The truth is we have no option but to support the manager and hope he means what he says. He has not been found wanting when it came to being honest in the past. He got lost for words when he spoke at the valley at his last home game so I would say he IS an honest albeit diplomatic person. Karel was delusional, Jose deals in reality. Whether he can keep us up ? well I think we are down anyway so I am prepared to believe in him until he proves me wrong. Being 'here for Charlton' means he sees where we are at but has to not upset too many people if he is to get to the end of his 18 months.
@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!!
You would know about pimping yourself for the job, wouldn't you Karel!
@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!!
You would know about pimping yourself for the job, wouldn't you Karel!
Excuse me! Sorry if I am 'off message' but this is true. If you could be bothered to look it up you could see that I have been a member since March 2014 and if you really believe me to be Karel then you must be a moron but maybe this is your form of sarcasm.... Incidentally I think it was Riga that quickly jumped into Chris Powell's job was it not? They may have even passed each other on the drive at Sparrows Lane!
being a glass half empty character, I'm inclined to side with mick collins view.
I see no reason why riga would have any special affiliation to us, aside from avoiding relegation. he wasn't here long enough. and he isn't curbs or powell, who obviously do.
while I hope he does the trick. any words issued from a manager or the club are just part of the well oiled p r machine, so I really don't think we can read too much into what he says. I mean his hands are more than likely tied.
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?
Well, as far as we can tell. But it wouldn't surprise me if there is a bell tolling for him at somewhere else in the network
I think is his own man and will say what he thinks, his time at Blackpool hints at that as much as any of his dealings with CAFC and RD. Whether or not what he says will always be right and whether or not RD will take nay notice or not I don't know.
@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!!
You would know about pimping yourself for the job, wouldn't you Karel!
Excuse me! Sorry if I am 'off message' but this is true. If you could be bothered to look it up you could see that I have been a member since March 2014 and if you really believe me to be Karel then you must be a moron but maybe this is your form of sarcasm.... Incidentally I think it was Riga that quickly jumped into Chris Powell's job was it not? They may have even passed each other on the drive at Sparrows Lane!
So as much as you loved Karel, you now seem to dislike Riga? All very odd.
Also intrigued how you are now aware that Karel is unemployed for the first time in his life?
@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!!
You would know about pimping yourself for the job, wouldn't you Karel!
Excuse me! Sorry if I am 'off message' but this is true. If you could be bothered to look it up you could see that I have been a member since March 2014 and if you really believe me to be Karel then you must be a moron but maybe this is your form of sarcasm.... Incidentally I think it was Riga that quickly jumped into Chris Powell's job was it not? They may have even passed each other on the drive at Sparrows Lane!
Karel got the Job as Riga's assistant in March 2014
@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!!
Dammit - is there no way we can get the Hungarian to make this happen? Riga Out Riga Out Hungarian In Hungarian In
@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!!
You would know about pimping yourself for the job, wouldn't you Karel!
Excuse me! Sorry if I am 'off message' but this is true. If you could be bothered to look it up you could see that I have been a member since March 2014 and if you really believe me to be Karel then you must be a moron but maybe this is your form of sarcasm.... Incidentally I think it was Riga that quickly jumped into Chris Powell's job was it not? They may have even passed each other on the drive at Sparrows Lane!
Apparently you'd be the one to know as you were sat next to him "masterminding" his driving
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.
You may be correct, who knows ?
However, you are not correct, in your assertion that Riga is "returning to a working relationship with a man who has sent him packing on a regular basis for much of his career".
This is quite false. Riga resigned from Liege twice under RD.
RD did not renew/extend Riga's contract at Charlton.
Riga is the only man roland can call on when the shit its the fan, I do have faith in riga,and i am optimistic his input can save us from league 1, looking forward to Saturday for the first time this season, it's still black and white for me, I'm gonna support the team and protest to the regime, no matter what the result.
Given Riga's first signing and the rest of the obvious BS all you naive fools are missing, I'd say Riga is a better coach than the rest but one frequently employed by RD. There is a reason why that is and RD is no shrewd employer is he? Let's try and fill in the gaps here shall we...
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!
Like like like like like like like like like like like like like .
@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!!
Desperate, I think what you've said is plausible.
However, when defending Fraeye previously, you claimed it was on the basis of one conversation at somewhere like a football club (not Charlton).
So how are you now so knowlegeable ?
Genuine question, because I'd like you to somehow substantiate, what you've said please.
Karel got the Job as Riga's assistant in March 2014
I've been found out......
Karel told me that he is unemployed for the first time in his life - not that it will get any sympathy from many on this forum!
