The thing that makes me laugh is a lot of posters on here were saying last season they have no connection with the squad/players/team, they can all fuck off, they can do one, not fit to wear the shirt and we need a total clear out.
We are essentially starting the season with the same squad/team/players apart from a few minimal changes and promotion to The Championship is on the horizon.
It's not the same people though is it....
I am not naming names but some who said the above seem very content with our transfer business so far and are confident of a top 6 finish.
Even the people who are "content" with the business so far are not saying that there is not more work needed though. There's literally not a single post I've seen from anybody that suggests that we are ready for the season right now.
But the divide is whether or not you think we will be by the time business concludes and that's a question it's impossible to definitively answer yet.
Charlton are going to rely on their younger players because that is the argument to make the better kids sign for Cafc in the first place. If they don't see a route through to the first team we will lose out on even more talented youngsters. Catch 22 for Cafc as we need the journey men players as well and the 21-24 age group who may be next Vardy, Holt or Lambert,(Ajose normally) So difficult for Steve Gallen
In the last 30 years you can probably count on one hand the number of kids that have had to leave Charlton because they didn't get a chance. Some left because they weren't good enough for where we are and we passed them on the way down.
I think that's a ridiculous argument to not sign players, if it's true, or you think it's true.
What is true is how difficult it is to hold on to the top talent in the younger age group. We held on to Joe Gomez but couldn't with Casey Palmer and this is still happening in the younger groups which you won't even hear about unless you are a parent, guardian or work in youth academies or do the rounds of youth football. I mean the 12 and 13 year olds that we want to possibly play in our first team at 17 or 18 like Joe and Ademola Lookman. They may not progress to men's football but Cafc are trying to nurture them and hope they mature to the first team. We are working so hard to keep this young talent at Charlton. Lookman only joined Cafc from Waterloo fc at 16 instead of a couple of other offers he had because his representatives were told if he did well over the next 18 months he would be given a chance to progress. Lots of ifs and buts, but this really is Charlton USP when parents bring their kids to potentially join Cafc. Football clubs are dream sellers; All of them not just Cafc. Lookman in Cafc 1st team at 18 and an Everton player sold for 8 million and potential 3 million add-ons. From Waterloo in the Tandridge youth league at 16 to Premier League at 19, that's what you call fast track !
You win nothing with kids but you need 3 or 4 to give you legs ! Just ask JJ and Watson what happens when your legs go.
I am not disputing any of that, if they are good enough they will play. Unless you want us to turn in to a south east London version of Crewe?
Do you honestly think players leave us because they can't see away into the first team? Did Casey Palmer, an example you used, leave us because he saw a path way to first team football at Chelsea, that he didn't see at Charlton?
Yes our top talent leaves, but it doesn't leave because there is no path to the first team. They leave because of two reasons, well actually 3, money, they think they will get better coaching and international exposure at a "bigger club" or lastly they don't get on with the staff, for what ever reason.
When was the last time we blocked a young player from the 1st team? That was good enough?
You have totally misunderstood my post. Of course they leave for money. I thought that was so obvious I didn't really think it needed saying. That's why we sell the chance of first team football IF they are good enough. We need a balance of journeymen and youngsters, and I'm Sure that's what Thomas Sandgaard and Nigel Adkins have said. Nigel said he wanted a filter and younger side at the end of last season and why he said Watson and Pearce are basically back up but can help the youngsters. Definitely looking who we bring in on loans as we are well short on the goals front. So few goals in this team with just two days to the first game.
You originally said
"Charlton are going to rely on their younger players because that is the argument to make the better kids sign for Cafc in the first place. If they don't see a route through to the first team we will lose out on even more talented youngsters"
You then went on to say that that was a reason not to sign more "other" players. You said we need to play the kids to attract other kids.
I don't think I have miss understood what you wrote, maybe you didn't write what you ment? God knows I do that often enough.
I’m going to hold fire on deciding if this close season has been poor for player recruitment until the window slams shut but I can’t lie, I was hoping to have brought in at least two or three more this close to the start of the season. My bum is definitely squeaking a bit.
The thing that makes me laugh is a lot of posters on here were saying last season they have no connection with the squad/players/team, they can all fuck off, they can do one, not fit to wear the shirt and we need a total clear out.
