"During my time at the club, there has been a unique bond between myself, the board and the supporters and I am confident that I can rely on your trust that the actions we have taken are in the best interests of the club."
This is a quote from Richard Murray, from his statement to supporters in the Everton programme "explaining" the decision to get rid of Ian Dowie after 15 games in charge. I did trust him after I first heard the astonishing news and I have heard a lot of fellow supporters say that we had to trust the board after everything they had done for us during the last 15 years. As a bunch of supporters we have been incredibly trusting so far in not really questioning any of the decisions that have been made. Speaking to David White, club director, after the recent City Addicks meeting he was absolutely gobsmacked at how few questions were put to him about the sacking. To quote him: "I feel like a condemned man who has been granted a last second reprieve".
The question I can't get out of my mind, though, is: have we been too trusting? The decision to sack Dowie and appoint Les Reed is going to lead to certain relegation. Les is a lovely guy and a brilliant coach but he is obviously not a Premiership manager. His qoutes in the press are bizarre, to be polite, and his decisions over formations, players and substitutions are often unfathomable. I really do wish Les Reed the best and I hope that he is successful in keeping Charlton on the Premiership. But he won't. At some stage Richard Murray is going to have to properly explain the decisions to appoint Dowie, to sack Dowie, and most importantly to appoint Les Reed as his successor. The 3 games against Reading, Everton & Sheffield United were all very winnable and different decisions could well have lead to much better results in all 3 games.
Is it just me, or is anyone else starting to have doubts about these decisions that have been taken by the board. Unfortunately, in business, you are only ever as good as your last big decision. I know that we owe everything to Richard Murray and the board for bringing us so far over the last 15 years but I do fear that, for the first time, it is all going badly wrong.
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Comments
Have to say that after a few of your posts re Richard Murray and the board on other threads, i wasn't sure if you were just trying to wind people up- the above post proves your not -so i genuinely apologise to you for the disservice!!!!!!
Nevertheless, two issues regarding the above post.
1/ I'm fairly sure, at the City Addicks meeting David made it very clear he couldn't comment on the sacking of Dowie and that the attendees were mearly respecting this.
2/ Richard does not have to explain anything- fact. But, the loudest thing about the sacking of Dowie is the lack of detail, and comment from not only the board, but Dowie. It smacks that something big has gone on that.
We are a club who does not air it's dirty laundry. Remember, we wouldn't even broadcast if a player failed a medical to help that player get a contract elsewhere. I sense the same ethos here re Dowie- But i don't know.
But i totally support our board- and especially Richard Murray -foremost- he's a fan and Charlton through and through, unlike, i suspect many football club chairman. I also believe he's also totally capable and, although i certainly have rose tinted glasses here- I also believe he's the best thing that has happened to us in recent history and the best man to over-see this tough time.
I think we sing from the same hymm sheet- ie- we both just want this to all work out.
Regarding Les Read's promotion- We don't really know the man- i agree he's not the greatest personality- his interviews have a lacking of carisma and we can all but try to guess what his half time team talk is like.
I think Richard's view was consistancy- if there had been a "heads above the rest" candidate to replace Dowie then i have no doubt he would have gone for them but in the absence, i agree, if this is the case, that Reed is the safe option.
I really don't think it's done as a cost cutting exercise.
Genuine question here- have you any names to put into the melting pot as to who he could have brought in??
I know it's with the benefit of hindsight but surely with Billy Davies and his knowledge of the best players in The Championship (hungry players with the right attitude I might add) we wouldn't be in this mess now.
easy to second-guess what might have happened if this or that had happened- and Billy Davies might have been a good choice- but who knows!
At some stage, people have every right to start asking serious questions, and i think Blackburn may well be the final straw in a lot of peoples blind loyalty.
Did Murray only appoint Dowie to give his ego a boost over Jordan when Billy Davies was clearly the better option?
Is the head coach route the right one for a club like Charlton?
Did Murray panic in the transfer market and pay over the odds for certain players (Faye, Reid, Diawarra)?
Time will tell.
Reid - came in after 18 months of sporadic appearances at Spurs, growing in cinfidence and scorer of our last two goals.
Faye: jury out, some good games, some poor matches.
As to whether we've over-paid that's hard to tell, a lot of these deals you see quoted a "headline" price £3M for Reid, but with appearances, a sell on clause etc make it difficult to tell the real price paid for him. I suspect something like £1.5-£1.75m plus stage payments to £3m.
Agreed. Murray's no clown like Freddy Shepherd or Terence Brown, on a financial level alone this has got to be hurting him as well - especially when you invest in playing staff that you then find just aren't good enough.
Yes, players like Hasslebaink were also targets for Curbs but that is because he was a proven goal scorer and the vast majority of fans here and elsewhere felt it would be a good deal. Maybe it hasn't worked out that way yet but show me a club where every deal works. The reality is that there will onl ever be a small pool of players that we can afford and who want to come and Dowie, Curbs, Reed and anyone else are likely to rate some of the same players.
Bolanos is still a possibility because Reed still sees him as a potentially good buy. He saw him play and worked with him during pre-season. What is the mystery there?
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Isn't this a contradiction. If the deals for Sorondo and Gibbs were in place under Curbs, it's funny that Dowie 'rate(d) some of the same players'. If this is the case, why did Sorondo leave Palace? Why wasn't he interested in bringing Gibbs over from the U.S. for Palace?
I'm sorry but I just don't buy it. Isn't this the reason why Davies had to think about it for two days? Just what was worrying him about the situation that made him want to think about it? Why did Taylor say that he didn't get a good feeling about it. The reason is because we are experimenting with a system no other club in The Premiership uses.
Some people claim the club put spin on everything, but some people put a cynical spin on everything, and it's a bit tiresome
But of course the English way is so sucessful
and using the old structure, things would have been different? Dowie as 'Manager' with his brother as assistant would have been no different.
The rot has been chewing away for a dogs age, blaming the structure is looking for an excuse.
But of course the English way is so sucessful[/quote]
1. Mourinho chooses his own coaches. Whether you're called Head Coach or Manager is just a title. I'm taking about the boss, whatever his title, choosing his own backroom staff and players.
2. In my previous message I referred to Premiership teams. When I said 'top clubs' it was these I was again referring to. I know they may do it in Europe but I'm talking about teams in our same league which seems to me sensible.
3. Didn't Martin Jol choose his own backroom staff?
The rot has been chewing away for a dogs age, blaming the structure is looking for an excuse.[/quote]
I agree that the rot has been chewing away for ages. We needed a new manager to stop it and if he wanted his brother as his assistant, either we accept them both or choose someone else. I'm looking for reasons and talking about bad decisions as 'RedPete' said. It's not a question of blame.
I like Murray and he's been brilliant. He's only human and is bound to make some mistakes. But why this strange management structure, and why can't a manager choose his own players? It's a mistake and it's has to be changed.
3. Didn't Martin Jol choose his own backroom staff?[/quote]
Nope[/quote][/quote]
Ok, I have to take it that you're right about Spurs. Do you agree with this system then? What about the signing of players at Charlton. Don't you think it looks suspect?
Under Curbs, he told Murray who he wanted, and Murray did the deal.
Under Dowie/Reed, they tell Mills and Murray who they want, and they do the deal.
It's not that suspect