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Thursday, August 17, 2006

Monica's Marvels Take Shape

So another player, Spurs Andy Reid, joins the club, are rather limps in, as the Independent yesterday reports he´s currently injured. His best position seems in doubt but notes on the web says that "he usually plays left side of midfield but can also operate down the right side or just off the striker, he's 5 feet, 7 inches tall and of chubby build". I do recall him sending some wicked curling crosses from the right wing when we beat Spurs 2-0 in March 2005 and he did look more dangerous than our Dennis down the right. He has played 22 times for Eire which can't be bad for a 24 year old.

Having said that, £3m seems a bit over the top for a player with 27 appearances in one season with only 1 goal and who is obviously surplus to Martin Jol's requirements. But at some point we´ve got to start trusting Monica's taste and the deal has some history as Curbs was also after Reid in the January of 2005 while he was at Notts Forest but the asking price was too high and he eventually went to Spurs for £4m.

After the long drawn out deals for Faye and Traore this one has rather been a bit of a surprise but not when you think about it. The only position in the team without cover was Rommedahl´s, unless you paid any attention to Curbs´s use of Marcus Bent on the wing last season. So with Dennis failing to impress in pre-season its not really surprising that Monica should swiftly pounce, apparently beating Man.City into the bargain.

Thats the 8th new player for Monica this summer, after Gibbs, Walton, Hasselbaink, Faye, Traore, Bolonas, Carson and now Andy Reid all for a total of £7.5 million handed over and with 2 loan deals. An impressive total but we´ve spend more on 3 occasions, Curbs having spent a tidy £10.8 in 2001. And with 6 internationals and an Under-21 among them I can't remember a time when we had so many internationals in a Charlton squad. I make it a total of 17.

Bloody hell, we're in danger of becoming a "big club" after all!

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