As the new season is so close, I'm looking closely at the squad building bit before I decide. JBG stated he wanted to see the ambition before he signed and he has signed so now we are all waiting for the signings coming in thick and fast as surely we need to get them over the line quickly.
With FFP all but worthless and the premiership TV deal, Has Roland sold Standard in order to put all his resources into us to try and get that big premiership pay out.
I'm certainly a lot more optimistic than I was a few weeks back. JBG said at the end of last season that he'd wait to see who we signed before committing to a new contract. He's now signed a new, long term contract so must be impressed with who we've bought in/bringing in in the coming days. Can only be a good sign
Of course Standard fans may have questioned how they benefitted from being the mothership in the network. I would hope that Duchatelet looks us as a potential route to premiership money and revise his plan accordingly. Circumstances can change and you always need a plan B.
RD has invested throughout his tenure - albeit not always with immediate success!
He's a smart cookie and he's learning, and I believe it's a case of not over-egging the cake. We could add some big (ish) names on high wages and still miss out - result a bigger debt-ridden club. Or we can add slowly to the mix over 2/3/4 seasons.
We always knew Yoni was off and there was precious little we could have done to keep Joe. But with the signings so far this close season (with hopefully one or two still to come) I feel we will be stronger than last season and maybe, just maybe strong enough for the dream to come true. If not then next season he adds a bit more egg until he gets the mix right whilst at the same time not burdening the club with costs it can't sustain if we miss out on promotion to the promised land.
Could well be the case, but this all depends on the signings that we will have made by the time of the big kick off.
We must also factor in the fact that RD appears to know less than bugger all about football. Is he now prepared to actually listen to the input from those who do know, i,e has he learned from his mistakes? If the answer to this is no, then we will never get anywhere near the Premiership pot of gold, regardless of how good a businessman he undoubtedly is.
The proof is in the pudding and I await with interest....
Still just to early to tell but the JBG contract is interesting. I'm guessing that he has a get out clause which would suit him and gives us some security and a few seasons should he not depart.
Have we bought anyone and loaned straight out though ? Cyprien is rumoured for that but he's not signed yet and is only 20. Should this happen I imagine it would add some weight to the argument,
The lure of Premiership Prize money New contract for JBG buying players to loan them straight out The return of Reza and PP Squad building continues What other things will demonstrate this if true?
All true - and there's the off-pitch investment: New big screen, flat screen TVs, 5000 new seats, the turnstile replacements (must of been expensive), a new pitch, refurbished bars, academy investments - I'm sure theres more. (Starting to sound a bit like "and what did the romans ever do for us"!)
Of course Standard fans may have questioned how they benefitted from being the mothership in the network. I would hope that Duchatelet looks us as a potential route to premiership money and revise his plan accordingly. Circumstances can change and you always need a plan B.
I would definitely say out of all the clubs in 'the network' we are best placed to get into the premiership.
Not to quibble with the gist of the argument, but I'm just wondering whether anything gives birth to its mother (outside Norfolk). Anyway, shouldn't a mothership be manufactured or launched?
I know there is no way of guaranteeing a return to the Premier League, but all this as highlighted above feels like Roland preparing the club for it. Perhaps investment in the squad over the season is last stage of the build up before the push?
RD has invested throughout his tenure - albeit not always with immediate success!
He's a smart cookie and he's learning, and I believe it's a case of not over-egging the cake. We could add some big (ish) names on high wages and still miss out - result a bigger debt-ridden club. Or we can add slowly to the mix over 2/3/4 seasons.
We always knew Yoni was off and there was precious little we could have done to keep Joe. But with the signings so far this close season (with hopefully one or two still to come) I feel we will be stronger than last season and maybe, just maybe strong enough for the dream to come true. If not then next season he adds a bit more egg until he gets the mix right whilst at the same time not burdening the club with costs it can't sustain if we miss out on promotion to the promised land.
I could be wrong though!!
Which is not what we want and I think he would've looked at the likes of Brighton and seen how much money they spent at having a good crack, and failing.
I think you are bang on the money Bob but I think it took the sale of Liege to force his hand with us, and, the relaxation of FFP. I don't mean he'll go out and spend mega money, but perhaps more than he would've done whilst he still owned Liege.
I also think he is happier about his involvement and the set up at Charlton than he was Liege. Woolwich Town Hall meeting aside when a number of us (myself included) were concerned after Luzon's appointment, I think he is more comfortable about with us as fans and the whole environment is healthier.
He obviously places great trust in KM and to an extent GL, and unfortunately for the likes of Chris Powell who we all know did a cracking job, he wanted to surround himself with his people. This I think is pretty standard in business and RD is a good business person. You only have to look at KM to realise how much she enjoys it and wants us to succeed. This cannot be underestimated. She's bounced back well from the Watford away incident.
I'm not saying all is rosy with what has happened, but slowly and surely I think we're being positioned for a push. The only reservation I have is with the current playing squad. I am delighted with the new additions and hopefully more to come, but at this point of time we need a few more players
What else would Roland want? I know Ive got a great idea, I'm going to buy an ex premier league club for millions, invest further millions, then I'm gonna sell one of my other clubs, one that was on the champions league, and then I'm gonna put more resources into the championship club and try and push it to the premier league. If that works I will be much richer because of the prem money, the fans will get prem football again and if I so want, I can sell at a massive profit.
