Charlton have conducted some absolutely superb business.
People saying "we did the same last season" are well off-the-mark. We got players in early, but we got players who had nothing to play for. We acquired a lot of players, who with hindsight, were past it.
Charlton have conducted their business early, but they've signed players who are the right age, with ambition and something to prove.
Green and Wiggins are two superb captures, and the likelihood is, at the very least, they'll get their money back on them. You would also expect both players to settle in quickly, and hit the ground running. Those two, along with Stephens and Hollands are proven League One players with quality, at an age where they can continue developing.
If we had signed these players, I would have been over the moon. They got players in early, and as a consequence it's drawn in some further signings who perhaps otherwise wouldn't have signed for them.
I can't help but feel we have been left behind in the transfer market by Chris Powell and the Charlton board. Very impressive indeed. I'm just hoping Powell turns out to be as bad a manager as Irvine.
We're doing something similar to soton in acquiring the best players but plenty of charltons teardrop posse were crying about that but it's ok now we're outspending all and sundry....... Clownshoes
I think the difference bwtween us and Southampton is that we haven't just knocked £30m of debt via Administraion, and we haven't been spending £1m plus on players.
The point remains that we are using our spending power just as they did so we can't have it both ways and moan about them but gloat now. Ooah is correct.
And as I said earlier let's wait till were a few points clear first
How do we know what our spending is though? As far as I was aware all of our buys have been for "undisclosed" fees or are frees (presumably with signing on fees).
Anyway, I'm sure the gripe some - not me - had with Southampton was around the Admin point, not the fact that they were spending money on players per se.
Watford are saying he has no ambition as Charlton are lower league and it must be for money, but I'd be suprised if we are offering more than 3k per week to all these new players. I'm sure even Watford can match that. It seems CP is selling Charlton's facilities and ambition and the players like what they are seeing. Wiggins is getting bad press on the Bournemouth site about being greedy and going to a side who were below them last year, but let Hollands off as triplets are on the way and he needs the money. Is it not just that Charlton look a better prospect at the moment (I'll reserve judgement until after a few games). Sheff W think Charlton is a step down from them as well, they have a bigger ground and fanbase, but to these young, hungry players Charlton must look a better prospect for the future.
Watford are saying he has no ambition as Charlton are lower league and it must be for money, but I'd be suprised if we are offering more than 3k per week to all these new players. I'm sure even Watford can match that. It seems CP is selling Charlton's facilities and ambition and the players like what they are seeing. Wiggins is getting bad press on the Bournemouth site about being greedy and going to a side who were below them last year, but let Hollands off as triplets are on the way and he needs the money. Is it not just that Charlton look a better prospect at the moment (I'll reserve judgement until after a few games). Sheff W think Charlton is a step down from them as well, they have a bigger ground and fanbase, but to these young, hungry players Charlton must look a better prospect for the future.
Fanbase yes a bit, bigger ground, yes, but it's like comparing a wrecked out old Sierra Estate with a nearly new Audi A4.
7. Only speculating but I wouldn't be surprised if the new signings will be rewarded with Championship wages if/when we get there.
After what happened under Pardew and Dowie I can't believe these players are choosing us just because we're offering big wages. Too much of a risk to give a player a 3 year deal on £6k+ a week while at this level.
You know, I got a sense of deja vu regarding us v Watford as a place to come. Here is what I said under the Paul Hayes thread.
It annoyed me at the time that we were talking ourselves down in comparison to Watford. I stand by everything I said then and why given the right approach, players can be attracted to us rather than Championship clubs such as The Hornets.
They've got the Harlequin Centre Rodney. I mean check this out
Toilets There are ample toilet facilities, staffed and run by the Centre Management team in the two toilet blocks – one at each end of the centre. Toilets are located on the Lower Mall near Zara and on the Upper Mall near Panacea Health & Beauty.
Watford is fine - I don't think we should get personal about perfectly acceptable places. It's just despite being in a higher league, we are the bigger team - I don't think we should take the p out of them for that, there are bigger teams than us. There are teams like Palace who despite playing at a dump and getting a lower average gate than us last season genuinely beleive they are bigger and wil take every opportunity to tell us- now if you are going to be critical of a place and a team you ought to start there IMO. In fact I'd start and finish there
i still love the one's who are thinking they'll batter us.
And they might, that's football. But don't let that fool you - the undercurrent is that all of these fans are uneasy that we appear to have done some good business early doors whilst they are all still kicking around names they have been "linked with". And they're worried about it, make no mistake.
I couldn't care less what someone else thinks about a club they know nothing about. This is the best I've felt about Charlton since watching Bailey's penalty fly over the bar and nothing will bring me down. We have signed quality players and outdone clubs at higher levels than our own and I have this amazing gut feeling that this season will only get better and better.
Yes we will lose games, we won't sell out The Valley every week and no one knows better than us that a season can go belly up in a heartbeat, but come May we will be out of this tin pot league and back in the Championship where we belong.
I know, It's just Me, but I can never understand the "We are/are not bigger than (?)FC" debate. Surely every team is Big to the Supporter who chooses to support that team ? CAFC are "My" Big team, tho' i do like AfcB.
Comments
Reckon this Owls got it spot on myself:
Charlton have conducted some absolutely superb business.
People saying "we did the same last season" are well off-the-mark. We got players in early, but we got players who had nothing to play for. We acquired a lot of players, who with hindsight, were past it.
Charlton have conducted their business early, but they've signed players who are the right age, with ambition and something to prove.
Green and Wiggins are two superb captures, and the likelihood is, at the very least, they'll get their money back on them. You would also expect both players to settle in quickly, and hit the ground running. Those two, along with Stephens and Hollands are proven League One players with quality, at an age where they can continue developing.
If we had signed these players, I would have been over the moon. They got players in early, and as a consequence it's drawn in some further signings who perhaps otherwise wouldn't have signed for them.
I can't help but feel we have been left behind in the transfer market by Chris Powell and the Charlton board. Very impressive indeed. I'm just hoping Powell turns out to be as bad a manager as Irvine.
Clownshoes
Cant stand them, will never forget them singing always look on the bright side of life to us when we first got relegated from the premiership!
Long may the loathing continue!!
The point remains that we are using our spending power just as they did so we can't have it both ways and moan about them but gloat now. Ooah is correct.
And as I said earlier let's wait till were a few points clear first
Fanbase yes a bit, bigger ground, yes, but it's like comparing a wrecked out old Sierra Estate with a nearly new Audi A4.
Know which one I'd rather be driving.
After what happened under Pardew and Dowie I can't believe these players are choosing us just because we're offering big wages. Too much of a risk to give a player a 3 year deal on £6k+ a week while at this level.
The irony. Watford in it's very existence as a town and a football club is the very definition of lacking ambition.
I disagree Watford does have its uses, I once got the exhaust on my car fixed there.
There are ample toilet facilities, staffed and run by the Centre Management team in the two toilet blocks – one at each end of the centre. Toilets are located on the Lower Mall near Zara and on the Upper Mall near Panacea Health & Beauty.