Seth - many many thanks for a most timely and welcome post.
I have to say that yesterday's match was as bleak an afternoon at The Valley as I can ever recall, and not just because of the unrelentingly abysmal weather.
The club and the players are making prodigious efforts to get us out of this current predicament but we are getting only wheelspin and not traction. Moreover, RD has to somehow fix the punctures while still driving - the timeline of the takeover does not permit him the luxury of a pitstop.
Whatever Charlton have done to offend the gods of football is unknown but it must have been something really bad. We are having not an atom of good fortune - a helpful pen, a kind deflection, a sympathetic official - and even on such a day as yesterday we encountered an opposition goalkeeper with faultless handling, with not the merest hint of a useful spillage.
However, there were certainly consolations aplenty to have been found yesterday in a number of the performances - brave, skilful and mature efforts from our own rookies, encouraging signs from Roland's boys, and some worthy contributions from the usual stalwarts.
Of course, the day's miseries had to be set out before a charmless rabble such as that which washed up in the JS, who took full advantage, bless them. And I hope never again to see a performance of such epic woefulness as presented by Mr Evina. The nr 3 shirt as honoured by Kinsey, Reid and Powell may have to be retired to save it from further punishment : yesterday's wearer looked as though he was in some kind of living nightmare and played as if the ball at his feet were a cube and not a sphere.
We're down but not out and although it may well go to the wire there is still more than enough about us to reach survival. I understand the misgivings about the RD project but my own feelings are largely positive. I have high hopes for RD and the splendid Ms Meire. Casting aside the present storms it would be marvellous to see beneath a cloudless Valley sky the banners and flags of the Holy Roland Empire, gathered in front of packed stands in a pageant worthy of a medieval Florentine patron. (Good stuff, this new medication - and strong !!)
The owners have taken the club backwards and make no mistake this is a relegation side with the heart and soul ripped out of the spine of the side
You can't expect to replace quality like Yann and Stephens with cheap foreign replacements and get away with it
I maintain RD got us relegated on 31/1/13
100% agree.
Agree. Duchatelet is an ignorant arse. I compared him to Vincent Tann and was laughed at, but that's just how it is. His 'strategy' is bollocks.
I don't get the same impression as you, and I wonder if you have a bit of insider knowledge. What with the Venkeys, Tan, Cheung, the Hull people there are all sorts going on, we are more in the Watford way of things, but is it as bad as you say, or is it starkly that football is going to have a different future, us included?
Even if the strategy is right, the 'timing' of putting it in to practise now appears wrong.
I think its fair to say the majority of us believed we would have climbed the table over the month after the transfer window had we kept our 3 players and added 2 experienced players (1 striker). With Championship status secured the close season would have been the time to start the revolution of a younger squad.
In reality the money gained by selling Kerm/Dale /Alnwick will seem like a throw in the ocean if we drop in to Division 1. If as reported Duchatelet pays 4M less if we are relegated and so not be quite so concerend at the outcome, then he hasn't factored in the backlash of gates dropping well down below last times average crowds in Division 1. More importantly risking loosing the goodwill of a lot of fans because the downfall was self inflicted, firstly be the previous owners and then himself as the current owner.
I just can't face L1 again, I don't want to see or hear the morons, and I want to see us all celebrating with Chrissy and the lads again. So yup, pretty near the bottom at the moment, especially as I can't really see the way forward.
I just can't face L1 again, I don't want to see or hear the morons, and I want to see us all celebrating with Chrissy and the lads again. So yup, pretty near the bottom at the moment, especially as I can't really see the way forward.
That's the point you won't be alone in not wanting to watch L1.
Still pretty positive as I reckon yesterday's performance showed a bit of promise and on a proper pitch (if we take it to a team away from home) we could pass our way around them... Looking at the table though and I reckon the Barnsley / Millwall fixtures are gonna be the vital ones now, I really dont think we're gonna need 50+ to survive more like late 30s / early 40s
On the other side we're also in the FA Cup still so we could still get the big tie to enjoy in that.
As for most depressing season... Has to be the year we finished bottom of the Championship with performances like the 5-2 Sheffield United game... Nothing has come close to that this season
Not half as bad as I will feel when Millwall humiliate us again. Really not sure I can out myself through that. The worst is still to comein tthat respect :-(
Well I wasn't around in the 80s and being kicked out of the Valley, so Id be interested to see how fans from those times feel our current predicament compares.
Except in the end it wasn't, was it?
Yet I wonder if the internet had existed then, it might well have been - we'd probably have been tearing lumps out of each other in the virtual world instead of getting together and eventually creating the Valley Party...
