Apr 30
Only Chris himself and Lee Bowyer will know what happened during a conversation at the end of the COVID delayed 2019/20 season.
Lyle Taylor has since gone on to be loathed by Addicks for declaring that he would not play, instead waiting to run his contract down before he got his big money move to Nottingham Forest.
Please click for moreWhereas Lyle Taylor is never slow in publicly making his feelings clear, sensibly or non-sensical, Chris Solly throughout his career has always kept one’s counsel.
Lost in the hand wringing and abomination of Taylor’s decision not to play for us again, Solly slunk away to a quiet corner after making his even more improbable choice.
Lyle Taylor has told Lee Bowyer that he won’t play for Charlton again when play resumes. His contract expires on June 30th, and does not want to risk injury and banish any lucrative summer move.
It’s hard to blame Taylor, or any player that doesn’t want to take the risk, but anyone that has seen Lyle’s recent interviews will have seen him disillusioned and infuriated about how the club’ owners have treated him.
Lyle Taylor has never been one to hide his true feelings. Rightly he stepped away from social media after taking himself a little too seriously, although he couldn’t resist the odd barb, which has kept us amused during lockdown like the photo above of his namesake’s Range Rover dealership just after Matt Southall and his partner had their cars impounded.
Taylor is extremely likeable, articulate, grounded and an all round good bloke. Matt Southall is neither of those things.
Lovely. A vitally important 3 points today.
After an even first half we produced a dominant second led by captain for the day and all-round paladin Lyle Taylor who gave everything and scored twice.
One of those goals was perfection, even down to the boos from the away fans just as he hit sumptuous half volley into the far corner of the net. This after controlling a difficult ball from behind him before teeing it up to fire us into the lead.
Again, I’m not too au fait with the game yesterday as I was tied to a seat in a big conference hall resorting to checking my phone. But, that was a fantastic result. A proper Curbs’ performance that one.
Lyle Taylor, Sam Field and Josh Cullen back in the match day squad for Fulham. Sorry about the clickbait, but everyone’s getting a bit needy around here. 🤷♂️
Zero transfer news. Sorry. Log off now if you have to. Maybe the midfielder from Rangers. Less substantiated are Lockyer’s ex-team mates from Bristol Rovers. Striker Johnson Clarke Harris and midfielder Ollie Clarke who took over the armband from our Welshman. Then there’s the soap opera that is becoming Marcus Maddison.
And that’s about that on the jungle drums but Gallen and Bowyer have always done a very good job of keeping targets and potential signings very close to their chest. Andre Green being the most recent example.
Sounds as if we should steal ourselves for seeing the last of Lyle Taylor. ESI have had their contract offer to the 29-year old striker turned down and will now listen to offers for him. Hopefully he is moved on quickly giving time for Gallen and Bowyer to replace him.
The Taylor story has rumbled on too far for me to be shocked, or even disappointed. This is modern football I’m afraid, it’s hard to begrudge him a final payday and possibly a Premier League opportunity. We ourselves only have him because he did similar at Wimbledon, in fact there’s nothing to say Taylor may well wait at The Valley for his contract to expire and move as a free agent in the summer.
If a week ago a 2-2 draw felt like a loss, then yesterday’s felt like victory. It was a roller coaster game to watch for the close to 3,000 Addicks and for 20 first half minutes most of them would’ve wished they were Christmas shopping.
Defensively we were all over the shop. Rangers scored early after Sarr sliced a clearance directly into the path of Cameron. After that it could and should have been at least two or three more. Dillon Phillips kept us in it, and one save when Bermudian Nahki Wells was through on goal with only another QPR anywhere near him was beyond belief.
Rich Cawley was full of joys of the season this morning as he announced that both Jonny Williams and Sam Field have suffered setbacks in their returns from injury.
Both were expected to be on the bench on Saturday at Loftus Road, but Williams has tweaked his hamstring and Field likewise his knee during a full training session at West Brom, his last one before he was to drive back down to SE7. Happy bloody Christmas.
That was about as far removed from a Lee Bowyer’s team performance as possible. It was awful, and my heart goes out to the brave 500 or so Addicks who wasted a day if not longer going up there to watch it. Including Matt Southall. Legends all.
Great news, hearty good news in fact from Macauley Bonne who has been declared 100% fit and well to carry on playing after undergoing cardiac tests.
Bonne pulled out of the Zimbabwe squad after a ‘heart scare’ following what are regular cardiac screenings.
