A good target man in the Championship like Fuller or Kermorgant appears to cost £6-700K pa in wages and that's for an injury prone 30 something! Not many are mourning the departure of Stephens simply because Poyet and Ajdarevic appeared in his wake and CAFC have created 10-14 chances per game in about two thirds of the games since end January. The lack of success in the loan market to replace Kermorgant points to the wrong approach and/or personnel as it appears the budget was there. Jiminez and Varney (& Powell) signed a lot of players a long time ago but CAFC appears unable to compete in that game today when needed.
Looking forwards we need to stay up and we need to sort player acquisition especially upfront. The new owner is fortunate in that he has acquired one of the best Academies in the division but this source of players needs to be topped up from elsewhere... The reward will be much improved league position and crowds - what's not to like?!
As a footnote the Trust survey showed that the fans are very clear where the blame lies - and that the real problems started last summer when Fuller and Haynes went to be replaced by Sordell and Church. This (and the pitch) can all be fixed by August but the question remains can CAFC secure the right players to build on the 15 already signed on long term deals... Plus Poyet if he stays.
The only thing we can do is lend 100% to the club. Not conditional nor wavering but the type of support we gave Powell when we were two down inside 15 minutes vs Cardiff 18 months ago.
And perhaps Solly reappears to help get us over the line?
The issue wasn't sufficiently addressed in January.
This!
I would go further and say it was not addressed in the summer transfer window. We never replaced Fuller.
I would go even further by agreeing with you but noting that it was made even worse by the decision to sell Kermorgant, a decision that looks more arrogant and crass with every passing game
The mighty Kermogant was offered a contract and left for more money elsewhere. No matter how many interviews he gives that is the truth.
And he's quite within his rights to do that. He deserved an improved contract and wasn't offered one.
Yes, Kermorgant was within his rights to move Clubs given that he was offered a better deal elsewhere. However, if you told Duchatelet that Kermorgant deserved an improved contract, my guess is that he'd respond by saying something along the following lines;
1. A player's contract should reflect what he is expected to deliver in the future not what he's done in the past. He's already been paid for that.
2. The decision about what to offer any player, therefore, involves a judgement about prospective contribution, affordability and value for money. In Kermorgant's case the relevant perspective was the next two and a half years not the last two and a half.
3. Logically, and all other things being equal, a typical 32-year old should expect the terms of his prospective two to three year deal to be worse than the one he negotiated when he was twenty nine, fitter and closer to his peak. He might add that the fact most Clubs don't seem to recognise this is one of the many insanities of Football finances.
4. The expectation, given FFP, is that salaries in the Championship will decline over the next few years, reinforcing point 3 above. An important consequence of this is that "available budget", i.e. the headroom to the FFP limits, ought to fund the acquisition of better players than was previously possible.
5. Kermorgant's contract situation represented a dilemma because, arguably, he had improved since joining the Club (or, more accurately, his perceived value had). However, he was already the best paid player in the Club, by some margin, and the knock on effect of paying him even more needed to be considered carefully.
At the end of the day Duchatelet made a judgement call. As with many judgements there was probably no right answer, but the decision was rational and understandable. Only time will tell how Bournemouth will view the decision they made this time next year. Good luck to them, and the player, but I wouldn't be surprised if they eventually decide they overpaid, if only because they won't be able to spend the money on somebody(s) else.
But Mundell...everything you say there about the YK judgment call that RD had to make,is reasonable, in isolation. But it cannot be made in isolation. The issue is not so much letting YK go, but how he was replaced.
There is no doubt that Duchatelet has made mistakes - or has been ill advised. I've said many times that it's clear that the standard required to compete in the Championship was seriously misjudged; the arrival of players from the network was well intended, but misguided.
For all we know, another error, and perhaps Powell himself was complicit on this occasion, was in the assessment of who it might be possible to secure on loan. Based on what's been in the public domain it appears that money has been available for some good players, Wickham, Best, Williams, Eagles etc., but for one reason or another those players did not want to sign. I'm sure you'll argue that replacements should have been secured before Kermorgant was released, but such timing is not always possible and it may not have been seen as necessary at the time.
I agree entirely that if Duchatelet has been making Football related judgements and decisions, ie. without advice, that would be a concern. I'd expect the Manager to be consulted and for his advice to be listened to, but not to decide. The Manager, understandably, is likely to have a shorter timeframe than the Owner and is conflicted, ie. is only concerned with short term results and not the funding of the Club. The complete failure of the then Board to control Alan Pardew has surely taught us that lesson.
Notice today how midfielders run from deep to get in front of the forwards... even Fulham - we don't seem to have the mix of midfielders to do this
Agreed. Our midfielders tend to sit behind the forwards and we rarely commit numbers into the box.
Maybe that's because they are afraid to loose their defensive shape when a forward move breaks down. Can we really afford to be expansive at the moment? It's grind the results out time for me and save the pretty / offensive stuff for next season in whatever division. We started with three forwards yesterday and got stuffed.
