Yesterday, reports that Charlton Athletic had been denied permission to speak with a new top target took a dramatic turn in their search for a new manager.
Dean Holden is leaving his position as manager vacant, and Danny Cowley, Michael Appleton, and Lee Bowyer have all received significant attention for the position. Des Buckingham, the head coach of Mumbai City, is reportedly the focus now.
Oxford-born Buckingham spent some time in the youth setup at Reading and his native club, but he never went pro. After turning professional at age 18, he moved to New Zealand and began coaching Wellington Phoenix before joining the international staff.
Before taking over at Melbourne City, he won the OFC Championship with the Under 20s and did it again with the Under 23s. Prior to moving to Mumbai, which is controlled by the same group as Melbourne, where he won the Indian Super League Winners’ Shield this season, he achieved a domestic double in the A-League. In May, the Indian Players Football Association named Buckingham Coach of the Year.
Dan Marsh, a reporter, claims that their approach to Buckingham was rejected. He said on X, “Understand Charlton have been refused permission to talk with Mumbai City head coach Des Buckingham. In spite of CAFC agreeing to pay the necessary compensation demands, City Football Group opposed Charlton’s approach because they didn’t want to lose Buckingham.
This appears to indicate that Charlton will resume their manager search a little closer to home as they attempt to turn around their woes. They have six points after their first six games, so they need to find a quick solution to avoid falling behind the rest of the division once more.
Author’s Opinion
Several good summer signings have helped Charlton’s League One team finish in the top ten, but even the strongest ship cannot sail without a captain. The longer the Addicks are without a coach after Dean Holden was fired, the more it hurts their chances of getting promoted.
They presently trail the top six by six points, which isn’t a massive distance to make up, but with a matchup against third-placed Stevenage coming up, they’ll be anxious to keep the distance from growing. Any less than four points from both games would put a new manager in an uphill position as we head into the fall. Shrewsbury and Wycombe are also up in September, two matches against teams in a comparable position.
The search for Buckingham might not be done, I fear. The coach might push for a transfer if he wants to move to England to try his luck, which would make it challenging for his employers to retain him.
Charlton Athletic’s request to communicate with the foreign manager was denied
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