League One is a disaster for Charlton. That is all.
A disaster is an occurrence disrupting the normal conditions of existence and causing a level of suffering that exceeds the capacity of adjustment of the affected community.
Under previous regimes, I’d agree with you. Under Thomas, I don’t think so.
The club can’t be made to work financially at this level, as Duchatelet found and Thomas will too. There are two fundamental reasons for this - the difference in central income and the difference in its own revenues. No amount of positivity or goodwill will offset the fact that the football is poor and the opposition bring fewer supporters and attract fewer of our own. We have a big stadium and fixed costs that can’t be funded from revenues in League One.
Yes, the playing budget is significantly lower In L1 and it’s possible to burn through bigger sums In the Championship but to some extent those costs are under the club’s control, as last season showed.
I have absolute respect for what Thomas has done in rescuing the club, but acquiring a business - even in our very strange circumstances - Is likely to be familiar territory to him. Running one successfully in the English football league, in a foreign country, with limited knowledge of the club, is likely to be more of a challenge.
He backs his own judgement and believes he brings something special that will bring success. I hope he’s right. But to a greater or lesser extent, all of Jimenez/Slater, Duchatelet and ESI believed the same thing. They could do what nobody else could.
Now, it may be that Thomas is the special one. I hope for our sake and his that he is. But it is simply a leap of faith to think at this stage that he will be. I understand why people are willing to make that leap, but experience suggests it’s tough. And there is no evidence. Yet.
As I said ‘I don’t think so’ ... I have nothing to back that up other than, as you say, a leap of faith. Disaster ‘exceeds the capacity of adjustment of the affected community.’ ... I do not believe that is the case with us because my faith is based upon the difference I see between Thomas and the previous regimes.
Misguided? Maybe, but let’s hope not.
Supporting a club has always been about having dreams about the future and that’s how I’ve always been ... being pessimistic is fortunately not in my nature.
Onwards and upwards as someone once said.
I don’t think it’s pessimism. Football fans tend to be unrealistic about what is likely to happen - I remember too well the people who believed in Jimenez, Duchatelet and most egregiously Southall.
The spivs were professionalising the staff, Polish Pete and Reza were more than adequate replacements for Yann and Southall was going to spend £15m on the training ground last summer. People who should have known better emerged from a meeting with him lauding the ambition.
I think Thomas is in a different category to all of them but it doesn’t mean that because he believes he will succeed he necessarily will. Most importantly I don’t think he will have any feel for the revenue side, which is much less controllable than the costs. That new membership scheme, for example, will be a chunky six-figure budget line. It won’t deliver. So the first question for Thomas is, what’s your appetite for spending in L1 and then what’s your appetite in year two and three if you don’t get up?
Hopefully we never find out, because we’re successful right away, but there are no guarantees and Thomas being a good bloke, with a substantial business background and a pile of goodwill from fans is just part of the recipe. That’s why L1 is a disaster - not because Thomas isn’t as good an owner as we could hope to have, but because the club doesn’t stack up at this level and never will.
All makes sense ... however, I still do not accept the word ‘disaster’ ... which also seems to be your reflection in the latest VOTV editorial, pages 2-3, wherein you mention caution, not straightforward, far better place than last summer, will never thrive in League One ... none of which sound like ‘disaster’ to me (great article by the way!)
We would have comfortably stayed up had we not been under an embargo in January. It wouldn't have even needed big investment.
We would have comfortably stayed up if we hadn't conceded several goals after 90 plus minutes costing us 7/8 points.
But that could be said about most teams. I can’t be bothered to pick the bones out of last season, but off the top of my head we scored last min equalisers against QPR and Wigan. So gained points in 90+ mins as well. It’s 46 games that get you relegated not a select few.
We would have comfortably stayed up had we not been under an embargo in January. It wouldn't have even needed big investment.
We would have comfortably stayed up if we hadn't conceded several goals after 90 plus minutes costing us 7/8 points.
