Dobbo is leaving I feel. The last few games he’s carried his daughter out with him home at Peterborough and away at Blackpool. Not sure if it’s just a nice thing or them saying goodbye. You can read too much into things sometimes in football.
Hate to say it but I heard on Saturday from 2 people he’s already signed a pre-contract - believed to be in Hungary.
this hasn’t come from anyone at the club
someone else told me Dobbo was offered a “squad player” level contract as opposed to one for for a leader / captain / integral part. This essentially told him he’s not particularly highly rated.
again I can’t comment on the veracity of the statement but no reason to disbelieve him as he’s been very close with a number of players over the years
Fingers crossed it isn't true and he's just waiting for a chat with Jones before making a final decision.
The only thing that gives me some hope is that face he was there on Saturday. If you'd signed a pre-contract somewhere else would you be that bothered about wasting your saturday afternoon turning up to watch them?
If true, what kind of message does it send the squad when your most hardworking and consistent player, two time POTY, is rewarded with that
You don’t deserve high paying contracts for being hard working. Otherwise Simon Church would’ve earned millions!
Working hard should be the bare minimum requirement for playing for Charlton Athletic.
An insulting comparison to measure his worth against Simon Church. Church was absolutely dogshit and couldn't strike a ball clean when that's his number one job, and what's he's paid to do. Dobson as a defensive minded midfielder and anchor, has one of the best tackling rates in the EFL, good passing ability and was our player of the year. He's also one of the only players that other fans mention when they roll us over as usual. Sides like Portsmouth, Barnsley and Oxford all noting his ability and marking him down as a stand out peformer.
He's a lot more than just a hard worker. Dreadful news.
Church may have been underwhelming, but worth noting that he played most of his career in the Championship and had 38 caps for Wales, so isn't that bad. Dobson by contrast has basically played all his career in L1.
We are in a relegation fight. We really need our best tackler in the team. For that reason I hope the club does everything it can to encourage him to stay. As for the long run, sure there are better players out there. If the club can replace him with better in the next transfer window, then all well and good. But, if we can't scratch together a few wins between then and now, the next window will see us looking at a different calibre player altogether. Nothing I saw on Saturday has convinced me that we've got a player, let alone players, that are equipped to replace Dobbo now. Let's at least ensure he's with us for the next few months.
The pre-contract would only be for next season, so he'll be with us for the rest of the season anyway.
Ahh, thanks for that. That's alright then. I thought people were talking about Hungarians having an extended window. In that case, I'll be sad to see him go, but I won't be that sad if we get a replacement who's better.
They still have, but we would have to agree to sell him in the next 2 weeks. If Jones says no, he'll be with us until the end of the season.
It's so insulting to Dobson to see a minority of fans talk about him as if his only attributes is tackling.
He's a technically good footballer, as I said above, and he tries very hard, yes. You'd think these things would combine to make an unbeatable L1 midfielder. But there's something missing, which may be as simple as raw football intelligence, or may also include a burst of acceleration. I'm not sure.
Can him and Coventry work in the same midfield? I'm sure we'll find out soon enough.
Dobson should always be first on the team sheet, and that is irrespective of him being captain or not.. Also regarding Dobson and Coventry working together, I am sure that they could, and will rely on Jones getting them the right way round on the pitch unlike Apples (sorry for the swear word)...🙄
I think perhaps what George sees and how he is treated by Jones will play a part in any decision. If he’s still picked and retains the armband perhaps he’ll think about staying.
If he has signed a pre-contract is he able to cancel it? I would’ve thought that would be very difficult as he is kind of just working a notice period and joining them on the expiration date? I’m not sure how contracts work mind, does anyone know?
I think perhaps what George sees and how he is treated by Jones will play a part in any decision. If he’s still picked and retains the armband perhaps he’ll think about staying.
Agreed - for me, Dobbo and Coventry can definitely play in the same team and i think we should be going all out to convince Dobbo and pay him what he deserves.
There are loads of better midfielders than Dobbo, BUT, they are in higher leagues, on higher wages, and almost certainly, wouldn't come to Charlton. I reckon Dobbo is the best bang for buck we could hope to have in our team and at out club.
