Dudu Dahan | Chicago Addick

Feb 12

Luzon the will to live

I have no idea if Guy Luzon is a good coach/manager or not, and I have already made my mind up that I don’t want to find out. Harsh on the Israeli I know, but when one gives up professional pride and nails their colours to a mast of a man, so clearly bonkers, then what are you to expect.

Equally there is no evidence in the month since he was been appointed that he has any man-management skills, an ounce of tactical invention or an actual game plan. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt on his ludicrous rabbit in the headlights press conferences because he is not speaking in his first language.

Unfortunately in the dressing room only Tal Ben Haim speaks in the same tongue and the centre back hates him.
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Jan 15

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Penny for a Guy

He may well not turn out to be the next Alex Ferguson, but perhaps we have a budding Ronald Koeman on our hands, or Marc Wilmots, or a young Avram Grant. Hey, a young José Riga would satisfy me.

Known by Standard fans and most of the Belgium sports media as a clown, who brought some strange touch-line antics and the long ball to the Belgium’s Jupiler League that had along with the Belgium FA developed some excellent academies and talented young players in less than a decade, we will find out soon enough whether keeping Guy Luzon on the payroll was one of Roland Duchâtelet’s more insightful decisions or one of that of a madman.

The name Guy Luzon first came into our sightline when he was sacked by Standard Liege in October, and I wrote then with an element of surprise that Luzon would remain in the network.
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Jul 4

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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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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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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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