Astrit Ajdarevic | Chicago Addick

Dec 29

Pardew sparks the silly season

And not just down at Selhurst Park where apparently Steve Parish has agreed a £2m compensation with Mike Ashley for Alan Pardew’s services! A marriage made in heaven.

The transfer window opens on New Year’s Day and although it remains to be seen what plans Roland Duchâtelet has for us, the Charlton rumours are rolling in.

The gift that keeps on giving is Andy Delort, signed by Wigan for £3m on summer deadline day in a blaze of self-social media publicity driven mostly by his Dad. It was no secret that Duchâtelet had banked on bringing in the 23-year old from Tours who was joint top scorer in Ligue 2 last season.

In the end, and the Belgian could hardly be blamed, the self-aggrandizing and inflated fee was enough to put the Addicks off. Since, Delort has struggled to make any impact at all with Wigan. Signed by Uwe Rosler, but dropped to the development team, Delort has not even made a matchday squad for the Latics under new manager Malky Mackay. Delort in 8 Championship appearances has yet to register a goal, but has scored 5 for Wigan’s development side against the likes of Morecombe, Walsall and Tranmere.

Talk is that Delort will move to The Valley on loan until the end of the season.
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Aug 10

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Where did they go?

Being a bit of an old sentimentalist I try to follow the fortunes of players that have left the club. I did a little research and tracked down the players that left us at the end of last season, just in case you were wondering like.

We all know that Diego Poyet (West Ham), Ben Hamer (Leicester) and Dorian Dervite (Bolton) decided against new contract offers and increased their already not insignificant wages. Dervite came on as a 2nd half sub for Bolton yesterday and was at fault for Watford’s 3rd goal.

For some of the younger players released finding a new job is a little bit more of a necessity. Of the 15 players that departed The Valley in June, the only players I can find that are yet to have a club are Bradley Jordan and Mark Gower.
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Mar 10

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The morning after

Well I hope the players and coaching staff woke up this morning with more stomach for the fight than me. I got up this morning feeling like I’d been hit by a bus with a very negative state of mind. Talking to my brother and a few mates who were up there did not help.

My heart goes out to all of you that made the journey and had to endure a long and thoroughly despressing trip home.

I was very nervous before the game, probably because I am so unused to seeing us live on the television, and frankly this was another to consign to the rubbish bin tagged Charlton’s TV games.
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Feb 23

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Charlton Athletic 1 Queens Park Rangers 0

“This is the benchmark for what is to come over the next 17 games, I will make sure of that.”

There are very few moments in life when a wave of happiness can be brought about in a split second like there is at a football match. With the whole Covered End stood for the remaining couple of minutes after Johnnie Jackson had headed in an impossible goal, I had to sit down for fear of passing out!

I think I am safe as my other half doesn’t read my blog, but at that moment at around 4.45pm yesterday I don’t think I could have been more impassioned. I was a shaking, starry-eyed mess. And I’ve been doing this sh**t for 40 years. They do that to you don’t they?

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Jan 25

Huddersfield Town 0 Charlton Athletic 1

Third time lucky at the John Smith’s Stadium today, which reminds me that I have no problem with grounds being sponsored, as long as it doesn’t re-write history, but it just becomes plain silly when the name keeps getting changed, so let’s start again..

Third time lucky at the Alfred McAlpine Stadium today to propel the Addicks into a nose-bleed inducing 5th Round draw, the first time since 2006 when we made the Quarter Finals – Operation Riverside, remember that?

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Jan 18

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Middlesbrough 1 Charlton Athletic 0

Nothing lacking in effort or team spirit today but it’s a team that is desperately calling for some investment, especially in the attacking third.

There is a lot of wariness amongst Addicks at the moment and when news came through that Yohann Thuram would start in goal and there was no Hamer or Alnwick, Addicks collectively shook their heads.
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Jan 9

Stewart moves to Leeds

I think Roland Duchatelet’s takeover came a little too late to prevent Chris Powell changing Cameron Stewart’s mind.

Leeds were in for him in while back and today he finally signed for them on loan until the end of the season, with the lure of a 3-year contract at the end of it when his Hull contract expires. A promotion battle over a relegation one and the security of a three and a half deal I am sure swung it for the Manchester born winger.

I liked Stewart, he was direct, could take a player on and scored a couple of great goals. It does give Harriott a chance to re-establish himself, but I think that leaves quite a big hole in our already thin squad.
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Jan 3

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Astrit Ajdarevic signs on loan

That didn’t take long, the first Belgian arrives with a crate of Stella at the training ground this afternoon. Ajdarevic is a left footed midfielder signed on loan from Standard Liege for 6 months.

In fact Ajdarevic is anything but a Belgian. Born in Serbia he moved aged two to Sweden with his parents, a country that he has adopted and has represented at various levels. He started his career at Falkenbergs, who play in the top tier of Swedish football before getting a dream move to Liverpool.
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