 2nd half from the commentary anyway sounded much improved and we played some more incisive football and once Igor was introduced packed a much bigger punch up top.

If Bob can keep Igor and JBG 100% fit then I think we can compete in the top half of the table, and within reach of the play-off’s, without them and until Bob is able to sign some additional recruits we will continue to resemble a patchwork quilt.
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Oct 31

2 Comments

Morrison leaves for Birmingham

Not surprised at all with Michael Morrison’s departure. After 146 starts in three seasons in the heart of our defence , under Bob Peeters he has made just the one, and only that due to Ben Haim’s religious belief’s.

The vice captain joins Gary Rowett’s Birmingham City on loan until the end of the year, with a 28-day call back.

I like many Addicks have always been a huge admirer of Morrison, since the very first day he pulled on a Charlton jersey. The 26-year old only signed a new 2-year contract in the summer a month after Peeters joined. I suspect like many this was to both appease fans and a back-up in case the Belgian wasn’t able to get the ball-playing defenders in that he wanted.
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Oct 24

2 Comments

Good flow

“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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Oct 20

Guy Luzon to remain in network

As expected Standard’s Guy Luzon stood down as head coach this morning after the debacle of yesterday. Standard sit in the bottom half of the Jupiler League 3 points above the relegation zone. Remember Standard fans have the expectations of a Man Utd fan.

Interesting that the official Standard announcement said “Luzon is no longer head coach of Standard, but will remain active inside the network of partner clubs.” Quite what that means I am unsure.
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Oct 19

Trouble brews in Liège

Whilst Addicks grow to accept, maybe even like Roland Duchâtelet, mostly I would say due to the industry of Katrien Meire, over in Belgium sister club Standard Liege are having a few problems, and Roland is getting the blame.

Today in the Jupiler League bottom-placed Zulte Waregem, who had not won all season, went 2-0 up away at Standard Liege sparking near riots in the stands that forced the referee to abandon the match on 79 minutes, incidentally just after Standard had pulled a goal back.
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Oct 19

AFC Bournemouth 1 Charlton Athletic 0

I left Bermuda on Thursday night due to there being a hurricane blowing a little too powerful for comfort, but even if I was avoiding a hurricane I was still hoping for a little more than a puff of air from my Addicks in Dorset yesterday.

There should be no sugarcoating this performance – it was poor, rubbish in fact.

The Addicks were obviously going to lose their unbeaten record at some time, but to lose it without so much of a whimper was very disappointing. From the off to the last minute our ball retention was poor, we lacked invention, never looked like scoring and were bereft of any pace, sinew or coherence.
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Sep 25

1 Comment

It’s a squad game

Bob stuck to his script today re-iterating that no new players will join on loan. If true, and there maybe some gamesmanship here, then I think we are taking a chance. Roland does insist that his sides don’t carry cumbersome squads and will supplement needs from within the network.

However The Championship is an unflinching marathon of tough and high tempo games. One would hazard a guess that the Belgium, Hungarian Leagues and the Spanish 2nd Division aren’t so rigourous.

I make it that we have a first-team squad of 20 players, excluding those out on loan. Middlesbrough who visit The Valley Saturday have 27 and Norwich, who we go to on Tuesday, have 37 players at their disposal.
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Sep 2

12 Comments

Call for Churchy

Very disappointed that we weren’t able to bring another striker in with Duchatelet clearly putting his eggs in the Andy Delort basket. I believe he was still trying to work with Tours FC before last weekend offering investment in the Ligue 2 clubs youth structure.

Tours needed €4 million to keep the wolf from the door whilst Delort’s agent and father pulled every trick in the book, some pretty tasteless, to get the best deal for the player. Duchatelet was never going to fight in that ring.

Whether Peeters can now convince Katrien and Roly to explore the English loan market we will have to wait and see, an area congested with rubbish that needs to be sifted through carefully, especially when you are out shopping after the best deals have been snapped up.
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Aug 31

4 Comments

La la la la la la la la

Thank the Mexican gods I will be travelling from early tomorrow morning until late-ish tomorrow evening and therefore won’t be drawn into the crazy self-aggrandizing Sky Sports torture chamber of the final day of the summer transfer window.
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Aug 25

4 Comments

Bulot & Viera. New names to conjure with

Two new names to conjure with as we reach the final week of the transfer window. Bored of Delort and Bahebeck? Then try these two for size.

