Received this info from a member of staff at CAFC:
"Work has completely stopped at training ground and people who no one knows are in and out constantly at the training ground. Looks to me like he is selling up and that's the general feeling around the place"
Don't shoot the messenger. Take from it what you will.
How long was the Sparrows Lane development going to take though? Surely more than one season?
This is one of his most worrying actions in charge: pulling the plug on a long term development as it's not viable in League One. One could argue that this in itself characterizes his aspirations as not involving a return to the Championship where such an asset would be of use.
Personally I was never someone who believed he wanted to see us drop a league, and believed that it was more due to incompetence than genius. This news makes me question just how disappointed the relegation will have left him though. Surely a more astute plan would be to continue the commitments you've already made - i.e the development work - enhance the academy and officially go for Cat 1 status (and use the new facilities to their potential) when you arrive back in the Championship, complete with the required structure ready.
I hope he's going.
If he wanted to take us back up then he'd have to assemble a squad suitable to do that. It should be clear enough to him by now that promotion isn't feasible under his model so this might change his attitude. In any case I hope he leaves instead.
I don't trust them to understand anything, unfortunately.
My biggest fear regarding SL is that he's just reducing costs and digging in his heals, and views it as something "we'll get back to if and when we're promoted."
Given that he owned St. Truiden in the Belgian second division and owns Alcorcon in the Spanish second tier and Carl Zeiss in the 4th tier in Germany, I'm not convinced he's afraid of dropping down a level. I suspect he wants to run the clubs sustainably with interchanging of players with the hope that a rising tide raises all ships.
If he is getting cold feet, I suspect it's due to the protests.
How long was the Sparrows Lane development going to take though? Surely more than one season?
This is one of his most worrying actions in charge: pulling the plug on a long term development as it's not viable in League One. One could argue that this in itself characterizes his aspirations as not involving a return to the Championship where such an asset would be of use.
Personally I was never someone who believed he wanted to see us drop a league, and believed that it was more due to incompetence than genius. This news makes me question just how disappointed the relegation will have left him though. Surely a more astute plan would be to continue the commitments you've already made - i.e the development work - enhance the academy and officially go for Cat 1 status (and use the new facilities to their potential) when you arrive back in the Championship, complete with the required structure ready.
I hope he's going.
If he wanted to take us back up then he'd have to assemble a squad suitable to do that. It should be clear enough to him by now that promotion isn't feasible under his model so this might change his attitude. In any case I hope he leaves instead.
I don't trust them to understand anything, unfortunately.
My biggest fear regarding SL is that he's just reducing costs and digging in his heals, and views it as something "we'll get back to if and when we're promoted."
Given that he owned St. Truiden in the Belgian second division and owns Alcorcon in the Spanish second tier and Carl Zeiss in the 4th tier in Germany, I'm not convinced he's afraid of dropping down a level. I suspect he wants to run the clubs sustainably with interchanging of players with the hope that a rising tide raises all ships.
If he is getting cold feet, I suspect it's due to the protests.
You're not winning any friends SD. You know that don't you. ;0)
How long was the Sparrows Lane development going to take though? Surely more than one season?
This is one of his most worrying actions in charge: pulling the plug on a long term development as it's not viable in League One. One could argue that this in itself characterizes his aspirations as not involving a return to the Championship where such an asset would be of use.
Personally I was never someone who believed he wanted to see us drop a league, and believed that it was more due to incompetence than genius. This news makes me question just how disappointed the relegation will have left him though. Surely a more astute plan would be to continue the commitments you've already made - i.e the development work - enhance the academy and officially go for Cat 1 status (and use the new facilities to their potential) when you arrive back in the Championship, complete with the required structure ready.
I hope he's going.
If he wanted to take us back up then he'd have to assemble a squad suitable to do that. It should be clear enough to him by now that promotion isn't feasible under his model so this might change his attitude. In any case I hope he leaves instead.
I don't trust them to understand anything, unfortunately.
My biggest fear regarding SL is that he's just reducing costs and digging in his heals, and views it as something "we'll get back to if and when we're promoted."
Given that he owned St. Truiden in the Belgian second division and owns Alcorcon in the Spanish second tier and Carl Zeiss in the 4th tier in Germany, I'm not convinced he's afraid of dropping down a level. I suspect he wants to run the clubs sustainably with interchanging of players with the hope that a rising tide raises all ships.
