Get your business done early, so last minute plugs being pulled can be avoided.
Careful Golfie gets dogs abuse when he says this however it is 100% correct
Right lets sort this out once and for all.
Going through current table order, let's see how many League One clubs brought in players on the last day. Caveat I can't be bothered to look too extensively so might miss out players, and this of course won't include players who signed late in the window or on the 31st August, like Owen Beck did for Bolton.
Portsmoth: Josh Koroma (1) Ipswich Town: Gassan Ahadme and Panutche Camara (2) Sheffield Wednesday: (0) Peterborough: Kell Watts (1) Plymouth: Sam Cosgrove (1) Derby: William Osulu (1) Cambridge: (0) Charlton: (0) Exeter City: Harry Smith (1) Bolton: (0) Accrington Stanley: Bailey Sloane (1) Wycombe: (0) MK Dones: (0) Fleetwood: Admiral Muskwe and Lewis Warrington (2) Bristol: Josh Coburn, Bobby Thomas and Syl Jasper (3) Barnsley: Adam Phillips and Tom Edwards (2) Oxford: Djavan Anderson (1) Lincoln: Matty Virture (1) Port Vale: Liam McCaarron, Dennis Politic and Danny Butterworth (3) Shrewbury: Carl Winchester, Chris Saydee and Rob Street (3) Cheltenham: Ryan Broom and James Olayinka (2) Forest Green: Bryan Fibema and Christian Marques (2) Morecambe: Liam Shaw (1) Burton: Elliot Thorpe (1)
So the majority of League One teams were clearly looking to bring in 1 or 2 players on the final day like us.
Let's please stop this get your business down early fallacy. It does not happen and is not a thing.
Excellent work and research however you are not entirely correct. A large proportion of the players in your list are squad fillers and padding so if a club gets them in on the last day, great, if not no big deal.
As we all know our needs were more specific, a striker was a must and defender would have been nice. The type of striker we were seeking to play garnerball rules out a lot of what was available so it was obvious one was not going to fall into our laps with 24 hours of the window left.
And if the Bonne rumours were true it makes even more laughable as I could never see him playing the the type of system Garner wants to play
Waking up to not even seeing Bonne signing is something I did not expect, although as others have said, the writing was on the wall.
Clearly our owner doesn’t want to spend money anymore and everything is being done on the cheap, he spent some fees when he first got here but I think it’s a case of ‘reality bites’ for TS and he’s realised just because you spend 500k on a promising player, you aren’t always gonna see that players stock rise, so going against his own words, football really isn’t that simple.
There were a lot of attainable players at reasonable fees in this league and league 2, the fact he hasn’t even got one shows what the future holds,
balance the books, sell any of our valuable assets if an offer comes along, keep us competitive until a new investor/owner comes along. If he had any ambition with us he would be paying the 300-500k fees required to get the good players in contract at this level, I honestly think it’s unacceptable they’ve waited until the final minute to get a striker when they’ve had all summer. Our scouting system is terrible, all our good signings are from Ben Garners previous side, there’s no way there wasn’t National league & league 2 players ready to make the step up or even prem clubs with young players needing game time. Just seems like utter laziness and lack of knowledge
What I don’t understand was that there were plenty of sources claiming we were prepared to pay decent fees for Simpson and then Scully but Championship clubs came in and we didn’t stand a chance. How can you be absolutely 100% sure TS will never pay a fee again?
Good, well-run clubs who are in stable circumstances do not bring in players for big money or key first team positions on transfer deadline day.
It is fine to grab a bargain, pad the squad, adjust for a current/temporary injury crisis, build for the future or in some cases secure that player who has been chased and in progress for weeks if he becomes available at the price waited for. However - you should not try to fill critical first team positions unless you are prepared to overpay, walk away or be let down.
You only have to look at the teams scrabbling around in the Premier League yesterday Vs some of those who weren't to validate the above.
You can get business done early/gradually and win at deadline day - they are not mutually exclusive approaches.
Other than it’s a game manipulated by others I can’t see how people here are getting so excited or upset about all of this. With the caveat that I haven’t seen this lot play for a while and I’ve no idea whether anyone on here is really a great identifier or football flesh, haven’t done of the Clubs best and most enduring players come from out of the blue? Either in house alteady from the youth team or as I seem to remember Yann Kermorgant being a pick up after the window as a free agent and then in the deep past Derek Hales and Colin Powell came from less than great backgrounds - in fact most of the hyped up transfers in and out of the window have been crap. A sense of perspective is required methinks.
