"We've got a list of targets, the scouts will be out on the road, we'll be making enquiries and we will hope to improve and strengthen, widen and deepen our squad in January like everybody else.
"We're looking for a number of players but I'm sure that most other clubs will be looking at the same players, so we have to see how it pans out because we don't want to just bring players in for the sake of having more bodies around.
"We want the right players in the right positions and I'm sure we'll have some competition, but I'm hoping that we'll be able to bring three or four new players in. We'll also be able to bring Simon Walton back from Ipswich so there could be four or five new faces around in January."
And that message was also extended to the man who brought Bent to SE7, former Charlton manager Alan Curbishley, who himself signed a new contract this week with West Ham United.
Les said: "I'm looking all around the team really but we do need to strengthen our attacking play. That's not just up front, though, that's also in terms of midfield players or widemen who can score goals.
"The midfield is a key area for us, and we probably have the fewest strikers in the league, out-and-out central strikers, so we have to improve on that as well.
"I expect that a number of clubs will show interest in Darren because he's a top proven Premiership goalscorer and we all want those - but I have him.
"It wouldn't surprise me if West Ham, along with others, show an interest but our intention is to keep Darren here and scoring goals for us.
"Alan will know how determined we are to keep him and may decide he'd be better off focusing his attention elsewhere rather than wasting his time coming here."
Reed, who previously worked for the Addicks as first-team coach under Curbishley, added: "Alan's an East London lad like myself, born up the road from West Ham and played there, so I suppose it was inevitable that the vacancy would turn up at the right time - and it has and I'm delighted for him.
"It's a big challenge for both of us. I hope he does very well, but not quite as well as us."
Home | Away | |||||||||||||
| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | GD | PTS | |
| 1 | Man Utd | 17 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 20 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 5 | 29 | 44 |
| 2 | Chelsea | 16 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 5 | 17 | 36 |
| 3 | Portsmouth | 17 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 16 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 28 |
| 4 | Liverpool | 17 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 8 | 28 |
| 5 | Bolton | 17 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 27 |
| 6 | Arsenal | 16 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 16 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 9 | 13 | 26 |
| 7 | Reading | 17 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 12 | -2 | 26 |
| 8 | Aston Villa | 17 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 4 | 25 |
| 9 | Tottenham | 17 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 14 | -1 | 25 |
| 10 | Everton | 17 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 12 | 3 | 24 |
| 11 | Wigan | 16 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 11 | -1 | 22 |
| 12 | Man City | 17 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 19 | -6 | 20 |
| 13 | Fulham | 17 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 20 | -11 | 20 |
| 14 | Newcastle | 16 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 9 | -3 | 19 |
| 15 | Middlesbrough | 17 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 12 | -8 | 17 |
| 16 | Sheff Utd | 17 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 9 | -9 | 17 |
| 17 | Blackburn | 16 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 11 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 9 | -7 | 16 |
| 18 | West Ham | 17 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 16 | -14 | 14 |
| 19 | Charlton | 17 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 21 | -15 | 12 |
| 20 | Watford | 16 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 13 | -10 | 11 |
| | | |
"I've really enjoyed my time at the club and that has made it a much harder decision than it might have been.
"But they know how I feel about Charlton, which is my club. It's difficult to leave, but I'm very excited about coming back to Charlton."
On Tuesday May 30, 2006 Charlton Athletic appointed Iain Dowie to replace Alan Curbishley as club manager. Dowie left Championship team Crystal Palace after they failed to get promoted to the English Premiership following their loss to Watford in the playoffs.
Les Reed and Andrew Mills also joined the club as senior coach and general manager (football) respectively.Reed has a long affiliation with the south-east London club, having also worked with former head coach Alan Curbishley before departing to take up a role with the Football Association in 1998, replacing Howard Wilkinson as technical director in 2002.
He returned to The Valley during the summer as part of a new-look management structure under Dowie, but has now been charged with retaining the Addicks top-flight status
Reed, assisted by former Charlton winger Mark Robson, will take charge of the team for the first time at Reading on Saturday.
P | GD | PTS | ||
| 1 | Man Utd | 8 | 12 | 19 |
| 2 | Chelsea | 8 | 9 | 19 |
| 3 | Bolton | 8 | 5 | 17 |
| 4 | Portsmouth | 8 | 9 | 16 |
| 5 | Arsenal | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| 6 | Aston Villa | 8 | 5 | 14 |
| 7 | Everton | 8 | 5 | 13 |
| 8 | Reading | 8 | 1 | 13 |
| 9 | Blackburn | 8 | -1 | 12 |
| 10 | Fulham | 8 | -3 | 12 |
| 11 | Liverpool | 8 | 0 | 11 |
| 12 | Man City | 8 | -3 | 9 |
| 13 | Middlesbrough | 8 | -5 | 8 |
| 14 | Tottenham | 8 | -5 | 8 |
| 15 | Newcastle | 8 | -5 | 7 |
| 16 | Sheff Utd | 8 | -6 | 6 |
| 17 | Wigan | 7 | -4 | 5 |
| 18 | West Ham | 8 | -6 | 5 |
| 19 | Watford | 8 | -6 | 4 |
| 20 | Charlton | 8 | -9 | 3 |
The table shows us at the bottom but what it doesn’t show is that we have played the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and an inform Portsmouth and Aston Villa. While this is no excuse for any manager, this with a list of injuries can count for a lot.
At the 29th minute the tides turned, Hreidarsson leapt up for a high header and lead with his elbow, straight red card from busy referee Mike Dean. The home fans were not impressed. I have been to many home games last season and have never seen or heard the fans so vocal. Kevin Davies had not heard the last of this from the fans.
Scott Carson was the hero with a great penalty save from Diouf he dived to the right. The roar from the home crowd was something else would send shivers up your spine. This was justice and this game was not Charlton's for the taking. Davies who later was to be sent off was booed out of every ball. I saw him get the ball at one stage in front of me and the crowed just starting shouting at him, he stumbled and lost the ball. It was obvious that this was effecting his play. Davies was dismissed on the 72nd minute after a similar high elbow incident. He should have been sent off for the first one.
A penalty was awarded to Charlton in the 57 minute after Darren Bent went to ground. He took his shot excellently well and lets just say a new type of roar emerged from the crowd.Red Card offers a host of benefits which will last you through the whole season, culminating in the chance to take a tour behind the scenes at The Valley at the end of the 2006/07 campaign.
Here's the full list of what you can look forward to as a Red Card member:
He was omitted from the squad and was a frustrated onlooker as injured Michael Owen's exit left England struggling.
Full report on bbc web site:| Sat Aug | 26 | Bolton Wanderers 15.00 |
