Even though I might not understand or agree with some of the opinions I do hope that OohAhh and others who feel like they've lost their enthusiasm for it can get back into once the season starts.
Hopefully we can all start to enjoy this new era soon. Fingers crossed!
Like all good business models the system sometimes does need a plan of action and someone brave enough to believe/change it and then deliver to the staff and customers. Lets face it the whole match day experience and general plan of action needed some refreshment so whilst slightly concerned with the future I feel that more pros than cons.
It's still the cricket season, of course most of us aren't buzzing. Wait until 5pm on Saturday & we're all singing jingle bells. You'll feel differently then.
I'm excited. The club has been going backwards at an alarming rate for what, eight years ? culminating in the debacle of last season where our beloved Valley pitch was the laughing stock of English football and where it was more of a chore to visit The Valley than it was a joy. A manager with no financial support who only didn't walk because of who he was and the relationship he had with the fans.
We now have a new top class pitch, money being spent on the stadium and owners that obviously want to progress us on the pitch.
A strike force that cost something like €6 million and a completely revamped squad.
Please tell me why I shouldn't be excited.
Read about 35% of the posts above for explanation mate.
Just for the record, we won a league title with a record points total, recorded our highest ever away win and reached a cup quarter final during the "going backwards" years. As well as a hell of a lot of lows, I grant you... :-)
Will not get drawn into a discussion on your point because it's been done to death but the style and quality of the football served up over those "going backwards" years was some of the most turgid and disappointing I have seen in the 52 years as a regular supporter. It includes the majority of of our record breaking season and cup run.
Even though I might not understand or agree with some of the opinions I do hope that OohAhh and others who feel like they've lost their enthusiasm for it can get back into once the season starts.
Hopefully we can all start to enjoy this new era soon. Fingers crossed!
Don't worry about that , my enthusiasm, passion and excitement for this strange club of ours, even at these low levels (for me) are worthy of the men in white coats coming to take me away for irrational thought processes and behaviour towards a football club :-)
I think we will be OK - it'd be great to pull up trees but not sure a new team and manager can do that in this league. I am looking forward to my usual 6 to 8 games but if it is looking good then hopefully a few more Can be negotiated.
I just hope the fans stick by Bob and don't get on his back if we get off to a slow start , we've got a tough start to the season , and the players need all the support they can get , especially the newer ones who will want to see the fans stick by the club and feel they've made the right decision in joining us, its a big ask getting all these signings hit the ground running straight away , c'mon Bob show us what you can do.
I'm excited. The club has been going backwards at an alarming rate for what, eight years ? culminating in the debacle of last season where our beloved Valley pitch was the laughing stock of English football and where it was more of a chore to visit The Valley than it was a joy. A manager with no financial support who only didn't walk because of who he was and the relationship he had with the fans.
We now have a new top class pitch, money being spent on the stadium and owners that obviously want to progress us on the pitch.
A strike force that cost something like €6 million and a completely revamped squad.
Please tell me why I shouldn't be excited.
Read about 35% of the posts above for explanation mate.
Just for the record, we won a league title with a record points total, recorded our highest ever away win and reached a cup quarter final during the "going backwards" years. As well as a hell of a lot of lows, I grant you... :-)
Will not get drawn into a discussion on your point because it's been done to death but the style and quality of the football served up over those "going backwards" years was some of the most turgid and disappointing I have seen in the 52 years as a regular supporter. It includes the majority of of our record breaking season and cup run.
I'm excited. The club has been going backwards at an alarming rate for what, eight years ? culminating in the debacle of last season where our beloved Valley pitch was the laughing stock of English football and where it was more of a chore to visit The Valley than it was a joy. A manager with no financial support who only didn't walk because of who he was and the relationship he had with the fans.
We now have a new top class pitch, money being spent on the stadium and owners that obviously want to progress us on the pitch.
A strike force that cost something like €6 million and a completely revamped squad.
Please tell me why I shouldn't be excited.
Read about 35% of the posts above for explanation mate.
Just for the record, we won a league title with a record points total, recorded our highest ever away win and reached a cup quarter final during the "going backwards" years. As well as a hell of a lot of lows, I grant you... :-)
Will not get drawn into a discussion on your point because it's been done to death but the style and quality of the football served up over those "going backwards" years was some of the most turgid and disappointing I have seen in the 52 years as a regular supporter. It includes the majority of of our record breaking season and cup run.
