The sad thing is we are not far off. I have said all along, because it is true, that fundamentally changing how you play is more expensive than continuous improvement from a base. Credit to Garner, he has shown what he can do but he hasn't been supported. Sandgaard has shown his stupidity by deciding to do it on the cheap. Unless he has had a change of mind since appointing Garner. Then he should F off if you excuse my French. I'm confident we won't go down but we are not going up. I won't say the biggest reason as I get told off for repeating it on here, but it is quite frankly frrom the book 'football for dummies'.
Ffs that's concerning. Has the master of bullshit and over selling over promised and then under delivered to Garner I wonder for him to come out with this so soon into the season.
"We need to keep players fit.."
Good luck with that mate given 2 of our key players in Inniss and Aneke make Darren Anderton look like a 50 game a seasoner.
Only at Charlton can we go in 2 seasons from bullshit bluster about Europe, premier league, blowing the league to binning off half the back office, pinching pennies whilst raising ticket prices to silly levels and holding out that improving on 13th in League One is some kind of achievement to build on.
Clown show and Garner will be a miracle worker if he somehow manages to get this severely underresourced squad into the top 6.
Hugely behind him and the players but feel they have been let down but the senior management who appear increasingly clueless as each month rolls over.
Ffs that's concerning. Has the master of bullshit and over selling over promised and then under delivered to Garner I wonder for him to come out with this so soon into the season.
"We need to keep players fit.."
Good luck with that mate given 2 of our key players in Inniss and Aneke make Darren Anderton look like a 50 game a seasoner.
Only at Charlton can we go in 2 seasons from bullshit bluster about Europe, premier league, blowing the league to binning off half the back office, pinching pennies whilst raising ticket prices to silly levels and holding out that improving on 13th in League One is some kind of achievement to build on.
Clown show and Garner will be a miracle worker if he somehow manages to get this severely underresourced squad into the top 6.
Hugely behind him and the players but feel they have been let down but the senior management who appear increasingly clueless as each month rolls over.
For the 2nd time in a couple of days, I'm posting the following 4 words...
Let’s not go crazy - we aren’t in a situation where protests are called for.
No, but protests have already been in practice, so they will be easier to return to.
Protests aren't a necessary solution at the moment, but unfortunately it's one of few ways for things to actually go our way, if things get desperate.
He's had over two years.
The club hasn't made any significant improvements.
It's all now just kind of boring.
Protesting because you’re bored is pathetic.
I didn't suggest protesting due to feeling bored. I'm saying protesting might be a plausible idea if things are still rather crappy within the not too distant future.
The repetitive nature of the clubs negative status is starting to make things sound less and less worthwhile
People have withdrawn/given up.
I haven't been to a game for nearly 3 years and I personally don't miss going.
I don't know where this club is heading and I don't know why all the off field problems will likely remain the key talking point of discussion. It all doesn't help.
Now, a protest might help to awaken TS and it MIGHT be a significant forceful push in the right direction.
He would not want that kind of thing on his shoulders!
Let’s not go crazy - we aren’t in a situation where protests are called for.
No, but protests have already been in practice, so they will be easier to return to.
Protests aren't a necessary solution at the moment, but unfortunately it's one of few ways for things to actually go our way, if things get desperate.
He's had over two years.
The club hasn't made any significant improvements.
It's all now just kind of boring.
Protesting because you’re bored is pathetic.
I didn't suggest protesting due to feeling bored. I'm saying protesting might be a plausible idea if things are still rather crappy within the not too distant future.
The repetitive nature of the clubs negative status is starting to make things sound less and less worthwhile
People have withdrawn/given up.
I haven't been to a game for nearly 3 years and I personally don't miss going.
I don't know where this club is heading and I don't know why all the off field problems will likely remain the key talking point of discussion. It all doesn't help.
Now, a protest might help to awaken TS and it MIGHT be a significant forceful push in the right direction.
He would not want that kind of thing on his shoulders!
If you haven't been to a game for three years aren't you already protesting?
Let’s not go crazy - we aren’t in a situation where protests are called for.
No, but protests have already been in practice, so they will be easier to return to.
