Addicks boss Reed expected the sack

LES REED thought he was set to follow Iain Dowie out of Charlton when the phone rang on Monday but is determined to prove he is the right man to take the club forward.

The 53-year-old former technical director of the FA has been handed the task of guiding the Addicks to top-flight safety after Dowie was sacked after just 15 games in charge.

Reed brings an in-depth knowledge of the playing staff and day-to-day business of the club, having worked with former boss Alan Curbishley before departing for the FA in 1998, returning to The Valley in the summer as part of a new coaching structure.