I know Rod Liddle is not everyone's cup of tea on here but this is a very supportive piece. And yet more evidence that across the football world, people are supporting us in our attempts to rid us of our current owners.
It looks like the valley of no return for Charlton
Charlton Athletic are one of the favourites to be promoted from League One this year — the odds presumably drawn up by people who have never heard of Roland Duchatelet. Once the epitome of the well-run, overachieving family club, they now more closely resemble the owner’s country of birth, Belgium: divided, fractious, home to nobody famous, on the slide and so on (fill in more Belgian jokes here please, ed).
Duchatelet’s regime has overseen six managerial changes in two years and relegation from the Championship.
He has enraged the supporters — most recently by insisting that one chap who wanted a season ticket should sign an “Agreed Behavioural Contract (ABC)” promising he wouldn’t slag the owners off any more on social media.
Charlton’s team, comprised of people whose mums still buy them clothes from Mothercare, lost their first league game last weekend at Bury, were dumped out of the League Cup and squeezed a draw against Northampton yesterday.
They have the look of a Blackpool about them — despite having, in Russell Slade, one of the best managers of the lower divisions. Slade isn’t sounding confident right now and one wonders how long it will be before he, too, effects a swift Brexit.
Charlton’s fans are in ferment. It is less the relegation that offends them — after all, they are not unfamiliar with their current surroundings — simply the epic mismanagement, the undoing of so many years of good work.
I have racked my brains, much as have Charlton’s fans, trying to work out what Duchatelet is trying to achieve, what his plan is. “Nothing” and “there isn’t one” is the best I can come up with. I hope Charlton do challenge for promotion this season — it’s a great club with a huge fanbase, especially in Kent. But I wouldn’t bet on it right now.
Their southeast London rivals (and my club) Millwall sat atop the division yesterday morning, although a better measure of their chances may have been their 2-2 draw at MK Dons. But my guess is the ’wall will be in the playoffs at least come May, especially if they hold on to Lee Gregory who, remarkably, has not yet left for a bigger club.
It is a tough division this season — again. Sheffield United are the red-hot favourites to go up, as they are every season. Just as in the Championship, Rotherham, seven miles down the road, are always favourites for relegation. Somehow, each year, the Millers cling on and the Blades deliquesce into a puddle of mediocrity come late winter.
Bolton will surely be there or thereabouts, and so too MK Dons, Bradford City and Coventry City. Nor would you bet against a strong challenge from at least two of the promoted teams, Bristol Rovers and Oxford United. Such big clubs: I wonder if the average attendance, come May, will eclipse one or two European top divisions?
This year will mark the first time that AFC Wimbledon will face the MK Dons franchise on an equal footing. One would hope the games will be full of rancour and schadenfreude and nasty chants.
It wouldn’t surprise me if Wimbledon, despite holding the moral high ground in most fans’ estimation, struggle this season, along with Fleetwood and Shrewsbury. If those three teams are relegated next May and are replaced by Luton, Portsmouth and Plymouth (which I reckon is eminently possible), then League One’s attendances the season after might begin to resemble those of La Liga.
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Comments
He's still a spanner prat though
I was pleasantly surprised and I endorse the earlier comments made by others - the wider football community and the football media is coming to recognise how much damage is being done at Charlton. It's a pity the EFL were not up to speed before they nominated Katrien Meire onto the FA council thus strengthening her position.
It hurts a bit to say it but well done Rod Liddle.
He didn't slag us off a great deal which makes a change, but I don't think that was his choice, or at least his purpose this time. Not complaining though, it's all good for us.
Oh, and she was pregnant at the time. Want any further clarification?