Fortunately or unfortunately, due to my age, I was only really watching Charlton for about a year or two under Roland Duchatelet, and I wasn’t interested or intelligent enough to have a look at what went on behind the scenes.
So my question is: What did Roland actually do?
If I recall he tried to exert some influence over the on-pitch side of things, didn’t show up to games and I presume there was a monetary issue too.
I’m looking for some really concrete examples that could be used to disprove those that think we were better off with him.
Cheers!
Comments
That’s how I remember it anyway.
He is our worst nightmare and I long for us to be his worst nightmare.
Told SCP what team to pick
Many said he couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery (you are too young to know what either of these things are) but he was pretty good at the whole "interrupt the game" thing.
Did he? I wasn't aware of that, but if he did then this is his context - frankly he was obviously more clued up than most of the fans at that time...
"When I was there I didn’t really want to leave. At first I wanted to sign a new deal and spend a longer time with the club.
“But in my first meeting with the new owners I found out things were really different - they had a vision which for me was completely deluded.
“They didn’t know too much about football. I felt like they were wrong and the club would be in trouble because that’s not how football works.”
Kermorgant added: “It’s different to run a business and a football club. It looked to me like their position was a bit weird.
The big issues were interfering in team selection, and forcing players on the manager e.g. Thuram-Ulien
Sacking Powell, who had orchestrated our promotion, and had us on the brink of an FA Cup Semi-Final.
Then there were all the Katrien issues, crazy business ideas, calling fans customers, and saying why do they think they have a say in the club.
A lot of say one thing in the media, do another, e.g. Luzon appointment.
The network model provided a few good players, and he signed Gudmundson, however there were a lot of terrible signings of players with no English football experience and coming from lower league football abroad.
Most lamentable was the short-term thinking and lack of offering contracts to promising young players and our better players, that meant they could be ransacked. By the end there was a clear lack of vision, and lack of any connection with the fans.
Promotion to the Championship covered over a lot of cracks, we were incredibly reliant on loan signings (a short-termist plan), lost players such as Bauer, Aribo etc. as a result of not planning around contracts, and despite a great start, even if we stayed up the following season would have almost certainly meant relegation.
That said, football is impossible and every club is in crisis, so it wasn't a case of him being particularly bad, it was a case of him being particularly unwilling to make a loss, which is impossible
Bournemouth had reached out offering him more money so he wanted a new contract, when he wasn't offered the contract and time was running out to sign for Bournemouth he threw his snails out the garlic butter sauce
A great, yet terrible video.
Really does bring a lump to your throat
Certainly someone you wanted in the trenches…..and at any time too.
Seen the film before and yes I was protesting back in 1990.
Installing a cringe worthy fan sofa in one corner of the ground for select fans to sit on for a game
Trying to implement European style things in the ground like goal music
Hiring Katrien Miere and giving her free reign in a job she was clearly clueless and out of her depth in
Referring to fans as customers
Selling our better players at key moments and bringing in players from the network of clubs to cover them, at significantly lower wages, and skill
Trying to pick the team and influence the squad
Sacking Chris Powell when he decided not to follow what RD wanted
The subsequent hiring and firing of a multitude of coaches, all useless and with no idea what they were getting into
Trying to use the network of clubs as a threat to players, like telling Poyet he'd be loaned out to one of the Belgian clubs
General disdain for the club, the supporters and it's long serving members of staff
Changing the club mascots for the worse
I'm sure there's a hell of a lot more that hasn't been covered
Trousered the transfer fee for Ademola Lookman