Views of the north and west stands about ten minutes in yesterday
Airman, what do you reckon the actual attendance was yesterday?
7,500 maximum would be my guess. I don't have the east stand from yesterday though.
Looking at the same pics from previous matches, yesterday was slightly down on Bristol Rovers but looks slightly better than Peterborough and obviously better than Port Vale, which was declared under 9,000.
you don't believe the PR any more than I do. But I have said all along that the continuing and obsessive but puny hostility of some fans is a complete waste of time. A man like Roland is just egged on by this to keep to any plan, misconceived or not, that he has.
It may be a "complete waste of time" to you - thankfully there are many out there committed to opposing this regime & actively doing something about it.
Unless you enjoy being patronised, manipulated & lied to by a group of paid sycophants hanging grimly on to an arrogant, stay-away owner - while the club wallows in L1 mediocrity - you will thank the obsessive, puny & hostile fans that finally one day drive them out of our club.
That's where you're completely self-deceived. I want him to sell but you will not effect him or the timing of when he does. It will be his decision or the result of other factors. You and your well intentioned group may then claim credit but you will not have earned it. Meanwhile .................
Hmm, not necessarily. Duchatelet is a very proud man, and I'm fairly sure he's not enjoying the damage to his reputation, particularly in Belgium. Imagine if the attendances were much higher, and the crowd got unrelentingly behind the team, game after game, no matter what he did. Do you think he'd sell the club then?
Good post but how much damage is actually being done to his reputation in Belgium? How do we actually measure or quantify that? I am not convinced that his parody ownership of CAFC will have any impact on his standing in Belgium from a businessman perspective. Said it before and will say it again, we are merely an inconsequential side show for him; a little play thing on a weekend when he's sitting at home dribbling over his pictures of the CEO whilst manically rocking in his chair (visualise that bad boy - yuk!!).
Let's hope that the continued excellent effort of the trips to Belgium can somehow change that and eventually get him to knock it on the head.
The trips to Belgium do definitely annoy and upset him. His staff and the local press told me to my face.
His manic rants to the media after the visits tell the same story.
Whether that will be enough to drive him out I can't say but it might push him closer to taking the next offer that comes in. Or not.
The Tex contract is indeed a shocker. KM has said she loves doing the deals, but not as much as the agents eh? I am also a bit shocked by Dillon Phillips contract. I have heard that you can get twenty, yes twenty Dillon Phillipses for one Texiera.
What are these signs of improvement you are seeing @KINSELLA7? Genuine Q as I am struggling to look beyond:
- mid table in League One - squad too thin and over reliant on loans - poor disciplinary record - dwindling crowds - growing debt
Don't understand why you're concerned with the growing debt? That's the owner's problem and from what I understand it is loose change to him. Why are we concerned with his private financial arrangements?
But it's not his debt, it's Charlton's debt. RD has loaned the club money, not given it. All needs to be paid up when Roly sails into the sunset.
This is a total misunderstanding. A shareholder's loan is always treated as equity by any purchaser & does NOT have to be repaid.
It does if the seller is insistent on getting his money back - and the seller sets the price.
To put it another way, does anyone seriously think the debt won't be a factor in the eventual selling price? Indeed in 2014 it was almost the only factor.
RD could sell it tomorrow for what he paid for it and it's very hard to see how he has added value once you allow for relegation.
Of course, which is exactly the same way that it would be treated by the seller if it had been put in as equity. It is not, however, correct to imply that somehow the loan has to be repaid outside of any purchase price paid.
I thought the atmosphere at the valley yesterday was as flat as I've ever known it, with the exception of the minutes applause which was very good. The match itself was boring and the substitutions baffling, massive improvement is needed for us to have any chance of reaching the playoffs
After guzzling many pints in Crossbars(increasing the wealth of Duchatelet into the bargain) before the game, I would have thought you could have stoked up a better atmosphere.
I thought the atmosphere at the valley yesterday was as flat as I've ever known it, with the exception of the minutes applause which was very good. The match itself was boring and the substitutions baffling, massive improvement is needed for us to have any chance of reaching the playoffs
After guzzling many pints in Crossbars(increasing the wealth of Duchatelet into the bargain) before the game, I would have thought you could have stoked up a better atmosphere.