Prague - everything you say about the player switches a few years back makes sense but to characterise Duchatelet as from the Vincent Tan school of management is a tad populist and may I venture innacurate. Cardiff lost c. £15M a year for about six years before attaining promotion and it looks unlikely Duchatelet will be adopting this approach. The fact that Duchatelet owns Standard Liege who finished top of their league and in a good position to qualify for the champions league is a strong indication that he knows enough about football and/or how to manage senior football club executives to be in a position to add value to Charlton. One could argue he got lucky at Liege but we can do with lucky! Many have posted that Duchatelet and his advisors have underestimated the Championship in light of the six January arrivals - let us hope that they learn quickly and get player acquisition sorted...Obika arriving suggests a step in the right direction. CAFC survival this season is in the interests of owner, club and fans. After survival comes a squad clear out and we will then really see whether CAFC has the ambition, strategy and executive ability to land the right players to top up the squad. There will be change on and off the pitch this summer - perhaps reference to Tan is because he too owns 100% of his club and does what he likes.
Personally I think the Charlton fans should adopt a mature approach - praise the good things, suggest consultation and be vocal where there are obvious mistakes being made. Characterisation and graphics can be very useful in communicating to fans but insults or misunderstanding the club direction gives the club every excuse not to engage. For example the Daily Mail made a powerful headline grabbing attack on Charlton which has many convinced that we are a feeder club... Riga has partially disproved this by not playing all six January signings but the proof of the new owner strategy will be this summer. I can wait for that because right now we need to get through April with enough points to ensure we are playing in the Championship next season.
Notice today how midfielders run from deep to get in front of the forwards... even Fulham - we don't seem to have the mix of midfielders to do this
Agreed. Our midfielders tend to sit behind the forwards and we rarely commit numbers into the box.
Maybe that's because they are afraid to loose their defensive shape when a forward move breaks down. Can we really afford to be expansive at the moment? It's grind the results out time for me and save the pretty / offensive stuff for next season in whatever division. We started with three forwards yesterday and got stuffed.
That's undoubtedly the main reason but we've been like that from early in the season, not just lately. Jackson hasn't got the pace to get in behind anyone so is better off arriving late, Stephens liked to hovver around outside the box and to a large extent so did Kermorgant! In general, the forwards have been left pretty isolated for long periods but maybe this is also due to their inability to consistently hold the ball up.
It's amazing when you study a team like Liverpool atm, just how easy they find it to score goals. The thing that is really killing opposing defenses is the speed of Sterling and Sturridge. Suarez is the beneficiary of the space and the panic that results. The sheer movement of that forward line drags defenders all over the place, leaving huge gaps. A midfielder advancing from deep can very often get a clear sight of goal on approaching the edge of the box, and a goal very often results from a shot of any accuracy into the corner of the net. Of course we lack players of this kind of quality. But we should take notice, that in order to open up defenses, you need pace and you need movement. Our style of play is simply too easy to read, and defend.
The players have tried their best with the abilities they have. The previous owners wanted out and reduced our capability and threat level compared to last year. Interestingly, the one area which has remained consistent with last season, our defence, has done fine overall. Whether a Championship or League 1 team next season, I suspect the creativity and striker personnel will change next season and we will have better options. COYA!
WRT to Yann, as far as I am concerned, we offered him a deal and he turned it down.
I believe that he wilfully refused to play at Huddersfield to avoid the automatic contract extension. At that moment any respect I had for him was spent.
He played poker with RD and RD took the money Bournemouth offered. I dont believe YK would have ever signed a contract whilst CPs future was in doubt.
We did well to get a fee. For me the Huddersfield carry on was unforgivable and for that reason I couldn't give a shit that he is no longer here.
Didn't clap him against B'mouth and never will. This whole YK has been harshly treated by Charlton story is bollocks.
It's amazing when you study a team like Liverpool atm, just how easy they find it to score goals. The thing that is really killing opposing defenses is the speed of Sterling and Sturridge. Suarez is the beneficiary of the space and the panic that results. The sheer movement of that forward line drags defenders all over the place, leaving huge gaps. A midfielder advancing from deep can very often get a clear sight of goal on approaching the edge of the box, and a goal very often results from a shot of any accuracy into the corner of the net. Of course we lack players of this kind of quality. But we should take notice, that in order to open up defenses, you need pace and you need movement. Our style of play is simply too easy to read, and defend.
Liverpool also press very high when not in possession, as do Southampton in this country, forcing teams into mistakes and giving possession away in their own half. Look at the first two goals against Spurs yesterday. They weren't created by stretching defences (as much as they do this), but by a high-pressing game, Brendan Rodgers is the master of this.
How often do we see Charlton allow the opposition to just stroll three quarters of the way into our half before trying to win the ball back? I can' remember the last time an attack of ours broke down and we immediately tried to win the ball back. It's not good enough and we need a manager who will implement this into our team.
