Ben Watson Interview in Football League Paper

ParkinsonOut

Athletico Charlton

"I was very honest with JJ and said my place on the bench should go to a younger player".
What a decent fella?  Did he accept that having given up and said he had lost interest that he should no longer be paid as a player? After all he spent all those years in the PL so is fine financially.
The bloke took the piss out of our club for the last season definitely but I would say his whole 2 years with us frankly.
Glad we have moved away from these sorts of waster signings. Amazed JJ didn't learn his lesson and signed Gunter at AFCW as he is the same.  

Blucher

Watching Watson’s performance against Hartlepool in the Papa John’s, it was pretty clear that he’d “mentally had enough”, not least in the way he let the opposition player amble past him unmolested for their second goal.

Karim_myBagheri

Always thought we should never of got him. Had his moments, blocking shots but not a lot else.
Had no idea why we gave him another year and then you find out for half of it he didn't want to play anyway. Prick. 

killerandflash

Athletico Charlton said:

"I was very honest with JJ and said my place on the bench should go to a younger player".
What a decent fella?  Did he accept that having given up and said he had lost interest that he should no longer be paid as a player? After all he spent all those years in the PL so is fine financially.
The bloke took the piss out of our club for the last season definitely but I would say his whole 2 years with us frankly.
Glad we have moved away from these sorts of waster signings. Amazed JJ didn't learn his lesson and signed Gunter at AFCW as he is the same.  

Agreed, he could have retired there and then, freeing up his wages AND squad place. Deciding not to play any more is hardly virtuous, if you're now being paid to do nothing. Most people would love that gig!

And for all the talk that he was a useful additional coach of sorts on the bench for Jacko, it's interesting that he's not going down the coaching path anyway.

ForeverAddickted

Mentally I knew I'd had enough... But was still happy to take a wage

Joins JFH in the same bracket then

soapy_jones

So CAFC sort of like a Saga holiday then Ben?

Fuck off.

Chris_from_Sidcup

Apart from the guy writing that article, who the fuck has ever referred to Ben Watson as the "ginger Zidane"?

blackpool72

One of the worst signings we've made in the past five years and that's saying something. 

Chris_from_Sidcup

blackpool72 said:

One of the worst signings we've made in the past five years and that's saying something. 

I remember being quite happy when he signed. He played 45 games in the championship for Forest the season before signing for us and i thought league one would be a breeze for him.

DaveMehmet

Palace c**t

CheshireAddick

Different player but an article on Marcus Maddison in the non league paper today

ricky_otto

Athletico Charlton said:

"I was very honest with JJ and said my place on the bench should go to a younger player".
What a decent fella?  Did he accept that having given up and said he had lost interest that he should no longer be paid as a player? After all he spent all those years in the PL so is fine financially.
The bloke took the piss out of our club for the last season definitely but I would say his whole 2 years with us frankly.
Glad we have moved away from these sorts of waster signings. Amazed JJ didn't learn his lesson and signed Gunter at AFCW as he is the same.  

100%.  Got his move nearer home and stole a living for 2 years. Tosser.

ricky_otto

Chris_from_Sidcup said:

Apart from the guy writing that article, who the fuck has ever referred to Ben Watson as the "ginger Zidane"?

Ben Watson?

Chunes

"Coincidentally, it also meant I didn't have to sit on a coach for three hours and run around in the freezing cold weather up north, which was a right touch." 

Thank god we cleared these tossers out. I've got a feeling there were a few more than Ben.

Rylo

Now if he’d said “mentally I was up for it, but physically I wasn’t able” then fair enough. But he didn’t, so he’s still one of my least favourite players ever. Goodbye Ben, thanks for nothing. 

killerandflash

Chris_from_Sidcup said:

Apart from the guy writing that article, who the fuck has ever referred to Ben Watson as the "ginger Zidane"?

He would only have earned that nickname if he headbutted someone in his final game

Athletico Charlton

Chunes said:

"Coincidentally, it also meant I didn't have to sit on a coach for three hours and run around in the freezing cold weather up north, which was a right touch." 

Thank god we cleared these tossers out. I've got a feeling there were a few more than Ben.

Imagine someone with that attitude being a coach to your kids.

SELR_addicks

At the same level of Taylor. 

Took a wage for 6 months after essentially begging Jackson not to play him because he didn't fancy it. Should have sacked him right on the spot. Fuck him. 

DOUCHER

SELR_addicks said:

At the same level of Taylor. 

Took a wage for 6 months after essentially begging Jackson not to play him because he didn't fancy it. Should have sacked him right on the spot. Fuck him. 

agreed - an absolute toss pot - if he didn't get paid i take it all back but he did - a palace / millwall stain on our club - how have we ended up with the likes of him ?

shirty5

Enjoyed that piece. 👍

Manic_mania

Unprofessional.

Hope you get paid well for that article you absolute mercenary.

Airman Brown

Manic_mania said:

Unprofessional.

Hope you get paid well for that article you absolute mercenary.

He ain’t getting paid by the Football League Paper.

Airman Brown

Karim_myBagheri said:

Always thought we should never of got him. Had his moments, blocking shots but not a lot else.
Had no idea why we gave him another year and then you find out for half of it he didn't want to play anyway. Prick. 

Triggered automatically by the games he played in the first year. 

SELR_addicks

Airman Brown said:

Manic_mania said:

Unprofessional.

Hope you get paid well for that article you absolute mercenary.

He ain’t getting paid by the Football League Paper.

Free advertising for his 'holistic agency'.

Jac_52

We should have terminated his contract then and there once he said that. Would we have grounds for that legally I wonder? Or just give him a statutory redundancy payout and told him to fuck off.

Imagine if Haaland or some other well paid player told their manager they couldn't be arsed to play anymore, would they just be allowed to see out their contract? Seems mad.

Manic_mania

Airman Brown said:

Manic_mania said:

Unprofessional.

Hope you get paid well for that article you absolute mercenary.

He ain’t getting paid by the Football League Paper.

good

MartinCAFC

I remember watching him at Hartlepool in the JPT thinking that was one of the worst performances I'd ever seen from anyone in a Charlton shirt.

I don't recall him being involved in a matchday squad after that performance where he did little more than jog, point, shout and knock the ball sideways you could have plucked anyone out of the away end to do that.

Rock Spectacle

He was a game changer against Havant. Absolute waste of space, money, hopefully reduced to after dinner speaking about how he won the Cup for Wigan. 

Gribbo

Pretty sure he was highest paid player for a while too

th0rryy

One of the poorest players I've seen for us in recent years. Either his legs had gone, he just didn't care at all or, more likely for me, a combination of both.

Ultimately a lot of players like him will sit in L1 after being in the higher leagues to turn out and collect a living for very little effort, but when they don't really need the money if they ever played in the PL (or even the Championship, nowadays), it's pretty galling.

I hated seeing him on the team sheet, since it was just a given he wouldn't do a lot. This article explains a LOT as to why he was so terribad. I don't wish him any malice, but it's pretty scummy behaviour.