All the time they're getting paid (which I'm assuming they are?) they should be giving 100% when they pull on the shirt. What is it with footballers claiming they're not in the right mindset to put in a shift...?
I'm not sure it's entirely safe to assume that. My Dad's a member of the same gym as a couple of the players, and recently described an occasion last season where they were "jumping around like a couple of big kids cos they'd just got paid". There was a suggestion that they hadn't been paid for a couple of months, hence the jubilation.
(NB this is at least 2nd hand, so I can't vouch for the veracity of this)
Who, in this day and age has job security beyond six months to a year? These guys should be playing their hearts out, for us, and for the manager. They are a great bunch with terrific attitudes which is why they were recruited by Powell in the first place. The best thing they can do for their futures is to play well week in week out and see where it takes them. We have a lot to get excited about. Kermo and Church could develop into a really good partnership. Same with Cousins and Pritchard. Harriot continues to improve. Nothing wrong with that defence, which on it's day would have to be one of the best in the Championship. I can't think of too many better fullbacks than Solly and Wiggins. They haven't got their act together yet this season but one good game could turn that around. We are all in this together, we need to pull them through this tough period. Where's Stigs banner 100% SUPPORT ?
That's exactly why their eye might be off the ball.
Times are changing in football below the Premier League. You're not guaranteed the £200,000 a year you were previously. You may play until you're 33 if you're lucky, what then? Security is needed, however short term it is.
Still a different world to many of us but many have mortgages/families that they will be considering and 'worrying' about. They're only human.
Maybe during their careers they could train to do something else , it's not as if they are pushed for time really is it? Also they know that at most this job is not going to last beyond their mid 30's so why not plan well ahead.
Just because this particular part of their lives only lasts twenty years at most it doesn't mean they have to earn a lifetime and more of wages during it does it?
Looks like the football gravy train ( at this level anyway ) may well be coming to a halt at last.
Don't think the whole contract situation is anything but farcical, but don't think that is fully the issue. As I said a few weeks ago, every squad needs evolving every couple of years, this one hasn't been enough.
None of us know the real reasons why, though I wouldn't be surprised if a couple of cliques have formed and the thing is just not as gelled and onside as it has been previously.
The trouble is, once your 'best team' looks under par, you naturally start tinkering with your squad to try and find something that changes it, but you are just as likely to weaken your team as improve it.
That's exactly why their eye might be off the ball.
Times are changing in football below the Premier League. You're not guaranteed the £200,000 a year you were previously. You may play until you're 33 if you're lucky, what then? Security is needed, however short term it is.
Still a different world to many of us but many have mortgages/families that they will be considering and 'worrying' about. They're only human.
Maybe during their careers they could train to do something else , it's not as if they are pushed for time really is it? Also they know that at most this job is not going to last beyond their mid 30's so why not plan well ahead.
Just because this particular part of their lives only lasts twenty years at most it doesn't mean they have to earn a lifetime and more of wages during it does it?
Looks like the football gravy train ( at this level anyway ) may well be coming to a halt at last.
Don't think the whole contract situation is anything but farcical, but don't think that is fully the issue. As I said a few weeks ago, every squad needs evolving every couple of years, this one hasn't been enough.
None of us know the real reasons why, though I wouldn't be surprised if a couple of cliques have formed and the thing is just not as gelled and onside as it has been previously.
The trouble is, once your 'best team' looks under par, you naturally start tinkering with your squad to try and find something that changes it, but you are just as likely to weaken your team as improve it.
A win or two could all be what is needed.
The problem is, where are those two einsvgoing to come from?
But what's changed from last year Nicholas? Same players, same coaches, same manager and we finished 9th.
I think our end of season run papered over a lot of cracks and gave us false hope , we need serious investment if we want to move forward, the current crop of players still have to prove that they are good enough to compete in this division imo , and that the end of season run wasn't a fluke.
