I'm not going to jump on the 'why have we not signed anyone yet' but it does worry me that I read this board and there is more talk of music and personel topics than football. Don't get me wrong, most of it is a good read but I can't help thinking that in the past few years at this time of year we are all buzzing with excitment at new signings, possible signings and those on our wish list.
Looking at most other teams in the championship they do have this feel about them were as we don't. They all appear to have specculation surrounding them but all we have is news about former players moving about.
I understand we are skint, but at least this time last year we could get excitited (or not) about year long loans and targets. We come across as a club to be content with the hand we already have.
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I think the reason for the lack of transfer talk is purely because there are very few rumours to work off. I don't see it as being content with the hand we have got, just that we are having to be narrower with our searches, keeping cards close to chest, and still needing to offload rather than bring in.
As a seperate point, your right there is a lot of music and other stuff of late, at times probably a bit too much. Most of us don't mind the contrast but if there is anyone reading that wants to strip out all the non-Charlton related stuff, you can do so by changing Categories in the top-left from 'all categories unblocked' to 'General Charlton'
AFK I would slightly dissagree with the loans from prem clubs, most are well into there pre season and there are a lot of players who have not travelled, even some senior pros who will be moving on for fees. So I would say that the Prem clubs are as close as they could be in knowing who will be shipped out on loan.
I agree razil that it will be possibly a year for youngsters to come through, but worry that A) it could be to early for some of them and B) we get shafted like Palace did.
I would be over the moon if the likes of Thomas & Ambrose showed there prem class and took the division by storm, but if this does not happen the attendences will slowly drop, fans will get less patient, the youngsters will be affected, the better ones are sure to leave.
We need to stop the rot now or it will takes years to recover, if at all. Look at the likes of Leeds, Leicster, Sheff Wed, even Wimbledon to name but a few.
I didn't start this thread to be dom and glom, but the more I thought about answering the points the worse it has got!
Cheer me up someone!!
The music topics amongst others just help thing tick along...nothing much happening on the footie front, so to keep the interest on the site going I dont think its necessarily a bad thing...just an opinion, not meaning to dig anyone out.
I for one am excited about the new season, whatever happens in the next few weeks. Its a blank page & new chapter in my book. Too much negativity at times(not pointing any fingers here) & not enough optimism(though I know its not easy).
It'd be awful if fans started booing after the first 20 minutes of the Swansea match, if the team doesn't start as well as we want it to. It'd set a terrible precedent for the season, & may make our players a bit wary of playing at home, especially the young 'uns!
On the music front, its nice that people can discuss their music tastes with other fans. I don't see a problem if its actually in a 'not sports related' category. What I don't get is why people put it in the 'General Charlton' category. Can't a moderator move a topic to another category? In they same way a topic is sunk if it is a duplicate of another, longer serving thread, or locked? That way, all the CAFC stuff will remain CAFC stuff, & if people want to find music topics, or other non-CAFC or football related subjects, then they can look for it.
Just a thought......;-)
unpalatable as it is that scenario wouldn't surprise me at all. About 10% of our fans use messageboards like this and debate the issues and even if they don't agree can see the arguements for and against. The other 90% are going around asking each other what's going on, why havn't we signed so-and-so, why are we selling and not buying, where's the money gone etc etc and then they'll turn up and after 20 minutes and we're losing then they will start booing. In a way the Board needs to fess up and maybe dampen down expectations and tell it as it really is. For my part I'll try and keep Golfie under control but it ain't easy !!
I do every day Stefo, though obviously some slip through the net. Though it winds me up i have to spend time doing it at all, as i see it largely as posters being lazy and not bothering to change the category field. Some new posters don't realise there are different categories, so i try and let them know.
If you have started a post and realise its in the wrong category, you can still go back at any stage by pressing edit, and changing it to the right one.
i don't agree with oggy or Nug.
Until we sort out the midfield we will be f**ked.Currently our centre midfield consists of
Holland - an aging battler who's legs are going and can only pass 5 yaerd sideways.
