This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…
When things are going well in football, there is always the possibility that everything could come crashing down.
The manager could get poached by another club.
A star player could potentially want out.
Or simply, the pressure of maintaining such good form could overcome the players.
In this instance, the first point is the one under the spotlight as far as Charlton are concerned, amid James Nursey’s report linking Lee Bowyer with a move to Stoke.
Potters boss Nathan Jones has overseen a club-record winless run of 10 games on home soil at Stoke, and his job looks on the line as results show few signs of improving.
As a result, Addicks boss Bowyer has been linked with a move to the bet365 Stadium along with David Moyes and Chris Hughton – as Nursey mentions in his tweet – and it is something that the south Londoners will simply have to get used to.
Bowyer has worked miracles since replacing Karl Robinson at The Valley, taking a side languishing in ninth place in League One – with just one win in their last eight games – to a side now sat sixth in the Championship following a start to the season that merited four wins and two draws from the opening six games.
It is always attractive to prospective suitors to see a manager perform such a significant transformation, while Bowyer’s work under tight financial restrictions with Roland Duchatelet looking to sell the club only adds more gloss to his work.
Clubs such as Stoke will presumably look at Bowyer and think: “If he can do that with such little resources, imagine what he could do for us with a bit more money”.
Nationality arguably makes Bowyer that bit more desirable too. While foreign managers can often do a fantastic job – such as Daniel Farke and David Wagner – knowing the nuances of the English game and being aware of good-value players in the lower leagues can go a long way to being successful in the Championship.
Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder is a fantastic example of the aforesaid. The Blades manager navigated his side into the Premier League from League One with a predominantly British side, his vast experience in the English game proving fruitful.
Tellingly, this specific Stoke link comes just weeks after Bowyer was also linked with a move to Huddersfield after Jan Siewert was sacked by the Terriers, although they later appointed Danny Cowley.
Unfortunately, amid the good times at The Valley, these pestering reports linking Bowyer with a move away is just something the south Londoners will have to get used to.