In lieu of a proper salary

Charlton's quest for a new manager continues, four weeks since Riga resigned. It used to be so easy, huh, Katrien? Interview 24 prospects before breakfast, find a new Ferguson, awkward press conference, phew, off to Dubai for a week.

Not now. Britain's finest managers seem strangely reluctant to sign up. Currently Russell Slade is the bookies' favourite at 1/4. (I say "bookies". At the moment only SkyBet are interested enough to quote odds.) He's been in the frame for a couple of weeks now, and I can't help thinking that if that was going to happen, it would have been settled by now.

Maybe it's a question of control. British managers will be aware of the restrictions that come with the job and will be looking for strong assurances that their hands won't be tied/strings won't be pulled.

But I've no doubt it's also about money. Remuneration. Pay. It's widely believed that the club will be offering a very low salary in comparison to other clubs. It's rumoured that Rochdale offered Keith Hill more. Few managers will be happy with that, especially if they then have to manage players earning vastly more.

With network managers, like Luzon and Fraeye, you can understand they might have seen the Charlton job as a way into British football, and they'd accept a low salary against the prospect of future riches.

For British managers the job could be a way into the Duchatelet network. Once firmly inside, nothing you may do, however incompetent you may be, will get you thrown out, huh, Katrien?

But it's a poison offer. The network in general, and Charlton in particular, have nothing to attract an ambitious manager. No wonder it's taking so long.

Charlton 0 Burnley 3

The morning was spent reading a succession of tweets from people realising this would be their last visit to the Valley unless and until Duchatelet sells up. I joined in, feeling that mixture of anger and sadness that was apparent in those I read. I've had a season ticket for about 12 years, an eyeblink compared to some. And some of the stories of family memories - parents and children building a bond by their love of the club - were heartbreaking. So much history and commitment being thrown away by this most careless of ownerships.

My neighbour, a fan who can't make many games, had asked me to buy him a programme. So I did, for the first time since the start of the season, and what a shadow of itself it is. But what struck me most was the absence of any comment on the season by the ownership. Not a word of regret, far less of apology, from the woman who wrote in August last year that "there is no-one to hide behind".

I've said before and will continue to say it: while she remains in post it is impossible to believe that Roland Duchatelet has good intentions for the club. The highpoint of the day - possibly, sadly, the highpoint of the season - came when two fans draped a banner over the directors' box, pointing her out as a liar. For once the smirk left her face, and for once you might have felt some pity for her, but she can very easily avoid all this.

She should go, but she won't and even if she does it's too late.

Even a half-empty ground required a huge amount of security. Frail old men, long-term supporters, had to be frisked before entry. Netting in front of the covered end (possibly illegal). A huge number of stewards. Sniffer dogs, for god's sake. This is not a viable way to run a business.

The authorities were well prepared to prevent a pitch invasion. As full time approached, they sealed off the covered end. But once again Charlton's protest movement showed its commercial nous. Not content with picking up the sponsorship that the club so carelessly lost, it proved adept at outsourcing, getting a northern outfit to run the pitch invasion. Not the police and stewards' finest moment: they sent everyone down to the front of the covered end as full time approached. Who could have imagined that the Burnley fans might want to celebrate seeing their team win the title?

They poured onto the pitch and then something wonderful happened. While some made futile efforts to pull down the netting, others gathered in front of the directors box, protesting against Duchatelet. Eventually any Charlton fan who wanted to got on to the pitch, and both sets of fans joined in the strange mixture of celebration and protest.

The fans sofa - a symbol of the regime - was ripped apart joyously. The Police and stewards regained some composure and common sense and let it happen then gradually shepherded the fans towards the south-west corner exit.

A day that had seen so much anger and sadness ended with a vague feeling of triumph. No doubt left about the Charlton fans' feelings, but no serious trouble, thanks largely to the supportive involvement of the Burnley fans, which won't be forgotten.