To be honest , I am one of the few who does have sympathy for you/him. He was offered a job that was beyond his capabilities and unsurprisingly came unstuck pretty quickly. The true blame lies with Roland because he put him in that position and hoped for the best and if he is now unemployed then RD really has a lot to answer for.
Hopefully something else crops up soon because, underneath the pro network facade we were subjected to in your post match interviews and beyond, there is a decent guy just trying to make his way as a coach. Maybe a change of employer might be just what he needs.
I'm not that interested in Karel except in the let's hope he is no longer involved in Charlton affairs way.
Whether Riga's interview is half spin or not? Probably yes. But how refreshing after Fraeye and KM and also Luzon who has the intelligence to say more or less the right thing at the right time? And sound sensible?
It's a huge huge improvement...and if he can also say the right thing to the players at the right time, that's even better.
Me and Rufus (my 5 year old not named after a dog or Richard) will be at the protests before and after the game and during the game we will be shouting for Riga and the team. Very very loudly, and we will stand up so the guy in the Lower West who told my ex to sit down last home game when they stood up to 'Stand up if you want them out' better get ready for a heated dialogue if he tries it again.
@MickCollins 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.
Thankfully, I can write completely freely. Unfortunately, that's not the same as having any insight! I've not written for a newspaper for over three years - it's all scripts these days (buy the DVD of Silk, download the Clerks Room, wait for The Last Post and The Mags on BBC1, keep the wolf from the door, eh?)
Why did "the Ujpest guy not come?" Not a clue. I get too distracted with "How did we end up so lowly that we're miffed at missing out on the Ujpest guy?"
I'll be really honest, I'd never heard of Ujpest, and if I had, I wasn't paying attention that day. I'd definitely never heard of the "guy", but I think he's been very well advised to give SE7 a miss.
I've seen that some people query the precise timing and nature of Riga's departures, which in the real world clearly doesn't alter anything I've said. Football clubs announce departures in ways that are impacted upon by all manner of factors. Basic facts remain - full contracts are never paid up, thus people never leave unless they're pushed. You get the sack, they call it a resignation, we all save face, you get 50% of the value of your contract, see you later. Always has been, always will be.
The reason I'm sad, is because my club is imploding, someone's wrapped a Riga-shaped blanket around the latest explosion to muffle the blast and, I'll be frank, I'm not sure what the answer is. I fully support the protests, but if the owner doesn't want to change, he won't. The press can write what they like and the local MP can make majority-securing announcements, but it's a private business, sold by the previous owners, and if there are no laws broken, there's no legal recourse. I'm not sure what impact the 'asset of community value' stuff has on changing the way it's run as a business, but I'd be intrigued to hear. The sad truth is that badly-run businesses go bust every day, as do businesses run as a bit of an experiment - which is pretty much what we are. I don't like that situation, but it's a fact, and we're stuck with it.
All the shouting, the noise, the reasoning - all of it - mean nothing if the man you're shouting at doesn't listen, and can't be compelled to. We are a blip on his balance sheet. History, emotion and tradition counts for nothing. We could go bust, he could lose everything he spent on us, and write it off as some kind of research and development cost towards his wider, broader, madder experiment. If we went under, would he lose more than he gained from selling other clubs? If you bundle it all up as 'Roland's big football experiment', does he come out so far down that a man of his means can't afford it? Of course he doesn't - rich people have gambled far more, and will do again. He's different from almost every other ego-driven rich football club owner, because he doesn't see it as a badge of honour to own a club. He's interested in the experiment, not the kudos, hence his lack of interest in even turning up.
So, as I say, I think we're part of some strange, quasi-social/football/business experiment. And I think it will fail, horribly, and we may be the casualties. And that's awful, but it may not be avoidable. The only upside is that it may force a change of thinking. Put bluntly, Charlton might die, or be left truly unrecognisable, before enough impetus is generated behind moves that ensure the same doesn't happen to anyone else. You can all call me mad if you like - say I've given up, I'm surrendering, I'm a lightweight, an apologist etc. I hope I am. I hope I'm not what I think I might be, which is a realist. A very dejected realist.
Football clubs have walked on the edge for decades, and someone has always come along to save them. It's the economics of Micawber - "Something will come along." But it won't. And I have a terrible feeling that we're going to be the ones to prove it,
I wish I could be more optimistic, but honestly? Legally? Realistically? We can't even grab his wrist, let alone twist his arm...
@MickCollins Yep that sounds all possible. Like the analogy of Riga as most recent blast shield.
Difficult for me to see Duchatelet selling unless he has 500 people amped outside his house making it personal to him.
He thinks he has a plan, experimental but affordable to him. He is probably sheltered by enough 'Yes' people to mean that even the press coverage in the UK which is quite significant, can pass him by as he wont be told about it.
