I don't think football has changed at all in that respect. Look at how well clubs with sensible sending like Blackpool and Swansea have done compared to big spenders like Leicester and Cardiff.
I think there are some parallels with Curbs early years. Certainly there is a similar fantastic work ethic and team spirit that SCP is very careful to build and maintain - if anything he has the advantage of being more personable than Curbs appeared to be. With further steady building and the occasional marquee signing that still fits in to the Charlton ethos, I can see how SCP might emulate the feat of taking us into the Prem.
Apart from the incredibly high financial stakes now at play, a key difference might be that SCP will not enjoy quite the close, cosy and supportive relationship with the Chairman that Curbs had with Richard Murray - I don't really know, but I imagine that this might put added pressure on SCP. Not this season (unless we get into a relegation scrap, which I don't think we will) but in the next 2 or 3.
Curbs obviously made one or two inspired signings that really made a massive difference he also was able to benefit from a number of home grown players coming through at once. Players like Rufus and Newton came in and were massive for us. Let us hope we have a few coming through now that can have a similar impact
The relationship between Murray and the Curbs was pivotal. I hope that Chris Powell can, over time, develop a similar relationship with the club's owners. Jiminez is only here for the next two years or so and that probably also goes for his anonymous partners in the venture.
Chris Powell will, very sensibly, take a cautious approach to this league and the first target will be 50 points. Curbs was a cautious manager ( as was another of Chris' mentors, Sven Goran Erikson, for whom the shape of the team was paramount ).
We are also in a league where there are a lot of big clubs and a number where new owners are prepared to throw big money around to try and get into the Premier League. Most of those gambles will, self-evidently, fail but it inevitably makes it tougher for us as a mid-ranking club, to compete in the short term. A patient approach is what's required, although I suspect that, in the medium term, much will depend upon what happens to the ownership of the club and our ability to compete financially in the Championship.
In the short term, I'm optimistic that we'll consolidate this year and be stronger going into 2013/14.
CP is key to our future - he's built a really strong team spirit, players seem to want to play for him and the fans love him.With the right resources Im confident CP will succeed but will he get them?
Comments
Apart from the incredibly high financial stakes now at play, a key difference might be that SCP will not enjoy quite the close, cosy and supportive relationship with the Chairman that Curbs had with Richard Murray - I don't really know, but I imagine that this might put added pressure on SCP. Not this season (unless we get into a relegation scrap, which I don't think we will) but in the next 2 or 3.
Chris Powell will, very sensibly, take a cautious approach to this league and the first target will be 50 points. Curbs was a cautious manager ( as was another of Chris' mentors, Sven Goran Erikson, for whom the shape of the team was paramount ).
We are also in a league where there are a lot of big clubs and a number where new owners are prepared to throw big money around to try and get into the Premier League. Most of those gambles will, self-evidently, fail but it inevitably makes it tougher for us as a mid-ranking club, to compete in the short term. A patient approach is what's required, although I suspect that, in the medium term, much will depend upon what happens to the ownership of the club and our ability to compete financially in the Championship.
In the short term, I'm optimistic that we'll consolidate this year and be stronger going into 2013/14.