He may not be a role model for football governance, but our 'Arry has already transformed the football scene at Spurs as last night's 4-4 draw with the Gooners at the Emirates shows. Phil Brown at Hull is also an example of how one can make silk out of a pig's ear, despite last night's defeat by Chelsea. And, dare I say it, Alan Curbishley achieved as much as was possible for Charlton given the resources available.
Football is a confidence game. Leamington are demolishing all their opponents in the BGB Midlands Division because morale is so high. You only have to look at the way the heads of the Charlton players go down if, as happens all too often, they go 0-1 behind. Even if they are 1-0 ahead, they are clearly nervous.
Some say that the players are not good enough. Pardew has now signed quite a few of them and, to be fair, he has made some good signings: Weaver, Hudson, Bailey. However, he is far too reliant on loan players, to a disastrous extent last season. We also buy players and then put them out to grass (or at least to Cheltenham or Dutch clubs).
My main issue with Pardew is his endless tinkering with the side. His defenders say that the fans couldn't name their best 16 this season. First, they are not paid to do that. Second, if the players were given the chance to get to know each other in a settled side, we might find out.
Charlton fans are long suffering and they put up with a lot. The Sunday Times claimed that a demonstration was planned for last Saturday if we had lost. I am not in favour of demonstrations personally. First, I think that Pardew is a decent man who has done his best, it is just that his best is not good enough.
Second, the board are Charlton fans and they feel the pain as well, but they are constrained in what they can do by the financial situation. But that situation will get worse if nothing is done and fans demonstrate silently by voting with their feet.
What the board needs to understand - and I think this is understood by intelligent people, of whom there are many within the club - is that this is not the usual moaners as identified by Inspector Sands (shortly sadly to move on from his job on the underground) who are complaining.
At Ipswich fans were chanting 'Pardew out' and 'You won't have a job in the morning' before Charlton scored and started to look interested in the match. What was significant, according to what I have heard, is that hardly anyone told them to shut up.
Of course, if you get rid of a manager you have to replace him. But I think we have reached the stage where almost anyone with football experience would do better because they were not Pardew. If you brought Jason Cadden in from Leamington he would have everyone's spirits up and, what's more, there would be lots of fun with his hair styles. (The former hair stylist is claimed to have the best barnet in West Midlands non-league football).
My serious suggestion would be to let Parkinson and Kinsella see what they could do. It could hardly be worse than the disorganised, demoralised performances we have been seeing.
16 comments:
Morning Wyn. Surely Parkinson is part of the problem? He's been with Pardew for most of the latters tenure.
We don't know that, do we? We don't know enough about what he is allowed to do. We also have to think in terms of low cost options which will steady the ship. We aren't going to go up, but the objective is not to get relegated again.
I wish I could go along with you about Kinsella, Wyn, because he was an inspirational player and I think he's an all-round good bloke. However his results with the Reserves are not particularly good. And I agree with Daggs, Parkinson is tainted by association with Pardew and has obviously not been lifting heads in the way you suggest someone can
I agree that Pardew has lost the plot and has to go. I think Parkinson is part of the problem as well. Mark Kinsella was a great Charlton player and should stay at the club but I think we need to bring in someone new. It is a bit left brain but I heard Martin Keown on the radio and he talked a lot of sense. He has no experience but he has passed all his badges with flying colours, was tutored under Weger and knows how to organise a defence.
Wyn, I agree that Parkinson and Kinsella are the most likely options (either as a Curbishley/Gritt style pair or as manager/assistant).
Another option I would suggest is Mark Robins. He has done a superb job at Rotherham, managing a team which could easily have become embittered and negative after their points deduction. He is doing well in the league and has also claimed three Championship scalps in the Carling Cup. He would be relatively cheap and would probably relish the challenge, although I would feel sorry for the Rotherham fans were we to poach him.
Parkinson didn't do well at Hull before he left and Kinsella is relatively untried. For me Saturdays game should dictate Pardew's future. Another dispirited disjointed display against an out of form side and he should go. If can he put out a team that does well in the next few games confidence will build. Why did he drop Basey? It was his free kick which made the goal against Burnley and he linked reasonably well going forward after half-time.
Like the idea of Keown, not as manager but coming in to help sort out our defensive issues, much like Adams did at Portsmouth..
i'm not normally one to demand the manager's head prematurely and agree that managers need to be given time to create the team they want as curbs was, not to mention wenger and ferguson as prime examples. however, i do agree that pardew needs to go. despite only seeing us a few times on tv (i live in latvia), it seems that actually there are some talented players at the club, young yes, but talented. they deserve runs on the side despite the occasional mistake on the pitch. the tinkering is frustrating and from the mistakes of last year a good manager should have learned his lessons and not brought in unnecessary loans.
would a young manager be more sympathetic to younger players and give them the chance to develop and play?
It's a tough one this. I feel as despondent as most fans but I believe we should stick by him regardless of the consequences.
For a start if we get rid of him, I'm certain he will receive a hefty pay out.
Secondly the Dubai process indicated we are at least 20 million in debt. Sacking Pardew would make our financial situation worse.
Thirdly whilst a new manager generally improves results in the short term, it's long term appointments which generally benefit clubs.
My fourth and final point is who would take over? A member of the back up team? An up and coming young manager? Another step into the unknown is the last thing we need.
The financial considerations are important, as are the question of who would take over. It is important to remember that the debt is a long-term, well structured debt. The key point about any debt is whether you can service it or not.
i really didnt want to say this, but i am going to say get rid of pards, the main reason being is that he still dosnt know his first team, and whilst i wanted to give him time to sort it out, he clearly hasnt. We have been very lucky in our draws recently, but i can not see us going into games and dominating the game until we have belief in ourselves.
I dont know much about parkinson? so think he might be part of the problem, and as for kinsella i thought he got some fairly good results for us last year, so why not give him a go?
The fact the debt is well structured is noted. The fact I couldn't give a single performanced based reason for Pardew to stay also troubles me.
For some insane reason I'm going to stick with my view and hope Pards can get us out of this mess.
believe Curbs also saved the Hammers in a big way too.
A Curbs return is the only logical solution.
Richard
Welcome to the Redvolution Wyn!
redvolution ahoy !!!
i agree re keeping an eye on the costs as pardew will take a wedge when (rather than if?) he goes
in terms of commitment, loyalty and fan appeal i'd have to say i'd welcome kinsella at the helm - and be happy - no insist - that he gets more than a fair crack at the whip
more upheaval at the club is not what we want. injuries and suspensions have contributed to the changing team the division is tight and we are only 3 matches away from the play off positon it is still too early in the season to be this despondent pardew has been successful in the past and it takes time to build a team he has been working under a cost reduction restraint proramme and been forced to bring in young cheap players changes to a squad take time to bed in before they have an impact and it is too early to say that this squad will not be successful short termism is a disease in football and we at Charlton should know that long term planning does pay off in the end
I think we should stick with Pards for the time being. I agree his loan signings have been hopeless and helped derail last season's campaign, although the loss of Reid was huge. His signings have been generally been good, apart from Andy Gray who has been a big disappointment. Saturday's decision to start with Craneigh at left back was bizarre. What's worrying is the fact that he can't seem to get us to play as a team and the strikers get no service. Having said all that, the last time we sacked the manager and promoted from inside we ended up with Les Reed. Who's to say Kinsella or parkinson will be any better. I think the board should give Pards until xmas and see if there's been any improvement.
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