The work and preparation for this upcoming season compared to last is light years infront. In my opinion the team has been strengthened, the pitch improved, the stadium given a bit more life and even the nice feeling that if I am hungry at the ground I can now finally eat something which won't taste like dog excrement.
I'm not saying it is all going to be a glorious golden season (I know better than to be over confident), but there has been big necessary changes for us as supporters to think 'Finally we have some direction and are prepared for a season'.
I hope as fans we play our part and ,like the last third of last season, don't lose heart when the going gets tough but stay strong and just get behind the boys and Bob.
Have only read ooahaah's opening post but he has unintentionally twanged a nerve that I didn't know I had (not that one!)
On the surface, I'm excited about the coming season, the new players ( once I can put faces to names) & the positive words from our new CEO.
But underneath the confident face I show in public, Fanny's in a state of flux.
It's well known to my family that as a general rule, I hate change. Of course, the Gruesome Twosome 's departure was one I welcomed - one which had to happen for the future of our Club. The entry of Sir Roland on his white charger was met with sighs of relief after SO many rumours followed by so much disappointment. And breathe.....
But, with change comes uncertainty - would a new broom see Sir Chris swept aside ? Would the much discussed "network" work for or against us ? Would the road ahead be paved with gold or as bumpy as the main carpark ? At least we had Henry to put us straight on the latter.
The rest is history as they say. Legends have left us, both on & off the pitch ; a Belgian manager made a brief but memorable appearance in the Charlton annals ; a World Cup goal was celebrated as never before by the Faithful and new faces have arrived in (almost) unprecedented numbers. And now we stand, in anticipation, on the threshold of a new season and a new era for our Club.
The question is, do we have our Charlton back or, in fact, did we ever lose it ?
For me, it appears that the infrastructure has been strengthened together with the facelift of our Theatre of Dreams in SE7. I look forward to seeing the new, improved Valley next Tuesday evening as I'm sure do others.
What I see from our lads on the pitch at Griffin Park will help me to sort out my old 'ead...After all, this is what really matters, isn't it ? We witnessed some decent skills & passing moves at Peterborough a week ago which gladdened the heart & gave us renewed optimism , albeit that a number of new players were still unfamiliar. Those who travelled to Fratton Park appear to have seen a similar performance but with 2 goals scored as a bonus. There is every reason to be optimistic .....
To answer the question posed in the title of this thread, I THINK I am confusing the feeling of happiness with that of nervousness - possibly a hangover from the gut wrenching battles for points we witnessed towards the end of last season. The pressure is on the players and indeed, Big Bob to show us that the fighting spirit shown then is still very much alive. And for the new guys to demonstrate they are proud to wear the red/black/orangey shirt - each has the opportunity to be the next Charlton legend.
So, on reflection , a couple of glasses of white/rose pre match on Saturday and a wipe down with an oily rag is all that's required to get this Addick back on track & raring to go.
For me I really miss the days when there was a genuine off-season and you heard NOTHING about football (apart from the occasional transfer story) between May-August, there was a genuine break from the game.
I used to get so excited on the first game of the season, walking into the ground and seeing the beautiful pitch for the first time and having an amazing sense of anticipation of what may be to come - you looked forward to it because you had been without it for so long.
These days though there is just no break from football, its in your face every day of the year with international tournaments (fair enough) but now we have the post-season tours, the pre-season tours and the early start to the Champions League plus the endless bulllshit about who is moving where and for how much, there is just no break from it.
I'm looking forward to the season as always. For me, there is always a void during the off season. I do like the summer though so that has it's advantages.
The club like the nation is undergoing a healing process after years of turmoil and austerity. Nothing is guaranteed but I fully embrace changes made and look forward to Griffin Park and then VFR with a growing sense of excitement.
We the fans are the only constant all the rest come and go over time so I look forward meeting fellow Addicks in the knowledge that none of us has a clue as to where the club will be come next May but it's going to be one helluva ride.
I like change - maybe an addiction to risk and reward??
