So now we know. In a sales career that has so far lasted 53 years, I have met literally hundreds of business owners. My favourite was a man who I met in the sixties when he opened up, became a friend and by coincidence has supported Charlton all his life. He trained himself to recognise talent in others, employed them and supported, encouraged and rewarded them for building his business, making him highly successful. What we seem to have is a man whose mantra is ' it's my way or the highway '. It looks as if he will be making all the decisions, which he is entitled to do of course, and it could be good news for us. Apparently he works hard to make money, and the only way he is going to do that with Charlton is by getting us into the Premiership. I look forward to that day, and will continue to support my team as always, trying to ignore the chaos that we have to suffer.
Am off to a funeral today, but even that will be better than reading more about RD, his mouthpiece and Loser Luzon. On the plus side, will be picking up my Yann shirt from my brother!
However, I still don't think we were lied to by Monday's statement. It is how we interpreted it. Admittedly it was a bit disingenuous and asking DM and BR to take charge and prepare the team for Saturday suggested a recruitment exercise of some sort but taking training for a day or two is doing exactly that. Yes, Luzon was already lined-up but then again that is very often the case in football, Pulis at West Brom a recent example.
For better or worse we have Guy in charge now and all we can do is give him our support ........ and pray.
I will be enjoying the day being 14th in the Championship, while it still lasts.
Just feel sorry for the players. They must feel like rats being used in some sort of sick experiment.
Not only the players, we are all the laboratory rats in this saga. Luzon is still being paid after leaving Liege and I suppose Bob is trying to get his moneys worth. Luzon gets a call interrupting his daily eight hour session of looking in the mirror and says
'Charlton....who? OK Mr D, I'll do it if I really have to, I'll give it a go I suppose, do I need to wear a blue tie? Oh red is it? Good I can dig out my old Standard tie then. Avoid relegation? I'll give that a go too Mr D but no guarantees right? I can't be blamed if that club of yours does get relegated you know. After all do you know how hard it is to live out of a suitcase? Where will I live anyway? What? Not the Savoy but somewhere called Bex eee lee heaf? Is it near Harrods? Anyway I take a punt on this club of yours l've never heard of, oh and by the way if I rehabilitate players for Standard, or cherry pick the best of what I can find over there, can I have my old job back?'
This I firmly believe is the starting point. judging by the Luzon/Riga video I get the feeling he has absolute distain for Charlton Athletic and he will have to be heavily disguised to get credibility when he metaphorically kisses our badge.
We are rats trapped in the laboratory, my intention is to sink my stinking sharp yellow teeth in to draw as much blood as I can...unless we win. Nothing less than 80 points this season is going to be good enough.
Deserves a chance deserves support welcome guy good luck and I hope you succeed
This a thousand times over.
He is far from my first choice, but he has the job. I don't give a monkeys what has and hasn't happened at Liege.
What he does from now on is what matters.
He'll start with my support and will retain it until there is a reason for me to withdraw it.
Quite. With you there. To all the moaners listed above - are you all leaving to support Millwall or Palace. You all just walking from the club that you really support for however long, in my case since 1963. If so good luck to you. We have been there through thick and thin, mostly bad times I admit but this is still my club and will always be, unlike some of you. I shall give this man my full support as I did to Big Bob, Curbs, SCP, Eddie Firmani and all the others, perhaps some of you would like to reconsider after the knee jerks finish.
The fact that that KM was quoted that the decision to get rid of Big Bob was after Saturday's result is a blatant lie.
Luzon was bragging that he had the job last week.
Evidence?
Do you really think that the story that broke a week or two ago about Luzon replacing Peeters was just a strange co-incidence? Clearly this has been planned for some time.
Planned in the sense of back up plan Id say and since BP was hired.
Luzon was being placated constantly by his employer, being told sit tight as something will change, whilst both parties look at the ever declining results. RD knowing its all good as if /when BP screws up an easy and trustworthy company man replacement is a phone call away. So, look at the results over the last 2 months and the writings been on the wall. BP would have worked all this out as well.
