Well written @LouisMend. I hope that JR gets his way and brings in experienced players. I was also interested to hear in his interview that he came back because it was 'Charlton'...that intimated to me he will not be 'cowed' by RD/KM.
Yeh Malc it was that quote from him that set me off with this article. Not sure if people have seen the video of the interview on Cafc player but he sort of smiled whilst saying that too, it was hilarious.
Of course I may be wrong on this, he may have just been saying that as a way to bond with the fans again, but that's the way I've read it.
I've only lurked back to see how things are going, but I'm going to have a go at guessing this.
Jose Riga's come back to work for an owner who failed to re-hire him in fairly humiliating circumstances, after he'd achieved exactly what the bloke had asked him to achieve, the first time he had the job.
He then went to work for Blackpool, arguably the holder of the 'Basket case of all footballing basket cases' trophy, until Charlton snatched the title in a depressing season-long play-off. Having been dispensed with, after one win in 15 games, by a chairman famed for not caring how badly he upset his own supporters (anyone seeing a pattern emerging here?), he went to Standard Liege, thus keeping himself firmly in the recent orbit of the bloke who got rid of him at Charlton. His masochistic employment record continued for a further 15 matches, before he strolled off over the horizon, his previous season's worth (46 games) of matches involving three, separate clubs.
He then crash landed into the dugout at Metz, lasted 23 games, before departing before the Christmas decorations came down. Devoid of employment, he then fell back into a relationship with Charlton, with the faux enthusiasm of a reality-show contestant on a ratings drive, despite the fact they'd been actively wooing someone else, just hours earlier.
He offered a little speech about his love for the club, his fifth such proclamation of admiration for a new employer in 18 months, probably delivered from a very creased postcard, given the frequency with which he makes them. He went off, had a meeting with the people who had masterminded the ongoing car crash which is Charlton Athletic in 2016, and declared himself up for the challenge. Six unanswered and virtually uncontested goals later, we can assume he now fully understands quite how we came to wrestle Blackpool's crown from them.
He's not a rebel, I would suggest, but a football manager who found himself without a job, and without a shred of hesitation when it came to returning to a working relationship with a man who has sent him packing on a regular basis for much of his career.He will stand there, take the money, and then watch as others run. Like headless chickens, mostly.
His major talent appears to be not taking personally, habitual and regular rejection from his employer. He's a rebel without a pause. If Charlton is like a shipwreck, sliding gently below the water, Jose Riga is merely the bloke currently wearing the captain's hat, not waving, but drowning. When he falls in (as he will) someone else will put it on.
The ship, I fear, will continue to sink. All very sad.
I understand your scepticism @MickCollins, and indeed you may well be 100% correct. However having watched the interview, I tend to think he may be here for the club and not RD. It may be wishful thinking on my part, but it could be that for once, since Powell at least, we have someone who has the clubs fortunes at heart. It could be that I am just looking for some positives in this darkest of times, but for a little while (2/3 games) I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.
I don't know if he is a rebel or just a football manager who isn't afraid to do and say what he thinks is right. Which is exactly what he must do if we are to get out of this situation. Last time around he only picked players he thought were good enough. Already this time around he has publicly stated that the owner needs to put his hand in his pocket if we are to survive. I can only see these things as positives. Yes he is another network appointment, but he isn't another Luzon or Fraeye in character terms.
I think the one thing I picked up from hearing the interview on C5 was the bit about the need to strengthen the squad. This is not what RD would have liked to hear. After all, Johnson, Williams and Poyet were meant to fill those gaps according to the mouthpiece of the regime - the previous incumbent.
The proof of the pudding will be one whether we do sign anyone and two whether we have to sell Lookman by way of some sort of "justification" for doing so.
I think we will really see at the end of this window not just whether RD wants to save us from relegation but also which way Riga "swings".
Excellent as ever @LouisMend. I certainly got this vibe from his presser as well. If nothing else, it does feel like we have someone in charge who cares about the club.
That said, this good news is more or less offset by the news about the Watt transfer being figured into January deals...
It was a whole different club last time around. And he was far too overatted.
I think deep down many people respected Duchatalet for being brave and giving Powell the boot. "Maybe be does know better. He must know about football,he owns enough clubs" we secretly said to ourselves. I always felt Riga was riding the crest of an 'unknown' wave. The regime had confidence in their actions and who were we to argue. And it worked. The confidence filtered through to Riga and the players and we survived.