After the Standard sale went through, I exchanged a few mails with Douglas de Coninck (the Belgian national newspaper journo who is a Standard fan and has interviewed RD several times.) I never got round to writing anything up from his comments but he was quite happy for them to be public so here they are (we will also soon have a transcript of Douglas' interview with RD from earlier this year, as soon as @Weegie Addick can translate it from the Dutch)
As far as I understood, Roland Duchâtelet wishes to continue what he started at Charlton, Ujpest, Carl Zeiss Jena and Madrid. Asked what selling Standard de Liège might change for the "pyramid", his answer: "There has never been a pyramid." Of course, this is nonsens. The reason why he says there has never been a pyramid is because he needs to the talks with individual players afterwards. Standard was at the top of the pyramid and now it's Charlton, where Katrien Meire is praised for the work she does. It's what it's all about for Duchâtelet: changing old habits and rules in football. By buying players without transfer fee, promoting synthetic pitches, putting a young woman at the lead of a team... I think it's good news for Standard and for Charlton. I like everything I've seen and heard from Bruno Venanzi so far.
JBG new contract has nothing to do with push to Premiership but enhances his sell on. Moving on Bikey and Wiggins is all about reducing wage bill rather than a footballing decision. The FFP cave-in has undermined RD's vision and ssle of SL will hit us further as I can't see us wanting players from his other network sides. Not long after Roland bought us I speculted that his ethos was wheeling and dealing on players and I am more convinced now that this is his main interest.
Comments
With FFP all but worthless and the premiership TV deal, Has Roland sold Standard in order to put all his resources into us to try and get that big premiership pay out.
He's a smart cookie and he's learning, and I believe it's a case of not over-egging the cake. We could add some big (ish) names on high wages and still miss out - result a bigger debt-ridden club. Or we can add slowly to the mix over 2/3/4 seasons.
We always knew Yoni was off and there was precious little we could have done to keep Joe. But with the signings so far this close season (with hopefully one or two still to come) I feel we will be stronger than last season and maybe, just maybe strong enough for the dream to come true. If not then next season he adds a bit more egg until he gets the mix right whilst at the same time not burdening the club with costs it can't sustain if we miss out on promotion to the promised land.
I could be wrong though!!
We must also factor in the fact that RD appears to know less than bugger all about football. Is he now prepared to actually listen to the input from those who do know, i,e has he learned from his mistakes? If the answer to this is no, then we will never get anywhere near the Premiership pot of gold, regardless of how good a businessman he undoubtedly is.
The proof is in the pudding and I await with interest....
Blimey, we do like to swing between extremes of fancy and suicide on this forum don't we?
I'm reading it as the usual pre-season scrobble for squad additions/improvements.
Make what you want out of the other stuff
Have we bought anyone and loaned straight out though ? Cyprien is rumoured for that but he's not signed yet and is only 20. Should this happen I imagine it would add some weight to the argument,
and actually watching a few games live?
I think you are bang on the money Bob but I think it took the sale of Liege to force his hand with us, and, the relaxation of FFP. I don't mean he'll go out and spend mega money, but perhaps more than he would've done whilst he still owned Liege.
I also think he is happier about his involvement and the set up at Charlton than he was Liege. Woolwich Town Hall meeting aside when a number of us (myself included) were concerned after Luzon's appointment, I think he is more comfortable about with us as fans and the whole environment is healthier.
He obviously places great trust in KM and to an extent GL, and unfortunately for the likes of Chris Powell who we all know did a cracking job, he wanted to surround himself with his people. This I think is pretty standard in business and RD is a good business person. You only have to look at KM to realise how much she enjoys it and wants us to succeed. This cannot be underestimated. She's bounced back well from the Watford away incident.
I'm not saying all is rosy with what has happened, but slowly and surely I think we're being positioned for a push. The only reservation I have is with the current playing squad. I am delighted with the new additions and hopefully more to come, but at this point of time we need a few more players
I know Ive got a great idea, I'm going to buy an ex premier league club for millions, invest further millions, then I'm gonna sell one of my other clubs, one that was on the champions league, and then I'm gonna put more resources into the championship club and try and push it to the premier league. If that works I will be much richer because of the prem money, the fans will get prem football again and if I so want, I can sell at a massive profit.
Or........er..........or.........oh!
As far as I understood, Roland Duchâtelet wishes to continue what he started at Charlton, Ujpest, Carl Zeiss Jena and Madrid. Asked what selling Standard de Liège might change for the "pyramid", his answer: "There has never been a pyramid."
Of course, this is nonsens. The reason why he says there has never been a pyramid is because he needs to the talks with individual players afterwards.
Standard was at the top of the pyramid and now it's Charlton, where Katrien Meire is praised for the work she does. It's what it's all about for Duchâtelet: changing old habits and rules in football. By buying players without transfer fee, promoting synthetic pitches, putting a young woman at the lead of a team...
I think it's good news for Standard and for Charlton. I like everything I've seen and heard from Bruno Venanzi so far.
Number one in sarf London.....
We can now sing.....
number one in Rolly's network.
£15K pw ?