Shame to see that Wyn has suspended his posting on Addicks Championship Diary. His blog was always worth a read, especially after All Quiet in The East Stand dried up. He specifically notes that the negativity among fans is a reason for him suspending, a theme that is all consuming on this forum.
We're second in the league people.
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and when we win tomorrow, we'll all be wondering what all the fuss was about.
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So it's just about bringing in more talent then? In all that I've been saying since Sunday, other than suggesting bringing back Dickson or maybe trying to get a loan of a PL young gun, I haven't written about new players.
My whole point has been around the competence of the manager (or lack of it). I was expanding on Doug's position.
It is not normally my approach to be so forthright about the managers performance. I hope those who have read my ramblings on here and elsewhere would agree that I am not generally prone to knee jerk or hysterical rantings. Indeed some have accused me in the past of possessing the rosiest of rose-tinted spectacles.
In my view though, setting aside the financial issues for one second, to any objective analysis, (Rich looked at his record since being a manager), Parky's time at the club, relative to the resources available has been a disaster.
In his first season at the club we were relegated.
In his second season at the club we failed to secure even a play off spot despite the second highest playing budget in the division.
In his third season we were relegated during which the club had the worst set of results in it's history.
In the current season after an excellent start, things have slipped to the extent that despite playing a strong side (arguably the best available) we have been beaten by a side 80 places below us, not by some fluke where they nick a goal and then their keeper plays a blinder. No by out playing us in all depts.
It seems to me that those not acknowledging these concerns are like those who point to some snow in the winter as evidence that there is no global warming. I feel sometimes that I am reading comments from the Charlton equivalent of the Flat Earth Society. If you take his time at The Valley, this seasons league position is a positive blip in an otherwise graph of decline.
Of course we all, including me, travel in hope. I was prepared to give Parky a chance and our early form suggested that maybe he had turned things around. I fear after the last few abject performances that this was just a false dawn.
I don't think they'll sack him. They have just extended his contract after all. Some like Rich P take comfort from the league position based around low expectations. I'm sorry, I don't. With this squad, with the right approach, we should be storming it.
And Richard H, why say you that it's obvious that Leeds have stronger squad than us? Our keeper's are good. In our defence we have Sodje who Leeds wanted to keep. We have their former right back whom many at Leeds felt should have stayed. We have quality in Daily and Youga with Basey and Llera as back ups. You concede our midfield is strong so in truth, is it down to their attack? Yes Beckford is decent, but he's backed up by Kandol who many here thought wasn't up to it.
We have Burton and McKenzie both of whom have played at the highest level. We have McLeod and Dickson of whom both have scored goals for other teams at this level. These two are useless though? So was Youga a year ago, now (to Parky's credit) he's real quality. Semedo was hated by many but is now recognised as one of our key performers.
In the end it comes down to the manager and getting the best out of the players, some of whom may appear useless not because they are, but because they haven't been coached/mentored correctly and given the right tactical approach. We saw earlier on that Parky was able to do some of this right but recently we're back to square one in my view. It not just about the resources it's about how you deploy them to maximum effect. How many more chances does he get to get it right? When the £7m that RM and others have stumped up to plug the leaky bucket has run out and we are still in this Division, where's the next £7m coming from.
I'll still be supporting the club and traversing the country to watch them. It doesn't bother me in the end other than I think we are better than that.
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I really like Wyn and enjoy his blog. We are all entitled to our own view. I hope Parky proves me wrong. I don't like saying it, but clearly things aren't right at the club at the moment , and in view of Airman Browns comments on the latest FF thread, these clearly extend beyond the normal internal mutterings.
(And before anyone shoots me down, I know McLeod scored his goals in Div 2)
And finally I wrote this post as a counter balance to those who have; for reasons of their own sanity, lowered their expectation so far that our current league position exceeds them by some way, to people who keep on slagging off players without putting their poor play into the context of the tactical and motivational skills of the managerial team, but utlimately to promote a debate about relative success and failure.
This I hope was not a hysterical rant. I saw little ranting by others (with the odd exception) on the mailing list so Wyn's comments are rather puzzling but he is very much entitled to his take on things.
Just to reiterate some messages I have been trying to put across:
1. Phil Parkinson is not a brilliant manager, but he is what we can afford and any replacement would face the same constraints.
2. We have a thin squad which has been hit by injury to key players. The club doesn't have money to spend on new players.
3. Realistically the best we can hope for is a play off place.
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I just got the impression that he's weary of trying to get the above points recognised by supporters and would prefer to spend his time doing something more enjoyable at the mo. Seems fair enough.
Just to reiterate some messages I have been trying to put across:
1. Phil Parkinson is not a brilliant manager, but he is what we can afford and any replacement would face the same constraints.
2. We have a thin squad which has been hit by injury to key players. The club doesn't have money to spend on new players.
3. Realistically the best we can hope for is a play off place.
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I just got the impression that he's weary of trying to get the above points recognised by supporters and would prefer to spend his time doing something more enjoyable at the mo. Seems fair enough.[/quote]
All true, but add -
4. The Charlton Board which five years ago appeared to be the root of our success is, in fact, a bit rubbish.
5. The cohesion between fans, team, management and Board that ran like a spine through the club seems to have vanished.
5. The management structure, according to reputable sources, is chaotic - a deadweight that costs an arm and a leg (see separate thread).
6. Success, in various forms, has appeared to be within our gasp many times over the last five years only to be snatched away by bad luck, incompetence or unknown factors.
I think this context is everything when judging the mood and attitude of supporters to the specifics of what is happening on the pitch and so -
[quote][cite]Posted By: pilchard[/cite]It's certainly not all flowers and pixies at Charlton right now, defeat to Northwich Victoria and Southampton tends to affect people to the negative. Given the events of the last 4 years I feel we are entitled to be slightly miffed, in fact I don't know of many fans at many clubs who would take what we've taken with the good grace and humour in which we've taken it, in the main we have faced it all and are still a pretty good humoured bunch.[/quote]
I agree with that.
Pixies. What pixies? Nobody told me about pixies. They are evil and disruptive and almost certainly to blame for our recent performances and the deep funk that seems to have got in to some of our fans.
Let's hunt them down and kill them all. Who's with me? Come on people, light your torches and get the whacking stick out of the spare room.
Come on, lets be avin you
So Oggy, no one told you about the pixies either. I hope you are setting your hunting hat at a jaunty angle and stepping out towrd the killing fields.
You too MOG? I knew this Board was cliquest but not that it held a terrible secret that could destroy CAFC and then the world.