What are these signs of improvement you are seeing @KINSELLA7? Genuine Q as I am struggling to look beyond:
- mid table in League One - squad too thin and over reliant on loans - poor disciplinary record - dwindling crowds - growing debt
Don't understand why you're concerned with the growing debt? That's the owner's problem and from what I understand it is loose change to him. Why are we concerned with his private financial arrangements?
But it's not his debt, it's Charlton's debt. RD has loaned the club money, not given it. All needs to be paid up when Roly sails into the sunset.
This is a total misunderstanding. A shareholder's loan is always treated as equity by any purchaser & does NOT have to be repaid.
It does if the seller is insistent on getting his money back - and the seller sets the price.
To put it another way, does anyone seriously think the debt won't be a factor in the eventual selling price? Indeed in 2014 it was almost the only factor.
RD could sell it tomorrow for what he paid for it and it's very hard to see how he has added value once you allow for relegation.
Of course, which is exactly the same way that it would be treated by the seller if it had been put in as equity. It is not, however, correct to imply that somehow the loan has to be repaid outside of any purchase price paid.
Agreed - although actually the £7m to the former directors (which I accept is slightly different) does have to be repaid or an agreement reached on it with them. We're also at a point now where the interest on the Staprix loan - including the purchase price element of the debt, which is basically the same debt that accumulated under the spivs 2011-14 and was carried over - is rolling up to become significant of itself in the debt figure.
I thought the atmosphere at the valley yesterday was as flat as I've ever known it, with the exception of the minutes applause which was very good. The match itself was boring and the substitutions baffling, massive improvement is needed for us to have any chance of reaching the playoffs
After guzzling many pints in Crossbars(increasing the wealth of Duchatelet into the bargain) before the game, I would have thought you could have stoked up a better atmosphere.
You need to make your mind up elfs 2 days ago you were moaning we could have a divide with those going Northampton and Belgium and we are all Charlton. Today your having a pop at someone for drinking in crossbars.
I honestly wasn't going to post my views on this thread but, having slept on it and caught up with other Lifers' thoughts, changed my mind.
As Mr F might muse ( DEF wouldn't say it !), Fanny can't keep her trap shut.....
I'm trying very hard to be positive at this moment in time. When all around in life appears to be developing worrying cracks, it's always been MY Charlton that has been the constant; my saving grace as it were. With health concerns closer to home than usual and the recent loss of a very dear young supporter, the matchday excitement & all that goes with it would have enabled me to switch off for 90+ minutes, but alas, those days are currently consigned to the history books. In fact, the fantastic tribute to our Liam was the highlight for me yesterday & reminded me that whatever happens behind the scenes or on the pitch, we are a special family indeed.
The positives of late for me have been the emergence of Crofts as a valuable team member ( I really didn't rate him for the first few months) , the growing confidence of our young guns Joe & Ezri, the return of Daddy Solly's past form and one striker who gives his all week after week when he's fit. But how we miss him when his body inevitably " lets him down" !
I'll admit that recent signings have bolstered the squad & the individuals need time to bed in and for the gaffer to find his best eleven ....but isn't it slightly late in the season for this ? We may well have the players to force our way ( or creep) into the top 6 but there will inevitably be more injuries to disrupt KR's plans and the way things are currently panning out, more red cards... A settled team for the remainder of the season is highly unlikely. And ditto the "run of results" that some are clinging to on here, in part due to said lightweight squad.
Of course, I'd love that negativity I'm currently experiencing to bite me on my squishy parts & I'd happily admit I was wrong to doubt .....but it's all too little, too late - the motto of the regime IMHO. And we have to admit that with loanees on board , contracts running out and young players clearly in the shop window, the bare bones will be all that remains come May and possibly another spin of the managerial merry go round. Groundhog day yet again.
I realise that this is hardly a post match view - more a sad reflection of why we're where we are - and for that I apologise. But I've considered the posts on here since 5pm yesterday , and have endeavoured to comment on others' pronouncements in a round about way. I warned at the start of the season that I couldn't see where our goals would come from & sadly, on the whole, that point was a valid one. We certainly missed Big Josh yesterday & maybe a partnership with TWWW could prove to be the strike force we need but will the young Scotsman continue to progress under KR or will he revert to the sulky, selfish striker we "discarded" before ? I hate to make a comparison, but teams such as Millwall appear to have had a settled squad for some time and their steady progress is testament to the value of such & to their manager with whom their Board has kept faith. I noted that the pic in yesterday's VOTV showing the Charlton contingent at Southend , featured Millwall CEO Steve " good 'un" Kavanagh alongside Neil Harris , presumably watching our lads prior to their match in SE7. How many of us think OUR CEO would be caught accompanying our manager on such a mission ?
