A chance meeting with Riga

I bumped into Jose Riga and his sidekick by chance last night whilst they were having a post Derby supper.

I'd kind of deliberated as to whether to respect his privacy or post. Baring in mind the unusual divisions that have begun to appear amongst the ranks of the Addicks I though I'd post, really because despite of what we know and what we don't know, or think we know, how we individually feel about Chris Powell (a legend in my opinion) and whatever is round the corner (food for thought, being a Charlton supporter certainly cannot be as bad as being a Cardiff, Leeds United or Portsmouth supporter at the moment) both him and his sidekick were absolute gentlemen, engaging, interested in my opinions from a playing point of view and accommodating in what came across as a very genuine manner.

A couple of decent guys, with a professional approach to a short term goal - keeping Charlton in The Championship.

Whatever anyone thinks, sumises, or feels about where we are at currently, I'm supporting the team and our current coaching team 100% in their endeavour to pick up enough points to scrape us through to at least a 4th from bottom finish.

'A Message From The Board'

Read it yet?

http://www.cafc.co.uk/news/article/20140328-message-from-the-board-1451579.aspx

No big announcement other than stating the bleeding obvious really.

The games are going to come thick and fast over the course of the run in for the season now. And rightly so - every bodies focus; owners, managers, players and supporters should be on doing their bit to keeping us up.

As things stand this type of communication means that the board are taking note and monitoring whats going on outside the walls of The Valley Boardroom, and do actually want to engage with the fan base across a broader spectrum than just The CAS Trust and Old School.

As statements go, if it's true (and lets be honest they don't actually have to consult anyone and why lie?), then I feel confident that we may just have a sensible lot in charge of us for a change.

I will keep up my end of things (season ticket renewed) and reserve judgment until close season to see what type of re-building of the squad takes place and who's in the dug out.

Keep calm and carry on...

It's amazing what a point gained away against local rivals, a spirited performance, three points and returning 'hero' can do to ones general feeling about how and where things are going with our gret club.

I'll start by admitting that my recent posts have been pretty suspicous, perhaps even negative about the new regime. But time (all of the above) and the last 48 hours in general have told me to revert to type, reel my neck in, and wait things out.

The new ownerships response to both The peoples front of Judia and The judian peoples front respective   requests for dialogue seemed to me pretty intelligent and measured.

A brief video interview with Roland explaining how the media have perhaps misrepresented to some extent what is and will go on in 'his football family', a statement from Katrien saying that the focus of the management and owners is currently to work on getting Charlton out of the relegation battle both safley and succesfully and then entering dialogue with the supporters afterwards. This and the announcment that Sparrows Lane is to be re-built to provide a state of the art training facility to hopefully gain us catergary A academy staus have begun to fill me with cautious optomism about the incoming regime against those who've just left. (Who by the way do need some thanks for managing to both employ Sir Chris and initially find the resources to overhaul the squad and get us out of the third division).

As for Rolands 'puppet' in the technical area. Early on I am begining to warm to him. When I first found out how he is infinatley more experienced when it comes to setting up your IT infrastructure than managing a football team I worried. Perhps a bit too much. On Wednesday night I saw someone who was not adverse to changing things when they were not working, and it was great to see three out and out strikers playing an attacking role with the rest of the side being urged to keep the ball down.

After we scored his insistant gesturing to the players to stay grounded and calm and see the last seconds of the game out impressed (even if his lame two thumbs up to the crowd at the end did not quite so much). We've got a fighting chance now.

I'm going to renew my season ticket and see where this journey takes us. It is far too early to be completely despondant and attach pantomime villain staus to anyone. Yes I wish Sir Chris was still in charge, but that particular chapter (as it did with Lennie and Curbs) has now passed.

I'm going to suspend any judgement and continue to help the booys and make some noise.

