The signs are that Roland is preparing to ditch his manager for the 3rd time in less than a year, and if it happens it looks like he has a revolving-door policy on managers as well as players. If a new Belgian manager comes in on another short-term contract we'll know, although it hasn't happened yet. It's also interesting that Roland hasn't actually cut the wage bill, I guess we must be subsidising all those duds who are out on loan. So can Roland's brainchild actually work? To me the signs are not good. The idea is to put the Academy at the centre of things, yet young players who are taught to play one way in one position are chucked into the first team and given a completely different role (apart from Poyet), no continuity. And now we're in the bottom half of the table, one point nearer relegation than play-offs, looking down rather than up, the question is, can the network system improve our squad enough to avoid a relegation battle?
I'm starting to feel uneasy about potentially having a 4th manager in a year. It doesn't suggest good management by RD, more rolling the dice and hoping to get a double. It is speculation, but I've heard from more than one person this Reza situation may we'll be the final straw. It also has to be said that the team don't look comfortable, and is horribly unbalanced. That's something BP could/should sort out, but hasn't.
You can't run a Championship club like ours and hope to break even. The only way to do that is to sell a player every season for 3 to 4 Million pounds. Changing your Manager/ Coach every season is not the right way to run a stable Club. What last season and this has shown is that the Championship is a very competitive league and Players like Nego, PP, Bulot, etc are not good enough. We need to scout players who are going to improve the squad. Peeters, with a few exceptions, is trying to juggle players who are A) not good enough, B) too inexperienced. To improve Roland has to bring in players in our problem positions, centre midfield, left wing, left back, and of course two strikers. If we don't do that we will be constantly shuffling an inferior pack.
Can Roland's Netrwork System Work? Yes it can but not with us included or any other English club. It seems to be based on moving low grade players around low grade clubs in low grade leagues. It would probably give an immediate shot in the arm to the club but I think would peter out after 10 or 12 games when the process needs to be undertaken again. I excluded English clubs because the set up and finances are so much more intense than on the continent. I watched a Brescia match in Serie B a few months ago. Their ground was a derelict bombsite which made Selhurst Park look like the Emirates in comparrison. The fans are ashamed of it, they moan about it then they go and have a nice meal. A different mentality, not as intense as England. (Except for top 2 clubs in any given league).
I don't think the network system itself is flawed, but the fundamental misunderstanding of the Championship is the issue. It's tragic that by 2016 we will probably be another one of those faceless clubs like Leeds or Watford.
Perhaps with the exception of Germany, there is no other second tier in the world like the English Championship. The passion, the crowds, the stadia, the finances and the standard of football are equal or better to most top leagues around the world, yet Roland obviously thinks we are in the same echelon as his Euro-crud. His lack of respect for our club, our history and us fans is highly lamentable and he needs to be told to '**** off' in no uncertain terms. I shall write to Roland forthwith.
I don't understand this bit. What "Reza situation"? And "final straw" for whom? For Bob, for RD, for the other players, or for the fans?
That is all very well but have you got a spare 20 M down the back of the settee? I believe that Roland now knows the standard of the Championship. But whether he will dig into his fortune to get us the players we need is a different matter.
Bob doesn't want him back but it appears the decision makers are going to recall him and force him on BP. If Bob stays quiet then I think he'll lose parts of the dressing room. If he speaks up I can see he and RD's relationship coming to a head.
Reza has gone to the Asia Cup in Australia. So nothing has been foisted on Peeters for the time being. Can see Roland wanting to sell Reza, as he doesn't feature in Bob Peeters plans.
Record Loss The annual accounts showed that a record loss of nearly eight million Euro. Expenditure increased from 41 to 48 million euros. These are the latest accounts of Standard Liege. I wonder if the sale of players amounting to 30 M is incorporated in these figures.
Why would Bob be so anti-Reza, I wonder? Tucudean has the odd flash in the pan, always at home, he doesn't rate Pigott, Church or Ahearne-Grant and Moussa's injured so why not Reza? I don't get this at all.
Because Reza didn't wish to return after the WC. It's a shame as I do like him - but BP has gone on record that he doesn't want him so how would that look if/when he returns... Dick - he has gone to Asia but nothing stopping the club announcing on the 3rd he will return to charlton after.
I don't want him to return. He doesn't want to play for us, he is lightweight. If you were the manager and you asked the player if he wanted to stay and he said no, what would you do?
I agree with him - my point being if he does return then it's a bit of a slap in the face to him from RD.
I don't know about that, not being privy to conversations between Bob and the player. Personally I'd give Pig a go, he must be bursting to prove himself, or I'd give Church a run out even though we all know he hasn't got a shot on him. But Bob has made it clear he doesn't rate either of these players, by the way he's referred to them, so why turn his nose up at Reza? He knew the terms of the job when he took it on.
It was in one of the local rags at the beginning of the season. He asked Reza if he wanted to play at Charlton, he said no so Peeters made him train with the U21s.
