If ESI don't sign anyone but we stay up they will be hailed as visionaries. Knowing that we had the quality in the squad and not living beyond means.
Of course, if we go down they will be forever held as potless chancers.
In reality I think a decent CM and CF pretty much guarantees surival. So you think they must have no trousers if they cant stretch.
However, the opposing view is those two additions could potentially bankrupt us if we make signings and go down.
So I have come to the conclusion that nothing will be proven in the short term. Too many imponderables. Just got to support the team and hope we have enough quality and luck with injuries to get another 20 points.
This thread is unbelievable. The sense of entitlement that some of our fans display is utterly cringe worthy.
If anyone genuinely believes that we are in a worse position now than we were under Roland then you need to take a long hard look at yourselves.
I have no idea what our budget is now and only know from snippets on here what it previously was.
MS has made no secret of the fact that this is a long term project, teams in the Championship are now being found out in relation to flouting FFP. Do people honestly think with our current revenue streams that it is credible for us to go and splash 3/4/5 million on players and God knows what else on wages? I don't profess to know the intricacies of FFP but I have seen the threat of points deductions. Do we want to risk that.
ESI are taking over years of mis-management and negligence and there is no way they can fix all of that in the 4/5 weeks they have actually owned the club.
People keep banding "disaster" round in respect of relegation. Why? We have been relegated before and will be again. If we go down this year it will be largely down to a horrific injury list and paltry squad Roland provided at the start of the season.
I have no idea whether ESI will be a long term success, I sincerely hope they are. If we only get a couple of loans in between now and the end of the window I certainly won't be spitting my dummy out and branding them failures.
Any change takes time, change that is undoing utter incompetency over a number of years will take even longer. It won't happen overnight.
As an aside, people.saying they have no money. Isn't part of the EFL test proof of funds? They may not have shelled out for all the fixtures and fittings yet, but they have a legal obligation to do so within a set time frame. I am guessing that they would have had to prove that they had the funding to do that.
We need to accept that the new owners are running a business and not going to come in an burn money to appease a disenfranchised fanbase.
Give them a chance, you never know in 2/3 years time we may be back up and challenging for promotion.
The whole point of buying a club at the start of January - and not finalising the purchase of the stadium and training ground until later - was surely to change all this.
If Matt and Lee had said at the start of the window "We're happy with our squad and once the injured players return, we'll be fine. Obviously we'll be looking to see if we can improve it, but if we can't we're happy with what we've got" then nobody would be expecting activity.
Instead Bowyer has repeatedly said that he wanted new additions to the squad. Even Roland in the initial press release said
"It was vital for the long-term health of Charlton Athletic that this deal was completed at the very start of the January transfer window. It allows the new owners to commit resources to the football side in order to bring in new players who will help secure the club's position in the Championship."
Fans expecting new signings, to give us a better chance of staying up is hardly being unreasonable seeing that it's what the club said would happen. Obviously final judgement can't be made until 11pm tomorrow, but no way will Bowyer be happy at the current state of affairs, or signed a 3 year contract so that he could lead another L1 promotion campaign.
Interview on the official site doesn't read as bad. I'm hoping that Bowyer is just continuing his usual trait of being coy with the press, otherwise I really don't know what to think.
Do you think our comms team would put anything other than a positive spin on it?
Do you think the Newshopper wouldn't make it look bad to increase site visits? Works both ways mate.
Clarke-Harris looks a great investment for 1 million at 25 years old. Left-footer, very strong, scores inside and outside the box. And judging by the Guardian article is a top bloke.
I'd be happy with Greg Docherty, though don't know a lot about him, seems to have potential going by Ranger's fans comments.
If we get these over the line tomorrow I'd think that's a good start going into deadline day.
But Lyle must stay. ESI can't sell our star striker when we're in a relegation battle.
The offer was too good to turn down for a 30 year old at the end of their contract & will enable us to make some quality signings to strengthen the team in the fight against relegation.
