Igor Vetokele | Chicago Addick

Apr 13

Charlton Athletic 3 Luton Town 1

Allez, Allez, Allez.

What a result that was. The Valley rocked again today as Lee Bowyer’s team bounced on with Addicks’ fans right there behind them. As Bow said let’s just be there waiting if the others want to slip up and offer us an opportunity.

I was bouncing around a bit myself today and followed the game by a variety of ways, but even the first half we were good. Yet they were very good too showing every inch of why they hadn’t lost for 28 games and will absolutely go up as champions.

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Apr 10

3 Comments

Wycombe Wanderers 0 Charlton Athletic 1

1,500 Addicks turned Adams Park into a home match last night as they sung and roared on Charlton to victory.

It wasn’t a classic but Lee Bowyer’s men ground and fought out a hard earned win against a decent Wycombe side. Bowyer juggled his squad around to rest a few legs and it was returning skipper Jason Pearce who got the vital goal expertly volleying in a cross from a lovely Josh Cullen cross on 33 minutes.

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Apr 6

2 Comments

Plymouth Argyle 0 Charlton Athletic 2

Plymouth is always a tough place to go, and if ever the Pilgrims can be decent for a whole season they are sure to be promotion challengers, and the boys in retro red and black navigated some choppy waters down in the West Country today but returned home with all three points.

The Addicks struggled to contain a very attack-minded Argyle first half, not helped by a referee who was on a mission to book every Charlton player. We’d had three in the book before a returning Bielik fouled the dangerous Lameiras to give away a penalty late in the first period.

However Dillon Phillips stood strong and despite diving to his left he beat Carey’s centrally placed kick out with his foot.

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Feb 23

2 Comments

AFC Wimbledon 1 Charlton Athletic 2

Huge, huge win.

Scenes in my kitchen when after a goalmouth scramble Igor Vetokele got the last touch to force the ball over the line to give us our first win for a month. A massive 3 points especially with Peterborough and Blackpool losing and Donny drawing.

However it was a turgid 1st half performance from the Addicks, and the Dons were worthy leaders at half-time, although Lyle Taylor missed what seemed an open goal on his old patch.

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Feb 2

6 Comments

Fleetwood Town 1 Charlton Athletic 0

Depressingly predictable.

Compare and contrast how we all feel now to how we felt before the Peterborough game a week ago. Thanks for everything Roland.

It sounded poor today. I was very disappointed to see Bowyer start with just Hackett-Fairchild up top on his own. Especially with the 6ft 6 Harry Souttar making his debut on loan for them.

Our forward line issues speak for themselves, but Bow really needs to work out what to do in the middle. Lots of skillful players, some neat passers, but no cutting edge. A couple are also too similar and none of those starting today can be relied upon for goals. The team needs pace and width. Both Fosu and Marshall can still play a big part. Igor at least sounded lively when he came on. What would we give for him to come back and do the business?

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Nov 9

3 months

Is how long it is expected both Josh Cullen and Igor Vetokele will be out after both dislocated shoulders in the win at Walsall. Tuesday’s victory came with a heavy price. Cullen, on loan from West Ham, has been outstanding at the fulcrum of the midfield.

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Nov 6

2 Comments

Walsall 0 Charlton Athletic 2

Nice one. Another straightforward result. This time on the road at Walsall. A clean sheet always gives you a chance and once more the defence, changed from Saturday, was strong and robust, fielding any flurries of Walsall activity.

We started well and grabbed an early goal from the spot. It’s very noticeable that we are winning more penalties than we have for many a year. 5 minutes in. The penalty was won by Fosu and Taylor dispatched. That’s 8 penalties this season. Lyle has scored four, but has missed two. Fosu and young Stevenson have put one away each.

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Sep 4

3 Comments

It’s the rules

Apparently there was a game tonight, and apparently Tarique Fosu didn’t play. So far so good. And we drew, well lost. On penalties. And, as it turns out, in the most ridiculous rule of all off football time, Fosu was banned from playing, but it didn’t count towards his three-match ban. Yep, EFL you really are..

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Aug 25

Charlton Athletic 0 Fleetwood Town 0

A desperately dull affair only lifted by a crisp packet invasion which stopped the game after the first minute, and incidentally one of our better chances.

It sounded a game bereft of goal scoring chances, and just about everything else played in a funereal atmosphere with (likely) less than 6,000 in the stadium, not helped by one of the lowest away followings seen since our return to The Valley.

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Jul 17

4 Comments

Pratley makes it two

As expected, and I think in most corners, hoped Darren Pratley became Lee Bowyer’s second summer signing. The 33-year old midfield general played 35 times last season for Bolton in The Championship, where he was their captain.

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Jul 14

Bottom of the barrel

Today was the traditional pre-season run out at Welling. Nicky Ajose and Lyle Taylor got the goals in a 2-1 win. A crowd of just 1,020, the lowest ever, witnessed it.

Two different sides played each half and included trialists Simon Dawkins and central defender Elliot Ward. Dawkins is an attacking midfielder, aged 30 and has been playing out in the U.S. for San Jose Earthquakes. Before that he did well at Derby. 33-year old Ward has had a string of clubs and was most recently on loan at MK Dons. Blackburn released him after last season. Bowyer said he will make quick decisions on the two, but in my mind these two are typical of the summer-bottom-of-the-barrel signings we have seen under Duchatelet.

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Jun 25

1 Comment

Igor, Igor

Seems like about 100 years ago that chant cannoned out of the away end at Brentford. It is coming up 4 years to be exact, but Igor Vetokele this week will make his umpteenth re-appearance at Sparrows Lane for pre-season training on Wednesday.

Lee Bowyer has never seen him play, in fact most of us have only seen a snippet of the 26-year old, who played 25 times for Sint Truiden last season. I will repeat what has been said by Addicks a thousand times – a fit Igor with the right attitude should score buckets of goals in League One….

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Jan 15

1 Comment

Holmes gone. Money not to be reinvested

As expected Ricky Holmes was unveiled as a Sheffield United player today. The fee was undisclosed bu5 reckoned of be no more than £400,000. Richard Murray, remember hump?, said that due to takeover talks the money will not be reinvested in the team, but Holmes wages will, meaning loans and free agents only.

Don’t ask me how during takeover talks players can be sold but not bought. Best to ask Roland how that works. This could get nastier as Duchatelet flogs the family silver one by one.

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Jan 9

6 Comments

Elliot Lee rumoured

Robert Lee’s youngest son Elliot has found himself in the rumour mill and his Dad hasn’t denied it. I know the Lee family pretty well and they always had high hopes of Elliot emulating his Dad but I think he stayed too long at West Ham and was probably a bit too comfortable there, although to be fair he did suffer from various managerial changes and at the point when he should have been knocking on the first team door Big Sam shunned him, much to Rob’s disgust.

Elliot moved to Barnsley in the summer on a free after being released by the Hammers and is on a two-year deal at Oakwell but after only a few sub appearances he would like to move back south. Any move to SE7, which was supported by his Dad on social media would probably be a loan. It is thought that Colchester United, where Lee has had two previous loan spells, were in the driving seat to sign him.

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Jun 17

Novak in, Vetokele out

Another Addicks addition was complimented by a departure today. Charlton announced that Birmingham striker Lee Novak will join on July 1st on a 3-year contract. Meanwhile, although not officially announced, Igor Vetokele signed on a season long loan with a view to permanent transfer with Belgium side Zulte Waregem.
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