In the interview at the end of last year, where the owner called us and Powell stupid, he told some blatant lies and it frustates me that he has not been challenged for those lies.
Presenter: Last month you were 70 – belated congratulations – also an age to look back on things. But your sporting activities are still topical. Emails have recently come to light in the media in England that you sent a while ago to the former coach of Charlton, your club there. We have a few extracts from them (shows the Thuram email and the tactics one). Do you still support the sending of those emails?
RD Yes, of course, that was just after we had bought Charlton. That involved an awful lot of money – buying such a club in England. We had of course thoroughly investigated everything with our scouts beforehand, screened all the players one by one, what they were good at it, what they were not good at, the kind of mistakes they made etc. Our scouts knew them much better, I think, than the coach who was there. Then we also brought in half a dozen players whom we knew and the coach didn’t know and we tried to help the man, while the team were more or less last in the division.
..............
Then Jose Riga came in and with all the other players that the other coach had said were bad players, got 1.5 points per match and saved the club, then it all stopped.
So Powell said the players being brought in were not at the required level - apart of course for Ajdarevic who he clearly wanted - so if what Ducahetelet said had an ounce of truth it would be expected that the players who were really good enough and not bad as Powell said should have played their part under Riga. I thought of a game - the one we beat Blackpool 3-0 away in with an Harriot Hat-trick, then thought I would google the team to see how many of these 'bad' players Riga picked! The answer is below and provide the cold hard facts that the owner is a liar. We know he is anyway, but these are simple facts that show it to anybody who doesn't!
Charlton
1Hamer (Pre Regime)
23Wilson (Pre Regime)
36Fox (Pre Regime)
39Poyet (Pre Regime)
5Morrison (Pre Regime)
6Dervite (Pre Regime)
24Cousins (Pre Regime)
4Jackson (Pre Regime)
10Sordell(Pre Regime)
42Ajdarevic (Post regime - but Powell saw the player list and immediately wanted him)
11Harriott (Pre Regime)
Substitutes
9Church
12Obika
13Phillips
15Wood
18Petrucci
31Lennon
35Pigott
This man is a complete and total liar and looking at the above, it isn't possible to even debate the fact!!!!!!!!!!!!
We have never been given the reason why Riga was not kept on! Maybe it is in the above somewhere!
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Comments
Charlton
1Hamer (Pre Regime)
23Wilson (Pre Regime)
16Wiggins (Pre Regime)
39Poyet (Pre Regime)
5Morrison (Pre Regime)
6Dervite (Pre Regime)
8Ghoochanneijhad (Post Regime)
24Cousins (Pre Regime)
35Pigott (Pre regime)
4Jackson (Pre Regime)
42Ajdarevic (Post regime but wanted by Powell)
This I think is the best post regime representation under Riga!
I wish Riga would let us know why he thinks he wasn't kept on. I think Powell had a record of playing more network players than he did. He clearly got agreement that his management would not be interferred with, and I would imagine Duchatelet wasn't willing for that to continue!
Well done for confronting him by the way.
I had as much problem with the idiot sacking Riga as I had with him sacking Powell! In fact I recall getting into an argument about it that resulted in me leaving this site for a few months over it!
Quote: Riga showed no inclination to favour the 6 January signings imposed on Powell (5 of them network players) despite Powell having been pressured to include them in his line up (page 22 of VOTV 134).
It is the case clearly, that Duchatelet will say anything, often throwing in statistics (because they cannot necessarily be checked on the spot but are later found to be flawed) to defend his position which appears to be that by virtue of purchasing power to do and say what he likes. If properly and persistantly challenged he will simply walk away no doubt muttering something about stupid people.
If I may, I will digress to Meire here because I have always believed that she learnt to behave and respond in exactly the same way as Duchatelet a man whom she clearly worships for his perceived (in her eyes) business acumen and upon whom she has modeled herself. However in doing so she has sacrificed her own independence of mind.
An example par excellence of how she tried to 'be Roland Duchatelet' was in the press conference when she was asked about the high number of managerial changes at the Club.
Resorting to the Duchatelet ploy of throwing in stats she failed abysmally by not having 'proper' fake facts to hand and instead said something on the lines of 'We improved our position and….err…our rating each time' (that there was a change of manager). Realising that this was illogical and when subsequently greeted with the silence of incredulity from those present she looked as uncomfortable as I suspect were all those there to witness such a performance from the senior management figure at the Club.
IMO and for all his faults, I believe Meire is worse than Duchatelet. She has betrayed her academic training and self respect to serve this tiresome man who has no redeeming features seemingly and certainly no emotional level that can serve him well in ordinary society.
One day, Duchatelet will be revealed for what he is and that is not going to reflect well on Meire at all given the lengths to which she has gone to pander to his obnoxious ways of dealing with business and more importantly people.