A club statement said: “The results of these investigations have been discussed with the sports cardiologist and the player will continue to play and train as normal. The club will continue to regularly screen his heart as recommended, as we do with all our players from U15 through to the first team.” Great news.
Not a six-pointer or a crucially must-win game but an important one nonetheless as we see how Lee Bowyer’s team can bounce back from last weekend’s first defeat.
Lyle Taylor’s knee injury has been described to similar to one that Patrick Bauer suffered last season. So no surgery but rest, time in a brace and then strengthening and fitness recovery. Bauer was out for 9 weeks. Meanwhile Lyle can dedicate his time to Cancer Research awareness. It’s a great cause, one close to my heart, and the club has dedicated the Derby home game on October 19th. Sadly he won’t be playing.
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.
Social media was alight like a soggy firework yesterday as stories of Lyle Taylor being injured ripped through us. There was even photos taken of him and his blonde locks struggling on crutches at Ebbsfleet train station.
Taylor captained and played the full 90 minutes in Montserrat’s 2-1 win over the Dominican Republic on Saturday, but he was missing from their draw last night against St Lucia. Taylor obviously travelled home before that game. The journey back from Montserrat includes either a boat or an eight-seater light aircraft back to Antigua before boarding a flight to London. That must have been a painful journey.
Again, if someone had told us a year ago, even in the middle of the summer, that we’d be gutted not to beat Nottingham Forest in The Championship, then we’d be left with no choice but to unravel that ‘Liar’ banner again.
A sublime first half performance that had Addicks salivating at The Valley and at home sadly couldn’t be sustained, as Forest equalized late to grab a point.
Bowyer made a number of changes as Erhun Oztumer and Sam Field made league debuts and Naby Sarr took Jason Pearce’s place as Bow again showed he is not afraid to make changes depending on the opposition. Deji Oshilaja took Solly’s place at right back and Lyle Taylor was given the armband.
I love this team. Lee Bowyer’s team. Well, team’s because this is the second one he has had to build. Bowyer and his coaching team, and not forgetting miracle worker Steve Gallen, have put together a group of players of such energy and gusto. They are almost rewriting the ‘Charlton way’. Look at that picture of Conor Gallagher. He’s only been here just over a week. The personality of this team is to die for. It really is.
The 5th and final loan happened way after the 5 o’clock deadline tonight when Brighton’s experienced Israeli international Beram Kayal signed up for the season.
Kayal is thought off very fondly down on the south coast, and it was pleasing to see so many good wishes from Seagulls fans towards both the player and us.
The Israeli moved from Celtic to Brighton in 2015 and made 122 appearances, including 37 in the Premier League during the last two seasons. He brings ability and much needed experience, and he sounds every bit a Bowyer player.
Sick to my stomach. That is how I felt this morning when I woke up and saw all the Lyle Taylor transfer stuff online. Even ratified by journo sage Rich Cawley.
Brentford are flush and in the market for a striker after selling Neil Maupay to Brighton for £20m, and Middlesbrough, well they can’t believe how easy it is to take sweets from a senile old football club murderer.
Back with a bang. Wow, I don’t think many of us were expecting that. A squad short on numbers, but never short on belief and resolve, and urged on again by a band of noisy Addicks.
The first half hour was probably as expected, Blackburn dominated possession and we looked like a team thrown a little together in the school playground. Yet there was work rate and the back five looked solid led admirably by Jason Pearce with Darren Pratley in front of him.
About 9pm tonight Charlton’s OS and Twitter burst into life as the club announced the signing on a free transfer of Deji Oshilaja, a 26-year old centre-half. Oshilaja turned down new contract offers with AFC Wimbledon and allowed his contract to run down, leaving in June. Since then he has been on trial at Luton Town, even playing for them last week. Hatters’ manager Graeme Jones was said to be impressed, yet a few days later, he signs for us.
Recently when Lyle Taylor stopped in on Charlton fan Betty Hutchins (watch the video as well), Betty said that these three ‘f’ words were the most important things she had in her life. It’s hard to disagree with that, whatever your faith.
Betty has long been ‘proper Charlton’ and watched the Addicks since 1946. Sadly Betty died yesterday just two days before her 83rd birthday.
Back at Gatwick now with a very croaky voice and a head full of songs and dreams.
