Yann gives the lowdown on Duchatelet

Richard Cawley has conducted a very informative interview with former Valley favouriteYann Kermogant on his Subtack page.

You should subscribe to read it, but here is what the Breton had to say about the barmy Belgian:

“I would say within a few weeks I could see he didn’t have a clue about football. He didn’t understand it - and especially not English football.

“After a few meetings - I think Chris Solly was there for one - and he (Duchatelet) was talking about swapping players from a different league, he had other clubs. He said: ‘I’ve got another right-back at another club and I can bring him here - it will be fine, he is a good player’. I was thinking: ‘Your guy is not even playing in this league and you think he will come to the Championship and help us? I don’t think you understand the toughness and competitiveness of it’.

“I couldn’t stay under this guy (Duchatelet). He didn’t want me to be there."

“I had been promised a new deal by the manager at the time. I think there was maybe a question about giving me three years and he (Duchatelet) didn’t want to give me the money I was asking for and felt I deserved."

Lead cut to five points

Charlton's lead at the top of League 1 was cut to five points after they drew 1-1 at Walsall while Sheffield Wednesday won their game.    However, we are eight points above third place while the Invincibles lost at home to Bournemouth.

Walsall went ahead from a corner, but a cross from Ephraim enabled Kermorgant to equalise with a header just before the break.   Danny Hollands’ fine flick saw Hogan Ephraim scamper down the left and, with Lee Beevers backing off, the winger delivered a superb cross for Kermorgant to score.

Hollands did not make the best of a good chance on 68 minutes.  The midfielder was left free in the middle from Kermorgant’s knock-down but could only plant his header straight at Walker.

Suddenly the game opened up and only Darel Russell’s goal-line header denied Sadler’s curling effort four minutes later after substitute Claude Gnakpa bulldozed his way through.

It was end to end stuff and the impressive Hollands volleyed over with 13 minutes remaining.

Ephraim hit the post towards the end of the game.

An Addick who was there commented, 'Dreadful refereeing, BWP given no protection. At one corner two defenders literally held him in the goal - shocking officials.  Solly was excellent Wiggins crossing poorer than usual, Green not at his best. Whole team took 15 minutes to start bossing it.    Pitiful attendance and zealous stewards.'

It's being so cheerful what makes me happy

Pessimism, negativity and complaining about your own team is a characteristic of football supports generally who tend to see the glass half empty rather than half full.   One suspects that it is a means of releasing other frustrations in their lives.

Charlton fans have something of a media reputation for being a particularly despairing lot, perhaps not so suprising given the club's history on the pitch, although the positive energy surrounding the Back to the Valley campaign showed another side of the coin.

However, I had been wondering how a negative narrative could be constructed around our present position.  I suppose one could argue that if we hadn't drawn at home with Tranmere and lost at Stevenage we would be six points clear.

Pessimists have come up with the argument that just because we are first now doesn't mean we will be at the end of the season.   Incontrivertibly true, of course.   They go on to argue that we can't feel confident until we are mathematically certain of promotion.

Nothing is certain in a long season and there is tough competition in the shape of Huddersfield and the two Sheffield clubs.   We tend to have difficulty coping with physical sides who play negative football, not helped by officials failing to act on blatant time wasting.

Nevertheless, here are a few reasons for optimism.   Bradley Wright-Phillips is a goal scoring machine (pessimists would point out that he could get injured or snapped up in the January transfer window).   Kermorgant has added value to the side, showing that Chris Powell can see beyond a poor penalty.  The midfield is not perfect but a lot better than it was last season.   Rhoys Wiggins is a real discovery and my player of the year so far.   Our central defence looks more solid than it has been since the days of Richard Rufus and Jorge Costa.

And it's mild for November, saving on all those heating bills.

Yann Kermogant signed

French striker Yann Kermogant has signed (I think that his name is spelt incorrectly on the club website).  A free agent, Chris Powell knew him when he was coaching at Leicester. Apparently he struggled to adjust to life in England, but then he was in Leicester.

He went on to play on a season-long loan for French club Aples-Auvignon who were relegated from Ligue 1 last season.   The 29-year old has scored four goals in his last 29 appearances, so he is hardly a hot shot, but there have been calls for an additional striker.   Apparently he impressed earlier in his career at Grenoble and Stade Reims.