Luzon will be happy to get back in the saddle and excited to be adding English football to his CV. He did well at SL until his team was raped, sorry I mean the company realised their assets, so maybe he will work out, for a while at least. Watt seems to sing his praises and having a lively striker whos bought into a manager is one positive thing we could do with right now. He was a right livewire on Saturday. Luzon could well get the best out of him if Watts comments are anything to go by. Whos to say that wasnt a plan?? Re unite those two. Watt should shine in our league, may spark off Igor if he gets a rest for a game or two. I predict some well needed goals.
If RD wants to make money, and he obviously does, hes going to need to be in the next league - its one hell of a pay day. From his perspective he has a man on his books he feels can do that and has some kind of proof in his history to suggest he may be able to pull it off. Luzon will want it too.
What happened re the being treated like pricks is standard PR BS. We can all see through it so let them get on with it and see it for what it is. You cant change what you cant influence and while moaning can be perverse fun sometimes its ultimately a fools errand. Save that for if it goes totally tits up. We are not there yet.
I will be enjoying the day being 14th in the Championship, while it still lasts.
Just feel sorry for the players. They must feel like rats being used in some sort of sick experiment.
Not only the players, we are all the laboratory rats in this saga. Luzon is still being paid after leaving Liege and I suppose Bob is trying to get his moneys worth. Luzon gets a call interrupting his daily eight hour session of looking in the mirror and says
'Charlton....who? OK Mr D, I'll do it if I really have to, I'll give it a go I suppose, do I need to wear a blue tie? Oh red is it? Good I can dig out my old Standard tie then. Avoid relegation? I'll give that a go too Mr D but no guarantees right? I can't be blamed if that club of yours does get relegated you know. After all do you know how hard it is to live out of a suitcase? Where will I live anyway? What? Not the Savoy but somewhere called Bex eee lee heaf? Is it near Harrods? Anyway I take a punt on this club of yours l've never heard of, oh and by the way if I rehabilitate players for Standard, or cherry pick the best of what I can find over there, can I have my old job back?'
This I firmly believe is the starting point. judging by the Luzon/Riga video I get the feeling he has absolute distain for Charlton Athletic and he will have to be heavily disguised to get credibility when he metaphorically kisses our badge.
We are rats trapped in the laboratory, my intention is to sink my stinking sharp yellow teeth in to draw as much blood as I can...unless we win. Nothing less than 80 points this season is going to be good enough.
Please tell me this guy is having a laugh? After the mighty 51 we managed last year?
Over my years of supporting this club, I have come to realise that a lot of Charlton fans talk out of their backsides but you are close to taking the biscuit!
At the end of the day, this is the "Guy" (I'll get my coat) that we have been given as our Manager and regardless of what is felt towards RD, we should give Luzon our support.
If anyone wants RD to take note, his previous record seems to show that the fans of his clubs need to start some kind of riot before he will listen (barely) to them.. Now, I can't think of any club that would produce a more mild mannered and pathetic riot than ourselves, so chances are RD will go along doing as he pleases, not giving one single care for any one of us and nothing will be done about it!
I for one will be giving the team my support, because that is what a supporter does.. supports the team, not the owner (regardless of how much of an idiot he really is)
Feeling pretty disconnected from the club. The PR shambles ranks alongside that notorious piece of paper telling us how wonderful it would be to play at the Palace. I go to the Valley to support a team, not a manager, so calls to support a manager mean nothing to me.
Robcafc - again a sensible post thank you. We seem to now be reaching some form of positivity between the more rational of us, after the Armageddon quotes earlier in this thread. Let us all get behind this new man, the players and our club.
I'm definitely in the "I'll give him a chance" camp, just as I would with any new manager. For example like Riga. I remember very well the negativity around him yet there were quite a lot of calls for him to come back.
The one thing I can understand that some is the way it has been handled. Part of me does think that something must have happened in the last couple of days to push the appointment forward, there doesn't seem to be much reason to announce Matthews and Roberts being in charge for the weekend if they were going to appoint Luzon this week.
On the calls for a British manager. I can't get on board with that. Are those that are desperate for one telling me that if Guardiola applied for the job they wouldn't want him because he isn't British and doesn't know the Championship? And again going back to Riga he had neither of those but worked out quite well. In fact, Luzon probably has a slight advantage over most, if has been rumoured he has been watching a lot then he will have formed ideas already over who he wants to play and what areas will be strengthened (whether the latter comes to fruition is another matter).