Frédéric Bulot has never really settled at Standard and it is thought he was at Sparrows Lane today after Roland Duchâtelet finally convinced him of the Addicks’ worth. The 23-year old attacking midfielder grew up in France but is originally from Gabon and his name was mentioned in dispatches before in terms of a loan move to The Valley but the player was not keen.

Yoni Buyens may now be telling his old team mates a different story to others that made the journey across the Channel in January and Bulot may have bought it.
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Aug 23

Négo moves on

No surprise to see Loïc Négo leave the club on loan this morning. After Joe Gomez’s performance on Tuesday night, Négo has effectively dropped to 4th choice right back behind Solly, Gomez and Wilson.

Bob Peeters is the 3rd manager that has not rated the 23-year Frenchman and he returns to the Ujpest FC, the club that we ‘bought’ him from in January. Nego follows Reza, Polish Pete, Thuram, Astrit Ajdarević and Anıl Koç out of the club, all signed to help Chris Powell stave of relegation in January.
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Aug 21

16 Comments

The passing game

Tuesday night’s atmosphere was a little surreal I thought and certainly Addicks’ watchers are going to need to learn how to watch Peeters’ new look team.

There were groans around me as the ball often moved from a promising attacking position back into our own half. One old boy near me shouted out it was “disgusting” how a ball out wide wasn’t crossed into the box, but instead passed back.

The award of a foul appeared to bother the players, not because of foul play but because it broke up a rhythm. Instead of then launching a free-kick into dangerous opposing territory they were mostly just tapped to a team mate so the players could continue their passage of play. I only remember Jackson’s effort outside the box being sent goalwards.

Peeters team and the style is a work in progress and I think for long ~~standing~~ suffering Valley stalwarts it is too.
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Aug 6

3 Comments

Network dynamics

The club have announced that Reza has moved on a season-long loan to Al Kuwait, one of the Arab state’s biggest clubs.

That makes good business sense for RD because he keeps the asset as part of the network, but moves an unhappy punter of his payroll. Reza has clearly been unsettled for a while ever since his move to Standard two years ago.

Not unpredictably the Iranian has exploited his success in the World Cup, and I understand Reza wanted a permanent move but Duchâtelet vetoed it. I think it is disappointing that he didn’t want to prove himself in a better league, a little bit easy street if you ask me, with a tax-free lifestyle thrown in for good measure.
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Jul 23

1 Comment

Reza future to be decided tomorrow

After the friendly tonight against Ebbsfleet, members of the media asked Bob Peeters to the whereabouts to Reza Ghoochannejhad. Bob said this:

“There was a transfer to the Middle East. Now there is no transfer anymore and he comes back tomorrow.

I will have a chat with him because he deserved a rest after the World Cup but I will talk to him about what his plans are because for me it is important if players come back they want to be at Charlton.

If you don’t want to be at Charlton then you don’t need to train with the first team. He needs to tell me whether he stays or not.” (more)
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Jul 20

2 Comments

Reza Ghoochannejhad gone?

Unsubstantiated rumours are building on whether Roland Duchâtelet has sold World Cup star Reza Ghoochannejhad. The club said that Reza was to meet up with the squad in Spain after an extended break following Iran’s World Cup exit. However he wasn’t in Spain and now all Addick eyes will be on Sparrows Lane tomorrow to see if he starts pre-season with Charlton or in fact has been moved on.

Reza signed a two and a half year contract in January, but struggled with the pace and physicality of The Championship despite some obvious skill and talent. He started just 10 games, 7 in which he was substituted and scored just once, albeit it was this cracking and decisive goal at Elland Road in April.
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Jul 4

1 Comment

Remember Jean-Francois De Sart?

Little has been written about the departure of Standard Liege’s Technical Director Jean-François De Sart. It was thought that De Sart was a close ally of Roland Duchâtelet, but the Charlton owner has failed to renew De Sart’s contract and he left the club this week.

Addicks will remember that De-Sart was the guy that announced in a television interview that Standard’s players not deemed good enough will come to Charlton and the Addicks best players will go to Belgium.
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Jul 4

Poyet joins West Ham

Diego Poyet will sign a 5-year contract with West Ham later today. Poyet who turned down a new contract at The Valley after playing just 23 first team games had a choice of Premiership teams to join as well as Monaco and Borussia Dortmund on the continent, but has chosen to continue his career under Sam Allardyce at Upton Park.
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Jul 3

4 Comments

Fruity welcome in Sint-Truiden

Anyone else notice how the three Charlton shirts when stood together resemble the Belgium flag? They are not just all waffles and mussels you know.

