We’re doomed as a club if we start thinking that anything less in the third tier is ‘decent’.
Not picking on anyone in particular but surely the basis of creating a successful path forward is first accepting where you’re starting from?
We’ve been well below the required level for a few years now - the sooner people can accept that we deserve to be the position we’re in, the quicker the club can begin building something that will last longer than one season in the Championship.
We’re doomed as a club if we start thinking that anything less in the third tier is ‘decent’.
Not picking on anyone in particular but surely the basis of creating a successful path forward is first accepting where you’re starting from?
We’ve been well below the required level for a few years now - the sooner people can accept that we deserve to be the position we’re in, the quicker the club can begin building something that will last longer than one season in the Championship.
Deserving to be be where we are and accepting that, are two different things imo.
We deserve to be where we are due to a number of bad owners, poor players and poor management but no way am I accepting that we are a mid table League 1 team. If more fans ‘accepted’ us as a mid table team you’d see crowds of 4/5000 every week.
Tbh I’m grateful the people leading us currently don’t have your mindset.
We’re doomed as a club if we start thinking that anything less in the third tier is ‘decent’.
Not picking on anyone in particular but surely the basis of creating a successful path forward is first accepting where you’re starting from?
We’ve been well below the required level for a few years now - the sooner people can accept that we deserve to be the position we’re in, the quicker the club can begin building something that will last longer than one season in the Championship.
Deserving to be be where we are and accepting that, are two different things imo.
We deserve to be where we are due to a number of bad owners, poor players and poor management but no way am I accepting that we are a mid table League 1 team. If more fans ‘accepted’ us as a mid table team you’d see crowds of 4/5000 every week.
Tbh I’m grateful the people leading us currently don’t have your mindset.
That’s not what I mean at all.
I suspect the people in charge have a mindset closer to mine (we’re starting from a very poor position & progress is good, even if we just fall short of the ultimate aim for this one season) rather than to say it’s promotion or bust this year.
In fact, I’d be very concerned if they had the latter mindset. That’s the Sandgaard way. We might be sold on again in 12 months if that’s their view on things.
Top 6 and challenging all season. Top 2 may be a push but who knows what will happen during the season. We have the January window which could give us some impetus for the final 3 or 4 months.
Challenging the top six, finishing in the top six and ultimately promotion, however a really good solid season with obvious improvement and I could live with that, but we all want promotion.
We’re doomed as a club if we start thinking that anything less in the third tier is ‘decent’.
Not picking on anyone in particular but surely the basis of creating a successful path forward is first accepting where you’re starting from?
We’ve been well below the required level for a few years now - the sooner people can accept that we deserve to be the position we’re in, the quicker the club can begin building something that will last longer than one season in the Championship.
Deserving to be be where we are and accepting that, are two different things imo.
We deserve to be where we are due to a number of bad owners, poor players and poor management but no way am I accepting that we are a mid table League 1 team. If more fans ‘accepted’ us as a mid table team you’d see crowds of 4/5000 every week.
Tbh I’m grateful the people leading us currently don’t have your mindset.
That’s not what I mean at all.
I suspect the people in charge have a mindset closer to mine (we’re starting from a very poor position & progress is good, even if we just fall short of the ultimate aim for this one season) rather than to say it’s promotion or bust this year.
In fact, I’d be very concerned if they had the latter mindset. That’s the Sandgaard way. We might be sold on again in 12 months if that’s their view on things.
I doubt those in charge pumping in £'ms a year feel simple progress is good. I suspect they feel promotion is vital. They are hedge fund managers and the like. Their view will be entirely driven by IRR's and financial returns, almost certainly having been sold outsized potential. I very much doubt they will be happy/settle for an improvement from saying 18th to 6th with a failed play off race for example. If we don't get promotion they may hang around another year but their ownership will definitely be finite without promotion imo. They have displayed no behaviour to suggest this is an emotion driven acquisition.
Minimum is to challenge for the play offs, that would at least be progress from the disasters of recent seasons, and even if we missed out it would be something to build off for a go at the top 2 the year after.
Think going from 16th to top 6 isn’t the easiest thing to do so would be a very good season. Oxford managed it last season so it’s definitely possible and should be our aim
I don’t think anything other than top 6 would be successful with the budget that’s been given on the managerial team and players
As things stand today I think that would be tight but moving on Fraser Ness and AMB and replacing those positions with genuine quality then I will be more positive
As usual I think some key positions might go to the wire but as long as they get their targets I’m prepared to be patient
We’re doomed as a club if we start thinking that anything less in the third tier is ‘decent’.
