Jan 14
The player we never replaced has returned today on a three-and-half-year deal said to be worth £300,000.
Aneke scored 16 goals last season, and moved for a free to Birmingham during the summer. He has played 18 matches for Lee Bowyer’s side but only 370 minutes. He has scored twice this season and came on as sub in their last game.
Please click for moreI don’t have a lot of like for Birmingham City. I’ve been to St. Andrews numerous times and most of them have been rather unpleasant, off the field anyway. Yet I have been keeping an eye on their progress under Lee Bowyer, and today a win at ‘Wayne Rooney’s Derby’ secured their Championship safety which looked very dubious upon his arrival in mid-March.
Lee Bowyer told his players this morning that he will be leaving the club. It is widely expected that he will take over at Birmingham City, who are looking for a new manager after they sacked Aitor Karanka over the weekend.
The whip round that Marian Mihail done to raise a few quid must have gone better than expected as their was enough over to send Lee Bowyer and his small squad – perhaps they are all sharing a room – to The Belfry for some much needed team bonding, and one would assume, golf.
Whilst they are in the Midlands the Addicks will also play Birmingham City in a pre-season friendly on Saturday at Wast Hills, the Blues training ground.
Gut wrenching. 93rd minute. What a hammer blow.
If we are going to do this, then it will be the bloody hard way…. always.
Absolutely gutted tonight. One point from the last two games. Even two would have given us something to cling onto. F sake.
Strange game really to summarize. We unusually had the majority of the possession, but they had 23 shots to our 7. Phillips could be criticized for their goal, but blimey he had a brilliant game, and without him we would have not have been clinging onto a 1-0 lead into injury time. Brilliant penalty save by the way.
Funny isn’t it? In the summer we were like ‘jeez Bow loves signing a midfielder’ and then we ended the year playing 19-year old’s in there alongside the Duracell battery that is Darren Pratley.
Bowyer signed three more midfielders today, two very experienced ones and another young prospect ripe for improving.
To much fall out on Birmingham fan sites, David Davis signed on loan until the end of the season. I feel the club was trying to make this permanent but run out of time.
An unusual feeling yesterday. We simply haven’t been used to losing, but none of us expected that feeling to last well into September. We had to get beat some time and Taylor-less we now have to show how much we belong in this division in the coming weeks.
Yesterday I thought was fraught with classic banana skins. Possibly for the first time this season we were favourites to win a league game, the biggest regular home league attendance for about four seasons, and the 100th Valley birthday with loads of pomp and VIP guests. Probably why I was anxious beforehand.
After three dark seasons in League One we are back in The Championship, and although I don’t think any of us are under any illusions how hard it’s going to be, it feels good doesn’t it? We’ve spent the majority of our history in the 2nd tier, this will be our 46th season and we hope and support Lee Bowyer to continue us on this journey.
The Championship is stuffed full of clubs who ‘used to be’ with large parachute payments, and those that ‘want to be,’ clubs with lofty ambitions and budgets. Then there are also many ‘that can be.’ Sheffield United the last to prove that with a good manager, stability, a team ethos, great supporters and importantly a plan then the Premier League is not just a dream.
Over a few posts I’m going to attempt to look at our opponents in this season’s EFL Championship, and will do so in alphabetical order.
Huge heartfelt congratulations to Brighton and my mates who have followed them through their peaks and many, many troughs. 20 years ago Brighton were homeless thanks to the ineptitude and irresponsibility of a club chairman who shamelessly sold their historic Goldstone Ground from under them. They subsequently played 70 miles away at Gillingham’s ground for two years before spending 12 seasons at the Withdean athletics stadium, with portable cabins for changing rooms.
But today at their wonderful Falmer stadium, a legacy to the generous and patient Tony Bloom, the Seagulls returned to the countries top division 34 years after they were last there, and in that time only Steve Gritt and a last-day draw at Hereford stopped them from sinking into the non league, and potentially the abyss.
Brighton have long been ready for the Premier League and they are a proper club, with proper fans and the long friendship with Charlton supporters runs very deep.
Next week’s senile statement missive from Charlton might well mention balloons. 50,000 black and white ones are planned to float around The Valley tomorrow, and I expect lapdog Tony Keohane’s honey to-do list today will include re-writing the list of items banned from bringing into the ground.
In the week of beach ball-gate, the Metropolitan Police have said they are not pursuing a criminal investigation into Addicks’ supporters who accidentally spilled beach balls onto the pitch against Middlesbrough in front of a live TV audience. This should remind us all that the club can do absolutely nothing against lawful and harmless protests.
Also if you haven’t seen this week’s CARD video, it’s a cracker.
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The final part of my look at our Championship rivals. Part I is here and Part II is here.
In this section I will look at the teams the bookies have bundled together in the middle of the table, and those who the bookies have flagged as likely relegation fodder.
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The end is looking nigh for Millwall after defeat at Blackburn last night. The deadly duo of Gestede and Rhodes banging another nail in the Lions’ coffin, only emphasizing how disappointing Rovers have been this season and I will be amazed if Gary Bowyer can keep his strike pair for another year in The Championship.
Millwall host play-off chasing Derby on Saturday and have to win. Rotherham have Norwich visiting and then their game in hand is at home to Reading next Tuesday. Next week is when the Millers should find out about their ineligible player. It is hard to see the Football League making such a crucial decision by docking Rotherham points, especially when they fined Blackpool £30,000, half of which was suspended, for a similar incident earlier this season.
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The Club has announced that Michael Morrison will sign for Birmingham when his loan period expires on December 31st. Why this is sad news, it is hardly unsurprising, with Morrison publicly stating recently that he had no future at The Valley under Bob Peeters.
It makes his signing of a new contract in the summer all the more strange, especially as many others didn’t, but at least I hope that means we get a decent fee for him as he will have 18 months remaining on it. We will never know of course as the fee will bound to be undisclosed.
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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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There must be 626 Donny fans sat at home tonight still shaking their heads because that was how many were sat in the Jimmy Seed Stand on the afternoon of Saturday, 24th August looking on in disbelief as their own players took to sweeping water of The Valley turf with brooms, whilst Paddy Powell leant on his fork.
With Donny leading 3-1 at half-time, a half that lasted almost an hour and twenty minutes, referee Lee Collins finally abandoned the game. Paul Dickov called the whole affair “shambolic” and he was right.
I remember a couple of mates saying that with the way the game swayed before the break, we would have come back to win. This was August remember, before most of us had come to realize how rubbish we were to become.
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Chicago Addick 