Saturday, July 07, 2007
Old, New, Borrowed, Blue
Another fun week of media watching, wondering if any of the rumours linking Charton with all and sundry players from any and every club who is looking to get their greedy hands on some of the cash that came our way in the Daren Bent deal are true.
Welcome home Chrissy Powell. Young Chris signed with Charlton for the third time and it does seem strange that he ever went away. We all love Chrissy boy, and he loves us. OK, Big Hermann's form (when his knees were fine) made it difficult for Curbs to play him a few years back, and we all understood why he went over the river to play for Pards at Upton Park. Strangely, that didn't last, as Pardew didn't offer Chris a decent contract after he helped them win promotion, and back from his loan spell he came. Now, it could be argued that Chris Powell is the reason why Charlton got relegated last season. Shocking, but possibly true! Let me explain. When Chris came back from West Ham, he was playing so well that Curbs moved our Icelander inside to centre back, with Chrissy doing a sterling job on the left. When Curbs left, Chris also moved on (to Watford), but Hermann retained his centre back position. Without the cover the Chris used to provide for him, Hermy wasn't so good, and his knees started to fail; Charlton used to lose; and ultimately we went down. I've heard lots of excuses for Charlton's relegation, but nobody thought this one up. So welcome back Chrissy. You will certainly help our centre backs (whoever they may be) and push Ben Thatcher for a starting berth in my opinion.
In as goalkeeper, comes the covered ends former best friend Nick Weaver. Now, everyone knows the history of Weaver and Charlton (if you don't, he gave it large when City won 1-0 at The Valley in our Championship year (when Joe Royle said City were the true Champions, ha ha), and then was on the end of a 4-0 drubbing the first game back in the Premiership, and a subsequent 4-1 thrashing at Maine Road where Jensen blocked a clearance over his head from 45 yards!), and you have to admire his front in joining a team whose fans used to bait him so delightfully. Whether he will be accepted is anothe rmatter, but only time will tell. It is obvious that Charlton needed an experienced goalie, and Weaver certainly fits this bill, but will he be number one choice (as I'm sure he expects) or will Darren Randolph be given a chance to fulfil his potential? I would have preferred Randolph being given the chance (as blogged previously) but I suspect now he will be bench warming, unless Weaver cocks up (which we don't want...). Some players join a club and have plenty to live up to; Nickey Weaver is one of those.
Also joining is another striker - Svetoslav Todorov - from Portsmouth. Previously one of 'Arry's favourites (palying for him at West Ham and Pompey), Sweaty has a reputation as a goalscorer, adn could come in useful. At his best, he could be a new Mendonca; at his worst, the new Djimi Traore! I suspect that Toddy (desperately trying to find the right nickname here...) will be used as a sub, coming on when we need goals and that extra cutting edge. His signing does make you wonder what Iwelumo and Varney are thinking right now...
Well did we or didn't we, or is it are we or aren't we? All the media seem to think we have signed 17-year old Israeli striker Ben Sahar from Chelsea until Christmas, but nothing has appeared on the official website confirming this. It coud be a done deal of course, but Pards wants his player to spend his pre-season in theStates with Chelsea, hoping some of the excellence will rub off on his young shoulders, rather tan slumming it at Sparrows Lane. Maybe, maybe not. I do think Charlton will take advantage of loans deals from the Premiership, but maybe that is the gap waiting to be filled in midfield?
Well I quite like it! It is the first Llanera shirt I've bought, as I have less opportunity to wear them these days, and it is nothing like the Internazionale strip it was purported to look like. Have we ever launched an away strip that everyone agreed looked good? Even the bright yellow ones needed sunglasses to be provided with them, and as for the brown training gear last year, that was dire. My favourite ever Charlton away strip was the green and black stripes that we wore in 1970 (when breaking our 34 away game win-less streak!), and there have been plenty of good and bad since; I just like the look of this one in the photos...
We did make three signings, but all three didn't cost us a single penny in transfer funds.
OLD
Welcome home Chrissy Powell. Young Chris signed with Charlton for the third time and it does seem strange that he ever went away. We all love Chrissy boy, and he loves us. OK, Big Hermann's form (when his knees were fine) made it difficult for Curbs to play him a few years back, and we all understood why he went over the river to play for Pards at Upton Park. Strangely, that didn't last, as Pardew didn't offer Chris a decent contract after he helped them win promotion, and back from his loan spell he came. Now, it could be argued that Chris Powell is the reason why Charlton got relegated last season. Shocking, but possibly true! Let me explain. When Chris came back from West Ham, he was playing so well that Curbs moved our Icelander inside to centre back, with Chrissy doing a sterling job on the left. When Curbs left, Chris also moved on (to Watford), but Hermann retained his centre back position. Without the cover the Chris used to provide for him, Hermy wasn't so good, and his knees started to fail; Charlton used to lose; and ultimately we went down. I've heard lots of excuses for Charlton's relegation, but nobody thought this one up. So welcome back Chrissy. You will certainly help our centre backs (whoever they may be) and push Ben Thatcher for a starting berth in my opinion.NEW
Two new signings this week, and both have brought plenty of comment, both positive and negative.
In as goalkeeper, comes the covered ends former best friend Nick Weaver. Now, everyone knows the history of Weaver and Charlton (if you don't, he gave it large when City won 1-0 at The Valley in our Championship year (when Joe Royle said City were the true Champions, ha ha), and then was on the end of a 4-0 drubbing the first game back in the Premiership, and a subsequent 4-1 thrashing at Maine Road where Jensen blocked a clearance over his head from 45 yards!), and you have to admire his front in joining a team whose fans used to bait him so delightfully. Whether he will be accepted is anothe rmatter, but only time will tell. It is obvious that Charlton needed an experienced goalie, and Weaver certainly fits this bill, but will he be number one choice (as I'm sure he expects) or will Darren Randolph be given a chance to fulfil his potential? I would have preferred Randolph being given the chance (as blogged previously) but I suspect now he will be bench warming, unless Weaver cocks up (which we don't want...). Some players join a club and have plenty to live up to; Nickey Weaver is one of those.
Also joining is another striker - Svetoslav Todorov - from Portsmouth. Previously one of 'Arry's favourites (palying for him at West Ham and Pompey), Sweaty has a reputation as a goalscorer, adn could come in useful. At his best, he could be a new Mendonca; at his worst, the new Djimi Traore! I suspect that Toddy (desperately trying to find the right nickname here...) will be used as a sub, coming on when we need goals and that extra cutting edge. His signing does make you wonder what Iwelumo and Varney are thinking right now...BORROWED
Well did we or didn't we, or is it are we or aren't we? All the media seem to think we have signed 17-year old Israeli striker Ben Sahar from Chelsea until Christmas, but nothing has appeared on the official website confirming this. It coud be a done deal of course, but Pards wants his player to spend his pre-season in theStates with Chelsea, hoping some of the excellence will rub off on his young shoulders, rather tan slumming it at Sparrows Lane. Maybe, maybe not. I do think Charlton will take advantage of loans deals from the Premiership, but maybe that is the gap waiting to be filled in midfield?BLUE
Well I quite like it! It is the first Llanera shirt I've bought, as I have less opportunity to wear them these days, and it is nothing like the Internazionale strip it was purported to look like. Have we ever launched an away strip that everyone agreed looked good? Even the bright yellow ones needed sunglasses to be provided with them, and as for the brown training gear last year, that was dire. My favourite ever Charlton away strip was the green and black stripes that we wore in 1970 (when breaking our 34 away game win-less streak!), and there have been plenty of good and bad since; I just like the look of this one in the photos...Up the Addicks!
Labels: Charlton
