Makienok stays in Championship

Simon Makienok has signed a one year loan deal at Preston North End. The news that he will be not be returning has been taken calmly by Charlton supporters.

Tallest player to leave

Simon Makienok is to leave The Valley at the end of the season, but he won't be returning to Palermo from whence he came on a one year loan. He will be seeking a new berth somewhere abroad, perhaps in the lower leagues in Belgium?

His agent reckons that he has been an 'ok success' at Charlton if you look at goals per minute which is quite an ingenious way of calculating it, as his appearances on the pitch have been increasingly brief.

The Addickted seem to have reacted calmly to the news.

Decisive victory for Riga's men

Charlton beat fellow relegation strugglers Rotherham United 4-1 this afternoon to move just a point behind Bristol City who drew at home to Birmingham.

Simon Makienok scored twice to help the Addicks end their 11-game winless run. The Dane opened the scoring early on from Zakarya Bergdich's cut back before Chris Burke levelled for the home side. Igor Vetokele then finished off a well-worked counter-attack to put Jose Riga's side ahead at half-time.

Makienok headed in to make it 3-1, then Jonson Clarke-Harris blazed over a Millers penalty before Ademola Lookman rounded off victory in added time.

Charlton took the lead after just four minutes when Bergdich cut the ball back for Makienok to smash in. They did not stay in front long as Rotherham's Burke scored his first goal for the club on his home debut, receiving Danny Ward's pass before slotting under Henderson.

After Grant Ward had shot wide for the Millers, Johann Berg Gudmundsson crossed for Vetokele, who turned in from close range after a rapid counter attack. Henderson then produced a diving save to keep out Danny Ward's left footed strike before Makienok met Gudmundsson's pinpoint delivery to give Charlton a two-goal lead.

Rotherham had a chance to get back into the game when Clarke-Harris was brought down by Jorge Teixeira, but the striker smashed his attempt over. Substitute Lookman slid in a fourth to complete a hat-trick of Gudmundsson assists.

In remarks after the game, José Roga was critical of Tony Watt's commitment and also that of Ricardo Vaz Te: I want committed players

The game got good coverage on the Football League Show including the banners. Chris Powell was interviewed and emphasised that Riga knew the Championship.

Makienok not put off by sarcastic cheers

Simon Makienok is not letting himself be put off by sarcastic cheers every time his head makes contact with the ball, although he admits that it doesn't help. He is trying to improve as a player: Makienok

Charlton fight for point

Charlton secured a hard fought point against Notts Forest at The valley this afternoon, but the draw was overshadowed by a very well supported fan protest, particularly after the game. It was estimated that there were four times as many people there as at earlier protests. 'You're not fit to run a club' was one of the chants.

Fans also responded during the game to chants of 'Stand up if you want them out.' There were also chants of 'We want a manager' and Karel Fraeye was booed when he left the pitch.

For much of the first half it was a case of two mediocre teams cancelling each other out. The returning Callum Harriott did put in a good shot on goal and from a corner Makienok should have scored. However, Forest started to wake up to the limitations of Charlton and began to dominate the play in the concluding ten minutes. They got their reward when Charlton failed to clear a corner and Osborn scored on 44 minutes.

Gudmundsson was brought on after half time for the hapless Ba and Charlton stared to look more energised, although there were some dangerous moments at the start of the half. Good work by Harriott, who in my view was man of the match, set up Makienok to score the equaliser.

However, as anticipated, referee Trevor Kettle made his mark on the game by giving a harsh second yellow to Holmes-Dennis, who had come on as a substitute, and sending him off. Loan player Rhys Williams was brought on in place of Vaz Te to shore up the defence and Charlton fought hard for a point. Indeed, they had chances in the closing minutes to go ahead.

Leaving the ground, I heard one fan say 'A glimmer of hope?' and another 'We're going to be relegated, it's inevitable.' The Addicks are one point off safety, so all is not lost.

By the time I got to Coventry I just missed a Charlton caller who had been on 606.

There was a long interview with Chris Powell on the Football League Show. The Charlton legend expressed sympathy with the supporters and said that he could not understand where the club was heading or what the owner's intentions were. There had been four managers since he left, there was no director of football or chief scout. Good people left, including, he implied, on the non-playing side. The clip can be seen here: Chris Powell

He was shown footage of protesting supporters chanting his name outside the West Stand and was asked if he would go back if he was asked. He replied, 'Possibly,' but made it clear that everything would have to be right.

There was also a good discussion on Sky's Sunday Supplement. They described us as the poster boy of how a club should be run but now the poster boy of how a club shouldn't be run. They criticised how fans were called customers.

