The shocking managerial appointment of Michael Appleton by Charlton Athletic is something the team should emulate from Portsmouth and Ipswich Town.
Louise Appere’s strike in the 97th minute on Tuesday night sealed Michael Appleton’s fate at Charlton Athletic.
Thanks to the 24-year-old’s goal, Jimmy Seed Stadium was filled with joy as former Charlton target Jon Brady raced down the touchline in celebration of his team’s victory, which moved the Cobblers to within nine points of the top six.
In terms of roster quality, Brady’s team leads Charlton by ten points, and the Addicks’ current standing is completely unacceptable.
Although Appleton wasn’t the best match for the team, the players must take ownership of their actions.
Since Lee Bowyer left to accept a job at Birmingham City, Johnnie Jackson, Ben Garner, Dean Holden, Nigel Adkins, and now Appleton have all failed spectacularly.
Aside from Jackson, the board has a history of selecting managers who have struggled in their prior roles: Holden at Bristol City, Garner at Bristol Rovers, and Adkins at Hull City.
Perhaps this is the appropriate moment for a change of approach.
Charlton Athletic ought to think about hiring a left-field player.
Fans of Charlton will surely suggest Nathan Jones or Michael Duff as the front-runners.
But it is worth thinking about going back to using managers who have failed in the past.
Football management in the modern era is drastically evolving.
Instead of designating a “manager,” clubs are increasingly choosing to employ head coaches.
Technical and sporting directors have more authority, and the head coach’s job is mainly to build the team rather than deal with all the off-field matters.
At The Valley, Andy Scott presently occupies the technical position, and his future employer will have a significant impact on his reputation. A safe play from Scott would be Duff or Jones.
There is a good possibility that the team may show improvement in the near future.
Both are contentious figures, though. Jones had strained relationships with the Southampton and Stoke City fan bases, while Duff’s standing with Swansea City supporters worsened prior to his dismissal.
Fans of Charlton won’t put up with a manager who can’t get along with them, as we’ve seen with Appleton. Before making a move for either Jones or Duff, Scott and SE7 Partners need to take that into account.
Success at Ipswich Town, Portsmouth, and Burnley stems from unconventional hires
In the EFL, left-field appointments—taking a risk on a full rookie—have grown to be the norm.
One of the first teams to offer a member of the Premier League backroom staff a chance was Ipswich Town.
With 65 victories since leaving Manchester United, Kieran McKenna has transformed the Suffolk club from a mid-table League One team to a legitimate contender for automatic promotion in the Championship. Town’s initial gamble has been amply vindicated by his 65 percent victory record.
Charlton and Ipswich were in comparable situations. A high-spending League One team is having trouble defining success and a long-term plan.
Portsmouth, who appointed John Mousinho, an active central defender for Oxford United, took an even greater chance.
With Pompey leading League One and the Fratton Park supporters fully behind Mousinho’s style of play and management, it was a risk that has paid off.
Making the appropriate decision for Scott and SE7 Partners is crucial, of course, but extending one’s search and adopting an unconventional approach may pay off in the long run by preventing a similar situation from happening a sixth time.
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