Women Lead The Way!

Another fine performance by the England Women's football team has seen them reach the finals of the Euros. Well done to them and let's hope they can get one more win to cap an excellent campaign.

With each passing game (no pun intended) they have increasingly captured the nation's imagination and their profile has been raised.

At the same time, our women's cricket team has continued to perform brilliantly this summer. They have equally displayed high levels of skill and performances. Apart from a washed out test match they have swept South Africa aside in every game.

Both teams have raised more than just the profile of their sports. They have increased the overall awareness of sport and highlighted just what can be achieved by girls and women. 

Aside from the great skill and togetherness that has been displayed, it's wonderful to see how much the players actually enjoy the game. They play with smiles on their faces and mistakes aren't viewed as being the end of the world.

The sport is played with great sportsmanship and there is a real love of the game. I hope it's more than just nostalgia that makes me appreciate this. It's so refreshing!

I recall that when growing up footballers, cricketers and indeed most sports folk, would have a smile and a laugh. What has changed that that is rarely the case? 

I can only put it down to money. Women's sport has typically received less funding and prize money than men's. I believe that the highest paid women's footballer or cricketer is getting no more than £250k (there won't be many) per year. Per year!

These days it's a common salary per week for a Prem player!

If we hope to see the fun and enjoyment return to men's sport then that would need to be addressed. Sadly, it's not going to happen is it. Money is the master and it's has delivered the unlevel playing field that sees the same teams challenging and in respect of football, clubs yo-yoing between the top two tiers.

It's been a long time in the making but finally, we are starting to see the rewards of the investment that has gone into women's sport.

Ian Wright was spot on with his post match comments and if schools and clubs aren't already promoting girls sport, then now they should use this success as the catalyst to do so. Failure to do so is a real missed opportunity.

I've been involved in junior and school sport for some years. Sadly, there have been many examples where the girls teams don't get the same attention and focus as the boys. 

In some instances the main P.E. teacher would attend the boys games but you'd see another, less qualified member of staff at the girls. That's shocking but I'm pleased to say that in my experience, finally, that is improving.

It's ironic that it seems it's the old enemy that stands in the way of our football and cricket teams. I suspect that England will face Germany and Australia respectively in the finals of the Euros and the Commonwealth Games.

Let's hope that both can be successful. If not, no problem because they are already winners as will be the future generations of girls and women who now have people to aspire to and hopefully, develop a lifelong love of sport!

 

 

Strikers Needed!

Less than a week to go before the season kicks off. How is the team shaping up in what for owner Thomas Sandgaard at least is a very critical one?

Not great is my immediate view. The summer has seen quite a turnover in players with more going out than coming in. Ironically, given the current industrial unrest we seem to be the only ones unable to attract any strikers!

Burstow, Washington and Davison have all departed with no one coming in to replace them.

Having known we’d still be in the third tier well before the end of last season, I fail to see why we have not addressed this. After all, we knew Burstow and Washington were going before we kicked off against Ipswich in the final game.

Sandgaard made much of not repeating the recruitment errors of the previous summer but here we are again looking desperate in our need to get at least one attacked through the door.

Surely we had identified several players but we haven’t secured anyone. This may be down to Thomas being reluctant to spend a realistic amount of money to do so. After all, we haven’t spent a penny on any player in this window.

Garner has stated that we may well not get anyone in before the end of the transfer window. What preparation is that!

The best and in fact (due to Aneke’s injury) only striker we have striker we have seems uncomfortable in the gaffer’s preferred formation.

That we have failed to score in the games against Sutton and Swansea (you can’t count an O.G.) is a real cause for concern.

As promising as Miles Leaburn is and we all, particularly those of us who recall his dad’s playing days with great affection, want him to succeed. However, it’s unrealistic to expect him to play week in and week out. He needs to be played sparingly.

I hope that he and Kanu aren’t viewed as cheap options when neither is fully ready for full campaign in the League One.

Whilst I think Garner’s desired style of play is admirable and when successfully deployed will be pretty on the eye, it does need to right personnel.

Man City and Liverpool etc. are successful with it but they do have rather good players that are capable of implementing it. What I’ve seen several times frightens the life out of me and we look likely to give the ball away all too easily in and around the box.

There are some big clubs in this division again this season but we probably couldn’t have wished for a tougher start than Accrington away. Without doubt they will press and harry us all over the pitch.