Waking up to not even seeing Bonne signing is something I did not expect, although as others have said, the writing was on the wall.
Clearly our owner doesn’t want to spend money anymore and everything is being done on the cheap, he spent some fees when he first got here but I think it’s a case of ‘reality bites’ for TS and he’s realised just because you spend 500k on a promising player, you aren’t always gonna see that players stock rise, so going against his own words, football really isn’t that simple.
There were a lot of attainable players at reasonable fees in this league and league 2, the fact he hasn’t even got one shows what the future holds,
balance the books, sell any of our valuable assets if an offer comes along, keep us competitive until a new investor/owner comes along. If he had any ambition with us he would be paying the 300-500k fees required to get the good players in contract at this level, I honestly think it’s unacceptable they’ve waited until the final minute to get a striker when they’ve had all summer. Our scouting system is terrible, all our good signings are from Ben Garners previous side, there’s no way there wasn’t National league & league 2 players ready to make the step up or even prem clubs with young players needing game time. Just seems like utter laziness and lack of knowledge
What I don’t understand was that there were plenty of sources claiming we were prepared to pay decent fees for Simpson and then Scully but Championship clubs came in and we didn’t stand a chance. How can you be absolutely 100% sure TS will never pay a fee again?
99.9% of those sources are twats on Twitter wanting five minutes of fame, we even had two well respected posters on here saying two players were done deals.
I would take everything you read in threads like these and elsewhere on the internet as a pinch of salt.
There’s a few things for me that have tripped us up.
Not recognising how far off we were with the team that finished last season, even with the likes of CBT, Stockley, Clare and Dobson
The delay in getting BG in. We needed a full 11/12 style revamp of the squad and we needed it early given the 13th place finish. It took as long at it took, but it definitely impacted us detrimentally in terms of competitiveness.
The lack of foresight in resigning the cheat code that is Aneke and subsequent inability for Stockley to operate in this system. And you can’t tell me we didn’t know it was going to be difficult for him under Garnerball. It’s not that hard to see he’s an old school, physical forward who makes a nuisance of himself and thrives on crosses.
Not being proactive enough in trying to move on JFC, Gilbey and DJ. This last one is difficult, but it’s also held us back
It doesn't matter who our owner is, how rich they are, we're little old Charlton and will never be the balanced business people want us to be. We will never be the club that draws the crowds again.
Both the fans, owner and potential owners need to realise we are not a big club anymore. We need a proper plan to get us back to the championship - Fuck off any dream of the PL until we're established as a Championship side.
I urge everybody who's feeling a bit down after yesterday to take 12 minutes out of their day & listen to Garner's full interview at the bottom of that link..
I've always back Sandgaard, but the end of this window has done me. He hasn't got the resources, god knows what would happen if we got to the championship.
For us to compete properly, he needs to sell.
to who?
i think we are at least in a safe pair of hands with TS at the moment.
"Safe" in what sense? I think too many people believe what he says when he talks about breaking even. Nobody with any understanding of the club's finances thinks that is remotely achievable year on year. In fact, you don't even need to understand the finances - his five-year ambition, his predictions last season, his idea that he can fill The Valley in L1, his claim that he was about to achieve Category One status, the due diligence he claimed to have done on the NFT sponsor, have all been exposed. Why would anyone believe his latest line?
I would agree that Sandgaard is an upgrade on ESI and Duchatelet, has some positive personal qualities, and that the team is more interesting to watch and likely to do better than last season, but there is a big hole in the project and it is his credibility. It isn't going to work financially and for that reason the club is far from "safe", albeit it's a slow motion car crash this time.
The end game will be someone buying Duchatelet out, in my opinion. It won't be Thomas.
When the club included The Valley and Sparrows I always thought Charlton as an extremely good club for someone to buy given its history, stadium and location. All this has now gone. Who in their right mind would look at us as an attractive proposition? Unless Thomas changes tack, that’s if he can then I fear we’re doomed to third tier football for a good while or get very lucky.
There’s a few things for me that have tripped us up.
Not recognising how far off we were with the team that finished last season, even with the likes of CBT, Stockley, Clare and Dobson
The delay in getting BG in. We needed a full 11/12 style revamp of the squad and we needed it early given the 13th place finish. It took as long at it took, but it definitely impacted us detrimentally in terms of competitiveness.