However,subsequent seasons have shown this regime to be the most obtuse,despicable, self-centred,delusional,bubble brained bunch of chancers ever to step foot into the football world! Patience is not a virtue in the Valley stands these days and customers mouths don't stay buttoned as for as long as they once did.
Riga is a regular ringmaster in this circus. He can talk all he likes about being here for the club and not the halfwit running it ,but I ain't buyin it as I'm sure are many.
He'll be running scared like the rest of the Belgian brotherhood of bad managers before too long.
I've only lurked back to see how things are going, but I'm going to have a go at guessing this.
Jose Riga's come back to work for an owner who failed to re-hire him in fairly humiliating circumstances, after he'd achieved exactly what the bloke had asked him to achieve, the first time he had the job.
His major talent appears to be not taking personally, habitual and regular rejection from his employer. He's a rebel without a pause. If Charlton is like a shipwreck, sliding gently below the water, Jose Riga is merely the bloke currently wearing the captain's hat, not waving, but drowning. When he falls in (as he will) someone else will put it on.
The ship, I fear, will continue to sink. All very sad.
Really well-argued assessment. I harbour a suspicion - and I so hope I am wrong - that Riga's 'on your side' rhetoric is carefully crafted at winning over fans. Any PR consultant worth his salt will have advised him that is vital and that to do so, then there is a pressing need to publicly distance yourself from the unpopular owners. Few could survive the battering Fraeye endured and so, hey presto, the fans have the one RD manager not to have utterly failed to keep them happy.
RD doesn't do desperation. He could have hired anyone - there's no shortage of unemployed managers as today's announcement on sackings shows - so why hire someone who says he will do it his way and who 18 months ago was considered a worse option than the bellends who have followed.
It's all a bit designed to take the sting out of the protests. As will be the replacement of Meire which is sure to follow.
I've only lurked back to see how things are going, but I'm going to have a go at guessing this.
Jose Riga's come back to work for an owner who failed to re-hire him in fairly humiliating circumstances, after he'd achieved exactly what the bloke had asked him to achieve, the first time he had the job.
His major talent appears to be not taking personally, habitual and regular rejection from his employer. He's a rebel without a pause. If Charlton is like a shipwreck, sliding gently below the water, Jose Riga is merely the bloke currently wearing the captain's hat, not waving, but drowning. When he falls in (as he will) someone else will put it on.
The ship, I fear, will continue to sink. All very sad.
Really well-argued assessment. I harbour a suspicion - and I so hope I am wrong - that Riga's 'on your side' rhetoric is carefully crafted at winning over fans. Any PR consultant worth his salt will have advised him that is vital and that to do so, then there is a pressing need to publicly distance yourself from the unpopular owners. Few could survive the battering Fraeye endured and so, hey presto, the fans have the one RD manager not to have utterly failed to keep them happy.
RD doesn't do desperation. He could have hired anyone - there's no shortage of unemployed managers as today's announcement on sackings shows - so why hire someone who says he will do it his way and who 18 months ago was considered a worse option than the bellends who have followed.
It's all a bit designed to take the sting out of the protests. As will be the replacement of Meire which is sure to follow.
"RD doesn't do desperation. He could have hired anyone.."
But he DIDN'T hire anyone.
Partly because a British manager would have meant dishing out too much of his "hard earned" and we know how tight he is. But there aren't many options left inside his network.
Maybe, it has finally dawned on him that relegation would seriously damage his financial aims for our Club and feels that Jose is the only available manager he knows who might be our saviour again....In effect, the Second Coming.
I could be wearing rose coloured specs of course, but I'm giving JR the benefit of the doubt & hope others will too.
He came in & quickly made an impression last time so why not again ?
Time is something he doesn't have though & I sincerely hope he has something in place with RD regarding bringing in the necessary reinforcements.
We are so used to disbelieving everything that the Belgians say - let's not tar our new manager with the same brush.
If he is here for the club he needs to be putting even more pressure on Roland about new signings. We need these signings now!!
In principal I agree with you. The thing is for all we know Riga might be putting a great deal of pressure on RD to sign the players he wants without the old prick listening to him.
That said it looks like we just signed the Portuguese CB from Standard Liege so perhaps the message is slowly getting through. I am also led to believe that we even paid a substantial fee to secure his services.
