Almost too depressed to post tonight which is a first for me .
Cabbles' post earlier said it all.
Tonight is why I wear a black & white scarf to games . It's my way of protesting against this abhorrent regime that's squeezing the life out of our Club and its supporters. It's not much, I agree but it doesn't seem right to wear my old red scarf as a mark of the pride I have in my Club because at this moment in time, that pride is, sadly fast diminishing.
It hurts to admit that & is something I never thought would cross my mind. I love this Club, its history, its ups & its downs, its players past & present...but the latter has a different feel this season. And for that, I blame one person and one person only ..... there are NO prizes for guessing his name.
This man is destroying our Club - end of. And I don't see him changing his modus operandi any time soon.
We have been sold more than one "pup" ...well, more like a whole litter since he came on board. Managers have been forced to give more game time than is ideal to our young guns because of the paucity of the squad as a whole. Tonight, Lookie may be a casualty of that enforced policy but I'm sure RD will have his eye firmly fixed on the next Academy lad to come off the "conveyer belt". All in all, the balance of the squad is wrong and tonight confirmed even more that it is paper thin - and that as much as the inadequacies of managers appointed, will be our downfall.
I shall still be at Turf Moor on Saturday and in Bristol on Boxing Day, wearing my black & white scarf.
But what other fans will see on the outside is in total contrast to what I shall be feeling inside. As I've said before, it breaks my heart to acknowledge that the passion I have for our Club is starting to fade.
Whatever it takes, we must NOT let one man destroy Charlton Athletic.
This is OUR football club & we must fight to keep it that way.
The alternative is not an option.
Very well said, Fanny - and Cabbles.
The team and squad is hopelessly unbalanced and under-resourced. How, for example, do we hope to give Cousins and Jacko a rest over the next two and a half weeks in our troubled midfield ? They could clearly use one but, at the risk of understatement, Ba is hardly inspiring confidence.
On a purely personal level, I have a minuscule - and I do mean minuscule - sympathy for Karel Fraeye, much as he seems a thoroughly amiable and decent bloke (which I'm sure he is). I use the word 'minuscule' in the sense of the following: 'tiny, minute, microscopic, nanoscopic, very small, little, micro' (with due acknowledgments to Google). The fundamental problem is that he is not qualified to do this job (other, perversely, than being 'known' to Roland) and, however much revision and studying he has done on the Championship, he has very few meaningful contacts and experience in the English game. One has to ask what respect can he really command in the dressing room, whatever platitudes the players understandably offer following Roland's four-monthly change of 'coach'.
My other personal difficulty with Karel Fraeye is that anyone who asserts - as he has done recently- that our squad is good enough, clearly has his head wedged irretrievably and irrevocably up Roland's arse. I know that journalists pose loaded questions but he looks and feels like a total 'brown nose'.
This club deserves very much better and we must crank the pressure up on this regime - one way or another - to ensure that we get it.
What can I say that hasn't already been said a million times before over the last few months. This was a true litmus test, and failing to capitalise on a 2-0 lead at home to bottom of the league screams one thing - relegation. That was a League One standard game.
No dialogue. No compromises. No halfway measures. They are a cancer to our club and we will only heal once every shred of this ludicrous regime, top to bottom (including that effing sofa), are gone.
@cafcbart92 nail-on-head. Might as well copy and paste this into every post match thread from now until they sell up.
That may have been performance of the year. (from a Bolton perspective.) Zillions in debt, not won in ages, bottom of the league and two down after 20 mins; am amazing fight back and nearly won the game. I never saw there heads drop.
Sadly, the Lookman and JBG substitutions came from injuries by all accounts.The problem is that the squad is crap. Can we blame the manager for that? Of course we can, he came in, had a look and said it was all okay. Nice bit of arse licking KF, but you must feel a bit of a prat now! The squad is far from okay. We are pushing the youngsters too hard, and someone should tell RD we did away with a child workforce in this country back in the 1800's. Mak is getting sickening abuse, which hardly helps. I don't like to dig out our fans, but FFS if Katrien is in the ground, would'nt it make more sense to boo her? Or the manager who said the squad was fine. Or the owner who see's no need to attend matches. If Cousins, JBG and Mak are looking bad, maybe it's a symptom of how badly we are managed? Sod it. Get behind the team, but the owner and his lackeys should'nt get the free ride they are getting. And we can look at Blackburn and their appointment of Lambert. FFS. THAT was what we should have done, and most of us knew it. Name another club in Europe who would have bought in someone with KF's curriculum to sort things out. I can. Alcorcon, KZ Jena and our Hungarian allies. This feels like when we had Les Reid in charge, and sacked him around this time of year to bring in Pardew. The damage is done, but we still have a window of opportunity. Fraeye out. Katrien out. CAnd that's just the start of cleaning these stables....
