Doing the rounds on #cafc Twitter this morning that Standard Liege's Tony Watt will sign for us on 1 Jan. What a crap, but utterly predictable signing. Duchatelet must be the very first eco-friendly football club owner. All he does is re-cycle sh1t players.
Great, another player whose bad attitude and lack of fitness we're expected to resolve. This will be one of those where 'he could do a job for us if he ever got fully fit'... which he won't, and it will look like we've made a progressive signing when in reality it's another one temporarily admitted to the Charlton Semi-Athletic Rehabilitation Facility. Does anyone believe he can deliver from Day 1? Hoping he proves me wrong.
I agree in part Royston, he is a player with ability, as proved by how he played for Celtic against Barcelona. But according to previous managers and coaches his attitude stinks. He was always falling out with the Lierse Coach and the Celtic Manager was very critical, not of his ability, but of his attitude. This move was always going to happen, he was not impressing in Belgium and Roland spent 1.3 Million on him. I am not impressed but I will give him a chance, as I do all the players.
Going to be like when Curbs signed Jerome Thomas who had a bit of an attitude problem yet was the right Manager to get him to knuckle down. Had it been Chris Powell signing Tony Watt I'd be worried (as Powell's Man Management seems to be to put an arm round the player and be a big brother type)... At Charlton now though we've Bob Peeters who's the type who wont take any lazy **** from a player like Tony Watt (and it may be the approach thats needed as dont see that style in Neil Lennon either), if he does piss about just stick him in a room with Andre Bikey for 5mins and as you heard when Astrid Ajdarevic joined last season, he was messing about for a few days... Lawrie Wilson and Johnnie Jackson both sorted that out straight away
So Bob's expected to be a social worker as well as Head Coach? Can you imagine Curbs entertaining a player with Watts' CV? THere have been players like Bent and Graham available who would have done a job from day one, but no, Roland has to go for the cheap option, which may not be cheap after all if Watts turns out to be another Dud. I'd rather see Church or Pigott given a go, at least there's nothing wrong with their attitude.
I don't think Bob had much of a say in the matter. Do you imagine that he went to Katrien Patsy and said "get me a proven Championship -standard striker & make it Tony Watt".
The problem with this whole scouting network seems to be its all focused on playing attributes. There doesn't appear to be as much emphasis on mentality and wether the group share similar motivations etc. That was probably curbs biggest strengths in terms of transfers - he tried as much as possible to bring players in who he knew would fit in the changing room. Then there was Danny Murphy.
The entire player recruitment policy revolves around recycling RDs players between his various clubs/contacts. Quality does not seem to be a factor. Watt is on loan from Lierge to Lierse (sic), where the coach there is on the record as saying that player has a terrible attitude.
Hopefully, Bob Peeters can change his attitude. But I agree with Royston, these players are being foisted on Peeters, they aren't his picks. Souness wrote a good article in the Sunday Times, about the Spurs and Liverpool situations where players are being brought in, without the blessing of the manager. He thinks the Manager and coaching staff should be deciding who comes in. Basically Roland has wasted 1.2 M on Watt, he wants his monies worth so he is shifting him to us, to see if that works.
I don't anticipate him being the answer, but here's hoping he knuckles down and delivers on his early promise. From the little I've seen of him, I think he'll be a better foil than Tucudean etc.
Exactly, and who can blame him? Watts is only 20, a month younger than Pigott for example. Plenty young enough to get fit and change his attitude unless he has some underlying medical condition. Problem is, even if the long-shot eventually pays off and Watts finds some consistent form before the end of the season, will Charlton benefit? He would just move on to some other club and we would get no fee. He is not coming to us because he wants to. He is being sent to boot camp.
It's extremely unusual for a manager to go public about this sort of thing, and the fact that it has happened at 3 clubs to a 20-year-old means that basically we're hoping that the leopard will change its spots. IF his attitude is linked to a drink problem (just a guess), it makes the problem even greater.
And what a wonderful job they did! Without their intervention he would probably only have put in some effort for 15 minutes a match instead of his usual 30 minutes. And I see Lawrie Wilson has been well rewarded for doing the manager's for him.
Our best signing recently has been Vetokele, who, surprisingly enough, was'nt a network player, but was bought in traditional fashion, from another club. I won't pass judgement as I know bugger all about Tony Watt, but I do hope our january shopping does'nt stop there.
Our January shopping looks like Watt ( who is a network player) and Reza( who is our player but part of the network). So basically players Staprix already own. If that is the limit of our ambitions in the January Transfer window, I shall be pissed off.
Two players who don't particularly want to be here. One with no Championship experience, the other with a poor Championship record.
I might be one of the only people not to write him off, if (or should I say when) he proves you all right and attitude stinks and he's a waste of space I'll apologise and be the first to hold my hands up, but if he scores 20 and pushes us to the play offs I'm going to be about as unbearable and I told you so, as I can get ....but I got a feeling you guys might be right.