If he is getting cold feet, I suspect it's due to the protests.
However , all of those teams have either stayed in their respected leagues OR been promoted- with alcorcon on the verge of Play offs and promotion to La Liga ( protest trip to Barcelona when alcorcon play there? ) and STTV now safe in the pro league ... Charlton are the only team to have been relegated and are currently duchatelets biggest failure! Add to the the amount he is losing just with us in the championship let alone now League one, if you compare it to the two other teams it's difficult to see how duchatelet can keep us in his network on size of club and size of loss alone! - you may even be able to "fund" both alcorcon and Carl zeiss with just the amount duchatelet is spending on us to keep us ticking over (minus the costs of extras like training ground developments and computer systems upgrade)!
May be wrong but I think we are also the only club in his network that are running at a loss , so for someone who sees himself as a visionary and football futuristic is it worth having a loss making club in a network of "immaculate" clubs that back up his ego? Considering we won't be in the premier league realistically for another 5 years - what's the point of keeping us?
Added to the fact that he has a furious customer base , who I imagine he and his SMT see as being stubborn and wanting destruction ( see rolys protest statement) and will keep working towards it - is it really worth hi keeping a negativity around him? As others have said , it's his Ego that is ruling his head so we're winning!
Are we getting all worked up about something someone posted on Facebook? Or is there some substance to it? After the heartbreak of the delort thread I am still not ready to commit myself to another one
How long was the Sparrows Lane development going to take though? Surely more than one season?
This is one of his most worrying actions in charge: pulling the plug on a long term development as it's not viable in League One. One could argue that this in itself characterizes his aspirations as not involving a return to the Championship where such an asset would be of use.
Personally I was never someone who believed he wanted to see us drop a league, and believed that it was more due to incompetence than genius. This news makes me question just how disappointed the relegation will have left him though. Surely a more astute plan would be to continue the commitments you've already made - i.e the development work - enhance the academy and officially go for Cat 1 status (and use the new facilities to their potential) when you arrive back in the Championship, complete with the required structure ready.
I hope he's going.
If he wanted to take us back up then he'd have to assemble a squad suitable to do that. It should be clear enough to him by now that promotion isn't feasible under his model so this might change his attitude. In any case I hope he leaves instead.
I don't trust them to understand anything, unfortunately.
My biggest fear regarding SL is that he's just reducing costs and digging in his heals, and views it as something "we'll get back to if and when we're promoted."
Given that he owned St. Truiden in the Belgian second division and owns Alcorcon in the Spanish second tier and Carl Zeiss in the 4th tier in Germany, I'm not convinced he's afraid of dropping down a level. I suspect he wants to run the clubs sustainably with interchanging of players with the hope that a rising tide raises all ships.
If he is getting cold feet, I suspect it's due to the protests.
However , all of those teams have either stayed in their respected leagues OR been promoted- with alcorcon on the verge of Play offs and promotion to La Liga ( protest trip to Barcelona when alcorcon play there? ) and STTV now safe in the pro league ... Charlton are the only team to have been relegated and are currently duchatelets biggest failure! Add to the the amount he is losing just with us in the championship let alone now League one, if you compare it to the two other teams it's difficult to see how duchatelet can keep us in his network on size of club and size of loss alone! - you may even be able to "fund" both alcorcon and Carl zeiss with just the amount duchatelet is spending on us to keep us ticking over (minus the costs of extras like training ground developments and computer systems upgrade)!
May be wrong but I think we are also the only club in his network that are running at a loss , so for someone who sees himself as a visionary and football futuristic is it worth having a loss making club in a network of "immaculate" clubs that back up his ego? Considering we won't be in the premier league realistically for another 5 years - what's the point of keeping us?
Added to the fact that he has a furious customer base , who I imagine he and his SMT see as being stubborn and wanting destruction ( see rolys protest statement) and will keep working towards it - is it really worth hi keeping a negativity around him? As others have said , it's his Ego that is ruling his head so we're winning!
All very well put. I'd be very curious to see the accounts of the other clubs.
What I always say about RD is that it's not so much about the money, it's about the ego/hubris. That's scarier to me than it being about the money. I don't think that's down to the protests, I think that's just the way he operates.