Almost too depressed to post tonight which is a first for me .
Cabbles' post earlier said it all.
Tonight is why I wear a black & white scarf to games . It's my way of protesting against this abhorrent regime that's squeezing the life out of our Club and its supporters. It's not much, I agree but it doesn't seem right to wear my old red scarf as a mark of the pride I have in my Club because at this moment in time, that pride is, sadly fast diminishing.
It hurts to admit that & is something I never thought would cross my mind. I love this Club, its history, its ups & its downs, its players past & present...but the latter has a different feel this season. And for that, I blame one person and one person only ..... there are NO prizes for guessing his name.
This man is destroying our Club - end of. And I don't see him changing his modus operandi any time soon.
We have been sold more than one "pup" ...well, more like a whole litter since he came on board. Managers have been forced to give more game time than is ideal to our young guns because of the paucity of the squad as a whole. Tonight, Lookie may be a casualty of that enforced policy but I'm sure RD will have his eye firmly fixed on the next Academy lad to come off the "conveyer belt". All in all, the balance of the squad is wrong and tonight confirmed even more that it is paper thin - and that as much as the inadequacies of managers appointed, will be our downfall.
I shall still be at Turf Moor on Saturday and in Bristol on Boxing Day, wearing my black & white scarf.
But what other fans will see on the outside is in total contrast to what I shall be feeling inside. As I've said before, it breaks my heart to acknowledge that the passion I have for our Club is starting to fade.
Whatever it takes, we must NOT let one man destroy Charlton Athletic.
This is OUR football club & we must fight to keep it that way.
The alternative is not an option.
Very well said, Fanny - and Cabbles.
The team and squad is hopelessly unbalanced and under-resourced. How, for example, do we hope to give Cousins and Jacko a rest over the next two and a half weeks in our troubled midfield ? They could clearly use one but, at the risk of understatement, Ba is hardly inspiring confidence.
On a purely personal level, I have a minuscule - and I do mean minuscule - sympathy for Karel Fraeye, much as he seems a thoroughly amiable and decent bloke (which I'm sure he is). I use the word 'minuscule' in the sense of the following: 'tiny, minute, microscopic, nanoscopic, very small, little, micro' (with due acknowledgments to Google). The fundamental problem is that he is not qualified to do this job (other, perversely, than being 'known' to Roland) and, however much revision and studying he has done on the Championship, he has very few meaningful contacts and experience in the English game. One has to ask what respect can he really command in the dressing room, whatever platitudes the players understandably offer following Roland's four-monthly change of 'coach'.
My other personal difficulty with Karel Fraeye is that anyone who asserts - as he has done recently- that our squad is good enough, clearly has his head wedged irretrievably and irrevocably up Roland's arse. I know that journalists pose loaded questions but he looks and feels like a total 'brown nose'.
This club deserves very much better and we must crank the pressure up on this regime - one way or another - to ensure that we get it.
I console myself with the fact that relegation for miserable clubs like Charlton and Bolton is at least good for football.
In the end badly run clubs drop to the bottom of the pyramid and get sold on or go into administration. I think this is the only way we'll get out of this mess!
Been saying since Sheffield United the only way to save Charlton is boycott and relegation to force the virus out. Been a slow process for others but I think with the majority of fans not there last night we are getting there.
Been saying since Sheffield United the only way to save Charlton is boycott and relegation to force the virus out. Been a slow process for others but I think with the majority of fans not there last night we are getting there.
Very sad to say but coming around to this way of thinking, they won't be getting our 3 season ticket sales next season, first time for me in over 25 years.
Hopeless. Went for a drink with my Bolton mate after the match. While that game being a League 1 fixture next season is not guaranteed, Bolton look to have more fight than we do. I celebrated Lookman's goals with a feeling that either we would do something about our terrible goal difference against a team who were clearly in trouble.... or more likely concede at least two and possibly give Bolton their first away win. The only thing stopping us being adrift at the bottom with Bolton is how crap most of our relegation rivals are. And we haven't beaten a single one of them (and I can't see it against Bristol either, can you?) Our rivals will strengthen in January. We will pick up a couple of out of contract journeymen in February by which time it will be too late. More worrying, is that no one around me was at all surprised that we threw away a 2 goal lead and a better team would have beaten us at the end. We can't keep on relying on the inability of northern teams that play in white to miss in the last 15 minutes.
