Problem is,the days of realism in top class football is rapidly going down the pan. With teams dropping out of the prem with hundreds of millions as a parting gift in their back pocket,what chance has the little plucky club with only their pot to pi55 in got? Good luck with that Katrien. I still think Roland is just happy that he saved our little club and gave us all somewhere to still go on a Saturday afternoon where we can meet up with family and pals and have a nice(?) Bite to eat. Whether the entertainment on the pitch is any good,who cares! He's like a football philanthropist if you ask me. Either that or he took a shine to young ambitious Katrien and wanted to make her feel important, so he bought her a football club. ;-)
To be fair to KM - I doubt she is setting out her plan. It is RD's. But it doesn't even feel like a plan. I mean a plan should have a beginning! How are we going to be doing well in January - what's the plan for that? Surely that is the first point to address - or do we just amble along playing too many inexperienced players in severely weakened sides for 35% to 40% of our games and hope for the best in a very competitive league.
We all know Charlton will burst any bubble we may have --- been that way for decades, but after such a few games to find their " ambition" was to " finish half way ---" well that's deflating even though the bubble this year was very small.
Until anybody on here can find 100 million to pump into the club, then we go with what we have got, makes me laugh people of here wanting to spunk someone else's money.
No problem with this at all, the new English disease in football is to throw shed loads of cash at a problem, and then pray some of it sticks. Run it properly, invest at the right times, and do what Burnley did.
" The fans must buy into the long term plan". What plan? Selling our best young players? Bringing in signings that aren't good enough for the Championship? Nego, PP, Koc,etc. Leaving our first team squad thinner than Twiggy on a diet? Why are we talking about bringing in players in January? We needed the players for the start of the season. We could be adrift in the bottom three by January. This season has turned into last season, good start then an alarming slide, then the Coach sacked. Is that part of your coherent Plan Meire?
I am sorry Katrien, this fan does not buy into the long term plan.
Until anybody on here can find 100 million to pump into the club, then we go with what we have got, makes me laugh people of here wanting to spunk someone else's money.
He's already spending the money on operating losses and building up an ever-larger pile of debt that probably already means he can never recover his outlay without reaching the Premier League. It's perfectly reasonable to argue that if you have the resources to make a reasonable stab at climbing out of the hole you are in then that is a better idea than buying a bigger spade.
No one is asking them to spend shit loads of money, but at least buy a squad big enough to cope with 3-4 bloody injuries. If we did have some half decent cover for the players that got injured then we wouldn't go on a piss poor losing streak every time a couple of players got injured, and maybe just maybe with a bigger squad we may be able to hang around the top half come January.
Sadly, as much as I don't want to criticise her, the more KM says the more convinced I am that she is out of her depth. I never feel as though any of her PR helps her yet I often feel as though it damages her. She seems to open her mouth and put her foot in it.
frankly a lot of people on here are qualified to do better
No ones is asking them to spend shit loads of money, but at least buy a squad big enough to cope with 3-4 bloody injuries. If we did have some half decent cover for the players that got injured then we wouldn't go on a piss poor losing streak every time a couple of players got injured, and maybe just maybe with a bigger squad we may be able to hang around the top half come January.
The same meaningless line was deployed in support of John Fryer and the move to Selhurst Park in 1985. We all invest in the club, financially, emotionally and in terms of our time. The idea that we are precluded from even having an opinion about the way it is run because we don't own the shares belongs to the 1950s.
There's nobody better than a football fan on a forum to spend someone else's money for them.
"Splash out", "go for broke", go on, you know it makes sense. "We're only 2/3/4/5/6/7 players away from a promotion chasing team, you tight bastard".
Undoubtedly true. However, the main issue with these latest comments is that Katrien is stating a long term ambition to get promoted to the Premier League whilst presenting a strategy which has absolutely no chance of achieving that. We will never, ever get promoted by going through the first half of each season with a bare-bones squad with the intention of strengthening in January only in the event that we've managed to blag our way into contention for the play-off spots. You don't need to be a genius to figure that out, and it's been proven this season and last.
The whole January plan is ridiculous. You don't form promotion challenging teams half way through the season, and the whole 'there is always a team that sneaks in at the end' is just a strange myth.
If you want the Premier League, it isn't just a case of 'let's see how we do and take it from there', because that approach has mid table mediocrity screaming all over it
You are absolutely right Tom. The table below shows the promoted clubs from the last ten seasons and where they were in the table at the end of December. What this shows is that: ● Out of thirty promoted clubs, only four (Norwich 2015, Blackpool 2010, Hull 2008, Sunderland 2007) ended December outside of the play-off places. ● No club has been promoted from being in the second half of the table, Sunderland's remarkable rise from 12th place is the best second-half finish. ● 60% of promoted clubs were in the top three at the end of December. ● The jammy gits of Selhurst, can't still believe their luck.
My fear with this naive plan that is only going to lead to endless seasons in mid-table at best, what happens if Roland loses interest in say four seasons time, we are still a mid-table Championship team but he wants to sell up and get back his investment, he has no chance of that without us being promoted, so what happens next?
As people talk about him covering the five millions loses a season & the training ground redevelopment(which i welcome obviously) as if he has generously gifted our club that money but at some point he will be expecting it back.
I am no accountant but I wouldn't be surprised if us and the rest of the clubs in his network are just some massive tax dodge for his electronics empire!
Would certainly explain why he is happy to only invest the minimum funds to stay afloat in the Championship and show no real ambition to be promoted.
The whole scenario and RD's thinking really baffles me!
Or radically she could do fan events and bring the fanbase along with the project... Rather than pr failures
'Fanbase' or about 50 people?
