[ad_pod ]
Lee Bowyer’s achievements as Charlton manager cannot be understated – the former midfielder has guided the Addicks to a play-off final despite ongoing uncertainty surrounding his own future plus those of his players and the club as a whole and for that he deserves enormous credit.
The 42-year-old has got the SE7 outfit playing quality football with goals flying in from everywhere, although, if his interview on TalkSport is anything to go by, he’s done a lot more since being appointed in September than just get the best out of the 18 players in the dressing room each week.
What did he say?
Well, speaking on Wednesday’s Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast, Bowyer said:
“At the start of the season, the big thing for me was to try to bring the fans and players together because everyone knows there was a lot of negativity around the football club before I came in.
“I wanted to bring them back together and make sure they were part of the journey that we were going to go on. I honestly did believe that we had a good chance (of promotion) this season and to make our home ground a bit of a fortress.
“When you’re playing and you’ve got good crowds behind you, all the fans want to see is the players giving 100 per cent and that was something I demand from my players.
“The fans see that and then they come back and the place is erupting. The other night (against Doncaster), we filled The Valley for the first time in I don’t know how many years. It’s just been great from start to finish.”
Bowyer binds it all together
Indeed, before Bowyer took the helm, the club was in disarray – the genuine hatred towards owner Roland Duchatelet was tangible and The Valley was a toxic place to be, but he has almost single-handedly turned that around.
Check out what happened when two of Charlton’s best players faced-off in a game of ‘Splat’ in the video below…
Of course, the players deserve plaudits for the performances on the pitch but Bowyer’s positive attitude has, as he was hoping, brought the fans back onside, which may be even more important than simply improving the playing squad.
It’s looking likely that tickets for the crunch clash with Sunderland this weekend will sell out and that’s a prospect that most Charlton fans wouldn’t dare to even dream of when the season started.
Lee Bowyer has been more than just hero in the dugout, he’s been the lifeline the club was crying out for.