Not picking on anyone in particular but surely the basis of creating a successful path forward is first accepting where you’re starting from?
We’ve been well below the required level for a few years now - the sooner people can accept that we deserve to be the position we’re in, the quicker the club can begin building something that will last longer than one season in the Championship.
Deserving to be be where we are and accepting that, are two different things imo.
We deserve to be where we are due to a number of bad owners, poor players and poor management but no way am I accepting that we are a mid table League 1 team. If more fans ‘accepted’ us as a mid table team you’d see crowds of 4/5000 every week.
Tbh I’m grateful the people leading us currently don’t have your mindset.
That’s not what I mean at all.
I suspect the people in charge have a mindset closer to mine (we’re starting from a very poor position & progress is good, even if we just fall short of the ultimate aim for this one season) rather than to say it’s promotion or bust this year.
In fact, I’d be very concerned if they had the latter mindset. That’s the Sandgaard way. We might be sold on again in 12 months if that’s their view on things.
I doubt those in charge pumping in £'ms a year feel simple progress is good. I suspect they feel promotion is vital. They are hedge fund managers and the like. Their view will be entirely driven by IRR's and financial returns, almost certainly having been sold outsized potential. I very much doubt they will be happy/settle for an improvement from saying 18th to 6th with a failed play off race for example. If we don't get promotion they may hang around another year but their ownership will definitely be finite without promotion imo. They have displayed no behaviour to suggest this is an emotion driven acquisition.
Surely it’s the opposite?
If they’re a rational ownership who understand that sometimes sport isn’t fair and you don’t always win at the first attempt, they wouldn’t throw in the towel. They continue building and go again. Part of the plan should surely include contingencies for these possibilities.
If it’s a purchase driven by emotion then they’re far likelier to throw their toys about if and/or when we don’t get promoted.
I think it will take longer than one season to put together a team that could comfortably get into the top 6. Top 10 minimum and anything else a big bonus.
Top half minimum, but I don’t think fans or owners can sustain continued mediocre performances so really we should be in the mix for play offs - but we just don’t seem to be able to go through a season without some calamity be it injury or letting players go who shouldn’t be
We’re doomed as a club if we start thinking that anything less in the third tier is ‘decent’.
Not picking on anyone in particular but surely the basis of creating a successful path forward is first accepting where you’re starting from?
We’ve been well below the required level for a few years now - the sooner people can accept that we deserve to be the position we’re in, the quicker the club can begin building something that will last longer than one season in the Championship.
Deserving to be be where we are and accepting that, are two different things imo.
We deserve to be where we are due to a number of bad owners, poor players and poor management but no way am I accepting that we are a mid table League 1 team. If more fans ‘accepted’ us as a mid table team you’d see crowds of 4/5000 every week.
Tbh I’m grateful the people leading us currently don’t have your mindset.
That’s not what I mean at all.
I suspect the people in charge have a mindset closer to mine (we’re starting from a very poor position & progress is good, even if we just fall short of the ultimate aim for this one season) rather than to say it’s promotion or bust this year.
In fact, I’d be very concerned if they had the latter mindset. That’s the Sandgaard way. We might be sold on again in 12 months if that’s their view on things.
I doubt those in charge pumping in £'ms a year feel simple progress is good. I suspect they feel promotion is vital. They are hedge fund managers and the like. Their view will be entirely driven by IRR's and financial returns, almost certainly having been sold outsized potential. I very much doubt they will be happy/settle for an improvement from saying 18th to 6th with a failed play off race for example. If we don't get promotion they may hang around another year but their ownership will definitely be finite without promotion imo. They have displayed no behaviour to suggest this is an emotion driven acquisition.
Surely it’s the opposite?
If they’re a rational ownership who understand that sometimes sport isn’t fair and you don’t always win at the first attempt, they wouldn’t throw in the towel. They continue building and go again. Part of the plan should surely include contingencies for these possibilities.
If it’s a purchase driven by emotion then they’re far likelier to throw their toys about if and/or when we don’t get promoted.
That was the excuse last season no? Hence the change in approach once the season was already wasted.
If the directors go 0/2 then surely questions should begin about whether the owners should be replacing them.
A team that gets the crowd on side and dominates the majority of home games.
Me and the Mrs were talking about how significant the Olympics home advantage can be the other day. And she commented on how toxic the crowd is at Charlton whenever she's been in the last couple of seasons. We absolutely must get off to a strong start, get the crowd on side and the results will come from there.