I'm talking about going into receivership in 1984. 99% of supporters (and there were only really 5,000 regular attendees back then..) had to rely on The Evening Standard for any news about the situation and for days the news was incredibly bleak. It looked terminal. There wasn't a lot we could do as supporters, except stick together and hope that we'd actually get another chance to see the team play. Those ten days after the Swansea game in Feb/March 84 were the longest and darkest I've known.
So I'd have to say that the current situation, whilst not being especially enjoyable, is nothing compared to that. We could well get relegated and yesterday did remind me of the Pardew/Parkinson relegation season, but this time I have hope that the young players will give us exciting and rewarding times in the future. We've just got to stick together through tough times in order to enjoy that future.
I will chip in for what it's worth about some stuff I experienced today when finding myself in the boardroom after the match.
I made a point of speaking to Katrien, and on a personal level I found her to be every bit as positive and genuine in person as she is on the 'meet the board' video. One of the easiest to like people you could hope to meet, and also someone on the ball, alert, a great listener and pretty aware. A very impressive person.
Anyway she told me that the new owners are here for the long term, they like and respect Chris Powell, personally, and as the manager, and they want to support him, and they recognise that there are unique challenges due to the present circumstances. Of course I didn't ask anything about contracts, even if I wanted to it would've seemed impolite and inappropriate, but there was no sense of hesitation in her response about wanting to help Chris to get things going.
You can judge for yourself as to how long that may last, but in the wake of the loss today I got no sense of exasperation. You may judge for yourself as to whether the kind of 'support' offered so far is right or wrong, but I got no sense of conspiracy or lack of aspiration to succeed.
Katrien was beguiled in an excited way about her job, working at Charlton, the FA Cup (she will be at Sheffield), and the experiences she is having in this new role. She had the good humour to say that yes she realises we also need Belgium beer, chocolates and waffles, and has enjoyed the way we are coming to terms with the Belgium aspect of things. We talked about other stuff as well, and I for one found I liked her enormously.
I also had a bit of a chat to Roland's two outriders Didier and Charles/Carlos. They said they work within Roland's network, and were pretty sussed it seemed to me about football, and also about football as a business. They weren't 'suits' by the way.
I am grateful to popicon who straight out asked them where Charlton stand in Roland's group of clubs. They said second...to Standard Liege.
However.
They were also well versed, and very respectful, regarding all of Roland's stable of clubs, and they clearly acknowledged that Charlton in the premier league would put them above Standard Liege even if Standard were in in the Champions League. Certainly in terms of money. They seemed to indicate that in Belgium, with less spread of clubs, and only really three decent ones, that things are ultimately weaker there in the business of football, stronger in the English league. They had knowledge, for example the way big clubs can nick good young players at 16 from other clubs, they were well aware of it(perhaps its European wide I don't know), and they felt that it was wrong and ought to change. They were interested in some snippets of the History of Charlton I told them about, particularly the Valley Party times (incidentally Katrien wanted more visual displays regarding Charlton's history all over the place when I was suggesting she got some Magritte's on show!).
Didier and Charles also like the idea of a pre season tournament involving Roland's stable of clubs, especially because the managers can get together, share best practice, get to know each others players, the players could also be weighed up for possible best deployment. All in a positive way because the network would not be with rivals but collaborators in football.
I report all this with no certainty of the exact role of Didier and Charles, but they too struck me as good guys and not princes of darkness...not at all. They were not in the least bit negative about Chris Powell either.
In terms of this thread, and what we make of where we are, well mine is only one viewpoint, and only one bit of reportage. For me I don't believe we are in the hands of some monster. Yes we are in a progressive state, where many on Charlton Life who have weighed up the ins and outs of the new model of football Roland is creating, are probably pretty accurate in their speculation. I believe we are in the hands of people who want to create something, don't want to lose shedloads of money doing it, and believe they are nurturing a vision to succeed.
The more breadth and depth our new people have about everything Charlton past and present the better it will be, and they seemed to be very receptive all round.
It is up to each one of us to decide if we like where we are headed, but compared to the last regime I feel a whole lot more positive and hopeful.
This is only my take on things as best as I can remember, it is 'fact' only in as much as I feel I have reported my experience accurately.
Thanks for posting this Seth. Nice to have some informed opinion on this thread.
If we go on a run at the end of the season like we did last season and end up finishing around mid table everyone will look back at this thread and laugh. No way is this worse than the league one years with Dave Mooney and Akpo Sodje leading the line and one of the most uninspirational coaching teams we've ever had. At least if we do go down I have faith in the players and manager to get us back again which us more than I can say about last time.
definitely not the worst but I did say to my son a couple of weeks back not to believe the transfer speculation about kermo - I said if he goes, we're down so it won't happen...
