Every season the Championship throws up a surprise package. Why can’t we be this season’s Norwich or Huddersfield ? The spine of the team looks very strong, until January at least Good keepers Excellent CB partnership Cullen & Conor Taylor up front. More importantly, we have so many more options now off the bench. Field for Pratley Oztumer for Williams Hemed for Taylor Etc , etc. I think a challenge is realistic, based on the standard of the 6 sides we have played so far. We have been under the cosh for spells, but we have got the better of just about every one of them in the end. Leeds, Fulham & West Brom will take the top 3 slots IMO...but why can’t we be 4th ? Bowyer had a dream ...and so did the Sheriff
I said back in the summer Charlton should be targeting 6th place this season, when a large number of fans on forums were saying (in so many words) that anything above 21st place is a bonus. That's far too little ambition for my liking. Where did they pick that up from? Lee Bowyer is playing everything down, saying in public that his only objective is to keep Charlton in the Championship this season. But just from reading LB's character since he has been Charlton's manager, I don't believe a word of it. Bowyer is a competitor and a winner. He won't be telling his players that survival is all he wants. If there is any chance at all of a play-off push he will try to make it happen with every resource (however laughable) that Duchatelet will allow him. There is no point being in the Championship if you're not going to compete. I'm pretty certain Luton Town and Barnsley feel the same. They may fail just because they haven't got managers as good as Bowyer.
6th ??? That's far too little ambition for my liking. Where did you pick that up from? …. I'm aiming for top 1.... but another winning trip to Wembley wouldn't go amiss!
Once you get into a run, be it losing or winning, it can be hard to get out of it. I still stand by the first 15 games rule as a barometer for the season. There is a long way to go but if we can keep Taylor and build on this in January should be in a play-off position then who knows where we can end up. However, we have a clown as an owner and we are only a split second from disaster at any time. Let's see where we are on the 1st December.
It is a long season and I am not going to get ahead of myself. It could all turn after a couple of losses.
I didn't expect this sort of start, no way Pedro. Despite the changes in personnel Bowyer has somehow kept the momentum going from Wembley. You have to differentiate between ambition and expectation. Since the fans' only direct influence on achievement is to turn up and cheer the team on I don't see how ambition is relevant. If the owner signs Taylor and Bowyer&co on 3-year contracts that will show ambition, and fans' expectations will rise accordingly. We have stumbled across a top top manager, and who knows what is possible? We're in for a special season I think.
read something about west brom yesterday. they have a lot of players out on loan. to get minutes. if we're above them in january i can see them recalling their two players. think taylor will go in jan. he's not signing up again and LB probably agreed january was ok if we kept him till then.
My immediate reaction is no - it's a long season and Brentford showed how tough some of the clubs are in this league. You need a huge consistency over 46 games, and we have played only six, and a couple of those have been real backs to the wall stuff. But…..look at Leicester that time, or Norwich. There is something happening here just now, and we have a couple of classy players on the pitch, with a couple more on the bench, plus a team spirit light years from what we put up with under Slade or Fraeye. For me I still remember walking out of the Valley in august after we'd just beaten Hull 2-1 with a last minute winner, and looked the real deal against Premier drop outs into the bargain, and I thought we had a real sniff of changing leagues' that year. We did - we got relegated. This feels different at the moment. I'm happy to dream, and I'm sure we will continue to aquit ourselves honourably against the likes of leeds and Brum. I think we can deservedly see ourselves as play off possibles. But there's a january window between us and the end of the season, and Taylor is being offered big money. I wouldn't lay a bet either way.