Regardless of promotion or not, what must happen is that the fan base come out of this season feeling positive and the club looking like it's going in the right direction.
We’re doomed as a club if we start thinking that anything less in the third tier is ‘decent’.
Not picking on anyone in particular but surely the basis of creating a successful path forward is first accepting where you’re starting from?
We’ve been well below the required level for a few years now - the sooner people can accept that we deserve to be the position we’re in, the quicker the club can begin building something that will last longer than one season in the Championship.
Deserving to be be where we are and accepting that, are two different things imo.
We deserve to be where we are due to a number of bad owners, poor players and poor management but no way am I accepting that we are a mid table League 1 team. If more fans ‘accepted’ us as a mid table team you’d see crowds of 4/5000 every week.
Tbh I’m grateful the people leading us currently don’t have your mindset.
That’s not what I mean at all.
I suspect the people in charge have a mindset closer to mine (we’re starting from a very poor position & progress is good, even if we just fall short of the ultimate aim for this one season) rather than to say it’s promotion or bust this year.
In fact, I’d be very concerned if they had the latter mindset. That’s the Sandgaard way. We might be sold on again in 12 months if that’s their view on things.
I doubt those in charge pumping in £'ms a year feel simple progress is good. I suspect they feel promotion is vital. They are hedge fund managers and the like. Their view will be entirely driven by IRR's and financial returns, almost certainly having been sold outsized potential. I very much doubt they will be happy/settle for an improvement from saying 18th to 6th with a failed play off race for example. If we don't get promotion they may hang around another year but their ownership will definitely be finite without promotion imo. They have displayed no behaviour to suggest this is an emotion driven acquisition.
Surely it’s the opposite?
If they’re a rational ownership who understand that sometimes sport isn’t fair and you don’t always win at the first attempt, they wouldn’t throw in the towel. They continue building and go again. Part of the plan should surely include contingencies for these possibilities.
If it’s a purchase driven by emotion then they’re far likelier to throw their toys about if and/or when we don’t get promoted.
That was the excuse last season no? Hence the change in approach once the season was already wasted.
If the directors go 0/2 then surely questions should begin about whether the owners should be replacing them.
We’re doomed as a club if we start thinking that anything less in the third tier is ‘decent’.
Not picking on anyone in particular but surely the basis of creating a successful path forward is first accepting where you’re starting from?
We’ve been well below the required level for a few years now - the sooner people can accept that we deserve to be the position we’re in, the quicker the club can begin building something that will last longer than one season in the Championship.
Deserving to be be where we are and accepting that, are two different things imo.
We deserve to be where we are due to a number of bad owners, poor players and poor management but no way am I accepting that we are a mid table League 1 team. If more fans ‘accepted’ us as a mid table team you’d see crowds of 4/5000 every week.
Tbh I’m grateful the people leading us currently don’t have your mindset.
That’s not what I mean at all.
I suspect the people in charge have a mindset closer to mine (we’re starting from a very poor position & progress is good, even if we just fall short of the ultimate aim for this one season) rather than to say it’s promotion or bust this year.
In fact, I’d be very concerned if they had the latter mindset. That’s the Sandgaard way. We might be sold on again in 12 months if that’s their view on things.
I doubt those in charge pumping in £'ms a year feel simple progress is good. I suspect they feel promotion is vital. They are hedge fund managers and the like. Their view will be entirely driven by IRR's and financial returns, almost certainly having been sold outsized potential. I very much doubt they will be happy/settle for an improvement from saying 18th to 6th with a failed play off race for example. If we don't get promotion they may hang around another year but their ownership will definitely be finite without promotion imo. They have displayed no behaviour to suggest this is an emotion driven acquisition.
Surely it’s the opposite?
If they’re a rational ownership who understand that sometimes sport isn’t fair and you don’t always win at the first attempt, they wouldn’t throw in the towel. They continue building and go again. Part of the plan should surely include contingencies for these possibilities.
If it’s a purchase driven by emotion then they’re far likelier to throw their toys about if and/or when we don’t get promoted.
That was the excuse last season no? Hence the change in approach once the season was already wasted.
If the directors go 0/2 then surely questions should begin about whether the owners should be replacing them.
What do you mean by excuse? I’m not trying to excuse anyone. I don’t necessarily disagree and I expect some people in the management team will be feeling the heat.