Footballs is bonkers, in what other aspect of your life would you rather be depressed than uninterested, which did creep in admittedly during some period of L1
Not the worst but I'm in a state of bewilderment, the whole club was waiting for a boost since the summer. We spent months waiting for a takeover to finally move us forward, but no we get a few unknown additions and sell 3 key players in the last few days of the window. Only one contract has been sorted, Powell has the look of a man who has run out of ideas and demoralised knowing he won't be manager here next season.
Then we finally get a league game on yesterday, the pitch still looks terrible and we have another 10 games to play on it. We'll be 2 or 3 games behind everyone by the time we play QPR. The worst part for me is the situation we're in now was completely avoidable, the club have made wrong decisions on and off the pitch this season.
When I first started watching us lot from about 1963, a season wasn't a season unless there was a relegation battle to get your teeth into. The feeling then was it would be a huge huge drag to be relegated, although it didn't seem as if it would threaten the very existence if it were to happen. We will survive if relegated in some form or another, the fun part is seeing if we have the collective ability to a)face the relegation battle, and b) win it. It can be done, we need to realise that first, and then do it second.
Was quite positive after yesterday's match. There were signs there that the new players can hopefully gel together quickly and was impressed by us trying to keep the ball on the ground (always thought we look a better team doing that!!). Think we just need a win to give them confidence. We have enough games left to save us and hoping we can stay up. Keep the faith. If Roland had not bought us would things have been any better with the previous owners???
I was negative after Saturdays game, we had 3 or 4 chances but never really looked like we were going to score.
Unless Peter Pole is going to do the business when he eventually plays or we make some decent loan signings I can't see where the goals are coming from.
It's the hope that kills you.At the beginning of the season I really thought that we would push on by strengthening the team in obvious positions.From what I have seen from teams that have turned us over at home it wouldn't have taken much to have beaten them had we strenghthened.The answer to your question is no, as during the last 40 years I have experienced more depressing times supporting this club,but what is difficult to take is that this season it wouldn't have taken much for it to have been so much different.
Seth. What a man. Asking Katrien to get her Magrittes out on the first date. Blinder!
Seriously though, thanks for an excellent insight. It reassures and spooks in equal measure. My view is that the future will be different and perhaps not to our tastes but at least we have a future. This is all very bleak as others have said. Horrid atmosphere on Saturday but it was one of resignation rather than anger. Last time we went down it was worse. The very survival of the club was in question. At least this time Roland has the wherewithal as long as he remains interested. What sticks in my gullet is the massive wasted opportunity. I genuinely thought when we won league 1 at a canter with CP in charge that it was he dawn of a new era. Payback time for the suffering and all that. How needlessly and quickly we pissed that up a tree. That's what hurts. It was all so predictable and so easily avoidable (easy though it is to be wise with other mens' money). There is also an element of detachment as others have hinted. Roland's project (there I've said the P word!) may well pan out and I hope it does but a little bit of "our" Charlton has died in the process.
Strangely enough, I thought I saw more positives than negatives. Astrit was awesome, we will soon have a good young team, but sadly I don't think it will be under Chris Powell.
Well I wasn't around in the 80s and being kicked out of the Valley, so Id be interested to see how fans from those times feel our current predicament compares.
Trev I was. It felt like a massive kick in the stomach. My dad, uncles etc. were Charlton born and bred and I felt like I had lost my club which I would never get back. This does not compare to those desperate times;however, I find it hard to get that angry when we lose and that excited when we win,which is worrying for me.
Was a bit down after Saturdays result. I will be at my most depressed when the Covered End Choir start singing: ''Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life''.
Seth, thanks for sharing an insight into the inner workings of the club based on personal experience. I think its going to be a gradual improvement on and off the pitch, sadly the timing of it all may involve relegation,if so we will at least be financially able to survive it. Without the takeover we would still be in a similar place (if not worse) on the pitch and staring at a far darker worst case scenario.
Hopefully Katrien's love of club history will see her total support for the cost neutral/improving the match day experience that is the club museum as its supporter initiated and driven.
Well I wasn't around in the 80s and being kicked out of the Valley, so Id be interested to see how fans from those times feel our current predicament compares.
Trev I was. It felt like a massive kick in the stomach. My dad, uncles etc. were Charlton born and bred and I felt like I had lost my club which I would never get back. This does not compare to those desperate times;however, I find it hard to get that angry when we lose and that excited when we win,which is worrying for me.
Agree with that totally, saved me posting that cheers pettgra.
Miserable, but still feel we have a chance of winning a game unlike our pervious relegation from this division. Although I had grown numb to defeat by the end of that dismal season.
Comments
Seth - many many thanks for a most timely and welcome post.
I have to say that yesterday's match was as bleak an afternoon at The Valley as I can ever recall, and not just because of the unrelentingly abysmal weather.
