Enough is Enough
Speechless, just utterly speechless. I didn't even contemplate the possibility that we could lose tonight, and certainly not via another performance that sounds just as shameful as Saturday's. Just what the hell is going on at our club? It cannot continue.
If Les Reed has even a modicum of dignity he will thank Richard Murray for the faith he has shown but offer his resignation as 'head coach' with immediate effect. His position has become utterly untenable, and I am terrified about what he might say to the media shortly. It was never this bad under Dowie, not even close.
This isn't just bad luck. The heart has been slowly ripped out of our club and it begins with our Board sadly who seem quite literally to have lost the plot since Curbishley departed.
Why was Faye selected tonight if he is recovering from a virus? Why do they have such belief in this structure? Who the hell is Andrew Mills? Why was Dowie appointed with such confidence, and then sacked just as performances were improving? Why such an abject lack of talent coming through the youth team? Why has our transfer policy gone so awry? Why was Reed not initially appointed on a caretaker basis? Why is he permitted to talk such gibberish to the media and make us a laughing stock? Why do we read stories on the club website about the New Zealand Knights when our own club are in disarray? So many questions and I'm shaking with anger as I write them.
We are owed answers. Richard Murray rightly pointed out that the club was bigger than Alan Curbishley. Well it's also bigger than him too, and us fans have played our own vital role in the rebuilding of the club since the dark days of the mid-80s by virtue at a minimum of not losing the faith. Athough I cannot and will not question Murray's commitment nor good intentions, if Peter Varney is responsible for the creation and execution of this 'structure' then his position has become untenable too.
Charlton fans are not stupid; infact we have some of the most balanced and intelligent fans in the land. We know that the last six years have been heady times and like most good things, they would eventually come to an end. What we are all finding so completely disspiriting is the shambolic way it is coming apart from a position of reasonable strength, and the apparent lack of communication from the Board. There was never this amount of vitriol during the 98/99 relegation season because we had a team of battlers who were proud to wear the shirt, and a proper manager at the helm who got the best out of limited players.
I don't have many good solutions because the short but blighted Reed-era has taken us so many steps backwards, that a number of options that were available to us no longer exist. Why would any promising manager take us on? I can't imagine Pardew would even want the job now. And as for any decent Championship managers with promotion prospects, they'll rightly conclude they're better off where they are and I can't blame them. I continue to believe that the optimal course of action would be to accept our relegated fate, prepare now for Championship football, cash in on some assets, try to somehow get a decent young manager in place (Mike Newell?) and build a core of players again that actually want to play for Charlton Athletic.
I was looking forward to tonight's game because I thought we could score a few goals, restore some pride and take it on to the vital 'Boro game on Saturday. I can't imagine more than a hundred or so fans are intending to make the trip but in my view, the most powerful message we could send to our bunch of arrogant, overpaid, heartless players is for them to run out to an away end made up entirely of empty seats. Believe me, they're not worth it.
posted by New York Addick @ 9:49 PM
15 comments
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Totally agree. Lazy overpaid twats. I thought I had never seen us play as bad as we did on Saturday, but tonight was even worse. Sack Les, and get Pardew in ( if he wants it, as you rightly say) . I have never been this embarrassed about supporting Charlton.
I'd be amazed if Les doesn't do the decent thing .... and fall on his sword.
Yes he is a decent man, very decent indeed and more so our board of directors, but I dont care about saving face now is the time to react.
Perhaps bring in Pardew (if he will want to ??)
Something has to change and change now.
Its obvious that something is not right.
What makes me laugh is that some players coming out saying they wont want to play in the fizzy pop league.
Well 'hold on ,hold on a minute what makes THEM THINK that ANY OTHER club WILL want THEM to play for their 'future' clubs ??
God help us.
CHRISTMAS COMES EARLY FOR EASTER
There - couldn't resist that headline!
Just got back from the Valley.