As much as I despise what RD is doing to our club I think people are wrong when they say he is tight and wont spend any money. I think the accounts will show that he is putting a lot of money in... the problem is that he is spending it on poor players on a lot of long contracts and not hiring a decent Manager with experience (although I think Jose is the best of the bunch since SCP)
As much as I despise what RD is doing to our club I think people are wrong when they say he is tight and wont spend any money. I think the accounts will show that he is putting a lot of money in... the problem is that he is loaning it on poor players on a lot of long contracts and not hiring a decent Manager with experience (although I think Jose is the best of the bunch since SCP)
Loaning, rather than spending, the accounts will show that he expects to get it all back, at 3% interest...
I dislike throwing money away as much as the next man, but this is not a club controlled by a generous benefactor.
I think he is tight, he has a business model that he believes will allow him make a profit with minimal investment (it would be lovely if that were true), it's like assuming that you can manage a weekly shop in Poundland and come out with a balanced and nutritious diet for your family.
I've only lurked back to see how things are going, but I'm going to have a go at guessing this.
Jose Riga's come back to work for an owner who failed to re-hire him in fairly humiliating circumstances, after he'd achieved exactly what the bloke had asked him to achieve, the first time he had the job.
His major talent appears to be not taking personally, habitual and regular rejection from his employer. He's a rebel without a pause. If Charlton is like a shipwreck, sliding gently below the water, Jose Riga is merely the bloke currently wearing the captain's hat, not waving, but drowning. When he falls in (as he will) someone else will put it on.
The ship, I fear, will continue to sink. All very sad.
Really well-argued assessment. I harbour a suspicion - and I so hope I am wrong - that Riga's 'on your side' rhetoric is carefully crafted at winning over fans. Any PR consultant worth his salt will have advised him that is vital and that to do so, then there is a pressing need to publicly distance yourself from the unpopular owners. Few could survive the battering Fraeye endured and so, hey presto, the fans have the one RD manager not to have utterly failed to keep them happy.
RD doesn't do desperation. He could have hired anyone - there's no shortage of unemployed managers as today's announcement on sackings shows - so why hire someone who says he will do it his way and who 18 months ago was considered a worse option than the bellends who have followed.
It's all a bit designed to take the sting out of the protests. As will be the replacement of Meire which is sure to follow.
"RD doesn't do desperation. He could have hired anyone.."
But he DIDN'T hire anyone.
Partly because a British manager would have meant dishing out too much of his "hard earned" and we know how tight he is. But there aren't many options left inside his network.
Maybe, it has finally dawned on him that relegation would seriously damage his financial aims for our Club and feels that Jose is the only available manager he knows who might be our saviour again....In effect, the Second Coming.
I could be wearing rose coloured specs of course, but I'm giving JR the benefit of the doubt & hope others will too.
He came in & quickly made an impression last time so why not again ?
Time is something he doesn't have though & I sincerely hope he has something in place with RD regarding bringing in the necessary reinforcements.
We are so used to disbelieving everything that the Belgians say - let's not tar our new manager with the same brush.
Keep the faith.
Because he inherited the remains of an alrightish side, still with a bit of fight left. Now he gets a group of individuals, some of whom seem to be trying to throw themselves through the exit door.
(having said that, Fraeye is supposedly not here now, so it's not all bad!)
I've only lurked back to see how things are going, but I'm going to have a go at guessing this.
Jose Riga's come back to work for an owner who failed to re-hire him in fairly humiliating circumstances, after he'd achieved exactly what the bloke had asked him to achieve, the first time he had the job.
His major talent appears to be not taking personally, habitual and regular rejection from his employer. He's a rebel without a pause. If Charlton is like a shipwreck, sliding gently below the water, Jose Riga is merely the bloke currently wearing the captain's hat, not waving, but drowning. When he falls in (as he will) someone else will put it on.
The ship, I fear, will continue to sink. All very sad.
Really well-argued assessment. I harbour a suspicion - and I so hope I am wrong - that Riga's 'on your side' rhetoric is carefully crafted at winning over fans. Any PR consultant worth his salt will have advised him that is vital and that to do so, then there is a pressing need to publicly distance yourself from the unpopular owners. Few could survive the battering Fraeye endured and so, hey presto, the fans have the one RD manager not to have utterly failed to keep them happy.