I think perhaps what George sees and how he is treated by Jones will play a part in any decision. If he’s still picked and retains the armband perhaps he’ll think about staying.
Agreed - for me, Dobbo and Coventry can definitely play in the same team and i think we should be going all out to convince Dobbo and pay him what he deserves.
I agree, you look at all top sides they play with 2 defensive midfielders. But they do have a lot of attacking and good in possession players.. Which we don't have.
If true, what kind of message does it send the squad when your most hardworking and consistent player, two time POTY, is rewarded with that
You don’t deserve high paying contracts for being hard working. Otherwise Simon Church would’ve earned millions!
Working hard should be the bare minimum requirement for playing for Charlton Athletic.
An insulting comparison to measure his worth against Simon Church. Church was absolutely dogshit and couldn't strike a ball clean when that's his number one job, and what's he's paid to do. Dobson as a defensive minded midfielder and anchor, has one of the best tackling rates in the EFL, good passing ability and was our player of the year. He's also one of the only players that other fans mention when they roll us over as usual. Sides like Portsmouth, Barnsley and Oxford all noting his ability and marking him down as a stand out peformer.
He's a lot more than just a hard worker. Dreadful news.
But he wasn't doing that, at all. He was saying that hard work alone shouldn't make you one of the top players at the club, and if that's the metric you want, then Churchy would be raking it in.
He is not saying "Like Simon Church, Dobbo tries hard but is shit."
Just catching up on two pages from this morning and we seem to be falling back into the "how dare you question Dobbo or say he's shit?" territory (not just you Braziliance). Literally no one is saying that. What people are saying is: 1) Is he already basically gone? (obviously we don't know) 2) We have a lot of cover in his position right now 3) Because of #2, how does he fit into this team? 4) Are his attributes what our very limited midfield is missing, or are they somewhat redundant? 5) Given he's been a stalwart in a mid-table (at best) side, does that mean he should be involved going forward if the aim is to be better than that?
All very sensible questions. There is no one in this team, given its current state, who should be immune from just such questions. And if your answer to the above comes out to "we still need to keep him, even if its just as a squad player" then great! But you can value his contributions and still understand why now might be the time to move on for everyone involved.
If true, what kind of message does it send the squad when your most hardworking and consistent player, two time POTY, is rewarded with that
You don’t deserve high paying contracts for being hard working. Otherwise Simon Church would’ve earned millions!
Working hard should be the bare minimum requirement for playing for Charlton Athletic.
An insulting comparison to measure his worth against Simon Church. Church was absolutely dogshit and couldn't strike a ball clean when that's his number one job, and what's he's paid to do. Dobson as a defensive minded midfielder and anchor, has one of the best tackling rates in the EFL, good passing ability and was our player of the year. He's also one of the only players that other fans mention when they roll us over as usual. Sides like Portsmouth, Barnsley and Oxford all noting his ability and marking him down as a stand out peformer.
He's a lot more than just a hard worker. Dreadful news.
Church may have been underwhelming, but worth noting that he played most of his career in the Championship and had 38 caps for Wales, so isn't that bad. Dobson by contrast has basically played all his career in L1.
I would not like to see those two names mentioned n the same sentence ever again please.
One is a warrior doing the work of several men, galvanised the fans and was pretty much loved by all..... The other had a fucking sponge for a foot, not pace, no skill and absolutely stole a living. He only played for Wales because there were only about 15 people with Welsh heritage at the time that still had functioning legs. Honestly an absolutely dreadful footballer and not worthy of lacing the boots of the guy who laces Dobbo's boots
The description of the kind of players Jones like around his squad when at Luton I would be surprised if he will be happy for Dobson to be leaving, hopefully at the very least Dobson paused all consideration until able to talk with the new manager.
If true, what kind of message does it send the squad when your most hardworking and consistent player, two time POTY, is rewarded with that
You don’t deserve high paying contracts for being hard working. Otherwise Simon Church would’ve earned millions!
Working hard should be the bare minimum requirement for playing for Charlton Athletic.
An insulting comparison to measure his worth against Simon Church. Church was absolutely dogshit and couldn't strike a ball clean when that's his number one job, and what's he's paid to do. Dobson as a defensive minded midfielder and anchor, has one of the best tackling rates in the EFL, good passing ability and was our player of the year. He's also one of the only players that other fans mention when they roll us over as usual. Sides like Portsmouth, Barnsley and Oxford all noting his ability and marking him down as a stand out peformer.