Sums it up for me from BBC website-: Emile Heskey's first goal in almost a year sparked Bolton's fightback as the Championship's bottom side earned a point at fellow strugglers Charlton.
So we are 2-0 up, at home, and a team struggling below us get a draw as a player who has not scored in a year drags them back into the game!! Time to move the 3 amigo's on......au revoire or whatever they say in Belgium to RD/KM/KF before you completely ruin this club!!</</b>blockquote>
They have already done that. The club is on its arse both on and off the field!
We are down and this time I fear the club will not recover and bounce back as we did the last time we were relegated to league 1. Can see us dropping into league 2 with these f*cking jokers in charge as they haven't got the first clue on how to run an English football club!
More worrying, is that no one around me was at all surprised that we threw away a 2 goal lead and a better team would have beaten us at the end.
Just as worrying for the state of the club was that no one seemed to care that much either. Blowing a lead like that normally rouses the crowd to either up the noise getting behind the team to rouse them again or to get on their backs. Although I wouldn't have agreed with the second option, it's at moments like that you realise how apathetic the fans are at the moment, even those who bother to turn up! This attitude (which I am sadly also guilty of) doesn't reflect well for future protests against the owner either because, as has been mentioned, the passion is dwindling fast and it may be too late to retrieve. Real sad times.
when we play Morecambe on the opening day of the 2017/18 league 2 season in front of a man and his dog, I will remember last night as the night I lost hope.
didn't get there till HT as was at daughters school play....wow wish I hadn't bothered.
total lack of confidence running through the side at the moment, Cousins needs a break out the side, hopefully Diarra can get back in the midfield asap.
As for the sarcastic cheering when Mak won a header, baffles me how people think that will help his confidence, there's definitely a player in there as we saw earlier in the season, we just need to play more to his strengths rather than lump of high in the sky with no one around him
"The infinite monkey theorem states that a monkey hitting keys at random on a typewriter keyboard for an infinite amount of time will almost surely type a given text, such as the complete works of William Shakespeare."
I've still got so much to write (none of it is particularly adding anything new - but cathartic none the less).
I'll start with that theory above. I think this pretty much sums it up for me. Give RD an infinite amount of time and he might achieve the equivalent of footballing Shakespeare with his cast of monkeys. Unfortunately infinity isn't an option in this situation.
I got to thinking last night about all the regulars on here (and others) who in some way have given up their time or still do give up their time for this club. I mean I don't know any of them personally but I think about Henry doing all his work with the museum, Bromley addicks. FF as fans forum representative and her work for her respective branch of the supporters club. Red Midland who kindly gives up his time to do the match threads so people who can't go can follow the game. All the trust board who have taken time out their lives to assemble a body that tries as best they can to represent the lifeblood of the club and give us a voice on the future of our club. When I go to away games I go on Betty Hutchins' coach. The amount of years people like Bet have put into making sure there is a mode of transport to get us to FA cup replays on a cold Tuesday night in January. I mean these are the examples I can think of through what I read on here and through the people I know. I am sure there are 100s of others and I'm not suggesting this makes them anymore of a fan than someone that can only do the odd home game, my point is that these examples are what makes our club great, and these examples are for me, a great part of why we exist today.
Yet all this is being slowly eaten away by one man. Belligerence, arrogance, ignorance or ineptitude, use whatever term you want. I can't in my mind, understand how such a successful businessman, can look back on his 2 years of ownership, and come to any conclusion other than, I'm failing. If he has spent what he says he has spent on players, investing in the training ground, the academy etc, and we are where we are today, playing the sort of football we are today, with a patched up cast of confused footballers, then it has to be failure.
As I've said before, I can't buy the funding our losses argument. I can't buy it because the current set up, from CEO down, will take us into League One. The fans will continue to disappear. The quality of the playing staff will get worse. The club will not be something he can get a return on, he will have taken nothing from his time here, other than a financial loss. There are no happy memories that to my mind have been created in the RD era. Small examples like the last minute winner against Hull mean very little unless they are part of a bigger machine, a bigger picture all pulling toward a common goal. We all were patting Luzon on the back in the west stand when he got sent off that day, we were all with him when he ran down the touch line to join in the huddle by the tunnel entrance. Guy Luzon isn't here anymore.
I don't pay much attention to our FB group but someone posted last night that they spoke to RM about signings etc and his response was they want to see how the current team beds in? I mean, we can tell them 'how they will bed in'. The talented youngsters have been thrown in too quickly, too often. They are now playing in an environment that although character building (to say the least), could potentially finish their careers before they've even started. 20,000 fans at every home game overly expecting the likes of Lookman to do what he did last night every week, because we just don't have anyone else. Joke. Complete joke.
