Yes but it would require a complete policy change and actions not words over two or three transfer windows as well as a sensible managerial appointment.
This but it ain't gonna happen so let's get em out.
No, will never forgive Roland for the way treated Chrissy Powell, not just sacking him but undermining him at every opportunity and trying to force players on him, and also for sanctioning the sale of Yann Kermorgant who was desperate to stay and is a Charlton Legend.
No because they will never change. The sooner they are gone the better. One day this will all seem like a bad dream but at the moment until we get them out we will continue in this NightMeire scenario. By the way spoke to a Belgian bloke who was a Standard fan about 3 weeks ago and he said there was talk of kidnapping RD before he sold up.
Not advocating this action necessarily but does anyone know what the rumoured "final straw" was that drove Roly poly out of SL? Just wondering if we could shortcut toba similar course of action here?
We just need to get St Truiden promoted into the Championship
No because they will never change. The sooner they are gone the better. One day this will all seem like a bad dream but at the moment until we get them out we will continue in this NightMeire scenario. By the way spoke to a Belgian bloke who was a Standard fan about 3 weeks ago and he said there was talk of kidnapping RD before he sold up.
Not advocating this action necessarily but does anyone know what the rumoured "final straw" was that drove Roly poly out of SL? Just wondering if we could shortcut toba similar course of action here?
I was wondering the same myself to be honest, but Standard Liege had an advantage: they were in Belgium where Roland resides and are a big club in Belgium. So they had the media spotlight intensified on them, but they could also take direct action which targeted Roland directly: i.e storming his office.
We have no such luck - we're in a different country, we have a proxy between us and Roland, and we're not quite at Liege's size with regards to our status in the UK.
Plus, as @Ben18 suggests - Roland's other interests in Belgium suggested a conflict of interest that made his position untenable; something he's fine with in the UK as he only has one club.
If Roland sacked Katrien, got a proper manager that knows the league, got a proper chief scout and got a director of football (and let them run the football side), while investing smartly in the transfer market (not just in this window), then yes.
Unfortunately there is more chance of me sleeping with Mila Kunis than all that happening.
So, realistically, no. I'm done.
Roland, Katrien and Karel ... it's time to go.
They'd definitely win me over if they handed me the chance of sleeping with Mila Kunis...
No chance in hell. They've dismantled and undone my greatest time as a Charlton fan (2011-2012) and made it the most depressing time I've had as a fan.
That alone means I cannot forgive - let alone all the other bullshit we have had to put up with.
Yes, if they gave me a run of games in the holding midfield role. Could be as one of the "double 6" in a 4-2-3-1, or could be in a 4-4-2. Just don't have the pace for a 4-4-2, although I could play on the left tucking in...
Probably not. I feel like because I'm not on the ground and not at matches week in, week out I'm not as jaded as some, though I have tremendous respect for your opinions. I was around during the League One campaign, and while it was fantastic to turn up every week and know you could win, I didn't think the team was quite as brilliant as some did.
KM and KF would have to go. Roland would need to appoint a chief scout, director of football, new CEO/Board Member(s) who have both football and business knowledge, and a solid coaching team that is young and ambitious but not...well...anything like what we have.
This is something of a stretch for a comparison, but if you look at what Man City's owners have done, really embraced their fan base, embraced the area, tried to grow that area of Manchester. Their website is full of behind the scenes photos and videos, they post things from all training sessions. They'll do 2-3 messages a year to the fans where someone (director of football, head of board, whatever), sits down and gives a talk/interview about how the club are doing, plans for the future, etc. They've not been perfect, and maybe it's all a facade, but if it is, it's a good one.
Roland wouldn't have to go that far, and obviously there's a huge difference in the means each have, but a simple apology or saying "thing will change" would not be enough. Nor would something like the fan forum--which I appreciate them doing, but what I watched of it it seemed very bland. There would need to be tangible, sustainable actions.
No chance in hell. They've dismantled and undone my greatest time as a Charlton fan (2011-2012) and made it the most depressing time I've had as a fan.
That alone means I cannot forgive - let alone all the other bullshit we have had to put up with.
A similar thought occurred to me during the protest:
May 2012: vs Hartlepool (H) - The crowd chant "We've got our Charlton Back" Jan 2016: vs Notts Forest (H) - The crowd chant "We want our Charlton Back".
Tragic; and it sums up exactly how the regime are taking us backwards towards something which was our lowest point since 1991 on the pitch, and arguably our lowest point off the pitch since being exiled a few years prior to 1991.
They're essentially turning the clock back over 20 years and taking with it some truly great times, some proud achievements and some great efforts by everyone involved.
There are a few things that could win me back but they will definitely not do them. There have been false hopes over the past two years and it's got to the point where I don't think anything will change the owner's views on how to run a football club. Standard Liege fans did warn us and in retrospect they were right. I just hope the protests will continue and eventually force these Belgians out. They know nothing about football and the longer they stay the more damage they'll do to both our club and the football world.
I'd say it's possible. I think the "network" is pretty much dead. The standard of the various leagues the teams are in just doesn't lend itself to moving players around.
So the model becomes stay in budget and develop young players. Neither of those is controversial and if he puts a real CEO in place, and let's them hire a real manager/coach, then it's back to being a normal club.
I don't understand why he allows KM to run the club the way she does. She's a lawyer and young. She has no background in football, management or marketing. If there's a single key risk to his investment, she is it.
Unfortunately, no. There was a time where I thought all could be well if they just did things properly. They aren't interested in doing things properly, they will only do it Roland's way, which is the wrong way. They need to go. The sooner the better.