Being a grown up, the design of a football shirt shouldn’t really bother me, but I’m sorry these three from Nike this season are atrocious and £61 for kids who want the full kit.

Actually I think my aversion to them stems from the Sunday league font used for Greenwich University. Anyway the wrapping doesn’t matter, it’s what’s inside that counts.
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Jun 26

5 Comments

23 games

Or more pertinently 8 years.

8 years of cultivation, schooling and coaching dedication. All for what? Maybe half a million quid. The complete opposite scenario of why Roland Duchâtelet wants to develop the academy.

Even though I had resigned myself to Poyet leaving, it was still a kick in the knackers yesterday when the club put out the statement on their website. Another year wouldn’t have hurt would it, but that’s gratitude for you. Me and you are the only thing loyal about football clubs.
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Jun 23

7 Comments

Liking the cut of his jib

I quite liked what Bob Peeters had to say today. Sat in between his boss and Richard Murray, Peeters came across as eager, methodical, personable, witty and up for it.

Duchâtelet looked disinterested and was happy for Peeters to answer all the questions, except for the one about the difference between a head coach and a manager, which startled Roland into action. Meanwhile Murray happily jumped in to explain the benefit of one-year contract agreements, still aggrieved obviously, like we all are, at the £1m the club paid to say goodbye to Alan Pardew.
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Jun 21

Yoni Buyens signs

Combative deep lying midfielder Yoni Buyens has unofficially signed for the Addicks from the mothership Standard Liege for a season. It is said the contract is just for a year, and I make the assumption that he will be on loan.

Buyens comes with a good reputation after three seasons at Standard, playing 85 times in the past 3 seasons, scoring 12 goals. Buyens began his career at SK Lierse moving to KV Mechelen in 2009.
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Jun 20

It’s official

“Ex-KV Mechelen assistant head coach Patrick van Houdt who resigned his position yesterday is expected to become assistant to Peeters at The Valley. Guy Kiala, who assisted Peeters at Beveren is also expected to come.” – Chicago Addick, May 23rd.

What took them so long? The OS announced today that van Houdt and Kiala (photo) will join the club’s coaching staff effective July 1st. We can only hope they have some players to coach.

Damian Matthew will be Peeters first team coach, Ben Roberts continues as goalkeeping coach and Laurence Bloom as head of sports science.
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Jun 5

10 Comments

Bob speaks

It was nice to hear from Bob. Part 1 and Part 2 in case you’ve missed it.

It doesn’t answer why it took almost a week, but we have to move on and Peeters will be judged over a season, although so much work needs to be done between now and August 9th, that a judgement call will be made before the season kicks off whether the club or Peeters like it or not.
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Jun 3

3 Comments

Duchâtelet playing the wages game

The official Charlton Athletic courier, also known as the South London Press has said that Chris O’Grady’s move to The Valley is in jeopardy, if ever it wasn’t, due to Charlton failing to get anywhere near his wage demands. I am all for not paying over the top, but Barnsley had the second lowest wage bill in The Championship last season and potentially O’Grady will be forced to take a cut at Oakwell following relegation.

Many other clubs are in the hunt, including Millwall, for the 15-goal striker and £500,000 appears to be a decent fee for the 28-year old, when compared to what others of a similar ilk would cost. Although Sky Sports have also reported that the proposed structure of our fee has also frustrated the Tykes.

Whispers also say that Michael Morrison’s negotiations with the club are at a snails pace because of a paltry first offer from Duchâtelet.
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May 27

3 Comments

Peeters in

Not much of a surprise nor the unheralded announcement. The official statement also mentions that José Riga and Karel Fraeye have also moved on. Nice.

Damian Matthews will stay though as part of Peeters coaching staff, and two others are expected to join him from Belgium.

No mention of a contract period for Peeters, who will be head coach. I wonder if we are now worthy of a bit of an explanation from Duchâtelet or Katrien Meire?
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May 27

18 Comments

Alex Dyer tells all

Alex Dyer deserves our thanks, not just because of the work he did whilst assistant to Chris Powell but also as advisor and coach to José Riga. His loyalty to the club will always stay with me.

Now, after leaving Charlton at the end of his contract, without any legal stipulations, Alex is free to talk, and talk he did in today’s SLP.