Agree that 8 game run was phenomenal to propel us to 9th and it was similar to the "we're still 5th" year but the other way round ! ... When you knew we were pony yet stayed 5th for ages before sliding away , this time we were pony yet the end of season run pushed us to an overachieving 9th.
I hoped that it was my natural pessimism that thought we weren"t all that last year and the table proved otherwise but as others have said the lack of freshness and topping up of the squad has lead to staleness
Security to the players will be on their mind and maybe its something they have not had to deal with in the past and subconciously it may be affecting them
But I believe SCP has to rally the troops because if he can't I don't believe that anyone can and League One will swallow us up before long, this division takes no prisoners and there are fine lines between success and failure and a squad like ours needs to be 100% on its game or we're gone for.
Who, in this day and age has job security beyond six months to a year? These guys should be playing their hearts out, for us, and for the manager. They are a great bunch with terrific attitudes which is why they were recruited by Powell in the first place. The best thing they can do for their futures is to play well week in week out and see where it takes them. We have a lot to get excited about. Kermo and Church could develop into a really good partnership. Same with Cousins and Pritchard. Harriot continues to improve. Nothing wrong with that defence, which on it's day would have to be one of the best in the Championship. I can't think of too many better fullbacks than Solly and Wiggins. They haven't got their act together yet this season but one good game could turn that around. We are all in this together, we need to pull them through this tough period. Where's Stigs banner 100% SUPPORT ?
All very positive I agree. But wasn't it Chris Powell that said "All our players could be sold" ?
Clearly we miss Jackson but I did think we were OK going forward and better in midfield yesterday than we were against Boro. We had a goal and a lot more shots on target for a start. It's the defence that worries me, loads of errors and lack of communication and this was our most reliable area last season. I think the team is built on the defence and something has got them playing out of sorts. I don't know what, but something has unsettled our most consistent players from last season and I hope it gets resolved soon. It could be the contract situation - if you think about where you work, if everyone is unsettled and not sure what is happening it has an effect on your performance, regardless of whether you think it should in an ideal world. It could be the continued off-field shenanigans at The Valley, and the continued rumours of takeovers. We don't know. I think the players want to do their best and CP will be trying to create space for that to happen, but he's clearly not happy at the moment either. For example, Wiggins yesterday didn't have the best game, but at one point he made a good tackle in the NE corner at some risk, with a Donny player going right over him. There was no doubting his commitment at that point. Hope someone buys us soon.
It all has the feel of a winding down operation. Staleness and neglect, indifference to problems, lack of repairs, no ideas and no investment. I feel scared for us and that's new. I'm just hoping it's me being hopelessly wrong.
But what's changed from last year Nicholas? Same players, same coaches, same manager and we finished 9th.
I think our end of season run papered over a lot of cracks and gave us false hope , we need serious investment if we want to move forward, the current crop of players still have to prove that they are good enough to compete in this division imo , and that the end of season run wasn't a fluke.
So Because the players contracts haven't been sorted out yet they all have to play like fucking idiots? Don't get me wrong the contract situation isn't ideal but If you run through the players today
Solly and Wigans could walk into most championship clubs and even a few prem club. Shouldn't be worried.
Morrison looking shakey for while time for him to prove his worth and earn a new contract. Cort wrong side of 30 needs to earn another extension.
Pritchard was playing non league football a couple of seasons ago he needs to prove he can get better and better. Should be loving every min of playing league football no excuse
Gower signed on a 1 year contract no excuse for being crap so far.
Cousins playing pro football for the first time should be enjoying every game and showing all what he can do and to be fair his doing that.
Harriot on a longer contract and still a lot to prove.
Church. New boy on 2 year contract
Kermit. Wrong side of 30 and has done enough to be able to walk into quite a few championship teams.
Jackson and Hughes wrong side of 30 should their contracts should be looked at in jan depending on how they are doing.
The rest all still need to prove themselves.
Agree with Nicholas.
I think the players are just playing below par, which is natural.
The games so far we've had at least 8 players playing below their ability, this could just be due to poor form, which you can't get away with. 3 or 4 is fine if the other 7 play well.
