All,
As this is only my second post, hoping I can generate a lively debate from you knowledgeable lot - I've been keeping up to date with all the posts and am a Saints supporter, who lives not far from Charlton.
1) What, if anything, do you think Charlton can learn/copy from Saints success this season?
2) How much support will SCP get next year in the Championship, if you're sat mid-table or worse? Given, Chairman appear to have a short memory, once a team gets promoted - Chris Houghton, etc, etc...
I really hope SCP is given all the time he needs, but once supporters start getting on his and the teams back, worried the inevitable will happen...
Cheers
0
Comments
What can we learn from Southampton? Be confident in your own ability and fear no one even though it's a division higher, because it may suit us better, less physical, more space etc.
As it is, won't be playing any 'local' teams next season anyway.
But yes, im thrilled just to see the club back how it should be- and a long and stable existence in the championship would suit me, no interest in seeing us in the Primadonna league.
2nd step , hopefully finish above the scum
3rd step , finish above palarse
Anything else will be a bonus
Saints have pushed on well but what a loooooop by the pompey fans !
Perhaps I'd rather learn from Brighton, play good football and develop an established team that is identifiably "Charlton" through and through. One that attracts and trains on young footballers and develops a conveyor line of talent. Southampton have been a bit mercenery in that most of the players have been brought in - they've bought quality players and do have a good youth team and scouting network, but the foundations need to be built at a team like Charlton and that means bringing players through rather than signing ready made but expensive players. That approach saw us go from ground sharing to the prem league and becoming an established team and we did it without incurring massive debt or a high turnover in players. Once the homegrown and raised players started retiring or drifted off elsewhere then things started to go wrong. Let's not forhet what made us a good side and what made us a poor side.
2) How much support will SCP get next year in the Championship, if you're sat mid-table or worse? Given, Chairman appear to have a short memory, once a team gets promoted - Chris Houghton, etc, etc...
For me that's an open-ended question and a blank cheque. I've seen enough of CP to appreciate that he's a good manager who knows what he's doing, where he's going and how he's going to get there. Right now there's not one manager out there who I'd rather have managing the club. He will grow and develop with the team. That's not to say that he's faultless, he's still learning the game and will make mistakes, but he has enough intelligence to learn from his mistakes.
But with some of our fan base if we aren't playing and beating Barcelona in the CL final within two years then he will have failed.
Without a massive cash injection into the squad I would settle for the bottom third, and take anything else as a bonus.( such as beating palace and Millwall)
The club's infastructure may well need updating, and a general plan for the next three years.
Hopefully the board will already have an idea of this, and with the promotion there should not be anxiety of the plan I am sure they had in mind to get us back to the higher division.
One thing is for sure, the long period of decline is at an end, and with that comes a hopefully more positive attitude for both fans and management.
The question really is when, not if.
To answer a couple of questions.
Nope, not a “young chap”, but not old either. (Is that a standard CL grooming question...!!??)
Think CAFC can learn from Saints by defo investing in forwards. Not sure I'd agree with the mercenary comment, as they've had to sell players to bigger clubs on the way - but won't disagree that they've spent money.
Cheers
All of them nearer to London , than us!
I completely agree that 2-3 seasons of conslidation would be fine, hopefully gradually blooding the highly promising u18s as we go. I have no desperation to get into a league where we'll have to fight for our lives and watch countless decisions go against us, and theatrics that'll make Ledesma's look very amateur.
However... there's a fine line between consolidation and treading water that leads to stagnation. Unfortunately, people will grow restless a lot quicker than in the past - the instant gratification brought on by mass marketing has already affected a lot of modern day supporters, brought up to believe that the Premiership is the only league that really counts. Whilst I don't necessarily yearn to be there, there can be no denying the sense of achievemnet at getting there - perhaps in this case the journey really can be a lot more fulfilling that the arrival.
Assuming we can settle comfortably in the second division, steady progress needs to be maintained year on year so that fans can at least see a realistic push for promotion after 2-3 seasons, even if it is not successful for some time yet. After all, only 20 clubs can compete in the Prem at any given time - and many would still like to cut even that number.
Norwich & Swansea have done fantastically well, and many of our fans will doubtless aspire to a similar ascent for us, but let's see how they're doing in 2 years' time. Both clubs have known difficult times recently. Saints have done tremendously to cruise through a higher league too, but will still have a battle on their hands. Off-pitch management becomes so important again for them now.
Guess we've looked on and admired Norwich, Southampton, and as observed elsewhere, Brighton, all of whom we've watched rise from our current position. Yet Leeds, who surely expected their stature alone to see them up again soon, are still some way off the next stage. A lot will depend on the level of investment available, but none of us with any sense of history would risk too much too soon, just to end up somewhere we just might not particularly enjoy when we get there.
Let's do it the Charlton way, but without the late seventies slide!
2) Mid table consolidation would be fine, preferably looking optimistically towards the playoffs rather than scrapping for survival, i.e. like say Watford this season rather than Millwall. I would imagine both Sheffield clubs (if promoted as well) would have similar aims.
Gumbsy would you be happy with saints in the prem even if it means it may ruin you?
I give Norwich 2-3 seasons if they're still up before the fans get restless, that's what I mean, if you aren't competing for a CL spot the premier league is kind of pointless in a way.
As for us, I think we've got the core of a good Championship squad, with the pressure off we'll probably play better football, and be more relaxed. It took about £5m of investment in the squad at Norwich and Southampton when promoted to get them into the Premier League, so it's about good purchases, and a bit of luck.
I think your average Saints fan, without thinking about it, would be happy for them to be in Prem League, even if it was detrimental to the club. Saints suffer from a lot of floating support from surrounding areas, who will come to watch them just to see Man U etc.
The history of that was, for an awful long time, they were the only top flight club on the south coast and the support base reflected that.
Cheers
Ps almost feel like a regular member with all the footy and grooming questions!
I think your average Saints fan, without thinking about it, would be happy for them to be in Prem League, even if it was detrimental to the club. Saints suffer from a lot of floating support from surrounding areas, who will come to watch them just to see Man U etc.
The history of that was, for an awful long time, they were the only top flight club on the south coast and the support base reflected that.
Cheers
Ps almost feel like a regular member with all the footy and grooming questions!
One question for Gumsby: when the Sky cash comes rolling in will anyone spare a thought for the non football creditors who got shafted in the administration? That seems to have been quickly forgotten.
Re creditors, it's always the small suppliers that get shafted and forgotten. Doubt very much that new owners will feel any guilt and pay old creditors.