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Duchatelet

Two years ago, for no good reason,
Arrived Roland Duchatelet.
He's not been to a game this season.
I wish, I wish he'd go away.

In business he's a boss, a winner:
Bravo, Monsieur Duchatelet!
In football he's a mere beginner.
I wish, I wish he'd go away.

His decisions have all been appalling,
Thanks, Mijnheer Duchatelet.
And with the third division calling
I wish, I wish he'd go away.

His skin is like that of a rhino:
Pachyderm Duchatelet.
He's mad. He thinks all's fine. Oh
How I wish he'd go away.

He surely can't ignore forever
The hatred that we send his way
And one day, better late than never,
We'll say Adieu Duchatelet.

Charlton 1 Brighton 3

It's my unimaginative habit to use the scoreline as the title of match review postings, and I'm stuck with it, but I had to think for a moment what the score was yesterday. Another heavy defeat - the 14th time this season Charlton have conceded 3 or more - was irrelevant to the home fans, who gladly saw the points go to a Brighton team whose supporters were magnificent in joining in with the protests.

@CharltonCARD Mega gallery from today’s CARD protests  https://t.co/OAvaKODWIE #cafc pic.twitter.com/4ZipsBagU1

— Keith Gillard (@KGtopsnapper) April 23, 2016

The fires of protest had been stoked in the morning by the revelation that in January Katrien Meire had drawn up an agreement for Chris Solly to go on loan to Gillingham for the rest of the season; an agreement that he had flatly rejected. Funnily enough he wasn't in the squad. Presumably he was sat on the naughty step with Stephen Henderson, with a space saved for Johnnie Jackson, in the squad but not used. His manner on the touchline was silently eloquent, though, making it clear he supports the aim of the protest. He's made a very public commitment to being at the club next year, making it defiantly clear that if he isn't, it won't be by his choice.

I'm fairly sure Duchatelet would like to get rid of him, but Jackson's statement has made that a deeply poisonous action. Doesn't mean he won't do it, of course. Every day Katrien Meire remains in her job is an insult, but there she is, grinning unscathed while she wrecks the club. Every game that Duchatelet doesn't attend is an insult, but there he isn't, once again.

No-one really knows if Duchatelet is interested in selling the club. Even if he wants to, he'll be hiding his cards. He'll deny any interest, while leaking out inflated estimates of what it would cost to prize the club from his loving embrace. In the two weeks of season that remain, we've got to convince him to leave it, Roland, it ain't worth it.

Next week, at Leeds, the mad-owner derby is likely to be nothing more than a curtain-raiser for the game that's already being billed as Judgement Day. Truth be told, Judgment has already been made. We're just waiting to see what punishment follows.

Melexis

Melexis is one of Roland Duchatelet's firms. To celebrate its AGM today, I looked at some reviews of the company by people who have worked there. Here are some of those opinions.

A business development manager wrote:

Very very very slow ... No business acumen and stick in their slow and dated ways DONOT have the Silicon Valley apples and culture which is detrimental to success

A manager wrote:

slow/ stuck in their own old ways. Change is not almost but certainly impossible , decision have to be mulled over to death and then some

A former employee:

Advancement relies heavily on internal politics. Difficult to advance if you haven't made the favorites list.

Twelve percent of ex-employees would recommend the company to friends. (Damn! I really hoped that would be two percent.)

The comments begin to sound familiar:

The ownership is very cliquey, and this is reflected throughout the management hierarchy, ridiculous project schedules, unspoken expectations for long hours, only way to move up is to suck up. Merit pay is based on things beyond the average person's control, and reviews are only good if you're helping your manager look better than they are (most are pretty bad at their jobs, here). Everyone I've met, seems tired of bad management.

Embittered ex-employees really are everywhere, aren't they? 

Relegation rage

The other day my roll of cling film finally ran out. It had been coming a long time, the roll getting thinner and thinner on its cardboard tube, but it was never possible to tell just how long it would take. As I pulled off the final piece I felt relief that I could at last move on to the next roll, and I thought this is how it will feel when Charlton's relegation is finally confirmed. How wrong I was.