There is a good round up of audio interviews from yesterday's protests here: Audio interviews

Player ratings

Henderson could not have saved the goal. Otherwise, he looked confident. Sarr was woeful, unfortunately Bauer is out for six weeks. Lennon put in a decent shift. Solly showed some real skill, I wish other players would pass to him more when he is unmarked and in a good position. Fox always makes me nervous and often with good reason, although he did get forward well at times.

It was good to see Cousins back and in form again, probably affected before by illness. Ba was useless. Jackson made a limited contribution and was eventually substituted. Harriott was a revelation. Clearly his loan spell has done him good, particularly in terms of attitude. His problem in the past has not been a lack of talent, but inconsistency. Before we get too excited, we should remember that he is in the shop window.

Vaz Te didn't really impose himself. Makienok was described as having a 'torrid time' by the Football League Paper. With his top knot gone, he did manage to head the ball a few times. He had three chances to score, and made use of one of them, although he was denied for one by a good save. However, Steve from Petts Wood said 'I still don't like him' after he scored.

Gudmundsson made a real difference and came close to scoring shortly after coming on. Holmes-Dennis should have been more cautious on one yellow with Kettle steaming away and getting closer to his target of ten red cards this season. The signing of Williams has been greeted with a chorus of derision by many supporters, but he looked quite useful to me. He is a big lad.

The Army Game

Simon Makienok has revealed that a pre-match pep talk by a soldier did wonders for Charlton's performance on Saturday: Military inspiration

He also comments that he was not aware of fan protests before the game. He could hear the noise being made by the fans outside the West Stand as the team was warming up, but thought it was the fans urging the team on.

Thanks, Mr Luzon, for all you tried to do

As my train approached Coventry Station tonight, a passing Addick told me that Guy Luzon had been sacked. In the circumstances, the only appropriate comment is the one I have used in my headline which was the formulation the newsreels used when Neville Chamberlain was replaced as prime minister by Winston Churchill.

With his two assistants gone, it is not clear who takes over in the interim. More crucial is the question of who will replace him. They face a tough challenge.

Luzon said in the programme that he took responsibility for what had gone wrong. He might have had some excuse on Wednesday with a weakened team, but today it was pretty much the first choice players. It was evident that if there was a plan they didn't understand it or were unwilling to execute it.

There's not a lot of point in saying much about the match. For the first fifteen minutes or so, we looked quite good and had three chances to score, but were unable to take any of them. After that, it was downhill all the way. All credit to Brentford who took their goals well and were a real menace on the wing.

We didn't seem to be marking any of their players, whether that was an instruction I don't know, but consequently they had acres of space to operate it.

I don't want to comment on the players because they all seem demoralised and no one had a good game. Simon Makienok was a real disappointment. Tony Watt can carve open defences, but he needs to learn to pass the ball. Morgan Fox was woeful, both in defence and going forward.

I suppose all we can say is that we have hit rock bottom and, hopefully, the only way is up.

The Football League Show featured the game tonight. Malkay Mackay was at the game and they are tipping the former Wigan manager as the new Charlton supremo. Details of the Scot's career are here: Malky Mackay

It is possible, however, that he was there because the manager's position at Brentford is only a temporary one, and speculation has also surrounded a network candidate, Karel Fraeye, Riga's former assistant.

Cheesed off?

Basel, CH: Perhaps it's just as well I can't get to The Valley tomorrow night, given the pall of gloom hanging over Charlton supporters. Three points tomorrow night might lift it a little. Simon Makienok has tweeted that he will be in the squad, but some see him as just a poor man's Leaburn.

Stephen Henderson played for the under 21s in their win today so he must be close to a return. That could make a real difference.

I don't think Luzon's tactics at Reading were wrong. This was never a match we were going to win and playing for a point made sense. It all went wrong when Bauer got sent off.

The account given of the match in the Football League Paper was more positive than that given by supporters both in general terms and individual player ratings.

That is not to say that there is nothing wrong, but Preston are also afflicted by a lack of confidence in front of goal according to their manager. We share the two bottom places in the form table with them. I still think that with some strengthening in January and players returning from injury we can secure a lower mid-table position.

Of course, that is not good enough for some supporters and it is evident that many long-term supporters are giving up. But then people complained when we were 12th, 13th or 14th in the Premier League.

Meanwhile, the dust is settling here in Switzerland after Sunday's general election and the manoeuvring for seats on the governing Federal Council is under way. My colleagues at the English service of Swiss public radio are not at all interested in the six pointer at The Valley and have reminded me that I may be needed for other things tomorrow.

The narrative changes

The narrative about Charlton is changing after the weakened relegation favourites beat promotion favourites Hull City 2-1 at a sweltering Valley this afternoon to go third in the table. We are now being talked of as 'unknown quantity' or even a 'surprise package'. The glass half empty crowd will say that we rode our luck and at times we did, but there is nothing wrong with that.

For their part, Hull were less good than all the hype about them during the week suggested. Their supporters were also rather quiet by the standards of many who visit The Valley. Perhaps they realise that a quick return to the Premiership is not going to be straightforward.

