Andy Scott “very comfortable” with short-term Charlton deal – but determined to secure longer stay
Andy Scott has said he is “very comfortable” initially to only have a contract as Charlton’s new technical director until the end of January.
The 50-year-old, born in Epsom, had been head of scouting at Forest until October but was dismissed along with head of recruitment George Syrianos after a review of their summer transfer business – 23 players were signed in the window – by owner Evangelos Marinakis and new sporting director Filippo Giraldi.
Scott says he was approached about the role by new chief operating officer Jim Rodwell.
Asked about the structure of his Charlton deal, Scott told our paper: “It was completely mutual.
“We discussed what it would look like. Jim asked me to come in, be involved in the football club and primarily the key area is recruitment in January and helping Steve [Gallen] – work with the staff we’ve got to ensure we improve the squad.
“With the funding we can have in January to try and strengthen the squad, I was quite happy going to the end of January and if it all works well and everyone is happy with everyone’s working, and we’re all of the same mind, then that will be extended. And I’d love to think it will be a lot longer contract.
“But the initial concern is making sure we get into January and we need to work now. I’m very comfortable with it.”
Scott, like Holden, says he is coming into the role knowing some of the issues that have vexed the fanbase.
“We understand the history of this football club and what the fans have gone through,” said Scott. “I don’t think there is a club in the country who have had fans, over a prolonged period of time, have had what has happened to this football club.
“But the fact that four of us have come in with defined roles and responsibilities means that we are able to get on with our job without any interference from anywhere else. Whereas that’s probably what the fans have understood before – no-one has being doing the job they are actually supposed to do.
“We can only commit to the jobs that we’re doing and be judged on what we do over the time we are here. That’s going to take time. We understand, from a fans’ view, that they are going to be sceptical about what it looks like. We can only do our job, as best as we can, and hope we win them over and prove we’re capable of being in charge of their football club. It is their football club. They are the life and soul of it, we need them on our side.
“We understand their frustration and their negativity. There are going to be questions and things they don’t know or we can’t answer. We’ll answer as many questions as we can, as honestly as we can with the answers we’ve got.
“If I was to start interferring in Jim’s role or trying to tell about investment I don’t know about then I’m muddying the waters a little bit and giving more questions than answers. So I want to stay in my lane and prove I’m good enough to do my job, Dean is good enough to do his job and Jim and Ed equally – that all comes together to make us move forward.”
PICTURE: PAUL EDWARDS