Protests aren't a necessary solution at the moment, but unfortunately it's one of few ways for things to actually go our way, if things get desperate.
He's had over two years.
The club hasn't made any significant improvements.
It's all now just kind of boring.
Protesting because you’re bored is pathetic.
I didn't suggest protesting due to feeling bored. I'm saying protesting might be a plausible idea if things are still rather crappy within the not too distant future.
The repetitive nature of the clubs negative status is starting to make things sound less and less worthwhile
People have withdrawn/given up.
I haven't been to a game for nearly 3 years and I personally don't miss going.
I don't know where this club is heading and I don't know why all the off field problems will likely remain the key talking point of discussion. It all doesn't help.
Now, a protest might help to awaken TS and it MIGHT be a significant forceful push in the right direction.
He would not want that kind of thing on his shoulders!
If you haven't been to a game in 3 years them I fail to see how you will be protesting, are you suggesting the rest of us do it?
I am one of those who was prepared to give TS the benefit of the doubt, but the last fortnight or so has seen the scales fall from my eyes, as it were.
I honestly think that the best move of the transfer window was bringing in Garner, who has finally instilled a footballing philosophy at the club - and TS deserves credit for that. He also deserves credit for bringing in some of the players that appeared this summer who are, I think, on the whole, good acquisitions.
However, Garner has not been given the tools to do the job, which is a great shame as the addition of only 3 or so players could have been the difference between us actually having a chance of getting out of this shit division and being condemned to start next season more or less where we are in footballing terms. There certainly was a sense of deja-vu today watching our striker and playmaker being utterly ineffective...just like for large swathes of last season, which was nothing short of painful to watch for the most part.
So BG has no other choice but to play a square peg (Stockley) in a round hole - not that it is the player's fault, he just isn't suited to this system and trying to force him into it is having predictably dire results. If we had a more mobile forward and adequate defensive cover then we might have had a fighting chance. The consequences of this position will also have a negative impact upon our developing youth players who are now being thrown into the lion's den when they needed a more intelligent, patient approach to prevent their progress and confidence being possibly irreversibly damaged.
Off the field, the club is now stripped to the bare bones and the sacking of Olly Groome was one of the significant factors that caused me to reassess the direction in which our beloved club is likely heading. TS appears to be living in a fantasy land, where crowds will flock to see average 3rd division football at above average prices during an economic downturn, all whilst he attempts to 'balance the books' when it is clear to anyone with any perception whatsoever that that is equivalent to throwing in the towel as far as any ambition to move the club up the leagues is concerned.
Garner, I think, is a good manager and could be very successful, but it sadly appears unlikely that it will be with us. I, frankly, would not blame him if he took the earliest opportunity to go to a club where the owner will have enough faith in him to back him properly and not expect him to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear and effectively tread water. I think that he is rightly too ambitious for that, and who can blame him?
Like many, I sense that TS now has buyer's remorse. His optimistic, self-confident approach has not worked and he has had to learn a harsh lesson about the realities of English league football. However, I am not confident that he has learned from his mistakes. Questions surely arise as to whether he is looking to get shot, but further questions then arise as to who would be willing to take a loss making club that does not own its stadium or training ground and is, like a lingering curse, still in hock to a malicious, deluded geriatric whom can, for his own amusement, chuck a spanner into any process that may seek to finally stabilise and secure the club's future under new ownership.
I hope that I am still around to see a change in our fortunes at some point, but it appears that we have just seen another false dawn and that it may require yet another fundamental change in our ownership to finally see us moving upwards, because at the moment we are treading water at best.
It's good to have faith and be optimistic, but it's pretty bloody difficult sometimes!
I have no real knowledge of Garners abilities but still think, as it stands, he's been badly let down in this transfer window. Time will tell I suppose, but if the sh*t does hit the fan on the pitch relatively early on it will be interesting to see who's jugular the fans go for?. The managers or the owners?
Let’s not go crazy - we aren’t in a situation where protests are called for.
No, but protests have already been in practice, so they will be easier to return to.
Protests aren't a necessary solution at the moment, but unfortunately it's one of few ways for things to actually go our way, if things get desperate.