If we are serious about challenging up the top of the table then we need a good start. Devoid of the firepower up front that seems unlikely.

Should things go really Pete Tong then Sandgaard will come under greater scrutiny than he has been afforded to date. He recruited Garner and has a lot to say on the style of play and promised much in return.

Both he and Martin are playing massive parts in the recruitment too. The buck stops with him if it doesn't work. He would need to explain why his much lauded son has not been able to deliver.

I hope my negativity is misplaced as we so need to vastly improve on the pitch and we all need to be cheered up by the distraction that our club is!

Finally!

To no one’s surprise Ben Garner has finally be unveiled as the new manager.

Naturally, we had to wait until the owner was back in the UK until this was confirmed. Clearly, Sandgaard and her indoors were somewhat miffed that the news was released ahead of today’s announcement.

He does need to understand the nature of reporting and that journalists, especially Cawley, are free and to an extent duty bound, to report on their information.

Hopefully, Thomas will learn at least this lesson and maintain a more dignified approach and response next time. Cawley has maintained a dignified silence and remained professional throughout.

None of knows if Garner will be a success. He comes across well and has resisted or is at least sensible enough not to make outlandish statements in terms of claiming what he will achieve.

Garner seems to have a clear idea of how he wants his teams to play. Given that it is based on an attacking philosophy bodes well.

It would make sense and will maintain continuity from Garner’s side if his two assistants come with him.  One assumes that is the plan and is being worked on.

I’d love to know who the other candidates were that Sandgaard interviewed or applied for the job. I can’t believe that Garner was his first choice. Until a couple of weeks he wasn’t even in the frame.

In that respect I’d also be keen to know where he came from. Did he apply off his own bat? That seems unlikely especially if the assistants are part of the deal.

I was interested to hear Garner mention how impressed he was with what Thomas, Martin and Steve knew of him. It tells us that Junior is also involved with the recruitment of managers not just players.

None of the above is intended to rubbish Garner I’m just interested to know how the whole recruitment process was run and by who.

The most important thing to do now is get on with recruiting the players we need to push us up the table. That, plus we all need to get behind Ben Garner and give him every chance to succeed.

Let’s hope for some entertaining football allied to a more successful season than we have for some while now.

Better Than Roland!

It’s now 10 days since Thomas removed Jackson. The general feeling, not least given credit by Junior’s comment to Washington, is that has been on the cards for some time.

It’s puzzling therefore, as to why we seem no nearer appointing the new manager than on Tuesday 3^rd May.

In the meantime, several players have been released with others in negotiation. The big question is who is sanctioning these deals and rubber stamping the decisions?

Presumably not the new manager as they have yet to be appointed. That must mean it is a combination of the Sandgaards, Senior and Junior. Don’t forget Junior’s trusty laptop with its wizzo programme and his recruitment system that has blown everyone (well, daddy), away!

Steve Gallen we’re told is now reduced to the role of contract negotiating so he merely is an interested onlooker.

Given Thomas spends most of his out of the country and with the club devoid of a CEO (as well as a manager) it all comes down to Junior calling the shots.

It’s a nightmare scenario that sees someone who has no relevant football experience and wouldn’t get a job at any other league club making decisions that are so integral to any potential success next season.

It’s never been more important to strike whilst the iron’s hot (the use of that phrase in light of the need for a pressing game is entirely deliberate!). However, we seem to be on the back foot and directionless.

It’s hard to see any player wanting to sign as long as they don’t know who the new manager is. In fact, if Thomas cocks it up they still might not want to when they do!

The Sandgaard apologists are forever referencing his saving of the club. That goodwill can only last so long and the further we get into his ownership then he rightfully comes under increasing scrutiny.

The other popular refrain of those keen to defend Thomas come what may is that he’s better than Roland. Really? Is that how high we’ve set the bar?

For those that chose to shield our owner from any criticism this is the fallback option. That and he’s the owner, he can spend his money and do whatever he likes.

I have deep concerns over Thomas and his intransigent approach to all aspects of managing the club. He clearly feels that what has made him a successful businessman can be applied to the world of football.

I wish there some examples of where other entrepreneurs had got it so badly wrong when attempting to run football clubs in such a manner! 

That stubborn refusal to seek or listen to advice from others is infuriating as it is naïve. 

Sandgaard doesn’t help himself with the silly self-promotion and his propensity to exaggerated and fatuous comments. His lack of self-awareness means that these show no sign of stopping anytime soon. 

