Yes, it isn’t to criticise the players. KAG may be on the verge of going up a level. But there is a limit to the number of nearly there’s you can carry and get away with it. I would actually say that limit might be as low as one – maybe two against some opponents. This is the big weakness of the team. It was last season and it is again this.
All It takes is 2 or 3 games for things to swing either way...where we might be looking up the table again. End of august, everything was looking great. All of a sudden in a matter of weeks, it's now looking typically the charlton complete sh*t style of hopelessness.
My fear, on this occasion is that I can't see us regaining positive form anytime soon, but football in general can suddenly surprise and be unpredictable.
The club is not what it used to be and it does not feel quite the same. This has been going on for years and talked about on here many with plenty of open heart honest essays.
Supporting any football club you have to prepare to take the rough with the smooth, but this is a different kind of rough that is hard to explain. Initially, I think supporting this club, a lot of people partly fell in love with Charlton for certain reasons.... and some of those reasons most likely seem to be distant memories now...but you do have to move on with stuff if you can and try to get used to change.
I understand why so many fans say they now feel disconnected and bored. If we are winning, then it is bearable and good enough, but if where on a bad run then the whole thing is too overly sour and dull.
I actually miss the days when charlton lost a game and it would have a big enough impact to ruin my weekend.
I seem to have trailed off, ah yes Roland and Katrien...
Coming late to this I know, but this is a sentence that @pico essentially wrote an article on in the latest Trust News. He called it 'affinity'. I think we've been looking for a couple of years now at the erosion of that affinity. The owner doesn't seem to get it, KM's clearly trying to but when people write sentences like that it resonates with me and shows we're gradually losing something many of us felt was so precious. Part of it is the result of getting older, I imagine, but it's that kind of feeling that prompted 400+ fans to turn up to a meeting in Woolwich - will they just shrug their shoulders if there's a next time and walk away, because of the indifference of a remote owner?
The experiment isn't working: hard data, remote analysts vs Powell's recruitment and deployment of the right balance of character and ability. The latter finished, albeit inelegantly, in 9th. We're much prettier now, but 9th place still seems such a long way away. To me we need a proper long term strategy to build the club and the squad, not a paper-thin squad held up by the least mature of shoulders. It took Curbs 7 years to put the jigsaw together to get us promoted, knowing where he wanted to get to, backed by what Murray et al could give him. If Luzon is our Ferguson, then take a long term view, and bring us fans into the picture.
All that said, I'm quite sure Curbs would have seen where we are in this season as the twin imposters of triumph and destiny. We could take a leaf out of his book and not jump to conclusion either way on the basis of a handful of games.
What Curbs was good at IMO was appraising the strengths and weaknesses of the team/squad and knowing where a player would improve it. As the team got better, it got harder, but it seems a lot easier than it actually is. I could see some of that in Powell. Both Curbs and Powell were possibly a bit negative in how they approached games, but if you put the right players out there, you get the rewards.
We can’t deny we have made some good signings this season. Bauer has been an excellent one. Sarr could be one for the future. But we lost Ben Haim and Bikey, a left back to challenge Fox if he gets injured/loses form, a solid enough right sided player who can do a job when Solly can’t play. And our keeper who was one of the best in the league being out injured. The defence isn’t stronger. You have to make it stronger.
What Curbs was good at IMO was appraising the strengths and weaknesses of the team/squad and knowing where a player would improve it. As the team got better, it got harder, but it seems a lot easier than it actually is. I could see some of that in Powell. Both Curbs and Powell were possibly a bit negative in how they approached games, but if you put the right players out there, you get the rewards.
We can’t deny we have made some good signings this season. Bauer has been an excellent one. Sarr could be one for the future. But we lost Ben Haim and Bikey, a left back to challenge Fox if he gets injured/loses form, a solid enough right sided player who can do a job when Solly can’t play. And our keeper who was one of the best in the league being out injured. The defence isn’t stronger. You have to make it stronger.
You sure Marcus Bent and Bryan Hughes spring to mind ??