The lack of foresight in resigning the cheat code that is Aneke and subsequent inability for Stockley to operate in this system. And you can’t tell me we didn’t know it was going to be difficult for him under Garnerball. It’s not that hard to see he’s an old school, physical forward who makes a nuisance of himself and thrives on crosses.
Not being proactive enough in trying to move on JFC, Gilbey and DJ. This last one is difficult, but it’s also held us back
Jackson said we had a good core group before he left, so no 11/12 style revamp was expected by him ,who was fundamental to that one. Only some fans were expecting that.
As for being competitive, we have been since day one and still are, so I don't agree that we've been impacted detrimentally with the time it took appointing Garner.
On DJ, I thought he was off to Mansfield on loan but we pulled the plug on it at the last minute being short on numbers, or I thought that's what I read.
dontou believe we started our striker search yesterday morning? Do you not think we worked through a list of targets? They either moved elsewhere, cost too high, didn't want to come etc. we had a forward in the building and the parent club moved the goal post at the last minute.
with the defender, it would be interesting to see what happened there. Maybe we pulled out because the manager and coaching staff have had three months to look at ness and think he is a good back up option.
frustrating, yes. Disappointing, yes. Shambolic, definitely not
Washington left over 3 months ago. He should have been replaced and he wasn't. Leaving it until transfer deadline day was idiotic to say the least.
But in the new system, Washington would’ve been in competition with CBT, Kirk, Rak-Sakyi. Just as good players but probably a lot cheaper. His lack of goals ruled him out of the strikers role. I admired TS’s ambition of trying sign Simpson and Scully but were in hindsight naive not to have better plan C and D options that wouldn’t be hijacked by Championship clubs.
dontou believe we started our striker search yesterday morning? Do you not think we worked through a list of targets? They either moved elsewhere, cost too high, didn't want to come etc. we had a forward in the building and the parent club moved the goal post at the last minute.
with the defender, it would be interesting to see what happened there. Maybe we pulled out because the manager and coaching staff have had three months to look at ness and think he is a good back up option.
frustrating, yes. Disappointing, yes. Shambolic, definitely not
Washington left over 3 months ago. He should have been replaced and he wasn't. Leaving it until transfer deadline day was idiotic to say the least.
But in the new system, Washington would’ve been in competition with CBT, Kirk, Rak-Sakyi. Just as good players but probably a lot cheaper. His lack of goals ruled him out of the strikers role. I admired TS’s ambition of trying sign Simpson and Scully but were in hindsight naive not to have better plan C and D options that wouldn’t be hijacked by Championship clubs.
Not convinced we were in for Scully at all. Why would we be when we had Rak-Sakyi, Kirk and CBT?
I expect that we'll sign a free agent CB, but muddle through with our attacking options until January, as I can't see anyone out there any good. That we ended up chasing Bonne shows that we were onto Play E by yesterday.
I have no problem with any of the players we've brought in individually. Collectively though, it does smack of "consolidation", of a club hoping for the playoffs, rather than really going for it.
I've always back Sandgaard, but the end of this window has done me. He hasn't got the resources, god knows what would happen if we got to the championship.
For us to compete properly, he needs to sell.
to who?
i think we are at least in a safe pair of hands with TS at the moment.
"Safe" in what sense? I think too many people believe what he says when he talks about breaking even. Nobody with any understanding of the club's finances thinks that is remotely achievable year on year. In fact, you don't even need to understand the finances - his five-year ambition, his predictions last season, his idea that he can fill The Valley in L1, his claim that he was about to achieve Category One status, the due diligence he claimed to have done on the NFT sponsor, have all been exposed. Why would anyone believe his latest line?
I would agree that Sandgaard is an upgrade on ESI and Duchatelet, has some positive personal qualities, and that the team is more interesting to watch and likely to do better than last season, but there is a big hole in the project and it is his credibility. It isn't going to work financially and for that reason the club is far from "safe", albeit it's a slow motion car crash this time.
The end game will be someone buying Duchatelet out, in my opinion. It won't be Thomas.
When the club included The Valley and Sparrows I always thought Charlton as an extremely good club for someone to buy given its history, stadium and location. All this has now gone. Who in their right mind would look at us as an attractive proposition? Unless Thomas changes tack, that’s if he can then I fear we’re doomed to third tier football for a good while or get very lucky.