I also have some misgivings about the new regime but it is what it is .. most clubs undergo off season wholesale changes in player personnel nowadays .. our roster looks stronger than last year with the obvious exceptions/losses of (e.g.) Kermorgant, Dervite & Poyet .. I will not 'judge the child until it is a bit more grown' .. My 1st games will be Huddersfield & Rotherham, the next probably Norwich .. possible weak(er) opponents followed by a strong one .. I/we/all of us will know a lot more after a few games .. as usual I am looking forward to the new season with my usual adrenalin fuelled rush of excitement and expectation. Come on you Addicks .. whatever lingo y'all speak
rel="Mendonca In Asdas">I just hope the fans stick by Bob and don't get on his back if we get off to a slow start , we've got a tough start to the season , and the players need all the support they can get , especially the newer ones who will want to see the fans stick by the club and feel they've made the right decision in joining us, its a big ask getting all these signings hit the ground running straight away , c'mon Bob show us what you can do.
Yes, this is key. The players we've signed looked exciting. I for one want to maintain this impetus of having fresh faces, new season, new pitch etc. It will take these guys time to gel, as it would any new arrivals. We may have 8 (plus a new manager). We were fortunate with how quickly the 2011 team gelled. I'm not expecting such a quick impact, mainly because I think many of the players we got in in 2011 were above league one standard. Only 80 odd hours till kick off. COYR
Excellent thread ooh ah, bar the Powell part. Personally I was more annoyed after Riga went.
I've no idea how we are going to get on, so my expectations are low, just to quell any disappointments.
Still going to give the squad and management till Christmas before giving a judgement, but fear the natives may be showing their anger by the end of September if things start slowly.
I don't like change at all either and have been feeling quite nervous about the new season. But that said, nothing can stop me looking forward to it and getting excited - the foreign owner and the foreign manager indeed are big changes and I guess many of us on here do know where Ooohaaah is coming from. So in order to avoid disappointment I've set my expectations low - all I hope is that we have a good start and come next May we stay in this league. It probably won't be easy but who knows. Three days till the Brentford game and I can't even remember the last time our opening game was broadcast on TV (*not in China this time though so fingers crossed the streaming will work). The pre-season results didn't look convincing enough but all will be forgotten once we begin to deliver decent performances in the league. Immense pressure on Peeters and hopefully he's the right man to make this new team work!
*Edit: just found out the game will be broadcast on China's PPTV - peeerrrfect...
After much thinking, it's the pride element that disappeared for me when Chrissy went. I know that many will see that as stupid, I'm not going to argue with that, but nevertheless, it's how I still feel.
Having seen the abilities and attitudes of many of the new recruits at Fratton on Saturday I'll paraphrase Leonard Cohen in stating that "terms like 'optimism' and 'pessimism' are anachronistic and redundant in light of the burgeoning catastrophe staring us all squarely in the face, I remain astonished that so many choose to continue to ignore it" Happy Wednesday one and all...
Ooh aah is not more realistic to say you haven't been up for Charlton for quite some time I know over the last few seasons I've struggled to attend as it has not been enjoyable.
This season is 1 of hope some investment on the playing field at least lets us look for a new optimism in the club
Having seen the abilities and attitudes of many of the new recruits at Fratton on Saturday I'll paraphrase Leonard Cohen in stating that "terms like 'optimism' and 'pessimism' are anachronistic and redundant in light of the burgeoning catastrophe staring us all squarely in the face, I remain astonished that so many choose to continue to ignore it" Happy Wednesday one and all...
Or we could go back to the jiminez days, signing salim kerkar and Jordan Cook, but you'd be happy Cos your mates still work there? Come on.
This is what I find odd.
Let's ignore that Kerker and Cook were just two of about 22 players who signed that year.
You and other constantly defended Jimenez, often using the same arguments that you now use to support Roland ie he saved the club from admin, spent money on players, got us promoted, it's his money so he can make who he likes redundant, they weren't needed anyway etc etc.
I'm not just picking out you as I said there are plenty of others doing the same. It just baffles me that Roland is praised for saving us from Jimenez yet in his time Jimenez was praised and any detractors told to stop moaning.
I don't agree totally with Ooh Aah but that is his personal view. I can't tell him how to feel. I'm looking forward to the season, I want to see the new players and I want us to win every game. No idea how things will work out but none of can be sure of that.
