No short-term fix to secure Prem dream, warns Charlton CEO

NewsShopperSport

Chief executive Katrien Meire discusses Charlton's Premier League ambitions, causes for optimism at the Valley & the club's long-term plan in the final extract from our exclusive interview.

Link here:

http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/sport/13835925.No_short_term_fix_to_secure_Prem_dream__warns_Charlton_chief/

BPhasnohair

Great interview we might sign a right back for cover then again we might not. Might sign a forward but depends on players returning from injury and how well they do. If Peter Varney was to read this article he would not be lhfao

gilbertfilbert

It seems a responsible and realistic approach to me, particularly the emphasis on the academy and the refusal to gamble on massive transfer fees (cp Bristol City).

_nam11

If KM come out and said we are aiming for promotion this year, I am 99% sure she'd be slated. Lose lose...

cabbles

Here we go again. I respect their stance around stability and not spunking a large chunk of cash in one go, we all know how tough the Championship is to get out of. Spending big doesn't mean you will go up. However we've seen how caught short we've been with injuries and a smaller squad this season. In the interview she says we have the players to finish in the top half, and I agree with her if everyone is fit and firing, but we are a bit of an enigma as a team at the moment. We could go either way based on say the Hull & QPR games, and the very opposite Blackburn game.

The long term deal for players reference is good, we've protected ourselves in securing a transfer fee, but if a JBG or a Cousins does leave for decent money, it has to be reinvested in the team.

The academy idea is definitely one I support, but that really is playing the long game. When do you say you expect to see results. Youth alone wouldn't do it anyway. We will always have to compliment them with some experienced (good) pros. Yes going abroad enables us to buy more cost effectively, but again England and the Championship is a furious pace. I'm a bit worried about GL's slow passing game and the time it takes us to get forward. I would also say (but I'm not a poker player), the stakes have been raised financially now. The likes of Andre Gray for £9m etc means you'll have to raise your hand just to stay at the table. You could be cautious, but you'll just end up folding and not being in the final rounds.

I'm split between the appreciation up have for their continued financial support, stability and funding a loss making club, to one that thinks the only way you can turn a profit is by getting in the Prem. We're not going to get it improving the match day experience or through sponsorship by the Uni of Greenwich. All the money is in the Prem, that's the only way RD will see a return, and we won't be in the Prem with that squad.

Interesting times

Cardinal Sin

"No we can't set a time frame on it (plans for promotion), because by then our best players might have left." Eh? "Myself, Guy and the Board are very, very ambitious." All guff I am afraid. Hot air , just like that we might buy someone in the January window and then we might not.

Atletico Addick

cabbles said:

Here we go again. I respect their stance around stability and not spunking a large chunk of cash in one go, we all know how tough the Championship is to get out of. Spending big doesn't mean you will go up. However we've seen how caught short we've been with injuries and a smaller squad this season. In the interview she says we have the players to finish in the top half, and I agree with her if everyone is fit and firing, but we are a bit of an enigma as a team at the moment. We could go either way based on say the Hull & QPR games, and the very opposite Blackburn game.

The long term deal for players reference is good, we've protected ourselves in securing a transfer fee, but if a JBG or a Cousins does leave for decent money, it has to be reinvested in the team.

The academy idea is definitely one I support, but that really is playing the long game. When do you say you expect to see results. Youth alone wouldn't do it anyway. We will always have to compliment them with some experienced (good) pros. Yes going abroad enables us to buy more cost effectively, but again England and the Championship is a furious pace. I'm a bit worried about GL's slow passing game and the time it takes us to get forward. I would also say (but I'm not a poker player), the stakes have been raised financially now. The likes of Andre Gray for £9m etc means you'll have to raise your hand just to stay at the table. You could be cautious, but you'll just end up folding and not being in the final rounds.

I'm split between the appreciation up have for their continued financial support, stability and funding a loss making club, to one that thinks the only way you can turn a profit is by getting in the Prem. We're not going to get it improving the match day experience or through sponsorship by the Uni of Greenwich. All the money is in the Prem, that's the only way RD will see a return, and we won't be in the Prem with that squad.