Not disputing that, but why do you think we were always so ragged in injury time? Lack of quality fresh legs to see out the match. If we'd kept Gallagher and strengthened just a bit, rather than have to bring in Smith and Davies, we wouldn't have been in those positions at all.
We would have comfortably stayed up had we not been under an embargo in January. It wouldn't have even needed big investment.
We would have comfortably stayed up if we hadn't conceded several goals after 90 plus minutes costing us 7/8 points.
But that could be said about most teams. I can’t be bothered to pick the bones out of last season, but off the top of my head we scored last min equalisers against QPR and Wigan. So gained points in 90+ mins as well. It’s 46 games that get you relegated not a select few.
True, but all we needed to stay up was a couple more points. Over 46 games we weren't good enough.
Hate League One but considering I was pretty much convinced after the Leeds match that we were finished, it’s better than the alternative.
Feel a bit semi-detached in L1 but I’ll be stumping up for an ST this week and, third wave permitting, maybe looking forward to the odd away day somewhere I’ve never been before.
Anyone who thinks rebuilding in the lower league will somehow put us in a better place is utterly deluded.
As Airman said, league one is a disaster.
And anyone who thinks rebuilding this team in the Championship and not be faced with losing week in, week out is in my opinion not accepting the realities of how far we are from having a competitive team for that league.
What you on about mate?
We had no budget whatsoever and built practically an entire squad last season that very nearly kept us up, and barring the most unimaginable injury crisis and ownership mayhem you could ever have conceived of, would have had us comfortably mid-table.
We have a decent owner and structure and a manager who - although I didn’t really want him and not particularly sold on him - is clearly experienced and adept to some level. With that in place and a positive vibe around the club I have no concerns that we would be able to build a team immediately able of avoiding being able to avoid only 3 relegation slots in the division.
In contrast having to fight around with the limited pool of decent players willing to play in league one at an affordable price for a vaguely sensibly run league one club , and competing against several other big clubs, and squeezing into one of only 3 promotion slots, will be very difficult.
I sat and watched yesterdays' game in complete disbelief at our inability to pass the ball, to control the ball or play anything that remotely resembled football. Yes, the conditions weren't the easiest but it was an appalling performance in so many ways.
How many of that team - indeed of the whole squad - would need to be replaced should we go up. I think we can agree on rather a lot.
The play-offs don't end until the end of May. Everyone then goes on holiday. So 6 or 7 weeks to completely rebuild a squad remotely fit to play in the Championship before the season starts. Doing that at a time when we don't know who the Premier League clubs might lend us. And as of yet, despite all TS's fine words, there is no real sign he is going to open his cheque book in a meaningful way. So whilst I take your point it is possible, it sure would not be easy as you think.
Where I don't agree is we will be struggling to attract good players against our rivals in League 1. We have the advantage of still being a comparatively "big" name, we are in London, we will presumably be paying competitive wages. Thomas can sell his vision of European football in 5 years. (Maybe let's put that back to 6 now).
The club is still labouring under years of mismanagement. It needs a huge reboot and tryng to run before we can walk is just going to lead to us falling flat on our face again.
We would have comfortably stayed up had we not been under an embargo in January. It wouldn't have even needed big investment.
We would have comfortably stayed up if we hadn't conceded several goals after 90 plus minutes costing us 7/8 points.
But that could be said about most teams. I can’t be bothered to pick the bones out of last season, but off the top of my head we scored last min equalisers against QPR and Wigan. So gained points in 90+ mins as well. It’s 46 games that get you relegated not a select few.
True, but all we needed to stay up was a couple more points. Over 46 games we weren't good enough.
Absolutely mate. The most disappointing thing for me was that we got relegated after a superb start. 14 points from the first 6 games.... and then 34 from the next 40.
Anyone who thinks rebuilding in the lower league will somehow put us in a better place is utterly deluded.
As Airman said, league one is a disaster.
And anyone who thinks rebuilding this team in the Championship and not be faced with losing week in, week out is in my opinion not accepting the realities of how far we are from having a competitive team for that league.
What you on about mate?
