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Posts tagged ‘Ademola Lookman’

Jul 24

1 Comment

Did we miss out on Walker and McNulty?

The pre-season friendlies continued last night at Colchester as the Addicks came from behind to win 2-1.

It was another good run out for players such as Forster-Caskey, Oshilaja, and Williams before a whole lot of changes were made at the half and on the hour. Brendan Wiredu came on in the final minutes and scored the winner, his 4th in 4 games. The midfielder seemingly being given more of a wide forward role by Bowyer in pre-season, and the 19-year old has done himself no harm and with numbers short, he can expect to be knocking on the first team squad door, just as Albie Morgan did at the start of last season.

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May 20

Blades bid for Holmes

So, who is confident that Ricky Holmes will still be at The Valley next season?

The South London Press “has been told that Charlton have received an offer but made it clear they have no intention of parting with the attacker, who won the Player of the Year award.” I think we have seen this movie before..

Losing Holmes would be a hammer blow to Addicks and Karl Robinson. Last summer the club did resist offers for Ademola Lookman, before eventually cashing in on him in January, but any bid for Holmes would likely represent a large premium on the £125,000 we paid Northampton. Charlton have offered Holmes an extension to his contract which expires in 2018 but at this stage in his career, you would hardly blame Holmes for moving up a division to work with a manager he knows well.
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Jan 16

11 Comments

Made in Charlton

It was great to see Ademola Lookman score for Everton yesterday. I was thrilled for the lovely young man. Every Addick can be rightly proud that he was ‘Made in Charlton’. It was equally as good to see Joe Gomez return from his long term injury for Liverpool last week in the FA Cup, and he too was on the bench yesterday at Old Trafford. It can be impossible to keep these players from moving to the next level, particularly when Charlton appears to be low on ambition, and the reality is that we have become a middling League One club.

I think under Robinson, if he is allowed a longer term to influence young prospects, we may see academy players stay to play closer to a century of games. Of course we know Katrien Meire’s view on moving our best young players on, and for Roland Duchatelet, it is just a way to make money for his network project.

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Jan 5

5 Comments

Lookman leaves, Forster Caskey signs

I wish Ade well at Everton, and I’m pleased that he has signed for a ‘proper club’ with no disrespect to the Chelsea’s of the world, where he would just populate their burgeoning unused or pawned out talent pool.

We saw it coming so it is no surprise, nor is it that the fee is “undisclosed,” although thought to be £7.5m up front rising to £11m. Question now is how much will go into Duchatelet’s pocket and how much will be given to Robinson for his mid-season rebuilding quest. If rumours are true it is only thought to be a single digit percentage.

Katrien Meire, who has kept a low profile recently said: “We have a fantastic academy here and it is testament to everyone at the club that Charlton continues to develop high-quality young players.” She did not add this time that it’s great that we can watch them for a handful of months before watching them on MOTD in the Premier League playing for someone else. Welcome to Roly’s player farm.

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Dec 31

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Southend United 1 Charlton Athletic 1

A last minute equalizer by Andrew Crofts salavaged what sounded like an undeserved point at Roots Hall today. It was the Shrimpers who made the most chances and we had to thank Dillon Phillips and a missed open goal just before Aribo set up Crofts to smash home in the 90th minute.

For the longest time travelling Addicks had little to cheer although in a couple of minute spell in the 2nd half we had two chances well saved and the very impressive Joe Aribo hit the bar.

However it looked like another blank for Robinson until Crofts got his first Charlton goal to give us a point, which looking at the team and bench before kick off was probably more than we could have anticipated against an in form Southend.
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Dec 29

5 Comments

A social function

Wyn Grant found these quotes this morning and thanks to some good work by one of Charlton Life’s finest the whole interview with Duchatelet and his partner Mareike Höfte, who is the president and the front person of STVV, can be found here in two parts. Click part 1 and part 2.

I have paid close attention to Duchatelet and his family since they bought ‘my’ football club almost to the day 3 years ago, and I am convinced that they, more so him, are completely cuckoo.

He really has no concept of sporting integrity or ambition and the ultimate dream of any human being that has ever pulled on a pair of football boots or walked into a professional football club’s stadium for the first time.
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Nov 7

3 Comments

Charlton Athletic 3 Scunthorpe United 1

Played in front of a depressingly paltry band of Addicks, those that decided not to clean their fridges or put their socks into pairs were rewarded with a good game, three cracking goals and an impressive victory.