But I was referring to the owners (hopefully) being rational and in it for the long term, not the directors, so I’m not sure why it’s relevant to the point I was making. I have no loyalties to Charlie Methven and co.
If we’re not promoted this season and the owners believe the club would be better off with new directors at that point, I’d hope they’d take the action they felt was necessary. If they’d rather sell up after a couple of seasons of not getting promoted then they weren’t the right owners in the first place.
We’re doomed as a club if we start thinking that anything less in the third tier is ‘decent’.
Not picking on anyone in particular but surely the basis of creating a successful path forward is first accepting where you’re starting from?
We’ve been well below the required level for a few years now - the sooner people can accept that we deserve to be the position we’re in, the quicker the club can begin building something that will last longer than one season in the Championship.
Deserving to be be where we are and accepting that, are two different things imo.
We deserve to be where we are due to a number of bad owners, poor players and poor management but no way am I accepting that we are a mid table League 1 team. If more fans ‘accepted’ us as a mid table team you’d see crowds of 4/5000 every week.
Tbh I’m grateful the people leading us currently don’t have your mindset.
That’s not what I mean at all.
I suspect the people in charge have a mindset closer to mine (we’re starting from a very poor position & progress is good, even if we just fall short of the ultimate aim for this one season) rather than to say it’s promotion or bust this year.
In fact, I’d be very concerned if they had the latter mindset. That’s the Sandgaard way. We might be sold on again in 12 months if that’s their view on things.
I doubt those in charge pumping in £'ms a year feel simple progress is good. I suspect they feel promotion is vital. They are hedge fund managers and the like. Their view will be entirely driven by IRR's and financial returns, almost certainly having been sold outsized potential. I very much doubt they will be happy/settle for an improvement from saying 18th to 6th with a failed play off race for example. If we don't get promotion they may hang around another year but their ownership will definitely be finite without promotion imo. They have displayed no behaviour to suggest this is an emotion driven acquisition.
Surely it’s the opposite?
If they’re a rational ownership who understand that sometimes sport isn’t fair and you don’t always win at the first attempt, they wouldn’t throw in the towel. They continue building and go again. Part of the plan should surely include contingencies for these possibilities.
If it’s a purchase driven by emotion then they’re far likelier to throw their toys about if and/or when we don’t get promoted.
That was the excuse last season no? Hence the change in approach once the season was already wasted.
If the directors go 0/2 then surely questions should begin about whether the owners should be replacing them.
What do you mean by excuse? I’m not trying to excuse anyone. I don’t necessarily disagree and I expect some people in the management team will be feeling the heat.
But I was referring to the owners (hopefully) being rational and in it for the long term, not the directors, so I’m not sure why it’s relevant to the point I was making. I have no loyalties to Charlie Methven and co.
If we’re not promoted this season and the owners believe the club would be better off with new directors at that point, I’d hope they’d take the action they felt was necessary. If they’d rather sell up after a couple of seasons of not getting promoted then they weren’t the right owners in the first place.
I didn't say you were. The short term aim was always promotion to the Championship with the long term aim to have stability in that division.
The directors last season have used up their 'season of transition' excuse with the ownership and now is the season fully under their control with their chosen (well, 3rd chosen) manager and a decent budget behind them (definitely top 6).
If we 'fail' again and end up 10th or something, yes it's an improvement on last season but it's right back where we were under Sandgaard. So the directors would've taken 2 seasons to basically tread water with millions of pounds spent.
I can imagine the ownership now want to see forward motion, playoffs at minimum.
I responded because of the 'throwing in the towel' line. I took it as ploughing forward regardless with the same people in charge, but it seems we agree that the ownership seems positive. But the directors/advisers are certainly in the spotlight this season.
We’re doomed as a club if we start thinking that anything less in the third tier is ‘decent’.
Not picking on anyone in particular but surely the basis of creating a successful path forward is first accepting where you’re starting from?
We’ve been well below the required level for a few years now - the sooner people can accept that we deserve to be the position we’re in, the quicker the club can begin building something that will last longer than one season in the Championship.
No, afraid not. If the board have already said it was a failed season, and that promotion is the goal, then anything less, is total, utter, failure. Here's where we are starting from, 0 points, with 46 games to play, just like every other team in this league, with the exact same amount of preparation time, and the same rules and restrictions on who we can and can't sign.
Just think you're waffling a bit here tbh in the second paragraph. Myself, or anyone else saying this season should be a promotion campaign, doesn't impact the outcome on anything. I have accepted we are a completely pants football team, that makes literally 0 difference on whether Charltons season is successful or not. My pessimism, or anyone else's, has absolutely sod all to do with how the owners of this club decide to build Charlton.
