A lot of credit needs to go to Chris Powell. The man kept us in it until he got the boot. With the team we had (on paper) and the lack of support from the board, he done a bloody good job to keep us in it.
He introduced the likes of Cousins and Poyet into the squad and also Fox.
We can't say 'what if' because anything could've happened. We are Charlton.
Saying that, Riga has done a very good job since coming in. He's mixed it up and kept faith in players who have come into good form at a good time (Sordell and Harriott). It was only a couple of weeks ago when Harriott looked like he was stealing a profession, and then tonight, a completely different player.
It's fair to say well done to Powell and well done to Riga. It's also fair to say well done to the board for getting the right man into replace Powell.
Brilliant day! Get in!
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Comments
We were bottom of the league when Riga took over and had just caved in during an FA quarter.
But what if the Donny game had not been abandoned? Thank God it pissed down that day eh!
What if JJ hadn't scored vs QPR
What if the Donny game carried on
What if Kerms had jumped instead of letting Dervite have a free header
What if Hamer hadn't of saved the pen vs Leeds
What if Harriot had buried his chance vs Sheff Utd? Powell would probably still be in charge
We'd still be waiting for the substitutes against Yeovil.
And that's the truth.
I think if CP had stayed we would have lost fewer , drawn more, conceded less but won fewer, taking us at least to looking for a result against Blackpool
Never made a sub till we were losing
Even now the Powell lovers just won't have it
Yes we loved him but our hearts were ruling our heads as the simple fact was he wasn't
Very good this season
The fa cup against sheff utd game we never a shot on goal Ffs
He's gone what's done is done and somehow we have survived and not done it the Charlton way as we still have a game to spare!!
Without the points Powell accrued the points that Riga got were meaningless
It's a good day today
I say well done to both
If you consider he took over midway through a terrible season and in the wake of a shocking FA Cup exit, it is remarkable to consider a win at Blackpool would imply near play-off form over his 16 games in charge (1.5 points per game).
His team selections have appeared experimental at times, but you could usually see the logic and they were often quite bold (eg. starting Pigott at Leeds). No squad player could reasonably claim not to have been treated fairly.
Likewise his substitutions were intelligent and logical - always early enough to be able to make a difference (perfectly evidenced by the Sordell/Obika switch last night).
We were led to believe by some on here that the departure of Stephens and Kermorgant would hasten an embarrassing relegation - instead Cousins and Poyet stepped into the breach left by Stephens with great maturity, whilst our goals-per-game ratio under Riga has improved despite Kermorgant's absence. We thus begin next season with the potentially expensive pair off of our wage bill and with their transfer fees pocketed.
The games in hand have actually been a hindrance I think. I would like to see Riga managing a team that has 6 days rest on average between games instead of 3. The way he has handled this has been superb IMO.
I bet your wife never asks you if her bum looks big! *
;-)
* I'm not suggesting, for a second, that it does, by the way.
So, to me, it was right to move on (for both the club and CP, who will, no doubt, go on to great things) and the reality is that the change has worked. JR has worked wonders with this side and done enough in incredibly difficult circumstances.
Now, like others have said, I am really optimistic about what he can achieve with a bit of investment and a full Summer to work with the players.
Would RJ have a greater points per game than CP if he had Kermogant .. possibly ... neither events hap[pened, what did, is that we retained championship status.
When you see Lee Clark, you see a broken man, a fresh man in charge may have done better for them for example.
More seriously, a reasonable argument against my point of view is a mathematical one ie. Riga's 15 games don't constitute 'statistical significance'.
However regardless of the (improved) results, I can't help thinking that in a somewhat subjective sense, we are simply playing better and this would have been a big positive, even if results had remained disappointing (which they may have given after all 5 of our 6 wins were by a single goal).
He has done ok and thankfully hasn't used the network players as much as I thought he would. He has had nothing to lose and no concerns about the direction the club is taking. Powell clearly refused to be RD's nodding dog, hopefully Riga stays and RD has had a wake up call about what is required.
All hypothetical but with the form we were on and the tension between manager and owner I don't think CP could/would have kept us up - though I would not have placed all the blame at his door if we had gone down either. I don't think Riga was ever bought in to dance to RD's tune, simply that he was someone RD knew and trusted to keep his expensive new club from being relegated - and no more.