Interesting times

I disagree, it's uninteresting.

“If in January we are doing well we’ll set a more ambitious target because, make no mistake, we are very ambitious but want to be realistic."... Makes no sense, because if we are doing well in January we probably won't need that investment.. however if we are in a relegation scrap, then we will, but we wouldn't be investing. Knowing JBG's ambitions as a young promising footballer, he won't be around this club for long... that's for sure.

Cardinal Sin

Taxi for Meire.

000__Jaaaaay__000

What a load of tosh.

PL54

cabbles said:

Here we go again. I respect their stance around stability and not spunking a large chunk of cash in one go, we all know how tough the Championship is to get out of. Spending big doesn't mean you will go up. However we've seen how caught short we've been with injuries and a smaller squad this season. In the interview she says we have the players to finish in the top half, and I agree with her if everyone is fit and firing, but we are a bit of an enigma as a team at the moment. We could go either way based on say the Hull & QPR games, and the very opposite Blackburn game.

The long term deal for players reference is good, we've protected ourselves in securing a transfer fee, but if a JBG or a Cousins does leave for decent money, it has to be reinvested in the team.

The academy idea is definitely one I support, but that really is playing the long game. When do you say you expect to see results. Youth alone wouldn't do it anyway. We will always have to compliment them with some experienced (good) pros. Yes going abroad enables us to buy more cost effectively, but again England and the Championship is a furious pace. I'm a bit worried about GL's slow passing game and the time it takes us to get forward. I would also say (but I'm not a poker player), the stakes have been raised financially now. The likes of Andre Gray for £9m etc means you'll have to raise your hand just to stay at the table. You could be cautious, but you'll just end up folding and not being in the final rounds.

I'm split between the appreciation up have for their continued financial support, stability and funding a loss making club, to one that thinks the only way you can turn a profit is by getting in the Prem. We're not going to get it improving the match day experience or through sponsorship by the Uni of Greenwich. All the money is in the Prem, that's the only way RD will see a return, and we won't be in the Prem with that squad.

Interesting times

Here we do go again

seth plum

A drink of water of an interview.

cabbles

PL54 said:

cabbles said:

Here we go again. I respect their stance around stability and not spunking a large chunk of cash in one go, we all know how tough the Championship is to get out of. Spending big doesn't mean you will go up. However we've seen how caught short we've been with injuries and a smaller squad this season. In the interview she says we have the players to finish in the top half, and I agree with her if everyone is fit and firing, but we are a bit of an enigma as a team at the moment. We could go either way based on say the Hull & QPR games, and the very opposite Blackburn game.

The long term deal for players reference is good, we've protected ourselves in securing a transfer fee, but if a JBG or a Cousins does leave for decent money, it has to be reinvested in the team.

The academy idea is definitely one I support, but that really is playing the long game. When do you say you expect to see results. Youth alone wouldn't do it anyway. We will always have to compliment them with some experienced (good) pros. Yes going abroad enables us to buy more cost effectively, but again England and the Championship is a furious pace. I'm a bit worried about GL's slow passing game and the time it takes us to get forward. I would also say (but I'm not a poker player), the stakes have been raised financially now. The likes of Andre Gray for £9m etc means you'll have to raise your hand just to stay at the table. You could be cautious, but you'll just end up folding and not being in the final rounds.

I'm split between the appreciation up have for their continued financial support, stability and funding a loss making club, to one that thinks the only way you can turn a profit is by getting in the Prem. We're not going to get it improving the match day experience or through sponsorship by the Uni of Greenwich. All the money is in the Prem, that's the only way RD will see a return, and we won't be in the Prem with that squad.

Interesting times

Here we do go again

Indeed. I can see the thread unfolding into the pro RD/anti RD based on that interview. Seems a lot of us are tiring of the model already. The comment about the Jan transfer that atletico raised above is a good one. We heard the same last year after the good start under Peeters. We will add to the squad if we are still in with a chance of the play offs come Jan. We weren't, we got rid of Peeters and we still had to add.

I don't know, I'm just caught between a fan that is grateful for the financial support, but not sure their approach will yield the promised land.

kentred2

lol surely something lost in the translation.