Of course we deserve to be here, as that's how the football leagues work, but that's not a reason to be content here. I'll still go to the games, and so will any Charlton fan, however, the longer this club fails, the more our fan base will dwindle, and we will not be able to generate interest.
It's a shit league, they need to get us out of it. If they can't, I truly don't care what else they do at the club.
We’re doomed as a club if we start thinking that anything less in the third tier is ‘decent’.
Not picking on anyone in particular but surely the basis of creating a successful path forward is first accepting where you’re starting from?
We’ve been well below the required level for a few years now - the sooner people can accept that we deserve to be the position we’re in, the quicker the club can begin building something that will last longer than one season in the Championship.
Deserving to be be where we are and accepting that, are two different things imo.
We deserve to be where we are due to a number of bad owners, poor players and poor management but no way am I accepting that we are a mid table League 1 team. If more fans ‘accepted’ us as a mid table team you’d see crowds of 4/5000 every week.
Tbh I’m grateful the people leading us currently don’t have your mindset.
That’s not what I mean at all.
I suspect the people in charge have a mindset closer to mine (we’re starting from a very poor position & progress is good, even if we just fall short of the ultimate aim for this one season) rather than to say it’s promotion or bust this year.
In fact, I’d be very concerned if they had the latter mindset. That’s the Sandgaard way. We might be sold on again in 12 months if that’s their view on things.
I doubt those in charge pumping in £'ms a year feel simple progress is good. I suspect they feel promotion is vital. They are hedge fund managers and the like. Their view will be entirely driven by IRR's and financial returns, almost certainly having been sold outsized potential. I very much doubt they will be happy/settle for an improvement from saying 18th to 6th with a failed play off race for example. If we don't get promotion they may hang around another year but their ownership will definitely be finite without promotion imo. They have displayed no behaviour to suggest this is an emotion driven acquisition.
Surely it’s the opposite?
If they’re a rational ownership who understand that sometimes sport isn’t fair and you don’t always win at the first attempt, they wouldn’t throw in the towel. They continue building and go again. Part of the plan should surely include contingencies for these possibilities.
If it’s a purchase driven by emotion then they’re far likelier to throw their toys about if and/or when we don’t get promoted.
Its not about throwing toys.
The impassionate business view would be to set a total quantum of risk capital you are prepared to burn through on your high risk punt. If that is burnt you don't throw good money after bad, you cut your losses and move on. In gambling parlance "when the fun stops, stop".
I would expect that they were told promotion last season was a straight forwards goal. Suddenly we were terrible and they had to spend even more to steady the ship and go again this season.
I do not see any likely business plan that was put in front of these guys saying it would take 3+ years to get out of L1.
The longer we remain in L1 the more likely their risk capital runs out.
That's not throwing the toys out of the pram, that's not emotional investing, that's cold, hard, hedge fund manager investing.
Rational when it comes to investing in Charlton is certainly not being in it for the long term, in L1. That is purely a way to fritter money away.
Firstly one that has a team playing attacking attractive football. No endless backpasses. Wingers who can deliver a decent cross to a forward player facing the opponents goal. Corners that end in goals....and which are not taken by the top goalscorer.
I'm not expecting promotion or even top 6. At least a shout of being in the mix come Easter would be nice. Rome wasn't built in a day & although great strides were made in late June to rebuild the squad incomings have stopped & at the end of July we are still short of a gk we can say is No1 & are still lacking a midfield that will not only overpower other teams but will create goals too.
All in all I'd settle for a top 8 finish. Play offs would be great but as yet I cant see the team that finished 16th last season, who couldn't keep a clean sheet for love nor money, will suddenly turn into a promotion winning team.....especially when it lost its top goalscorer & midfield dynamo who won POTY 2 out of the last 3 seasons.
Comments
pants after 10 pints and a curry.
We’ve been well below the required level for a few years now - the sooner people can accept that we deserve to be the position we’re in, the quicker the club can begin building something that will last longer than one season in the Championship.
We deserve to be where we are due to a number of bad owners, poor players and poor management but no way am I accepting that we are a mid table League 1 team. If more fans ‘accepted’ us as a mid table team you’d see crowds of 4/5000 every week.
In fact, I’d be very concerned if they had the latter mindset. That’s the Sandgaard way. We might be sold on again in 12 months if that’s their view on things.
