typical, all I was doing was calling into question your choice of words. Excuse has negative connotations, i.e. they're not legitimate reasons. I think my reasons for keeping him are legitimate, hence I call my arguments reasons. If Derek Hales or Steve Brown had done the same job as Powell has done at Charlton they would have the same level of support. 100% support for Charlton.
No self respecting manager will want to work with a team where he doesn't sign or sell players, look like they will be going down and know that their job is about as stable as Elton John's first marriage
He has proven that he is a good manager by winning League 1 so comfortably and by getting us to 9th last season (btw, you didn't answer my question about that - at the time, did you seriously think that was a failure?). He has not become a bad manager over the course of this season. I don't know who else there is available to us who could do a better job.
That's a fail. Sorry. It's not relevant what he did two seasons ago, with different players and against different opposition which is infinitely poorer than what his is doing now. He can't dine out on that all his career, he is not Bob Geldorf. And I was not impressed at all last season. The football was uninspiring and our league status was in doubt for almost all season and we from memory only finished a handful of points from relegation, given that palace went up, and most thought that we would finish above them- yes it was a poor season. Norwich and Southampton walked Div 1 and did not splutter like we did in the championship. I expected more from him and the team, I don't mind struggling but lying over and taking it up the backside is not charlton.
Some of the players, notably Poyet and Wilson, were working damned hard, but the one who wasn't working at all stayed on the pitch for OVER AN HOUR!!! Church was ready to go on for 5 minutes before he was allowed on. I think the biggest cheer of the afternoon from the covered end was when he finally went off. I'm ambivalent about the managerial position, but any debate about Sir Chris' abilities should be about what is happening now, not 2 years ago.
It was 11 points off the relegation zone, which in the Championship is quite a lot. We were 3 points off the play-offs. If you really think that 9th last season was failure, then your expectations are utterly unrealistic. I cannot believe you thought we would win promotion again last season. It was never going to happen. Why are you judging it against what Palace did? They're not relevant. What Norwich and Southampton did was miraculous, and also irrelevant to us. Their brilliant success does not mean that not doing the same is failure.
That's fair enough. I can understand why Powell would keep Sordell on into the second half - I imagine he gave him instructions as to what to do at half time and wanted to wait to see if he could adhere to them. I do agree that subs have been one of Powell's weaknesses.
RD should sack Powell and his coaching staff today. Get Paolo di Canio in on a short term incentivised contract with the sole aim of keeping us up this season. Review the whole set up in the summer, manager's job included. RD can afford to spend 250k employing pdc for four months as relegation will cost him far more. We can't go on like this.
I thought yesterday's performance was a bit of a curate's egg. Sir Chris hasn't lost the dressing room, the most common reason for a sacking, but I'm not confident the players will continue to have faith in his tactical ability, particularly if he continues to play Sordell. If they do lose faith he will go.
I should imagine Gus Poyet will want to his son to line up alongside Liam Bridcutt next season, so I wouldn't be surprised if a 2 million bid is accepted in the summer. If any professional footballer allows his performance to drop because the manager is on the way out, then we certainly don't need that type at our club. What has happened to personal pride, eh? If Powell is sacked, we won't be getting Laudrup, PDC, or Hoddle.
Don't panic! We've got the experience and expertise of Richard Murray to help and advise in these matters!