Someone with a lot of money, hopefully. If you can be confident of getting into the Premier League then RD isn't such a factor.
dontou believe we started our striker search yesterday morning? Do you not think we worked through a list of targets? They either moved elsewhere, cost too high, didn't want to come etc. we had a forward in the building and the parent club moved the goal post at the last minute.
with the defender, it would be interesting to see what happened there. Maybe we pulled out because the manager and coaching staff have had three months to look at ness and think he is a good back up option.
frustrating, yes. Disappointing, yes. Shambolic, definitely not
Washington left over 3 months ago. He should have been replaced and he wasn't. Leaving it until transfer deadline day was idiotic to say the least.
But in the new system, Washington would’ve been in competition with CBT, Kirk, Rak-Sakyi. Just as good players but probably a lot cheaper. His lack of goals ruled him out of the strikers role. I admired TS’s ambition of trying sign Simpson and Scully but were in hindsight naive not to have better plan C and D options that wouldn’t be hijacked by Championship clubs.
Not convinced we were in for Scully at all. Why would we be when we had Rak-Sakyi, Kirk and CBT?
Because it would give us 4 players in two positions which mathematics says is about what you need over a season, and he can also cover Stockley as a striker if needed.
dontou believe we started our striker search yesterday morning? Do you not think we worked through a list of targets? They either moved elsewhere, cost too high, didn't want to come etc. we had a forward in the building and the parent club moved the goal post at the last minute.
with the defender, it would be interesting to see what happened there. Maybe we pulled out because the manager and coaching staff have had three months to look at ness and think he is a good back up option.
frustrating, yes. Disappointing, yes. Shambolic, definitely not
If we started the search for a forward earlier then it’s even more of a shambles.
Why does it have to be. Look I’m fully on board that it’s gone wrong and have said as much.
But let’s say we have a list:
Player A Player B Player C Player D Player E Player F
Player A is our first choice target, but we approach his team and they say he won’t be moving.
Player B is available but after a discussion with him and his agent he does not want to move because he does not want to move to uproot his young family.
Player C is available but his club will only take a fee that you think is overinflated. So it’s one you will revisit later to see if they drop their demands.
Player D is available and wants to come and has agreed everything in principle but his club will only let him go, if his club get a replacement first.
Player E has been offered by his club on loan, but at the last minute they say we can only have him if we pay a fee.
Player F is available but goes to a club in a higher division.
I expect all this and more happens when it comes to transfers. Again I’m not excusing that we didn’t sign a striker, never mind a centre back, but I do get the impression from the constant upset tone on here throughout transfer windows that people think it should just be a simple process.
Isn’t that why you have a scouting/recruitment team? So you don’t end up with a list entirely composed of unobtainable players?
How do you know they are unobtainable until you approach them though?
And even then, was Scully unobtainable, or was he obtainable until Wigan made a late bid. Do you instantly move on from a quality player you want because there may be a bidding war for him and you don't have the stomach?
Bonne was apparently obtainable but then his parent club changed the conditions last minute. Stockton may have been obtainable if Morecambe would have budged on their £650,000 asking price at the last minute.
I expect there are so many cogs to transfers that we are unaware of that it feels somewhat silly to blanketly rant about how much of a 'shambles' or 'embarrassment' it is. Disappointing and misjudged for sure, but shambles is indicative of moderns society general reaction to things that happen that they don't like.
I reckon Stockton would have gone for £300k. As it is, he'll either leave in January or for nothing next summer now.
There’s a few things for me that have tripped us up.
Not recognising how far off we were with the team that finished last season, even with the likes of CBT, Stockley, Clare and Dobson
The delay in getting BG in. We needed a full 11/12 style revamp of the squad and we needed it early given the 13th place finish. It took as long at it took, but it definitely impacted us detrimentally in terms of competitiveness.
The lack of foresight in resigning the cheat code that is Aneke and subsequent inability for Stockley to operate in this system. And you can’t tell me we didn’t know it was going to be difficult for him under Garnerball. It’s not that hard to see he’s an old school, physical forward who makes a nuisance of himself and thrives on crosses.
Not being proactive enough in trying to move on JFC, Gilbey and DJ. This last one is difficult, but it’s also held us back
Jackson said we had a good core group before he left, so no 11/12 style revamp was expected by him ,who was fundamental to that one. Only some fans were expecting that.
As for being competitive, we have been since day one and still are, so I don't agree that we've been impacted detrimentally with the time it took appointing Garner.