RD doesn't do desperation. He could have hired anyone - there's no shortage of unemployed managers as today's announcement on sackings shows - so why hire someone who says he will do it his way and who 18 months ago was considered a worse option than the bellends who have followed.
It's all a bit designed to take the sting out of the protests. As will be the replacement of Meire which is sure to follow.
"RD doesn't do desperation. He could have hired anyone.."
But he DIDN'T hire anyone.
Partly because a British manager would have meant dishing out too much of his "hard earned" and we know how tight he is. But there aren't many options left inside his network.
Maybe, it has finally dawned on him that relegation would seriously damage his financial aims for our Club and feels that Jose is the only available manager he knows who might be our saviour again....In effect, the Second Coming.
I could be wearing rose coloured specs of course, but I'm giving JR the benefit of the doubt & hope others will too.
He came in & quickly made an impression last time so why not again ?
Time is something he doesn't have though & I sincerely hope he has something in place with RD regarding bringing in the necessary reinforcements.
We are so used to disbelieving everything that the Belgians say - let's not tar our new manager with the same brush.
Keep the faith.
Because he inherited the remains of an alrightish side, still with a bit of fight left. Now he gets a group of individuals, some of whom seem to be trying to throw themselves through the exit door.
(having said that, Fraeye is supposedly not here now , so it's not all bad!)
I've only lurked back to see how things are going, but I'm going to have a go at guessing this.
Jose Riga's come back to work for an owner who failed to re-hire him in fairly humiliating circumstances, after he'd achieved exactly what the bloke had asked him to achieve, the first time he had the job.
His major talent appears to be not taking personally, habitual and regular rejection from his employer. He's a rebel without a pause. If Charlton is like a shipwreck, sliding gently below the water, Jose Riga is merely the bloke currently wearing the captain's hat, not waving, but drowning. When he falls in (as he will) someone else will put it on.
The ship, I fear, will continue to sink. All very sad.
Really well-argued assessment. I harbour a suspicion - and I so hope I am wrong - that Riga's 'on your side' rhetoric is carefully crafted at winning over fans. Any PR consultant worth his salt will have advised him that is vital and that to do so, then there is a pressing need to publicly distance yourself from the unpopular owners. Few could survive the battering Fraeye endured and so, hey presto, the fans have the one RD manager not to have utterly failed to keep them happy.
RD doesn't do desperation. He could have hired anyone - there's no shortage of unemployed managers as today's announcement on sackings shows - so why hire someone who says he will do it his way and who 18 months ago was considered a worse option than the bellends who have followed.
It's all a bit designed to take the sting out of the protests. As will be the replacement of Meire which is sure to follow.
"RD doesn't do desperation. He could have hired anyone.."
But he DIDN'T hire anyone.
Partly because a British manager would have meant dishing out too much of his "hard earned" and we know how tight he is. But there aren't many options left inside his network.
Maybe, it has finally dawned on him that relegation would seriously damage his financial aims for our Club and feels that Jose is the only available manager he knows who might be our saviour again....In effect, the Second Coming.
I could be wearing rose coloured specs of course, but I'm giving JR the benefit of the doubt & hope others will too.
He came in & quickly made an impression last time so why not again ?
Time is something he doesn't have though & I sincerely hope he has something in place with RD regarding bringing in the necessary reinforcements.
We are so used to disbelieving everything that the Belgians say - let's not tar our new manager with the same brush.
Keep the faith.
Because he inherited the remains of an alrightish side, still with a bit of fight left. Now he gets a group of individuals, some of whom seem to be trying to throw themselves through the exit door.
(having said that, Fraeye is supposedly not here now , so it's not all bad!)
are you sure?
So he is still here then? You work around the club so I assume you have seen him?
Chris Powell was unjustifiably sacked. I said it at that time so am not rewriting history.
Jose Riga inherited Chris Powell's side. The last thing Chris Powell said to his players, allegedly, before departure was if they wanted to do anything for him avoid relegation.
Riga steered the ship through some choppy waters but many fans, in their desperation to try and justify the unjust sacking of Powell, conferred Riga with unwarranted Messiah status. Johnnie Jackson did as much to hold things together back then in my opinion.
We now have some (injured) have boots will travel mercenaries with little or no regard for Charlton.
If Riga gets us out of this mess and keeps us up I will give £50 to the Upbeats.
I've only lurked back to see how things are going, but I'm going to have a go at guessing this.