I also believe that had Curbs not mentioned he was interested in the job there would be fewer angry posts about this appointment. Any managerial appointment is a risk, there would be no guarantee Curbs would prove to be any better than what we've had over the last few years. In fact, employing someone who has been out of management for 6 years could be considered quite a big risk.
In a way I'm glad the managerial change has happened so quickly, because the one (or 3) things that it's been obvious that we are in need of for the last few months is players. At least this should now be the focus of the whole club.
So, good luck Luzon, I have very little idea who you are (it was the same with Bob) but if you can convince the puppeteer to buy 2-3 decent players in positions we need then that'll do for me.
If we dont sign anyone of any use in the next couple of weeks then I'll be strongly of the opinion that RD is a bell-end who has no clue, but the manager himself isn't necessarily the worst thing in the world (and will get my support)
I will be enjoying the day being 14th in the Championship, while it still lasts.
Just feel sorry for the players. They must feel like rats being used in some sort of sick experiment.
Not only the players, we are all the laboratory rats in this saga. Luzon is still being paid after leaving Liege and I suppose Bob is trying to get his moneys worth. Luzon gets a call interrupting his daily eight hour session of looking in the mirror and says
'Charlton....who? OK Mr D, I'll do it if I really have to, I'll give it a go I suppose, do I need to wear a blue tie? Oh red is it? Good I can dig out my old Standard tie then. Avoid relegation? I'll give that a go too Mr D but no guarantees right? I can't be blamed if that club of yours does get relegated you know. After all do you know how hard it is to live out of a suitcase? Where will I live anyway? What? Not the Savoy but somewhere called Bex eee lee heaf? Is it near Harrods? Anyway I take a punt on this club of yours l've never heard of, oh and by the way if I rehabilitate players for Standard, or cherry pick the best of what I can find over there, can I have my old job back?'
This I firmly believe is the starting point. judging by the Luzon/Riga video I get the feeling he has absolute distain for Charlton Athletic and he will have to be heavily disguised to get credibility when he metaphorically kisses our badge.
We are rats trapped in the laboratory, my intention is to sink my stinking sharp yellow teeth in to draw as much blood as I can...unless we win. Nothing less than 80 points this season is going to be good enough.
Please tell me this guy is having a laugh? After the mighty 51 we managed last year?
Over my years of supporting this club, I have come to realise that a lot of Charlton fans talk out of their backsides but you are close to taking the biscuit!
At the end of the day, this is the "Guy" (I'll get my coat) that we have been given as our Manager and regardless of what is felt towards RD, we should give Luzon our support.
If anyone wants RD to take note, his previous record seems to show that the fans of his clubs need to start some kind of riot before he will listen (barely) to them.. Now, I can't think of any club that would produce a more mild mannered and pathetic riot than ourselves, so chances are RD will go along doing as he pleases, not giving one single care for any one of us and nothing will be done about it!
I for one will be giving the team my support, because that is what a supporter does.. supports the team, not the owner (regardless of how much of an idiot he really is)
However, I still don't think we were lied to by Monday's statement. It is how we interpreted it. Admittedly it was a bit disingenuous and asking DM and BR to take charge and prepare the team for Saturday suggested a recruitment exercise of some sort but taking training for a day or two is doing exactly that. Yes, Luzon was already lined-up but then again that is very often the case in football, Pulis at West Brom a recent example.
For better or worse we have Guy in charge now and all we can do is give him our support ........ and pray.
I think we were. A month ago we heard that they were planning on chucking Bob and bringing in Luzon. This is denied by the Cawley, no doubt after contacting the club. Not long after that Bob is sacked and Katrien puts out a statement saying there had been no plan to sack him before but the Brighton match tipped them over. There's then a subsequent statement saying that DM and BR are in charge and the club will be working hard to find the right candidate; the next day Luzon is hired after seemingly being the only applicant brought in to The Valley.