Friday 31/01/20 23.01
Unfortunately we had a couple of top level players lined up but just couldn't get them over the line but have every faith in LB .................... etc
Imagine the meltdown Saturday if we lose Tayler, no incomings & lose to Barnsley!
Can’t understand why ESI rushed through this deal in time for the transfer window! Going to get pelters!!!!!
Imagine we win on Saturday, Taylor plays and scores a goal.
Glass half empty vs glass half full
Nobody has done much yet this window. We are so used to the "We need bodies" line being rolled out but the fact is the midfield is nearly back to the beginning of the season (you know - when we were playing very well) and the players should, theoretically, be less fatigued than many of our opposition. Bonne will be fit soon, Hemed showed signs of being near to match fit last week, Aneke seems to have got fit and seemingly found some goalscoring boots whilst he was absent.
There is still 18 hours to go and I don't believe we won't sign anyone. Still very hopeful on Maddison. But the bottom line is our destiny is in our own hands. We have the players to stay up.
It's never easy being a Charlton fan, we all know that, but things ARE better than they were a couple of months ago and the future is, seemingly, bright. Just a slightly sticky patch to navigate at the moment
great post .. 2 things .. Gallagher the midfield mainstay back in the autumn has gone .. if Taylor scores a hat trick on Saturday and let's hope he does, that will be after 'the window' has closed and we will be left with what we have .. playing a devil's advocate role here b t w ((:>)
I am not going to challenge the nature of the transfer decisions being made at this time.
I have made clear what my expectations are in respect of the executive need to drive momentum, indicate progress and provide the support and resources to the manager to whom you have now given a 3.5yr contract but I am not sitting at the negotiating table.
I am uncomfortable with the nature of the dialogue on social media including much of the comment on this and other threads too much of it based on speculation, half truths, misinformation and peoples inability to read or listen properly.
I am however equally uncomfortable that again in a very short space of time the executive have not stepped ahead of this situation and cut off this noise before it started. For a fledgling business the perception of competence is everything.
The wrong noises permeate every part of your ability trade into areas you would never even think about.
We had the confusion over ownership of The Valley (which at this point is a distraction I will address elsewhere)
We had the confusion over Bowyers' contract.
We had the disappointment over Gallagher.
We have the concerns over Taylor.
These are however not just social media concerns. They are the concerns of clubhouse management and the players the executive is there to support.
Today we again we have another Managerial "briefing" which undermines the message of support and progress. Forget the noise on social media it is a message which will undermine the very fabric of your business.
Mr Southall I do not judge people on past financial challenges, I do not judge peoples long term value to contributing to any business until 6 months in situ. Hell even the most rabid financial media give major corporate CEOs 2 quarters trading before the knives come out.
Mr Southall I judge people not on personality but on performance.
Mr Southall just who is in control of this business?
If there is a message to be sent get control of it, deliver clarity and direction and send it yourself or people will make up their own and you will never pull it back
There is not enough time in the day to reactively manage any business.
The question for any executive is "Am I running this business or is this business running me?"
Mr Southall which is it?
Where’s the rest of the post, it’s about 3000 words too short! Disappointed!
I prefer not to passively accept relegation, and Lee Bowyer doesn't either. Respect to Matt and HE, but let's not be naive children and not pose questions that need answers. We wouldn't accept smoke and mirrors with Duchatelet, Why should we accept it now ?
Imagine the meltdown Saturday if we lose Tayler, no incomings & lose to Barnsley!
Can’t understand why ESI rushed through this deal in time for the transfer window! Going to get pelters!!!!!
Imagine we win on Saturday, Taylor plays and scores a goal.
Glass half empty vs glass half full
Nobody has done much yet this window. We are so used to the "We need bodies" line being rolled out but the fact is the midfield is nearly back to the beginning of the season (you know - when we were playing very well) and the players should, theoretically, be less fatigued than many of our opposition. Bonne will be fit soon, Hemed showed signs of being near to match fit last week, Aneke seems to have got fit and seemingly found some goalscoring boots whilst he was absent.
