After the farcical events away from the playing side of things this week, our side took the field at Vicarage Road, ostensibly under the management of Guy Luzon but actually being directed from the sidelines by Damian Matthew and Ben Roberts due to the latest cock-up, this time because Luzon doesn't have a work permit.
There were 2024 Addicks there to witness the new-manager bounce affect and we can debate whether or not Luzon's hands were on this side (he took training this week), but what was fairly emphatic was the pasting we took. I should say now that after we robbed Watford at the Valley earlier in the season, I had marked this down for a defeat as the Hornets took revenge. I will also say that I am confident Watford would have won this had Bob Peeters been in charge, although I suspect his looming presence on the touchline might have made the players try a fraction harder and we may have managed to keep the scoreline respectful.
As it is, this was our heaviest defeat of the season and it could not have come at a more worrying time. The response from the players is very clear and they aren't impressed. There was talk about dressing room discontent under Peeters and the Evening Standard reported that a players delegation had asked for an English Manager after his sacking. Today's performance does not bode well for Mr Luzon. His only experience so far this season was a string of defeats which cost him his job so he is really going to earn his corn if he can turn this around.
We have dropped to 16th and face the prospect of another tough game at Wolverhampton next Saturday. The Valley will not be a happy place come 31st January when we return, presumably under Guy Luzon. The crowd threatens to be the smallest of the season so far and there won't be a lot of patience or goodwill.
I am going to write more about the state we are in tomorrow. It's all very well that we have a rich owner and have no fear of Administration but the Network isn't working and I can't see how it can. Unless our owner is prepared to invest more money in the right players, the best available manager, an experienced CEO and the qualified back-room staff, things are going to get worse, not better.
There were 2024 Addicks there to witness the new-manager bounce affect and we can debate whether or not Luzon's hands were on this side (he took training this week), but what was fairly emphatic was the pasting we took. I should say now that after we robbed Watford at the Valley earlier in the season, I had marked this down for a defeat as the Hornets took revenge. I will also say that I am confident Watford would have won this had Bob Peeters been in charge, although I suspect his looming presence on the touchline might have made the players try a fraction harder and we may have managed to keep the scoreline respectful.
As it is, this was our heaviest defeat of the season and it could not have come at a more worrying time. The response from the players is very clear and they aren't impressed. There was talk about dressing room discontent under Peeters and the Evening Standard reported that a players delegation had asked for an English Manager after his sacking. Today's performance does not bode well for Mr Luzon. His only experience so far this season was a string of defeats which cost him his job so he is really going to earn his corn if he can turn this around.
We have dropped to 16th and face the prospect of another tough game at Wolverhampton next Saturday. The Valley will not be a happy place come 31st January when we return, presumably under Guy Luzon. The crowd threatens to be the smallest of the season so far and there won't be a lot of patience or goodwill.
I am going to write more about the state we are in tomorrow. It's all very well that we have a rich owner and have no fear of Administration but the Network isn't working and I can't see how it can. Unless our owner is prepared to invest more money in the right players, the best available manager, an experienced CEO and the qualified back-room staff, things are going to get worse, not better.
Here's to your last paragraph! All the maladies presently affecting Charlton are realistically reparable. It will just take considerable proactive decisions on the part of the owner, but based on what has transpired over the past week, the reality of that happening remains a major question!
ReplyDelete" I did it my way" R.D.
ReplyDelete"I came, I saw, I conquered, I screwed, I went....."
ReplyDeleteIt's blatantly obvious after today's performance that the players are not impressed by the Luzon appointment, as I said last week Dave, there's just no soul about the club at present. We were warned by supporters of the other network clubs as to what would happen.
ReplyDeleteI don't know about getting players in but I'm sure a lot of our better ones would jump at the chance of getting out.
PH