Yeah, Ferguson was a crap manager as well - remember Massimo Taibi and Eric Djemba Djemba, bloke didn't have a clue.
What Curbs was good at IMO was appraising the strengths and weaknesses of the team/squad and knowing where a player would improve it. As the team got better, it got harder, but it seems a lot easier than it actually is. I could see some of that in Powell. Both Curbs and Powell were possibly a bit negative in how they approached games, but if you put the right players out there, you get the rewards.
We can’t deny we have made some good signings this season. Bauer has been an excellent one. Sarr could be one for the future. But we lost Ben Haim and Bikey, a left back to challenge Fox if he gets injured/loses form, a solid enough right sided player who can do a job when Solly can’t play. And our keeper who was one of the best in the league being out injured. The defence isn’t stronger. You have to make it stronger.
You sure Marcus Bent and Bryan Hughes spring to mind ??
I am positive. You can select a couple of players, but up to Parker going, we improved year on year. Parker was at a level it was difficult to replace with our budget but Murphy did an OK job before he thought he was too big for us. But Curbs worked hard to get us to the point where we were the 4th best team in the country and it didn't and couldn't last long and I think that disillusioned him a bit. But the fact he got us there is a fantastic achievement and he made some terrific signings.
How many weeks ago was it that Bristol City were being linked with bids of £12 million !!!!!!!!!!!!
Running a football club living within its means is sensible to me but hardly likely to achieve real success when faced with the ridiculous competition eg Bristol City
Last I looked Brissle were rock bottom of the division do hardly working out for them is it?
Luzon is complicit in all of this though, there is nothing separating him from Duchatalet and Meire. He's a long term employee of the network, nestled in alongside his Israeli agent buddy who landed him the job and the rest of the mediocrity infesting our club. I would prefer a manager who would have the balls to stand up to the owner & say I need better resources - is company man Luzon going to do that. I have my doubts.
We had one of them.. he got sacked... very quickly...
Interview with Katrien This long interview with Charlton chief executive Katrien Meire is in French, but the pictures themselves are interesting: C'est Katrine qui parleThis Belgian who loves football runs an English club My French isn't good enough to translate the whole article, but I get the idea that she doesn't like older, long-standing supporters like me!
Katrien Meire | CEO Charlton Athletic club September 28, 2015 12:03
First paragraph translated:
"The glorious past of this club? I do not care." After a year and a half, the challenge is always present for the Belgian Katrien Meire (31 years): give new life to Charlton Athletic, English second division club.
"The glorious past of this club? I do not care." A
Which, if you read onwards, means that she only cares about the future, and not the past. Why should we rest on past triumphs? Why not try to build a new dynasty? I'm all for it, though you should always remember your humble beginnings and not get too big for yourself.
"The glorious past of this club? I do not care." A
Which, if you read onwards, means that she only cares about the future, and not the past. Why should we rest on past triumphs? Why not try to build a new dynasty? I'm all for it, though you should always remember your humble beginnings and not get too big for yourself.
When Meire eliminated free tea and coffee for fans during the competition days, many have found it a real sacrilege. "I still always get criticism." What difference does it make to give us some tea or coffee? "They ask indignant. Unfortunately it's important! This is where we are likely to achieve our better margins.
"I should not say it, but I do not care about the history of the club. We need the pampering, but not at any price."
Free tea and coffee? Either she must be talking about paying customers in the lounges, in which case it's not free, or the staff. Either way, no idea how that applies to fans in general, so something lost in translation there, I guess.
So this is the Google Translate version of the interview in French, so blame Google for any inaccuracies.
Being polite, i'd like to think a few things had been lost in translation.....
"The glorious past of this club? I do not care." After a year and a half, the challenge is always present for the Belgian Katrien Meire (31 years): give new life to Charlton Athletic, English second division club.
"The training of young players is the main wealth of Belgian clubs" "Now you understand why I fell in love with this club?" Exclaims Katrien Meire jokingly.