We don't need sofas, we don't need an evening with RM and Katrien, we don't need a committee of fans meeting every now and again to talk about how we might one day find 20,000 fans, in as much a sick patient with a broken leg needs a few painkillers. We need surgery!
Like I said, I know I'm repeating myself, and others have put it a lot more succinctly and to the point "**** off Roland" springs to mind
I just woke up this morning and had to get it off my chest
Charlton ceased to be a traditional football club the day RD bought the club. It's a different business now. I admire all the countless good suggestions from the fans to correct the slump and turn things around. Utter frustration has set in from what we are witnessing. My interpretation is RD only sees the club (his business) as an opportunity to milk the "cash cow" provided by selling young academy players only. It seems to me that any money spent to improve the first team or on the coach is "money down the drain". In my opinion he is not interested in the game we all love. It's just another business opportunity for him. I personally don't think it matters to him what league we are playing in provided he still makes money from the youngsters. When that no longer works he will consider getting out. As a long standing fan I feel the pain. The mounting frustration of the fans witnessing the clear failings of football management strategy under the current stewardship is undoutedly killing support. It is becoming unbearable. Many are voting with their feet and staying away. Tragic for the club but what is there to see anymore? Not much joy watching a failing team. No joy supporting RD's match day profits. No joy at all just utter, utter frustration watching our proud and historic club wither in front of our eyes. In my opinion, it's pointless offering RD football remedies for the problems we face. I fear it will fall on the deaf ears. I cannot see any real changes taking place under this ownership. Applying the odd "sticking plasters" to fix problems along the way is all we can expect under him. That type of strategy maybe too late to save us from relegation this season. The thought of fighting to get out of League 1 next season is too painful to contemplate but that fate is looming up fast.
People keep saying RD is pumping money into the club. That i now happening because he knows f all about football, but keeps doing things his way. Penny wise, pound foolish. Pay peanuts, get monkeys. Basically, he chose Katrien as CEO instead of an experienced CEO. She has no football experience, neither does he. So they decide between them. Then we are told (BPnohair was one who agreed) that the fault is the stay away fans. So why does RD stay away?
Diarra was a major problem tonight. Even though he was playing in defence he couldn't resist trying to play his midfield role as well. Lennon needed an experienced central defender alongside him to talk him through the match. Instead, every time he looked up, Diarra had gone walkabout.
We need a f--King manager with his own backroom staff keep Jason Euell ,target 20,000 well katrien you can offer people beer , food nice hospitallity the lot , but if the team ain't doing it on the pitch people will not turn up, fans ain't stupid they want to see their team winning and a team that can grace the hallowed valley turf and unfortunately this team isn't good enough ,RD and KM sort out the manager give him a few quid and then maybe the 20,000 target might happen its that simple .
"The infinite monkey theorem states that a monkey hitting keys at random on a typewriter keyboard for an infinite amount of time will almost surely type a given text, such as the complete works of William Shakespeare."
I've still got so much to write (none of it is particularly adding anything new - but cathartic none the less).
I'll start with that theory above. I think this pretty much sums it up for me. Give RD an infinite amount of time and he might achieve the equivalent of footballing Shakespeare with his cast of monkeys. Unfortunately infinity isn't an option in this situation.
I got to thinking last night about all the regulars on here (and others) who in some way have given up their time or still do give up their time for this club. I mean I don't know any of them personally but I think about Henry doing all his work with the museum, Bromley addicks. FF as fans forum representative and her work for her respective branch of the supporters club. Red Midland who kindly gives up his time to do the match threads so people who can't go can follow the game. All the trust board who have taken time out their lives to assemble a body that tries as best they can to represent the lifeblood of the club and give us a voice on the future of our club. When I go to away games I go on Betty Hutchins' coach. The amount of years people like Bet have put into making sure there is a mode of transport to get us to FA cup replays on a cold Tuesday night in January. I mean these are the examples I can think of through what I read on here and through the people I know. I am sure there are 100s of others and I'm not suggesting this makes them anymore of a fan than someone that can only do the odd home game, my point is that these examples are what makes our club great, and these examples are for me, a great part of why we exist today.
Yet all this is being slowly eaten away by one man. Belligerence, arrogance, ignorance or ineptitude, use whatever term you want. I can't in my mind, understand how such a successful businessman, can look back on his 2 years of ownership, and come to any conclusion other than, I'm failing. If he has spent what he says he has spent on players, investing in the training ground, the academy etc, and we are where we are today, playing the sort of football we are today, with a patched up cast of confused footballers, then it has to be failure.