He's had over two years.
The club hasn't made any significant improvements.
It's all now just kind of boring.
Protesting because you’re bored is pathetic.
I didn't suggest protesting due to feeling bored. I'm saying protesting might be a plausible idea if things are still rather crappy within the not too distant future.
The repetitive nature of the clubs negative status is starting to make things sound less and less worthwhile
People have withdrawn/given up.
I haven't been to a game for nearly 3 years and I personally don't miss going.
I don't know where this club is heading and I don't know why all the off field problems will likely remain the key talking point of discussion. It all doesn't help.
Now, a protest might help to awaken TS and it MIGHT be a significant forceful push in the right direction.
He would not want that kind of thing on his shoulders!
Protests, as such, would be a long way off but, if performances like today become the norm, I can see the crowd directing its displeasure towards him. " Thomas Sandgaard, you ain't got a clue", might seem appropriate.
I am one of those who was prepared to give TS the benefit of the doubt, but the last fortnight or so has seen the scales fall from my eyes, as it were.
I honestly think that the best move of the transfer window was bringing in Garner, who has finally instilled a footballing philosophy at the club - and TS deserves credit for that. He also deserves credit for bringing in some of the players that appeared this summer who are, I think, on the whole, good acquisitions.
However, Garner has not been given the tools to do the job, which is a great shame as the addition of only 3 or so players could have been the difference between us actually having a chance of getting out of this shit division and being condemned to start next season more or less where we are in footballing terms. There certainly was a sense of deja-vu today watching our striker and playmaker being utterly ineffective...just like for large swathes of last season, which was nothing short of painful to watch for the most part.
So BG has no other choice but to play a square peg (Stockley) in a round hole - not that it is the player's fault, he just isn't suited to this system and trying to force him into it is having predictably dire results. If we had a more mobile forward and adequate defensive cover then we might have had a fighting chance. The consequences of this position will also have a negative impact upon our developing youth players who are now being thrown into the lion's den when they needed a more intelligent, patient approach to prevent their progress and confidence being possibly irreversibly damaged.
Off the field, the club is now stripped to the bare bones and the sacking of Olly Groome was one of the significant factors that caused me to reassess the direction in which our beloved club is likely heading. TS appears to be living in a fantasy land, where crowds will flock to see average 3rd division football at above average prices during an economic downturn, all whilst he attempts to 'balance the books' when it is clear to anyone with any perception whatsoever that that is equivalent to throwing in the towel as far as any ambition to move the club up the leagues is concerned.
Garner, I think, is a good manager and could be very successful, but it sadly appears unlikely that it will be with us. I, frankly, would not blame him if he took the earliest opportunity to go to a club where the owner will have enough faith in him to back him properly and not expect him to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear and effectively tread water. I think that he is rightly too ambitious for that, and who can blame him?
Like many, I sense that TS now has buyer's remorse. His optimistic, self-confident approach has not worked and he has had to learn a harsh lesson about the realities of English league football. However, I am not confident that he has learned from his mistakes. Questions surely arise as to whether he is looking to get shot, but further questions then arise as to who would be willing to take a loss making club that does not own its stadium or training ground and is, like a lingering curse, still in hock to a malicious, deluded geriatric whom can, for his own amusement, chuck a spanner into any process that may seek to finally stabilise and secure the club's future under new ownership.
I hope that I am still around to see a change in our fortunes at some point, but it appears that we have just seen another false dawn and that it may require yet another fundamental change in our ownership to finally see us moving upwards, because at the moment we are treading water at best.
It's good to have faith and be optimistic, but it's pretty bloody difficult sometimes!
WTF does that even mean?
I'd rather he bring in a 'getting out of league one' philosophy.
Let’s not go crazy - we aren’t in a situation where protests are called for.
No, but protests have already been in practice, so they will be easier to return to.
Protests aren't a necessary solution at the moment, but unfortunately it's one of few ways for things to actually go our way, if things get desperate.
He's had over two years.
The club hasn't made any significant improvements.
It's all now just kind of boring.
Protesting because you’re bored is pathetic.