Won't be panicking until we've played around 10 games.
It all has the feel of a winding down operation. Staleness and neglect, indifference to problems, lack of repairs, no ideas and no investment. I feel scared for us and that's new. I'm just hoping it's me being hopelessly wrong.
I haven't seen any games yet, so I am sifting through the reports here. The most alarming thing is when Solly and Wiggins show up in the list of those playing under par. That is totally out of character, and a complete reversal of where we left off in May. That to me is a very strong indicator that something is badly wrong at Sparrows Lane. Then you have the almost frozen transfer activity in close season, and the near farcical situation regarding the strikers, three days before the off. Then you have Chris Powell's demeanour.
You have the dismissals of the back room staff, and Airman Brown twice warning on here that the atmosphere in the Club is "poisonous". Then it emerges that no-one except Simon Church has more than a year to go on his contract. And no one has seen the key boardroom people at any of the games.
Now, what do you think all the above says to the players? You think they ignore all that, and say "I love this club, it s going places, and I want to be part of it?" Really?
The contract situation is not of itself the only reason for what is happening on the pitch. To that extent I can agree with AFKA. However it is a new situation here, and more importantly I doubt that any other club in the Champ has that situation. Which the players will be well aware of.
I was worried already in the close season 'build -up", but the contract situation makes me, like Stilladdicted, scared for us.
I have not been to the valley so far this season but I would imagine from long experience that a fairly large portion of the spectators, ostensibly CAFC fans, are already tutting, moaning, whinging, whining and generally poo poohing the efforts of the team in what is still the embryonic part of the season. Such negativity will only impact badly on a team which just might be starting to feel the combined effects of: no new contracts, managerial worries, board room insecurity, reported lack of cash, no new colleagues to brighten up the team. Those of you who are attending the valley in a negative frame of mind, please keep it to yourself. Negative 'vibes' will only make a potentially precarious situation much worse.
People do realise that players like Wiggins aren't machines right? They aren't going to be consistently good for 46 games of a season.
Last year we were new to the division, we just won the league and the place was buzzing. We had a decent start and from there on we had a fairly good season.
This term we are goin into the division and are expected to be in mid table obscurity. It's a completely different challenge and one it might be harder to get up for.
I find saying that something must be very wrong at Sparrows Lane just because our full backs are a little out of form a bit OTT
People do realise that players like Wiggins aren't machines right? They aren't going to be consistently good for 46 games of a season.
Last year we were new to the division, we just won the league and the place was buzzing. We had a decent start and from there on we had a fairly good season.
This term we are goin into the division and are expected to be in mid table obscurity. It's a completely different challenge and one it might be harder to get up for.
I find saying that something must be very wrong at Sparrows Lane just because our full backs are a little out of form a bit OTT
Very good post in my view.
The last two seasons must have been tremendously exciting for the players and for Chris Powell too. Moreover, it was exceptional team spirit and togetherness that enabled the side to "outperform" last season. It's likely to be harder for the Manager to sustain that this time as it all becomes "normal". However, the good news is that the squad is potentially better than it was last season and the players more experienced.
It was always going to be a tough season in an unforgiving Division, but it's early days yet.
I have not been to the valley so far this season but I would imagine from long experience that a fairly large portion of the spectators, ostensibly CAFC fans, are already tutting, moaning, whinging, whining and generally poo poohing the efforts of the team in what is still the embryonic part of the season. Such negativity will only impact badly on a team which just might be starting to feel the combined effects of: no new contracts, managerial worries, board room insecurity, reported lack of cash, no new colleagues to brighten up the team. Those of you who are attending the valley in a negative frame of mind, please keep it to yourself. Negative 'vibes' will only make a potentially precarious situation much worse.
Yesterday was my first game of the season and my last till October, despite what was going on on the pitch the crowd was supportive, apart from usual suspects who moan when we are 3-0 up, fans supported the team, when we went 2-0 down, its unfair to criticise the crowd. After 2-0 the crowd focussed on "Call it Of" which I think Jacko agreed with judging by his emptying his bottle of water on the pitch during the pitch inspection.