There is still 18 hours to go and I don't believe we won't sign anyone. Still very hopeful on Maddison. But the bottom line is our destiny is in our own hands. We have the players to stay up.
It's never easy being a Charlton fan, we all know that, but things ARE better than they were a couple of months ago and the future is, seemingly, bright. Just a slightly sticky patch to navigate at the moment
great post .. 2 things .. Gallagher the midfield mainstay back in the autumn has gone .. if Taylor scores a hat trick on Saturday and let's hope he does, that will be after 'the window' has closed and we will be left with what we have .. playing a devil's advocate role here b t w ((:>)
Gallagher was, and is, a fantastic player. He came from nowhere and when that midfield was purring he was a big part of it. His last handful of games were a little disappointing though in honesty and maybe a 19 year old rookie isn't quite up to a dogfight at this stage of his career. Seems Chelsea thought that too. Besides we now have Doughty who, once he calms down and delivers accurately, will be a great asset to us.
Saying that - Maddison is like Doughty on steroids so if we get him in too I'll be like a dog with two dicks.
Hypothetical but would people take Clarke-Harris, Maddison and Gnanduillet if it meant Taylor leaves ?
No no no. Never seen any of them play and none of them have a proven championship record . Selling our best player in January has never worked well - Parker, Reid, Kermorgant
But we never invested or replaced those players.
We did; we replaced Reid with Lee Cook, Kermorgant with Polish Pete and Reza..
Lee Cook had two loan spells with us, both before RD bought the club.
Bowyer has made it abundantly clear many times he wants signings in. Before Preston, Fulham especially he repeatedly has expressed the importance of it and end of the day that is our manager. Gallen, Southall and even Roland have also acknowledged we need signings. Now the players as mentioned by LB has made it clear we need bodies. ESI wanted to get in January to strengthen the squad, they did not mention having to sort the mess RD left us in that people kept mentioning? No, they won't solve that in 4/5 weeks but that can wait until the window is closed.
So please stop all this: the current squad is ok, we are in a better position now then when ESI took over - (We are not by the way) Roland has gone now we should be happy, If we go down we can just rebuild and come back up. Digging out people for bedwetting and panicking etc. Those people who do not want to go back down are the ones who went up north on them shitty games away at Accrington, Plymouth, Scunthorpe etc so they are well within their right to complain when we are now 1 day away from the window closing and we have made 1 loan signing. Yes, the window closes tomorrow but we need to be real here. We could very easily go down which is a disaster. We need 3/4 signings and to keep Taylor. LB is pretty clearly frustrated. We were more active under Roland and with Steve Gallen. Not covering a CM a 1K extra a year is crazy if he was one of our targets is the perfect example. If that's the new "model" we are working towards, good luck getting these "marquee" signings in.
Instead of calling people to bed wetters and to relax, I think its time people come in terms of our current situation.
Hypothetical but would people take Clarke-Harris, Maddison and Gnanduillet if it meant Taylor leaves ?
No no no. Never seen any of them play and none of them have a proven championship record . Selling our best player in January has never worked well - Parker, Reid, Kermorgant
But we never invested or replaced those players.
We did; we replaced Reid with Lee Cook, Kermorgant with Polish Pete and Reza..
Lee Cook had two loan spells with us, both before RD bought the club.
Imagine the meltdown Saturday if we lose Tayler, no incomings & lose to Barnsley!
Can’t understand why ESI rushed through this deal in time for the transfer window! Going to get pelters!!!!!
Imagine we win on Saturday, Taylor plays and scores a goal.
Glass half empty vs glass half full
Nobody has done much yet this window. We are so used to the "We need bodies" line being rolled out but the fact is the midfield is nearly back to the beginning of the season (you know - when we were playing very well) and the players should, theoretically, be less fatigued than many of our opposition. Bonne will be fit soon, Hemed showed signs of being near to match fit last week, Aneke seems to have got fit and seemingly found some goalscoring boots whilst he was absent.