The interview is here and here, and pretty damning reading it makes too.
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May 25

1 Comment

Karel Fraeye

Jose Riga’s assistant Karel Fraeye has been located and has been appointed as head coach of Belgium Division 3 side VW Hamme.

A penny for Fraeye’s thoughts then as he returns home to East Flanders in north Belgium, but Hamme represent a level higher than his last job in Belgium at Eendracht Zele.

Horribly translated this is what Karel said about his time at The Valley:
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May 23

3 Comments

Fond farewells

A bit of a bleugh statement on the Official Site yesterday bidding farewell to those players that have not been offered new contracts. It perhaps underscored Roland Duchatelet’s sentiment towards supporter communication. A thank you wouldn’t have been too difficult would it? Especially to players that have grafted so hard and will be remembered fondly such as Leon Cort, Danny Hollands and Bradley Pritchard who in particular epitomised the phrase ‘hard working midfielder.’

Compare this to Chris Powell’s eulogy of Scott Wagstaff when he left the club last summer. The club’s comms team can’t be blamed, they could hardly invent a quote and therefore were left to just factually state the obvious, plus I suspect they have had their own opportunities to say personal goodbyes.

Twitter’s a great medium to communicate with players and pass on messages but it was great to see Leon Cort come onto the Charlton Life Forum yesterday and humbly say his thanks. A sign of class.
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May 23

Peeters resigns from Waasland-Beveren

This morning Bob Peeters resigned from his role as manager of Waasland-Beveren and the club will now turn to Roland Duchatelet in order to settle the legal formalities and any compensation that can be agreed. This after meeting Duchatelet last night in London.
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May 22

1 Comment

Hamer time

Time to leave for Ben, who signed for Premier League new boys Leicester City today on a free. Undoubtedly Leicester’s Thai owners would have paid handsomely for a 4-year contract, even if it is to mostly sit on the bench. The galling bit of course is the King Power Group would happily have paid a fairy sizeable fee if Ben was under contract.

Slater and Jimenez take the brunt of the criticism for the farcial contract situation that the club find themselves in, and rightly so, but equally Duchatelet had plenty of time to heed the advice he was given and at least attempt to tie in Hamer and others to an extended contract which would have given us some kind of transfer fee. It’s good governance if nothing else.
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May 21

1 Comment

Riga gone. Peeters in

A lot of drawing the dots this morning especially in Belgium where a number of good sources are reporting that Waasland-Beveren manager Bob Peeters has agreed to become the next manager of Charlton with Jose Riga moving back to AC Milan as Technical Director, the role he left to join us in March.

It is said that Riga is unhappy about not being offered the full time job at Charlton. He was quoted in a Belgium newspaper as saying “I do not imagine for a moment that it stops this way , so brutally. Without bragging on my part, including supporters, we had been very satisfied with the good turn of events and the work I could do in a competition that I had a lot of fun to discover. Now, to know why I have no voice, it remains a total mystery to me.”

This is exceptionally disappointing and shows Duchatelet’s cut throat nature, not to mention some poor man-management skills. Peeters is under contract with Waasland-Beveren until June 2015, so compensation will have to be agreed, although Waasland-Beveren have made a statement that they are “unpleasantly surprised by the reports in the press and if these rumours are correct, the negotiations were conducted without prior authorization for him.”
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May 21

Paul Hart leaves

A real shame to see Paul Hart leave his role as Academy Director. For all the muck thrown at Slater and Jimenez, the latters connections was the main reason Hart joined the Addicks in June 2011. The previous owners then held off an offer for Hart from Nottingham Forest, but rumours have abounded since early this year that Hart would leave at the end of his contract and possibly take up a similiar role with the Premier League Champions.

So, the announcement on the OS is a little bit strange, suggesting that both Hart and Steve Avory were invited to apply for a new post of Academy Manager, the merging of the previous Academy Director and Head of Coaching roles held by Hart and Avory respectively. Reading in between the lines, it looks as if Hart didn’t take up the offer. Spin or not, I don’t know.
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May 18

Standard Liege fail to win title

On the final day of the Belgium football season Roland Duchâtelet’s Standard Liege lost out on the Jupiler League title to Anderlecht, the team they finished 10 points clear of at the end of the regular league season. Those 10 months of grind all means nothing as the clubs enter a crackpot Play-Off system, that could only have been thought up by an American.

Standard’s Technical Director Jean-Francois de Sart called the Belgian Play-Off system “stupid, a failure and unique in the football world.” De Sart isn’t always as perceptive as Addicks may remember.
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May 14

2 Comments

Who is Amaury Gerard?