I see Roland as a good thing, despite some misgivings over some of the things this regime has done. On one hand KM is much better than Jimenez's choices of Bradshaw and Prothero which is one reason they have very quietly been eased out of the door. Again, those two were praised and any criticism of them written off as "sour grapes", "Bitter", "agenda" etc etc.
On the other hand some of the other redundancies such as Paul Ellis seem petty in the extreme. We shall have to wait and see how DNC get on with the catering although there do appear to be some "teething problems" already with having an outsourced catering firm who need to recoup their investment.
Roland will be good for the club long term, he does appear to be here for the long haul and he does have real money of his own (unlike TJ) and overall we are moving in the right direction IMHO.
That doesn't mean I or other can't be unhappy with some of the things he does. Quite often I think that many of the decisions I dislike or am unsure about aren't taken by Roland anyway but by the day to day staff.
RD and KM are rightly praised for fixing the pitch and tidying up the ground, painting the steps, cleaning the carpets etc but that those things are seen as improvements (which they undoubtedly are) shows how bad a state TJ had allowed the Club to get into. Yet he was praised and defended by many right to the end.
We don't need to be totally loyal to Roland and see nothing whatsoever wrong in what his regime does to be Charlton fans. We can be reasonable, praise what is good and criticise what isn't and still be fans. If anything the ability to speak out and to take constructive action to help the Club is what marks us out from other groups as fans as our history tell us.
For me I really miss the days when there was a genuine off-season and you heard NOTHING about football (apart from the occasional transfer story) between May-August, there was a genuine break from the game.
I used to get so excited on the first game of the season, walking into the ground and seeing the beautiful pitch for the first time and having an amazing sense of anticipation of what may be to come - you looked forward to it because you had been without it for so long.
These days though there is just no break from football, its in your face every day of the year with international tournaments (fair enough) but now we have the post-season tours, the pre-season tours and the early start to the Champions League plus the endless bulllshit about who is moving where and for how much, there is just no break from it.
A break from it????
Next summer will be a bore-fest with no summer tournament. Be prepared for Saturday afternoons in Ikea or being dragged around Bluewater. Week days will simply consist of work and shite soaps with no argument for whats on the other channels. Sundays will be spent all day dreading work tomorrow, the only relief being Antiques Roadshow on at 6, a show that actually defies the laws of physics and allows time to stand still.
Or we could go back to the jiminez days, signing salim kerkar and Jordan Cook, but you'd be happy Cos your mates still work there? Come on.
This is what I find odd.
Let's ignore that Kerker and Cook were just two of about 22 players who signed that year.
You and other constantly defended Jimenez, often using the same arguments that you now use to support Roland ie he saved the club from admin, spent money on players, got us promoted, it's his money so he can make who he likes redundant, they weren't needed anyway etc etc.
I'm not just picking out you as I said there are plenty of others doing the same. It just baffles me that Roland is praised for saving us from Jimenez yet in his time Jimenez was praised and any detractors told to stop moaning.
I don't agree totally with Ooh Aah but that is his personal view. I can't tell him how to feel. I'm looking forward to the season, I want to see the new players and I want us to win every game. No idea how things will work out but none of can be sure of that.
I see Roland as a good thing, despite some misgivings over some of the things this regime has done. On one hand KM is much better than Jimenez's choices of Bradshaw and Prothero which is one reason they have very quietly been eased out of the door. Again, those two were praised and any criticism of them written off as "sour grapes", "Bitter", "agenda" etc etc.
On the other hand some of the other redundancies such as Paul Ellis seem petty in the extreme. We shall have to wait and see how DNC get on with the catering although there do appear to be some "teething problems" already with having an outsourced catering firm who need to recoup their investment.
Roland will be good for the club long term, he does appear to be here for the long haul and he does have real money of his own (unlike TJ) and overall we are moving in the right direction IMHO.
That doesn't mean I or other can't be unhappy with some of the things he does. Quite often I think that many of the decisions I dislike or am unsure about aren't taken by Roland anyway but by the day to day staff.
RD and KM are rightly praised for fixing the pitch and tidying up the ground, painting the steps, cleaning the carpets etc but that those things are seen as improvements (which they undoubtedly are) shows how bad a state TJ had allowed the Club to get into. Yet he was praised and defended by many right to the end.