You've only gotta look at Social media, where most of our vocal fans speak up, to see what we are dealing with.
She may as well just keep it all to herself and crack on.
When I ran it City Addicks alone used to attract 80 plus, and it wasn't even a formal group. The fan meeting circuit gets out to far far more than you suggest, and trickles outwards. Murray used it to good effect and established excellent Comunication.
Just because people aren't spouting off on social media doesn't suggest they are happy kr unhappy.
I really don't understand the mentality of our fans. I remember a few years ago when we were really struggling quite a number of people on here were all saying "I don't really want us to get into loads of debt to chase the PL dream, I'm happy to be comfortably mid Championship level". So we have that and a club that is run prudently and now people bemoan the lack of spending to chase PL promotion.
Can someone explain to me what the hatred is about at the moment? I really don't understand it.
I really don't understand the mentality of our fans. I remember a few years ago when we were really struggling quite a number of people on here were all saying "I don't really want us to get into loads of debt to chase the PL dream, I'm happy to be comfortably mid Championship level". So we have that and a club that is run prudently and now people bemoan the lack of spending to chase PL promotion.
Can someone explain to me what the hatred is about at the moment? I really don't understand it.
How do you know it is being run prudently? Spending money on playing and non playing staff that are not up to the job eg the CEO, the managers, the majority of the signings, as one example, is not prudence surely. Just a big debt being built up again that somehow will have to be repaid to The Belgian.
The same meaningless line was deployed in support of John Fryer and the move to Selhurst Park in 1985. We all invest in the club, financially, emotionally and in terms of our time. The idea that we are precluded from even having an opinion about the way it is run because we don't own the shares belongs to the 1950s.
But the reality is that our opinions do mean nothing, and until a supporter stumps up and buys the club our 'business' opinions will continue to mean nothing.
I really don't understand the mentality of our fans. I remember a few years ago when we were really struggling quite a number of people on here were all saying "I don't really want us to get into loads of debt to chase the PL dream, I'm happy to be comfortably mid Championship level". So we have that and a club that is run prudently and now people bemoan the lack of spending to chase PL promotion.
Can someone explain to me what the hatred is about at the moment? I really don't understand it.
Its the regular busy body keyboard business men, who think the internet gives them a right to tell a highly successful multi millionaire how to run his businesses. It always makes me laugh, 'RD should spend XX Million on XX player, X Million on the ground, oh yes and we want more chips' - its comical.
no idea whether we are being funded by his money, or some kind of tax offset which means that the football club plods along without any 'real' investment. Less and less convinced that RDs driver is ambition or progression, more and more convinced its about sustainability.
They have what is rumoured to be a strategy of seeking to to target new fans, or younger target base, but i see very little in their model that will realistically achieve that.
Can someone explain to me what the hatred is about at the moment? I really don't understand it.
I don't think it's hatred - more of a frustration that it feels like we're in a position to push on but it's not happening because of various decisions - be that poor/insufficient player purchases, budget restrictions or a naivety from the club's upper management.
Also I'm quite tired today and that makes me grumpy.
Comments
With teams dropping out of the prem with hundreds of millions as a parting gift in their back pocket,what chance has the little plucky club with only their pot to pi55 in got? Good luck with that Katrien.
I still think Roland is just happy that he saved our little club and gave us all somewhere to still go on a Saturday afternoon where we can meet up with family and pals and have a nice(?) Bite to eat. Whether the entertainment on the pitch is any good,who cares!
He's like a football philanthropist if you ask me.
Either that or he took a shine to young ambitious Katrien and wanted to make her feel important, so he bought her a football club. ;-)
Why are we talking about bringing in players in January? We needed the players for the start of the season. We could be adrift in the bottom three by January.
This season has turned into last season, good start then an alarming slide, then the Coach sacked. Is that part of your coherent Plan Meire?
I am sorry Katrien, this fan does not buy into the long term plan.
Anecdotally, one is normally within touching distance of either relegation or top six, perhaps some our stattosmon here can confirm?
It's an untested approach and will, at best, take many years.
If the plan was a ride at a theme park it would be this:
You've only gotta look at Social media, where most of our vocal fans speak up, to see what we are dealing with.
She may as well just keep it all to herself and crack on.
● Out of thirty promoted clubs, only four (Norwich 2015, Blackpool 2010, Hull 2008, Sunderland 2007) ended December outside of the play-off places.
● No club has been promoted from being in the second half of the table, Sunderland's remarkable rise from 12th place is the best second-half finish.
● 60% of promoted clubs were in the top three at the end of December.
● The jammy gits of Selhurst, can't still believe their luck.
As people talk about him covering the five millions loses a season & the training ground redevelopment(which i welcome obviously) as if he has generously gifted our club that money but at some point he will be expecting it back.
Would certainly explain why he is happy to only invest the minimum funds to stay afloat in the Championship and show no real ambition to be promoted.
The whole scenario and RD's thinking really baffles me!
Comunication.
Just because people aren't spouting off on social media doesn't suggest they are happy kr unhappy.
Can someone explain to me what the hatred is about at the moment? I really don't understand it.
It always makes me laugh, 'RD should spend XX Million on XX player, X Million on the ground, oh yes and we want more chips' - its comical.
no idea whether we are being funded by his money, or some kind of tax offset which means that the football club plods along without any 'real' investment. Less and less convinced that RDs driver is ambition or progression, more and more convinced its about sustainability.
They have what is rumoured to be a strategy of seeking to to target new fans, or younger target base, but i see very little in their model that will realistically achieve that.
Also I'm quite tired today and that makes me grumpy.