I didn't suggest protesting due to feeling bored. I'm saying protesting might be a plausible idea if things are still rather crappy within the not too distant future.
The repetitive nature of the clubs negative status is starting to make things sound less and less worthwhile
People have withdrawn/given up.
I haven't been to a game for nearly 3 years and I personally don't miss going.
I don't know where this club is heading and I don't know why all the off field problems will likely remain the key talking point of discussion. It all doesn't help.
Now, a protest might help to awaken TS and it MIGHT be a significant forceful push in the right direction.
He would not want that kind of thing on his shoulders!
If you haven't been to a game in 3 years them I fail to see how you will be protesting, are you suggesting the rest of us do it?
No
Read between the lines.
I'm suggesting Thomas Sandguard might need a significant alerting wake up call from fans, to help minimise any likely further mistakes he is likely to make.
Unjustified? Yes.
Beneficial for the club in the long run? Significant Possibility imo.
I can't attend Charlton at the moment due to working commitments. It's something I can't change.
If I had the time available, I'm sure I would have at least attended a number of home games and had some more direct involvement.
Doesn't sound like I'm missing out on much though.
I'm not suggesting fans protest against TS because dave who doesn't attend games, from charlton life, "feels bored"
I'd just like to clarify that. Even if it should already be obvious.
If Thomas wasn't an eccentric with a big ego looking to indulge his hobby and prepared to disregard advice, he'd never have bought us. People keep saying he doesn't learn from his mistakes, but do we?
It may not have been seen as a mistake to try and nudge Roland towards the door at the time, starving him of money and increasing his losses, but he wants that back, all of it. He would have sold anyway, one look at the Profit and Loss account trend enough to have forced his hand without our intervention, but we had just cause to act. Not being a football fan, it was clear he was in it to prove he could make a successful business out of it and he failed. As for selling to ESI, which I believe he did out of sheer greed, a situation that could have proved disastrous for us and him was salvaged by Thomas.
Our new owner might have expected a surge in optimism reflected in attendances when he first arrived, but the covid pandemic largely put paid to that and, although we finished the 20/21 season well, optimism was certainly on the wane after the start of the 21/22 season when the team never looked like challenging. Unsurprisingly attendances remained generally low despite desperate measures being implemented to increase them. Now we're seeing a cost cutting focused approach being taken, as evidenced by the ruthless staffing cuts seen of late.
I worry that history might be repeating itself in that many now want Thomas to go. Faced with considerable losses, he must now be questioning his decision to buy the Club as he's seen no evidence that the things he was intent on achieving at the outset are realistic. He's been stymied in his attempts to achieve some of his objectives and he can only hope that the team gather momentum to sustain a promotion push.
If we don't achieve it within the next two years, I believe we might see what his exit strategy looks like. Some might say we're seeing that already, but with an intransigent Roland needing to be paid off to get back the Valley and Sparrows Lane, the 'to do' list for any prospective future owner grows ever longer.
How many times do we hear people say "be careful what you wish for," but they're invariably proved right as far as we are concerned given out track record in owners, so perhaps we shouldn't rail against our current one, although there's no harm in constructive criticism.
If he isn't going to change his approach, we need someone to make him, AND Roland, an offer in the Club's best interests. Protests won't force that and, unlike in the past, would not have the widespread support of the fan base or the general public.
If Thomas wasn't an eccentric with a big ego looking to indulge his hobby and prepared to disregard advice, he'd never have bought us. People keep saying he doesn't learn from his mistakes, but do we?
It may not have been seen as a mistake to try and nudge Roland towards the door at the time, starving him of money and increasing his losses, but he wants that back, all of it. He would have sold anyway, one look at the Profit and Loss account trend enough to have forced his hand without our intervention, but we had just cause to act. Not being a football fan, it was clear he was in it to prove he could make a successful business out of it and he failed. As for selling to ESI, which I believe he did out of sheer greed, a situation that could have proved disastrous for us and him was salvaged by Thomas.
