On November 24th 2016, Charlton Athletic appointed former MK Dons manager Karl Robinson on a two-and-a-half year deal.

Then just 36-years-old, he had been one of the youngest managers in the Football League and spent just one month out of the game following his release by Milton Keynes.

It was seen as an exciting and ambitious appointment by the Addicks, who were searching for a route back into the Championship.

The club were already in the grip of Roland Duchatelet though, the owner who has driven them into the ground off the field.

There was an early fear that Robinson wouldn't be granted time or means by which to work his magic and get his side up the League One table.

The appointment itself wasn't the problem. Robinson was an up and coming manager who had outgrown MK Dons and suffered as a consequence. He needed a new challenge, but one that presented obstacles on the pitch, not off it.

Robinson is a fiery character and was never going to become the puppet manager that the fans suspected the owner wanted.

He did last longer than the 21 games they feared though, three times as many. He managed them for 74 matches, picking up a 38% win percentage and seeing them almost climb into the top six.

Rumblings of discontent were always there in the background though. Robinson wasn't backed as heavily as he might have liked and although the chairman didn't sack him, he did eventually leave prematurely by 'mutual consent'.

Frustratingly for the Charlton fans, he immediately took up a role at Oxford United.

History has perhaps made him a bit of a laughing stock. His spell at Oxford hasn't been a success and they've struggled all season, whilst a committed Lee Bowyer has seen the Addicks climb to within a whisker of the automatic promotion spots.

Bowyer has done something Robinson simply wasn't able too; restore some trust in at least one key figure at the club. Sadly for all concerned, Roland Duchatelet has so far gone nowhere at all.