Jose Riga's come back to work for an owner who failed to re-hire him in fairly humiliating circumstances, after he'd achieved exactly what the bloke had asked him to achieve, the first time he had the job.
His major talent appears to be not taking personally, habitual and regular rejection from his employer. He's a rebel without a pause. If Charlton is like a shipwreck, sliding gently below the water, Jose Riga is merely the bloke currently wearing the captain's hat, not waving, but drowning. When he falls in (as he will) someone else will put it on.
The ship, I fear, will continue to sink. All very sad.
Really well-argued assessment. I harbour a suspicion - and I so hope I am wrong - that Riga's 'on your side' rhetoric is carefully crafted at winning over fans. Any PR consultant worth his salt will have advised him that is vital and that to do so, then there is a pressing need to publicly distance yourself from the unpopular owners. Few could survive the battering Fraeye endured and so, hey presto, the fans have the one RD manager not to have utterly failed to keep them happy.
RD doesn't do desperation. He could have hired anyone - there's no shortage of unemployed managers as today's announcement on sackings shows - so why hire someone who says he will do it his way and who 18 months ago was considered a worse option than the bellends who have followed.
It's all a bit designed to take the sting out of the protests. As will be the replacement of Meire which is sure to follow.
"RD doesn't do desperation. He could have hired anyone.."
But he DIDN'T hire anyone.
Partly because a British manager would have meant dishing out too much of his "hard earned" and we know how tight he is. But there aren't many options left inside his network.
Maybe, it has finally dawned on him that relegation would seriously damage his financial aims for our Club and feels that Jose is the only available manager he knows who might be our saviour again....In effect, the Second Coming.
I could be wearing rose coloured specs of course, but I'm giving JR the benefit of the doubt & hope others will too.
He came in & quickly made an impression last time so why not again ?
Time is something he doesn't have though & I sincerely hope he has something in place with RD regarding bringing in the necessary reinforcements.
We are so used to disbelieving everything that the Belgians say - let's not tar our new manager with the same brush.
Keep the faith.
Because he inherited the remains of an alrightish side, still with a bit of fight left. Now he gets a group of individuals, some of whom seem to be trying to throw themselves through the exit door.
(having said that, Fraeye is supposedly not here now , so it's not all bad!)
are you sure?
Karel is back home and is unemployed for the first time in his life!
I've only lurked back to see how things are going, but I'm going to have a go at guessing this.
Jose Riga's come back to work for an owner who failed to re-hire him in fairly humiliating circumstances, after he'd achieved exactly what the bloke had asked him to achieve, the first time he had the job.
His major talent appears to be not taking personally, habitual and regular rejection from his employer. He's a rebel without a pause. If Charlton is like a shipwreck, sliding gently below the water, Jose Riga is merely the bloke currently wearing the captain's hat, not waving, but drowning. When he falls in (as he will) someone else will put it on.
The ship, I fear, will continue to sink. All very sad.
Really well-argued assessment. I harbour a suspicion - and I so hope I am wrong - that Riga's 'on your side' rhetoric is carefully crafted at winning over fans. Any PR consultant worth his salt will have advised him that is vital and that to do so, then there is a pressing need to publicly distance yourself from the unpopular owners. Few could survive the battering Fraeye endured and so, hey presto, the fans have the one RD manager not to have utterly failed to keep them happy.
RD doesn't do desperation. He could have hired anyone - there's no shortage of unemployed managers as today's announcement on sackings shows - so why hire someone who says he will do it his way and who 18 months ago was considered a worse option than the bellends who have followed.
It's all a bit designed to take the sting out of the protests. As will be the replacement of Meire which is sure to follow.
"RD doesn't do desperation. He could have hired anyone.."
But he DIDN'T hire anyone.
Partly because a British manager would have meant dishing out too much of his "hard earned" and we know how tight he is. But there aren't many options left inside his network.
Maybe, it has finally dawned on him that relegation would seriously damage his financial aims for our Club and feels that Jose is the only available manager he knows who might be our saviour again....In effect, the Second Coming.
I could be wearing rose coloured specs of course, but I'm giving JR the benefit of the doubt & hope others will too.
He came in & quickly made an impression last time so why not again ?
Time is something he doesn't have though & I sincerely hope he has something in place with RD regarding bringing in the necessary reinforcements.