I can’t see him or the situation changing as it requires a u-turn of seismic  proportions. One can hear echoes of Thatcher just thinking about it! 

This most crucial of summers and off season activity has started badly with the clock ticking away with little to reassure Addicks’ fans. 

Let’s hope things take a turn for the better soon or maybe we’ll have another addition to the long list of failed owners of our beloved football club.  

 

To The Premiership and Beyond!

Yesterday’s news of Jackson’s departure was something of a shock even by recent Charlton standards.

In recent weeks I was feeling that Jackson had lost the spark that he had in the caretaker period. That, allied to his apparent refusal to change systems at any time, made me think that we could expect much of the same if he remained in charge.

The football hasn’t been great since he was made permanent despite the awful transfer windows, I did feel the manager ought to be getting more out of an above average League One squad.

I’m really disappointed that it ended this way and that things didn’t work out for Jackson. Like nearly all CAFC fans I so wanted him to do well and be a real success.

His status as an absolute legend of our club remains of course. Johnnie bore the brunt of the worst of times under Duchatelet’s reign conducting himself in a diplomatic and professional manner at all times.

My feelings in respect of the departure of Skiverton are those of indifference. I really fail to see what he brought to the party. I’d go so far as to say that he only had a negative effect on the club as I could see no improvement or change in any aspect of our play.

Should we now be excited by the prospect of a new manager with a clean slate and fresh approach? Not when one considers who is doing the hiring and firing.

Sandgaard still bangs on about what a wonderful job Martin is doing. Amazingly for someone with no experience or exposure to league football he has revamped the recruitment process. It’s now excellent apparently!

Really? Are we expected to swallow that BS? His CV boasts managing a team of 80 people in a completely different industry yet wonderboy has taken to it like a duck to water!

In about 19 months of ownership Thomas is now seeking his fourth manager. He has dismissed Bowyer, hired and fired both Adkins and Jackson plus Skiverton. He has hired and fired Roddy too.

Mick Everett, Chris Parkes and groundsman Nathan Chapman have all departed too. This may or may not be as a result of Sandgaard but they have happened during his tenure in an indirect manner.

Not great on the recruitment front is he? In any line of business that’s pretty awful. We often wonder who is advising him but I’m starting to think that he just makes these decisions himself, thinking he knows best.

With every utterance he exposes more and more of his true self. The most recent being that he feels qualified to demand a certain style of play. Hmmm, how about leaving that to the manager who will assess the group of players he has and deploy the formation and tactics that suit them best?

We’ve had a fair old collection of gems from Sandgaard…..blowing the league out of the water, football is easy, 5 years to the Prem and beyond, Addicks to Victory, clean sheet wins and my favourite, Premier League ready! All of those look increasingly silly with each passing day.

Sandgaard has made mistakes which is acceptable if you learn from them. Sadly, he doesn’t and in reality he’s a stubborn fool who refuses to listen to advice in an area where he has little knowledge or experience. The absence of a CEO is shining example of this.

Initially, Thomas was looked upon as our saviour and to a degree he still has some credit in the bank. Many of us were happy to indulge him with the guitar, awful song that we still suffer, parading round the pitch etc.

We should have known then his apparent motives for buying the club. Let’s remember that’s all he does own as the Valley and training ground are still in the hands of the Belgian.

It just seems to be a vanity project that affords him some time in the limelight where he courts popularity and attention.

I believe he has another manager lined up as I don’t think that even he is as stupid to go into the summer without someone in place. Based on unsubstantiated rumour, I understand that allegedly that person has already had a say on recruitment.

If so, that would explain Jackson’s post match comments, his demeanour on Saturday and the overall performance of the team. I suspect he was hinting at the uncertainty of the players futures in that many already knew they wouldn’t be retained.

Opinion on Jackson’s dismissal is divided amongst the fan base and although may be a correct decision, Sandgaard has heaped pressure upon himself by so doing.

He faces a real backlash from fans if he doesn’t get it right in all areas of the club. Thomas has also heaped pressure on Martin as he will come under increasing scrutiny. As someone observed recently, would Martin be employed by any other League One club? As rhetorical questions go that’s a cracker!

I suspect the Charlton Live team were looking forward to a quiet summer break. In view of what lies ahead, the podcast might even merit becoming a daily one!