There is still 18 hours to go and I don't believe we won't sign anyone. Still very hopeful on Maddison. But the bottom line is our destiny is in our own hands. We have the players to stay up.
It's never easy being a Charlton fan, we all know that, but things ARE better than they were a couple of months ago and the future is, seemingly, bright. Just a slightly sticky patch to navigate at the moment
great post .. 2 things .. Gallagher the midfield mainstay back in the autumn has gone .. if Taylor scores a hat trick on Saturday and let's hope he does, that will be after 'the window' has closed and we will be left with what we have .. playing a devil's advocate role here b t w ((:>)
Gallagher was, and is, a fantastic player. He came from nowhere and when that midfield was purring he was a big part of it. His last handful of games were a little disappointing though in honesty and maybe a 19 year old rookie isn't quite up to a dogfight at this stage of his career. Seems Chelsea thought that too. Besides we now have Doughty who, once he calms down and delivers accurately, will be a great asset to us.
Saying that - Maddison is like Doughty on steroids so if we get him in too I'll be like a dog with two dicks.
IF Maddison comes, and it has gone very quiet about his future career, here or elsewhere, I'd be delighted .. IF the money 'promised by ESI' was available, I am sure he'd have been on our books by now .. we will see .. it would be a good statement of ESI's real intent were we to get him
I’m somewhere in the middle of the two polar arguments.
I believe strongly in the giving of time, but if you buy a football club in potential relegation danger before a transfer window and your squad is weaker at the end of it, that would raise serious questions on both acquisition intent and funding ability.
Might be wrong but sense the bulk of us fall in that category.
I’m somewhere in the middle of the two polar arguments.
I believe strongly in the giving of time, but if you buy a football club in potential relegation danger before a transfer window and your squad is weaker at the end of it, that would raise serious questions on both acquisition intent and funding ability.
Might be wrong but sense the bulk of us fall in that category.
you are far from being alone in this quandary ((:>)
I’m somewhere in the middle of the two polar arguments.
I believe strongly in the giving of time, but if you buy a football club in potential relegation danger before a transfer window and your squad is weaker at the end of it, that would raise serious questions on both acquisition intent and funding ability.
Might be wrong but sense the bulk of us fall in that category.
Agree. I think some are misinterpreting this confusion with a sense of 'entitlement'.
Even I'm getting a little worried now! My previous posts on the thread have been supportive of ESI and MS, and telling everyone that the window doesn't close until 11 pm on Friday lets judge them then. However, unless LB is playing a very good cloak and dagger game to throw agents off the scent of us having money, his comments are somewhat worrying. If we are not bidding £1 million for any one, and yes I know it could be a play on words that it could mean exactly £1 million, I don't see how we can genuinely strengthen as to where we were at the beginning of the month! I'm prepared to sit and wait a while longer, BUT I would like to see some positive action today or, even I, may begin to think ESI are paying 'lip-service' and that doesn't sit well.
This is the post I put on this thread earlier today. The reason for putting on again is to say that having now 'listened' to Lee's press conference just a few minutes ago, I don't think things are as concerning as I 'read' into on the paper link. LB says he defo doesn't want to sell anyone, Taylor is a major part of the club and, interestingly, said its not just about money but other things as well that Taylor wants. He also says he wants more players in and is hopeful of getting some (what does some mean 2/3 or 4/5?). He wants bodies in that can play immediately as he is going to have to 'manage' the likes of Williams, Taylor and Field and how long they can play for. I'm now more hopeful that come 11 pm tomorrow night we will have more players (ready to start) and Taylor still here, BUT there is still that slight 'niggling' concern it could all go 'tits up'.
What entitlement? I feel like it's the other way round, people are so accustomed to mediocrity over the years that we have set the bar so low that a CEO showing up to games and sending out a few tweets is good stuff?
