Former Addick tipped for top

One time Addick Jordan Cook is named as one of 'five stars of 2016' in today's Football League Paper. Cook is currently a 'super sub' for Walsall.

The FLP says: 'If you start him regularly, you will have dips in quality. [Certainly true at Charlton]. But he's always got a goal in him and plenty of strikers have made a good career without being the focal point of an attack.'

'He's not prolific like Tom Bradshaw. He's not as technically gifted as Romaine Sawyers. But he's physically strong, plays the game intelligently and gets vital goals.'

The FLP is surprised that a Championship side has not take a punt. Sign him up!

Contrasting fortunes in final for former Addicks

Two former Charlton players faced contrasting fortunes in the final of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy at Wembley yesterday. Jordan Cook tweeted that he was 'devastated' after Walsall lost 2-0 in front of 30,000 of their supporters.

However, he came close to scoring as anyone for his side. Walsall almost reduced the two-goal deficit when Cook looped a cross in from the left, which forced the keepeer to tip the ball onto the post.

At least, however, he was able to take pride in playing in front of his family at Wembley. Scott Wagstaff, a popular player at The Valley, was on the winning side, but was an unused substitute for Bristol City.

Bristol City have won the trophy three times, whilst this was Walsall's first outing to Wembley in their long history.

One of my companions on the journey down from the Midlands was an Addick who lived in Walsall. He now lives in Oman, which is warmer and sunnier than Walsall. However, he misses the Addicks and listens in to afternoon games at 7 p.m. local time.

Parzysek to sign

As I have tried to suggest in earlier postings, one should judge the transfer window when it was over. All the indications were that signings were in prospect and Sky Sports News has announced that the Addicks are signing 20-year old Polish striker Pitor Parzysek. He is currently with Dutch club De Graafschap where he has scored 23 goals in 42 appearances in the Eerste (2nd divison). The club have confirmed the signing on their website: Pitor . He is now listed as a Charlton player on Wikipedia.

He will be on a four-and-a-half year contract, so no half measures there. At 6ft 3 inches he sounds like a Yann replacement. He will have a medical tomorrow and may be available for Wigan.

As someone remarked, it's going to be tough for Big Dave Lockwood announcing the Charlton team from now on as the squad becomes more cosmopolitan.

Chris Powell has tweeted from the press conference, 'I want the fans to know we are battling hard and doing the best we can. We need their support.' That does not sound like someone about to walk.

Bradley Pritchard and Jordan Cook are to go out on loan. Joe Pigott may go on loan to League 1.

'Gucci' has now signed on a permanent deal, but he has not played for several months and is not match fit.

According to tweets from Richard Cawley, the deal for Dale Stephens to go to Brighton has been concluded. On Stephens, Chris Powell said, 'Brighton have made a number of offers and Dale has expressed his right to speak to them if the club agreed a deal - which the club has. Obviously I would like Dale to stay. Everyone has seen this season that he has been playing at the level we always thought he could. There's still a lot more to come from him. He has got all the attributes to be a top player in the Premier League.'

However, Rhoys Wiggins has signed a four-and-a-half year contract and is staying.

The Daily Mail has published a highly speculative piece saying that SCP and RD do not see 'eye to eye' on a number of issues. Although short of substance, it may not be wide of the mark: Powell

Addicks retain Crown Berger cup

Charlton retained the Crown Berger Cup with an emphatic 5-0 win over Welling at Park View Road in the traditional season curtain raiser this afternoon. There was an attendance of 2,140 in the warm sunshine. The Conference South champions were given a guard of honour at the start of the game. The Addicks played different teams in each half, but the lack of new signings was a contrast with earlier matches. The first half side were the 'probables' and the second half the 'possibles' and this is reflected in when goals were scored.

A heartening aspect of the first half was the hat trick scored by Joe Pigott with Yann Kermorgant the provider for all three goals. The first came after nine minutes with a deliciously weighted through ball from the Breton. He then went on to score a fourth before the break. After the break Wings winger Kieran Hughes-Mason forced Cedric Evina into a goal-saving tackle and keeper Dave Button had to make a fine save round the post just minutes later. In the second half Danny Green scored from the spot, after a cross from Jordan Cook had been handled, to make it 5-0. Cook later tweeted that it was great to see so many fans and good to be back.

Wings supremo Jamie Day now has Pigott in his sights, telling The Non-League Paper 'Hopefully later on in the season we may be able to loan him in.' Chris Powell commented, 'There won't be anyone going out in pre-season but we are open to potentially loan out a few lads as the season progresses.

Jordan Cook joins Glovers

Jordan Cook has faded from view at Charlton and he has now joined Yeovil Town on loan until April 17th. This may turn into a longer-term deal as promotion-chasing Glovers manager Gary Johnson has been interested in him since he was at Sunderland.

Johnson told This is Somerset: 'Our scouting system identified him as a player. We were going to take him on loan with a view (to sign permanently) but obviously Charlton took him. You’re obviously going to go to the Championship with the salaries that they are offering which are going to be higher than anywhere near what we could offer. It’s nice for us to have him now, it’s certainly cheaper, it’s doing the lad a favour, Charlton a favour and hopefully us a favour.'