Our new owner might have expected a surge in optimism reflected in attendances when he first arrived, but the covid pandemic largely put paid to that and, although we finished the 20/21 season well, optimism was certainly on the wane after the start of the 21/22 season when the team never looked like challenging. Unsurprisingly attendances remained generally low despite desperate measures being implemented to increase them. Now we're seeing a cost cutting focused approach being taken, as evidenced by the ruthless staffing cuts seen of late.
I worry that history might be repeating itself in that many now want Thomas to go. Faced with considerable losses, he must now be questioning his decision to buy the Club as he's seen no evidence that the things he was intent on achieving at the outset are realistic. He's been stymied in his attempts to achieve some of his objectives and he can only hope that the team gather momentum to sustain a promotion push.
If we don't achieve it within the next two years, I believe we might see what his exit strategy looks like. Some might say we're seeing that already, but with an intransigent Roland needing to be paid off to get back the Valley and Sparrows Lane, the 'to do' list for any prospective future owner grows ever longer.
How many times do we hear people say "be careful what you wish for," but they're invariably proved right as far as we are concerned given out track record in owners, so perhaps we shouldn't rail against our current one, although there's no harm in constructive criticism.
If he isn't going to change his approach, we need someone to make him, AND Roland, an offer in the Club's best interests. Protests won't force that and, unlike in the past, would not have the widespread support of the fan base or the general public.
I have continually read how bad administration would be for this club, It should of happened when Duchatelet was piss balling around with ESI, and maybe we'd be in a better place.
Look at Wigan. At the time we were courting the chancer we've now got running the place, they were going down the tubes. Look at them now!
I think after the horrendous owners we have protested against in the last 6 or 7 years, protesting against TS would make us look like spoiled brats when we have an owner who is ultimately not damaging the club like those before him.
It feels as if a message definitely needs to be sent though, but his delusions about his own genius mean it will undoubtedly fall on deaf ears.
I’ve had a huge amount of patience with him due to the way he appeared out of nowhere and saved us when things looked so bleak, but I just can’t ignore the facts any more. I’ll always be grateful to him for saving us but there is absolutely zero evidence from his 2 years in charge that he can lead us forward.
I am one of those who was prepared to give TS the benefit of the doubt, but the last fortnight or so has seen the scales fall from my eyes, as it were.
I honestly think that the best move of the transfer window was bringing in Garner, who has finally instilled a footballing philosophy at the club - and TS deserves credit for that. He also deserves credit for bringing in some of the players that appeared this summer who are, I think, on the whole, good acquisitions.
However, Garner has not been given the tools to do the job, which is a great shame as the addition of only 3 or so players could have been the difference between us actually having a chance of getting out of this shit division and being condemned to start next season more or less where we are in footballing terms. There certainly was a sense of deja-vu today watching our striker and playmaker being utterly ineffective...just like for large swathes of last season, which was nothing short of painful to watch for the most part.
So BG has no other choice but to play a square peg (Stockley) in a round hole - not that it is the player's fault, he just isn't suited to this system and trying to force him into it is having predictably dire results. If we had a more mobile forward and adequate defensive cover then we might have had a fighting chance. The consequences of this position will also have a negative impact upon our developing youth players who are now being thrown into the lion's den when they needed a more intelligent, patient approach to prevent their progress and confidence being possibly irreversibly damaged.
Off the field, the club is now stripped to the bare bones and the sacking of Olly Groome was one of the significant factors that caused me to reassess the direction in which our beloved club is likely heading. TS appears to be living in a fantasy land, where crowds will flock to see average 3rd division football at above average prices during an economic downturn, all whilst he attempts to 'balance the books' when it is clear to anyone with any perception whatsoever that that is equivalent to throwing in the towel as far as any ambition to move the club up the leagues is concerned.
Garner, I think, is a good manager and could be very successful, but it sadly appears unlikely that it will be with us. I, frankly, would not blame him if he took the earliest opportunity to go to a club where the owner will have enough faith in him to back him properly and not expect him to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear and effectively tread water. I think that he is rightly too ambitious for that, and who can blame him?