No one is asking for a miracle here, replace the players that we have lost and strengthen the squad. In what world is that entitlement? I just want Southall to back up his words, they bought us now to ensure survival in a nutshell. We are one day away from those words being bollocks. Truly bizarre that being worried about this can be referred to as being entitled.
Entitlement is the ManU fans saying their club is dead because they haven't won the league in 7 years. Enititlement is Arsenal fans sobbing about only having European tours every year. Apparently Charlton fans want one player to sign a long term contract and a few emergency bodies to help our bid in staying up = entitlement. I haven't seen any other request from a Charlton fan, didn't realise clubs fans wanting players when they were told there would be is seen as a bad thing
Bang on, Nailed it
If ESI fail to deliver some real quality, then the fans have every right to be to be furious/pissed off. If you can't (or won't) deliver, then don't spout off with false promises in the first place. Let's all hope that 2 or 3 QUALITY additions can be made (for fucks sake).
If ESI don't sign anyone but we stay up they will be hailed as visionaries. Knowing that we had the quality in the squad and not living beyond means.
Of course, if we go down they will be forever held as potless chancers.
In reality I think a decent CM and CF pretty much guarantees surival. So you think they must have no trousers if they cant stretch.
However, the opposing view is those two additions could potentially bankrupt us if we make signings and go down.
So I have come to the conclusion that nothing will be proven in the short term. Too many imponderables. Just got to support the team and hope we have enough quality and luck with injuries to get another 20 points.
Comments
Of course, if we go down they will be forever held as potless chancers.
In reality I think a decent CM and CF pretty much guarantees surival. So you think they must have no trousers if they cant stretch.
However, the opposing view is those two additions could potentially bankrupt us if we make signings and go down.
So I have come to the conclusion that nothing will be proven in the short term. Too many imponderables. Just got to support the team and hope we have enough quality and luck with injuries to get another 20 points.
My biggest reassurance is found in three words
Barnsley
Luton
Wigan
Instead Bowyer has repeatedly said that he wanted new additions to the squad. Even Roland in the initial press release said
Fans expecting new signings, to give us a better chance of staying up is hardly being unreasonable seeing that it's what the club said would happen. Obviously final judgement can't be made until 11pm tomorrow, but no way will Bowyer be happy at the current state of affairs, or signed a 3 year contract so that he could lead another L1 promotion campaign.
Friday 31/01/20
23.01
Unfortunately we had a couple of top level players lined up but just couldn't get them over the line but have every faith in LB .................... etc
I'm beginning to think that he said too much about something he knows too little about.
We shall know at 11pm gmt tomorrow.
Respect to Matt and HE, but let's not be naive children and not pose questions that need answers. We wouldn't accept smoke and mirrors with Duchatelet, Why should we accept it now ?
Saying that - Maddison is like Doughty on steroids so if we get him in too I'll be like a dog with two dicks.
So please stop all this: the current squad is ok, we are in a better position now then when ESI took over - (We are not by the way) Roland has gone now we should be happy, If we go down we can just rebuild and come back up. Digging out people for bedwetting and panicking etc. Those people who do not want to go back down are the ones who went up north on them shitty games away at Accrington, Plymouth, Scunthorpe etc so they are well within their right to complain when we are now 1 day away from the window closing and we have made 1 loan signing. Yes, the window closes tomorrow but we need to be real here. We could very easily go down which is a disaster. We need 3/4 signings and to keep Taylor. LB is pretty clearly frustrated. We were more active under Roland and with Steve Gallen. Not covering a CM a 1K extra a year is crazy if he was one of our targets is the perfect example. If that's the new "model" we are working towards, good luck getting these "marquee" signings in.
Through thick and thin my arse.
I believe strongly in the giving of time, but if you buy a football club in potential relegation danger before a transfer window and your squad is weaker at the end of it, that would raise serious questions on both acquisition intent and funding ability.
Might be wrong but sense the bulk of us fall in that category.
Loans