The result was fair - we deserved nothing from the game and played the worst football I have ever seen at the Valley .. really. Gormless, clueless and lots of words ending in "less".
You are right - the Board owe us all an explanation. I fear the club is crumbling from the inside and can't see us surviving in the Championship on current form.
Needless
Surely the basic requirement of any manager is to be able to get his players up for a game. Look at Watford they have players that lack ability for the Premier League but at least they go down fighting. We looked apathetic from the start tonight. Les may be a good technical coach (although yet to see it) but he obviously is unable to motivate this team to put in the effort that a game like this deserves.
Just heard on Sky Sports news that Peter varney has just said they won't be making another managerial change this season.
Very Good article, hits the nail on the head about how i feel. under curbishley we wernt exciting or even very creative at times but we were organised and we disciplined and we had so much fight about us. I would rather have one john robinson or richard rufus than any rommedahl or diawara type player who cost an arm and a leg because although they might not be as talented they gave 110% every week and they would of done anything for the cause. Reed has to go get pardew in if he will come and if we go down then at least we have a manager we know could take us back up as well. Whats happened since curbs has gone is nothing short of shambolic and disgraceful. reed must go. things were so much better under dowie.
Faye: Useless, overpaid, obvious why he has never scored a goal in his life, should never play again
Thomas: Who does he think he is?! forget fiddling with the ball, just play. One thing struck me, Reed gave him instructions to pass onto other players, he didn't even bother! he didn't care!
I mean i have never heard "you're not fit to wear that shirt" at a charlton before. But this season it is deserved.
Well done again Carson, please don't leavein january cos you can't stand those useless whingeing passionless moneygrabbing *&%$£€*
I'm annoyed, and am not going to another game this season....execept West Ham game of course to see what we're missing!
Abject and spineless. Poor Les is helpless to do anything about it. From a well regarded coach to a shambolic managerial laughing stock in a few weeks. This is a time for action or at least an internal review. He looked a very lonely man on his own in the second half and is simply incapable of motivating a dispirited bunch of players. Traore was appalling, Highes clueless, Diaware very shaky, Bent isolated and offered no real service. Without Reid there is no one to open us a defence. Is it that long ago that we had Di Canio, Jensen,Parker and Stuart mixing it with the best in the Premiership. We have no one that comes close to any of those players in terms of committment and ability. Hate to see Les booed and he will take it really badly so soon into his managership but the fans can see the writing on the wall. Act now while we have a chance. Make plans for a big clear out.
reed is useless. why do i have to live with this ///11
4 fingers into a bottle of 17 year old scotch, but still angry after tonight. I've never heard the fans turn on the players or the manager as we did tonight.
Reed is completely out of his depth. The players are totally uninspired by his appointment. He should do the right thing and resign. What were the Board thinking of? Charlton's situation require an experienced coach.
We're going down. A damage limitation exercise is called for.
ValleyMick
So many people to blame. But Les Reed should be the last. It was obvious to anyone with a modicum of common sense that the players didn't want ID to go. And they haven't picked up since.
Easy target, not the right one!
It comes to something when the loudest chants at the Valley are 1.ironic cheering when the team pass to their own side and
2. that the team are not fit to wear the shirt.
The crowd booed another abject and passionless performance.
We have reached a new low and no refusals to speak to the media after the game can hide it.
I honestly believe Les Reed is a fine man with good CAFC credentials but it is NOT working yet.
Will he be given money to change it round into HIS team? If so, what money? This will be known as the 'relegation season' so any money spent will just get us deeper into a hole. But no money spent will indicate a lack of belief that things can be changed.
I believe most people are now resigned to the fizzy pops.
We are now also resigned to being a laughing stock on the way there.
.......and who IS this Mills character? Curbs coped without him so why is he suddenly an integral part of the set up? What does he do other than set up ludicrous deals for substandard show ponies to join us?
Pouso...?
Is he ever going to play for us again?