Like many, I sense that TS now has buyer's remorse. His optimistic, self-confident approach has not worked and he has had to learn a harsh lesson about the realities of English league football. However, I am not confident that he has learned from his mistakes. Questions surely arise as to whether he is looking to get shot, but further questions then arise as to who would be willing to take a loss making club that does not own its stadium or training ground and is, like a lingering curse, still in hock to a malicious, deluded geriatric whom can, for his own amusement, chuck a spanner into any process that may seek to finally stabilise and secure the club's future under new ownership.
I hope that I am still around to see a change in our fortunes at some point, but it appears that we have just seen another false dawn and that it may require yet another fundamental change in our ownership to finally see us moving upwards, because at the moment we are treading water at best.
It's good to have faith and be optimistic, but it's pretty bloody difficult sometimes!
Came to this thread to post something like this, but you encapsulated my thoughts perfectly. Excellent post.
I think that TS is in over his head and cannot achieve the things he wants to achieve without putting a lot more money in. The naivety is becoming more and more apparent, and the one step forward, two steps back is something we are all growing weary of. I think a loss against Exeter will lead to chants against him. I think he has been angling to sell and I want to see us to have ownership that will invest like the other "big" clubs have in this league.
BG deserves to be backed properly, and I fear that lack of backing in either of the next two windows could see him move on to bigger and better things.
I am one of those who was prepared to give TS the benefit of the doubt, but the last fortnight or so has seen the scales fall from my eyes, as it were.
I honestly think that the best move of the transfer window was bringing in Garner, who has finally instilled a footballing philosophy at the club - and TS deserves credit for that. He also deserves credit for bringing in some of the players that appeared this summer who are, I think, on the whole, good acquisitions.
However, Garner has not been given the tools to do the job, which is a great shame as the addition of only 3 or so players could have been the difference between us actually having a chance of getting out of this shit division and being condemned to start next season more or less where we are in footballing terms. There certainly was a sense of deja-vu today watching our striker and playmaker being utterly ineffective...just like for large swathes of last season, which was nothing short of painful to watch for the most part.
So BG has no other choice but to play a square peg (Stockley) in a round hole - not that it is the player's fault, he just isn't suited to this system and trying to force him into it is having predictably dire results. If we had a more mobile forward and adequate defensive cover then we might have had a fighting chance. The consequences of this position will also have a negative impact upon our developing youth players who are now being thrown into the lion's den when they needed a more intelligent, patient approach to prevent their progress and confidence being possibly irreversibly damaged.
Off the field, the club is now stripped to the bare bones and the sacking of Olly Groome was one of the significant factors that caused me to reassess the direction in which our beloved club is likely heading. TS appears to be living in a fantasy land, where crowds will flock to see average 3rd division football at above average prices during an economic downturn, all whilst he attempts to 'balance the books' when it is clear to anyone with any perception whatsoever that that is equivalent to throwing in the towel as far as any ambition to move the club up the leagues is concerned.
Garner, I think, is a good manager and could be very successful, but it sadly appears unlikely that it will be with us. I, frankly, would not blame him if he took the earliest opportunity to go to a club where the owner will have enough faith in him to back him properly and not expect him to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear and effectively tread water. I think that he is rightly too ambitious for that, and who can blame him?
Like many, I sense that TS now has buyer's remorse. His optimistic, self-confident approach has not worked and he has had to learn a harsh lesson about the realities of English league football. However, I am not confident that he has learned from his mistakes. Questions surely arise as to whether he is looking to get shot, but further questions then arise as to who would be willing to take a loss making club that does not own its stadium or training ground and is, like a lingering curse, still in hock to a malicious, deluded geriatric whom can, for his own amusement, chuck a spanner into any process that may seek to finally stabilise and secure the club's future under new ownership.
I hope that I am still around to see a change in our fortunes at some point, but it appears that we have just seen another false dawn and that it may require yet another fundamental change in our ownership to finally see us moving upwards, because at the moment we are treading water at best.
It's good to have faith and be optimistic, but it's pretty bloody difficult sometimes!
Came to this thread to post something like this, but you encapsulated my thoughts perfectly. Excellent post.
