I’m disappointed to see so much negativity to these owners. They have put their hands in their pockets considerably more than most league 1 owners.
The majority of people were pleased with the loan signing of Ladapo until it went pear shaped . Is that the owners fault ? Don’t forget a couple of years ago the club were on the brink with Southall and Co so they have a lot of credit in the bank with me.
To be fair I don’t think there is too much criticism of the owners. They’re remote and placed the project in the hands what they expect to be competent football people. At some point they’ll want and expect to see measurable progress. It’s difficult to see where that is at present. I’d think next season will be the tipping point with targets set and expectations met.
I would humbly suggest that those who cannot see any measurable progress since the new owners took over aren’t really looking, or are judging it solely on short term results.
What measurable progress to you see then @Redrobo ?
I see inputs but not many outcomes.
This time last year we were heading for a relegation fight. We then appointed what I believe to be a very good manager on a four and a half year contract and moved steadily away from that.
A relegation fight that came under the managers appointed by the current SMT
A good year for Jones so far.
Good but not great IMO. AS you usedd the term measurable progress how much has our league position improved?
I think he has taken a big step forward in getting rid of some players and we now have a team that is very “together “, which hasn’t always been the case. I would suggest that this has been obvious for a while now and not just over the Christmas period. Have we now got rid of those disrupting influencers that previous managers have alluded to?
Fine but how is that "measurable progress"? A month ago many were slating the same players and the manager.
Many supporters I know had the feeling that our Club was very broken. Everything seems more professional and progressive now. The outside fans area is not really my thing, but it is getting better and fans seem to be using and enjoying it. Things just seem to be getting done now.
Again, but how is the fanzone "measurable progress? Has it increased income?
Leaburn, and now Ramsey, returning from injury early!!! Unheard of.
Not true. Leaburn return in October jsut as he was proedicted to and Ramsay was said by NJ to have been ready over Xmas.
Our recruitment looks better and done earlier. Only one window so far, but even as fans we are discussing on here the areas for improvement instead of who we want to stay.
I make this the 4th and even 5th window. We have made some good signings but there is a lot that can't be called that, yet at least.
I also feel more confident that are future looks better than it has for years and we will get out of this league very soon. I think this season maybe a little early, but at least we have a chance!
That's great but how you feel isn't "measurable progress"
Complete tangent but… A Campbell is obviously quite a good player who we just haven’t seen that much of yet. He played 43 games in a promotion season in the Championship barely 18 months ago. The arrogance of our fanbase honestly - no wonder Jones says it’s hard to play here
Complete tangent but… A Campbell is obviously quite a good player who we just haven’t seen that much of yet. He played 43 games in a promotion season in the Championship barely 18 months ago. The arrogance of our fanbase honestly - no wonder Jones says it’s hard to play here
Main memory of Clucas is when he was at Stoke and getting abuse from his former club Swansea’s fans, he scored against them and did the full adebayor run to the away end.
Going to have Clucas and Hylton coming off the bench for Jones’ shithousing addicks
Obviously good to see Ramsay back. Interestingly T Watson and Asiimwe both there too so moves not imminent for either and suggests we have both first team RWB options available soon + Small so wouldn't expect to see incoming there
Complete tangent but… A Campbell is obviously quite a good player who we just haven’t seen that much of yet. He played 43 games in a promotion season in the Championship barely 18 months ago. The arrogance of our fanbase honestly - no wonder Jones says it’s hard to play here
He did have that good season at Luton, but his loan at Millwall didn’t work out, and despite dropping down a level he’s not managed to keep his place in our team.
Not sure how that’s arrogance from our fanbase, if he plays well he’ll keep his place and opinions will change. The opinion of NJ is the one that matters, and currently he’s only good enough to make our bench.
I’m disappointed to see so much negativity to these owners. They have put their hands in their pockets considerably more than most league 1 owners.
The majority of people were pleased with the loan signing of Ladapo until it went pear shaped . Is that the owners fault ? Don’t forget a couple of years ago the club were on the brink with Southall and Co so they have a lot of credit in the bank with me.
To be fair I don’t think there is too much criticism of the owners. They’re remote and placed the project in the hands what they expect to be competent football people. At some point they’ll want and expect to see measurable progress. It’s difficult to see where that is at present. I’d think next season will be the tipping point with targets set and expectations met.
I would humbly suggest that those who cannot see any measurable progress since the new owners took over aren’t really looking, or are judging it solely on short term results.
What measurable progress to you see then @Redrobo ?
I see inputs but not many outcomes.
Well here’s one. The treatment room. It’s empty. I can’t remember the last time that was the case, certainly not in mid-season. And I think, going on the last game, fitness levels are good too.
Methven highlighted this as a key area in the Dossier interview (albeit for reasons best known to himself, asking for that section to be off-record). Then after a rather long wait, we got Will Abbott.
Surely you would agree that that is an outcome, and a significant one at that?