As I've said before, I can't buy the funding our losses argument. I can't buy it because the current set up, from CEO down, will take us into League One. The fans will continue to disappear. The quality of the playing staff will get worse. The club will not be something he can get a return on, he will have taken nothing from his time here, other than a financial loss. There are no happy memories that to my mind have been created in the RD era. Small examples like the last minute winner against Hull mean very little unless they are part of a bigger machine, a bigger picture all pulling toward a common goal. We all were patting Luzon on the back in the west stand when he got sent off that day, we were all with him when he ran down the touch line to join in the huddle by the tunnel entrance. Guy Luzon isn't here anymore.
I don't pay much attention to our FB group but someone posted last night that they spoke to RM about signings etc and his response was they want to see how the current team beds in? I mean, we can tell them 'how they will bed in'. The talented youngsters have been thrown in too quickly, too often. They are now playing in an environment that although character building (to say the least), could potentially finish their careers before they've even started. 20,000 fans at every home game overly expecting the likes of Lookman to do what he did last night every week, because we just don't have anyone else. Joke. Complete joke.
We don't need sofas, we don't need an evening with RM and Katrien, we don't need a committee of fans meeting every now and again to talk about how we might one day find 20,000 fans, in as much a sick patient with a broken leg needs a few painkillers. We need surgery!
Like I said, I know I'm repeating myself, and others have put it a lot more succinctly and to the point "**** off Roland" springs to mind
I just woke up this morning and had to get it off my chest
Great post. Totally agree but RD is not going anywhere soon I fear. Last nights game was poor but I do see improvement in our play yet it is spoilt by the lack of good or championship ready players. KF had to introduce substitutes but we know that every substitute actually weakens the team given the subs available. I am sure that we will get more players in January but will KD spend enough?
Diarra was a major problem tonight. Even though he was playing in defence he couldn't resist trying to play his midfield role as well. Lennon needed an experienced central defender alongside him to talk him through the match. Instead, every time he looked up, Diarra had gone walkabout.
This all day long... At one stage Diarra brought the ball out of Defence and lost it just before the Halfway line, we were instantly subject to a counter attack which thankfully went out for a Goal Kick yet Diarra was left stranded.
Lennon also tried bringing the ball out, advanced so that he was halfway in our pitch, passed it to a Midfielder and then straight away turned and went back so he wasn't out of position.
Wasn't there so have to take posters views on the performance. We have a situation here where 'the 2%' are glass half full optimists and the 98% are glass half empty, more like down to the dregs pessimists. Whatever, I will be at Burnley and Bristol and I'll be watching and cheering, not hissing and booing however good/bad we are doing. This is football, I save my real passion, desire and hopes for the REALLY important things in life. This is me though and y'all are y'all
I will make two observations:
1) We need Watt back say many of you .. Righto .. BUT .. Watt does not want to play for Charlton, unfortunately it seems that clear cut. If he's being paid a good salary to be a non trier, if he's a negative influence around the place, let him go despite 'the potential' which he showed in all too brief glimpses. People, he is not nearly so good as many on here believe. Belief as we all know does not equal fact. He's scored a couple for Cardiff ? .. good for Cardiff. Slade can get the best from him while he's playing with quality players in a team that is near the top of the table. However, Watt is obviously not a grafter when the chips are down, not a man you'd want by your side when it comes to a right ruck. Good riddance and I'd say the same about any player who is disloyal and does not have the bottle for a fight no matter how 'talented' he might be
2) Booing our players .. Guaranteed to result in poor performances. You can't moan about losing or drawing games when you're slagging off your own team, however inept or clueless you may perceive it to be. I've seen this so many times during my years of watching at the valley, it really pisses me off, BUT, you pay your money and do what you like so long as it's inside the rules. If it were me being booed by my own 'fans', far from going over at the end of the game and applauding the masses. I'd go over and give them the finger, but that's me.
Enjoy the holiday season my fellow Lifers, let's all hope for a prosperous and successful 2016 in every facet of our lives and I'll see (a few of) you at the next 2 away games
I remember it well as it was a televised game and the night my father passed shortly after full-time (it was almost like he deliberately hung on to the end of the game), and also the night I was convinced of relegation.
That night may have been a last minute equaliser, whereas last night we threw it away far earlier but the outcome is the same. I can't see us getting out of this.
