Famed for a spectacularly soft penalty miss in a Leicester City versus Cardiff City play off game in 2010, most Leicester fans conveniently forget that they actually missed two penalties that night, not just the one belonging to Kermorgant. Martyn Waghorn missed the other one, but has seemingly escaped the ire of the Foxes fans. Signed for two years, his parting shot, (as indeed the penalty miss turned out to be), played its part in costing Leicester a return to the top table, but is putting it in Row Z any better really? I wish him well, and no, I don't really expect him to be taking penalties for Charlton.
Contract End - Dec 2011
(25) Davisson
Contract End - June 2012
(23) Alonso
(14) Benson
(12) Doherty
(17) Euell
(19) Francis
(15) Mambo
(18) Pritchard
(10) Wright-Phillips
Contract End - June 2013
(3) Evina
(32) Harriott
(2) Hughes
(36) Kermorgant
(33) Osborne
(30) Pope
(20) Solly
(13) Sullivan
(6) Taylor
(11) Wagstaff
Contract End - June 2014
(7) Green
(1) Hamer
(9) Hayes
(22) Hollands
(4) Jackson
(5) Morrison
(8) Stephens
(34) Smith
(16) Wiggins
First Professional Contract
(31) Cousins
(29) Gough
(21) Bover-Izquierdo
(26) Popo
(27) Warren
Loan
(28) Cort (May 2012)
Showing posts with label Leicester City. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Leicester City. Show all posts
Wednesday, 14 September 2011
Monday, 1 August 2011
Two More In With One About To Go
So Stabilo Boss joins us on a three year deal. For those of you who were unfortunate enough to see the game against Exeter at The Valley last season, you will no doubt understand why I call our new goalkeeper that, but for those of you who may have quite reasonably forgotten the experience of being beaten 3-1 by them, Hamer stood out like a marker pen, wearing a fluorescent green top in one half, and an equally bright pink version in the other half.
With Elliot being touted as moving to Newcastle earlier in the summer, this signing can come as no surprise. I think it is more likely to be West Ham rather than Newcastle that will be the recipients of his signature though. Apparently he was watched by West Ham at the Den Bosch game, so in the interests of maximising our return, let's hope the same scouts weren't at the Millwall game where by all accounts Elliot was at fault for one if not two of the goals conceded.
I suspect the reason for the move is purely down to the terms of the deal extension Charlton were willing to give him, as I am pretty sure other clubs were notified of his availability at the start of the close season. The fact that he is still with us tells me that there wasn't a huge queue for his services. Having said that, I suspect his departure will be within hours, or at most a couple of days given the speed that the club has moved to sign a replacement.
As for the signing of Hughes, this is one for the short term, given that he is already 33 years old, even though he has been signed for two years, which no doubt was the last big payday carrot that enticed him to us in the first place. At best he is a utility player, experienced at both left and right back positions, but also comfortable in midfield. He is naturally left footed, and I can't say that I am wildly enthused by him. My concerns about Solly remain, and I am not sure whether Hughes will be seen as the first choice right back. Time will tell.
I still believe that one new centre back is required, and one big lump up front also. Schlupp of Leicester is one name in the frame for the latter position, and how about Howard from the same club as an alternative name in the same frame?
Contract End - Dec 2011
(25) Davisson
Contract End - June 2012
(23) Alonso
(14) Benson
(12) Doherty
(44) Elliot
(19) Francis
(15) Mambo
(18) Pritchard
(11) Wagstaff
(10) Wright-Phillips
Contract End - June 2013
(3) Evina
(32) Harriott
(2) Hughes
(33) Osborne
(30) Pope
(20) Solly
(13) Sullivan
(6) Taylor
Contract End - June 2014
(7) Green
(1) Hamer
(9) Hayes
(22) Hollands
(4) Jackson
(5) Morrison
(8) Stephens
(16) Wiggins
First Professional Contract
(31) Cousins
(29) Gough
(21) Bover-Izquierdo
(26) Popo
(27) Warren
Loan
None
With Elliot being touted as moving to Newcastle earlier in the summer, this signing can come as no surprise. I think it is more likely to be West Ham rather than Newcastle that will be the recipients of his signature though. Apparently he was watched by West Ham at the Den Bosch game, so in the interests of maximising our return, let's hope the same scouts weren't at the Millwall game where by all accounts Elliot was at fault for one if not two of the goals conceded.
I suspect the reason for the move is purely down to the terms of the deal extension Charlton were willing to give him, as I am pretty sure other clubs were notified of his availability at the start of the close season. The fact that he is still with us tells me that there wasn't a huge queue for his services. Having said that, I suspect his departure will be within hours, or at most a couple of days given the speed that the club has moved to sign a replacement.
