With Loic Nego signing from the very, very poor standard Hungarian league, that is now four Carlos Kickaballs on the books since Roland took over. Does anyone imagine that our manager presented a list of players to Roly, and said "get me Loic Nego, please". This is shaping up to be a disaster. These might be good players, but then again based on the little we have seen of Astrid and Thuram so far...they might be Euro Trash journey men, either trying to get fit or playing for a move to a bigger European contract, or both. Either way, you are on the Road to Ruin if you fill your dressing room with 8-9 different nationalities, all playing to different agendas, the least of which is CAFC. The fact is that there is no club in the history of non Premier League English football who has tried doing things this way, and succeeded. It is starting to remind me of the disasterous experiment that Doncaster tried under Willie McKay two years ago, and look what happened to them.
On the other hand, maybe Roland has a cunning plan which hasn't been divulged to us lesser mortals.If he allows SCP to use the Smith money to get Wood in and keep Kermit that would be OK. Or he may trouser the money, we'll know soon enough.
Players will be leaving the club this week, you mark my words. These sub-standard recruits are being brought in to fill the gaps left by the departures of our better players. Don't be surprised to see Kermit, Stephens and Morrison donning new colours at the weekend. It is a grim outlook, I know, but this Roland dude is taking us down. There is one bright spot, though, and that is the thought of shorter queues for the kiosks next season. COYR!
We need the Trust to save us now...... What are they waiting for?, come on Bernie run into a phone box and tear off your cardigan, loosen the bow tie and turn into da da da di da BOVRILMAN!!! Where there is biscuits, he will be there,..... where there is injustice, he will call an urgent meeting,........ where there is cameras, he will be there,....... where there is excessive rain, he will be there,..... where there is a bit of spotlight he will be there.... where there is an disproportionate group claiming to represent the majority he will be there......If the board offer him a job he will be there. Ironic really how this new board are infinitely worse in approach and desire than the last and the trust are sitting on their pencil cases. I thought you lot spoke for the fans......or was it your egos....
You Jonahs could be right, who knows? But by this weekend we will know whether he has weakened or strengthened the squad so why not wait until then, given that whatever is posted here is not going to affect anything. There does seem to be one big hole in your argument. Either RD is a very rich guy (not as rich as the owners of Chelsea or Man City, but who's counting?) who wants to run football clubs as a hobby, or he is a ruthless businessman who just wants to squeeze money out of them. It could be the former, as he has taken Standard Liege to the top of their league, and spent very little money (net) doing it, besides bringing down the average age of the team and developing their academy. But if it is the latter, why would he want to sell our best players without replacing them and get the club relegated? We would not get more than four million (tops) for Kermit, Stephens and Morrison put together, given the short time left on their contracts. Relegation would devalue the club by far more than that. How is that ruthlessly self-serving business? And whatever we think of him, I am sure we agree he is not an idiot moneywise. On a minor issue. While the four signings (including the alleged imminent signing) are not exciting, they may not be costing us much, or anything. RD is already contracted to pay their wages and we don't know that all or any of it will be paid by Charlton. The three senior players could all be players who are not realising their potential where they are now, and he hopes that a change of club might do the trick, as it did for Kermorgant. If it comes off with only one of the three it will have been worth him paying their wages at Charlton. It is all the same to him which club pays their wages, and as Charlton are already running at a loss there is no tax advantage in shifting the liability here. Koc is an under-21 right-winger and we don't have one, so he could be an asset if he doesn't cost us too much. He will not be blocking the path of one of our own youngsters.
Cheer up all you doubters, Powell to sign a new contract by Thursday. Two to three new signings also coming in. The new owner is doing a great job. If we can get through this season still in the Championship, it will be job done. I will reserve judgement on all the players bought in on loan, until I have seen them play for us. I don't think after the window shuts that many will be playing in the first team.
eddie & dicky obviously on a wind up It has never worked before, and it won't work with us. Sub standard is the word. The Senegalese guy from Hungary has, according to Wiki, played less than two dozen games in four seasons. Koc is cack. My initial impression of Astrid is that he makes Grant Basey look like Usian Bolt with a firework up his arse. And then there is our French goalie friend, whom we needed so badly. If nothing else, the team talks in our dressing room will make interesting listening, as Alex Dyer thumbs through the Albanian translation book looking up the words "useless" and "c--t" for Sir Chris at half time
Its obvious what Roly is doing. He is passing on his dented tins. Just like any franchise, if the product is not selling in one shop, you put it in another until some mug buys it off you. I mean FFS Roly can't palm off all his crap on the Hungarians, I know that many Hungarians will dress like West Stand CAFC fans, but they are not as stooopid.