I'd also argue that there's not an area of the pitch we are missing players completely. Sure we've had to play makeshift RWB a couple of times, but having 2 long term injuries in the same position whilst you've loaned out the 3rd choice youngster is nothing more than rotten luck, and even then REG and Small have performed adequately there. I'm sure we'd all like another creative midfielder and a better keeper, but that's upgrades instead of gaping holes in the squad.
On the investing, don't you lose much more in the Championship than League One so is its very much a double edged Valiant sword. It would seem that a slower approach is cheaper in the long run and its such a big project, getting the youngsters up to speed, selling a few etc This needs to happen first before we start dreaming elsewhere. Frustrating as a fan but its a long game with sadly patience needed. I think 2025 should see a better team performance now with better managers and coaches so lets get moving on up. It will be interesting to compare team performance calender 2024 against 2025 when we get to the end of the year
That is true, but if you are looking to sell the club at a profit you need to be in the Championship with the chance of being promoted to the promised land of the Premier League. It would be extremely difficult to fund a third tier club for a few years and then sell it for a profit. Two steps from the Premier League will be too risky for most investors.
Problem will be how many fools are out there who will spend a lot of money buying a football club if it doesn't include The Valley & SL ? This current lot will never get their money back.
I think if they sell Jones and Leaburn (not sure if this is true or just rumours from here) a lot if not the majority of fans will lose a lot of faith in the ownership.
Them two are exactly the sort of characters you need to build a squad around, throw 2/3 more quality players in that squad then you've got a team which will challenge the top, lose them and we are back to square one if not worse.
We are on the right direction, if we keep them.
If they get silly offer every player as his price even at the top level but we don’t need to sell and unless the player and his agent start pissing about both will be at Charlton come February
If we want promotion then we need to start building a squad that’s stronger after each window. Personally I think even with good recruitment and retention that’s probably three windows including this one. We have a nucleus of around five players that we should be building around. Losing two or three of these types of key players every window makes the squad building harder and longer. It’s frankly bollocks to think we can be smarter in recruiting players than other clubs. We really can’t. It’s going to take serious investment to recruit and retain and no small amount of luck also. I can see that someone like Miles is slightly different. We might be in a position to get perhaps north of three million for him and that money can really make a dent in squad building. It’s sensible footballing business for the club and Miles. The others are different because replacing them is going to cost unless we’re very lucky as much as the fee received and even then a gamble. I don’t see very much of the above in our strategy at present and unless there’s a change or phenomenal luck we’re going to be stuck in this poxy league for the foreseeable.
Trouble is you have been saying it will take 3 transfer windows for about 5 years!
In L1 it is bordering the impossible to hold on to any exceptional youth/young talent for any length of time (Beadle, Sarmiento, Ramazzani, probably Leaburn etc), and we don't seem to want to pay top L1 wages to retain our best talent (Dobson, likely L Jones and Small).
Meanwhile, each year that clicks by is as further £9M loss flushed down the toilet by our owners and a year closer to our lease ending.
If we take 3 more windows that writes this season off and next. So let's say we got up in May '27... Our owners would be down £48M by then, still not own The Valley and have just made the Championship. They better hope that they sell Leaburn and Dixon for an absolute shit tonne of money!
Taking three windows to build a promotion squad seems pretty reasonable to me, but it assumes that each window you come out stronger than you go into it. I stand by it. I’ve actually probably been saying it longer than the five years you suggest. The problem in Charltons case is that I don’t think we’ve had very many good windows for perhaps five years and then certainly not three consecutively. IMHO unless you strike lucky with manager and a group of players coming together at one time then the best way to achieve success is to build. I think it’s highly unlikely that we’ll see what you would like and that’s a massive spend up. In my view a two year plan from where we currently are seems the way to go. The fly in the ointment being that those holding the reigns (not owners) don’t seem to be very good at it.
The problem is with the 3 windows, is as you say, stronger than you started. Imo, it is genuinely impossible to build a team in 3 windows in league1. Unless you are building to remain mid-table/fight relegation.
If we are talking 2 January's and one summer, you could do it, or 2 summers and 1 Jan. If you have set a target of 3 summer windows, you're just asking for your players to be poached.
Look at Wycombe now, starting to look like a decent team out of nowhere, all their good players have transfer interest. Lincoln last season got raided, Peterborough usually get raided.
It has to be 2 seasons tops, then a reshuffle.
We had our two season last window just last year when we had the best striker, winger (imo) and defensive mid (imo) all at the same time and lost them all. We have had to start over again, and now some of our key players have transfer interest again. If they go, we are back to where we were at the start of 23/24.
It has to be done in a short period, you genuinely can't build a long term promotion team in this league. Either the players who know they can step up will want to leave, or a bigger club come along and buy your players. The other alternative is sometimes a club get a manager and it just works. Again though, your manager won't be around for long if you are one of the best sides and a championship club needs a manager.