We had no budget whatsoever and built practically an entire squad last season that very nearly kept us up, and barring the most unimaginable injury crisis and ownership mayhem you could ever have conceived of, would have had us comfortably mid-table.
We have a decent owner and structure and a manager who - although I didn’t really want him and not particularly sold on him - is clearly experienced and adept to some level. With that in place and a positive vibe around the club I have no concerns that we would be able to build a team immediately able of avoiding being able to avoid only 3 relegation slots in the division.
In contrast having to fight around with the limited pool of decent players willing to play in league one at an affordable price for a vaguely sensibly run league one club , and competing against several other big clubs, and squeezing into one of only 3 promotion slots, will be very difficult.
I sat and watched yesterdays' game in complete disbelief at our inability to pass the ball, to control the ball or play anything that remotely resembled football. Yes, the conditions weren't the easiest but it was an appalling performance in so many ways.
How many of that team - indeed of the whole squad - would need to be replaced should we go up. I think we can agree on rather a lot.
The play-offs don't end until the end of May. Everyone then goes on holiday. So 6 or 7 weeks to completely rebuild a squad remotely fit to play in the Championship before the season starts. Doing that at a time when we don't know who the Premier League clubs might lend us. And as of yet, despite all TS's fine words, there is no real sign he is going to open his cheque book in a meaningful way. So whilst I take your point it is possible, it sure would not be easy as you think.
Where I don't agree is we will be struggling to attract good players against our rivals in League 1. We have the advantage of still being a comparatively "big" name, we are in London, we will presumably be paying competitive wages. Thomas can sell his vision of European football in 5 years. (Maybe let's put that back to 6 now).
The club is still labouring under years of mismanagement. It needs a huge reboot and tryng to run before we can walk is just going to lead to us falling flat on our face again.
I repeat. We practically did it within these exact timescales and under INFINITELY worse circumstances 2 years ago.
We need to rebuild the squad entirely for either division. Both scenarios are difficult but it certainly won’t be any easier in league one - harder in my view.
This thread (charlton athletic supporters, are you bothered if we don’t succeed) is up there with stupidest I’ve ever seen on Charlton Life.
Anyone who thinks rebuilding in the lower league will somehow put us in a better place is utterly deluded.
As Airman said, league one is a disaster.
And anyone who thinks rebuilding this team in the Championship and not be faced with losing week in, week out is in my opinion not accepting the realities of how far we are from having a competitive team for that league.
What you on about mate?
We had no budget whatsoever and built practically an entire squad last season that very nearly kept us up, and barring the most unimaginable injury crisis and ownership mayhem you could ever have conceived of, would have had us comfortably mid-table.
We have a decent owner and structure and a manager who - although I didn’t really want him and not particularly sold on him - is clearly experienced and adept to some level. With that in place and a positive vibe around the club I have no concerns that we would be able to build a team immediately able of avoiding being able to avoid only 3 relegation slots in the division.
In contrast having to fight around with the limited pool of decent players willing to play in league one at an affordable price for a vaguely sensibly run league one club , and competing against several other big clubs, and squeezing into one of only 3 promotion slots, will be very difficult.
I sat and watched yesterdays' game in complete disbelief at our inability to pass the ball, to control the ball or play anything that remotely resembled football. Yes, the conditions weren't the easiest but it was an appalling performance in so many ways.
How many of that team - indeed of the whole squad - would need to be replaced should we go up. I think we can agree on rather a lot.
The play-offs don't end until the end of May. Everyone then goes on holiday. So 6 or 7 weeks to completely rebuild a squad remotely fit to play in the Championship before the season starts. Doing that at a time when we don't know who the Premier League clubs might lend us. And as of yet, despite all TS's fine words, there is no real sign he is going to open his cheque book in a meaningful way. So whilst I take your point it is possible, it sure would not be easy as you think.
Where I don't agree is we will be struggling to attract good players against our rivals in League 1. We have the advantage of still being a comparatively "big" name, we are in London, we will presumably be paying competitive wages. Thomas can sell his vision of European football in 5 years. (Maybe let's put that back to 6 now).