Charlton should be far better than a nursery club for a bloke who comes from a country that is nothing more than a line on a map, regularly disputed between France & Germany. Is this what we have come too ? There is not a scintilla of excitement or anticipation about any one of these Carlos Kickaball, revolving door loan signings ? Please can someone tell me they are excited or enthused about the way things are going?
If RD doesn't give us a striker that's worthy of the term by the end of this window, his improvements for match day experience will amount to... "Come & visit The Valley Library, relax in the knowledge that your peace & quiet will not be disturbed by the outbreak of anything that gives rise to excitement, like good football players often provide... We will strive to rival all the leading libraries from around the world, and promise to continue borrowing players from our already famous Belgium library". Sadly ambition is a dirty word for many an addick, and the Target 5,000 fans have been floating on cloud nine since they got the news of this takeover, and are in their element, especially knowing their mate is still on board, and that there is absolutely no danger of us joining Chelsea, Man City and Co, but the excitement continues, they have their "existence"... The optimist in me is still holding out for something exciting to show up, hopefully by the end of this window, but up till now I'm not convinced, and sadly the overall philosophy thus far has "Charlton small time to continue" written all over it...
Why? have you got a new knitting pattern for tartan blankets? don't tell me a new thermos flask is being released this week? Don't forget to post it on CL first!
I can't say I'm particularly enthused about all these foreign loanees. I hated Watford for doing it last season. I don't like being just one of a stable of clubs either. Particularly Thuram. No fault of his own, obviously, but Alnwick is plenty good enough for us, and Hamer is more than adequate back-up, so why do we need another? I know he played at Boro when we would otherwise have needed Phillips, but that was only because Alnwick was ill. Alnwick, Hamer and Phillips (plus Pope if needs be) are surely enough. However, I won't judge any of the new loanees yet (in any case, being in Spain, I can't get to games). As much as I dislike having them, let's see what they can do. The Asteroid played a big part in our goal at 'Udders, Thuram made some cracking saves at Boro (as well as letting the goal in of course) and I have no idea how good Koc is (if he even plays for the first team at all). We needed some reinforcement, and RD has provided it. If they're rubbish, then we will have ample grounds to criticise him. The transfer window isn't over yet, so let's see what happens.
Gills fan in peace ....oh nearly forgot... ...can't digest all this doom and gloom in, on this thread. What's happening over at the Valley these days then lads, just a brief few sentences will do. Too much confusing dialogue above. I normally would appear at more happier times for yer but you know me can't help the way the timing of these visits happen. Pure coincidence people... might see you next season eh?
Don't you mean "Little ol' Charlton"? I want to see our club breaking even financially, and it seems we have an owner who has some sort of idea how to achieve this seemingly impossible feat. I don't think we'll end up like Watford, I hope not, because Roland is adamant that the Academy is the club's future. Having a rich benefactor is fine for a while, but even Jack Walker, who is most fans' idea of the perfect owner, left Blackburn with a huge debt which his family were not prepared to shoulder. If we can get Paul Hart on a long-term contract and if CP buys into Roland's vision then we can have a club where everyone is pulling in the same direction and when was the last time you could say that? What's the worst thing that could happen? relegation. Which is not as bad as administration which is where we were heading. Does anyone not believe that we were on the slippery slope? Our previous owners had given up the ghost and wanted out, so I can't see how things have got any worse.
If Kermit goes and we don't get a decent striker I will be fuming. I trust the board at the moment, will make my full decision come end of the transfer window and what they have done during it... but yes, isn't looking too positive at the moment
"Little ole" "small time" Same difference isn't it..? How many successful clubs fans say they want to see their club break even...? I want sustained success, and isn't there a level of debt at most clubs who fall into that bracket..? The only future the academy has is, as it was under Murray, to make money out of it, and to further the success of other clubs before ours, same as with our 1st team assets... This "vision" you talk about I'm finding decidedly blurry... Borrow players from a stable of clubs that the manager has very little say in... Where has this model been a success..? We were on a slippery slope, doesn't mean we should all be happy with what we've seen so far, and as for "relegation being better than administration". thanks for reiterating my "existence" point..
I don't possess a knitting pattern nor do I own a thermos flask. I always post things first on the Charlton Observer forum, then here, then CL, then ITTV. How do you think the previous owners did Typical, bearing in mind we now have three bids in for our three best players. Kermy, Stephens and Wiggins. We could lose the three of them for peanuts because Dumb and dumber let over twenty players contracts run out at the same time. They have left us with a paddy field of a pitch and also the manager and his staff are out of contract. I can see why you think they have done a good job.
What is it about Charlton fans, always telling each other when and when not to be happy? Remember the wise words of our Dear Leader: "We're all in this together!"