Roland Duchatelet’s newly appointed Network Media Manager for Standard Liège, Charlton Athletic, Ujpest FC, AD Alcorcòn and Carl Zeiss Jena according to Gerard’s profile.

A Belgium, with a background in telecommunications, sales, marketing and product management most recently working for one of Belgium’s main sports broadcasters. It would appear Roland Duchatelet has employed Gerard to oversee the media and communication output at a network level. He will be based in Budapest, the home of Ujpest.
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May 13

2 Comments

Dervite to leave

Dorian Dervite, one of the stand-outs of Jose Riga’s reign looks set to sign for Bolton.

The Frenchman has said previously that he would like to stay on a long term deal, but I have heard nothing of an offer from the club. There was a ‘Dervite to Bolton’ rumour a month or so back, and knowing what Sordell was earning, it is clear that Bolton have a much higher wage bar, this despite the club’s huge debt.

One would think that Riga would like to keep Dervite, but we still know nothing on Duchatelet’s plans for the head coach. However this interview with a Belgium journal makes it pretty obvious that Riga wants to stay and that he has made his wishes clear to Duchatelet.
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May 4

3 Comments

No tears spilt for Fulham

“All aboard the CAFC party boat to Fulham” – Johnnie Jackson

My disappointment at seeing Birmingham avoid relegation soon evaporated after hearing of Fulham’s demise at Stoke City. They were truly awful yesterday and after 13 Premiership season’s they will join Cardiff in The Championship next season.

I have long had an irrational dislike of Fulham, who were transformed from a community, family club with a rich history into the egotistical face of Mohammed Al Fayed, who over time squeezed every ounce of individuality out of the club and it’s famous ground. Michael Jackson statues and neutral areas just two examples.
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May 1

3 Comments

Duchâtelet’s plans for José Riga

“We will back you (Jose) 100%, and I really want you to see and hear for yourself a rip-roaring Valley because it will send shivers down your spine.” – what I wrote the day José Riga was appointed.

With rumours growing that Paul Hart will leave the club in the summer to embark on a much bigger challenge, many are talking of what Roland Duchâtelet’s plans are for Jose Riga.

Riga has acheived his goal and I think he has acted in a warm and very professional way in what were very difficult circumstances. He has endeared himself to players and fans, even to the most-avid of Chris Powell supporters, and gone about his job with the minimum of fuss.

Helped no doubt by Alex Dyer and Damien Matthews, who also should take great credit, as well as senior pros such as Johnnie Jackson and Andy Hughes, who was the centre-piece of the immediate post game celebrations on Tuesday, Riga’s ability in quickly adapting to new surroundings and mostly talking in a foreign language has been outstanding. Add to this the non-stop cycle of crucial games, which would’ve not allowed him a lot of time on the training ground to implement his ideas and philosphies, this has to be his greatest achievement in football, in what I maintain has been his biggest ever job.
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Apr 27

1 Comment

Charlton Athletic 1 Blackburn Rovers 3

A look at Blackburn’s team sheet told us everything we needed to know about the chasm in quality between us and many teams in this division. Yeovil and Barnsley have finally succumbed, the grim reaper is looking for one more candidate and we move onto another home game to finally, hopefully, put this wretched season to bed.

Blackburn Rovers have under-achieved this season as have many others with rich resources. Leicester and Burnley have run away with the league winning 56 games between them, whilst others have bumbled around trying to get into the play-off’s or spent the season frantically peering over their shoulders.
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Apr 19

2 Comments

Made in Charlton

Some good news earlier today as the Charlton’s U18’s won their Development League after beating QPR 4-3 away from home. Rangers were two points clear going into the final game of the season but in an exciting game the Addicks’ Brandon Hanlan grabbed the winner in the 88th minute.

The U18 Development League works the Play-Off system and as South Division winners we play the runners-up in the North, who were Crewe Alexander and QPR will play Huddersfield Town, the North winners.
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Apr 1

April Fool

I watched some of the U21 game last night against Brighton on their Player service. Some of the passing and movement from the young Addicks was exceptional and they were very unfortunate not to win. Craig Mackail Smith, the most experienced player on the pitch, scored a peach of a 94th minute equaliser.