The club is still labouring under years of mismanagement. It needs a huge reboot and tryng to run before we can walk is just going to lead to us falling flat on our face again.
I repeat. We practically did it within these exact timescales and under INFINITELY worse circumstances 2 years ago.
We need to rebuild the squad entirely for either division. Both scenarios are difficult but it certainly won’t be any easier in league one - harder in my view.
This thread (charlton athletic supporters, are you bothered if we don’t succeed) is up there with stupidest I’ve ever seen on Charlton Life.
Crikey, you’ve been here as long as me, you banged yer head?
Over the years, we seem to have had some of our best seasons with squads which have had the spirit and togetherness to produce a team which is better than the sum of its individual players.
This season, we appear to have done the reverse. We have individual players who appear to have the pedigree to play at this level, but for much of the season they have not worked for eachother and for the badge in the way we as fans expect to see, producng a team which is less than the sum of its parts.
Whether this is due to covid restrictions impinging on training and match atmosphere, or clashing personalities, we can only speculate - but the situation needs putting right whatever division we play in next season. Hopefully Adkins has the personality to do so, because whatever happens this summer, it is not going to be a completely clean sweep.
Thomas has mentioned more than once the intention to bring into the first team players from the academy. There has been little sign of that this year - I hope there are good candidates in the pipeline for next.
League One is a disaster for Charlton. That is all.
A disaster is an occurrence disrupting the normal conditions of existence and causing a level of suffering that exceeds the capacity of adjustment of the affected community.
Under previous regimes, I’d agree with you. Under Thomas, I don’t think so.
The club can’t be made to work financially at this level, as Duchatelet found and Thomas will too. There are two fundamental reasons for this - the difference in central income and the difference in its own revenues. No amount of positivity or goodwill will offset the fact that the football is poor and the opposition bring fewer supporters and attract fewer of our own. We have a big stadium and fixed costs that can’t be funded from revenues in League One.
Yes, the playing budget is significantly lower In L1 and it’s possible to burn through bigger sums In the Championship but to some extent those costs are under the club’s control, as last season showed.
I have absolute respect for what Thomas has done in rescuing the club, but acquiring a business - even in our very strange circumstances - Is likely to be familiar territory to him. Running one successfully in the English football league, in a foreign country, with limited knowledge of the club, is likely to be more of a challenge.
He backs his own judgement and believes he brings something special that will bring success. I hope he’s right. But to a greater or lesser extent, all of Jimenez/Slater, Duchatelet and ESI believed the same thing. They could do what nobody else could.
Now, it may be that Thomas is the special one. I hope for our sake and his that he is. But it is simply a leap of faith to think at this stage that he will be. I understand why people are willing to make that leap, but experience suggests it’s tough. And there is no evidence. Yet.
The question is, has anyone with knowledge of this kind, warned Thomas of the dangers ?
Is there anyone at our club with the nous & longevity to advise him accordingly ?
I don’t know why this thread is still carrying on.
According Airman we’re doomed.
Might as well turn the lights out on your way out, padlock the doors & go support the Spanner’s.
Love it. No messing about, just say it as it is.
The point has been lost, by some. Everyone at the moment is in the same boat. No income other than streaming and club shop/ promotional stuff.
The owner knew what he was getting into, buying during this dreadful time with no early expectations of additional income from matchdays, yet still he has invested in the club infrastructure, players, training ground and even bringing the ladies team back into the fold.
He knows what he is doing, and saying anything less than that and comparing him to the past idiots is at best condescending.
Now, how about those Spanners, I must look up their results 😊
Already looking forward to next season.
Hopefully when it’s safe again Thomas gets a full house as a thank you gesture.
No,I think it is a blessing in disguise,this is squad is nowhere near Championship quality,and to sign 15-20 players of the required skill and suitable wages would be too much to ask.Now the season is gone,concentrate on building a squad without the hinderances of the previous few seasons,no need to spend fortunes,just get players who want to play for this club and point out the potential we have and the ambition.If we have a fullish Valley that alone would attract players.