We knew and they knew what the outcome of Bob's sacking was going to be the minute it happened and frankly they would have been better served just announcing him off the bat like they did with Riga. Instead they piled bullshit on top of bullshit knowing full well they were going to get this guy in regardless. If you want to quibble you could say there's no specific 'lie' (lawyered) but there's a clear lack of respect. We've been treated like children. Like people who will be placated by statements and then not remember them a day later when they're proven to be nonsense. But then why not? We're unique customers in that we'll continue to turn up and pay our money anyway so sod us.
I hope Luzon's a genius. I hope he stabilises everything and gets us winning games. And if that happens then I won't reall
However, I still don't think we were lied to by Monday's statement. It is how we interpreted it. Admittedly it was a bit disingenuous and asking DM and BR to take charge and prepare the team for Saturday suggested a recruitment exercise of some sort but taking training for a day or two is doing exactly that. Yes, Luzon was already lined-up but then again that is very often the case in football, Pulis at West Brom a recent example.
For better or worse we have Guy in charge now and all we can do is give him our support ........ and pray.
I think we were. A month ago we heard that they were planning on chucking Bob and bringing in Luzon. This is denied by the Cawley, no doubt after contacting the club. Not long after that Bob is sacked and Katrien puts out a statement saying there had been no plan to sack him before but the Brighton match tipped them over. There's then a subsequent statement saying that DM and BR are in charge and the club will be working hard to find the right candidate; the next day Luzon is hired after seemingly being the only applicant brought in to The Valley.
We knew and they knew what the outcome of Bob's sacking was going to be the minute it happened and frankly they would have been better served just announcing him off the bat like they did with Riga. Instead they piled bullshit on top of bullshit knowing full well they were going to get this guy in regardless. If you want to quibble you could say there's no specific 'lie' (lawyered) but there's a clear lack of respect. We've been treated like children. Like people who will be placated by statements and then not remember them a day later when they're proven to be nonsense. But then why not? We're unique customers in that we'll continue to turn up and pay our money anyway so sod us.
I hope Luzon's a genius. I hope he stabilises everything and gets us winning games. And if that happens then I won't reall
what do you expect them to say to Cawley 'yes, sacked next week, Luzon in, please tell everyone for us'
and the Club statement said:
“We feel this is the right decision for the club and I have asked Damian Matthew and Ben Roberts to take temporary charge. I have no doubts they will do an excellent job taking care of the side for the time being.
“We know how important it is to make sure this next appointment is the right one because I understand that this club needs and deserves a Head Coach who can plan and take charge for the long-term"
nowhere does it say they will be working hard to find the right candidate as you say they said
But @LargeAddick, the club statement was headed "Search under way for new Charlton Head Coach" and went on to say "as the club began the process of searching for his replacement on Monday afternoon".
That clearly states that there was going to be a search process. That implies, at the very least, a review of available candidates and some kind of selection against defined criteria.
It is obvious to anybody that this did not happen. Luzon was obviously in the frame from well before Peeters' dismissal was announced.
As it happens, I don't have a problem with appointing a good candidate without a search process being undertaken - if there is a very talented candidate immediately available who offers a clear match to the demands of the role. It happens all the time in business, I've done it myself many times. If they think that Luzon fits the bill, that's ok with me - although I will have misgivings until proven otherwise, What's not ok is the lies/deceit/mugging off of a very loyal fan base.
Luzon's record at Liege last season is actually pretty impressive. I know I'll get shouted down with the usual "doesn't know anything about the Championship" but just thought I'd post it up for consideration:
Over the whole season (regular season and title play-off)
P 40 W 24 D 10 L 6 GF 73 GA 28
The bloke obviously has at least an idea of Management! If he can adapt quick enough as Riga, who also didn't "know anything about the Championship" then hopefully he can do the business.
Everything that is being said on here is very similar to everything that was being said around the ground (and I'd guess on here but only a new member) when Riga was appointed.
"RD's puppet" "no experience" "players must be devastated" etc etc
It wasn't being said a couple of months later now, was it?
All I remember hearing was "Jose Riga's Red and White Army"
We all understand and share the frustration with the board, the falseness of their actions and all of that, but let's see what Luzon can actually do for us before we start calling for his head!
just about to post this......worryingly with the press on his back already this really does have the ring of Les Reed about it.