It has to change - everything does. But at what cost? It is glaringly obvious to all outside of the clubs management that the squad is too small. Taking a punt on untried players then improving them and bringing through youngsters for a profit is a laudable aim and sound policy for all clubs bar the super rich but it must be backed by the proper infrastructure. For a football club, that's not just shiny seats and a new training ground, there must be a solid core squad in place to blood the youngsters and develop raw talent such as TW without imposing too much pressure. RD may have only had his claws in us for a couple of years but he has been dabbling in football for longer than that and I'm afraid if he hasn't seen the infrastructure hole by now, he never will.
I will continue to wear black and white and protest where appropriate and, yes, I'll still go in League 1 as somebody needs to help support the club when RD finally goes but it is becoming increasingly difficult to stomach the mismanagement. It's almost like watching The Apprentice and screaming at the telly when some over-hyped self made 'management executive' is trying to sell pork in a synagogue at £50/lb - it's bloody obvious why it ain't working; why can't they see it?
We missed a steadying midfielder like Buyens to control the game. Thought Lennon looked promising and good to see Solly playing better. We should improve on Saturday with Diarra in midfield - if he is fit enough. Is JGB carrying an injury? Not sure why Makienok took so much stick when he came on as he won a few headers and put himself about. Vaz Te is an asset. Overall pleased we did not lose and disappointed we did not win. Hats off to the Bolton fans who were very positive and lifted their team.
didn't get there till HT as was at daughters school play....wow wish I hadn't bothered.
total lack of confidence running through the side at the moment, Cousins needs a break out the side, hopefully Diarra can get back in the midfield asap.
As for the sarcastic cheering when Mak won a header, baffles me how people think that will help his confidence, there's definitely a player in there as we saw earlier in the season, we just need to play more to his strengths rather than lump of high in the sky with no one around him
Any idea what they are because I'm struggling to see any ?
We need a decent experienced center half, its quite clear that we can't defend crosses, corners or set pieces! All teams do is lump the ball into box and watch as we try to clear in disarray, last night and the first Ipswich goal was like watching pin ball in the box.
Also what is it with these silly early free kicks? We wasted at least 4-5 free kicks last night.
One thing I will say is that the atmosphere is absolutely toxic at ‘The Valley. Why people bother to come and sit there shouting and screaming abuse for 90 minutes is beyond me, what do they honestly believe will happen. Chelsea are one point above the relegation zone and were losing 2-0 on Monday, they sung for their team the entire time.
Seriously awful performance. The squad is shit. The disintegration of JC and JBG is startling. They've been horrific this year compared to last. Thought Solly was MOTM last night, driving forward and plenty of determination in tackles.
We have some serious matters that need addressing- KF needs to go and some investment next month is badly required. Nigel Pearson is available!
Comments
The team and squad is hopelessly unbalanced and under-resourced. How, for example, do we hope to give Cousins and Jacko a rest over the next two and a half weeks in our troubled midfield ? They could clearly use one but, at the risk of understatement, Ba is hardly inspiring confidence.
On a purely personal level, I have a minuscule - and I do mean minuscule - sympathy for Karel Fraeye, much as he seems a thoroughly amiable and decent bloke (which I'm sure he is). I use the word 'minuscule' in the sense of the following: 'tiny, minute, microscopic, nanoscopic, very small, little, micro' (with due acknowledgments to Google). The fundamental problem is that he is not qualified to do this job (other, perversely, than being 'known' to Roland) and, however much revision and studying he has done on the Championship, he has very few meaningful contacts and experience in the English game. One has to ask what respect can he really command in the dressing room, whatever platitudes the players understandably offer following Roland's four-monthly change of 'coach'.
My other personal difficulty with Karel Fraeye is that anyone who asserts - as he has done recently- that our squad is good enough, clearly has his head wedged irretrievably and irrevocably up Roland's arse. I know that journalists pose loaded questions but he looks and feels like a total 'brown nose'.
This club deserves very much better and we must crank the pressure up on this regime - one way or another - to ensure that we get it.
@cafcbart92 nail-on-head. Might as well copy and paste this into every post match thread from now until they sell up.
Zillions in debt, not won in ages, bottom of the league and two down after 20 mins; am amazing fight back and nearly won the game. I never saw there heads drop.
Are you reading this Meire and Duchatelet?
Suppose you have to care first I suppose.
Go down this season and hopefully speed the process up of these b******* of f****** off.
We've played 5 of our relegation rivals losing 3 and drawing 2.
Our midfield is non existant.
We are the worst team & going down without a massive strengthening in January, but even that may be too late.
In the end badly run clubs drop to the bottom of the pyramid and get sold on or go into administration. I think this is the only way we'll get out of this mess!