AshBurton

cabbles said:

PL54 said:

cabbles said:

Here we go again. I respect their stance around stability and not spunking a large chunk of cash in one go, we all know how tough the Championship is to get out of. Spending big doesn't mean you will go up. However we've seen how caught short we've been with injuries and a smaller squad this season. In the interview she says we have the players to finish in the top half, and I agree with her if everyone is fit and firing, but we are a bit of an enigma as a team at the moment. We could go either way based on say the Hull & QPR games, and the very opposite Blackburn game.

The long term deal for players reference is good, we've protected ourselves in securing a transfer fee, but if a JBG or a Cousins does leave for decent money, it has to be reinvested in the team.

The academy idea is definitely one I support, but that really is playing the long game. When do you say you expect to see results. Youth alone wouldn't do it anyway. We will always have to compliment them with some experienced (good) pros. Yes going abroad enables us to buy more cost effectively, but again England and the Championship is a furious pace. I'm a bit worried about GL's slow passing game and the time it takes us to get forward. I would also say (but I'm not a poker player), the stakes have been raised financially now. The likes of Andre Gray for £9m etc means you'll have to raise your hand just to stay at the table. You could be cautious, but you'll just end up folding and not being in the final rounds.

I'm split between the appreciation up have for their continued financial support, stability and funding a loss making club, to one that thinks the only way you can turn a profit is by getting in the Prem. We're not going to get it improving the match day experience or through sponsorship by the Uni of Greenwich. All the money is in the Prem, that's the only way RD will see a return, and we won't be in the Prem with that squad.

Interesting times

Here we do go again

Indeed. I can see the thread unfolding into the pro RD/anti RD based on that interview. Seems a lot of us are tiring of the model already. The comment about the Jan transfer that atletico raised above is a good one. We heard the same last year after the good start under Peeters. We will add to the squad if we are still in with a chance of the play offs come Jan. We weren't, we got rid of Peeters and we still had to add.

I don't know, I'm just caught between a fan that is grateful for the financial support, but not sure their approach will yield the promised land.

Last para spot on. Not pro or anti, just a life long fan. I'm so glad we still have a club to support, with some decent players, and every so often (perhaps for the first 5 matches of a season, sometimes at the end), some hope of achieving something better.

But now I feel sad. You need to trust the people in charge to have a coherent vision... in business, running trains, in a hospital, even managing a sports team as someone's hobby or social project ....and that just didn't do it. Sorry Katrien.

BansteadAddick

In the past when on a good run we added to the squad and took a gamble. Think Youds and Mills to see us over the line in 98. It freshens and keeps the squad going. If we had brought in two players before the Wolves game I am convinced it would have given us a lift to avoid the bad run. It is very unlikely in January that we will be anywhere near the top 6 so no investment again. And long term contracts are not so good when you want to dump a player like Vetokele. At the end of the day the crowds are dwindling which to me says the model does not work. People vote with their feet. KM would do well to listen to others in an effort to halt this decline.

Addickted2TheReds

I'm not the biggest critic of KM and RD out there, I'm quite indifferent if I'm honest. They do some good things, they do some very silly things. I'm a bit "meh" about them. A bit like how some people feel about CAFC at the moment, and I understand that.

However, one thing that really really grates me is a sentence that we've heard come from KM's mouth many many times;

"If we are doing well in January then we will re-assess" (not a direct quote).

I will never ever understand that. It's got to be one of the stupidest things I have ever heard!

If that is this so-called "long-term plan", then it will never succeed. Because we won't be in that situation will we? Is it realistic that we are going to cut costs wherever possible and have a very small squad that was stretched after about four games, and magically find ourselves in the play-offs in January, and then we'll invest??? Silly.

Six-a-bag-of-nuts

How deflating it is to hear that promotion is a long-term aim, unless we get lucky.
Even if you've got no chance you like to hear your owners/managers issue a clarion call at the start of every season that their ambition is to get promoted at the end of it.
Got to feed those hopes and dreams.
I suppose you have to admire her honesty and candour.
How many are going to be arsed to stick around whilst the club continues to shop in Iceland for a meal prepared in a Slow Cooker.

razil

Yup and players are so easy/cheap to get in January. It's more like if we're heading for relegation we'll (be forced to )splash out for an enormous sticking plaster in Jan

shirty5

No different to 12 months ago.