We are so used to disbelieving everything that the Belgians say - let's not tar our new manager with the same brush.
Keep the faith.
Because he inherited the remains of an alrightish side, still with a bit of fight left. Now he gets a group of individuals, some of whom seem to be trying to throw themselves through the exit door.
(having said that, Fraeye is supposedly not here now , so it's not all bad!)
are you sure?
Karel is back home and is unemployed for the first time in his life!
It's ok, I'm sure the Belgian 3rd division clubs will be falling over themselves to sign a former English Championship manager...poor bastards.
I've only lurked back to see how things are going, but I'm going to have a go at guessing this.
Jose Riga's come back to work for an owner who failed to re-hire him in fairly humiliating circumstances, after he'd achieved exactly what the bloke had asked him to achieve, the first time he had the job.
His major talent appears to be not taking personally, habitual and regular rejection from his employer. He's a rebel without a pause. If Charlton is like a shipwreck, sliding gently below the water, Jose Riga is merely the bloke currently wearing the captain's hat, not waving, but drowning. When he falls in (as he will) someone else will put it on.
The ship, I fear, will continue to sink. All very sad.
Really well-argued assessment. I harbour a suspicion - and I so hope I am wrong - that Riga's 'on your side' rhetoric is carefully crafted at winning over fans. Any PR consultant worth his salt will have advised him that is vital and that to do so, then there is a pressing need to publicly distance yourself from the unpopular owners. Few could survive the battering Fraeye endured and so, hey presto, the fans have the one RD manager not to have utterly failed to keep them happy.
RD doesn't do desperation. He could have hired anyone - there's no shortage of unemployed managers as today's announcement on sackings shows - so why hire someone who says he will do it his way and who 18 months ago was considered a worse option than the bellends who have followed.
It's all a bit designed to take the sting out of the protests. As will be the replacement of Meire which is sure to follow.
"RD doesn't do desperation. He could have hired anyone.."
But he DIDN'T hire anyone.
Partly because a British manager would have meant dishing out too much of his "hard earned" and we know how tight he is. But there aren't many options left inside his network.
Maybe, it has finally dawned on him that relegation would seriously damage his financial aims for our Club and feels that Jose is the only available manager he knows who might be our saviour again....In effect, the Second Coming.
I could be wearing rose coloured specs of course, but I'm giving JR the benefit of the doubt & hope others will too.
He came in & quickly made an impression last time so why not again ?
Time is something he doesn't have though & I sincerely hope he has something in place with RD regarding bringing in the necessary reinforcements.
We are so used to disbelieving everything that the Belgians say - let's not tar our new manager with the same brush.
Keep the faith.
Because he inherited the remains of an alrightish side, still with a bit of fight left. Now he gets a group of individuals, some of whom seem to be trying to throw themselves through the exit door.
(having said that, Fraeye is supposedly not here now , so it's not all bad!)
are you sure?
So he is still here then? You work around the club so I assume you have seen him?
I was being mischievous and I have no idea. I'm only at the Valley on match days and am definitely not ITK in any sense.
But given his past record, it wouldn't surprise me if KF is still part of RD's 'team'.
@MickCollins comment is persuasively argued as usual, and I am certainly not going to claim that Riga is the best person we could and should have hired at this point.
However Mick's narrative has glossed over one small but important aspect of what we understood to have happened since Fraeye was finally booted out. We understood, from Richard Cawley was it not, that Riga was first lined up before the Ujpest guy. Somebody, authoritative enough for Cawley to take seriously, briefed him on that. Then it did not happen and Riga put out a statement saying he had not heard anything.
I would like to know more about this episode. At the time people surmised that at first Riga had dug his heels in before agreeing (although his reported statement goes against that).
I wonder, Mick, whether you can clarify this episode, and indeed if you know more about why the Ujpest guy did not come. Certainly in Hungary it is believed that he turned it down, although here in the centre of the universe the preferred narrative is that the regime bottled it in the face of the ferocious backlash on Charlton Life.
I understand you may not feel able to write freely but it would be good to get any insights you can provide, so that we understand better how this mad regime works.
@MickCollins comment is persuasively argued as usual, and I am certainly not going to claim that Riga is the best person we could and should have hired at this point.
However Mick's narrative has glossed over one small but important aspect of what we understood to have happened since Fraeye was finally booted out. We understood, from Richard Cawley was it not, that Riga was first lined up before the Ujpest guy. Somebody, authoritative enough for Cawley to take seriously, briefed him on that. Then it did not happen and Riga put out a statement saying he had not heard anything.
