Recruitment Policy

[The Penguin]

I just can't help believing that this is basically all down to money.

I think NA was given a budget which was just too low to achieve the success we all wanted. He mentioned very early on that we have a budget, like everyone else, that we have to work to. Nothing wrong with that, but it turns out that our budget was too low.

We were outbid for players that we wanted, we ended up refusing to deal with certain agents because they demanded too much money, and we ended up mostly getting the leftovers that no-one else wanted. Players with ongoing injury problems, players that were unfit, players that couldn't get another team.

We didn't buy a good enough striker (Stockley is ok, but not good enough to score 20+ goals) and without that 20+ striker you won't get automatic promotion. But everyone knows that they are generally very expensive. We got lucky/did well with Taylor, but we never replaced him when he shat on us.

We have bought cheap players and we are where we are as a result. I've said it time and time again - success in football needs significant money to be spent and we haven't done it. It may be wrong, but it's just the fact at the moment.

It's just like the Duchatelet era, when he tried to run the club without making a loss. It's a good idea and it's how it should be, but unless all the other 23 teams in the division are doing the same, then it just won't work.

That may all be a factor, but it doesn't explain why we're constantly outplayed by average L1 teams. Any team which gets the basics right has us in trouble.

 

[lardiman]

I think it's 70% down to the coaching, 30% tactics
Adkins is presumably OK at the man management, as there are few signs of any players turning on him.
And I believe the players themselves are capable of putting in top half performances.

But are they too much in a training day comfort zone?
Does the gaffer spend the week telling them they're hard done by etc. lulling them into thinking that - without putting in any more effort than they already are - they will get better results when the rub of the green goes their way?

I'm getting the feeling that these players are not being pushed very hard.
I have no evidence for that, it's just an impression.
I'm wondering if NA and JJ are spending more time consoling them than taking the tougher route of making them face their weaknesses and conquer them.

Whatever it is, it seems to have us coasting towards relegation.
We need a manager who's going to go in there and tell those players "don't listen to the noise from the suits or the owner. Look at the league position. All the while we're getting beaten by bang average teams there should be no positivity leaking in from other parts of the Club."
That squad needs taking in hand.

 

[The Penguin]

I do still feel though that a better manager can get more out of these players.
Certainly enough to lift us to mid-table safety.

Or even better! Seems the recruitment policy hasn't been too bad after all, with one or two exceptions. We all thought Arter would be a great signing- he's not, and we all thought Innis was a great signing- he's not, but otherwise they're coming good under a manager who knows his football, and who knows the club. I still haven't given up on Kirk.

 

[Dick Plumb1]

I think Innis is a good player. But his body lets him down.

 

[The Penguin]

I think Innis is a good player. But his body lets him down.

It's a great pity.

 

[ElfsborgAddick]

It's a great pity.

....that we signed him.

 

[The Penguin]

With Sandgaard jnr now "Head of Analytics" I still expect our recruitment to be hit-and-miss. Jacko says that "This summer will be massive", but what will change? Will we still be gambling on our medical team to sort ahrt injury-prone players? Thomas recently said that if and when he appoints a CEO it's likely to be someone without a football background, which seems another gamble. Can't help feeling that it's down to the roll of the dice. The fact that we're refusing to deal with some agents limits the possibilities, rightly or wrongly. Let's hope our luck in the recruitment changes.

 

[lardiman]

I think it's highly likely (80%+) that next season will be little better than this one.
Perhaps we'll avoid weeks in the relegation zone. But unless something changes radically I would not expect anything more than the 2016-17 season (Slade & Gobbo) in terms of league position at any given time.

That will mean a 4th season in League One (2023-24).
I foresee another influx of crocks and journeymen, and a few loanees who won't make enough of a difference.
Ambitious talk is just that. Talk,
But I'll admit it doesn't matter quite as much to me as it used to.
The challenges ahead in all our lives will give us bigger things to worry about I think, than how poor our team is right now.
It still exists, so things could be worse.

 

[The Penguin]

I think it's highly likely (80%+) that next season will be little better than this one.
Perhaps we'll avoid weeks in the relegation zone. But unless something changes radically I would not expect anything more than the 2016-17 season (Slade & Gobbo) in terms of league position at any given time.

That will mean a 4th season in League One (2023-24).
I foresee another influx of crocks and journeymen, and a few loanees who won't make enough of a difference.
Ambitious talk is just that. Talk,
But I'll admit it doesn't matter quite as much to me as it used to.
The challenges ahead in all our lives will give us bigger things to worry about I think, than how poor our team is right now.
It still exists, so things could be worse.

Thass juss wot I think n all. I only hope that TS will reduce the price of S/T's, otherwise sales will plummet. Freebies and gimmicks are fine, but what fans want to see is Charlton hitting the ball in the back of the net, and I don't mean in the pre-match warm-up. For all Thomas's good intentions, he doesn't say the sort of things that give me any confidence that things will be turned round in the near future.