I think that TS is in over his head and cannot achieve the things he wants to achieve without putting a lot more money in. The naivety is becoming more and more apparent, and the one step forward, two steps back is something we are all growing weary of. I think a loss against Exeter will lead to chants against him. I think he has been angling to sell and I want to see us to have ownership that will invest like the other "big" clubs have in this league.
BG deserves to be backed properly, and I fear that lack of backing in either of the next two windows could see him move on to bigger and better things.
I think the big problem here is that a decent owner will not pander to Duchatelets ridiculous T&C's.
I don't want him out, I just want him to do better. People with a better understanding of the football environment he's operating in, and the nature of both the fanbase and the wider catchment area could still help him do that. Sadly I fear the defensiveness that was on show when he reacted to fans at the last CAST Q&A, when they questioned his claims about the historic financial losses for the club, is likely to get in the way of that.
Comments
"We need to keep players fit.."
Good luck with that mate given 2 of our key players in Inniss and Aneke make Darren Anderton look like a 50 game a seasoner.
Only at Charlton can we go in 2 seasons from bullshit bluster about Europe, premier league, blowing the league to binning off half the back office, pinching pennies whilst raising ticket prices to silly levels and holding out that improving on 13th in League One is some kind of achievement to build on.
Clown show and Garner will be a miracle worker if he somehow manages to get this severely underresourced squad into the top 6.
Hugely behind him and the players but feel they have been let down but the senior management who appear increasingly clueless as each month rolls over.
Ain't that the truth !
I didn't suggest protesting due to feeling bored. I'm saying protesting might be a plausible idea if things are still rather crappy within the not too distant future.
The repetitive nature of the clubs negative status is starting to make things sound less and less worthwhile
People have withdrawn/given up.
I haven't been to a game for nearly 3 years and I personally don't miss going.
I don't know where this club is heading and I don't know why all the off field problems will likely remain the key talking point of discussion. It all doesn't help.
Now, a protest might help to awaken TS and it MIGHT be a significant forceful push in the right direction.
He would not want that kind of thing on his shoulders!
I am one of those who was prepared to give TS the benefit of the doubt, but the last fortnight or so has seen the scales fall from my eyes, as it were.
I honestly think that the best move of the transfer window was bringing in Garner, who has finally instilled a footballing philosophy at the club - and TS deserves credit for that. He also deserves credit for bringing in some of the players that appeared this summer who are, I think, on the whole, good acquisitions.
However, Garner has not been given the tools to do the job, which is a great shame as the addition of only 3 or so players could have been the difference between us actually having a chance of getting out of this shit division and being condemned to start next season more or less where we are in footballing terms. There certainly was a sense of deja-vu today watching our striker and playmaker being utterly ineffective...just like for large swathes of last season, which was nothing short of painful to watch for the most part.
So BG has no other choice but to play a square peg (Stockley) in a round hole - not that it is the player's fault, he just isn't suited to this system and trying to force him into it is having predictably dire results. If we had a more mobile forward and adequate defensive cover then we might have had a fighting chance. The consequences of this position will also have a negative impact upon our developing youth players who are now being thrown into the lion's den when they needed a more intelligent, patient approach to prevent their progress and confidence being possibly irreversibly damaged.
Off the field, the club is now stripped to the bare bones and the sacking of Olly Groome was one of the significant factors that caused me to reassess the direction in which our beloved club is likely heading. TS appears to be living in a fantasy land, where crowds will flock to see average 3rd division football at above average prices during an economic downturn, all whilst he attempts to 'balance the books' when it is clear to anyone with any perception whatsoever that that is equivalent to throwing in the towel as far as any ambition to move the club up the leagues is concerned.
Garner, I think, is a good manager and could be very successful, but it sadly appears unlikely that it will be with us. I, frankly, would not blame him if he took the earliest opportunity to go to a club where the owner will have enough faith in him to back him properly and not expect him to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear and effectively tread water. I think that he is rightly too ambitious for that, and who can blame him?
Like many, I sense that TS now has buyer's remorse. His optimistic, self-confident approach has not worked and he has had to learn a harsh lesson about the realities of English league football. However, I am not confident that he has learned from his mistakes. Questions surely arise as to whether he is looking to get shot, but further questions then arise as to who would be willing to take a loss making club that does not own its stadium or training ground and is, like a lingering curse, still in hock to a malicious, deluded geriatric whom can, for his own amusement, chuck a spanner into any process that may seek to finally stabilise and secure the club's future under new ownership.