Our rivals will strengthen in January. We will pick up a couple of out of contract journeymen in February by which time it will be too late. More worrying, is that no one around me was at all surprised that we threw away a 2 goal lead and a better team would have beaten us at the end. We can't keep on relying on the inability of northern teams that play in white to miss in the last 15 minutes.
We have the squad to stay up, but we wont. Miss management at every level from the dug out to the secret Belgium bunker.
The sadness thing is that they can't see it, its all the the fault of us negative fans.
In the circumstances I thought the fans were brilliant last night, both sets come to that.
total lack of confidence running through the side at the moment, Cousins needs a break out the side, hopefully Diarra can get back in the midfield asap.
As for the sarcastic cheering when Mak won a header, baffles me how people think that will help his confidence, there's definitely a player in there as we saw earlier in the season, we just need to play more to his strengths rather than lump of high in the sky with no one around him
I've still got so much to write (none of it is particularly adding anything new - but cathartic none the less).
I'll start with that theory above. I think this pretty much sums it up for me. Give RD an infinite amount of time and he might achieve the equivalent of footballing Shakespeare with his cast of monkeys. Unfortunately infinity isn't an option in this situation.
I got to thinking last night about all the regulars on here (and others) who in some way have given up their time or still do give up their time for this club. I mean I don't know any of them personally but I think about Henry doing all his work with the museum, Bromley addicks. FF as fans forum representative and her work for her respective branch of the supporters club. Red Midland who kindly gives up his time to do the match threads so people who can't go can follow the game. All the trust board who have taken time out their lives to assemble a body that tries as best they can to represent the lifeblood of the club and give us a voice on the future of our club. When I go to away games I go on Betty Hutchins' coach. The amount of years people like Bet have put into making sure there is a mode of transport to get us to FA cup replays on a cold Tuesday night in January. I mean these are the examples I can think of through what I read on here and through the people I know. I am sure there are 100s of others and I'm not suggesting this makes them anymore of a fan than someone that can only do the odd home game, my point is that these examples are what makes our club great, and these examples are for me, a great part of why we exist today.
Yet all this is being slowly eaten away by one man. Belligerence, arrogance, ignorance or ineptitude, use whatever term you want. I can't in my mind, understand how such a successful businessman, can look back on his 2 years of ownership, and come to any conclusion other than, I'm failing. If he has spent what he says he has spent on players, investing in the training ground, the academy etc, and we are where we are today, playing the sort of football we are today, with a patched up cast of confused footballers, then it has to be failure.
As I've said before, I can't buy the funding our losses argument. I can't buy it because the current set up, from CEO down, will take us into League One. The fans will continue to disappear. The quality of the playing staff will get worse. The club will not be something he can get a return on, he will have taken nothing from his time here, other than a financial loss. There are no happy memories that to my mind have been created in the RD era. Small examples like the last minute winner against Hull mean very little unless they are part of a bigger machine, a bigger picture all pulling toward a common goal. We all were patting Luzon on the back in the west stand when he got sent off that day, we were all with him when he ran down the touch line to join in the huddle by the tunnel entrance. Guy Luzon isn't here anymore.
I don't pay much attention to our FB group but someone posted last night that they spoke to RM about signings etc and his response was they want to see how the current team beds in? I mean, we can tell them 'how they will bed in'. The talented youngsters have been thrown in too quickly, too often. They are now playing in an environment that although character building (to say the least), could potentially finish their careers before they've even started. 20,000 fans
We don't need sofas, we don't need an evening with RM and Katrien, we don't need a committee of fans meeting every now and again to talk about how we might one day find 20,000 fans, in as much a sick patient with a broken leg needs a few painkillers. We need surgery!
Like I said, I know I'm repeating myself, and others have put it a lot more succinctly and to the point "**** off Roland" springs to mind
I just woke up this morning and had to get it off my chest
I admire all the countless good suggestions from the fans to correct the slump and turn things around. Utter frustration has set in from what we are witnessing.
My interpretation is RD only sees the club (his business) as an opportunity to milk the "cash cow" provided by selling young academy players only. It seems to me that any money spent to improve the first team or on the coach is "money down the drain". In my opinion he is not interested in the game we all love. It's just another business opportunity for him.
I personally don't think it matters to him what league we are playing in provided he still makes money from the youngsters. When that no longer works he will consider getting out.