More worrying than that, he's not welcome by the players, and I can't blame them. They're probably even more fed up with this circus than we are.
Charlton's appointment of Guy Luzon as their fourth coach in 10 months is believed to have caused unrest among senior players.
The Israeli yesterday signed a contract until the end of next season, succeeding the sacked Bob Peeters, and he will take charge of the Championship clash with Watford on Saturday.
Luzon is a familiar figure for club owner Roland Duchatelet as he was sacked in October by Standard Liege, another of the teams in the Belgian’s portfolio and who have close links with Charlton.
Yet Standard Sport understands that a number of players are frustrated that the club did not appoint a man with experience of the Championship, or at least of English football. None of Duchatelet’s three choices since he took control at The Valley in December 2013 — Jose Riga, Peeters and Luzon — had coached in English football, although Peeters had a brief spell as a player for Millwall from 2003-05.
Without a win in 10 League games, Charlton have slipped to 14th in the table and it is thought a number of players favoured a coach who could hit the ground running. Many of the club’s supporters have the same opinion.
There is also a feeling within the squad that there is a need for a powerful centre-forward, capable of dealing with the physical challenge of defenders and holding on to the ball to bring others into the game.
First-team coach Damian Matthew and goalkeeping coach Ben Roberts had initially been put in charge after Peeters’s sacking and took training yesterday before the playing staff were informed of Luzon’s appointment in the afternoon.
Despite the reservations among the players, which are believed to have been expressed to the club’s high command, there was to be no turning back, and Luzon was brought in yesterday.
Peeters was quoted in Belgium today as saying: “When Guy Luzon was sacked at Standard, I knew I had to be careful. I still regret that I had to leave.”
Duchatelet said: “I think the appointment of Guy Luzon will prove to be a very good one for the club. I regard him as an extremely talented coach who has already achieved a lot in his career so far. There were a lot of records broken during his first season at Standard Liège and they had the best defensive record in the League.
“He is a passionate coach who will give his all to Charlton and I hope supporters will get behind him.”
Luzon was due to be presented to the media today. The 39-year-old said: “It is important to have a positive spirit in the team and I want to ensure the entire group is fighting together for the good of the club.”
Luzon takes over a team who are 10 points adrift of the play-off spots.
Only when Roger Alwen and then Richard Murray (Pre Dowie) did we ever have our Charlton.
For 50 years we had the Gliksten family. i'm sure Henry or Red chaser will let you know how they missed the oppotunity for Cafc to be the Arsenal of south London.
sorry guys for most of our history it's been a battle for the fans to accept what the management has done.
good luck Guy Luzon, your need it.
Good point. Pretty much everyone slated The Glikstens, Mark Hulyer & Sunleys. Roger Alwen was seen as a good guy and so was Richard Murray, although many no longer see Richard Murray as a good guy/success.
Jimenez and Slater - well I daren't say what I think, as I don't want to be sued.
RD, ok it's all very bizarre.
But we want our Charlton back etc. Twas ever thus in reality.
Maybe we had our Charlton in the 70's and 80's, but there were only 4,000 of us attending.
When was "our Charlton" ever defined by the integrity or love for the owner? RD is a saint compared to the Glickstens who raped the club for years and were detested by the meagre number of fans who turned up.
For me it's about supporting the 11 guys on the field every week through thick and through thin, in spite of what the owner and manager are doing to f**k everything up. It's feeling the players are giving back something that really matters, and that would be my greatest fear, and RD's undoing, if we end up with a team of uncommitted journeymen going through the motions.
Those wanting to abandon support for the club because management have been told porkie pies, need to grow up, and ignore PR statements. If they want juicy inside information, stick to the rumours from those ITK, much more informative.
I'll be at Watford looking for a performance and a sign of a commitment to the fans, everything else is chaff in the wind. As someone used to say - move on, and get behind the team. All this bile for owners and managers will achieve nothing, we are on a journey, the scenery's changed and we can only hope we are going in the right direction, just a bumpy bit of road at the moment (did someone already say this?)
just about to post this......worryingly with the press on his back already this really does have the ring of Les Reed about it.