At 31, she holds the position of CEO of the London football club, Charlton Athletic. Around us, 15,000 supporters of the old guard and their families, bellowed loudly singing the anthem of the club before the start of the match against Hull City, the second division of "Championship" English.
In this working-class neighborhood of south-east of the British capital, unable to find more traditional than this venerable club 110 years. Meire shows us a lot in a corner of the ground, behind the stand. "This is where supporters are scattered ashes of deceased. The chaplain of the club still hosts a ceremony. Do you know that thirty years ago, the stadium could accommodate 90,000 people?"
But this golden age is over. Late 2013 , the entrepreneur Roland Duchâtelet bought this moribund club, who had just been relegated and was poorly managed. " It was a real culture shock ," recalls Meire , CEO since January 2014. This law lawyer competition was behind her , barely five years experience in offices of international lawyers in the Brussels region and with the European Commission.
" The staff at Charlton was bloated, and many of them did not have the required skills ," said Meire . In May last year , she fired ten older workers. The timing was tricky because the players had just avoided relegation.
"I warned my staff for weeks it would be a disaster down in the third division. And a few days after lifesaving sport, I separated from a part of the staff. It was difficult, but necessary. I have kept the CFO. We are putting in place a good team. The problem is that we are very close to central London. The good people prefer to work there. Here, wages are more modest. Sometimes I want to climb the wall. For example, a contributor to our sales department failed to send, to a potential sponsor for our jerseys, a rag erased by way of introduction, instead of preparing complete documents and impeccable. So it was 480,000 euros (laughs). I have often said that I needed a punching bag in my office! "
On the ground, not a goal in sight. The first half? A long series of yawns. But just after the restart Meire is recovering at once. Charlton opened the scoring. "Yes, yes," she shouts, fists clenched, before falling into the arms of a pensioner club featured! Meire has fun. "I'm crazy about football. Since I was nine, I followed all home championships STVV. I always wanted to work in the field of sport and football in particular."
She realized her dream by reaching out to Roland Duchâtelet few years ago. "He was still the owner of the club STVV (Sint-Truiden), who was playing at the time in second Belgian division I read that several clubs wanted to seek advice from Jef Vermassen -. A criminal lawyer, on the sale of TV rights I thought, I do know that it is precisely Roland my specialty. " Duchâtelet was seduced by determining Meire. He incurred during Winter 2013 Standard Liege - he owned at the time - as "Legal and international relations manager." Barely two months later, he sent into the arena of Charlton Athletic.
"I was not ready, I had no experience in managing a football club, and I had never talked to a player agent. The first months, the pressure was very strong, I do not want to be responsible for a relegation. I struggled. Especially the first few months, I happened to cry. I could not speak at Roland but it was busy and I had ensure that it does not have to endure our problems. Fortunately, the staff lovingly supported me. It may be that Roland had asked them to do (laughs). "
Through layoffs and outsourcing, Meire rose (ed. reduced??) from 150 to 100 employees. She gave a great sweep in this dusty club. "Examples? I can cite many as you want. Previously, only one person managed all food stands of the stadium. There was no signed contract, only a 'gentleman's agreement'. After each match, the person we communicated the sales amount and the club received a percentage. There was no control. "
And suddenly, silence. "Damned", Meire repeatedly swear! Two minutes before the whistle, Hull City equalized. "Do your job!" Screaming fans furious at the head of the players.
There is among them a clan of diehard fans, Meire has learned the hard way from day one. "Most of the letters I get are complaints. In some subscribers supporters for sixty years, and who know everything better than anyone. So a lady representative for over 80 years, criticized me because we have changed the mascot of the club..."