I hope that I am still around to see a change in our fortunes at some point, but it appears that we have just seen another false dawn and that it may require yet another fundamental change in our ownership to finally see us moving upwards, because at the moment we are treading water at best.
It's good to have faith and be optimistic, but it's pretty bloody difficult sometimes!
" Thomas Sandgaard, you ain't got a clue", might seem appropriate.
I'd rather he bring in a 'getting out of league one' philosophy.
No
Read between the lines.
I'm suggesting Thomas Sandguard might need a significant alerting wake up call from fans, to help minimise any likely further mistakes he is likely to make.
Unjustified? Yes.
Beneficial for the club in the long run? Significant Possibility imo.
I can't attend Charlton at the moment due to working commitments. It's something I can't change.
If I had the time available, I'm sure I would have at least attended a number of home games and had some more direct involvement.
Doesn't sound like I'm missing out on much though.
I'm not suggesting fans protest against TS because dave who doesn't attend games, from charlton life, "feels bored"
I'd just like to clarify that. Even if it should already be obvious.
Time travel!
When do we want it?
Three years ago!
It may not have been seen as a mistake to try and nudge Roland towards the door at the time, starving him of money and increasing his losses, but he wants that back, all of it. He would have sold anyway, one look at the Profit and Loss account trend enough to have forced his hand without our intervention, but we had just cause to act. Not being a football fan, it was clear he was in it to prove he could make a successful business out of it and he failed. As for selling to ESI, which I believe he did out of sheer greed, a situation that could have proved disastrous for us and him was salvaged by Thomas.
Our new owner might have expected a surge in optimism reflected in attendances when he first arrived, but the covid pandemic largely put paid to that and, although we finished the 20/21 season well, optimism was certainly on the wane after the start of the 21/22 season when the team never looked like challenging. Unsurprisingly attendances remained generally low despite desperate measures being implemented to increase them. Now we're seeing a cost cutting focused approach being taken, as evidenced by the ruthless staffing cuts seen of late.
I worry that history might be repeating itself in that many now want Thomas to go. Faced with considerable losses, he must now be questioning his decision to buy the Club as he's seen no evidence that the things he was intent on achieving at the outset are realistic. He's been stymied in his attempts to achieve some of his objectives and he can only hope that the team gather momentum to sustain a promotion push.
If we don't achieve it within the next two years, I believe we might see what his exit strategy looks like. Some might say we're seeing that already, but with an intransigent Roland needing to be paid off to get back the Valley and Sparrows Lane, the 'to do' list for any prospective future owner grows ever longer.
How many times do we hear people say "be careful what you wish for," but they're invariably proved right as far as we are concerned given out track record in owners, so perhaps we shouldn't rail against our current one, although there's no harm in constructive criticism.
If he isn't going to change his approach, we need someone to make him, AND Roland, an offer in the Club's best interests. Protests won't force that and, unlike in the past, would not have the widespread support of the fan base or the general public.
Look at Wigan. At the time we were courting the chancer we've now got running the place, they were going down the tubes.
Look at them now!
It feels as if a message definitely needs to be sent though, but his delusions about his own genius mean it will undoubtedly fall on deaf ears.
I’ve had a huge amount of patience with him due to the way he appeared out of nowhere and saved us when things looked so bleak, but I just can’t ignore the facts any more. I’ll always be grateful to him for saving us but there is absolutely zero evidence from his 2 years in charge that he can lead us forward.
I think that TS is in over his head and cannot achieve the things he wants to achieve without putting a lot more money in. The naivety is becoming more and more apparent, and the one step forward, two steps back is something we are all growing weary of. I think a loss against Exeter will lead to chants against him. I think he has been angling to sell and I want to see us to have ownership that will invest like the other "big" clubs have in this league.
BG deserves to be backed properly, and I fear that lack of backing in either of the next two windows could see him move on to bigger and better things.