I remember after we beat West Ham 3-0 in our relegation from the PL season Alan Pardew said he put together a complication video of all our misses throughout the season to inspire the players to take their chances. I'm sure they probably do it all the time but if they haven't they definitely should. Or an separate video for every player which shows where they've missed or passed the ball backwards or sideways when they could have passed it forward.
I remember after we beat West Ham 3-0 in our relegation from the PL season Alan Pardew said he put together a complication video of all our misses throughout the season to inspire the players to take their chances. I'm sure they probably do it all the time but if they haven't they definitely should. Or an separate video for every player which shows where they've missed or passed the ball backwards or sideways when they could have passed it forward.
Things are so desperate at the moment that I'd like to see a simple shoot on sight policy. If you have enough shots, eventually it will pay off, so long as players are following up to take advantage of any fumbles by the keeper, or if the ball comes back off the post. Frank Lampard has made a career out of doing this and the amount of deflected shots of his that have found the net is remarkable. Simon Church could become our very own Frank Lampard!
I remember after we beat West Ham 3-0 in our relegation from the PL season Alan Pardew said he put together a complication video of all our misses throughout the season to inspire the players to take their chances. I'm sure they probably do it all the time but if they haven't they definitely should. Or an separate video for every player which shows where they've missed or passed the ball backwards or sideways when they could have passed it forward.
Things are so desperate at the moment that I'd like to see a simple shoot on sight policy. If you have enough shots, eventually it will pay off, so long as players are following up to take advantage of any fumbles by the keeper, or if the ball comes back off the post. Frank Lampard has made a career out of doing this and the amount of deflected shots of his that have found the net is remarkable. Simon Church could become our very own Frank Lampard!
Church's shots would run out of energy and grind to a halt well before they reach the goal! We could do with a few piledrivers though, surely one of our defenders should be able to give it some welly.
Comments
Not many are mourning the departure of Stephens simply because Poyet and Ajdarevic appeared in his wake and CAFC have created 10-14 chances per game in about two thirds of the games since end January.
The lack of success in the loan market to replace Kermorgant points to the wrong approach and/or personnel as it appears the budget was there.
Jiminez and Varney (& Powell) signed a lot of players a long time ago but CAFC appears unable to compete in that game today when needed.
Looking forwards we need to stay up and we need to sort player acquisition especially upfront. The new owner is fortunate in that he has acquired one of the best Academies in the division but this source of players needs to be topped up from elsewhere... The reward will be much improved league position and crowds - what's not to like?!
As a footnote the Trust survey showed that the fans are very clear where the blame lies - and that the real problems started last summer when Fuller and Haynes went to be replaced by Sordell and Church. This (and the pitch) can all be fixed by August but the question remains can CAFC secure the right players to build on the 15 already signed on long term deals... Plus Poyet if he stays.
The only thing we can do is lend 100% to the club. Not conditional nor wavering but the type of support we gave Powell when we were two down inside 15 minutes vs Cardiff 18 months ago.
And perhaps Solly reappears to help get us over the line?
For all we know, another error, and perhaps Powell himself was complicit on this occasion, was in the assessment of who it might be possible to secure on loan. Based on what's been in the public domain it appears that money has been available for some good players, Wickham, Best, Williams, Eagles etc., but for one reason or another those players did not want to sign. I'm sure you'll argue that replacements should have been secured before Kermorgant was released, but such timing is not always possible and it may not have been seen as necessary at the time.
I agree entirely that if Duchatelet has been making Football related judgements and decisions, ie. without advice, that would be a concern. I'd expect the Manager to be consulted and for his advice to be listened to, but not to decide. The Manager, understandably, is likely to have a shorter timeframe than the Owner and is conflicted, ie. is only concerned with short term results and not the funding of the Club. The complete failure of the then Board to control Alan Pardew has surely taught us that lesson.
Did You Mean Generator
One could argue he got lucky at Liege but we can do with lucky!
Many have posted that Duchatelet and his advisors have underestimated the Championship in light of the six January arrivals - let us hope that they learn quickly and get player acquisition sorted...Obika arriving suggests a step in the right direction. CAFC survival this season is in the interests of owner, club and fans. After survival comes a squad clear out and we will then really see whether CAFC has the ambition, strategy and executive ability to land the right players to top up the squad.
There will be change on and off the pitch this summer - perhaps reference to Tan is because he too owns 100% of his club and does what he likes.
Personally I think the Charlton fans should adopt a mature approach - praise the good things, suggest consultation and be vocal where there are obvious mistakes being made. Characterisation and graphics can be very useful in communicating to fans but insults or misunderstanding the club direction gives the club every excuse not to engage. For example the Daily Mail made a powerful headline grabbing attack on Charlton which has many convinced that we are a feeder club... Riga has partially disproved this by not playing all six January signings but the proof of the new owner strategy will be this summer. I can wait for that because right now we need to get through April with enough points to ensure we are playing in the Championship next season.
How often do we see Charlton allow the opposition to just stroll three quarters of the way into our half before trying to win the ball back? I can' remember the last time an attack of ours broke down and we immediately tried to win the ball back. It's not good enough and we need a manager who will implement this into our team.