^^^^^ Chicago Addick makes the very valid point that Duchatelet has also managed to shift two of our biggest earners - Ajose & Clarke -off the wage bill in January - while replacing them with two players on six month contracts Unless your name is Jeddez or Colin. I think it's perfectly obvious what has happened.
Winter 2019 -- nil spend Summer 2018 -- nil spend Winter 2018 -- nil spend ? (was sicknote from West Ham a free??)
I feel sorry for Ricky Holmes now, but leaving Charlton was the worst professional decision since Frank Maloney decided to try on a dress.
Apparently Charlton are discussing bringing in a free agent. Lee Erwin is one of them. No Darren Bent.
I think we can pretty much agree that this January transfer window was typical of the way Duchatelet wants things done. Cost cutting first - squad strengthening a very poor and distant second. Lee Bowyer has been embarrassed yet again. I would not blame him at all if he leaves in the summer and goes to work for a football Club where the suits support their manager. The only positive for me was that we did something about the Left Back problem by bringing in Purrington. But that problem needn't have existed in the first place. We had all summer to get in a second left back, and nothing was done. That's the end of any faint remaining hopes of an automatic promotion place this season, especially bearing in mind how much strengthening most of our promotion rivals have done in January. A month ago I really thought Charlton had a 50/50 chance of a top two finish. Now thanks to RD, after this window I would say we only have a 50/50 chance of finishing in 6th place.
Bringing in a free agent striker might improve our chances of consolidating a top 6 position - if the player isn't a complete let-down. I don't know much about Joe Mason and if we do get him I hope he does well. But I'd have to wonder why he is a free agent in the first place.
If his is Joe Mason, I just read on SSN that Mason has been offered a contract by Plymouth Argyle. The report did not say whether or not he had accepted the deal. Mason began his career at Plymouth.
He has indeed but whether he takes it or not remains to be seen. Think you may be offering him more cash than we could so it depends what it comes down to for him. He is a Plymouth lad and the only reason we let him go originally is we were going down the pan and needed cash and a certain Peter Risdale forced the sale for £250k. We couldn't say no at the time. It is certain that the supporters would like him back and no doubt he knows that. Cash though is king with most of these deals. He has a fairly good track record certainly at Championship level so whoever gets him to sign he will be a half decent acquisition. I'd like him to come here.
We may offer a little more cash but Plymouth would certainly offer a longer contract so I guess it's 50/50
I wouldn't bet on a longer contract down here. The vast majority of our contracts have been for 1 year at a time. Except the manager who got a 5 year deal. I have heard nothing in the rumour mill about this one which is unusual.
After handing five year contracts and huge wages out like candy to any RD network journeyman who wanted them back in 2015-16, we have now been reduced to signing players for 6 months. Even a 1 year contract is beyond our ambition at present.