On DJ, I thought he was off to Mansfield on loan but we pulled the plug on it at the last minute being short on numbers, or I thought that's what I read.
Expecting and what we need are two different things. I would also say that being a forward and a centre back short is impacting our competitiveness. We might not have seen that in the first 6 games, but with 40 left to play I think we’ll be very fortunate not to be adversely affected over the course of the season. Particularly given what looks like Stockley’s difficultly in adapting to the system.
We’ve made some good additions and showed some progress, don’t get me wrong, but personally I think we needed more
dontou believe we started our striker search yesterday morning? Do you not think we worked through a list of targets? They either moved elsewhere, cost too high, didn't want to come etc. we had a forward in the building and the parent club moved the goal post at the last minute.
with the defender, it would be interesting to see what happened there. Maybe we pulled out because the manager and coaching staff have had three months to look at ness and think he is a good back up option.
frustrating, yes. Disappointing, yes. Shambolic, definitely not
Washington left over 3 months ago. He should have been replaced and he wasn't. Leaving it until transfer deadline day was idiotic to say the least.
But in the new system, Washington would’ve been in competition with CBT, Kirk, Rak-Sakyi. Just as good players but probably a lot cheaper. His lack of goals ruled him out of the strikers role. I admired TS’s ambition of trying sign Simpson and Scully but were in hindsight naive not to have better plan C and D options that wouldn’t be hijacked by Championship clubs.
Not convinced we were in for Scully at all. Why would we be when we had Rak-Sakyi, Kirk and CBT?
Because it would give us 4 players in two positions which mathematics says is about what you need over a season, and he can also cover Stockley as a striker if needed.
Yeah maybe, not convinced myself. Our squad is quite thin so find it hard to believe we'd have gone with a 4th choice winger who on paper would be extremely strong.
There’s a few things for me that have tripped us up.
Not recognising how far off we were with the team that finished last season, even with the likes of CBT, Stockley, Clare and Dobson
The delay in getting BG in. We needed a full 11/12 style revamp of the squad and we needed it early given the 13th place finish. It took as long at it took, but it definitely impacted us detrimentally in terms of competitiveness.
The lack of foresight in resigning the cheat code that is Aneke and subsequent inability for Stockley to operate in this system. And you can’t tell me we didn’t know it was going to be difficult for him under Garnerball. It’s not that hard to see he’s an old school, physical forward who makes a nuisance of himself and thrives on crosses.
Not being proactive enough in trying to move on JFC, Gilbey and DJ. This last one is difficult, but it’s also held us back
Jackson said we had a good core group before he left, so no 11/12 style revamp was expected by him ,who was fundamental to that one. Only some fans were expecting that.
As for being competitive, we have been since day one and still are, so I don't agree that we've been impacted detrimentally with the time it took appointing Garner.
On DJ, I thought he was off to Mansfield on loan but we pulled the plug on it at the last minute being short on numbers, or I thought that's what I read.
Expecting and what we need are two different things. I would also say that being a forward and a centre back short is impacting our competitiveness. We might not have seen that in the first 6 games, but with 40 left to play I think we’ll be very fortunate not to be adversely affected over the course of the season. Particularly given what looks like Stockley’s difficultly in adapting to the system.
We’ve made some good additions and showed some progress, don’t get me wrong, but personally I think we needed more
Happy to agree with your reply in that we are short and it could impact us going forward 👍
I've always back Sandgaard, but the end of this window has done me. He hasn't got the resources, god knows what would happen if we got to the championship.
For us to compete properly, he needs to sell.
to who?
i think we are at least in a safe pair of hands with TS at the moment.
"Safe" in what sense? I think too many people believe what he says when he talks about breaking even. Nobody with any understanding of the club's finances thinks that is remotely achievable year on year. In fact, you don't even need to understand the finances - his five-year ambition, his predictions last season, his idea that he can fill The Valley in L1, his claim that he was about to achieve Category One status, the due diligence he claimed to have done on the NFT sponsor, have all been exposed. Why would anyone believe his latest line?
I would agree that Sandgaard is an upgrade on ESI and Duchatelet, has some positive personal qualities, and that the team is more interesting to watch and likely to do better than last season, but there is a big hole in the project and it is his credibility. It isn't going to work financially and for that reason the club is far from "safe", albeit it's a slow motion car crash this time.
The end game will be someone buying Duchatelet out, in my opinion. It won't be Thomas.