I don’t know why this thread is still carrying on.
According Airman we’re doomed.
Might as well turn the lights out on your way out, padlock the doors & go support the Spanner’s.
Love it. No messing about, just say it as it is.
The point has been lost, by some. Everyone at the moment is in the same boat. No income other than streaming and club shop/ promotional stuff.
The owner knew what he was getting into, buying during this dreadful time with no early expectations of additional income from matchdays, yet still he has invested in the club infrastructure, players, training ground and even bringing the ladies team back into the fold.
He knows what he is doing, and saying anything less than that and comparing him to the past idiots is at best condescending.
Now, how about those Spanners, I must look up their results 😊
Already looking forward to next season.
Hopefully when it’s safe again Thomas gets a full house as a thank you gesture.
Nobody knows what the effect of lockdowns will be on attendances but the best evidence we have got of a rescue situation is the home game after the club was saved from liquidation in 1984. The following attendance was under 8,000 in the second tier. Or take the first game in the top flight for 29 years two years later, which was about the same.
Very different times, of course, but people often make the mistake of thinking that all supporters behave like the most committed. In the end it’s about the offer, not gratitude, and as long as the offer is L1 football, it will be hard.
We need a coach service to pluck every City worker who has near 100pc of their salary now in savings.
Jokes aside, I would argue that if we manage to play good football and look a serious team this coming season, to not underestimate how attractive that is at drawing in the numbers.
We would have comfortably stayed up had we not been under an embargo in January. It wouldn't have even needed big investment.
We would have comfortably stayed up if we hadn't conceded several goals after 90 plus minutes costing us 7/8 points.
But that could be said about most teams. I can’t be bothered to pick the bones out of last season, but off the top of my head we scored last min equalisers against QPR and Wigan. So gained points in 90+ mins as well. It’s 46 games that get you relegated not a select few.
True, but all we needed to stay up was a couple more points. Over 46 games we weren't good enough.
Absolutely mate. The most disappointing thing for me was that we got relegated after a superb start. 14 points from the first 6 games.... and then 34 from the next 40.
We would have comfortably stayed up had we not been under an embargo in January. It wouldn't have even needed big investment.
We would have comfortably stayed up if we hadn't conceded several goals after 90 plus minutes costing us 7/8 points.
But that could be said about most teams. I can’t be bothered to pick the bones out of last season, but off the top of my head we scored last min equalisers against QPR and Wigan. So gained points in 90+ mins as well. It’s 46 games that get you relegated not a select few.
True, but all we needed to stay up was a couple more points. Over 46 games we weren't good enough.
The two points from 18 in the last six games of mini League saw our demise. Already been explained by many posters why on this thread and before.
Yes. Very bothered. That’s not to say I think we deserve to go up; we don’t.
It’s worth repeating: This is a VERY difficult league to get promoted from, even if you think you’re one of the bigger clubs, which we are. I’m wondering how many seasons of League One football TS will be able to stomach before losing faith. He’s only human.
I don’t know why this thread is still carrying on.
According Airman we’re doomed.
Might as well turn the lights out on your way out, padlock the doors & go support the Spanner’s.
Love it. No messing about, just say it as it is.
The point has been lost, by some. Everyone at the moment is in the same boat. No income other than streaming and club shop/ promotional stuff.
The owner knew what he was getting into, buying during this dreadful time with no early expectations of additional income from matchdays, yet still he has invested in the club infrastructure, players, training ground and even bringing the ladies team back into the fold.
He knows what he is doing, and saying anything less than that and comparing him to the past idiots is at best condescending.
Now, how about those Spanners, I must look up their results 😊
Already looking forward to next season.
Hopefully when it’s safe again Thomas gets a full house as a thank you gesture.
Nobody knows what the effect of lockdowns will be on attendances but the best evidence we have got of a rescue situation is the home game after the club was saved from liquidation in 1984. The following attendance was under 8,000 in the second tier. Or take the first game in the top flight for 29 years two years later, which was about the same.