Just see the football league show and gotta say the interview with Powell looked very worrying. He looked really really down.
Could just be looking to deep into a interview but I would not be surprised if he was to walk soon.
I thought it was a very honest interview that refused to blame the conditions. I would not have expected him to be up beat, he has a lot of issues to be sorted att he club some are under his control but many are not. That is enough to bring anyone down.
You never know what may happen with Charlton, he may walk, he maybe sacked or he may turn it around .... uncertain times.
Just see the football league show and gotta say the interview with Powell looked very worrying. He looked really really down.
Could just be looking to deep into a interview but I would not be surprised if he was to walk soon.
If he walks then we really are without a paddle. To me that would point towards the fact the he (Powell) thinks that there is no light at the end of the tunnel and that new investment is not as close as we might hope. For what it's worth I think he will stay.
Just see the football league show and gotta say the interview with Powell looked very worrying. He looked really really down.
Could just be looking to deep into a interview but I would not be surprised if he was to walk soon.
If he walks then we really are without a paddle. To me that would point towards the fact the he (Powell) thinks that there is no light at the end of the tunnel and that new investment is not as close as we might hope. For what it's worth I think he will stay.
I hope your right and it is just me looking into it to much and reading to much into it.
Just see the football league show and gotta say the interview with Powell looked very worrying. He looked really really down.
Could just be looking to deep into a interview but I would not be surprised if he was to walk soon.
If he walks then we really are without a paddle. To me that would point towards the fact the he (Powell) thinks that there is no light at the end of the tunnel and that new investment is not as close as we might hope. For what it's worth I think he will stay.
The realisation that he's been sold a pup I suspect.
I think people saying "the players have contracts so should give 100% regardless" are missing the point.
Yes, they should give their all every game but they are human so they don't.
It's not just a question of having a contract or not either. If a player has been told he'll get a contract extension and the squad will be strenghtened and neither happens they get disallussioned.
They will hear the rumours and gossip and true or not they will see the signs of neglect and decline that stilladdickted mentioned.
When you don't have the best players or the biggest budget then you need team spirit, fight, committment more than ever but these are just the sort of qualities that are lost when your faith in the club you play for are constantly being knocked by broken promises and lack of investement.
The mantra over the summer for many was that off the field/boardrrom matters were of no concern as "it's what happens on the pitch that matters".
That was always a falacy as what happens in the boardroom impacts directly and indirectly on to the pitch and we are now seeing the fruits of there being no plan, short or long, beyond selling the Club.
What is sickening is that having finished 9th we were a fairly attractive purchase. TJ and MS knew this hence the leaked prospectus being produced in May.
The summer was the time to sell because if we started badly, as we have, the Club becomes less and less attractive. The buyers were there but the price was too high and the assets over-egged leading to buyers walking away.
Now we just have to hope that TJ and MS see sense and that buyers can still be found.
I think they will but I worry about how much pain we will have to go through until that happens.
Stiil, no one ever said following Charlton would be a bed of roses.
Comments
(NB this is at least 2nd hand, so I can't vouch for the veracity of this)
Just because this particular part of their lives only lasts twenty years at most it doesn't mean they have to earn a lifetime and more of wages during it does it?
Looks like the football gravy train ( at this level anyway ) may well be coming to a halt at last.
None of us know the real reasons why, though I wouldn't be surprised if a couple of cliques have formed and the thing is just not as gelled and onside as it has been previously.
The trouble is, once your 'best team' looks under par, you naturally start tinkering with your squad to try and find something that changes it, but you are just as likely to weaken your team as improve it.
A win or two could all be what is needed.