Lookman’s first was something else, and I always welcome a Jacko goal. Rudd kept us ahead at 2-1, and Ulvestad played very well by all accounts and I’m looking forward to seeing him next Saturday. Hopefully Holmes will be fit too.

Sadly we will miss Lookman, who continues to shine and improve and impress other team’s scouts. I hope we can at least keep him the season. His goals, if Slade can play him in his best position, will be paramount to any kind of promotion push.

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Aug 27

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Charlton Athletic 1 Bolton Wanderers 1

I followed on Twitter and it had me thinking how many thousands of Addicks now tune in remotely instead of going to games at The Valley. Just 10,000 official Addicks at the game, one of the season’s more attractive fixtures, with those in the ground putting the number more in the region of 8,000.

The first half we created the better opportunities, although Solly did have to clear off his line, this when playing in midfield after Johnnie Jackson went off with a slight injury. Why Bauer came on forcing a major reshuffle when either Lookman or Botaka appeared more obvious only Russell Slade will know why he preferred to make a negative move.

Bolton scored early in the 2nd half and it sounded as if we struggled after that against a very physical Phil Parkinson’s Bolton. However we kept plugging away and grabbed a share of the spoils, and ended Wanderers 100% start to the season, when Ademola Lookman fired home in the 7 minutes of added time.
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May 2

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1,025 votes for Cousins enough

There had been a fair bit of ill feeling towards hosting a Player of the Year award this season, for obvious reasons, but it is important to remember that this is a fan-organized event outside of the club’s grubby hands. In fact Katrien Meire attempted to have the evening taken in house but that was rebuffed by the joint organizers Jean Heulin and Ian Wallis, who work tirelessly to put the event on.

This has always been a fan’s ‘do’ and began in 1971 and has continued through other relegation’s and the period away from The Valley.
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Mar 9

5 Comments

Charlton Athletic 0 Milton Keynes 0

A pathetic and pitiful performance lacking in anything that we have held dear from Charlton sides over the years. There was no passion, desire, urgency or organisation in what was a must win game. We had one shot on goal whilst around us clubs and their British managers show fight and determination, we occupy a world of apathy after having any hope and emotion sucked out of us by an owner and his puppets. 

Jose Riga’s team selection and substitutions were baffling edging on the bazaar. I have come to the conclusion that he is just another Roland Duchatelet fraud. Apparently he said that Yaya Sanogo cannot play two games a week. Does our wonderful scouting network have a database of footballers that are only half fit? Anyway problem solved as Sanoga can now put his feet up for 3 games after his idiotic attack on Kay.

I’m not condoning it but if Simon Makienok showed an ounce of Sanogo’s fight then our judgment of him wouldn’t be anywhere near as harsh. The tallest footballer ever to wear the club’s shirt, who cannot win a header. Someone, somewhere in Belgium is laughing at us. 
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Feb 24

8 Comments

Lookman stays until 2020

Well ok, that’s a bit far fetched even in Pinocchio’s world. 

First things first though, thank you to young Ademola, who at 18 at least has a sensible head on his teenage shoulders and thanks to those around him who at least preach patience and reality. Ademola could have gone in the window cheaply and for what? To sit in an academy full of high paid, pampered, appearance-less teenagers? Ademola has come up the hard way, the Jamie Vardy way, let’s call it, so rare that young player’s break into professional football via the back door these days. He comes from a different world than a Cristian Cebellos for example.

Ademola Lookman we will at least get to enjoy for a bit longer. To 2020? Do me a favour. To the end of this season? Probably. 
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Dec 5

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Brighton & Hove Albion 3 Charlton Athletic 2

As night follows day, Charlton fans everywhere knew what was the likely outcome at half-time. Although after 5 minutes I think most of us were in shock. As someone said on Twitter: “Where are Charlton? What have you done with them?”

Normal service was resumed by 5 o’clock though when with 10 men following Patrick Bauer’s automatic red, we collapsed to defeat. After Addicks divided as ever, were comforting themselves with a masterclass counter attacking display in the first half, whilst others were pointing to the fragility of the team, especially the defence and questioning Fraeye’s tactics, although to be fair to the next Sir Alex, he wasn’t helped by a blatent red card and two more injuries. Three maybe as Cousins limped over the line.

I personally expected a complete drubbing and after what I watched last week today has to have been better. The next two games both at home simply must result in 6 points or Roly needs to give us his next network no-mark.
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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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