Very different times, of course, but people often make the mistake of thinking that all supporters behave like the most committed. In the end it’s about the offer, not gratitude, and as long as the offer is L1 football, it will be hard.
It will be hard,but the first game back in the first division was at Selhurst Park.Our crowds during our promotion season were not great,but were reflective on the ownership and general lack of ambition,but it shows what a bit of success can do,by the attendance at the play off semi.Thomas and his staff have to sell the club and the ambition to get the support,get a good start to next season and restrictions permitting no reason for 15000+ crowds not to be there.
I don’t know why this thread is still carrying on.
According Airman we’re doomed.
Might as well turn the lights out on your way out, padlock the doors & go support the Spanner’s.
Love it. No messing about, just say it as it is.
The point has been lost, by some. Everyone at the moment is in the same boat. No income other than streaming and club shop/ promotional stuff.
The owner knew what he was getting into, buying during this dreadful time with no early expectations of additional income from matchdays, yet still he has invested in the club infrastructure, players, training ground and even bringing the ladies team back into the fold.
He knows what he is doing, and saying anything less than that and comparing him to the past idiots is at best condescending.
Now, how about those Spanners, I must look up their results 😊
Already looking forward to next season.
Hopefully when it’s safe again Thomas gets a full house as a thank you gesture.
Nobody knows what the effect of lockdowns will be on attendances but the best evidence we have got of a rescue situation is the home game after the club was saved from liquidation in 1984. The following attendance was under 8,000 in the second tier. Or take the first game in the top flight for 29 years two years later, which was about the same.
Very different times, of course, but people often make the mistake of thinking that all supporters behave like the most committed. In the end it’s about the offer, not gratitude, and as long as the offer is L1 football, it will be hard.
It will be hard,but the first game back in the first division was at Selhurst Park.Our crowds during our promotion season were not great,but were reflective on the ownership and general lack of ambition,but it shows what a bit of success can do,by the attendance at the play off semi.Thomas and his staff have to sell the club and the ambition to get the support,get a good start to next season and restrictions permitting no reason for 15000+ crowds not to be there.
I agree we could potentially average 15,000, depending on matchday prices and the number of comps issued. I don’t think we could average 20,000 or make significant inroads on the operating loss, which is my point.
In very round numbers, 5,000 on the attendance is probably worth £1.5m net over a season. If you could average 25,000 you could make a dent, but that would be home areas sold out every game.
I was optimistic when we started well but as the season went on it became clearer this is a squad who you’d probably expect to finish around 5th and 8th - those late goals given away and missed penalties have cost us. You could also say Bowyer wanting out and his mistakes have done the same, or Adkins tactics and subs in the last few games. Either way we’re on the edge on the play-offs and could have been in them by now had a few more games gone our way.
Even if we do make the play-offs I’m not convinced this squad would put in three good performances to win promotion.
I’m looking forward to the big summer rebuild and hoping it’s the last for a while. If you put together a genuine promotion quality squad (i.e. comfortably top two) then you won’t need a new team to compete in the Championship. Instead with good additions to the weaker areas of the squad you should be fine. Momentum, team spirit etc plays a big part, it’s why Powell’s team finished 9th despite minimal investment. With more investment either Powell or Bowyer’s teams could have achieved more than they did.
I’m not worried about the number of big clubs in this division next season, things rarely go smoothly for them all. Someone usually underachieves - this season it’s us and Ipswich. Sheff Utd did it for years and we know we’ve done it ourselves in previous years. There will always be clubs who don’t get their recruitment right and end up with a squad not up for the battle or lacking enough quality.
My main concern is with such a big rebuild required it could take more than a season to get the right squad together. This is where TS could do with some of those sell on clauses coming in, assuming that the idea that they could be due to RD isn't true. Pope going for £30m+ could make a big difference.