We are essentially starting the season with the same squad/team/players apart from a few minimal changes and promotion to The Championship is on the horizon.
It's not the same people though is it....
I am not naming names but some who said the above seem very content with our transfer business so far and are confident of a top 6 finish.
You can be content with the players who have arrived so far and know the side needs more signings in the next 4 weeks. Being content doesn’t mean you don’t want any further players to join.
Well, the midfield is more dynamic. I think that is a genuine positive. It just hasn't got any goals in it based on any evidence you care to look at. I think we could get 20 plus from Stockley, 10 to 12 from Washington and 5 or 6 from DJ. If we are generous and make that 43. To beat our 70 goals last season, we need to find another 27. For automatic promotion, add another 10 to 12 based on the goals generally scored when achieving it.
If Innis stays fit, maybe 5. Purrington and Gunter 1 each, Gilbey could get 8, JFK 2, Davison 5, Morgan 3, Dobson 2 and Clare 3. So optimistically, which the above numbers are, in and around last season and roughly an Aneke short of automatic promotion. So hopefully that will be addressed. But we might need an Aneke and a half based on my optimism which was designed to create a best case scenario.
Which CAFC is she following though? Us or his current club?
Well I don't follow Crewe! It's us mate.
Doh!! I’m not on twitter though so don’t really understand this stuff.
It's Instagram mate, but yeah I hope she's not on a wind up. Would really give us a boost with us having an out and out winger on the left rather than Washo.
Because other clubs have incomplete squads that's ok is it?
I want us to WIN this league so I want us to have the best squad.
Currently we don't.
I genuinely don't care about other clubs. Our owner made strong comments at the end of last season and I trust him and are glad we have him.
But we don't have a fit left back and NO left midfielder.
Totally unbalanced. I'm not saying our squad should be finished by now but come on now. We've needed both these positions in cover and first choice since our last two loanees in those positions left!
If you don't care about other clubs how can you rate our squad?
What are you comparing it to? Powell's, Bowyer's, Curbishley's, Man City, Peps Barca, Brazil 1970?
Its not a pub league, but we don't have a pub team.
Because I don't care about them, I can still rate them!
You completely avoid my point about the lack of any fit or signed left sided players.
Or do you only care to answer the parts that are easy to have an opinion on?
Does anybody really think we should be starting the season with no left back and no left midfielder?
Washington is very likely to play down the wing in a 433 this season so not sure the lack of a left midfielder is a major issue. I would have liked another defender and winger in time for Saturday though admittedly. I think the CB, CM, another winger and striker can wait a week or two, but disappointed we have (so far) failed to add another two.
Again answer the question.
Do you think we should be starting the season with Gunther at left back and Washington, out of position, as our only real option to play left hand side?
Totally agree with the left back situation, not on Washington as he's likely to play a lot more at LW than as a striker this season. At the moment, I'm not 100% convinced he can be effective there, but that's where he's going to be playing so I'll judge later. So in terms of the way Adkins is viewing us this season, he's not out of position.
And if we are talking about the pathway to the first team being a major attraction in attracting kids to our academy, it's worth noting that none of AMB, Clayden, Ghandour, Barker, Harness and Davison are really academy products, as all were signed when 16 or over.
Charlie Barker signed when he was 13, we’re the only academy he’s played for.
Ok I stand corrected on that one, but reading his history he was a kid without a club, and his father introduced him to Steve Avory. It's not as if they chose Charlton because they thought there was a pathway to the first team
And if we are talking about the pathway to the first team being a major attraction in attracting kids to our academy, it's worth noting that none of AMB, Clayden, Ghandour, Barker, Harness and Davison are really academy products, as all were signed when 16 or over.
Charlie Barker signed when he was 13, we’re the only academy he’s played for.
Ok I stand corrected on that one, but reading his history he was a kid without a club, and his father introduced him to Steve Avory. It's not as if they chose Charlton because they thought there was a pathway to the first team
Because other clubs have incomplete squads that's ok is it?
I want us to WIN this league so I want us to have the best squad.
Currently we don't.
I genuinely don't care about other clubs. Our owner made strong comments at the end of last season and I trust him and are glad we have him.
But we don't have a fit left back and NO left midfielder.