I would like to know more about this episode. At the time people surmised that at first Riga had dug his heels in before agreeing (although his reported statement goes against that).
I wonder, Mick, whether you can clarify this episode, and indeed if you know more about why the Ujpest guy did not come. Certainly in Hungary it is believed that he turned it down, although here in the centre of the universe the preferred narrative is that the regime bottled it in the face of the ferocious backlash on Charlton Life.
I understand you may not feel able to write freely but it would be good to get any insights you can provide, so that we understand better how this mad regime works.
I understand that our Katrien said that she would resign if the Hungarian was appointed and that also his son advised him not to take it because of the toxicity that surrounds the club (no doubt amongst other things). I also understand that Riga drove to Roland's house and pimped himself to get the job!!
@MickCollins comment is persuasively argued as usual, and I am certainly not going to claim that Riga is the best person we could and should have hired at this point.
However Mick's narrative has glossed over one small but important aspect of what we understood to have happened since Fraeye was finally booted out. We understood, from Richard Cawley was it not, that Riga was first lined up before the Ujpest guy. Somebody, authoritative enough for Cawley to take seriously, briefed him on that. Then it did not happen and Riga put out a statement saying he had not heard anything.
I would like to know more about this episode. At the time people surmised that at first Riga had dug his heels in before agreeing (although his reported statement goes against that).
I wonder, Mick, whether you can clarify this episode, and indeed if you know more about why the Ujpest guy did not come. Certainly in Hungary it is believed that he turned it down, although here in the centre of the universe the preferred narrative is that the regime bottled it in the face of the ferocious backlash on Charlton Life.
I understand you may not feel able to write freely but it would be good to get any insights you can provide, so that we understand better how this mad regime works.
I think Roland has a magic 8 ball on his desk. It's the only way their approach makes any sense.
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Of course I may be wrong on this, he may have just been saying that as a way to bond with the fans again, but that's the way I've read it.
Jose Riga's come back to work for an owner who failed to re-hire him in fairly humiliating circumstances, after he'd achieved exactly what the bloke had asked him to achieve, the first time he had the job.
He then went to work for Blackpool, arguably the holder of the 'Basket case of all footballing basket cases' trophy, until Charlton snatched the title in a depressing season-long play-off. Having been dispensed with, after one win in 15 games, by a chairman famed for not caring how badly he upset his own supporters (anyone seeing a pattern emerging here?), he went to Standard Liege, thus keeping himself firmly in the recent orbit of the bloke who got rid of him at Charlton. His masochistic employment record continued for a further 15 matches, before he strolled off over the horizon, his previous season's worth (46 games) of matches involving three, separate clubs.
He then crash landed into the dugout at Metz, lasted 23 games, before departing before the Christmas decorations came down. Devoid of employment, he then fell back into a relationship with Charlton, with the faux enthusiasm of a reality-show contestant on a ratings drive, despite the fact they'd been actively wooing someone else, just hours earlier.
He offered a little speech about his love for the club, his fifth such proclamation of admiration for a new employer in 18 months, probably delivered from a very creased postcard, given the frequency with which he makes them. He went off, had a meeting with the people who had masterminded the ongoing car crash which is Charlton Athletic in 2016, and declared himself up for the challenge. Six unanswered and virtually uncontested goals later, we can assume he now fully understands quite how we came to wrestle Blackpool's crown from them.
He's not a rebel, I would suggest, but a football manager who found himself without a job, and without a shred of hesitation when it came to returning to a working relationship with a man who has sent him packing on a regular basis for much of his career.He will stand there, take the money, and then watch as others run. Like headless chickens, mostly.
His major talent appears to be not taking personally, habitual and regular rejection from his employer. He's a rebel without a pause. If Charlton is like a shipwreck, sliding gently below the water, Jose Riga is merely the bloke currently wearing the captain's hat, not waving, but drowning. When he falls in (as he will) someone else will put it on.
The ship, I fear, will continue to sink. All very sad.
As bad as I've seen in 54 years.
I love that Stevie Smith poem.
Great piece Mick Collins, good to hear from you again.
PS. Your Dad was in great form last year at Bromley addicks;
Regaling the audience with so many anecdotes; that, the 2 hours just flew by.