We don't need to be totally loyal to Roland and see nothing whatsoever wrong in what his regime does to be Charlton fans. We can be reasonable, praise what is good and criticise what isn't and still be fans. If anything the ability to speak out and to take constructive action to help the Club is what marks us out from other groups as fans as our history tell us.
Erm no they wernt.. They were signed alongside Lawrie Wilson, dervite and fuller.
Oohaah and others are more than entitled to their view, just like I'm entitled to mine which I feel like I've argued my point well and respectfully.
I understood the other points he made, just not the one about the background staff.
Comments
Hopefully we can all start to enjoy this new era soon. Fingers crossed!
Wait until 5pm on Saturday & we're all singing jingle bells.
You'll feel differently then.
I'm not saying it is all going to be a glorious golden season (I know better than to be over confident), but there has been big necessary changes for us as supporters to think 'Finally we have some direction and are prepared for a season'.
I hope as fans we play our part and ,like the last third of last season, don't lose heart when the going gets tough but stay strong and just get behind the boys and Bob.
On the surface, I'm excited about the coming season, the new players ( once I can put faces to names) & the positive words from our new CEO.
But underneath the confident face I show in public, Fanny's in a state of flux.
It's well known to my family that as a general rule, I hate change. Of course, the Gruesome Twosome 's departure was one I welcomed - one which had to happen for the future of our Club. The entry of Sir Roland on his white charger was met with sighs of relief after SO many rumours followed by so much disappointment. And breathe.....
But, with change comes uncertainty - would a new broom see Sir Chris swept aside ? Would the much discussed "network" work for or against us ? Would the road ahead be paved with gold or as bumpy as the main carpark ? At least we had Henry to put us straight on the latter.
The rest is history as they say. Legends have left us, both on & off the pitch ; a Belgian manager made a brief but memorable appearance in the Charlton annals ; a World Cup goal was celebrated as never before by the Faithful and new faces have arrived in (almost) unprecedented numbers. And now we stand, in anticipation, on the threshold of a new season and a new era for our Club.
The question is, do we have our Charlton back or, in fact, did we ever lose it ?
For me, it appears that the infrastructure has been strengthened together with the facelift of our Theatre of Dreams in SE7. I look forward to seeing the new, improved Valley next Tuesday evening as I'm sure do others.
What I see from our lads on the pitch at Griffin Park will help me to sort out my old 'ead...After all, this is what really matters, isn't it ? We witnessed some decent skills & passing moves at Peterborough a week ago which gladdened the heart & gave us renewed optimism , albeit that a number of new players were still unfamiliar. Those who travelled to Fratton Park appear to have seen a similar performance but with 2 goals scored as a bonus. There is every reason to be optimistic .....
To answer the question posed in the title of this thread, I THINK I am confusing the feeling of happiness with that of nervousness - possibly a hangover from the gut wrenching battles for points we witnessed towards the end of last season. The pressure is on the players and indeed, Big Bob to show us that the fighting spirit shown then is still very much alive. And for the new guys to demonstrate they are proud to wear the red/black/orangey shirt - each has the opportunity to be the next Charlton legend.
So, on reflection , a couple of glasses of white/rose pre match on Saturday and a wipe down with an oily rag is all that's required to get this Addick back on track & raring to go.
Oh, and a 6-0 win in West London, of course.
Onwards & upwards !( I think....)
I used to get so excited on the first game of the season, walking into the ground and seeing the beautiful pitch for the first time and having an amazing sense of anticipation of what may be to come - you looked forward to it because you had been without it for so long.
These days though there is just no break from football, its in your face every day of the year with international tournaments (fair enough) but now we have the post-season tours, the pre-season tours and the early start to the Champions League plus the endless bulllshit about who is moving where and for how much, there is just no break from it.
We the fans are the only constant all the rest come and go over time so I look forward meeting fellow Addicks in the knowledge that none of us has a clue as to where the club will be come next May but it's going to be one helluva ride.
I like change - maybe an addiction to risk and reward??
Yes, this is key. The players we've signed looked exciting. I for one want to maintain this impetus of having fresh faces, new season, new pitch etc. It will take these guys time to gel, as it would any new arrivals. We may have 8 (plus a new manager). We were fortunate with how quickly the 2011 team gelled. I'm not expecting such a quick impact, mainly because I think many of the players we got in in 2011 were above league one standard. Only 80 odd hours till kick off. COYR
I've no idea how we are going to get on, so my expectations are low, just to quell any disappointments.