But, the longer, the noisier and the closer the protests get to his shield wall, the more he must think about what it's taking to keep his limited balls in the air. He must have had to deal with Fraye and Riga himself and for sure his family is involved as they run Ujpest. So it may not be sudden but the pressure will mount and he will be spending too much personal time for what should be, in his mind, a sideshow run by trusted lieutenants.
Don't get me wrong - I really hope legitimate, dignified protests continue. I think they're justified and I think they're the only chance this club has. And I hope they succeed in achieving something. I'm genuinely not sure the press coverage will matter to the owner one jot. This week has been as widespread as it will get - in terms of the national press, I suspect the story has played itself out, for the time being. And it amounts to nothing that will divert Duchatalet's plans. It's about one tenth of what a popular TV series would get - it's not close to the sort of coverage an Eastenders storyline would get, for example, or a Downton Abbey death.
It's big news to fans, who've grown unused to seeing the club in the papers, but the ripples won't reach Belgium - no change will be generated by all the noise, because there's no lever that can be applied. For the press to change things in this country, you need a straightforward solution, and a cause which encourages mass participation - a headline that will generate interest and sales. And I fear that this has neither. There aren't going to be people outside his house in Belgium, or wherever it is, and it's not taking anything, in real terms, to keep those balls in the air. It's the cost of the experiment - that's the problem. It's money, I sense, he's willing to spend in order to discover something bigger. To satisfy his curiosity, because that's something that a certain sort of rich person does.
We are his lab rat. And things never turn out well for them.
Yeah I agree. Big on supporting the dignified protests, hopeful they may have enough impact to, if not shake out Roland then at least make the rat change its behaviour.
Not hopeful we can achieve removing him without it being in his face in his back yard which I can't see happening.
Unless we sponsor the Calais refugee camp to move to outside his house. Which we can't.
The experimental subject can change the experimenter and the experimental techniques. Any serious experimenter has to react to the perceived results of the experiment in later design of the test
The whole Hungarian Hokey Cokey was staged to give Riga an - I'm my own man image - all utter bollox
Agree. Give Meire a low profile and appoint Riga whilst quoting a soundbite from Duchatet.
Trying to play supporters like a fiddle.
Good article but Riga is no more a rebel than vegetarian spouting the virtues of broccoli whilst managing a branch of McDonald's. Lip service and a nice man but another network yes man.
Comments
If you could be bothered to look it up you could see that I have been a member since March 2014 and if you really believe me to be Karel then you must be a moron but maybe this is your form of sarcasm....
Incidentally I think it was Riga that quickly jumped into Chris Powell's job was it not? They may have even passed each other on the drive at Sparrows Lane!
I see no reason why riga would have any special affiliation to us, aside from avoiding relegation. he wasn't here long enough. and he isn't curbs or powell, who obviously do.
while I hope he does the trick. any words issued from a manager or the club are just part of the well oiled p r machine, so I really don't think we can read too much into what he says. I mean his hands are more than likely tied.
Also intrigued how you are now aware that Karel is unemployed for the first time in his life?
I've been found out......
Karel told me that he is unemployed for the first time in his life - not that it will get any sympathy from many on this forum!
However, you are not correct, in your assertion that Riga is "returning to a working relationship with a man who has sent him packing on a regular basis for much of his career".
This is quite false. Riga resigned from Liege twice under RD.
RD did not renew/extend Riga's contract at Charlton.
So your premise is wrong I'm afraid.
However, when defending Fraeye previously, you claimed it was on the basis of one conversation at somewhere like a football club (not Charlton).
So how are you now so knowlegeable ?
Genuine question, because I'd like you to somehow substantiate, what you've said please.
Hopefully something else crops up soon because, underneath the pro network facade we were subjected to in your post match interviews and beyond, there is a decent guy just trying to make his way as a coach. Maybe a change of employer might be just what he needs.
Whether Riga's interview is half spin or not? Probably yes. But how refreshing after Fraeye and KM and also Luzon who has the intelligence to say more or less the right thing at the right time? And sound sensible?
It's a huge huge improvement...and if he can also say the right thing to the players at the right time, that's even better.
Me and Rufus (my 5 year old not named after a dog or Richard) will be at the protests before and after the game and during the game we will be shouting for Riga and the team. Very very loudly, and we will stand up so the guy in the Lower West who told my ex to sit down last home game when they stood up to 'Stand up if you want them out' better get ready for a heated dialogue if he tries it again.
Thankfully, I can write completely freely. Unfortunately, that's not the same as having any insight! I've not written for a newspaper for over three years - it's all scripts these days (buy the DVD of Silk, download the Clerks Room, wait for The Last Post and The Mags on BBC1, keep the wolf from the door, eh?)