He's a lot more than just a hard worker. Dreadful news.
Church may have been underwhelming, but worth noting that he played most of his career in the Championship and had 38 caps for Wales, so isn't that bad. Dobson by contrast has basically played all his career in L1.
Precisely this. I’m still waiting on the Championship interest for Dobson. As much as he’s our bloke who gets stuck and plays for the badge, he’s a decent League One destroyer at best and therefore is worth a contract that reflects that.
Just because the club previously made mistakes in overpaying others like Kirk or Aneke on their first contract doesn’t mean that the fix is to cave and also overpay for anyone you want to keep on a second contract. The fact he’s even getting a second contract offer puts him ahead of 90% of recent Charlton signings.
Hard decisions have to be made sometimes in football and if that means Dobson gets a contract offer that reflects his ability rather than how much the fans like him then I take it as a sign that we’re trying to be a serious football club again.
I think perhaps what George sees and how he is treated by Jones will play a part in any decision. If he’s still picked and retains the armband perhaps he’ll think about staying.
Agreed - for me, Dobbo and Coventry can definitely play in the same team and i think we should be going all out to convince Dobbo and pay him what he deserves.
I agree, you look at all top sides they play with 2 defensive midfielders. But they do have a lot of attacking and good in possession players.. Which we don't have.
I said exactly this on the weekend. Coventry and Dobson could play together in, say, a 4-2-3-1, but who plays infront of them? What and who are they supporting exactly? Do you play May on his own and Watson as a ten?
If true, what kind of message does it send the squad when your most hardworking and consistent player, two time POTY, is rewarded with that
You don’t deserve high paying contracts for being hard working. Otherwise Simon Church would’ve earned millions!
Working hard should be the bare minimum requirement for playing for Charlton Athletic.
An insulting comparison to measure his worth against Simon Church. Church was absolutely dogshit and couldn't strike a ball clean when that's his number one job, and what's he's paid to do. Dobson as a defensive minded midfielder and anchor, has one of the best tackling rates in the EFL, good passing ability and was our player of the year. He's also one of the only players that other fans mention when they roll us over as usual. Sides like Portsmouth, Barnsley and Oxford all noting his ability and marking him down as a stand out peformer.
He's a lot more than just a hard worker. Dreadful news.
Church may have been underwhelming, but worth noting that he played most of his career in the Championship and had 38 caps for Wales, so isn't that bad. Dobson by contrast has basically played all his career in L1.
I know mate and it's absolutely outstanding he managed it. Underwhelming is extremely kind of you imho 😂 I have him right up there as one of the worst forwards we have had since leaving the Prem. Other than his goal against Wednesday in the cup away, and his assist to Igor Brighton away, I am struggling to think of any moments he did a job for us, even against Welling in pre-season he didn't look up to it.
Two of my mates follow Wales and found it absolutely bizarre he got so many caps, but I suppose that was the level of Wales at the time, they literally had no one to call upon. Their quality has evolved through the years since.
If true, what kind of message does it send the squad when your most hardworking and consistent player, two time POTY, is rewarded with that
You don’t deserve high paying contracts for being hard working. Otherwise Simon Church would’ve earned millions!
Working hard should be the bare minimum requirement for playing for Charlton Athletic.
An insulting comparison to measure his worth against Simon Church. Church was absolutely dogshit and couldn't strike a ball clean when that's his number one job, and what's he's paid to do. Dobson as a defensive minded midfielder and anchor, has one of the best tackling rates in the EFL, good passing ability and was our player of the year. He's also one of the only players that other fans mention when they roll us over as usual. Sides like Portsmouth, Barnsley and Oxford all noting his ability and marking him down as a stand out peformer.
He's a lot more than just a hard worker. Dreadful news.
But he wasn't doing that, at all. He was saying that hard work alone shouldn't make you one of the top players at the club, and if that's the metric you want, then Churchy would be raking it in.
He is not saying "Like Simon Church, Dobbo tries hard but is shit."