The sheer anger I felt last night took me by surprise. When there was absolutely no hope left of a miraculous survival all that was left was rage at the incompetence and arrogance that have brought Charlton to this. I won't go through the list of disastrous decisions that led to last night's relegation. They've been well documented over the last 30 months, but we might sum them up as every decision being the wrong one.

Less surprisingly, Katrien Meire's statement - which was presumably written a few weeks ago ready for use when needed - made things worse. She has a knack for that.

We apologise for our mistakes

Sharing the blame. When things go wrong it's somehow everyone's fault. No sense of real personal sadness or guilt.

I and the club’s Senior Management Team will start the rebuilding work immediately. Our sole aim is to be fighting for promotion next season and our top priority is to put together a squad that can help Charlton Athletic get back into the Championship.

The last thing we need is She and the existing management team having anything to do with the rebuilding work. They've had two seasons to build a team that can survive in the Championship yet here we are. Even if Lennie Lawrence is appointed as Director of Football (in a blatant attempt at crowd-pleasing) there's no prospect that the overall approach to running the club is going to change; no acceptance that the way they've done things is fundamentally flawed.

This is not the time for excuses.

But I somehow think they'll start tomorrow or next week.

Big protests planned for Saturday. Between now and then, remember the anger you felt last night. Nurture it, put it in a warm cupboard, let it grow. Bring it to the Valley on Saturday.

Duchatology

Hey, heyey Ro-o-land! (ooh! aah!)
I wanna know (oh oh oh)
Why you're such a ...

I've spent a lot of time considering if Roland Duchatelet's football empire might be nothing more than a criminal organisation. I'm sure it isn't, but maybe it's more useful to think of it as a cult.

Let's start with the premise that insanely rich people start out by being insanely avaricious. Their avarice is fed, rather than sated, by their increasing wealth. Their wealth is proof of their worth: they are rich because they deserve it, not because of anything as dumb as luck. And when you've made a few fortunes through business, you might think you have the Midas touch and be ready to move into another sphere. 

The founder of a certain cult* is quoted as saying

I'd like to start a religion. That's where the money is!

Football is like a religion for many people, and there's far more money splashing around. Get a piece of that, your inner demons may whisper, and you can be even richer, have even more money that you could never spend in a thousand lifetimes.

With the Duchatelet organisation there's a clear expectation of reverence for the Leader, who is rarely seen among his people. He keeps away from the business end of affairs, surrounding himself with a trusted group of close associates. It's hard to get into that group, but once you're in, you're made for life.

Any criticism of the Leader is seen as heresy, and the heretics are accused of trying to bring down the organisation. They have to accept him as a benign, knowing figure.

The owner wants the best for Charlton. He does it his way and [the fans] need to accept that

The aims and above all the timescale of the organisation are deliberately vague. The Rapture is coming really soon, and Charlton will be swept up into the Paradise of the Prem, but for now, please be patient; your reward will come. Any setbacks on the way are just part of the plan: in time all will be clear.

There is, or was, a trace of a moral programme. The Leader might have thought that indignation at the absurd salaries paid to top players and coaches could be manipulated into support for a crusade against the system. Duchatelet has gone silent now on the line that he wants to reform football in Europe, and there's nothing to replace it. Certainly not a desire for success on the pitch.

Duchatelet chairs a board meeting

Cults fall apart, I suspect, when it becomes obvious they are driven by moneylust and ego rather than principle. It becomes clearer and clearer that it's all about the money for him. Making a Belgian billionaire even richer is not a campaign that's going to win many hearts and minds outside the charmed inner circle. It's not just that Duchatelet's project is failing, but that we've seen behind the curtain, and we know that Duchatelet's dreams, whatever they are, don't include you or me. So let's keep giving him nightmares.

---

*which is notoriously litigious, so shall remain unnamed