Anyway the reason this is relevant today is that in goal for the Addicks was a 15-year old called Jordan Beeney, who despite being 6 years younger than the age group, was calm and confident in the bits I saw, but I did wonder why Dillon Phillips wasn’t playing and this morning we found out why.

“Charlton keeper Yohann Thuram-Ulien has refused to travel for tonight’s crunch Championship match at Leeds United.” (more)
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Mar 30

25 Comments

Meire’s statement just drives division and not unity

My two-pennies worth on Katrien Meire’s statement this past week.

Firstly compared to the old lot, it has been quite refreshing to see the new owners attempt to communicate with the supporters. Katrien appears to be happier in front of fans and her plain speaking and openness has impressed those that have met her.
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Mar 29

4 Comments

Derby County 3 Charlton Athletic 0

“The story is still to be written. I want to be able, with the team and the players, to write the last chapter as we hope to.”

Jose Riga started with a very attack-minded line-up at Derby today. It was an interesting decision against one of the best English tactical minds not just in The Championship, but in the country. By half-time the cognitive theorist was a desperate second best.

After the win in the week Riga could afford to be brave but we were overrun in midfield and an already difficult game was made harder due to unenforced errors. With a Charlton goal as rare as a hen’s tooth the first goal was as a result of poor defending, but the second was as a result of poor everything.
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Mar 27

1 Comment

Eagles didn’t dare to land!

Chris Eagles’ loan did not materialise today despite Charlton and Bolton agreeing wage commitments on the winger who is reported to be earning 30k a week! One would assume that Eagles preferred to count his money sat on the bench at the Reebok.

To be fair to Duchâtelet, Eagles completes a long list of loan deals that Charlton had offered complete with hefty financial obligations. Shaun Wright Phillips, Connor Wickham, Leon Best and Jonny Williams were all more than paper talk but for reasons best known to themselves neither one of the players wanted to come.
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Mar 18

5 Comments

Charlton Athletic 1 AFC Bournemouth 0

“What gives me pleasure is that it’s happened here in our home, in The Valley.”

Bugger me, as I said after QPR, if there was ever a best way to win a game, then make it in the last minute in front of the Covered End.

It has been an emotionally charged week and if I was there tonight I’m not sure how I would have reacted to Jose Riga’s name being sung by the Covered End, yet equally I feel it is most definitely time to move on.

None of ‘this’ is Jose’s fault, and he has my total backing as I said the day he got appointed. People change, times change, but Addick blood does not fade very easily.

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Mar 16

1 Comment

Újpest on verge of liquidation

A very interesting article here regarding the future of Roland Duchâtelet’s Hungarian club Újpest. The famous Budapest club are run by Roland’s son Roderick (photo) who bought the Liláks in October 2011 for just €1. He also took on the debts which were thought to be €1 million.

However the club’s finances are not appearing to be everything the Duchâtelet’s first thought.
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Mar 14

Securing the future

“That has got to be the absolute 100 per cent focus now, no excuses. My future is secure and hopefully I can help secure the club’s future as well.”

After a lunch comprising of a pizza and a couple of beers (perfect hangover remedy) with a fellow Addick, news that skipper Johnnie Jackson has signed a 2-year contract extension broke a smile on our faces for the first time in a week.

The news definitely came out of the blue, and if negotiations had been going on a while, then credit to Katrien in continuing those following Powell’s departure and getting the deal done. Jose must be a very quick judge of character. Terrific news, love Jacko.

I was also pleased to see that many passionate Addicks fans were pulled together before the Huddersfield game and between them issued a statement calling for dialogue between themselves and Duchatelet and Meire. There are some significant individuals on the list at the bottom who have a record of being involved in some key supporter activities in our recent history and I for one are heartened to see this statement issued today:
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Mar 12

10 Comments

Who will play in goal tonight?

Because that will tell me everything I need to know about José Riga’s role at Charlton.

Riga may just sit in the stands and allow Dyer and Matthews to pick the team, but they won’t in a million years put Thuram in over Hamer. Nego, AA and Reza may all deserve to start after what happened on Sunday, but Thuram over Hamer will mean Riga is no more his own man than Nookie Bear.