Just catching up on two pages from this morning and we seem to be falling back into the "how dare you question Dobbo or say he's shit?" territory (not just you Braziliance). Literally no one is saying that. What people are saying is: 1) Is he already basically gone? (obviously we don't know) 2) We have a lot of cover in his position right now 3) Because of #2, how does he fit into this team? 4) Are his attributes what our very limited midfield is missing, or are they somewhat redundant? 5) Given he's been a stalwart in a mid-table (at best) side, does that mean he should be involved going forward if the aim is to be better than that?
All very sensible questions. There is no one in this team, given its current state, who should be immune from just such questions. And if your answer to the above comes out to "we still need to keep him, even if its just as a squad player" then great! But you can value his contributions and still understand why now might be the time to move on for everyone involved.
Well quick update, except for killersandflash
SD, I know Callum is a smarter cookie than that, and I'm not saying he is comparing them as players and rather the 'work ethic' argument. I just think it's a bit harsh to potentially put Dobson into that category when he offers so much more.
Alright maybe he is overrated, and we will progress without him, but he's been a proper diamond in the rough over the last few years and it's not just because he gets stuck in, the lad can play ball.
I'd love to see him surrounded by better players and now, with a proper manager. The exact kind of character we need to begin our ascendancy in league 1.
Alfie May was at Cheltenham and struggling to keep them up, should be part of a promotion chasing side? Absolutely. Same goes for CBT who now got his wish.
Another player outside of Chartlon who falls into that category is Aaron Collins, who has found himself at a big club chasing promotion. I think Dobson falls into this category, and is a better player than our season finishes are suggesting.
There has not been many successful teams playing with 11 virtuoso creative players.
What you do need is a couple of grafting no nonsense players who put in the tackles and hard yards to provide a platform for your flair players to do their stuff.
Even at Charlton, you'll remember Curbs had people like Kish and Keith Jones. Right now, we've got Dobbo.
Our team problem right now is not Dobbo, it's the lack of creative players in other positions. .
If true, what kind of message does it send the squad when your most hardworking and consistent player, two time POTY, is rewarded with that
You don’t deserve high paying contracts for being hard working. Otherwise Simon Church would’ve earned millions!
Working hard should be the bare minimum requirement for playing for Charlton Athletic.
An insulting comparison to measure his worth against Simon Church. Church was absolutely dogshit and couldn't strike a ball clean when that's his number one job, and what's he's paid to do. Dobson as a defensive minded midfielder and anchor, has one of the best tackling rates in the EFL, good passing ability and was our player of the year. He's also one of the only players that other fans mention when they roll us over as usual. Sides like Portsmouth, Barnsley and Oxford all noting his ability and marking him down as a stand out peformer.
He's a lot more than just a hard worker. Dreadful news.
Church may have been underwhelming, but worth noting that he played most of his career in the Championship and had 38 caps for Wales, so isn't that bad. Dobson by contrast has basically played all his career in L1.
Precisely this. I’m still waiting on the Championship interest for Dobson. As much as he’s our bloke who gets stuck and plays for the badge, he’s a decent League One destroyer at best and therefore is worth a contract that reflects that.
Just because the club previously made mistakes in overpaying others like Kirk or Aneke on their first contract doesn’t mean that the fix is to cave and also overpay for anyone you want to keep on a second contract. The fact he’s even getting a second contract offer puts him ahead of 90% of recent Charlton signings.
Hard decisions have to be made sometimes in football and if that means Dobson gets a contract offer that reflects his ability rather than how much the fans like him then I take it as a sign that we’re trying to be a serious football club again.
You're logic is fine but i'd say he's more than a decent league 1 destroyer - i'd say he's the best league 1 destroyer i've seen - sticks to players like the proverbial 's££t to a blanket' - hounds them down and 99% of the time comes out with the ball - he's the best at what he does - if we manage to get another 10 players at the club who are the best at what they do then we will be onto something - i would say May is, in the right set up, the best at what he does and cbt is / was the best at what he does - in an ideal world he would have stayed but i can see why he's gone - lets not lose the next of our only 3 gems - we need to build around them.
There has not been many successful teams playing with 11 virtuoso creative players.
What you do need is a couple of grafting no nonsense players who put in the tackles and hard yards to provide a platform for your flair players to do their stuff.
