Apologies for starting yet another new thread but I've been too down to read much of CL over the weekend, valid as no doubt all the other views expressed are. It hurts.
I have felt, and said so on here, all season that this is still a group of, (mostly) decent or above, players rather than a team but at least it was a group with spirit as shown v Bournemouth, Orient and Plymouth. But Saturday was a return to the worst days of last season and the Pardew era. As soon as the 2nd goal went in I felt it would be 3 or 4 as we had so little invention or team play and they knew if they kept working the ball around we would slip up just as we already had.
I was baffled by Parky's team selection. Dailly RB when Francis is fit. No, play your strongest CH pairing (CD and JF) and get rid of the liability that is Doc. No wonder the team doesn't gel when it changes so often. Yes the injuries and suspensions have been a major disruption and 20 out and 11 in is going to take time but by now some semblance of team play and pattern should be emerging. That means set plays, at both ends, working and relying on more than the individual skills of Reid and Martin to open up a side.
I've been a defender of Parky as I could see the good players he has brought in and who often have re-signed for him which I see as testament to him as a man manager. Yet those players have still not gelled into a team.
No team, and especially at this level, plays well every week. There will always be bad days but Saturday was a lot more than that to my eyes and there are too few good days when we dominate or show our ability consistently over 90 minutes.
Is that the players or the management? Both, in my view, and when the whistle blows mainly the players but I am reminded of Theo Foley and Andy Nelson.
It was Theo who recruited Hales, Flanagan, Powell etc, yet couldn't build them into a side capable of getting out of division 3. Theo was and is still greatly respected at Charlton as a decent, likeable man. It would be hard to find many Charlton fans who would say the same about Andy Nelson despite it being he who took what was largely Foley's team and got it promoted.
I fear that Phil Parkinson is Theo Foley, a hard-working, intelligent man with a good eye for a player but not someone to mould those players into a consistently winning team. So do we then need an Andy Nelson figure. Maybe we can do without someone who calls the fans "Village Idiots" but something needs to change.
That change either has to come now (not soon but now) under Parky or we have to take the gamble (and gamble it must be) of going for someone else.
It is easy to throw out names, often ex-Charlton players, but how may of us know if they are now or will ever be management material? And even if they are can they cope with Charlton as it is now. Both Foley and his predecessor Eddie Firmani struggled at a Club that was potless and on a slide. Bad managers or wrong men for the job in the circumstances as they stood? And the same question could be asked of the present incumbent.
I don't envy Richard Murray. He can see what is happening and will know how fans are feeling. He will also see what Parky is doing and trying to do to turn things around.
As I said, I was too depressed to read much of CL over the weekend so apologies if this has all been covered before but if, and I still say this reluctantly, Parky leaves then I will wish him well and suggest that we whoever we appoint we make sure that Damian Matthew is part of the first team set up. He is the an excellent coach, he may even be a good manager but he is an excellent coach. So pair him with Chris Powell or even Christian Dailly but just get him coaching the first team.
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He knows the players already. He knows the set up and is VERY respected amongst his peers I believe. We should be looking to maybe give him a chance to assert his style of play on the first team and see where it gets us.
It would certainly be easier on the eye and he wouldn't cost the earth - and anything that secures an asset to this club for a long time certainly deserves to be looked into
A helping hand when it's needed.
I agree that would be nice and, if the investment rumours are true, then its a possibility. Unfortunately the financial restrictions on this club mean it might be that we can only promote from within. We are actually very lucky to have someone of Matthew's calibre there if needed - he has a way of playing and appears a very good coach - whether he could step up is anyones guess but he is better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick
Hence the Nelson comparison
Correct. Andy Nelson was not Paddys favourite person
Just what is the basis of your judgement. How often have you seen Damian Matthew at work with players? How many times have you seen his players play? Training young players/reserve players/being a development coach is very often the first step before senior management. I'd certainly like to see him move up and be a bigger influence on the first team as Henry suggests, even if he isn't the actual manager. I know that other clubs are keeping an eye on his progress.
I agree completely, even if it is because I know you watch the youth team regularly, Nadou. Matthew seems to get his teams to play decent football and importantly, enjoy themselves. From a few videos I've seen - including one of a Soccer AM Skills School thing - there's real cameraderie in the youth team squads, and an understanding.
I wondered why you had gone so quiet - and funnily enough on Saturday night I refered to you as Parkinson's ''most eloquent, articulate and reasoned supporter.'' Without wanting to give your ego a boost it hardly needs, I reckon that post is a bit of a game-changer, as they say.
Initially I had Yeovil on Nov 20 marked down as the likely date when he goes. But I'm getting a growing feeling that if we lose at Carlisle and fail to beat Shef Wed at home, Parky will be gone by 6pm on Saturday week.
As you know, Ben Tegg sat with us on Saturday ( a long term supporter, youthful Valley Party activist, ex Club employee) He hasn't been attending matches for a while, so I was interested to hear his views on what was happening ( or not) on the pitch.
In a nutshell, he felt "something" was intrinsically wrong both on & off the pitch...Players not talking to each other, lacking in confidence, nowhere near enough movement off the ball and hence giving each other little or no options when in possession. Regarding the fans, he felt we were very flat - seemingly accepting with a shrug what was happening / apathetic. He did feel that we had some quality players with more than a little skill but I could tell he was perplexed by what he was witnessing and why.
Like Henry, I too have been a Parky supporter and the family sponsors his training top this season. However, sadly I am beginning to wonder whether he is the man to get this group of lads playing to their strengths . We are all too aware , as Airman has stated often enough , that bums on seats is the main source of revenue for the Club. How many non season ticket holders in attendance on Saturday will keep the faith and return again unless the product on offer significanly improves ? Not too many, I fear. And without that income, the gloomy picture painted of our financial frailty will inevitably darken still more .
A very worrying time for our Chairman indeed and one where crucial decisions made or postponed could be of paramount importance for the future of our beloved Club.
decisions.
introduce his style of football on a team, it may take a bit of time, but his style is the same as Poyet's and look what he is achieving.If you train all week continously on keeping and passing the ball, in the end it is going to reap dividends, but you must and I mean must have the balls to follow your beliefs and give it time to come to fruition.
Lennie anyone?
I was originally thinking along the lines of Lenny helping Parky but a Lenny/Matthews partnership is a well reasoned suggestion.
Thoroughly bloody nice bloke. See the pic.
Damn, that rules him out then. Next!