I hoped that it was my natural pessimism that thought we weren"t all that last year and the table proved otherwise but as others have said the lack of freshness and topping up of the squad has lead to staleness
Security to the players will be on their mind and maybe its something they have not had to deal with in the past and subconciously it may be affecting them
But I believe SCP has to rally the troops because if he can't I don't believe that anyone can and League One will swallow us up before long, this division takes no prisoners and there are fine lines between success and failure and a squad like ours needs to be 100% on its game or we're gone for.
What is also true is we look average without Jackson, this is true everytime he gets injured Imho
Hope someone buys us soon.
TJ & MS or Danny Green?
I think the players are just playing below par, which is natural.
The games so far we've had at least 8 players playing below their ability, this could just be due to poor form, which you can't get away with. 3 or 4 is fine if the other 7 play well.
Won't be panicking until we've played around 10 games.
You have the dismissals of the back room staff, and Airman Brown twice warning on here that the atmosphere in the Club is "poisonous". Then it emerges that no-one except Simon Church has more than a year to go on his contract. And no one has seen the key boardroom people at any of the games.
Now, what do you think all the above says to the players? You think they ignore all that, and say "I love this club, it s going places, and I want to be part of it?" Really?
The contract situation is not of itself the only reason for what is happening on the pitch. To that extent I can agree with AFKA. However it is a new situation here, and more importantly I doubt that any other club in the Champ has that situation. Which the players will be well aware of.
I was worried already in the close season 'build -up", but the contract situation makes me, like Stilladdicted, scared for us.
Such negativity will only impact badly on a team which just might be starting to feel the combined effects of: no new contracts, managerial worries, board room insecurity, reported lack of cash, no new colleagues to brighten up the team.
Those of you who are attending the valley in a negative frame of mind, please keep it to yourself. Negative 'vibes' will only make a potentially precarious situation much worse.
Last year we were new to the division, we just won the league and the place was buzzing. We had a decent start and from there on we had a fairly good season.
This term we are goin into the division and are expected to be in mid table obscurity. It's a completely different challenge and one it might be harder to get up for.
I find saying that something must be very wrong at Sparrows Lane just because our full backs are a little out of form a bit OTT
The last two seasons must have been tremendously exciting for the players and for Chris Powell too. Moreover, it was exceptional team spirit and togetherness that enabled the side to "outperform" last season. It's likely to be harder for the Manager to sustain that this time as it all becomes "normal". However, the good news is that the squad is potentially better than it was last season and the players more experienced.
It was always going to be a tough season in an unforgiving Division, but it's early days yet.
Could just be looking to deep into a interview but I would not be surprised if he was to walk soon.
You never know what may happen with Charlton, he may walk, he maybe sacked or he may turn it around .... uncertain times.
Did he really , brilliant .... How rude lol
Yes, they should give their all every game but they are human so they don't.
It's not just a question of having a contract or not either. If a player has been told he'll get a contract extension and the squad will be strenghtened and neither happens they get disallussioned.
They will hear the rumours and gossip and true or not they will see the signs of neglect and decline that stilladdickted mentioned.
When you don't have the best players or the biggest budget then you need team spirit, fight, committment more than ever but these are just the sort of qualities that are lost when your faith in the club you play for are constantly being knocked by broken promises and lack of investement.
The mantra over the summer for many was that off the field/boardrrom matters were of no concern as "it's what happens on the pitch that matters".
That was always a falacy as what happens in the boardroom impacts directly and indirectly on to the pitch and we are now seeing the fruits of there being no plan, short or long, beyond selling the Club.
What is sickening is that having finished 9th we were a fairly attractive purchase. TJ and MS knew this hence the leaked prospectus being produced in May.
The summer was the time to sell because if we started badly, as we have, the Club becomes less and less attractive. The buyers were there but the price was too high and the assets over-egged leading to buyers walking away.
Now we just have to hope that TJ and MS see sense and that buyers can still be found.
I think they will but I worry about how much pain we will have to go through until that happens.
Stiil, no one ever said following Charlton would be a bed of roses.
Back the team
Get behind Chris Powell
Join the Trust
Live. Love. Laugh and Be Happy.