I’m disappointed to see so much negativity to these owners. They have put their hands in their pockets considerably more than most league 1 owners.
The majority of people were pleased with the loan signing of Ladapo until it went pear shaped . Is that the owners fault ? Don’t forget a couple of years ago the club were on the brink with Southall and Co so they have a lot of credit in the bank with me.
To be fair I don’t think there is too much criticism of the owners. They’re remote and placed the project in the hands what they expect to be competent football people. At some point they’ll want and expect to see measurable progress. It’s difficult to see where that is at present. I’d think next season will be the tipping point with targets set and expectations met.
I would humbly suggest that those who cannot see any measurable progress since the new owners took over aren’t really looking, or are judging it solely on short term results.
What measurable progress to you see then @Redrobo ?
I see inputs but not many outcomes.
This time last year we were heading for a relegation fight. We then appointed what I believe to be a very good manager on a four and a half year contract and moved steadily away from that.
A relegation fight that came under the managers appointed by the current SMT
A) My response is to the comment “at some point they will want to see measurable progress”. I think it is reasonable to look back over 12 months to look at a performance shift. There is a measurable improvement this year to last.
A good year for Jones so far.
Good but not great IMO. AS you usedd the term measurable progress how much has our league position improved?
A) Potential relegation to potential top six.
I think he has taken a big step forward in getting rid of some players and we now have a team that is very “together “, which hasn’t always been the case. I would suggest that this has been obvious for a while now and not just over the Christmas period. Have we now got rid of those disrupting influencers that previous managers have alluded to?
Fine but how is that "measurable progress"? A month ago many were slating the same players and the manager.
A) The Jones out campaign started in October on here. Nothing like giving a new side a modicum of opportunity to gel is there. I think there is enough consensus of fans views that whatever the limitations of individual players, the team have fought for everything.
Many supporters I know had the feeling that our Club was very broken. Everything seems more professional and progressive now. The outside fans area is not really my thing, but it is getting better and fans seem to be using and enjoying it. Things just seem to be getting done now.
Again, but how is the fanzone "measurable progress? Has it increased income?
A) Bartrams is still full and I assume that the stall holders are paying for the privilege of selling their wares to fans.
You are also assuming that increased income is the sole measure of success. The fans experience is also a factor and the footfall would say it was successful in this respect.
Leaburn, and now Ramsey, returning from injury early!!! Unheard of.
Not true. Leaburn return in October jsut as he was proedicted to and Ramsay was said by NJ to have been ready over Xmas.
A) As predicted is an improvement. It was said that Ramsey was out for the season. The fact that Jones said he was ready doesn’t alter the fact that he is back earlier than 1st thought.
Big measurable tick there.
Our recruitment looks better and done earlier. Only one window so far, but even as fans we are discussing on here the areas for improvement instead of who we want to stay.
I make this the 4th and even 5th window. We have made some good signings but there is a lot that can't be called that, yet at least.
A) I don’t agree.
Get rid of the lot except player (a) and player (b) clearly demonstrates that more of the squad are viewed to be of sufficient quality. One would hope the owners at least would have the ability to take into consideration the injuries we have suffered when comparing signings with results.
I also feel more confident that are future looks better than it has for years and we will get out of this league very soon. I think this season maybe a little early, but at least we have a chance!
That's great but how you feel isn't "measurable progress"
Comments
I can imagine the reaction already.
...Yipeeee!
Anyone else tried to press the play button? 😂
Going to have Clucas and Hylton coming off the bench for Jones’ shithousing addicks
Not sure how that’s arrogance from our fanbase, if he plays well he’ll keep his place and opinions will change. The opinion of NJ is the one that matters, and currently he’s only good enough to make our bench.
Methven highlighted this as a key area in the Dossier interview (albeit for reasons best known to himself, asking for that section to be off-record). Then after a rather long wait, we got Will Abbott.
If we are talking 2 January's and one summer, you could do it, or 2 summers and 1 Jan. If you have set a target of 3 summer windows, you're just asking for your players to be poached.
Look at Wycombe now, starting to look like a decent team out of nowhere, all their good players have transfer interest. Lincoln last season got raided, Peterborough usually get raided.
It has to be 2 seasons tops, then a reshuffle.
We had our two season last window just last year when we had the best striker, winger (imo) and defensive mid (imo) all at the same time and lost them all. We have had to start over again, and now some of our key players have transfer interest again. If they go, we are back to where we were at the start of 23/24.
It has to be done in a short period, you genuinely can't build a long term promotion team in this league. Either the players who know they can step up will want to leave, or a bigger club come along and buy your players. The other alternative is sometimes a club get a manager and it just works. Again though, your manager won't be around for long if you are one of the best sides and a championship club needs a manager.
The main concern is a) his age and b ) his position. We have plenty of midfielders already that can play that role.
I've already seen the bloody catchphrase on twitter. "Could do a job." Ffs.
Sonny Bradley and this fella - would be shocked if they were after a third CB in one January window.