Even at Charlton, you'll remember Curbs had people like Kish and Keith Jones. Right now, we've got Dobbo.
Our team problem right now is not Dobbo, it's the lack of creative players in other positions. .
Can’t agree with that. Our problem is letting in too many goals.
We’ve conceded 112 goals in the last 18 months and Dobson’s only missed two games in that period. Not all his fault obviously but not the kind of record any defensively minded player would want to be associated with.
There has not been many successful teams playing with 11 virtuoso creative players.
What you do need is a couple of grafting no nonsense players who put in the tackles and hard yards to provide a platform for your flair players to do their stuff.
Even at Charlton, you'll remember Curbs had people like Kish and Keith Jones. Right now, we've got Dobbo.
Our team problem right now is not Dobbo, it's the lack of creative players in other positions. .
Can’t agree with that. Our problem is letting in too many goals.
We’ve conceded 112 goals in the last 18 months and Dobson’s only missed two games in that period. Not all his fault obviously but not the kind of record any defensively minded player would want to be associated with.
There has not been many successful teams playing with 11 virtuoso creative players.
What you do need is a couple of grafting no nonsense players who put in the tackles and hard yards to provide a platform for your flair players to do their stuff.
Even at Charlton, you'll remember Curbs had people like Kish and Keith Jones. Right now, we've got Dobbo.
Our team problem right now is not Dobbo, it's the lack of creative players in other positions. .
Can’t agree with that. Our problem is letting in too many goals.
We’ve conceded 112 goals in the last 18 months and Dobson’s only missed two games in that period. Not all his fault obviously but not the kind of record any defensively minded player would want to be associated with.
Dobbo has until 14 February to show NJ that he's worth whatever he's asking for in terms of salary, for a contract renewal/extension. And NJ has until that date to convince - or otherwise - the owners that Dobbo forms part of a long-term plan to get Charlton back to the Championship.
For now, I trust NJ to make the decision that's right for Charlton: either to keep a talismanic captain to the end of the season, or ever beyond; or to ditch a player who has been part of a team drifting downwards and use the savings on players he thinks are more appropriate, starting in the Summer.
I hold nothing against Dobbo for first wanting to do what's best for him and his family and second, for hanging around long enough to be able to conclude meaningful discussions with February's manager, when January's manager wasn't able to give him what he required.
I think he's a really good player and I would be delighted if he stays. But what I think is utterly irrelevant, compared to what the new manager wants to achieve this season and beyond. So if he stays, that great, because it means NJ can use him to start the climb. And if he goes, that's great too, because it means NJ will have plans for improvement beyond this season.
Is Charlton's future reliant on a journeyman footballer who hasn't played above L1 level in England? I hope not.
Don't get me wrong, I'd be happy if he signed a new contract, but the thing that concerns me is the total lack of transfer gossip surrounding Dobson, other than the slightly random Hungary interest.
Why haven't any Championship clubs shown interest if he's that good? The likes of QPR, Huddersfield, Blackburn, Plymouth etc, all clubs who would be expected to be interested in a decent L1 player with 6 months left on his contract.
There has not been many successful teams playing with 11 virtuoso creative players.
What you do need is a couple of grafting no nonsense players who put in the tackles and hard yards to provide a platform for your flair players to do their stuff.
Even at Charlton, you'll remember Curbs had people like Kish and Keith Jones. Right now, we've got Dobbo.
Our team problem right now is not Dobbo, it's the lack of creative players in other positions. .
Can’t agree with that. Our problem is letting in too many goals.
We’ve conceded 112 goals in the last 18 months and Dobson’s only missed two games in that period. Not all his fault obviously but not the kind of record any defensively minded player would want to be associated with.
Or you could look at it and say "imagine how many we'd have conceded had we not had our player of the year defensive midfielder Dobbo there for the last two years"
Maybe there is other interest, but clubs just weighing up options? - right now, they are not going to want to leak their next season's potential team building business all over the press and social media.
Comments
The only thing that gives me some hope is that face he was there on Saturday. If you'd signed a pre-contract somewhere else would you be that bothered about wasting your saturday afternoon turning up to watch them?