Still going to give the squad and management till Christmas before giving a judgement, but fear the natives may be showing their anger by the end of September if things start slowly.
I don't like change at all either and have been feeling quite nervous about the new season. But that said, nothing can stop me looking forward to it and getting excited - the foreign owner and the foreign manager indeed are big changes and I guess many of us on here do know where Ooohaaah is coming from. So in order to avoid disappointment I've set my expectations low - all I hope is that we have a good start and come next May we stay in this league. It probably won't be easy but who knows. Three days till the Brentford game and I can't even remember the last time our opening game was broadcast on TV (*not in China this time though so fingers crossed the streaming will work). The pre-season results didn't look convincing enough but all will be forgotten once we begin to deliver decent performances in the league. Immense pressure on Peeters and hopefully he's the right man to make this new team work!
*Edit: just found out the game will be broadcast on China's PPTV - peeerrrfect...
Happy Wednesday one and all...
This season is 1 of hope some investment on the playing field at least lets us look for a new optimism in the club
Let's ignore that Kerker and Cook were just two of about 22 players who signed that year.
You and other constantly defended Jimenez, often using the same arguments that you now use to support Roland ie he saved the club from admin, spent money on players, got us promoted, it's his money so he can make who he likes redundant, they weren't needed anyway etc etc.
I'm not just picking out you as I said there are plenty of others doing the same. It just baffles me that Roland is praised for saving us from Jimenez yet in his time Jimenez was praised and any detractors told to stop moaning.
I don't agree totally with Ooh Aah but that is his personal view. I can't tell him how to feel. I'm looking forward to the season, I want to see the new players and I want us to win every game. No idea how things will work out but none of can be sure of that.
I see Roland as a good thing, despite some misgivings over some of the things this regime has done. On one hand KM is much better than Jimenez's choices of Bradshaw and Prothero which is one reason they have very quietly been eased out of the door. Again, those two were praised and any criticism of them written off as "sour grapes", "Bitter", "agenda" etc etc.
On the other hand some of the other redundancies such as Paul Ellis seem petty in the extreme. We shall have to wait and see how DNC get on with the catering although there do appear to be some "teething problems" already with having an outsourced catering firm who need to recoup their investment.
Roland will be good for the club long term, he does appear to be here for the long haul and he does have real money of his own (unlike TJ) and overall we are moving in the right direction IMHO.
That doesn't mean I or other can't be unhappy with some of the things he does. Quite often I think that many of the decisions I dislike or am unsure about aren't taken by Roland anyway but by the day to day staff.
RD and KM are rightly praised for fixing the pitch and tidying up the ground, painting the steps, cleaning the carpets etc but that those things are seen as improvements (which they undoubtedly are) shows how bad a state TJ had allowed the Club to get into. Yet he was praised and defended by many right to the end.
We don't need to be totally loyal to Roland and see nothing whatsoever wrong in what his regime does to be Charlton fans. We can be reasonable, praise what is good and criticise what isn't and still be fans. If anything the ability to speak out and to take constructive action to help the Club is what marks us out from other groups as fans as our history tell us.
Next summer will be a bore-fest with no summer tournament. Be prepared for Saturday afternoons in Ikea or being dragged around Bluewater. Week days will simply consist of work and shite soaps with no argument for whats on the other channels. Sundays will be spent all day dreading work tomorrow, the only relief being Antiques Roadshow on at 6, a show that actually defies the laws of physics and allows time to stand still.
Give me football 24/7, 365.
Oohaah and others are more than entitled to their view, just like I'm entitled to mine which I feel like I've argued my point well and respectfully.
I understood the other points he made, just not the one about the background staff.
Erm no they wernt.. They were signed alongside Lawrie Wilson, dervite and fuller.
Oohaah and others are more than entitled to their view, just like I'm entitled to mine which I feel like I've argued my point well and respectfully.
I understood the other points he made, just not the one about the background staff.
My mistake on when they signed
I didn't say you hadn't argued your points respectfully.
I still wonder why you once praised and defended TJ so much but now use him as justification for what RD does?