Interrupted by injuries and with the heat slowing the tempo, the first half was relatively uneventful with neither keeper really being tested. However, Charlton controlled the game well.

After the break a Gudmundsson cross to a well placed Simon Makienok enabled the Dane to head home his first Charlton goal. He raised his arms to the heavens in gratitude (apparently it was for his departed mum). Gudmundsson had a chance to make it 2-0 after a breakaway put him one on one with the keeper, but he was denied. Hull started to find space on their left and eventually the pressure told and they equalised on 89 minutes after a fumble by Nick Pope.

The fear then was it would be 1-2 and for a moment it looked as if it was, but the linesman's flag was raised in time. Eight minutes added on looked as if it might favour Hull, but Gudmundsson got a last gasp winner with a header to make it a Valley of joy. Guy Luzon got sent to the stands for his excessive celebrations. Great to hear the Covered End chanting 'Guy Luzon's red army.'

A special word of commendation of the Bloke Behind Me for wearing his suit to the game in that heat.

A black mark (again) for South-Eastern Railways. One train from London Bridge was cancelled. The next one was in twenty minutes, but left ten minutes later. The excuse given was 'Congestion on the Greenwich and Woolwich line due to the football.' If they ran a proper service, there wouldn't be congestion.

Good to run into a former student who is Addickted after the game, he observed how much better the train services in North London were.

Rick Everitt has a little fun at the expense of those who said that Makienok was the worst player they had ever seen at The Valley (actually quite a lot to choose from) in a new post at the Voice of the Valley website: Rickmansworth

Player ratings

Pope had played well up to his error for the goal. Bauer was magnificent, distributing forward well. Captain Diarra was a rock. Cousins had to be played out of position at right back, but performed well in that role. Fox continues to improve.

Kashi was man of the match for many, covering every blade of grass and using the ball way. Ba was excellent, but eventually had to be withdrawn because of cramp. Ceballos had to be withdrawn after 23 minutes because of injury. Bergdich was not prominent, but competent enough. A bit petty of the ref to book him for leaving the field too slowly. Gudmundsson created one goal and scored another. His retention may turn out to be crucial. Steve from Petts Wood had not seen Makienok before and thought that he look lost and lacking in confidence. His moves were not coming off. The goal should give him a much needed boost.

Ahearne-Grant did his best when he came on, but his attempts were either wild or off target, despite Makienok selflessly setting him up on one occasion. I couldn’t understand why Luzon didn’t immediately Charles-Cook at right back when he came on and push Cousins into central midfield. He eventually did this in extra time and straight away Charles-Cook looked more comfortable, attacking down the right side. Before that, in midfield, he hardly touched the ball and allowed Hull back into the game. Harriott had a chance to impress, but didn't.

Another away point

Charlton are 5th in the Championship tonight after a 0-0 draw at Nottingham Forest. In some ways they were unlucky not to get all three points.

Addicks striker Simon Makienok missed the two best chances of the first half, heading crosses from Morgan Fox and Cristian Ceballos over while unmarked. Forest's David Vaughan fired just over the bar from 20 yards after the break.

Charlton started to threaten again after the hour mark when Reza Ghoochannejhad came off the bench, setting up Makienok for a header, only to see Dorus de Vries pull off a diving stop, before Patrick Bauer was denied from point-blank range by the Forest keeper.

It still looked like the Addicks could claim all three points with a late goal as the match headed into the final 10 minutes, but Gudmundsson's free kick failed to find any of his teammates in the Forest box, although Lansbury came close down the other end with a similar set-piece effort.

The two sides clashed late on as a late challenge on Chris Solly left the Charlton captain floored, with Makienok reacting angrily, forcing the referee to separate players from both sides.

Charlton did not stop pushing in stoppage time, but the home side had numbers back to make sure they did not slip up in the final moments, while Pope managed to claim a long ball forward in the final seconds to stop Forest snatching the victory.

Johann Gudmundsson discusses the game here: Missed chances

Great Dane

The South London Press has an interview with Simon Makienok who clearly had a torrid time in Italy and wants to get his career back on track at The Valley: Great Dane

Simon Makienok in on loan

Giant striker Simon Makienok is coming in on loan from Palermo. There is an option to convert the signing to a permanent deal in due course: Simon Makienok

Makienok was a goal scoring success at Brondby, but found it difficult to adjust to the style of Italian football. He turned down possible moves to Palace and Fulham in January.

Given his 6ft. 7 ins. height, it may be necessary to raise the height of the entrance to the pitch from the tunnel to stop him bumping his head!

Derek from Dymchurch commented, 'What with the good weather and all these signings, it's been a difficult week for us moaners to find something to complain about.'

The official club site has now confirmed that Makienok has signed on a one year loan.