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Posts tagged ‘Tal Ben Haim’

May 12

15 players released

Part one of Luzon/Duchatelet/Meire’s summer transfer strategy was executed today with the announcement of 15 players released.

They are: Tal Ben Haim; Simon Church; Chris Eagles; Roger Johnson; Lawrie Wilson; Oguchi Onyewu; Neil Etheridge; Jack Munns; Harry Osborne; Harry Gerard; Kadell Daniel; Kurtis Cumberbatch; Kieran Monlouis; Rhys Browne; Levander Pyke.

A mixture of the unfortunate attrition of young pros who were unable to step up plus 7 first teamers. My only disappointment is seeing Ben Haim go, although it was apparently his own decision. Not so much disappointed but sad to see Lawrie Wilson and Simon Church move on.

The Welshman scored just 10 goals in Charlton colours, but his work rate could never be questioned, but I expect his career will have to continue down a division.

Lawrie Wilson’s form dipped this season after an excellent 2014/15 season, when I personally thought he was player of the year. He was very friendly with Hamer, Morrison, Hughes and Jackson and an integral part of Chris Powell’s squad but he was sidelined under both Peeters and Luzon and the writing was on the wall. However I am pleased that he was able to come back to the club where he began his career to show us what a great pro he is. Best of luck Lawrie.
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Feb 12

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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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Nov 30

Charlton Athletic 0 Ipswich Town 1

And you thought it was the orange shirts? My last two games – Bournemouth and Ipswich Town!

It was a horrible way to lose a game we should never have, especially as our own sloppiness was integral to Noel Hunt’s 95th minute winning goal. Ben Haim had been outstanding until he decided he was Claus Jensen in the last minute. As I have written many times since Peeters’ arrival, over playing the football is on occasion going to come a cropper. That’s not Ben Haim’s first offence.

It was tough on the Israeli, who Peeters was furious with, but I have really been impressed with TBH and it is admirable that his immediate thought was to avoid safety first and attempt to find some space and a pass that might have given us an opportunity to score a 95th minute winner. Why not, it is what you pay your money for.
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Aug 21

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The passing game

Tuesday night’s atmosphere was a little surreal I thought and certainly Addicks’ watchers are going to need to learn how to watch Peeters’ new look team.

There were groans around me as the ball often moved from a promising attacking position back into our own half. One old boy near me shouted out it was “disgusting” how a ball out wide wasn’t crossed into the box, but instead passed back.

The award of a foul appeared to bother the players, not because of foul play but because it broke up a rhythm. Instead of then launching a free-kick into dangerous opposing territory they were mostly just tapped to a team mate so the players could continue their passage of play. I only remember Jackson’s effort outside the box being sent goalwards.

Peeters team and the style is a work in progress and I think for long standing suffering Valley stalwarts it is too.
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Jul 11

Addicks sign Jóhann Berg Gudmundsson

Whilst a little underwhelmed this morning by the signing of Tal Ben Haim, I am certainly ‘whelmed’ by the capture of Icelandic winger Johann Berg Gudmundsson.

The 23-year old signs on a 2-year contract after leaving Dutch Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar on July 1st. Gudmundsson arrives with a very impressive reputation. He has 32 Icelandic caps and came to prominence with this cracking hat-trick against Switzerland in World Cup qualifying.
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