From the BBC website
Former Charlton striker Derek Hales is worried the Addicks could be relegated again this season.
Charlton will play in the third tier of English football for the first time since 1981 this season.
Hales, who scored more than 150 goals for Charlton, thinks life in League One will be harder than people think.
He told BBC Radio Kent: "We got ourselves in debt and we have to get some sort of side or we'll go into the fourth division."
He added: "Charlton have got some of the best supporters ever. Where would you have had 21,000 fans for a club at the bottom of the second division (Championship)?
"They were all thinking someone was going to turn it round. But it was the worst Charlton side I've seen.
By all accounts we're looking pretty dire. I wouldn't put my money on Charlton as promotion candidates
Derek Hales
"I think if you start with some sort of side this season you'd still have those fans there," Hales said.
"There are a lot of players who have left who were on too much money who have gone on free transfers.
"There are some who were bought by Alan Pardew who between them, with wages and transfer fees, cost twelve million pounds.
"They were damn ordinary players, who didn't roll their sleeves up and didn't do anything for the cause, sat on the bench and the treatment table and took the money.
"We need the type of players who play for the right reasons.
"All the while we've got support we've got a chance, but we've still got to put a side on the field. By all accounts we're looking pretty dire. I wouldn't put my money on Charlton as promotion candidates."
Hales also welcomed a possible takeover thought to involve former chief executive Peter Varney.
"He's a fan, he's a lovely man. He's worked hard over the years getting Charlton where they were, stand wise, fan wise, and building a side to get into the Premiership.
"He's not looking at himself as a Messiah and wave a magic wand. He's talking to people about trying to soften this debt after the fall out from the Premiership and the Championship."
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Comments
Wonder what the odds are on another relegation? :-(
maybe we should start vilifying him likr Sailor Browneye.....
christ that has further depressed me....
no, that has for some reason just punched me in the guts......
28 to 1 with 888 sport and blue square ... the only bookies quoting at the monent
you beat me to it ears
The players and the management are still the same regardless.
Oh. Thats the point.
If Halesy wants to place a bet on us getting relegated, then we should be pretty safe.
I wouldn't get him to pick my lottery numbers, lol
Me and my drinking pals have been saying from the last game of the season that without strengthening we are very likely to be in a relegation battle. Very average signings from MK Dons and Leeds have done very little to change our thinking.
But more importantly - now that the Oak seems to have gone - there was a lot of debate on Saturday as to where we will be drinking - toss up between Con club and Bugle.
Maybe we should all chuck £20 in and bet on it - would pay for an amighty wake if it did happen...
Then again, those odds are probably shortening already with public talk of aministration.
If Halesy wants to place a bet on us getting relegated, then we should be pretty safe.
I wouldn't get him to pick my lottery numbers, lol[/quote]
I did think about running a contrarian index last season - ie the exact opposite of what he predicted.
Actually in the matches I thought he thought that we'd lose he generally went for a spread bet on the number of goals that would be scored.
And was he more succesful with goals scored than result?
Though that could all change if we sell the better players and fail to sign anyone. At the moment it's not too bad.
Is he worrying because players like Hudson and Zheng have gone? Of course they'd have been good in League One but we won't miss Zheng if we keep the midfield we have, and Hudson can be replaced.
He may well have been reading some of the threads here...
Good start and we could be OK, but all season we're going to be fighting the fact we have an incredibly weak defence. The only problem about a good start is that the squad appears bereft of all confidence and maintaining all the weaknesses we had last year. Our midfield became one of the stronger units last season but still they weren't able to dominate. This year they're going to have to work enormously hard to protect and provide.
Not at the moment perhaps.
What if we lose Bailey, Racon and Shelvey though?
;-)