As Fergie might say……..”Charlton eh? bl**dy hell!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Curtain Comes Down

Finally, tomorrow sees us reach the last home game of the season. A season that didn’t quite see us blow the league out of the water or emulate Hull City as we were told at the end of last season. 

We can look forward to another season of League One football playing against a number of relatively smaller clubs who have mostly achieved more than we have and can rightly consider to have made progress. 

As far as The Addicks are concerned there’s been no progress of course. Despite what we might hope are the best of intentions from Sandgaard, we’ve gone backwards.

I accept that he has to right the wrongs of years of neglect but increasingly he seems to be going about it the wrong way.

We’ve lost some valued members of staff and their replacements or new additions don’t exactly inspire. The latest is Mr De Souza. Time will tell of course but his CV doesn’t fill me with much hope!

The one thing that appears increasingly clear about Thomas is that he refuses to learn from his mistakes. I’m struggling to think of one decent appointment that he’s made.

Employing your family is always a risky thing to do as it opens you up to the obvious nepotism jibe. The jobs for the boys shout so true.

Again, I hope I’m wrong and that Martin is successful but again nothing in his employment history suggests he has the skills or experience to do so.

The club desperately needs a CEO of course but again Sandgaard stubbornly refuses to employ one at present. Maybe, in 3 years time, there’s no rush apparently.

Rumours have started that he is looking to sell the club. If that’s true then it might explain the reluctance to appoint senior folk. I do believe there are folk out there willing to invest.

The clear out of players that is so necessary started this week with the departure of Gunter, Watson and Souare. There are a few more that need shipping out yet. Let’s see what happens.

There’s a lot of time for things to change between now and the kick off for next season. Let’s see what happens. However, at present I’m not overly optimistic.

Sadly, tomorrow will be my last match as a season ticket holder for a while. I’ll still be going but attending those games as and when I can. I couldn’t justify the expense of renewing (£575 and presumably £625 for the season after next).

This is a massive decision for me given my lifelong support of the club and that I’ve had a season ticket since 1998.

All the freebies aside, this is league one football for goodness sake. Many other clubs in tier 3 and above offer the same for so much less.

Sandgaard missed an opportunity to do something radical with the season ticket offering but completely failed to do so.

This season I got a free ticket, a cheap drink and discount in the club shop. It wasn’t much but it was better than next season’s.

No thought was given to a variety of initiatives that could have been employed.

Come 5pm I’ll depart The Valley for a couple of months until August comes along. Then I guess I’ll start all over again hoping that we can finally have a decent season.

I’ve no sense of self-entitlement but I do expect to see entertaining football with an organised and well drilled team that challenges at the top of this table.

Personally, I’d be more than happy with Champ football. The Prem with its silly kick off times, grossly overpaid players and ticket prices to match, holds little appeal to me as much as I enjoyed our time previously.

Just give me an honest, hard working team that is proud to wear the shirt!

Come On You Reds!

Morecambe At Home

Saturday’s win over Rotherham was probably as unexpected as the one in Jackson’s first game when we played Sunderland away.

Whilst acknowledging that the Millers have been and are on a dreadful run we have been pretty hopeless away this season.

The game was won by a superb strike from Dobson who has more than likely added goal of the season to his Player of the Year accolade. Let’s be honest there’s not much competition for either!

It was a welcome return to the starting eleven for Famewo. I really hope we are able to sign him up in the summer.

For me, he is more than capable and very much what we need if we are to have any success next season. Unlike most of the rest of our defenders he is injury prone.

Tomorrow in our penultimate home game we entertain relegation threatened Morecambe. Despite a mini-revival in recent weeks the outlook isn’t great for Rotherham.

Their final 3 games sees them play Portsmouth, MK and Sunderland. Getting any points from those will be a tough ask.

One to watch tomorrow is Cole Stockton who is enjoying a great season for Rotherham. He’s scored a lot of goals in a poor team and season. There have been some rather spectacular ones in amongst those too.

Whether this season for him is a one off is difficult to know but he’d be worth a punt as a proven goalscorer at this level. He has one year left on the two year contract he signed last summer.

One suspects there will be several clubs chasing his signature and so competition will be intense.

This is another game that ought to see The Addicks victorious but The Millers are fighting for League One survival and so it won’t be easy.

I shall be taking an alternative train journey as trains to Euston aren’t running for the next 4 days due to engineering works. Marvellous!

Come On You Reds!