Those missed penalties are so important. I know that at the end of every season every club will have tales of ifs and buts, but the three missed pens have made a massive difference. I feel that Washington's wasn't perhaps as fast as it might have been, but overall he can perhaps think himself a little unlucky that Bonham guessed right. The Schwarz and Stockley ones were just poorly taken; we must have better in the future. Those three penalties cost us five points and gifted Oxford one. We'd be sitting comfortably in the play-off zone now had just three kicks of the ball been taken better. Fine margins.
I was optimistic when we started well but as the season went on it became clearer this is a squad who you’d probably expect to finish around 5th and 8th - those late goals given away and missed penalties have cost us. You could also say Bowyer wanting out and his mistakes have done the same, or Adkins tactics and subs in the last few games. Either way we’re on the edge on the play-offs and could have been in them by now had a few more games gone our way.
Even if we do make the play-offs I’m not convinced this squad would put in three good performances to win promotion.
I’m looking forward to the big summer rebuild and hoping it’s the last for a while. If you put together a genuine promotion quality squad (i.e. comfortably top two) then you won’t need a new team to compete in the Championship. Instead with good additions to the weaker areas of the squad you should be fine. Momentum, team spirit etc plays a big part, it’s why Powell’s team finished 9th despite minimal investment. With more investment either Powell or Bowyer’s teams could have achieved more than they did.
I’m not worried about the number of big clubs in this division next season, things rarely go smoothly for them all. Someone usually underachieves - this season it’s us and Ipswich. Sheff Utd did it for years and we know we’ve done it ourselves in previous years. There will always be clubs who don’t get their recruitment right and end up with a squad not up for the battle or lacking enough quality.
My main concern is with such a big rebuild required it could take more than a season to get the right squad together. This is where TS could do with some of those sell on clauses coming in, assuming that the idea that they could be due to RD isn't true. Pope going for £30m+ could make a big difference.
Those missed penalties are so important. I know that at the end of every season every club will have tales of ifs and buts, but the three missed pens have made a massive difference. I feel that Washington's wasn't perhaps as fast as it might have been, but overall he can perhaps think himself a little unlucky that Bonham guessed right. The Schwarz and Stockley ones were just poorly taken; we must have better in the future. Those three penalties cost us five points and gifted Oxford one. We'd be sitting comfortably in the play-off zone now had just three kicks of the ball been taken better. Fine margins.
Don't forget Washington missing an open goal in the last second
The Catch 22 of showing ambition: "playing Premier football in 5 years" means you get flack if you finish in 7th or 8th in a mediocre League 1.
Showing no ambition means a Michael Gliksten type character is in charge and we continue to tick over by selling players and we tread water with zero expectations.
Not even going to mention the leeches of recent years.
We won't get a Gallagher, Bielik or Cullen on loan in League 1. We will continue to get Millar and Maatsen's who will go from MOM performances to the lowest marks as they are learning their trade.
Tough gig for Nads this time around because of the entitlement of Charlton fans seeing ourselves as a Championship team.
We need to prove it on the pitch over 36 matches and off the pitch with the infrastructure we set in place.
Airman Brown's views are valid but somehow we need to find solutions with strong personalities on and off the pitch and a united ethos going forward. Very difficult if in League 1 but we must overcome the myriad of hurdles as well as keep losing your best players on the journey which then halts the progress again.
Never been easy as only Richard Murray (part one of his tenure) has ever shown any ambition to push the club forward in my lifetime; Before Thomas Sandgaard.
The other good guys, chairman owners etc, around the time of getting us back to the valley had to spend their time saving us from going under.
Leeds, Norwich, Southampton have risen from the third tier and we need to do the same but seeing away players from Accrington, Burton, Crewe etc raise their game when playing in a good Championship ground like the valley tells us that it won't get any easier to move up the divisions.
Considering what has played out this season off the pitch I'm surprised we are even in contention for the play-offs. I'm in it for the long haul. Would love to see us go up but if we don't so be it. I will be back re-energized for next season. COYR!
I guess we did also sell who we thought would be our 3 best players this season in Bonne, Doughty and (maybe) Williams. Just reminds me how much has happened this season.