More worrying than that, he's not welcome by the players, and I can't blame them. They're probably even more fed up with this circus than we are.
Charlton's appointment of Guy Luzon as their fourth coach in 10 months is believed to have caused unrest among senior players.
The Israeli yesterday signed a contract until the end of next season, succeeding the sacked Bob Peeters, and he will take charge of the Championship clash with Watford on Saturday.
Luzon is a familiar figure for club owner Roland Duchatelet as he was sacked in October by Standard Liege, another of the teams in the Belgian’s portfolio and who have close links with Charlton.
Yet Standard Sport understands that a number of players are frustrated that the club did not appoint a man with experience of the Championship, or at least of English football. None of Duchatelet’s three choices since he took control at The Valley in December 2013 — Jose Riga, Peeters and Luzon — had coached in English football, although Peeters had a brief spell as a player for Millwall from 2003-05.
Without a win in 10 League games, Charlton have slipped to 14th in the table and it is thought a number of players favoured a coach who could hit the ground running. Many of the club’s supporters have the same opinion.
There is also a feeling within the squad that there is a need for a powerful centre-forward, capable of dealing with the physical challenge of defenders and holding on to the ball to bring others into the game.
First-team coach Damian Matthew and goalkeeping coach Ben Roberts had initially been put in charge after Peeters’s sacking and took training yesterday before the playing staff were informed of Luzon’s appointment in the afternoon.
Despite the reservations among the players, which are believed to have been expressed to the club’s high command, there was to be no turning back, and Luzon was brought in yesterday.
Peeters was quoted in Belgium today as saying: “When Guy Luzon was sacked at Standard, I knew I had to be careful. I still regret that I had to leave.”
Duchatelet said: “I think the appointment of Guy Luzon will prove to be a very good one for the club. I regard him as an extremely talented coach who has already achieved a lot in his career so far. There were a lot of records broken during his first season at Standard Liège and they had the best defensive record in the League.
“He is a passionate coach who will give his all to Charlton and I hope supporters will get behind him.”
Luzon was due to be presented to the media today. The 39-year-old said: “It is important to have a positive spirit in the team and I want to ensure the entire group is fighting together for the good of the club.”
Luzon takes over a team who are 10 points adrift of the play-off spots.
Comments
I will be enjoying the day being 14th in the Championship, while it still lasts.
Just feel sorry for the players. They must feel like rats being used in some sort of sick experiment.
However, I still don't think we were lied to by Monday's statement. It is how we interpreted it. Admittedly it was a bit disingenuous and asking DM and BR to take charge and prepare the team for Saturday suggested a recruitment exercise of some sort but taking training for a day or two is doing exactly that. Yes, Luzon was already lined-up but then again that is very often the case in football, Pulis at West Brom a recent example.
For better or worse we have Guy in charge now and all we can do is give him our support ........ and pray.
'Charlton....who? OK Mr D, I'll do it if I really have to, I'll give it a go I suppose, do I need to wear a blue tie? Oh red is it? Good I can dig out my old Standard tie then. Avoid relegation? I'll give that a go too Mr D but no guarantees right? I can't be blamed if that club of yours does get relegated you know. After all do you know how hard it is to live out of a suitcase? Where will I live anyway? What? Not the Savoy but somewhere called Bex eee lee heaf? Is it near Harrods? Anyway I take a punt on this club of yours l've never heard of, oh and by the way if I rehabilitate players for Standard, or cherry pick the best of what I can find over there, can I have my old job back?'
This I firmly believe is the starting point. judging by the Luzon/Riga video I get the feeling he has absolute distain for Charlton Athletic and he will have to be heavily disguised to get credibility when he metaphorically kisses our badge.
We are rats trapped in the laboratory, my intention is to sink my stinking sharp yellow teeth in to draw as much blood as I can...unless we win. Nothing less than 80 points this season is going to be good enough.
Luzon was being placated constantly by his employer, being told sit tight as something will change, whilst both parties look at the ever declining results. RD knowing its all good as if /when BP screws up an easy and trustworthy company man replacement is a phone call away. So, look at the results over the last 2 months and the writings been on the wall. BP would have worked all this out as well.
