Her job is to be RD's representive here, his eyes, ears and spokesperson. She has nil influence on policy. I think he would have gone whoever was in charge. He has completed his contract, done a great job, and deserves his move up. Cannot blame RD for that one. Similarly, I think Stephens would have gone whoever was in charge, unless a billionaire came in paying crazy wages. Just a pity S&J didn't sell him for top dollar. I thought that was a mistake at the time and said so.
I am at a loss to know who we could possibly sign who could be "exciting". I think the very best we could hope for would be to sign players of the standard of the Orient wide men Cox or Odubajo (if O's don't get promoted). Even then there would be a big question mark as to whether they could hack it at Championship level. I don't think there is a chance of our signing someone as valuable as Sam Baldock, for example. While I would be quietly satisfied and encouraged at signing Cox or Odubajo as being better than we could hope for, they would fall a long way short of being called "exciting". Would you call re-signing Darren Bent "exciting"? It would be interesting, but it would not excite me at all because I would suspect that if he signs for Charlton he is all washed up, like Hasselbainck. I saw a few Fulham games towards the end of the season and he certainly looked that way. Or are you talking about young rejects from a top club? We have seen a few highly rated ones pass through like Razak, Ecclestone, Waghorn, Frimpong, etc. I would hold out hope that the one we sign would come good, but I would not call that "exciting", more of a crapshoot really. I shall be interested to see these signings. "Promising", "worth a punt", "could do a job", etc., I could understand, but "exciting" ... ? I suspect your unexciting one may be Obika. I was not as enthusiastic about him as most here the first time he signed, but this time round I am less down on him than most here. I think someone of his ilk is the best we can hope for.
Why blame Powell for not bringing Poyet in earlier? 1) It would have broken up the best part of the team (Stephens/Cousins). 2) Poyet is at this club because his dad controls his development (and who better to do so?). His dad trusted Powell, Hart, and our youth set-up to get the best out of him. We know that because Poyet Snr said as much. It is therefore extremely likely that Charlton have remained in consultation with Poyet Snr about when to blood Poyet Jnr. Even if they didn't agree with his advice, they would have know that to fall out with him would result in Jnr leaving. 3) Cousins came in early and stayed in. Because we were struggling for players Powell had little choice, but ideally he would have rested him at some point. By the end of the season Cousins looked jaded, and some idiots were even getting on his back. Poyet is a year younger. He may not have lasted many more games than he did play at peak performance. Then if he started making mistakes the crowd would have got on his back. You could equally praise Powell for holding him back and bringing him in at the right time, and not too soon, so that he did not take a step backwards like Hariott and Piggott. With hindsight, Poyet could have come in earlier for a few games to give Cousins a rest, but maybe Poyet Snr didn't think he was ready, expecially in winter conditions on a crappy pitch. Even had he done so, it wouldn't have affected how things turned out. As for Poyet not signing a contract - what possible advantage would it be to Poyet to do so? As a free agent he can go to any club in the world and negotatiate a massive signing fee and wages. Why should he share a penny or centime of that with RD? What has RD ever done to assist his development? Usually players sign contracts to secure their future or because the club will no longer play them in the first team if they decline, Neither of those threats apply to Poyet. Poyet is too good for Charlton, although if we have a decent pitch coming back for a year's loan may just be possible. But RD is going to have to turn the club round fast next month to induce Poyet to want to do that.
Igor de Camargo and Danny Verbeek are names cropping up on the grapevine. I'd be reasonably excited if they were to sign for us. Darren Bent would be a million times better than anything we have, but I can see him joining QPR if they go up. I can only pass on what I hear, and the E word has popped up a few times; however, my grasp of the Brabantian language is a little ropey, so I may be wrong.
He could have put him on the bench to start off with. Pretty well everybody agreed that being able to have seven subs would help to introduce promising youngsters. Poyet did travel with the squad once or twice but never made the bench, which tells me that Powell simply did not think Poyet was ready, nothing to do with breaking up a partnership. And he was wrong.
Does anyone think Roley will cough up Bent type wages..? There's no question he could but... It brings to mind the people who thought we would be signing players like Sean Wright-Philips, this after the reported quibbling over a few grand here and there for Yann... I hope I'm way off the mark here, but there's nothing to suggest we'll be getting anyone that's anywhere near Bent's wages...
I think the ages of players like Bent and SWP would count against Roley trying to sign them just as much as their wage demands. They are also domestic based which pretty much rules them out. Given RD's apparent policy on going heavy on youth, I cannot see these types of players coming.
Following weeks and weeks of promises and leaks on a renewed contract, the manager was sacked. All indications and interviews suggest this was because of his refusal to buy into the network model and play SL players over Charlton players. A new head coach was brought in to say yes. The previous manager gave Poyet his debut. Maybe he could have done that earlier, looked into the future and broken up the Stephens/Cousins partnership that was the only bright point between October and January, but luckily you have hindsight on your side. At any rate, the previous manager did play Poyet. Perhaps you meant Sordell? The replacement of a manager who refuses to play network players is nothing new in RD's short reign, which is why I don't understand the depth of surprise. Next thing people will be surprised over the summer when the club leaks player signing gossip over and over again only for the negotiations to go nowhere and the players to refuse to sign or go somewhere else, meaning we sign some more SL players instead.
Thanks, Ponders, I wasn't actually fishing for names at this point, just musing on the chances of our signing someone "exciting" and how we would define that word. I certainly would not describe either of those two as "exciting". Verbeek is a regular for a (goodish) Div One standard club so maybe about the same standard as someone I mentioned above (Odubajo) and hopefully a shade better than Wagstaff or Green. Igor de Camargo was certainly a cut above. A rather "un-Brazilian" big lump up front, something we don't have. But if he is not wanted at Standard, perhaps his fitness is declining? In any case he is older than Kermorgant, and I would be amazed if he turns out to be as effective. Would probably want similar wages, so where is the progress in that? I didn't mean to pin you down to specific names, but this simply illustrates my point that we cannot afford to sign anyone "exciting". I accept that players like this are the best we can hope for. Div One beckons!
I think I introduced that red herring. I was just thrashing around to think of whom we could sign who would merit Ponder's description of "exciting". I don't think we could afford anyone with "exciting" ability now or in the offing, so that just leaves "famous names" whom would stir interest regardless of their current ability on the field.
Can Aston Villa truly afford to let Darren Bent go... their own owner is looking to sell up so their transfer dealings will be pretty non-existent this summer as Lambert will need all the help he can get scoring goals
Paul Green ‏@NewsShopperSprt · 32m If you are expecting a new #cafc manager to be appointed today then you will have to wait a bit longer. It will be next week at the earliest
Find other things to do... Seems to work for all the kids I know. Be a football fan first... Be ambitious, and live in hope for your club, but accept the reality... Or you could do what many others are doing... Make Roley out to be a messiah, even though he's done very little so far to earn such a status, or you could make believe we'll be signing all sorts of razzle dazzle merchants on high wages, and if your a "sack the manager merchant" you may be ecstatic to know that this messiah will have no problem sacking future managers... This scenario will definitely satisfy many.. Take your pick...