I doubt those in charge pumping in £'ms a year feel simple progress is good. I suspect they feel promotion is vital.
They are hedge fund managers and the like. Their view will be entirely driven by IRR's and financial returns, almost certainly having been sold outsized potential.
I very much doubt they will be happy/settle for an improvement from saying 18th to 6th with a failed play off race for example. If we don't get promotion they may hang around another year but their ownership will definitely be finite without promotion imo.
They have displayed no behaviour to suggest this is an emotion driven acquisition.
A decent season would be to finish in the top 6.
But I would like us to do better than that.
As things stand today I think that would be tight but moving on Fraser Ness and AMB and replacing those positions with genuine quality then I will be more positive
As usual I think some key positions might go to the wire but as long as they get their targets I’m prepared to be patient
If they’re a rational ownership who understand that sometimes sport isn’t fair and you don’t always win at the first attempt, they wouldn’t throw in the towel. They continue building and go again. Part of the plan should surely include contingencies for these possibilities.
If it’s a purchase driven by emotion then they’re far likelier to throw their toys about if and/or when we don’t get promoted.
Top 10 minimum and anything else a big bonus.
If the directors go 0/2 then surely questions should begin about whether the owners should be replacing them.
Me and the Mrs were talking about how significant the Olympics home advantage can be the other day. And she commented on how toxic the crowd is at Charlton whenever she's been in the last couple of seasons. We absolutely must get off to a strong start, get the crowd on side and the results will come from there.
Regardless of promotion or not, what must happen is that the fan base come out of this season feeling positive and the club looking like it's going in the right direction.
The directors last season have used up their 'season of transition' excuse with the ownership and now is the season fully under their control with their chosen (well, 3rd chosen) manager and a decent budget behind them (definitely top 6).
If we 'fail' again and end up 10th or something, yes it's an improvement on last season but it's right back where we were under Sandgaard. So the directors would've taken 2 seasons to basically tread water with millions of pounds spent.
I can imagine the ownership now want to see forward motion, playoffs at minimum.
I responded because of the 'throwing in the towel' line. I took it as ploughing forward regardless with the same people in charge, but it seems we agree that the ownership seems positive. But the directors/advisers are certainly in the spotlight this season.
Championship champions this year.
Just think you're waffling a bit here tbh in the second paragraph. Myself, or anyone else saying this season should be a promotion campaign, doesn't impact the outcome on anything. I have accepted we are a completely pants football team, that makes literally 0 difference on whether Charltons season is successful or not. My pessimism, or anyone else's, has absolutely sod all to do with how the owners of this club decide to build Charlton.
Of course we deserve to be here, as that's how the football leagues work, but that's not a reason to be content here. I'll still go to the games, and so will any Charlton fan, however, the longer this club fails, the more our fan base will dwindle, and we will not be able to generate interest.
It's a shit league, they need to get us out of it. If they can't, I truly don't care what else they do at the club.
Its not about throwing toys.
The impassionate business view would be to set a total quantum of risk capital you are prepared to burn through on your high risk punt. If that is burnt you don't throw good money after bad, you cut your losses and move on. In gambling parlance "when the fun stops, stop".
I would expect that they were told promotion last season was a straight forwards goal. Suddenly we were terrible and they had to spend even more to steady the ship and go again this season.
I do not see any likely business plan that was put in front of these guys saying it would take 3+ years to get out of L1.
The longer we remain in L1 the more likely their risk capital runs out.
That's not throwing the toys out of the pram, that's not emotional investing, that's cold, hard, hedge fund manager investing.
Rational when it comes to investing in Charlton is certainly not being in it for the long term, in L1. That is purely a way to fritter money away.
Firstly one that has a team playing attacking attractive football. No endless backpasses. Wingers who can deliver a decent cross to a forward player facing the opponents goal. Corners that end in goals....and which are not taken by the top goalscorer.
I'm not expecting promotion or even top 6. At least a shout of being in the mix come Easter would be nice. Rome wasn't built in a day & although great strides were made in late June to rebuild the squad incomings have stopped & at the end of July we are still short of a gk we can say is No1 & are still lacking a midfield that will not only overpower other teams but will create goals too.
All in all I'd settle for a top 8 finish. Play offs would be great but as yet I cant see the team that finished 16th last season, who couldn't keep a clean sheet for love nor money, will suddenly turn into a promotion winning team.....especially when it lost its top goalscorer & midfield dynamo who won POTY 2 out of the last 3 seasons.