Why did "the Ujpest guy not come?" Not a clue. I get too distracted with "How did we end up so lowly that we're miffed at missing out on the Ujpest guy?"
I'll be really honest, I'd never heard of Ujpest, and if I had, I wasn't paying attention that day. I'd definitely never heard of the "guy", but I think he's been very well advised to give SE7 a miss.
I've seen that some people query the precise timing and nature of Riga's departures, which in the real world clearly doesn't alter anything I've said. Football clubs announce departures in ways that are impacted upon by all manner of factors. Basic facts remain - full contracts are never paid up, thus people never leave unless they're pushed. You get the sack, they call it a resignation, we all save face, you get 50% of the value of your contract, see you later. Always has been, always will be.
The reason I'm sad, is because my club is imploding, someone's wrapped a Riga-shaped blanket around the latest explosion to muffle the blast and, I'll be frank, I'm not sure what the answer is. I fully support the protests, but if the owner doesn't want to change, he won't. The press can write what they like and the local MP can make majority-securing announcements, but it's a private business, sold by the previous owners, and if there are no laws broken, there's no legal recourse. I'm not sure what impact the 'asset of community value' stuff has on changing the way it's run as a business, but I'd be intrigued to hear. The sad truth is that badly-run businesses go bust every day, as do businesses run as a bit of an experiment - which is pretty much what we are. I don't like that situation, but it's a fact, and we're stuck with it.
All the shouting, the noise, the reasoning - all of it - mean nothing if the man you're shouting at doesn't listen, and can't be compelled to. We are a blip on his balance sheet. History, emotion and tradition counts for nothing. We could go bust, he could lose everything he spent on us, and write it off as some kind of research and development cost towards his wider, broader, madder experiment. If we went under, would he lose more than he gained from selling other clubs? If you bundle it all up as 'Roland's big football experiment', does he come out so far down that a man of his means can't afford it? Of course he doesn't - rich people have gambled far more, and will do again. He's different from almost every other ego-driven rich football club owner, because he doesn't see it as a badge of honour to own a club. He's interested in the experiment, not the kudos, hence his lack of interest in even turning up.
So, as I say, I think we're part of some strange, quasi-social/football/business experiment. And I think it will fail, horribly, and we may be the casualties. And that's awful, but it may not be avoidable. The only upside is that it may force a change of thinking. Put bluntly, Charlton might die, or be left truly unrecognisable, before enough impetus is generated behind moves that ensure the same doesn't happen to anyone else. You can all call me mad if you like - say I've given up, I'm surrendering, I'm a lightweight, an apologist etc. I hope I am. I hope I'm not what I think I might be, which is a realist. A very dejected realist.
Football clubs have walked on the edge for decades, and someone has always come along to save them. It's the economics of Micawber - "Something will come along." But it won't. And I have a terrible feeling that we're going to be the ones to prove it,
I wish I could be more optimistic, but honestly? Legally? Realistically? We can't even grab his wrist, let alone twist his arm...
And, for the record, I hope I'm wrong...
Difficult for me to see Duchatelet selling unless he has 500 people amped outside his house making it personal to him.
He thinks he has a plan, experimental but affordable to him. He is probably sheltered by enough 'Yes' people to mean that even the press coverage in the UK which is quite significant, can pass him by as he wont be told about it.
But, the longer, the noisier and the closer the protests get to his shield wall, the more he must think about what it's taking to keep his limited balls in the air. He must have had to deal with Fraye and Riga himself and for sure his family is involved as they run Ujpest. So it may not be sudden but the pressure will mount and he will be spending too much personal time for what should be, in his mind, a sideshow run by trusted lieutenants.
Keep the pressure on.
It's big news to fans, who've grown unused to seeing the club in the papers, but the ripples won't reach Belgium - no change will be generated by all the noise, because there's no lever that can be applied. For the press to change things in this country, you need a straightforward solution, and a cause which encourages mass participation - a headline that will generate interest and sales. And I fear that this has neither. There aren't going to be people outside his house in Belgium, or wherever it is, and it's not taking anything, in real terms, to keep those balls in the air. It's the cost of the experiment - that's the problem. It's money, I sense, he's willing to spend in order to discover something bigger. To satisfy his curiosity, because that's something that a certain sort of rich person does.
We are his lab rat. And things never turn out well for them.
Not hopeful we can achieve removing him without it being in his face in his back yard which I can't see happening.
Unless we sponsor the Calais refugee camp to move to outside his house. Which we can't.
Trying to play supporters like a fiddle.
Good article but Riga is no more a rebel than vegetarian spouting the virtues of broccoli whilst managing a branch of McDonald's. Lip service and a nice man but another network yes man.