The proof of the pudding will be one whether we do sign anyone and two whether we have to sell Lookman by way of some sort of "justification" for doing so.
I think we will really see at the end of this window not just whether RD wants to save us from relegation but also which way Riga "swings".
That said, this good news is more or less offset by the news about the Watt transfer being figured into January deals...
It was a whole different club last time around. And he was far too overatted.
I think deep down many people respected Duchatalet for being brave and giving Powell the boot. "Maybe be does know better. He must know about football,he owns enough clubs" we secretly said to ourselves.
I always felt Riga was riding the crest of an 'unknown' wave. The regime had confidence in their actions and who were we to argue. And it worked. The confidence filtered through to Riga and the players and we survived.
However,subsequent seasons have shown this regime to be the most obtuse,despicable, self-centred,delusional,bubble brained bunch of chancers ever to step foot into the football world!
Patience is not a virtue in the Valley stands these days and customers mouths don't stay buttoned as for as long as they once did.
Riga is a regular ringmaster in this circus.
He can talk all he likes about being here for the club and not the halfwit running it ,but I ain't buyin it as I'm sure are many.
He'll be running scared like the rest of the Belgian brotherhood of bad managers before too long.
RD doesn't do desperation. He could have hired anyone - there's no shortage of unemployed managers as today's announcement on sackings shows - so why hire someone who says he will do it his way and who 18 months ago was considered a worse option than the bellends who have followed.
It's all a bit designed to take the sting out of the protests. As will be the replacement of Meire which is sure to follow.
But he DIDN'T hire anyone.
Partly because a British manager would have meant dishing out too much of his "hard earned" and we know how tight he is. But there aren't many options left inside his network.
Maybe, it has finally dawned on him that relegation would seriously damage his financial aims for our Club and feels that Jose is the only available manager he knows who might be our saviour again....In effect, the Second Coming.
I could be wearing rose coloured specs of course, but I'm giving JR the benefit of the doubt & hope others will too.
He came in & quickly made an impression last time so why not again ?
Time is something he doesn't have though & I sincerely hope he has something in place with RD regarding bringing in the necessary reinforcements.
We are so used to disbelieving everything that the Belgians say - let's not tar our new manager with the same brush.
Keep the faith.
That said it looks like we just signed the Portuguese CB from Standard Liege so perhaps the message is slowly getting through. I am also led to believe that we even paid a substantial fee to secure his services.
I dislike throwing money away as much as the next man, but this is not a club controlled by a generous benefactor.
I think he is tight, he has a business model that he believes will allow him make a profit with minimal investment (it would be lovely if that were true), it's like assuming that you can manage a weekly shop in Poundland and come out with a balanced and nutritious diet for your family.
(having said that, Fraeye is supposedly not here now, so it's not all bad!)
Jose Riga inherited Chris Powell's side. The last thing Chris Powell said to his players, allegedly, before departure was if they wanted to do anything for him avoid relegation.
Riga steered the ship through some choppy waters but many fans, in their desperation to try and justify the unjust sacking of Powell, conferred Riga with unwarranted Messiah status. Johnnie Jackson did as much to hold things together back then in my opinion.
We now have some (injured) have boots will travel mercenaries with little or no regard for Charlton.
If Riga gets us out of this mess and keeps us up I will give £50 to the Upbeats.
Every single thing you comment on is about him, backing him up, some sort of info.
What sort of things did you find in that laundry basket?
But given his past record, it wouldn't surprise me if KF is still part of RD's 'team'.
However Mick's narrative has glossed over one small but important aspect of what we understood to have happened since Fraeye was finally booted out. We understood, from Richard Cawley was it not, that Riga was first lined up before the Ujpest guy. Somebody, authoritative enough for Cawley to take seriously, briefed him on that. Then it did not happen and Riga put out a statement saying he had not heard anything.
I would like to know more about this episode. At the time people surmised that at first Riga had dug his heels in before agreeing (although his reported statement goes against that).
I wonder, Mick, whether you can clarify this episode, and indeed if you know more about why the Ujpest guy did not come. Certainly in Hungary it is believed that he turned it down, although here in the centre of the universe the preferred narrative is that the regime bottled it in the face of the ferocious backlash on Charlton Life.
I understand you may not feel able to write freely but it would be good to get any insights you can provide, so that we understand better how this mad regime works.