These last few years most of us, and very certainly me, have lost and forgotten what it was to be a Charlton fan. The fellowship, the connection, the unerring pride and hope handed down through generations or founded by those new to being an Addick. It was gone, perhaps forever. Don’t get me wrong the old bastard can’t sell the club a day too soon, but Lee Bowyer, his coaching team, and the group of players he has brought together has somehow, in spite of the owner, given us something to cheer and believe in.
Last summer when Steve Gallen and Lee Bowyer signed Lyle Taylor they signed more than a footballer.
Taylor had a good goal scoring record in League One and below, but what we got was a man who touched Addicks deeper than what he did with a red shirt on. Now, every football fan loves a player that genuinely takes pride in wearing the shirt and chases every lost cause, but once in a while a player shows up, and you get something more than just what you see on a football pitch.
Who would have thought it. We finish in 3rd place after improving our goal difference to better Portsmouth, who failed to beat Accrington Stanley whilst Sunderland lost at Southend meaning they drop to 5th.
Doncaster held onto 6th so we go there next Sunday with the 2nd leg at The Valley the following Friday.
Bowyer went with a strong team with Taylor, Bielik and Bauer returning. Albie Morgan was in the line up and Josh Parker started up front as Igor missed out to injury.
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.
I may live on an Atlantic outpost but before I went to bed last night by my reckoning and from the table I was looking at only a big Nicaragua win in Barbados would see Lyle Taylor’s Montserrat missing out on a 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup place.
Apparently not. Nicaragua’s 1-0 win thanks to a Juan Barrera’s goal on 70 minutes meant they finished 9th and Montserrat 11th, not 10th. Websites and general up to date information is not easy to find from this region and the table I was following had not been updated.
Bermuda’s national football team (pop: 62,000) made history tonight by qualifying for the CONCACAF Gold Cup for the first time. It is the island’s first qualification for any major tournament.
Nakhi Wells led the Gombey Warriors, resplendent in their pink shorts and blue shorts, to a 3-1 victory in the Dominican Republic (pop: 10,785,000) and 20 places higher in the FIFA rankings. The win gave them a top 10 qualifying birth within the 34 team CONCACEF Nations League.
Wells, the most well known player in Bermuda’s ranks, scored the 2nd after Zeiko Lewis, who plays in the USA 2nd tier for Charleston Battery, equalized a very early Dom Rep opener. Justin Donawa (Columbus Crew) scored the crucial third from distance to make the game safe.
A fantastic performance from the Addicks today, and on the TV as well. After taking five minutes to settle we dominated the vast majority of the game playing some wonderful stuff, chasing every lose ball, and never shirking a challenge.
Of course it wouldn’t be Charlton if we didn’t have to hang on a bit at the finish, and after last week I was shuffling uncomfortably on the couch at the end.
I woke up uneasy. Feeling a sense of dread and deja vu, or whatever the Flemish equivalent is.
Yesterday was disappointing, very. Blackpool are decent but it was another missed opportunity. No win in four, and a creeping impression that we are suddenly easier to play against and we haven’t any solutions. Or goals.
Three points behind 2nd and four behind 1st as we approached the end of the January transfer window. Since then we have fallen away badly thanks to one man. The richest, most obtuse and neglectful owner in our history.
For an undisclosed fee. Roundly expected to have been £2m.
It was Bob Peeters who gave Karlan Grant, or Karlan Ahearne Grant as he was known then, his league debut at just 17-years old. He was nowhere near ready. The following season Guy Luzon and the infamous Karel Fraeye also threw him into the fold as the club staggered from one debacle to the next, eventually we were relegated as all matter of soft toys would rain down onto The Valley on a regular basis.
Grant was played in wrong positions, was horribly mismanaged, was sent out on loan, and bounced between youth football and the bench as other young strikers were loaned in ahead of him and all the while every time he looked up he had a new manager to talk to. Yes, Grant has been at Charlton since he was 12, but does he owe us anything?
That game had it all. Well only after the 82nd minute.
We didn’t play well, and were unable to get any luck from Stanley’s big back four. The game descended into a niggle contest in the last half hour and with 10 minutes to go a mass brawl followed an Addicks corner. No one seemed to know who the guilty and innocent parties were, but one of the lino’s called it and the referee sent off Stanley keeper Maxted and Lyle Taylor, who from what I have seen and heard, spent the whole incident face down on the floor.
Allez, allez, allez.