I care too much to think rationally and I'm off to bed.
I'm amazed at how many fans now seem to regard the Dowie spell as some sort of golden era. While I've been hugely iritated by the number of 'positives' that Les has been able to take out of our apalling performances he is currently stuck with the squad that he's inherited which even last season looked to be lightweight and simply isn't good enough. Let's look at the Dowie signings - Traore - simply woeful, Faye - ditto, Diawara - shows some promise but has not adjusted to the pace of english football and cost us tonight, Pouso - where is he? and Reid - quality for sure but apparently hopelessly injury prone. These are hardly the buys of the century and are at the route of our current troubles.
I think we're down and only a miracle can now save us. However, Les Reed is not to blame. Let him do some business in January and then judges him. See if he can get in some players with the grit and passion that we expect. We're such a soft touch at present. Hughes possibly our most aggresive midfielder. Please!
As a Hammer's fan, I do have alot of sympathy with your current position (whilst also quietly being thankful for you taking one of the bottom 3 slots). However, those of you who might have witnessed the West Ham performance against Bolton under Pardew and Man Utd under Curbs should no where the finger of blame points.
It was pretty much the same 11 out there both times and yet the performances were miles apart. Why was that? Because they are a bunch of sulky 20 year olds who could not be bothered to raise their game for a manager who got most of them to live their Premiership dream. Reed does not strike me as much of a manager, grante,d but that's not to say that the 11 who go out on the field of play can say to themselves, 'okay, manager is a bit rubbish, but there are 20,000 people here who play good money every week to see us, let's put on a good performance'. How many of your players gave you that response last night?
I'm with NYA, boycott the Boro match, boycott a home match if you can stand it, let these over-paid idiots on the pitch and in the exec boxes know that YOU CAN live without them. And without you, they are nothing....best of luck for the rest of the season guys....
That last night was beyond belief I got stuck for words. Some people say Reed isn't to blame and what a nice chap he is. He may support Charlton but I've been embaressed by him since he took over, he seems very arrogant in the press and is totally out of his depth. Last night he kept the players in the dressing room for an hour after the match once more, it didn't work last time and it won't this time. The problem is him, just as it was Dowie before.
The defending all season has been pub football. There is no leader in the back line, Reed should have addressed this by now. They can't get close to strikers, they watch as the ball comes into the box but no one makes committed efforts to get to the ball first. They're all nervous because there is no one to rely on back there. The midfield can't pass, they stand still, marked up and play the ball to our wingers who lack the movement or ability to turn players. How many clever runs have we seen this season, Darren Bent aside (At least he and Carson still try their hearts out, can't fault them for effort but the rest are a joke) . Dowie bought duds thats clear to see and his defensive organistaion was bad, but at least we attacked under him, Reed has amazingly made us even worse.
How could we have spent so much money in the summer and not seen how utterly uncreative our central midfield is, how lightweight it has become. Thomas, Rom, Hughes, Faye are all a bunch of pussys, scared of injuring themselves. A leader in the middle of the park is required to pull the team together as a unit.
The team is a disjointed mess and we need leaders, when the manager can't lead either you know you are in trouble. After the Reading match he said we may have lost but it gave him a chance to see where we might have to improve. Wasn't he assitant manager at the club all season? Hasn't he been coaching the players for several years? What a pathetic comment. Against Spurs he simply said we didn't create enough chances for our strikers to convert chances, blithely ignoring the fact we had scored an away goal but managed to concede five at the back. How could he not blame the defence and the hapless El Karkouri in particular.
Then all we hear is how he'll turn V signs into v's for victory, its like f*ck*ng David Brent talking to the press. We are a laughing stock, all the positives that only he sees, heart to hearts with the players, his confidence in his own ability, based on what exactly. The team has lost confidence, he is to blame, he must walk. He may be a Charlton fan but I don't buy this good bloke talk, he's an incompetant tw*t.