Farewell Lee Bowyer

Yesterday was the day Charlton Athletic and Lee Bowyer parted company. In spite of calls from many for Bowyer to be sacked, ultimately, he resigned under no pressure from the owner, in favour of a move to Birmingham City where Aitor Karanka is being shown the door.

First, we have to acknowledge that Bowyer gave us one of our most memorable days ever, when he lead us out of League One at his first season attempt in unlikely style. He did it against the odds and without extensive backing from uninterested Roland Duchatelet. With hindsight, he had a better side than even most Charlton fans realised but he had them punching above their collective weight and we arrived in the play-offs with the all-important momentum which had brought a huge backing from excited Addick fans. It was a special achievement and it promised to lead us on to greater things.

Unfortunately, if not unsurprisingly, the backing he received from Duchatelet during that close season was minimal and we lost a number of key players like Patrick Bauer and Joe Aribo who weren't fully replaced. In spite of that we started the Championship season brightly and hopes were high. It looked like we had made the transition smoothly enough but injuries took their toll and we began to sink before Christmas. The season suspension due to the first wave lockdown may have been untimely but most fans thought we would see it out as a Championship side. Disastrously, that wasn't to be and with the furore surrounding Lyle Taylor and Chris Solly's refusal to play on in a temporary post-contract extension, the team spluttered badly and managed to drop into the bottom three for the first time that season on the final day. A succession of missed opportunities and calamitous errors cost us and we went down when I don't believe we should have. Yes, the table doesn't lie but we should have closed it out.

The other factor that has to be taken into account is the fact that Bowyer held things together and stayed in post during the ownership turmoil at the back-end of that season under ESI 1 with the penniless conmen fronted by Matt Southall and the opportunist conmen of Farnell and Elliott as ESI 2. Their transfer-embargo legacy delayed squad rebuilding until the end of the Summer transfer window under Sandgaard but it was swift and fulsome in number, if not ultimately in quality. 

Once again the side started this season brightly and were at the top of the table in the first three months of the season buoyed by six successive victories and five clean sheets in those. Ryan Innis and Akin Famewo had cemented the back four and whilst I believe we were fatally short of firepower upfront, we still had enough midfield capability and forward threat to be scoring and winning. 

That fell apart pretty quickly in November with Innis and Famewo sustaining injuries and things went from bad to worse. We were still picking up the odd win, especially on the road but our home form turned to mush and the Valley almost became a bogey ground. Following the defeat of Wimbledon in early December we drew three and lost five of the next eight home games. That was enough to continue our slide and whilst we still sit in eighth, nominally two points off sixth placed Ipswich, the reality of games in hand of those around us, means we are more likely siting in 11th and closer to six points adrift. Most importantly, we have yet to find our feet properly and regain the forward momentum of the early season.

The slide this season lead to the immediate cry from the lip-wobblers that Bowyer had to go. Bowyer's apparent inability to change things or get a reaction from his players didn't help and that cry only got louder. I am not one to panic and I haven't done. I was very sure we needed to hold our nerve and show faith in Lee Bowyer. He has lead us to promotion already, so we know he has the ability. Injuries hadn't helped but they would be overcome and two players don't necessarily make a team from a large squad. It has to be said that this isn't a standout League One either, so a return to form was expected.

However, we didn't see it and defeats mounted up. Going behind in games at home became something of a standing joke and we still carry the curse of not have won a game since Wembley where we have conceded first. For me the turning point came at home to Gillingham where we contrived to lose 3-2 and the following week at Fleetwood where we tried to defend a 1-0 lead with some awful anti-football. 

Bowyer has tried everything. The largest number of player changes in the division and he had permed every combination possible in defence and midfield. However, he didn't help himself by continuing to make changes even after improved performances. The January window gave him more quality, certainly upfront with Jayden Stockley and to a lesser extent with Matt Smith in midfield. Diallang Jaiyesimi has yet to prove his value, as with Ronnie Schwartz. Results have not materially improved and the slow slide has continued. 

It's hard to avoid the conclusion that Bowyer still doesn't know his best eleven and that his players aren't listening to him. The midfield has, arguably, been the biggest problem. Two experienced but ageing journeymen in the shape of Watson and Pratley. Both a yard slower now and both conceding frequent yellows and the consequential red cards. Other than that, the other options are too 'samey.' Shinnie, Morgan, Gilbey, Smith, Jaiyesimi (so far) and Forster-Caskey can all float through large spells in matches without appearing to get a touch or do anything positive when they do. Liam Millar has been the one bright point in midfield but opposition teams have been effectively doubling up on him and we haven't been able to use the man advantage.

As Charlton fans we have to be able to endure runs of poor form and even entire seasons when we are second-best. That's often been our lot without the money to compete and also being a yo-yo club, being it between the Premiership and Championship or now the Championship and League One. If your manager and players are doing all they can, you have to suck it up and wait for fortunes to change, even if that means relegation and once again competing at a lower level.

However, one thing I don't believe any supporter should tolerate is the humiliation of the club and frankly, that's where I think we had got to under Bowyer. Repeat performances for weeks and months where we create very little. Even at home we are going through some 90 minutes with two half-chances. In the same games the opposition have been running amok and scoring with ease. Tactically, our back five have been passing the ball around trying to steady the nerves and get a breather before the inevitable upfield punt that comes straight back at us. 

Bowyer's normal plain speaking has put him in a difficult position because his defence of the indefensible has been obvious to see. Whilst he has been critical of the players on occasion, too often we have had to listen to the most obvious excuses - the penalty, the sending-off, the wind, the pitch, the referee etc. He has also called out individuals publicly and, is rumoured to have gone over-the-top in private. You don't like to see it but perhaps it's necessary on occasion when nothing else is working. Jonny Williams was one who suffered from both if the rumours are believed and he is now playing in the Championship at Cardiff City. 

I was called out as being too harsh on Bowyer on Twitter and perhaps I was with limited characters available, but I am not disappointed to see him go. He has walked away from us remember, he hasn't been sacked. We should get some compensation and the chance of an experienced manager who can win us promotion with reasonable backing. The performances of his team put him in sacking territory and it is to Sandgaard's credit that he held on, although it might not have favoured him to have done so if there was no meaningful corner being turned this season. Having said that, Bowyer was a fine Charlton prospect who wore the red 46 times before earning us a decent fee from Leeds. He earned huge respect in the game for 16 more years being hanging his boots up at Ipswich Town and he has made his mark in the game as a manager at Charlton and Wembley. None of us will forget that but he leaves us where he found us, struggling in League One which is a bit less, at least, than any of us expected in Thomas Sangaard's first season. Let's face it, it's not been pleasant viewing this season and things have to change.