There's a great Kurt Vonnegut quote, "You are who you pretend to be so choose carefully who you pretend to be" and it makes me wonder who Roland wants to be. A somewhat straight forward answer would be the Pozos, or maybe someone like Abramovich, someone who comes in and transforms a club, but then I think he wants to be a pretend version of himself, this great footballing visionary who changes the way football does business. What's so weird about that, apart from everything, is that a pitchside sofa aside, nothing about his reign has been revolutionary from a business perspective.
Where I think the protests are really working is, as you said, the fact that he's now surrounded by this negativity, this hatred. Given the club is losing money and the on-field prospects aren't good, I think it's easier for an egomaniac to say "fuck these ungrateful...." and walk away. That's what I'm really hoping for, that right now in his mind it's so easy to blame us that he can leave without ego damage.
I bet this is just some sort of wind up by meire and duchatelet to get our hopes up before crushing them, Much like they're crushing the heart of this club.
FFS - Douglas' agent had just got back to me re: casting and availability
It's going to be embarrassing going back to them and saying the whole thing's off. I'll never be able to show my face in Hollywood again. And Katrien will probably finish with me. She'll view me as weak for not following through on my commitments, just like the 31 year man
Comments
Just a way to get 50+ likes.
Don't bank on it mate, it could be absolutely anything.
My biggest fear regarding SL is that he's just reducing costs and digging in his heals, and views it as something "we'll get back to if and when we're promoted."
Given that he owned St. Truiden in the Belgian second division and owns Alcorcon in the Spanish second tier and Carl Zeiss in the 4th tier in Germany, I'm not convinced he's afraid of dropping down a level. I suspect he wants to run the clubs sustainably with interchanging of players with the hope that a rising tide raises all ships.
If he is getting cold feet, I suspect it's due to the protests.
Charlton are the only team to have been relegated and are currently duchatelets biggest failure! Add to the the amount he is losing just with us in the championship let alone now League one, if you compare it to the two other teams it's difficult to see how duchatelet can keep us in his network on size of club and size of loss alone! - you may even be able to "fund" both alcorcon and Carl zeiss with just the amount duchatelet is spending on us to keep us ticking over (minus the costs of extras like training ground developments and computer systems upgrade)!
May be wrong but I think we are also the only club in his network that are running at a loss , so for someone who sees himself as a visionary and football futuristic is it worth having a loss making club in a network of "immaculate" clubs that back up his ego? Considering we won't be in the premier league realistically for another 5 years - what's the point of keeping us?
Added to the fact that he has a furious customer base , who I imagine he and his SMT see as being stubborn and wanting destruction ( see rolys protest statement) and will keep working towards it - is it really worth hi keeping a negativity around him?
As others have said , it's his Ego that is ruling his head so we're winning!
I'll sort the collection - what shall we get him? vouchers? scarf? beach ball?
That said, it's just a rumour and and Duchatelet is still the interim owner. This changes nothing; the protests have to continue.
Since Scarfy left early in the Peters era it has all gone downhill.
Bring back Scarfy
What I always say about RD is that it's not so much about the money, it's about the ego/hubris. That's scarier to me than it being about the money. I don't think that's down to the protests, I think that's just the way he operates.
There's a great Kurt Vonnegut quote, "You are who you pretend to be so choose carefully who you pretend to be" and it makes me wonder who Roland wants to be. A somewhat straight forward answer would be the Pozos, or maybe someone like Abramovich, someone who comes in and transforms a club, but then I think he wants to be a pretend version of himself, this great footballing visionary who changes the way football does business. What's so weird about that, apart from everything, is that a pitchside sofa aside, nothing about his reign has been revolutionary from a business perspective.
Where I think the protests are really working is, as you said, the fact that he's now surrounded by this negativity, this hatred. Given the club is losing money and the on-field prospects aren't good, I think it's easier for an egomaniac to say "fuck these ungrateful...." and walk away. That's what I'm really hoping for, that right now in his mind it's so easy to blame us that he can leave without ego damage.
Good advice from Shakespeare for RD and KM
It's going to be embarrassing going back to them and saying the whole thing's off. I'll never be able to show my face in Hollywood again. And Katrien will probably finish with me. She'll view me as weak for not following through on my commitments, just like the 31 year man