Bonne would have scored 15 or so at least in this mediocre division but 2 million was decided a good deal but Doughty and Maddison have been enormous misses with the Alfie injury and transfer and Maddison not being fit for purpose. Not sure with Williams as it depended on his contract with Swarovski and how often he had to be wrapped in cotton wool. Similar contract to Chuks.
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simple!
Feel a bit semi-detached in L1 but I’ll be stumping up for an ST this week and, third wave permitting, maybe looking forward to the odd away day somewhere I’ve never been before.
How many of that team - indeed of the whole squad - would need to be replaced should we go up. I think we can agree on rather a lot.
The play-offs don't end until the end of May. Everyone then goes on holiday. So 6 or 7 weeks to completely rebuild a squad remotely fit to play in the Championship before the season starts. Doing that at a time when we don't know who the Premier League clubs might lend us. And as of yet, despite all TS's fine words, there is no real sign he is going to open his cheque book in a meaningful way. So whilst I take your point it is possible, it sure would not be easy as you think.
Where I don't agree is we will be struggling to attract good players against our rivals in League 1. We have the advantage of still being a comparatively "big" name, we are in London, we will presumably be paying competitive wages. Thomas can sell his vision of European football in 5 years. (Maybe let's put that back to 6 now).
The club is still labouring under years of mismanagement. It needs a huge reboot and tryng to run before we can walk is just going to lead to us falling flat on our face again.
This season, we appear to have done the reverse. We have individual players who appear to have the pedigree to play at this level, but for much of the season they have not worked for eachother and for the badge in the way we as fans expect to see, producng a team which is less than the sum of its parts.
Whether this is due to covid restrictions impinging on training and match atmosphere, or clashing personalities, we can only speculate - but the situation needs putting right whatever division we play in next season. Hopefully Adkins has the personality to do so, because whatever happens this summer, it is not going to be a completely clean sweep.
Thomas has mentioned more than once the intention to bring into the first team players from the academy. There has been little sign of that this year - I hope there are good candidates in the pipeline for next.
Is there anyone at our club with the nous & longevity to advise him accordingly ?
Already looking forward to next season.
Very different times, of course, but people often make the mistake of thinking that all supporters behave like the most committed. In the end it’s about the offer, not gratitude, and as long as the offer is L1 football, it will be hard.
Jokes aside, I would argue that if we manage to play good football and look a serious team this coming season, to not underestimate how attractive that is at drawing in the numbers.
The two points from 18 in the last six games of mini League saw our demise.
Already been explained by many posters why on this thread and before.
I’m wondering how many seasons of League One football TS will be able to stomach before losing faith. He’s only human.
The Catch 22 of showing ambition: "playing Premier football in 5 years" means you get flack if you finish in 7th or 8th in a mediocre League 1.
Showing no ambition means a Michael Gliksten type character is in charge and we continue to tick over by selling players and we tread water with zero expectations.
Not even going to mention the leeches of recent years.
We won't get a Gallagher, Bielik or Cullen on loan in League 1. We will continue to get Millar and Maatsen's who will go from MOM performances to the lowest marks as they are learning their trade.
Tough gig for Nads this time around because of the entitlement of Charlton fans seeing ourselves as a Championship team.
We need to prove it on the pitch over 36 matches and off the pitch with the infrastructure we set in place.
Airman Brown's views are valid but somehow we need to find solutions with strong personalities on and off the pitch and a united ethos going forward. Very difficult if in League 1 but we must overcome the myriad of hurdles as well as keep losing your best players on the journey which then halts the progress again.
Never been easy as only Richard Murray (part one of his tenure) has ever shown any ambition to push the club forward in my lifetime; Before Thomas Sandgaard.
The other good guys, chairman owners etc, around the time of getting us back to the valley had to spend their time saving us from going under.
Leeds, Norwich, Southampton have risen from the third tier and we need to do the same but seeing away players from Accrington, Burton, Crewe etc raise their game when playing in a good Championship ground like the valley tells us that it won't get any easier to move up the divisions.