Shelvey - a 16 year old star who everyone is pinning their hopes on who has played just 2 legues games and who (so we have been told by our reliable management) will not play everygame.
Sinclair - who was loaned out for most of last season and the games he did play for us looked completely lost,
Racon - hardly played last season so jury's out but hardly a midfield dynamo.
Wagstaff - 18 year old with 2 games under his belt
If anyone would like to disagree, then please do. But I have no faith in this current maangement team until they do what they said they wee going to do in May - steal a march on the oppostion & sign players in departments that need strengthening. So far we have replaced a centre half (Hudson for MCCarthy) and brought in another non-league striker.
And you wonder why I moan........jeez.
You paying for it then?
House of Cards
No-one is signing anyone at the moment until the Premier League clubs starts the cash flowing.
Darius 'Barn Door' Henderson for £2mill??
Anthony Gardner for 2.5!!!!
No wonder football's losing it's appeal if these types of *very* average players are being valued like that.
Anyway it's about time youngsters where given a genuine chance at this club
What I do agree with you about, is the fees some clubs are starting to pay for very average players. Watford have done very well for themselves to get £2m for Henderson, who I believe is a much lesser player than a certain Marcus Bent. Personally, I would rather see our club bringing the youngsters through rather than waste huge amounts of money on journeyman players. We have already seen what effect that has had on us!
If all our supporters are aware of this issue, you can be damned sure the management team are also.
Sure it'd be great to go out and sign that missing link - the all action, swashbuckling box to box midfielder, with the crunching tackle, perfect passing and venomous shot, 10 goals a season.
So who is it, is he available and can we afford him?
Because let's face it, if he's that good, he's already playing in the Prem.
Other than that, we have to see who's shortly surplus to Prem requirements or we have to grow our own.
As I see it, Golfie - we are one player away from being a very good team, not plummetting to disaster.
And in the meantime, still reasonably equipped to have a decent season.
with Reid last year we were top 6 material - he left and we became mid table.
I said it then & I'm saying it now - if we don't get in a similar player to replace Reid we will not get into the play-offs.
Joss Wright *& Johnjo Shelvey are good , young players - but even Pards says that they aren't going to play every game - and what happens if one gets injured early on in the season - say Sept when the transfer window is shut ?
Golfie for once does have a point - that we need a strong ball-palying midfielder who can create a few chances here and there. Mostly what we need is a stronger collective spirit in the team. Hopefully having had a season together last year they'll come on as a unit this year.
I wonder why you bother......
But where do we find him, can we afford him - and would he want to sign for Charlton?
If the right player is not available or beyond our budget, then what?
We've still got the nucleus of a good team - and no reason why we can't be there or thereabouts.
My personal opinion is that we need the proper warhorse holding player:
Holland - not got what it takes any more
Semedo - Simply not good enough
whether Josh wright/Jonjo can play any part in that remains to be seen
My personal opinion is that we need the proper warhorse holding player:
Holland - not got what it takes any more
Semedo - Simply not good enough
whether Josh wright/Jonjo can play any part in that remains to be seen
BTW, all wish me luck for my trip to Brighton in Golfie's car. It'll be more entertaining than the game I reckon !!
There are times when a calculated gamble has to be made and now is time, whether the money comes from the Directors, who I acknowledge have already shelled out a lot or from the Bank we need to spend £3-4m to get that type of player so we can have a chance of promotion because without it we don't stand a chance.
I totally disagree with your assessment of Semedo. Until he was dropped to make way for Holland, Semedo was putting in some excellent performances.
Agree we need to spend around 2-3m BUT it's more likely to be 300/400 thousand imo
However if, as is appearing increasingly likely, we are lumbered with him then we should play him. At CHAMPIONSHIP level he is capable of the ballwinning job and I think it would work playing him alongside ZZ/Ambrose/Shelvey/Wright.
If he does play and does half well it also puts him in the shop window.
*Ducks for cover:-)*
Of far greater concern to me is Pardew's tactics this season. If we play football then we are on paper, as good as anyone in the division. If he goes with the long ball tactics that he favored last season then mid table is probably the best we can expect.