Yesterday I felt sadness, not because we sacked a manager, but because Roland Duchatelet stabbed the club in the heart. To Duchatelet we are not a community, we are a business. I am not a supporter, I am a customer. He talks of fan experience, well in a week he has put the prices of season tickets up, tried to remove fans from the front rows of the Upper North, insist others move their seat, and make Crossbars membership compulsory for a rather large price tag, then wants to dictate to the manager which team to pick, and then unceremoniously sacks him when he doesn’t jump to his tune and brings in one of his “company men” who when Addicks were fighting political elections was designing IT systems for a French insurance company.
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Mar 11

9 Comments

José Riga

José Riga has 20 years experience developing IT systems, the modern day manager eh? He also helped develop the CogiTraining concept, which he introduced at AC Milan. We will no doubt be hearing more about this, but here is the science bit:

‘Modern football goes all about rhythm, timing, spacing and exceptional technical and mental skills. The CogiTraining Method allows initially “normal” players to internalise the essential ingredient of modern football, that is: speed of vision, speed of decision-making, speed of execution.’

Riga’s innovative approach got him working with managers such as Gerard Houllier and Eric Gerets as well as with UEFA and then the Belgium FA. A former player in the lower leagues his first coaching job was with C.S. Visé in the Belgium 3rd Division, twice getting them promoted to Division 2 in two different spells.

He was first team coach at Sprimont-Comblain, who from what I see look like they play in a park. Nonetheless Riga was obviously getting noticed because in 2003 he got a coaching job at Standard Liege.
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Mar 11

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Paul Hart

One has to assume that Alex Dyer, Damian Matthews, Ben Roberts, Laurence Bloom and possibly Keith Peacock will all follow Chris Powell out of The Valley car park, although Dyer and Matthews did take training today under the watchful eyes of José Riga.

My attention and concern now turns to Paul Hart. Duchatelet has spoken often about his respect for Charlton’s youth academy and Paul Hart must take the majority of credit for that. He and his team have done a tremendous job nursing and building a foundation for the future of the football club.
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Mar 11

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A part of Charlton has died today

A part of Charlton Athletic Football Club died this morning. Whether you were a Powell fan or not, the way Roland Duchatelet has undermined Powell and his coaching team is utterly disgraceful and the future of our football club looks sadly depressing.

It was inevitable that one day I would wake to news that Powell had gone. Talk last week of “footballing issues” made that pretty obvious. I hear that Powell argued with Duchatelet about team selection before Sunday’s game and we all can make our own conclusions on being unable to agree “over the club’s football strategy going forward.”

Powell is a man of immense principals, a man who played the game in the right way and refused to be dictated to by the new owner. Chris would have known on Sunday that his time was up. Losing to Sheffield United and going bottom of The Championship gave Duchatelet every excuse he needed and those uninterested in the goings on in SE7 will probably shrug their shoulders at another manager being sacked.
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Mar 7

Roland in talks with Bari

It looks as if Roland Duchâtelet is close to adding an Italian club to his footballing stable, the famous AS Bari, currently lounging in the lower reaches of Serie B.

Italian football has been beset with all sorts of trials and tribulations in recent years, and Bari are said to be €30m in debt and close to bankruptcy. One would assume that Duchâtelet would be able to pick up the club for a song if he clears the debt that the family owned club has amassed.
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Mar 6

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“Footballing issues”

Chris Powell has told the SLP that he has agreed the financial terms of a new contract but there still needs to be discussions over “footballing issues.”

Let’s look at the positive first. Duchâtelet has by offering him a fair financial incentive made it clear that he wants Powell to stay at the club. Powell likewise has made it public that financially the owner and he are on the same page, and that money will not be the principal factor.
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Mar 3

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Powell fights on, in despite of help

BBC’s Late Kick Off shown in London and the South East focuses on Roland Duchatelet’s ownership of Standard Liege and Charlton tonight. Video clip here. The programme begins at 11.20pm.

A lot of what I have seen is frankly no more than we know already, although the BBC journalist appears positively thrilled when Standard’s Jean-Francois de Sart (photo), who oversees their youth academy, happily announces that Standard’s players not deemed good enough will come to Charlton and the Addicks best players will go to Belgium.

We perhaps should forgive de Sart talking not in his mother tongue, but hearing that will have Charlton fans fuming, just as Duchatelet confirming that our best players could be sold. What’s new some of you ask, but I don’t get what benefit selling, say Poyet to Standard has over say Tottenham? It’s like your missus going to the bank to get you out a tenner. In many ways that was your tenner anyway. Wives, please don’t write in and complain, you get my point.
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Feb 28

Game of poker

It was little over a week ago now since Roland Duchâtelet announced in front of a large audience that he was discussing Chris Powell’s contract “for the coming years.”