So, in summary, yesterday's performance & result, if I'm honest, was not unexpected following the heroics at Bolton. For me, this is how the season will continue to pan out....some good results, some poor results & others where supporters make the excuse that the officials were to blame We MAY have the ingredients / very decent players for L1 now but this should have been the case from Day 1...
We know who's to blame for lack of funds, choice of managers etc etc & I aim to make my point heard on 4th March because despite the lessons that MAY have been learned by the regime, our famous football club will never reach its potential , nor will it flourish until we have an owner that truly has its best and its supporters' interests at heart. End of.
( I can't leave out a quote from Seth's post where he states that KR should consider becoming "mildly seductive to the officials" which brought to mind Tim Curry's outrageous portrayal of Dr Frank-n-Furter ! Can anyone doctor a picture, please ?)
I thought the atmosphere at the valley yesterday was as flat as I've ever known it, with the exception of the minutes applause which was very good. The match itself was boring and the substitutions baffling, massive improvement is needed for us to have any chance of reaching the playoffs
After guzzling many pints in Crossbars(increasing the wealth of Duchatelet into the bargain) before the game, I would have thought you could have stoked up a better atmosphere.
You need to make your mind up elfs 2 days ago you were moaning we could have a divide with those going Northampton and Belgium and we are all Charlton. Today your having a pop at someone for drinking in crossbars.
I honestly wasn't going to post my views on this thread but, having slept on it and caught up with other Lifer's thoughts, changed my mind.
As Mr F might muse ( DEF wouldn't say it !), Fanny can't keep her trap shut.....
I'm trying very hard to be positive at this moment in time. When all around in life appears to be developing worrying cracks, it's always been MY Charlton that has been the constant; my saving grace as it were. With health concerns closer to home than usual and the recent loss of a very dear young supporter, the matchday excitement & all that goes with it would have enabled me to switch off for 90+ minutes, but alas, those days are currently consigned to the history books. In fact, the fantastic tribute to our Liam was the highlight for me yesterday & reminded me that whatever happens behind the scenes or on the pitch, we are a special family indeed.
The positives of late for me have been the emergence of Crofts as a valuable team member ( I really didn't rate him for the first few months) , the growing confidence of our young guns Joe & Ezri, the return of Daddy Solly's past form and one striker who gives his all week after week when he's fit. But how we miss him when his body inevitably " lets him down" !
I'll admit that recent signings have bolstered the squad & the individuals need time to bed in and for the gaffer to find his best eleven ....but isn't it slightly late in the season for this ? We may well have the players to force our way ( or creep) into the top 6 but there will inevitably be more injuries to disrupt KR's plans and the way things are currently panning out, more red cards... A settled team for the remainder of the season is highly unlikely. And ditto the "run of results" that some are clinging to on here, in part due to said lightweight squad.
Of course, I'd love that negativity I'm currently experiencing to bite me on my squishy parts & I'd happily admit I was wrong to doubt .....but it's all too little, too late - the motto of the regime IMHO. And we have to admit that with loanees on board , contracts running out and young players clearly in the shop window, the bare bones will be all that remains come May and possibly another spin of the managerial merry go round. Groundhog day yet again.
I realise that this is hardly a post match view - more a sad reflection of why we're where we are - and for that I apologise. But I've considered the posts on here since 5pm yesterday , and have endeavoured to comment on others' pronouncements in a round about way. I warned at the start of the season that I couldn't see where our goals would come from & sadly, on the whole, that point was a valid one. We certainly missed Big Josh yesterday & maybe a partnership with TWWW could prove to be the strike force we need but will the young Scotsman continue to progress under KR or will he revert to the sulky, selfish striker we "discarded" before ? I hate to make a comparison, but teams such as Millwall appear to have had a settled squad for some time and their steady progress is testament to the value of such & to their manager with whom their Board has kept faith. I noted that the pic in yesterday's VOTV showing the Charlton contingent at Southend , featured Millwall CEO Steve " good 'un" Kavanagh alonside Neil Harris , presumably watching our lads prior to their match in SE7. How many of us think OUR CEO would be caught accompanying our manager on such a mission ?