When the club included The Valley and Sparrows I always thought Charlton as an extremely good club for someone to buy given its history, stadium and location. All this has now gone. Who in their right mind would look at us as an attractive proposition? Unless Thomas changes tack, that’s if he can then I fear we’re doomed to third tier football for a good while or get very lucky.
Someone with a lot of money, hopefully. If you can be confident of getting into the Premier League then RD isn't such a factor.
How much did TS spend in purchasing the club ? What’s he spent ? Can he realistically get his money back even after such a short period of ownership?
I've always back Sandgaard, but the end of this window has done me. He hasn't got the resources, god knows what would happen if we got to the championship.
For us to compete properly, he needs to sell.
to who?
i think we are at least in a safe pair of hands with TS at the moment.
"Safe" in what sense? I think too many people believe what he says when he talks about breaking even. Nobody with any understanding of the club's finances thinks that is remotely achievable year on year. In fact, you don't even need to understand the finances - his five-year ambition, his predictions last season, his idea that he can fill The Valley in L1, his claim that he was about to achieve Category One status, the due diligence he claimed to have done on the NFT sponsor, have all been exposed. Why would anyone believe his latest line?
I would agree that Sandgaard is an upgrade on ESI and Duchatelet, has some positive personal qualities, and that the team is more interesting to watch and likely to do better than last season, but there is a big hole in the project and it is his credibility. It isn't going to work financially and for that reason the club is far from "safe", albeit it's a slow motion car crash this time.
The end game will be someone buying Duchatelet out, in my opinion. It won't be Thomas.
When the club included The Valley and Sparrows I always thought Charlton as an extremely good club for someone to buy given its history, stadium and location. All this has now gone. Who in their right mind would look at us as an attractive proposition? Unless Thomas changes tack, that’s if he can then I fear we’re doomed to third tier football for a good while or get very lucky.
Someone with a lot of money, hopefully. If you can be confident of getting into the Premier League then RD isn't such a factor.
How much did TS spend in purchasing the club ? What’s he spent ? Can he realistically get his money back even after such a short period of ownership?
He doesnt really have anything to sell as he doesnt own the assets. He paid very little maybe a million max but has picked up the tab for several seasons of £8m losses. So realistically he would need to see for minimum 16m-20m to make profit unless he can convince someone to take on the accrued debt since he took over plus any other liabilities that were already in place.
It doesn't matter who our owner is, how rich they are, we're little old Charlton and will never be the balanced business people want us to be. We will never be the club that draws the crowds again.
Both the fans, owner and potential owners need to realise we are not a big club anymore. We need a proper plan to get us back to the championship - Fuck off any dream of the PL until we're established as a Championship side.
I would reckon most of the hard core who go to games feel like this all ready. The key to where where go going forward is how many will keep going and not drift away
I've always back Sandgaard, but the end of this window has done me. He hasn't got the resources, god knows what would happen if we got to the championship.
For us to compete properly, he needs to sell.
to who?
i think we are at least in a safe pair of hands with TS at the moment.
"Safe" in what sense? I think too many people believe what he says when he talks about breaking even. Nobody with any understanding of the club's finances thinks that is remotely achievable year on year. In fact, you don't even need to understand the finances - his five-year ambition, his predictions last season, his idea that he can fill The Valley in L1, his claim that he was about to achieve Category One status, the due diligence he claimed to have done on the NFT sponsor, have all been exposed. Why would anyone believe his latest line?
I would agree that Sandgaard is an upgrade on ESI and Duchatelet, has some positive personal qualities, and that the team is more interesting to watch and likely to do better than last season, but there is a big hole in the project and it is his credibility. It isn't going to work financially and for that reason the club is far from "safe", albeit it's a slow motion car crash this time.
The end game will be someone buying Duchatelet out, in my opinion. It won't be Thomas.
When the club included The Valley and Sparrows I always thought Charlton as an extremely good club for someone to buy given its history, stadium and location. All this has now gone. Who in their right mind would look at us as an attractive proposition? Unless Thomas changes tack, that’s if he can then I fear we’re doomed to third tier football for a good while or get very lucky.
Someone with a lot of money, hopefully. If you can be confident of getting into the Premier League then RD isn't such a factor.
How much did TS spend in purchasing the club ? What’s he spent ? Can he realistically get his money back even after such a short period of ownership?