As for the signing of Hughes, this is one for the short term, given that he is already 33 years old, even though he has been signed for two years, which no doubt was the last big payday carrot that enticed him to us in the first place. At best he is a utility player, experienced at both left and right back positions, but also comfortable in midfield. He is naturally left footed, and I can't say that I am wildly enthused by him. My concerns about Solly remain, and I am not sure whether Hughes will be seen as the first choice right back. Time will tell.
I still believe that one new centre back is required, and one big lump up front also. Schlupp of Leicester is one name in the frame for the latter position, and how about Howard from the same club as an alternative name in the same frame?
Contract End - Dec 2011
(25) Davisson
Contract End - June 2012
(23) Alonso
(14) Benson
(12) Doherty
(44) Elliot
(19) Francis
(15) Mambo
(18) Pritchard
(11) Wagstaff
(10) Wright-Phillips
Contract End - June 2013
(3) Evina
(32) Harriott
(2) Hughes
(33) Osborne
(30) Pope
(20) Solly
(13) Sullivan
(6) Taylor
Contract End - June 2014
(7) Green
(1) Hamer
(9) Hayes
(22) Hollands
(4) Jackson
(5) Morrison
(8) Stephens
(16) Wiggins
First Professional Contract
(31) Cousins
(29) Gough
(21) Bover-Izquierdo
(26) Popo
(27) Warren
Loan
None
Wednesday, 4 February 2009
Business As Normal
The games against Burnley and Bristol City shared much in common, not just with each other, but many other games this season as well. Take lead, surrender lead, leak a second goal, and game over. Whilst nobody at the club can admit to giving up, of course, I believe there is a danger that the false optimism will be allowed to cloud the future of the team this season, which as I have stated before, now has to be to bed in the core of the team that will be representing Charlton next season.
Many times over the years, we have heard phrases like "doing a Charlton", and "Charlton are the model that we should be following". Well now, it is our turn to look for a model to follow, and the most relevant one to my mind is that of Leicester City. If you look at their relegation last term, the fans principally blamed one thing. They were convinced that Mandaric was to blame for the team’s relegation, and that belief was coupled with the question of who could step in and finiancially save Leicester City if he went? The third issue was the merry go round of managers instigated by Mandaric, that saw nine managers at the Crisp Bowl in the first eighteen months of his ownership.
So all Mandaric really then? I don't think Charlton fans would heap that much blame at the current boards door. Our demise has been the result of a combination of failures that can be principally laid at the doors of, yes the board, but also Alan Curbishley, Iain Dowie, and the main culprit, Alan Pardew. But this is all irrelevant now. What is salient, is how do Charlton recover from this? Well, with Leicester City clear at the top of the third division, what are they now doing right, that others, Leeds United included, have not emulated?
Many times over the years, we have heard phrases like "doing a Charlton", and "Charlton are the model that we should be following". Well now, it is our turn to look for a model to follow, and the most relevant one to my mind is that of Leicester City. If you look at their relegation last term, the fans principally blamed one thing. They were convinced that Mandaric was to blame for the team’s relegation, and that belief was coupled with the question of who could step in and finiancially save Leicester City if he went? The third issue was the merry go round of managers instigated by Mandaric, that saw nine managers at the Crisp Bowl in the first eighteen months of his ownership.
So all Mandaric really then? I don't think Charlton fans would heap that much blame at the current boards door. Our demise has been the result of a combination of failures that can be principally laid at the doors of, yes the board, but also Alan Curbishley, Iain Dowie, and the main culprit, Alan Pardew. But this is all irrelevant now. What is salient, is how do Charlton recover from this? Well, with Leicester City clear at the top of the third division, what are they now doing right, that others, Leeds United included, have not emulated?
They now see their relegation as a blessing in disguise as it's allowed them to rebuild and bring together a proper team with a togetherness which hasn't been there for a long time. They are spookily like Charlton in that the feeling is, their demise started five or so years earlier, and that they were on a downward spiral, with no confidence at all, and had gone from manager to manager, since O'Neill left. One of the plus sides to relegation appears to be that they got rid of Holloway, and installed a management team that could instil a winning mentality. Then there are the players. Leicester got rid of most of the dead wood in the summer after relegation, and those that under-performed last season such as Howard and Fryatt have turned their own fortunes around dramatically. Leicester now have an extremely settled side, and one that looks as though it could compete in the Championship next year. It is also, please note, a very youthful team. And Milan Mandaric? - he's still there!
Assuming Charlton go down, we have a stark choice. We can either be like Leeds, or Leicester. I know which I would choose.
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