Bob Peeters, who has signed a one-year deal as head coach at The Valley, told the assembled press corps that he is a passionate manager who will not stay in the dug out during matches.

Peeters met the media for the first time on Monday morning.

Much of the focus was naturally targeted on the squad and the need to bring new faces in. Questions were also asked about the futures of both Michael Morrison and Diego Poyet. Peeters had this to say:

“We’d like him (Morrison) to stay, he’s a free player at this moment but we’ve made him an offer and are on speaking terms. I know he played fifty games last season so we’d like him to stay but it’s up to the player.

“We can only make him an offer and hopefully he will make the right decision,” said the new head coach before explaining the situation with Poyet:

“He is another player we are still talking with, he’s a very talented player and he showed that against a lot of teams last season.

“Again, we’d like him to stay but it’s up to him. We’ve made him an offer and we’ve stayed in contact since, so we hope he makes a good decision and stays with Charlton.

“We cannot do more than we’ve done, we try to contact him every day but we don’t want to push him. We hope he’ll be there for training on Thursday,” said Peeters.

The new gaffer went on to explain how things are progressing on the recruitment front:

“Coming as a new gaffer, the first thing is to look at players you know and who can do the job.

“The two players we have brought in – Yoni Buyens and Igor Vetokele – are ones I know but we are still looking for players.

“I know Vetokele very well. He’s a very talented player who was at Copenhagen and Yoni Buyens was one of the best midfielders in the Belgian league, he’s got a great engine and he can do the job in the Championship,” commented Peeters.

There has been no official announcement by the Addicks of a deal being completed for Vetokele. It has to be assumed the deal is very close to completion.

Peeters allayed the fears that some have about him having no say in player recruitment and had this to say:

“It’s not a one-man decision. I have my say in every player who is coming to play for Charlton. I have been informed about every player that has been followed or proposed.

“We still have people in the pipeline, so it’s looking good so far, but we need to finish the deals and if we can bring in those players I think we can do a good job this season.

“Everybody knows Dervite has left so we need to bring in one, maybe two central defenders and we are looking for some options in midfield and maybe another striker.

“I know from my experience that the Championship is a very tough competition, so the first thing I am looking for is people who are suited to play in the Championship.

“Everybody can beat everybody – you can lose from a bottom team but win from a top team.

“We need a good squad that can be competitive and be in the right side of the table,” explained Peeters.

There are maybe a couple of clues there about what might happen. Peeters mentioned Dervite leaving, but not Leon Cort. At this moment in time, Charlton have no contracted senior central defenders for next season.

Though Joe Gomez will do his pre-season with the first team, and Harry Lennon has made his first team bow, it is likely that the Addicks will want three experienced players available for the heart of the defence. It appears that Peeters is confident that Michael Morrison will stay with the club.

The head coach also mentioned the possibility of another striker arriving. He is known to like to have a target man as an option and Chris O’Grady would fit the bill.

The deal to bring the Barnsley frontman to The Valley is still very much alive, though no agreement has yet been reached with the player.

Charlton will travel to Wiltshire to face Swindon on Wednesday 30 July, the game will replace the cancelled match at Colchester, which was scheduled for the same date.

The Addicks last played Swindon on 3 January 2011 at The Valley, with the Robins running out 4-2 winners. The defeat cost Phil Parkinson his job.

Charlton last visited the County Ground on 2 November 2010. Johnnie Jackson, Joe Anyinsah and Paul Benson scored the goals in a comprehensive 3-0 win for the Addicks.