I feel that the evidence points to Roland intends to turn Charlton into a lower Championship puppy farm club. He has come unstuck this season because of his woeful choice of managers. Charlton have dropped in the third level with a consequent drop in revenue and even promising young players won't fetch so much in the transfer market. Moreover the protests have cost him both in terms of money and prestige. Even allowing for relegation, season ticket sales are not going well. What is a megalomaniac to do? Although totally bonkers he understands that the summer break means that the highly damaging protests will stop for a while and that protest organisers will lose some momentum. With the smaller crowds next season the organisers will have greater difficulty getting large scale demonstrations organised.
He hires a well thought of, but still fairly cheap, English manager and gives him enough of the folding stuff to make a realistic stab to get back into the Championship. This has the effect of getting the more gullible supporters to get season tickets thus increasing his revenue stream to enable him to pay for the well thought of but still fairly cheap English manager. It also causes many of the gullible fools to go on various fan web sites to say how they feel that he has finally learnt his lesson and he is, at last, listening to them. They feel that the protests should be toned down or even suspended as he is now showing his caring side. He knows that football is indeed the opiate of the people.
Back in the Championship he tightens the purse strings: well thought of but still fairly cheap English Manager resigns/is sacked. Not particularly well thought of but very cheap non English speaking manager is appointed.
Job done!
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Maybe while building flats etc on bits of The Valley.
Under Powell had there been more investment in the squad straight after promotion we may have made the play-offs and gone up two years in a row. With this ownership it's more likely we'd sell players following promotion to move towards RDs target of breaking even. Even if we are doing well next season I still wouldn't feel I could trust that they want the best for the club in the longer term.
One of the main reasons for the protests is that he has no ambition for the club. It's an experiment in how to run football clubs in this country. Many of his ideas have failed so it looks like he's going to try it another way. A cheap English manager and lower league players.
If Wilder comes in and we bring in several signings by July/August things might look more positive - but come September don't be surprised to see a small, inexperienced squad just like the last two years. We have several u21s that will be in their second season in that age group, now on longer term contracts, who RD/KM will most likely be expecting to step up and fill the gaps next season (even more so with no short term loan window). It didn't work this season and even at a lower level I don't think it'll work in the way they'll hope/expect it to.