According to sources at AFC Bournemouth, Simon Francis will join them on Monday. AFC Bournemouth are set to complete the transfer of Charlton defender Simon Francis on Monday. The Cherries and Charlton initially agreed a fee thought to be in the region of £25,000 in July, however Francis decided against the personal terms on offer and the deal collapsed. After making 43 appearances for Charlton last season, this season he has been limited to just two Football League Cup appearances and has just six months remaining on his current contract. The 26 year old former Bradford, Sheffield United, Grimsby (loan), Tranmere (loan) and Southend man has made over 300 appearances during his career, mainly in League One, but did also make 40 appearances alongside then team-mate Lee Bradbury in the Championship for Southend during the 2006/07 season. Francis who is a versatile defender, capable of playing at either right back or centre back will initially join the Cherries on loan, but will make the move permanent when the transfer window opens in January. AFC Bournemouth manager Lee Bradbury told afcb.co.uk... 'I'm delighted that we have agreed a deal with Simon and am looking forward to Monday when he can join up with the rest of the squad and finalise the deal with the FA. 'We were close to signing him in the summer and it's always been in the back of my mind that we'd like to get him on board if the opportunity arose.'
Actually I think he is better than many think. He was in a defence that was not good and so got no cover. Going forward he was fine, can centre a ball better than Waggie and can play on the ground passing wel.l. Suspect to pacy wingers and many are even in the Prem his manager at Southend said if he could be a bit better at defending he would be top class. Some muppets targeted his every supposed error. I am sure no one can work under constant criticism. Bradbury rates him andknows him Best of luck I say.
I agree, some never gave him a chance after Solly's opening day performance v Bournemouth, best of luck to him.
Fraid I'd class him under the "Flops" post has had a few too many weak games rather than good ones. Still he isnt leaving us like Parker or Murphy so I say thank you for the effort you did put in, and good luck for the rest of your career, just please dont haunt us on March 3rd. P.S. Next Sunday against Halifax who do you play @ Right Back... Andy Hughes / Chris Solly.... Jordan Cousins / Freddie Warren???
Wish him all the best, didn't work, thought he had potential, must have had some to be a player of the season at Southend, wish him all the best, as long as he doesn't have a blinder against us when he plays I'm fine, would clap him at the valley if he ever makes a return although I'm certain he'll get a boo there, something he doesn't deserve.... all the best Simon
team i'd possibly pick for Halifax Sullivan Hughes Evina Morrison Taylor Jackson (do we have any other senior LM's?) Stephens (good chance to regain some match sharpness) Alonso Wagstaff Hayes Euell (or Benson)
Agree with 56 years am very sorry to see him go. Who will replace Solly if he's injured at right back?
Probably Hughes or maybe Cort. Judging by Welling pre-season, I'd give Freddie Warren a go there if anything were to happen to Solly.
I'm pleased his wages are off the books... For me he was a truly wretched player. One paced, immobile, useless in the air for a big fella, couldn't tackle for toffee, had the equivalent turning circle of a London bus and whenever I saw him he looked totally disinterested. Good riddance...!!
No wonder he lacked confidence at the end. A 300 game career says the opposite. Even when not getting paid through Southend's troubles he didn't walk and they at least got some money for him. I think we need another right back now. So what just have you boo boys gained by this. One day perhaps someone will do the same to you when you leave a firm. He wasn't the best right back we've had but certainly not the worst player to be seen in a Charlton shirt. Last year was the worst season to be in a Charlton team for years. and we had a completely disfunctional mid field. Waggie gives more support to Solly than he ever gave to Francis whilst Francis always backed up Waggie. Franco there is a clue there to compared effectiveness's. I do prefer Solly but opposition teams seem to spend a lot of time attacking our right wing even now, including PNE yesterday. If Solly is injured we could end up wishing for a right back.
I found him a strange player? One game at the end of last season he was having a worldy for the first 20 mins, crossed for our opening goal/great defending/threat down the wing and then he did a silly error that almost cost us a goal, for the rest of the 70 mins he was a liability and not even up to non-league standard! I have never seen a player crumble in such a way after one error. Good luck to him anyway, he is not a bad man just at the wrong club at the wrong time.
AHLL but its no wonder the man always crumbled after one mistake cos many a fan would jump on his back for any simple error just cos he wasn't Chris Solly looks like if Solly gets injured anytime we'd have to dip into the loan market
Jordan Cousins is coming on quite nicely, they seem to be preparing him as a RB. Not too far off this level.
Plenty of fans on here at the start of the season said that Solly wasn't any use. It was Richardson that people compared Francis to, and, in my opinion, a stylised opinion of Richardson based on the start and finish of Frazer's season, ignoring the dodgy patch in the middle. Whether we rate him or not, he's gone now. Can't see any reason to wish him ill (except when playing us), so I'll wish him well. If Solly picks up a knock, I think we'll be OK short term. A long term injury to any of our starting 11 would cause selection problems. I think it's similar for most teams.