Totally unbalanced. I'm not saying our squad should be finished by now but come on now. We've needed both these positions in cover and first choice since our last two loanees in those positions left!
If you don't care about other clubs how can you rate our squad?
What are you comparing it to? Powell's, Bowyer's, Curbishley's, Man City, Peps Barca, Brazil 1970?
Its not a pub league, but we don't have a pub team.
Because I don't care about them, I can still rate them!
You completely avoid my point about the lack of any fit or signed left sided players.
Or do you only care to answer the parts that are easy to have an opinion on?
Does anybody really think we should be starting the season with no left back and no left midfielder?
No of course, not the left back position needs re-enforcement, ideally better than Purrington to be honest. The left sided forward is also a concern, as to is another center back and a striker.
But it's not like Washington is awful in that position and Gunter can certainly do a job there for a few games, and hopefully that's all it is.
The lack of recruitment is a concern across the whole divison.
Do I think our squad is good enough for the season? No. Do I think our team can beat Sheffield Wednesday? Absolutely. Do you think we aren't trying to address out left sided problem?
Why do people keep saying this, the BBC reports on numerous transfers in League 1 every day, below is a snap shot of the last five days and other weeks have been just as busy.
On a brief visit to Twitter earlier on this evening, Darren Moore was trending as Sheffield Wednesday fans were delighted with the players he'd brought in this summer
And if we are talking about the pathway to the first team being a major attraction in attracting kids to our academy, it's worth noting that none of AMB, Clayden, Ghandour, Barker, Harness and Davison are really academy products, as all were signed when 16 or over.
Add Pope and Lookman who both joined around the 16 mark after Pope was released by Ipswich and Lookman had the your too small claim which is the normal excuse for skillful forward who are still small at 14 and 15. When joining at 16 all of the lads above would have been sold that dream if they progressed that the 1st team was a reality. I'm seeing close up a lad released by Cafc after 5 years with the "too small" claim. 9-14 in our academy and now at just 18 playing in men's football at Step 5 (SCEFL) his first season in men's football(now 5ft 9) with great feet as an attacking midfielder who scored goals and assists and has started so well Charlton are monitoring again but they are not alone. Green and Haynes came back but had already got back into the League.
Steve Avory said on Zoom that the aim is the lads have a good education and either progress to Cafc 1st team or are given a pro contract somewhere else. Some higher up the food chain and some lower. I doubt he said food chain but you get my drift.
Comments
But the divide is whether or not you think we will be by the time business concludes and that's a question it's impossible to definitively answer yet.
https://abs-0.twimg.com/emoji/v2/svg/1f62d.svg
"Charlton are going to rely on their younger players because that is the argument to make the better kids sign for Cafc in the first place. If they don't see a route through to the first team we will lose out on even more talented youngsters"
You then went on to say that that was a reason not to sign more "other" players. You said we need to play the kids to attract other kids.
I don't think I have miss understood what you wrote, maybe you didn't write what you ment? God knows I do that often enough.
If Innis stays fit, maybe 5. Purrington and Gunter 1 each, Gilbey could get 8, JFK 2, Davison 5, Morgan 3, Dobson 2 and Clare 3. So optimistically, which the above numbers are, in and around last season and roughly an Aneke short of automatic promotion. So hopefully that will be addressed. But we might need an Aneke and a half based on my optimism which was designed to create a best case scenario.
Add Pope and Lookman who both joined around the 16 mark after Pope was released by Ipswich and Lookman had the your too small claim which is the normal excuse for skillful forward who are still small at 14 and 15. When joining at 16 all of the lads above would have been sold that dream if they progressed that the 1st team was a reality.
I'm seeing close up a lad released by Cafc after 5 years with the "too small" claim. 9-14 in our academy and now at just 18 playing in men's football at Step 5 (SCEFL) his first season in men's football(now 5ft 9) with great feet as an attacking midfielder who scored goals and assists and has started so well Charlton are monitoring again but they are not alone. Green and Haynes came back but had already got back into the League.
Steve Avory said on Zoom that the aim is the lads have a good education and either progress to Cafc 1st team or are given a pro contract somewhere else. Some higher up the food chain and some lower. I doubt he said food chain but you get my drift.