Don't hold out hope that the statement will be anything other than self justification and insistence they know what they are doing, added to repeated claims the protests are not representative of the fans as a whole.
KM would need to be replaced immediately with a CEO who is a Charlton supporter or has a successful background in the running of a football club of our size (preferably both but not RM) An experienced championship manager must be appointed immediately. For me Chris Powell would be the obvious choice for a board who wanted to win back the fan base. The manager must have total control over team selection and this must be stated by the owner. A director of football must be appointed along with a new chief scout who will be given total control over future player acquisitions (obviously fees etc. would be sanctioned by the owner and CEO). This must also be stated by the board.
None of these seems possible now but if the protests are intensified over the coming months these could happen. RD is a business man after all.
Whatever the statement says today, and I expect the usual platitudes without any real substance, we need to remember there's 4 pages of reasons in this thread alone regarding why Roland's involvement with our club is toxic.
Their position is untenable and they must now seek alternative ownership and move on.
1. Has it completely crossed the line for you where you just want the current owners out and at all reasonable, realistic costs? Nope, if they start to run the club with promotion and progression as the goal, I could be swayed back to supporting the regime and not just the team. However this one won't happen.
2. If you still have a bit of open minded thought left, what could RD and or KM do to make you think, this lot are ok I'm happy with my club continuing with them as owners/primary decision makers? Investing in the playing squad and a decent manager. This one won't happen either.
3. As much as RD or whatever shows contempt for fans as ego sways him, he knows he still needs the fans and for these protests to stop. Something to resolve itself one way or the other where he makes a profit out of charlton and the only likely way that's gana happen is if people at least attend games and fans fully buy back into charlton again. He just thought we were thick I guess and could be taken for a ride. This isn't a question and as such I won't say any more.
Comments
He ripped the heart out of Charlton.
Oh and the CEO is a bitch!
We have no such luck - we're in a different country, we have a proxy between us and Roland, and we're not quite at Liege's size with regards to our status in the UK.
Plus, as @Ben18 suggests - Roland's other interests in Belgium suggested a conflict of interest that made his position untenable; something he's fine with in the UK as he only has one club.
That alone means I cannot forgive - let alone all the other bullshit we have had to put up with.
Probably not. I feel like because I'm not on the ground and not at matches week in, week out I'm not as jaded as some, though I have tremendous respect for your opinions. I was around during the League One campaign, and while it was fantastic to turn up every week and know you could win, I didn't think the team was quite as brilliant as some did.
KM and KF would have to go. Roland would need to appoint a chief scout, director of football, new CEO/Board Member(s) who have both football and business knowledge, and a solid coaching team that is young and ambitious but not...well...anything like what we have.
This is something of a stretch for a comparison, but if you look at what Man City's owners have done, really embraced their fan base, embraced the area, tried to grow that area of Manchester. Their website is full of behind the scenes photos and videos, they post things from all training sessions. They'll do 2-3 messages a year to the fans where someone (director of football, head of board, whatever), sits down and gives a talk/interview about how the club are doing, plans for the future, etc. They've not been perfect, and maybe it's all a facade, but if it is, it's a good one.
Roland wouldn't have to go that far, and obviously there's a huge difference in the means each have, but a simple apology or saying "thing will change" would not be enough. Nor would something like the fan forum--which I appreciate them doing, but what I watched of it it seemed very bland. There would need to be tangible, sustainable actions.
May 2012: vs Hartlepool (H) - The crowd chant "We've got our Charlton Back"
Jan 2016: vs Notts Forest (H) - The crowd chant "We want our Charlton Back".
Tragic; and it sums up exactly how the regime are taking us backwards towards something which was our lowest point since 1991 on the pitch, and arguably our lowest point off the pitch since being exiled a few years prior to 1991.
They're essentially turning the clock back over 20 years and taking with it some truly great times, some proud achievements and some great efforts by everyone involved.
So the model becomes stay in budget and develop young players. Neither of those is controversial and if he puts a real CEO in place, and let's them hire a real manager/coach, then it's back to being a normal club.
I don't understand why he allows KM to run the club the way she does. She's a lawyer and young. She has no background in football, management or marketing. If there's a single key risk to his investment, she is it.
But
KM would need to be replaced immediately with a CEO who is a Charlton supporter or has a successful background in the running of a football club of our size (preferably both but not RM)
An experienced championship manager must be appointed immediately. For me Chris Powell would be the obvious choice for a board who wanted to win back the fan base.
The manager must have total control over team selection and this must be stated by the owner.
A director of football must be appointed along with a new chief scout who will be given total control over future player acquisitions (obviously fees etc. would be sanctioned by the owner and CEO). This must also be stated by the board.
None of these seems possible now but if the protests are intensified over the coming months these could happen. RD is a business man after all.
Their position is untenable and they must now seek alternative ownership and move on.
or something like that
Edit; I'm off to practice my booing
Nope, if they start to run the club with promotion and progression as the goal, I could be swayed back to supporting the regime and not just the team. However this one won't happen.
2. If you still have a bit of open minded thought left, what could RD and or KM do to make you think, this lot are ok I'm happy with my club continuing with them as owners/primary decision makers?
Investing in the playing squad and a decent manager. This one won't happen either.
3. As much as RD or whatever shows contempt for fans as ego sways him, he knows he still needs the fans and for these protests to stop. Something to resolve itself one way or the other where he makes a profit out of charlton and the only likely way that's gana happen is if people at least attend games and fans fully buy back into charlton again. He just thought we were thick I guess and could be taken for a ride.
This isn't a question and as such I won't say any more.