The club and the players are making prodigious efforts to get us out of this current predicament but we are getting only wheelspin and not traction. Moreover, RD has to somehow fix the punctures while still driving - the timeline of the takeover does not permit him the luxury of a pitstop.
Whatever Charlton have done to offend the gods of football is unknown but it must have been something really bad. We are having not an atom of good fortune - a helpful pen, a kind deflection, a sympathetic official - and even on such a day as yesterday we encountered an opposition goalkeeper with faultless handling, with not the merest hint of a useful spillage.
However, there were certainly consolations aplenty to have been found yesterday in a number of the performances - brave, skilful and mature efforts from our own rookies, encouraging signs from Roland's boys, and some worthy contributions from the usual stalwarts.
Of course, the day's miseries had to be set out before a charmless rabble such as that which washed up in the JS, who took full advantage, bless them. And I hope never again to see a performance of such epic woefulness as presented by Mr Evina. The nr 3 shirt as honoured by Kinsey, Reid and Powell may have to be retired to save it from further punishment : yesterday's wearer looked as though he was in some kind of living nightmare and played as if the ball at his feet were a cube and not a sphere.
We're down but not out and although it may well go to the wire there is still more than enough about us to reach survival. I understand the misgivings about the RD project but my own feelings are largely positive. I have high hopes for RD and the splendid Ms Meire. Casting aside the present storms it would be marvellous to see beneath a cloudless Valley sky the banners and flags of the Holy Roland Empire, gathered in front of packed stands in a pageant worthy of a medieval Florentine patron. (Good stuff, this new medication - and strong !!)
I say again - WE ARE MANY, WE ARE ONE.
CTID
I think its fair to say the majority of us believed we would have climbed the table over the month after the transfer window had we kept our 3 players and added 2 experienced players (1 striker). With Championship status secured the close season would have been the time to start the revolution of a younger squad.
In reality the money gained by selling Kerm/Dale /Alnwick will seem like a throw in the ocean if we drop in to Division 1. If as reported Duchatelet pays 4M less if we are relegated and so not be quite so concerend at the outcome, then he hasn't factored in the backlash of gates dropping well down below last times average crowds in Division 1. More importantly risking loosing the goodwill of a lot of fans because the downfall was self inflicted, firstly be the previous owners and then himself as the current owner.
On the other side we're also in the FA Cup still so we could still get the big tie to enjoy in that.
As for most depressing season... Has to be the year we finished bottom of the Championship with performances like the 5-2 Sheffield United game... Nothing has come close to that this season
However, for the first time in a while I've looked at the table properly. Staying up is now a very tall order.
So I'd have to say that the current situation, whilst not being especially enjoyable, is nothing compared to that. We could well get relegated and yesterday did remind me of the Pardew/Parkinson relegation season, but this time I have hope that the young players will give us exciting and rewarding times in the future. We've just got to stick together through tough times in order to enjoy that future.
Then we finally get a league game on yesterday, the pitch still looks terrible and we have another 10 games to play on it. We'll be 2 or 3 games behind everyone by the time we play QPR. The worst part for me is the situation we're in now was completely avoidable, the club have made wrong decisions on and off the pitch this season.
We will survive if relegated in some form or another, the fun part is seeing if we have the collective ability to a)face the relegation battle, and b) win it.
It can be done, we need to realise that first, and then do it second.
If Roland had not bought us would things have been any better with the previous owners???
Unless Peter Pole is going to do the business when he eventually plays or we make some decent loan signings I can't see where the goals are coming from.
this season it wouldn't have taken much for it to have been so much different.
Seriously though, thanks for an excellent insight. It reassures and spooks in equal measure. My view is that the future will be different and perhaps not to our tastes but at least we have a future. This is all very bleak as others have said. Horrid atmosphere on Saturday but it was one of resignation rather than anger. Last time we went down it was worse. The very survival of the club was in question. At least this time Roland has the wherewithal as long as he remains interested. What sticks in my gullet is the massive wasted opportunity. I genuinely thought when we won league 1 at a canter with CP in charge that it was he dawn of a new era. Payback time for the suffering and all that. How needlessly and quickly we pissed that up a tree. That's what hurts. It was all so predictable and so easily avoidable (easy though it is to be wise with other mens' money). There is also an element of detachment as others have hinted. Roland's project (there I've said the P word!) may well pan out and I hope it does but a little bit of "our" Charlton has died in the process.
This does not compare to those desperate times;however, I find it hard to get that angry when we lose and that excited when we win,which is worrying for me.
Hopefully Katrien's love of club history will see her total support for the cost neutral/improving the match day experience that is the club museum as its supporter initiated and driven.