When Meire eliminated free tea and coffee for fans during the competition days , many have found it a real sacrilege. "I still always get criticism. " What difference does it make to give us some tea or coffee ? " They ask indignant . Unfortunately it's important! This is where we are likely to achieve our better margins . "
" I should not say it, but I do not care about the history of the club. We need the pampering , but not at any price . "
While the fourth official shows eight minutes of stoppage time, Meire emphasizes that she has no regret for having abandoned his career as a lawyer. "The work was too monotonous. I was sitting 13 hours a day at my computer. This job will also exhausting, but so much more exciting. For example, I negotiated myself all transfers. In football, you see faster results. This is positive. My only frustration? Things are not progressing as quickly as I would like. "
"This summer, Roland has invested millions of euros in seven new players. It also has invested 2.7 million euros in our stadium and spent € 16 million in new facilities for academy young. He starts to put pressure on me in terms of return on investment (laughs). Of course I'm aware of. I fear that one day something does not go as planned and I'll be fired. But as I think Charlton can progress, I'll stay. I'm really happy here. "
Comments
;0)
The experiment isn't working: hard data, remote analysts vs Powell's recruitment and deployment of the right balance of character and ability. The latter finished, albeit inelegantly, in 9th. We're much prettier now, but 9th place still seems such a long way away. To me we need a proper long term strategy to build the club and the squad, not a paper-thin squad held up by the least mature of shoulders. It took Curbs 7 years to put the jigsaw together to get us promoted, knowing where he wanted to get to, backed by what Murray et al could give him. If Luzon is our Ferguson, then take a long term view, and bring us fans into the picture.
All that said, I'm quite sure Curbs would have seen where we are in this season as the twin imposters of triumph and destiny. We could take a leaf out of his book and not jump to conclusion either way on the basis of a handful of games.
We can’t deny we have made some good signings this season. Bauer has been an excellent one. Sarr could be one for the future. But we lost Ben Haim and Bikey, a left back to challenge Fox if he gets injured/loses form, a solid enough right sided player who can do a job when Solly can’t play. And our keeper who was one of the best in the league being out injured. The defence isn’t stronger. You have to make it stronger.
How many weeks ago was it that Bristol City were being linked with bids of £12 million !!!!!!!!!!!!
Running a football club living within its means is sensible to me but hardly likely to achieve real success when faced with the ridiculous competition eg Bristol City
Last I looked Brissle were rock bottom of the division do hardly working out for them is it?
Interview with Katrien
This long interview with Charlton chief executive Katrien Meire is in French, but the pictures themselves are interesting: C'est Katrine qui parleThis Belgian who loves football runs an English club
My French isn't good enough to translate the whole article, but I get the idea that she doesn't like older, long-standing supporters like me!
Katrien Meire | CEO Charlton Athletic club
September 28, 2015 12:03
First paragraph translated:
"The glorious past of this club? I do not care." After a year and a half, the challenge is always present for the Belgian Katrien Meire (31 years): give new life to Charlton Athletic, English second division club.
As opposed to the shining professionalism and model efficiency exhibited over the last year?
"Do you know that thirty years ago, the stadium could accommodate 90,000 people?"
Er, no, because it's not true.
"I should not say it, but I do not care about the history of the club. We need the pampering, but not at any price."
Free tea and coffee? Either she must be talking about paying customers in the lounges, in which case it's not free, or the staff. Either way, no idea how that applies to fans in general, so something lost in translation there, I guess.
Didn't know Selhurst Park held that many.
Being polite, i'd like to think a few things had been lost in translation.....
"The glorious past of this club? I do not care." After a year and a half, the challenge is always present for the Belgian Katrien Meire (31 years): give new life to Charlton Athletic, English second division club.
"The training of young players is the main wealth of Belgian clubs"
"Now you understand why I fell in love with this club?" Exclaims Katrien Meire jokingly.
At 31, she holds the position of CEO of the London football club, Charlton Athletic. Around us, 15,000 supporters of the old guard and their families, bellowed loudly singing the anthem of the club before the start of the match against Hull City, the second division of "Championship" English.
In this working-class neighborhood of south-east of the British capital, unable to find more traditional than this venerable club 110 years. Meire shows us a lot in a corner of the ground, behind the stand. "This is where supporters are scattered ashes of deceased. The chaplain of the club still hosts a ceremony. Do you know that thirty years ago, the stadium could accommodate 90,000 people?"
