Who Says Losers Can't Be Winners?

Want to be manager of a football club? One that gets 20,000 spectators a week to their south Laaaaaandon home? A team that just a few years ago was in the Premier league? Easy, all you have to do is fail to win one single game in 8 as caretaker manager and the gig is yours.

Yesterday morning Charlton gave caretaker manager and former Alan Pardew assistant Phil Parkinson the managers job. How did Parkinson earn the job at a club the size of Charlton? He failed to win a single game of his eight as caretaker. His record included 5 defeats and 3 draws. Wow. There's hope for Paul Ince yet.

So why did Charlton appoint 41 year old Phil Parkinson when his temporary tenure has helped Charlton maintain their position as the strongest team in the league. The club are holding up 23 others while rooted to the bottom, 5 points from safety.

It's simple. Charlton are skint. They don't have a dime, let alone a dollar and in Parkinson they have a guy who has been promoted from league 1 before. That's right, Charlton have already come to terms with relegation to the third tier and they are preparing to get back up. Charlton were forced to sell many players in the summer, their best in fact, and this season has been one big struggle. Parkinson was successful at Colchester, gaining automatic promotion to the Championship but a short spell at Hull was a failure, and Parkinson was replaced with Phil Brown after just six months.

I have to say, it's a bit of shame to see a club the size of Charlton just roll over and die, but they cannot afford a new manager, or any new players. Parkinson was right there, he was cheap and he wanted the job. If they had chosen a new man and the much hyped honeymoon factor didn't kick in, then they would have to back a manager at a level of football that man may not have experience at. Besides, Parkinson knows the squad and understands his non-existent budget. A new man would surely want to sell players and bring in new ones.

It's not all doom and gloom, Parkinson IS proven at league 1 level and the Addick's will try to copy Leicesters blue-print for an immediate bounce back. Leicester are currently top of the League 1 table and looking good to return to the Colaship after just one season. Lets hope Charlton can do the same, they have enough time to prepare, after all we are only 1/2 way through THIS season. But can't they survive Bigus? It's only five points to safety right?

Survival would take a miracle. They have won just 4 games this season and will not be able to spend in the window. With the exception of maybe Southampton, all of the other teams within reach have a budget for January signings and will look to strengthen and improve their teams for the second half of the season.

Charlton have tough games coming up against fellow strugglers Forest (who have just appointed a new manager in Billy Davies) in a true 6 pointer, a trip to Sheffield and a visit from Crystal Palace who are looking to make the play-offs this year. Then it's 2 away games including a trip to high-fliers Burnley.

Should Charlton slip to 8 points adrift from safety they can kiss goodbye to their Colaship status. The table never lies.

Bigus.