So, in summary, yesterday's performance & result, if I'm honest, was not unexpected following the heroics at Bolton. For me, this is how the season will continue to pan out....some good results, some poor results & others where supporters make the excuse that the officials were to blame We MAY have the ingredients / very decent players for L1 but this should have been the case from Day 1...
We know who's to blame for lack of funds, choice of managers etc etc & I aim to make my point heard on 4th March because despite the lessons that MAY have been learned by the regime, our famous football club will never reach its potential , nor will it flourish until we have an owner that truly has its best and its supporters' interests at heart. End of.
( I can't leave out a quote from Seth's post where he states that KR should consider becoming "mildly seductive to the officials" which brought to mind Tim Curry's outrageous portrayal of Dr Frank-n-Furter ! Can anyone doctor a picture, please ?)
Even in the first half when we had plenty of possesion we lacked penetration. A man to take on the fullback and get a cross in, a playmaker that can spot a run and make a telling pass. Konsa and Aribo looked classy, Crofts worked tirelessly, but Byrne disappointed a little. But I think one more signing to give the midfield some punch was really what we lacked.
I also think we improved after half time. We looked far more energetic and had Fleetwood (whoever they are) on the back foot. And then the bloody linesman injured himself. What a farce. We never got going after that. The wind had been taken out of our sails.
Following your point on penetration. I noticed that the Fleetwood right back in the first half was tight to the touch line, often with further defensive support behind him to prevent Chicksen playing the ball down the line to a runner such as Holmes. As such, Chicksen's body language changed and he was positioning himself sideways on to receive the ball to enable himself to make the back pass as there was no forward option. What should have happened is that he should have received support from the midfield to enable the one two behind the full backs with Chicksen making the forward run to receive the ball passed behind the defenders. The worst thing that could have happened was Chicksen would be block fouled so at least there would be some benefit. As it was, they knew that by sitting tight to the touchline when Chicksen was receiving, the ball was always going to go backwards.
This is why I'd like to have seen the young lads given a crack to have a run at them and create width and thus open up the park with more space.
The manager keeps banging-on about playing 4-2-3-1, which makes it easy for the opposition to plan their tactics. Fleetwood had three centre backs, with three central midfielders in front and two wing backs on the outside. With Watt playing in an unfamiliar role as the lone CF against three centre backs and the central areas blocked up, we were pedestrian in possession and easily contained until the goal, when we finally got in round the back. We moved the ball quicker and increased the tempo in our play in the second half, but failed to kill the game with a second goal. There should be room for adjustment if Plan A isn't working. Playing through the middle of a six man block, to a lone striker, is never gonna work, especially as Fleetwood were well organised and disciplined. On the evidence of this match, we are an average League One team destined to finish in mid-table.
We must be getting close to season ticket renewal being advertised for the upcoming season.
You'd normally look to do this around the Bury game on February 25th, being Football for a Fiver and about five or six weeks before any April deadline with two paydays for many people to plan.
Without knowing if figures stack up, I reckon the Belgians will have to bank on us not going up and there will be further people not renewing. On this basis I think they will look at reducing prices with the potential of a set price in each of the stands.
We got what we deserved after sitting on a 1-0 lead. You could see the goal coming once Fleetwood started to apply some pressure and the last 10 mins were painful to watch. Holmes swan dive trying to con the ref into giving him free kick was embarrassing and then to top it off he goes and does their defender. Wasn't sure at first about sending off but seeing the replay Byrnes red card was deserved as his foot almost surgically removes David Balls knee.
Comments
Thanks Roland and Katie!
Looking at the same pics from previous matches, yesterday was slightly down on Bristol Rovers but looks slightly better than Peterborough and obviously better than Port Vale, which was declared under 9,000.
His manic rants to the media after the visits tell the same story.
Whether that will be enough to drive him out I can't say but it might push him closer to taking the next offer that comes in. Or not.
But we can only try.
We must be getting close to season ticket renewal being advertised for the upcoming season.
I am also a bit shocked by Dillon Phillips contract. I have heard that you can get twenty, yes twenty Dillon Phillipses for one Texiera.
Yesterday cost me £70. Money I really think could be better spent elsewhere.
Today your having a pop at someone for drinking in crossbars.
As Mr F might muse ( DEF wouldn't say it !), Fanny can't keep her trap shut.....