As a long standing fan I feel the pain. The mounting frustration of the fans witnessing the clear failings of football management strategy under the current stewardship is undoutedly killing support. It is becoming unbearable. Many are voting with their feet and staying away. Tragic for the club but what is there to see anymore? Not much joy watching a failing team. No joy supporting RD's match day profits. No joy at all just utter, utter frustration watching our proud and historic club wither in front of our eyes.
In my opinion, it's pointless offering RD football remedies for the problems we face. I fear it will fall on the deaf ears.
I cannot see any real changes taking place under this ownership. Applying the odd "sticking plasters" to fix problems along the way is all we can expect under him. That type of strategy maybe too late to save us from relegation this season. The thought of fighting to get out of League 1 next season is too painful to contemplate but that fate is looming up fast.
Lennon also tried bringing the ball out, advanced so that he was halfway in our pitch, passed it to a Midfielder and then straight away turned and went back so he wasn't out of position.
We have a situation here where 'the 2%' are glass half full optimists and the 98% are glass half empty, more like down to the dregs pessimists.
Whatever, I will be at Burnley and Bristol and I'll be watching and cheering, not hissing and booing however good/bad we are doing. This is football, I save my real passion, desire and hopes for the REALLY important things in life. This is me though and y'all are y'all
I will make two observations:
1) We need Watt back say many of you .. Righto .. BUT .. Watt does not want to play for Charlton, unfortunately it seems that clear cut. If he's being paid a good salary to be a non trier, if he's a negative influence around the place, let him go despite 'the potential' which he showed in all too brief glimpses. People, he is not nearly so good as many on here believe. Belief as we all know does not equal fact. He's scored a couple for Cardiff ? .. good for Cardiff. Slade can get the best from him while he's playing with quality players in a team that is near the top of the table. However, Watt is obviously not a grafter when the chips are down, not a man you'd want by your side when it comes to a right ruck. Good riddance and I'd say the same about any player who is disloyal and does not have the bottle for a fight no matter how 'talented' he might be
2) Booing our players .. Guaranteed to result in poor performances. You can't moan about losing or drawing games when you're slagging off your own team, however inept or clueless you may perceive it to be.
I've seen this so many times during my years of watching at the valley, it really pisses me off, BUT, you pay your money and do what you like so long as it's inside the rules.
If it were me being booed by my own 'fans', far from going over at the end of the game and applauding the masses. I'd go over and give them the finger, but that's me.
Enjoy the holiday season my fellow Lifers, let's all hope for a prosperous and successful 2016 in every facet of our lives and I'll see (a few of) you at the next 2 away games
I remember it well as it was a televised game and the night my father passed shortly after full-time (it was almost like he deliberately hung on to the end of the game), and also the night I was convinced of relegation.
That night may have been a last minute equaliser, whereas last night we threw it away far earlier but the outcome is the same. I can't see us getting out of this.
It has to change - everything does. But at what cost? It is glaringly obvious to all outside of the clubs management that the squad is too small. Taking a punt on untried players then improving them and bringing through youngsters for a profit is a laudable aim and sound policy for all clubs bar the super rich but it must be backed by the proper infrastructure. For a football club, that's not just shiny seats and a new training ground, there must be a solid core squad in place to blood the youngsters and develop raw talent such as TW without imposing too much pressure. RD may have only had his claws in us for a couple of years but he has been dabbling in football for longer than that and I'm afraid if he hasn't seen the infrastructure hole by now, he never will.
I will continue to wear black and white and protest where appropriate and, yes, I'll still go in League 1 as somebody needs to help support the club when RD finally goes but it is becoming increasingly difficult to stomach the mismanagement. It's almost like watching The Apprentice and screaming at the telly when some over-hyped self made 'management executive' is trying to sell pork in a synagogue at £50/lb - it's bloody obvious why it ain't working; why can't they see it?
Vive La Revolution
We need a decent experienced center half, its quite clear that we can't defend crosses, corners or set pieces! All teams do is lump the ball into box and watch as we try to clear in disarray, last night and the first Ipswich goal was like watching pin ball in the box.
Also what is it with these silly early free kicks? We wasted at least 4-5 free kicks last night.
One thing I will say is that the atmosphere is absolutely toxic at ‘The Valley. Why people bother to come and sit there shouting and screaming abuse for 90 minutes is beyond me, what do they honestly believe will happen. Chelsea are one point above the relegation zone and were losing 2-0 on Monday, they sung for their team the entire time.
There is more to life than football.
The disintegration of JC and JBG is startling. They've been horrific this year compared to last.
Thought Solly was MOTM last night, driving forward and plenty of determination in tackles.
We have some serious matters that need addressing- KF needs to go and some investment next month is badly required. Nigel Pearson is available!