This article is part of Football League World’s ‘The Verdict‘ series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
Steve Kean is the latest name to be associated with the vacant managerial position at Charlton Athletic, as per a report from the Daily Record.
The Addicks, who are now in search of a manager after parting company with Johnnie Jackson, finished 13th in League One in what has been chaotic season.
Kean, who has managed in England before, a two-year stint with Blackburn Rovers, is currently the academy director of Scottish Premiership club Hibernian.
Neil Lennon is another name who has been linked with the vacant managerial role at The Valley, with the Northern irishman currently the manager of Omonoia in the Cypriot First Division.
Three of our writers here at FLW have shared their thoughts regarding Charlton's reported interest in the 54-year-old...
Adam Jones
Considering he hasn't managed in England since 2012, this would be an extremely strange appointment and one they shouldn't pursue.
The fact he has managed in the Premier League has to be respected - but there must be better options out there that will provide the Addicks with long-term stability.
Taking a gamble on Kean could mean they are looking for another manager in six months and that isn't what the club needs at this stage, especially if they want to get themselves back in the second tier.
He endured real turbulence at Blackburn so he has shown he can handle pressure - but his time at Ewood Park suggests this wouldn't be the best move for the third-tier club.
Ned Holmes
I can't say I'm particularly convinced by this one.
There are plenty of younger and more exciting coaches available in the EFL at the moment and I just don't think this sort of appointment makes sense.
Kean last had a permanent job as a manager in 2014 with Brunei so I'm not entirely sure what has encouraged the Addicks here.
This could turn out to be a disastrous appointment and he's not the person I'd be trusting with looking to build toward 2022/23.
For the sake of Charlton fans, I hope this is just media talk.
Alfie Burns
This isn’t an appointment that strikes me as a particularly good one.
Charlton have opted to move Jackson on, which is fine if they are going to go out and make a statement with who they appoint as his successor.
There are some very good managers just becoming available like Michael Appleton, Tony Mowbray and Mark Warburton. Yes, a couple of those would be ambitious, but that’s how you get a drifting fanbase back on side.
Would someone like Kean really appease those who wanted Jackson to stay?
His spell with Blackburn was 10 years ago now and the underwhelming nature of how that ended hasn’t given him the chance to impress in English football again.
Look, sometimes it works and proves you wrong (Paul Ince at Reading), I just don’t see how Charlton fans are going to see this as a step forwards.