But this golden age is over. Late 2013 , the entrepreneur Roland Duchâtelet bought this moribund club, who had just been relegated and was poorly managed. " It was a real culture shock ," recalls Meire , CEO since January 2014. This law lawyer competition was behind her , barely five years experience in offices of international lawyers in the Brussels region and with the European Commission.
" The staff at Charlton was bloated, and many of them did not have the required skills ," said Meire . In May last year , she fired ten older workers. The timing was tricky because the players had just avoided relegation.
"I warned my staff for weeks it would be a disaster down in the third division. And a few days after lifesaving sport, I separated from a part of the staff. It was difficult, but necessary. I have kept the CFO. We are putting in place a good team. The problem is that we are very close to central London. The good people prefer to work there. Here, wages are more modest. Sometimes I want to climb the wall. For example, a contributor to our sales department failed to send, to a potential sponsor for our jerseys, a rag erased by way of introduction, instead of preparing complete documents and impeccable. So it was 480,000 euros (laughs). I have often said that I needed a punching bag in my office! "
On the ground, not a goal in sight. The first half? A long series of yawns. But just after the restart Meire is recovering at once. Charlton opened the scoring. "Yes, yes," she shouts, fists clenched, before falling into the arms of a pensioner club featured! Meire has fun. "I'm crazy about football. Since I was nine, I followed all home championships STVV. I always wanted to work in the field of sport and football in particular."
She realized her dream by reaching out to Roland Duchâtelet few years ago. "He was still the owner of the club STVV (Sint-Truiden), who was playing at the time in second Belgian division I read that several clubs wanted to seek advice from Jef Vermassen -. A criminal lawyer, on the sale of TV rights I thought, I do know that it is precisely Roland my specialty. " Duchâtelet was seduced by determining Meire. He incurred during Winter 2013 Standard Liege - he owned at the time - as "Legal and international relations manager." Barely two months later, he sent into the arena of Charlton Athletic.
"I was not ready, I had no experience in managing a football club, and I had never talked to a player agent. The first months, the pressure was very strong, I do not want to be responsible for a relegation. I struggled. Especially the first few months, I happened to cry. I could not speak at Roland but it was busy and I had ensure that it does not have to endure our problems. Fortunately, the staff lovingly supported me. It may be that Roland had asked them to do (laughs). "
Through layoffs and outsourcing, Meire rose (ed. reduced??) from 150 to 100 employees. She gave a great sweep in this dusty club. "Examples? I can cite many as you want. Previously, only one person managed all food stands of the stadium. There was no signed contract, only a 'gentleman's agreement'. After each match, the person we communicated the sales amount and the club received a percentage. There was no control. "
And suddenly, silence. "Damned", Meire repeatedly swear! Two minutes before the whistle, Hull City equalized. "Do your job!" Screaming fans furious at the head of the players.
There is among them a clan of diehard fans, Meire has learned the hard way from day one. "Most of the letters I get are complaints. In some subscribers supporters for sixty years, and who know everything better than anyone. So a lady representative for over 80 years, criticized me because we have changed the mascot of the club..."
When Meire eliminated free tea and coffee for fans during the competition days , many have found it a real sacrilege. "I still always get criticism. " What difference does it make to give us some tea or coffee ? " They ask indignant . Unfortunately it's important! This is where we are likely to achieve our better margins . "
" I should not say it, but I do not care about the history of the club. We need the pampering , but not at any price . "
While the fourth official shows eight minutes of stoppage time, Meire emphasizes that she has no regret for having abandoned his career as a lawyer. "The work was too monotonous. I was sitting 13 hours a day at my computer. This job will also exhausting, but so much more exciting. For example, I negotiated myself all transfers. In football, you see faster results. This is positive. My only frustration? Things are not progressing as quickly as I would like. "
"This summer, Roland has invested millions of euros in seven new players. It also has invested 2.7 million euros in our stadium and spent € 16 million in new facilities for academy young. He starts to put pressure on me in terms of return on investment (laughs). Of course I'm aware of. I fear that one day something does not go as planned and I'll be fired. But as I think Charlton can progress, I'll stay. I'm really happy here. "