Yes everyone is probably laughing at us but Richard Murray had to do what was right and that was replacing Les Reed. He should never have been any more than a caretaker and signing a 3-year contract last week was the cue for many level headed supporters to ask the question: 'What the hell is going on?'

I really feel for Les, he is a Charlton man and he is a good man and the majority of the players should feel ashamed of themselves as they bank this week's huge wages. They let Reed down, they let the club down and they have let the fans down. They've also let themselves down, but let them lick their pride at someone else's club. Charlton don't need them and I don't want to see them soiling our great shirt.

Les clearly had no respect in the dressing room, and I wonder how much the reported half-time tunnel punch up at The Riverside was the final nail in the coffin?

There is also some talk that the players were shocked by the reception they got during and after the Wycombe game, well under Reed I reckon if we'd lost next Wednesday they wouldn't have seen nothing on Tuesday and one can only imagine what another defeat against Villa would have entailed. I don't think Murray and Varney could have faced that, it would have been 16 years of fan-boardroom goodwill flushed down the toilet.

It will now be Pardew's job to decide which players are willing to sweat blood for the club and who aren't. I put more trust in him to evaluate that than I did in Reed. Likewise if we go down and it will still take a miracle for us to avoid that fate, then Pardew is a much better bet to bring us back up just as I'd rather him select players for our future, whether it's a Premiership or a Championship one, in the January transfer window.

The Argentinians aside, whom he clearly had no say in, Pardew has a record of buying hungry and ambitious young British players - Gabbidon, Collins, Mullins, Reo-Coker, Harewood, Ashton, Green, Mears, Etherington, Zamora, Konchesky and the signing of Sheringham who has had the same effect as our signing of Di Canio, except over a longer period.

Some cynics are already asking what will happen if we lose the next 6 games. I never had a problem with losing, if we are not good enough then we are not good enough. I can get my head around that but having no pride, belief or bollocks is something else and that is why Reed has gone. I expect Pardew to instill these qualities in the players because some of them have not always been bad players and yes West Ham have struggled this season too, but interestingly West Ham fans felt sorry for Pardew when he got fired, a bit like we did with Dowie. I also think they admired his inner strength and belief plus his unfaltering commitment to play good football.

We will have to wait until Monday for more meat to the bone but I question what will happen to Mark Robson, Mark Kinsella, Andrew Mills and John Harbin. Robson has to except some of the blame for this season, and like Reed may have been over promoted. What's the odds of Keith Peacock rejoining us? It was Pardew that took him to Upton Park and his role has probably been diluted since Curbs arrived with Mervyn Day.

So one manager in 15 years and now 3 in a few weeks. If Richard Murray is planning to write a book then put me down for an advance copy.