That night Powell and Alex Dyer cancelled an appearance at Bromley Addicks, probably to avoid difficult questions from an audience as fans assumed that negotiations were ongoing. That was Thursday.
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Feb 20

Powell in contract talks

Those of you that followed today’s press conference would like me have had an overwhelming postive yet anticlimatic feeling by the end of it. The actual conference itself only lasted a little more than 15 minutes and this was followed by journalists questions that weren’t captured by the Official Site, but some of which were relayed on Twitter by journos in the room.

Duchatelet again spoke about the history of the club and the importance and attraction of the youth set-up as well as making the supporter experience at The Valley better. The Belgian is a big believer in Financial Fair Play and Richard Murray again said that finally the club is on a sound financial footing.

RD said there were no plans to leave The Valley and that the pitch would be replaced at the end of the season. Category One status for the academy is also under consideration.
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Feb 19

Presser

Anyone else notice the growing articles on Roland Duchâtelet’s ownership of the club? I don’t know if our stop-start FA Cup run has brought it to the media’s attention or whether he has a press secretary pushing it to the forefront of journalist’s subconscious. Not forgetting that tomorrow Roland faces the British media, and if nothing else it will be interesting to see which national media outlets deign to show up.

In a Guardian article Duchâtelet says he regrets what happened between fans and himself at Standard because “I am the one who caused it.” (more)
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Feb 13

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A welcome distraction

Operation Massive, a welcome distraction from the trials and tribulations of our very displeasing Championship season.

2,000 Addicks will make their way up to Hillsborough to cheer the Addicks on in the 5th Round of the FA Cup. Yes, if you have been living under a rock since the turn of the year, Charlton Athletic have made it to the last 16 of a cup competition, the first time since the 1940’s when we were at Wembley pretty much every year. Well, at least it seems like that long ago.
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Feb 12

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Standard Liège to be sold?

Belgium newspaper ‘Le Soir‘ is reporting that Roland Duchâtelet is in possession of a €50m bid from a foreign investment fund for Standard Liege.

Duchatelet is said to want €60m, particularly since Standard’s stock is currently so high. Nevertheless after buying the club for €40m in 2011, €50m would still represent a 25% profit.

Duchâtelet threatened to sell the club last summer after Standard fans interrupted a board meeting and invaded his office, this followed the sacking of popular manager Mircea Rednic.

Things have calmed down though in Liege, as they ride high at the top of the Belgium Pro League 10 points clear of nearest rivals Club Brugge and although Les Rouches have to navigate an end of season play-off system, one would have to think that a Champions League spot beckons.
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Feb 11

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Steve Claridge faux pas

Does anyone listen to 5 Live’s Monday Night Club? I am a regular podcast listener and the show accompanies me to and from work in the early part of the week and it is usually a very enjoyable indepth conversation. It’s just that last night, the studio which included regular host Mark Chapman, Ian Dennis and Steve Claridge broke away from banging on about Leeds’ woes for a minute and started talking about the Addicks.

Claridge mentioned that “someone got a text from Chris Powell the other day and said that he and the people that are bringing the players in are not in complete harmony.” Claridge has a big mouth although he patently stops himself from continuing the story. Clearly CP needs to be careful who he texts, then again if he fears for his job, which he must do, what does it really matter?
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Jan 31

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Pole dancer

But little dancing in the streets around Floyd Road tonight.

Piotr Parzyszek did sign for the Addicks after passing a medical early morning and travelled to Wigan with the first team squad. Cedric Evina must have been on the bus too, as his loan move to Bradford didn’t materialise, although it might next week.

One man not on the bus was Yann Kermorgant, who did sign for Bournemouth. He left with these words: “I’m a Charlton fan as well. I had a very, very good relationship with the fans and I love them.” He will be missed.
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Jan 29

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Worrying similarities between Standard Liege and Charlton

It is looking increasingly like both Kermorgant and Stephens will be gone by the end of the week. According to witnesses Yann’s forlorn clapping of the travelling support last night at Doncaster told them all they needed to know.

Sky Sports are reporting that a fee has been agreed between Bournemouth and Charlton and Wyn understands it to be £500,000.

Yann is a huge loss to the side and it’s supporters. Alongside Johnnie Jackson, Yann has stood for everything that has been good about Chris Powell’s reign as manager. Google any range of Charlton highlights from the past couple of years and there he will be stood, chest puffed, steely grin, arm raised, our Breton warrior. But not for much longer it would seem.
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