Luzon will be happy to get back in the saddle and excited to be adding English football to his CV. He did well at SL until his team was raped, sorry I mean the company realised their assets, so maybe he will work out, for a while at least. Watt seems to sing his praises and having a lively striker whos bought into a manager is one positive thing we could do with right now. He was a right livewire on Saturday. Luzon could well get the best out of him if Watts comments are anything to go by. Whos to say that wasnt a plan?? Re unite those two. Watt should shine in our league, may spark off Igor if he gets a rest for a game or two. I predict some well needed goals.
If RD wants to make money, and he obviously does, hes going to need to be in the next league - its one hell of a pay day. From his perspective he has a man on his books he feels can do that and has some kind of proof in his history to suggest he may be able to pull it off. Luzon will want it too.
What happened re the being treated like pricks is standard PR BS. We can all see through it so let them get on with it and see it for what it is. You cant change what you cant influence and while moaning can be perverse fun sometimes its ultimately a fools errand. Save that for if it goes totally tits up. We are not there yet.
Over my years of supporting this club, I have come to realise that a lot of Charlton fans talk out of their backsides but you are close to taking the biscuit!
At the end of the day, this is the "Guy" (I'll get my coat) that we have been given as our Manager and regardless of what is felt towards RD, we should give Luzon our support.
If anyone wants RD to take note, his previous record seems to show that the fans of his clubs need to start some kind of riot before he will listen (barely) to them.. Now, I can't think of any club that would produce a more mild mannered and pathetic riot than ourselves, so chances are RD will go along doing as he pleases, not giving one single care for any one of us and nothing will be done about it!
I for one will be giving the team my support, because that is what a supporter does.. supports the team, not the owner (regardless of how much of an idiot he really is)
The one thing I can understand that some is the way it has been handled. Part of me does think that something must have happened in the last couple of days to push the appointment forward, there doesn't seem to be much reason to announce Matthews and Roberts being in charge for the weekend if they were going to appoint Luzon this week.
On the calls for a British manager. I can't get on board with that. Are those that are desperate for one telling me that if Guardiola applied for the job they wouldn't want him because he isn't British and doesn't know the Championship? And again going back to Riga he had neither of those but worked out quite well. In fact, Luzon probably has a slight advantage over most, if has been rumoured he has been watching a lot then he will have formed ideas already over who he wants to play and what areas will be strengthened (whether the latter comes to fruition is another matter).
I also believe that had Curbs not mentioned he was interested in the job there would be fewer angry posts about this appointment. Any managerial appointment is a risk, there would be no guarantee Curbs would prove to be any better than what we've had over the last few years. In fact, employing someone who has been out of management for 6 years could be considered quite a big risk.
So, good luck Luzon, I have very little idea who you are (it was the same with Bob) but if you can convince the puppeteer to buy 2-3 decent players in positions we need then that'll do for me.
If we dont sign anyone of any use in the next couple of weeks then I'll be strongly of the opinion that RD is a bell-end who has no clue, but the manager himself isn't necessarily the worst thing in the world (and will get my support)
Guy Luzon:
We knew and they knew what the outcome of Bob's sacking was going to be the minute it happened and frankly they would have been better served just announcing him off the bat like they did with Riga. Instead they piled bullshit on top of bullshit knowing full well they were going to get this guy in regardless. If you want to quibble you could say there's no specific 'lie' (lawyered) but there's a clear lack of respect. We've been treated like children. Like people who will be placated by statements and then not remember them a day later when they're proven to be nonsense. But then why not? We're unique customers in that we'll continue to turn up and pay our money anyway so sod us.
I hope Luzon's a genius. I hope he stabilises everything and gets us winning games. And if that happens then I won't reall
and the Club statement said:
“We feel this is the right decision for the club and I have asked Damian Matthew and Ben Roberts to take temporary charge. I have no doubts they will do an excellent job taking care of the side for the time being.
“We know how important it is to make sure this next appointment is the right one because I understand that this club needs and deserves a Head Coach who can plan and take charge for the long-term"
nowhere does it say they will be working hard to find the right candidate as you say they said
http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/charlton-players-concerned-that-guy-luzon-lacks-the-right-experience-9977022.html
That clearly states that there was going to be a search process. That implies, at the very least, a review of available candidates and some kind of selection against defined criteria.
