London Football News

Charlton fans react with dismay to reports O’Loughlin is set to take over

Charlton are looking for their seventh manager in two-and-a-half years after the sacking of Russell Slade.

The Addicks are 15th in League One following Saturday’s 3-0 defeat at Swindon, and dispensed with Slade on Monday after just 21 games in charge.

In a brief statement, the club said it had made the decision to axe the former Leyton Orient boss “to give itself the best possible opportunity of achieving its number one priority – winning promotion to the Sky Bet Championship at the earliest opportunity”.

Ex-Southampton and Reading manager Nigel Adkins has been linked with the job but the bookies’ odds-on favourite, is unheralded Northern Irish coach Chris O’Loughlin.

The 38-year-old has been spotted at recent Charlton matches and last season spent a brief period in charge of Sint-Truiden, where Addicks owner Roland Duchatelet is majority shareholder.

But many fans on Twitter have been less than impressed with O’Loughlin’s potential arrival, comparing it to the so-called ‘network’ appointments of Jose Riga, Bob Peeters, Guy Luzon and, in particular, Karel Fraeye, who arrived with little managerial experience.

And some called for the protests aimed at Duchatelet and chief executive Katrien Meire – which have included throwing beach balls, balloons and small balls on to the pitch during matches – to be ramped up if O’Loughlin is appointed.




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