Arsene Wenger’s highly talked about position of having a job for life at Arsenal often draws big debates, but do Charlton have their own manager that it would be foolish to sack.
Chris Powell, often referred to as Sir Chris by the Charlton faithful has done wonders in what compared to Wenger is a short period.
During the former left back’s first full season in charge of the club he masterminded League One success, romping to become champions. Was it the fact that at the third time of asking the Addicks had finally got themselves out of the third tier of English football, or is it the feel good factor that was employed back around a small pocket of South East London the biggest achievement of Powell?
While Powell is in his managerial infancy, he is already a Charlton great. Three spells at the club as a player his appointment as manager in 2011 was greeted as the return of the Messiah.
Okay, under the guidance of Powell for the 2010/11 season the club might have missed the play-offs by some margin but his first full season rubbished rumourings from sections that the appointment was not the right one.
Charlton are a club that might have the reputation of being rather unnoticed, living in the shadows of fellow London clubs, but this was when they operated best. Under Alan Curbishley’s 15 years in charge Charlton enjoyed eight successful years in the top flight; however since his departure, Charlton have seen Ian Dowie, Les Reed, Alan Pardew and Phil Parkinson all unable to replicate the success of their predecessor, which saw the club fall to League 1 after two relegations in three years.
What the South Londoners now need is to get consistency back into the club and under the guidance of Chris Powell that might well have been found.
The final game of last season the club lifted the League One trophy in-front of a packed Valley, the jubilant day was without doubt the greatest day for the club that has stretched back a period of seven years.
This season and the club, back on a solid footing financially and with the main objective this season being survival it looks likely that this will be achieved. We are around half way through the season and the Addicks are 11 points clear of the relegation zone with signs only pointing in a positive direction.
Under Powell’s guidance big name signings are once again gracing the famous Valley turf, Ricardo Fuller and Emmanuel Frimpong is proof that the former chairman of the PFA carries a certain amount of pulling power to draw big names back to The Valley.
The mantra at Charlton is to play for the shirt and to fight for every point. “That was how it was when I played here, so there’s no point changing it now that I am manager,” said Powell.
When Tony Jimenez took over in the boardroom his mission was to get the club back with the elite of English football and in Chris Powell they have a man that can very well epitomize the long term mission statement from the owners. With a managerial consistency and a steady building phase on the pitch, employing Powell where he has a job for life might reignite Charlton’s eight year fling with the Premier League in the near future.