'The real man behind Charlton's new ownership'

 

I was going to compose a photo shopped hybrid image of Duchatelet posing as famous Bond baddie Ernst Blofeld, but following the events that have unfolded since his takeover thought better of it, don't fancy a midnight visit from Jaws or one of his other hench men.  What a horrible day. Sure Sir Chris, as he will always be known, got his tactics all wrong at the weekend. But lets be fair, for the last season and a half he has been working with his shoelaces tied together and one hand tied behind his back.

Lets face it, regardless of what Blofeld and his sidekick, the stunning Pussy Galore - Oops sorry, I think they call that a fraudulun slip or something. Regardless of What Roly and Katrien said regarding CP's contract terms being all but agreed with the exception of the footballing strategy going forward (surley thats got to be the most important thing?) I think we all know along with Sir Chris the writing was on the wall the day that Smersh brought the club.

I wish Chris good luck, and have no doubt he should and will forge a great career out as a top rate manager. Just a real shame it won't be with us.

So we have to move onto the next step in the turbulent history of Charlton Athletic. I've said it before, never a dull moment. Well that may be about to change - isn't Belguim known for it's blandness after all?

I've had varying conversations on sound bites they've heard with Millwall supporting friends, secretly luxuriating in our current calamtious predicament.

As far as I see it Roly has a plan. A pretty plain, sensible, unambitous plan at that. Buy some lessthan-mediocre football clubs throughout the European leagues. Turn them into mediocre club sides in the top flight of their respective leagues. Borrow and buy players from the Smersh Network, Oops there I go again, I mean the Duchatelet stable of clubs, maybe win the odd league cup if your lucky, and the minute any potential Scotty Parkers come through the ranks don't sell them to Chelsea, sell them to Daddy club Standard Liegge for a knock down price. Every one (at Standard Leigge )a winner.

Prior to this enter new Head Coach (horrible term), Jose Rega. And you guessed it, he's from Belgium. (everyone keeping up, or have you all gone to sleep at the idea of mayonaise on chips. mmm spicey)

Or Jaws as i think i'll refer to him.

Now I know what some of you are thinking, i'm coming across as a bit negative. Sorry!

Football aint about anthropology, or great experiments. At the cost of ripping the heart, soul, history out of clubs and turning them into a sterile shadow of their former selves. Stating the bleak reality "Charlton will never be a top four premiership club Mr Bond, Never!" It's dreaming that one day, just one day (even knowing deep down this isn't the case) that keeps us sending off our season ticket renewel forms, and some even more dedicated supporters to far flung corners (like Yeovil) of our great Kingdom.

I'll take a look at his track record in a later post. For know I'm off to look at a book, watch the tele. As long as it's not football related i'll be happy.

A couple of foot notes. The CAS Trust have said they would be releasing a staement. I hope it's proactive in it's intent. I'm not sure i'll be going tomorrow night. I may just decide an initial boycott prior to the Millwall game on Saturday.

I will just whisper this at this point 'come on you addicks, lets get these jokers out of our club!'

Time to say goodbye?

Without wanting to court controversy I feel I may with this post. Or perhaps just say what some through loyalty have failed to say.

Today was supposed to be a welcome distraction to the relegation battle we are now well and truly ensconced in. The reality was we turned up with the ridiculous game plan of grinding out a draw and bringing United back to 'fortress' (?) Valley. The same United that had won their last 8 games and only conceded one goal in the process. This was not a league game where a point gained could be the difference between staying up and Scunthorpe away, it was an FA Cup quarter final and the best chance in the last 67 years of getting beyond this point of the cup.

I am bewildered by the negative tactic that we approached this game with. And would go as far to say that the players can take less blame than the manager on this occasion, however much it pains me to say (and it really does). Our attacking impetuous was none excistent, we defended so deeply and showed no creative nouse at all. I'll be interested to see what Sir Chris has to say - the usual 'dust ourselves down/it wasn't our day' simply won't cut it this time.

An apology to those intrepid Addicks who made it upto the Steel City would be a start. Where from here, I simply don't know. Sure, we were never going to win the Cup, but it would have been nice to see us try.