Mendonca In Asdas

I pretty take anything with a huge pinch of salt these days.Rolands not daft, he'll quickly suss out his plan is not working, and will realign his goalposts, to get the job does, when he realises we can't fund a promotion push with our academy.

Katrien is on a hiding to nothing, criticised if she says nothing, and when she does, she gets ripped to pieces.

It would be pretty dumb if she came out and said publicly, yep we're going to spend 15 million on transfers in January, and get this famous old club , back where it should be instead of those stripy Nigel's having it all their own way.

Bedsaddick

kings hill addick

Sadly, as much as I don't want to criticise her, the more KM says the more convinced I am that she is out of her depth. I never feel as though any of her PR helps her yet I often feel as though it damages her. She seems to open her mouth and put her foot in it.

golfaddick

cant always rely on a nugget or two coming through the Academy every season, sometimes you have to spend. Might as well give up on this season already as we will not be in a "position" in January for the board to re-assess things as the squad is too thin - it needed strengthening in sept - not January.

oohaahmortimer

This boring Belgian footballing experiment is full steam ahead as we hurtle ourselves along to dullsville

ct_addick

Don't understand RD....over 70 and not going to be around too much longer so with all his money he might take a shot and take us to the promised land! But no.....

cafctom

The whole January plan is ridiculous. You don't form promotion challenging teams half way through the season, and the whole 'there is always a team that sneaks in at the end' is just a strange myth.

If you want the Premier League, it isn't just a case of 'let's see how we do and take it from there', because that approach has mid table mediocrity screaming all over it

queensland_addick

ct_addick said:

Don't understand RD....over 70 and not going to be around too much longer so with all his money he might take a shot and take us to the promised land! But no.....

Maybe he plans to take it with him! I don't get it either, he could leave his kids with more millions than they know what to do with and not even scratch the bottom of his fortune. Why not splash out on a passion and have some real excitement in his later years. Signing good players like Gudmundson, Kashi, Watt, etc, is really just money down the drain if you don't back them up with strong enough cover. I can only conclude that Charlton is not his passion.

ElfsborgAddick

Cardinal Sin said:

"No we can't set a time frame on it (plans for promotion), because by then our best players might have left." Eh? "Myself, Guy and the Board are very, very ambitious." All guff I am afraid. Hot air , just like that we might buy someone in the January window and then we might not.

If they are so ambitious perhaps they will start by giving Luzon a new contract.

Total hot air from the solicitor.

ElfsborgAddick

Mendonca In Asdas said:

I pretty take anything with a huge pinch of salt these days.Rolands not daft, he'll quickly suss out his plan is not working, and will realign his goalposts, to get the job does, when he realises we can't fund a promotion push with our academy.

Katrien is on a hiding to nothing, criticised if she says nothing, and when she does, she gets ripped to pieces.

It would be pretty dumb if she came out and said publicly, yep we're going to spend 15 million on transfers in January, and get this famous old club , back where it should be instead of those stripy Nigel's having it all their own way.

All very sensible stating that they want to be careful with money. But football nowadays means you get left behind{and could get relegated} if you do not put your hand in your pocket.

andynelson

Cardinal Sin said:

"No we can't set a time frame on it (plans for promotion), because by then our best players might have left." Eh? "Myself, Guy and the Board are very, very ambitious." All guff I am afraid. Hot air , just like that we might buy someone in the January window and then we might not.

Nothing about making sure we keep our best players.

Off_it

There's nobody better than a football fan on a forum to spend someone else's money for them.

"Splash out", "go for broke", go on, you know it makes sense. "We're only 2/3/4/5/6/7 players away from a promotion chasing team, you tight bastard".

I guess it has always been and always will be so. Someone posted a picture of Phil Connors earlier in the thread. I'm having a "I got you babe" moment right now reading this.