It is obvious to anybody that this did not happen. Luzon was obviously in the frame from well before Peeters' dismissal was announced.
As it happens, I don't have a problem with appointing a good candidate without a search process being undertaken - if there is a very talented candidate immediately available who offers a clear match to the demands of the role. It happens all the time in business, I've done it myself many times. If they think that Luzon fits the bill, that's ok with me - although I will have misgivings until proven otherwise, What's not ok is the lies/deceit/mugging off of a very loyal fan base.
Over the whole season (regular season and title play-off)
P 40
W 24
D 10
L 6
GF 73
GA 28
The bloke obviously has at least an idea of Management! If he can adapt quick enough as Riga, who also didn't "know anything about the Championship" then hopefully he can do the business.
Everything that is being said on here is very similar to everything that was being said around the ground (and I'd guess on here but only a new member) when Riga was appointed.
"RD's puppet" "no experience" "players must be devastated" etc etc
It wasn't being said a couple of months later now, was it?
All I remember hearing was "Jose Riga's Red and White Army"
We all understand and share the frustration with the board, the falseness of their actions and all of that, but let's see what Luzon can actually do for us before we start calling for his head!
Charlton's appointment of Guy Luzon as their fourth coach in 10 months is believed to have caused unrest among senior players.
The Israeli yesterday signed a contract until the end of next season, succeeding the sacked Bob Peeters, and he will take charge of the Championship clash with Watford on Saturday.
Luzon is a familiar figure for club owner Roland Duchatelet as he was sacked in October by Standard Liege, another of the teams in the Belgian’s portfolio and who have close links with Charlton.
Yet Standard Sport understands that a number of players are frustrated that the club did not appoint a man with experience of the Championship, or at least of English football. None of Duchatelet’s three choices since he took control at The Valley in December 2013 — Jose Riga, Peeters and Luzon — had coached in English football, although Peeters had a brief spell as a player for Millwall from 2003-05.
Without a win in 10 League games, Charlton have slipped to 14th in the table and it is thought a number of players favoured a coach who could hit the ground running. Many of the club’s supporters have the same opinion.
There is also a feeling within the squad that there is a need for a powerful centre-forward, capable of dealing with the physical challenge of defenders and holding on to the ball to bring others into the game.
First-team coach Damian Matthew and goalkeeping coach Ben Roberts had initially been put in charge after Peeters’s sacking and took training yesterday before the playing staff were informed of Luzon’s appointment in the afternoon.
Despite the reservations among the players, which are believed to have been expressed to the club’s high command, there was to be no turning back, and Luzon was brought in yesterday.
Peeters was quoted in Belgium today as saying: “When Guy Luzon was sacked at Standard, I knew I had to be careful. I still regret that I had to leave.”
Duchatelet said: “I think the appointment of Guy Luzon will prove to be a very good one for the club. I regard him as an extremely talented coach who has already achieved a lot in his career so far. There were a lot of records broken during his first season at Standard Liège and they had the best defensive record in the League.
“He is a passionate coach who will give his all to Charlton and I hope supporters will get behind him.”
Luzon was due to be presented to the media today. The 39-year-old said: “It is important to have a positive spirit in the team and I want to ensure the entire group is fighting together for the good of the club.”
Luzon takes over a team who are 10 points adrift of the play-off spots.
For me it's about supporting the 11 guys on the field every week through thick and through thin, in spite of what the owner and manager are doing to f**k everything up. It's feeling the players are giving back something that really matters, and that would be my greatest fear, and RD's undoing, if we end up with a team of uncommitted journeymen going through the motions.
Those wanting to abandon support for the club because management have been told porkie pies, need to grow up, and ignore PR statements. If they want juicy inside information, stick to the rumours from those ITK, much more informative.
I'll be at Watford looking for a performance and a sign of a commitment to the fans, everything else is chaff in the wind. As someone used to say - move on, and get behind the team. All this bile for owners and managers will achieve nothing, we are on a journey, the scenery's changed and we can only hope we are going in the right direction, just a bumpy bit of road at the moment (did someone already say this?)