Of course he can't. Even if it only cost him £1 he has spent about £20 million since he bought us.
dontou believe we started our striker search yesterday morning? Do you not think we worked through a list of targets? They either moved elsewhere, cost too high, didn't want to come etc. we had a forward in the building and the parent club moved the goal post at the last minute.
with the defender, it would be interesting to see what happened there. Maybe we pulled out because the manager and coaching staff have had three months to look at ness and think he is a good back up option.
frustrating, yes. Disappointing, yes. Shambolic, definitely not
If we started the search for a forward earlier then it’s even more of a shambles.
Why does it have to be. Look I’m fully on board that it’s gone wrong and have said as much.
But let’s say we have a list:
Player A Player B Player C Player D Player E Player F
Player A is our first choice target, but we approach his team and they say he won’t be moving.
Player B is available but after a discussion with him and his agent he does not want to move because he does not want to move to uproot his young family.
Player C is available but his club will only take a fee that you think is overinflated. So it’s one you will revisit later to see if they drop their demands.
Player D is available and wants to come and has agreed everything in principle but his club will only let him go, if his club get a replacement first.
Player E has been offered by his club on loan, but at the last minute they say we can only have him if we pay a fee.
Player F is available but goes to a club in a higher division.
I expect all this and more happens when it comes to transfers. Again I’m not excusing that we didn’t sign a striker, never mind a centre back, but I do get the impression from the constant upset tone on here throughout transfer windows that people think it should just be a simple process.
Isn’t that why you have a scouting/recruitment team? So you don’t end up with a list entirely composed of unobtainable players?
How do you know they are unobtainable until you approach them though?
And even then, was Scully unobtainable, or was he obtainable until Wigan made a late bid. Do you instantly move on from a quality player you want because there may be a bidding war for him and you don't have the stomach?
Bonne was apparently obtainable but then his parent club changed the conditions last minute. Stockton may have been obtainable if Morecambe would have budged on their £650,000 asking price at the last minute.
I expect there are so many cogs to transfers that we are unaware of that it feels somewhat silly to blanketly rant about how much of a 'shambles' or 'embarrassment' it is. Disappointing and misjudged for sure, but shambles is indicative of moderns society general reaction to things that happen that they don't like.
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As we all know our needs were more specific, a striker was a must and defender would have been nice. The type of striker we were seeking to play garnerball rules out a lot of what was available so it was obvious one was not going to fall into our laps with 24 hours of the window left.
And if the Bonne rumours were true it makes even more laughable as I could never see him playing the the type of system Garner wants to play
It is fine to grab a bargain, pad the squad, adjust for a current/temporary injury crisis, build for the future or in some cases secure that player who has been chased and in progress for weeks if he becomes available at the price waited for. However - you should not try to fill critical first team positions unless you are prepared to overpay, walk away or be let down.
You only have to look at the teams scrabbling around in the Premier League yesterday Vs some of those who weren't to validate the above.
You can get business done early/gradually and win at deadline day - they are not mutually exclusive approaches.
I would take everything you read in threads like these and elsewhere on the internet as a pinch of salt.
Not recognising how far off we were with the team that finished last season, even with the likes of CBT, Stockley, Clare and Dobson
The delay in getting BG in. We needed a full 11/12 style revamp of the squad and we needed it early given the 13th place finish. It took as long at it took, but it definitely impacted us detrimentally in terms of competitiveness.
The lack of foresight in resigning the cheat code that is Aneke and subsequent inability for Stockley to operate in this system. And you can’t tell me we didn’t know it was going to be difficult for him under Garnerball. It’s not that hard to see he’s an old school, physical forward who makes a nuisance of himself and thrives on crosses.
Doesn't bode well.
Both the fans, owner and potential owners need to realise we are not a big club anymore. We need a proper plan to get us back to the championship - Fuck off any dream of the PL until we're established as a Championship side.
Another fantastic interview by him
As for being competitive, we have been since day one and still are, so I don't agree that we've been impacted detrimentally with the time it took appointing Garner.
On DJ, I thought he was off to Mansfield on loan but we pulled the plug on it at the last minute being short on numbers, or I thought that's what I read.
It falls through and yet we still moan. Take a step back and look at whats available not a lot striker wise
I have no problem with any of the players we've brought in individually. Collectively though, it does smack of "consolidation", of a club hoping for the playoffs, rather than really going for it.
https://www.lancasterguardian.co.uk/sport/football/opinion-no-winners-in-the-morecambe-cole-stockton-stand-off-3828869
What has he actually got to sell?