Also regarding Dobson and Coventry working together, I am sure that they could, and will rely on Jones getting them the right way round on the pitch unlike Apples (sorry for the swear word)...🙄
Agreed - for me, Dobbo and Coventry can definitely play in the same team and i think we should be going all out to convince Dobbo and pay him what he deserves.
Please sign again George
As others have mentioned we just need the third midfielder to be more creative.
A Fraser but more motivated & talented.
He is not saying "Like Simon Church, Dobbo tries hard but is shit."
Just catching up on two pages from this morning and we seem to be falling back into the "how dare you question Dobbo or say he's shit?" territory (not just you Braziliance). Literally no one is saying that. What people are saying is:
1) Is he already basically gone? (obviously we don't know)
2) We have a lot of cover in his position right now
3) Because of #2, how does he fit into this team?
4) Are his attributes what our very limited midfield is missing, or are they somewhat redundant?
5) Given he's been a stalwart in a mid-table (at best) side, does that mean he should be involved going forward if the aim is to be better than that?
All very sensible questions. There is no one in this team, given its current state, who should be immune from just such questions. And if your answer to the above comes out to "we still need to keep him, even if its just as a squad player" then great! But you can value his contributions and still understand why now might be the time to move on for everyone involved.
Well quick update, except for killersandflash
One is a warrior doing the work of several men, galvanised the fans and was pretty much loved by all.....
The other had a fucking sponge for a foot, not pace, no skill and absolutely stole a living. He only played for Wales because there were only about 15 people with Welsh heritage at the time that still had functioning legs. Honestly an absolutely dreadful footballer and not worthy of lacing the boots of the guy who laces Dobbo's boots
Just because the club previously made mistakes in overpaying others like Kirk or Aneke on their first contract doesn’t mean that the fix is to cave and also overpay for anyone you want to keep on a second contract. The fact he’s even getting a second contract offer puts him ahead of 90% of recent Charlton signings.
Hard decisions have to be made sometimes in football and if that means Dobson gets a contract offer that reflects his ability rather than how much the fans like him then I take it as a sign that we’re trying to be a serious football club again.
Two of my mates follow Wales and found it absolutely bizarre he got so many caps, but I suppose that was the level of Wales at the time, they literally had no one to call upon. Their quality has evolved through the years since.
Alright maybe he is overrated, and we will progress without him, but he's been a proper diamond in the rough over the last few years and it's not just because he gets stuck in, the lad can play ball.
I'd love to see him surrounded by better players and now, with a proper manager. The exact kind of character we need to begin our ascendancy in league 1.
Alfie May was at Cheltenham and struggling to keep them up, should be part of a promotion chasing side? Absolutely. Same goes for CBT who now got his wish.
Another player outside of Chartlon who falls into that category is Aaron Collins, who has found himself at a big club chasing promotion. I think Dobson falls into this category, and is a better player than our season finishes are suggesting.
What you do need is a couple of grafting no nonsense players who put in the tackles and hard yards to provide a platform for your flair players to do their stuff.
Even at Charlton, you'll remember Curbs had people like Kish and Keith Jones. Right now, we've got Dobbo.
Our team problem right now is not Dobbo, it's the lack of creative players in other positions.
.
So that is all Dobbo's fault then?
For now, I trust NJ to make the decision that's right for Charlton: either to keep a talismanic captain to the end of the season, or ever beyond; or to ditch a player who has been part of a team drifting downwards and use the savings on players he thinks are more appropriate, starting in the Summer.
I hold nothing against Dobbo for first wanting to do what's best for him and his family and second, for hanging around long enough to be able to conclude meaningful discussions with February's manager, when January's manager wasn't able to give him what he required.
I think he's a really good player and I would be delighted if he stays. But what I think is utterly irrelevant, compared to what the new manager wants to achieve this season and beyond. So if he stays, that great, because it means NJ can use him to start the climb. And if he goes, that's great too, because it means NJ will have plans for improvement beyond this season.
Is Charlton's future reliant on a journeyman footballer who hasn't played above L1 level in England? I hope not.
Why haven't any Championship clubs shown interest if he's that good? The likes of QPR, Huddersfield, Blackburn, Plymouth etc, all clubs who would be expected to be interested in a decent L1 player with 6 months left on his contract.