A consummate performance yesterday in Salop, the scene of not so fond memories at the end of last season. Since then for Shrewsbury’s part they’ve had their squad and management team ripped apart and have had two managers since. Meanwhile we look much better prepared for promotion 7 months on, and the shoe was on the other foot yesterday as we controlled the game, as they did then.
In May Karlan Grant was at Crawley and Lyle Taylor was a figment of Lee Bowyer’s imagination, but yesterday up front together they caused havoc amongst Shrewsbury’s back line, which was one of the Shrews’ assets last season. Grant could have scored four, but his pace was a constant menace. And it was a sign of his confidence that he stepped up for the penalty and struck it with such aplomb.
Like a few other things in a busy last few weeks I missed that the EFL have extended an invitation to CARD to discuss the present and future of the club. This follows EFL’s meeting with Duchatelet, club staff and CAST in recent months.
Duchatelet ranted again on Friday ringing into his mate at Sky Sports, Jim White suggesting, as Lee Bowyer also did last week, that the sale may be completed in Januzzzzzzzz.
Last Christmas I gave you my heart
The very next day you gave it away
This year to save me from tears I gave it to Lyle Taylor
Big day for Lyle Taylor tomorrow against his former side for whom played 133 games, and a club he still has strong opinions about. Taylor left Fratton Park on Tuesday night in a protective boot after taking a kick on the foot, but according to the manager nothing will stop Taylor playing on Saturday.
We showed once again tonight that this Charlton team has goals in it as we crashed five past Mansfield Town to progress to the next round of the FA Cup where we will travel to Doncaster Rovers.
We began with a strong looking line-up which included Billy Clarke and Patrick Bauer. Both were replaced late in the game, after we were 2-0 ahead. One surprise in the starting line up was the inclusion of Lyle Taylor, who had only just flown back from Montserrat. Sarr partnered Bauer, and Toby Stevenson got a whole game in his preferred wing back role. Phillips was in goal.
Fosu, Lapslie, Pratley and Clarke were the diamond shaped midfield and Ajose, desperate for a goal and possibly in Bowyer’s last chance saloon, played up top with Taylor.
Bermuda caused a big upset last night by beating El Salvador 1-0 in a rain soaked National Stadium. Nahki Wells scored the 2nd half winner on his first appearance for his country in 3.5 years. El Salvador came into the CONCACAF Nations League Qualfying seeded 4 out of 34 countries and 110 places above Bermuda in the FIFA rankings.
The conditions were shocking but helped neutralize El Salvador’s technical superiority and after Wells, who is on loan at QPR from Burnley, headed in Reggie Lambe’s cross the Gombey Warriors hung on for a famous win.
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.
International week has dragged although the newly hatched UEFA Nations League seems to have a lot more going for it than the pedestrian paced friendlies we used to have to endure.
Over in this part of the globe the CONCACAF region have also embraced the Nations League concept and have replaced friendlies with a tournament that will not only have a champion plus promotion and relegation through the small teamed groups, but will also determine who qualifies for the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Lovely result today. Bradford’s league place belies them, they are loudly backed at Valley Parade and it is always a tough place to win.
But win we did. It was a gritty display, perhaps with an added nasty streak. Yet we showed some good skill, were determined, focused and scored with a couple of superb finishes. My, we could be talking about Bowyer the player.
I am more than happy Bow has introduced a tough streak. For too long we have been easy pushovers. We are going to pick up bookings though, that’ll we need to deal with.
I watched today’s game on iFollow. Couple of nice and fair Wycombe commentators talked us through an open game which saw us just about hang on for a 3-2 win and 3 more points. Why don’t Charlton sign up to iFollow. Anyone know?
We kicked off and took the game to the Chairboys energetically. That lasted 3 minutes, after that we were pretty dire, and although Williams scored with an excellent curling shot he had our penalty box to himself.
Wycombe played high up the pitch with good tempo and were the better side in the first half half hour. Then we started to get the ball out wide, Grant was causing some damage and out of the blue we scored. Jombati slicing into his own net from a teasing Lewis Page cross.
With noises getting louder that the Aussie takeover is collapsing like a deck of cards, caretaker manager Lee Bowyer has made his first signing of his managerial career, and a half decent one it seems too.
As picked up by me and a few others Bowyer and Jacko had made the Wimbledon striker their number one summer target once they were re-installed as caretakers by Duchatelet, and although Taylor had a cast of thousands to choose from, including Sunderland, the 28-year old picked SE7 as his home for the next two years.
Sarasota, Florida
