according to Teamtalk....
The TEAMtalk Soccers dish out the gong for Failure of the Year, with James Marshment presenting the award to Les Reed and the Charlton board.
May 8, 2007 - the day Charlton's world came crashing down around them and their proud seven-year tenure in the Premiership came an end.
But the rot had long set in before their 2-0 Valley defeat to Tottenham which confirmed their return to the second tier - and had it not been for the revival sparked by Alan Pardew's appointment, demotion surely would have been confirmed many weeks earlier.
Which is why the bungling Charlton board - and their staggering decision to appoint Iain Dowie, sack Iain Dowie, appoint Les Reed, sack Les Reed before finally settling on Pardew (with only 49 days elapsing between the three managers) - scoop the TEAMtalk Soccer for Failure of the Year.
But it would perhaps be unfair to pinpoint the Valley board as being solely responsible for their demise since they'd become so accustomed to working alongside just one manager in Alan Curbishley for so long.
Therefore, by being so easily swayed by Reed into not only firing Dowie but also in handing him the job, means, he too, is the proud co-recepient for our Failure of the Year award.
I mean, in all honesty, never has the Premiership seen a manager so painfully out of his depth, with his record of five defeats from seven games clearly exposing not only his lack of competence but also his ineptitude to manage at this level.
And whilst we're on the subject, if there was ever an award for Ability to Crow-bar as many Football Cliches into an interview as possible, then surely this joker would win it at a canter.
Joking aside, there were other contenders to rival Reed in the Failure of the Year category, with record £30million Chelsea investment Andriy Shevchenko only narrowly pipped at the post by Reed.
Shevchenko was brought to the Bridge to score goals, but his return of a meagre four goals in 30 league outings was scant return for their money. True, the Ukrainian popped up with a few more in the cup competitions and his tally of 14 for the season, together with 11 assists, just about spared his blushes.
Charlton's fall from grace in the Premiership is probably bettered by the once-mighty Leeds United. Their dismal campaign, which saw them slip into the third tier of English football for the first time in their proud history, was perhaps the last thing expected this season. But the rot has long been in place at Elland Road and their steady decline over the best part of five seasons can still be pinpointed on previous regimes, no matter what the odious Peter Ridsdale says.
At least all the nominees so far, on paper at least, are honest and doing what they believed best for their respective clubs - but that is not something you could say about another close runner for the award, Manchester City's Bernado Corradi.
Corradi, a striker of prime stock having represented Valencia, Lazio, Inter Milan as well as Italy in a distinguished career, never looked interested in City's colours and is a prime example of why traditionalists get upset by the foreign invasion in this country. In fact, the only time he did look vaguely concerned was when he was doing his best impersonation of Frank Spencer on ice in the penalty area.
The final nominee is Arsene Wenger for his second trophyless season. Despite another disappointing campaign, Wenger's blushes are spared due to not only his marvellous track record down the years, but also because, inspite of their 'struggles', he still has the Gunners playing some of the best stuff in Europe.
If only the Addicks board had seen that circus-act Reed was no class-act like Wenger on that fateful day back in mid-November when his disastrous seven-game reign took hold.
0
Comments
just to nail his humiliation even further.
Probably how a neutral would see it though
Of course, this is Talkshite Radio who would win the award for most mindless, banal, ill-informed and biased radio station every year.
A quality coach who maybe just couldn't make the step up to management.
Nice guys really do get sh*t on....
He deserves respect not ridicule for that and the fact he now has a Director of football job which is far more the sort of thing he is used to shows that the game as a whole holds him in high regard.
We should not forget the massive contribution he made back in the nineties. He is one of the building blocks that this club grew on.
Has he ever met Les Read? Probably not. But he's qualified enough to call him a "joker", apparently. TOSSER!
Les didn't do himself any favors with his press conferences (Spurs away anyone!?) but ultimately was as doomed as Dowie. The players just couldn't give a toss at that point!
The board should take the stick and the players should be ashamed that they could play for one manager (Pards) but not the other three (I'm including Curbs' last 6months here)
For the hacks managers fit into a couple of neat pigeonholes, which unfortunatly an intellegent bloke whose a decent coach, well spoken English doesn't fit into, he didn't play their game at all. Witness how the England team is in the papers before it's actaully announced... Les got a raw deal from the start by the media... isn't exactly going to get the players thinking this guy knows what he's doing is it?
Foreign = Master tactician, intelligent, humorous - Wenger, Moruinho, Benitez
One of us = bit of a playing career, got the banter, working class background - Redknapp, Curbs, Pardew etc...
Former Hero = Played at the top level, won things as a player but rubbish manager - Bruce, Robson, Pearce
Untouchable = Fergie
This prick has obviously never seen Charlton play and I wonder if he has ever seen a football match at any level let alone be involved in one.
Les Reed is still possibly the best intellectual coach around, that he couldn't make the step up is a fact but not a failing, he tried and was found wanting, he has accepted that as fact of his life and has moved on - good luck to him. I personally would rather have a conversation with Les about any any subject than this prat.
Those that can do, those that can't teach and thoser that think they can but actually have never tried write this kind of bollocks.