I'm trying very hard to be positive at this moment in time. When all around in life appears to be developing worrying cracks, it's always been MY Charlton that has been the constant; my saving grace as it were. With health concerns closer to home than usual and the recent loss of a very dear young supporter, the matchday excitement & all that goes with it would have enabled me to switch off for 90+ minutes, but alas, those days are currently consigned to the history books. In fact, the fantastic tribute to our Liam was the highlight for me yesterday & reminded me that whatever happens behind the scenes or on the pitch, we are a special family indeed.
The positives of late for me have been the emergence of Crofts as a valuable team member ( I really didn't rate him for the first few months) , the growing confidence of our young guns Joe & Ezri, the return of Daddy Solly's past form and one striker who gives his all week after week when he's fit. But how we miss him when his body inevitably " lets him down" !
I'll admit that recent signings have bolstered the squad & the individuals need time to bed in and for the gaffer to find his best eleven ....but isn't it slightly late in the season for this ? We may well have the players to force our way ( or creep) into the top 6 but there will inevitably be more injuries to disrupt KR's plans and the way things are currently panning out, more red cards... A settled team for the remainder of the season is highly unlikely. And ditto the "run of results" that some are clinging to on here, in part due to said lightweight squad.
Of course, I'd love that negativity I'm currently experiencing to bite me on my squishy parts & I'd happily admit I was wrong to doubt .....but it's all too little, too late - the motto of the regime IMHO. And we have to admit that with loanees on board , contracts running out and young players clearly in the shop window, the bare bones will be all that remains come May and possibly another spin of the managerial merry go round. Groundhog day yet again.
I realise that this is hardly a post match view - more a sad reflection of why we're where we are - and for that I apologise. But I've considered the posts on here since 5pm yesterday , and have endeavoured to comment on others' pronouncements in a round about way. I warned at the start of the season that I couldn't see where our goals would come from & sadly, on the whole, that point was a valid one. We certainly missed Big Josh yesterday & maybe a partnership with TWWW could prove to be the strike force we need but will the young Scotsman continue to progress under KR or will he revert to the sulky, selfish striker we "discarded" before ? I hate to make a comparison, but teams such as Millwall appear to have had a settled squad for some time and their steady progress is testament to the value of such & to their manager with whom their Board has kept faith. I noted that the pic in yesterday's VOTV showing the Charlton contingent at Southend , featured Millwall CEO Steve " good 'un" Kavanagh alongside Neil Harris , presumably watching our lads prior to their match in SE7. How many of us think OUR CEO would be caught accompanying our manager on such a mission ?
So, in summary, yesterday's performance & result, if I'm honest, was not unexpected following the heroics at Bolton. For me, this is how the season will continue to pan out....some good results, some poor results & others where supporters make the excuse that the officials were to blame
We know who's to blame for lack of funds, choice of managers etc etc & I aim to make my point heard on 4th March because despite the lessons that MAY have been learned by the regime, our famous football club will never reach its potential , nor will it flourish until we have an owner that truly has its best and its supporters' interests at heart. End of.
( I can't leave out a quote from Seth's post where he states that KR should consider becoming "mildly seductive to the officials" which brought to mind Tim Curry's outrageous portrayal of Dr Frank-n-Furter ! Can anyone doctor a picture, please ?)
I noticed that the Fleetwood right back in the first half was tight to the touch line, often with further defensive support behind him to prevent Chicksen playing the ball down the line to a runner such as Holmes.
As such, Chicksen's body language changed and he was positioning himself sideways on to receive the ball to enable himself to make the back pass as there was no forward option.
What should have happened is that he should have received support from the midfield to enable the one two behind the full backs with Chicksen making the forward run to receive the ball passed behind the defenders.
The worst thing that could have happened was Chicksen would be block fouled so at least there would be some benefit.
As it was, they knew that by sitting tight to the touchline when Chicksen was receiving, the ball was always going to go backwards.
This is why I'd like to have seen the young lads given a crack to have a run at them and create width and thus open up the park with more space.
We moved the ball quicker and increased the tempo in our play in the second half, but failed to kill the game with a second goal.
There should be room for adjustment if Plan A isn't working. Playing through the middle of a six man block, to a lone striker, is never gonna work, especially as Fleetwood were well organised and disciplined.
On the evidence of this match, we are an average League One team destined to finish in mid-table.