Lyle Taylor’s Wembley words to Charlton boss Lee Bowyer: “How the **** did you get us promoted?”

BY RICHARD CAWLEY

richard@slpmedia.co.uk

Lyle Taylor reckons that Lee Bowyer’s approach to management was summed up by him refusing to accept the credit for Charlton Athletic’s promotion.

The Addicks are back in the Championship after a three-year absence following Sunday’s 2-1 League One play-off final win over Sunderland.

And Taylor says it is hard to put into words the job done by Bowyer, who worked under the lowest budget of any Charlton manager since Roland Duchatelet bought the club.

The Addicks’ top-scorer revealed his post-match conversation with his boss moments after climbing the Wembley steps to lift silverware.

“I said: ‘I don’t know how the f*** you done it – but you done it’.” explained Taylor. “He said: ‘It’s nothing to do with me – it’s you lot. I create the framework and you lot fill in the holes’. 

“I think that tells you who he is. He isn’t going to stand there and lord it and take all the glory and go ‘I’m the best manager in the world’.

“He will push it on everyone else but him, and that’s the type of person he is.”

Taylor is now a two-time play-off winner after also achieving the feat with AFC Wimbledon in 2016.

“When I sit back and I’m in Mykonos with a cocktail in hand it will probably dawn on me,” said Charlton’s Player of the Year.

“I’m not going to say any promotion is bigger than any other promotion. Yes, a promotion to the Championship is bigger than a promotion to League One. But the circumstances at Wimbledon, that was something spectacular. In the circumstances we have here, this is something spectacular. 

“I’ve had two of the best days of my life in this big, old stadium and who knows? Maybe one more promotion to the Prem. Trifecta – completed it.

“I’m so proud to have achieved what I’ve achieved and that’s down to my team-mates, absolutely nothing to do with just me. I’m one player in a team of 11, a squad of 18 and then a squad that is bigger than that outside of a match day one.

“Everyone just does their job, and when everyone does it to the degree we have then we are victorious at Wembley.”

Taylor admits that keeping Charlton’s squad together is “very important”.

But he added: “Will it be possible? I don’t know. 

“That’s not a question for me, I’m just a player. I run around, I wear nine on my back and try and score goals – that’s my job. I won’t get involved in the rest of it, that’s not me.

“I’m not looking at it [the challenge of the Championship]. I just want to go on holiday. I think I’ve earned a holiday. So I won’t worry about that now.”

Patrick Bauer’s late goal sparked scenes of delirium both on the pitch and in the packed Addicks end of Wembley stadium.

“I didn’t really know what to do with myself,” said Taylor. “Pat scored and everyone just ran off in separate directions! 

“Then I saw Johnnie [Jackson] there – he did about 40 or 50 yards in a split second. I’m sure we can get him fit and he’ll play next year. Player-assistant manager – there, I’ll give him that role.

“The support – wow. I don’t really know what to say, what a day.”

Taylor did not think that Charlton would recover from the early mistake by Dillon Phillips, whose lapse in concentration saw Naby Sarr score an own goal.

“I didn’t think we were going to come back from it,” said Taylor. “But this group of boys prove me wrong at every turn. I say prove me wrong, they prove the doubters wrong at every turn.

“I’ve never been wrong before – ask my mum. But they proved me wrong. They are something else entirely.”