2 seasons on the trot we are 5 or 6 players short of a championship squad. Too many crappy foreigners who no one has ever heard for being brought in, in the hope that one or two may be decent so we can sell on for a profit. Too many crappy players again being brought on the cheap with the hope they are miraculously over their injuries problems.
It's like they are dangling a bit of cheese on a bit of string and every time we get a nibble and want more they move it away again and say fuck you thats your lot for a while. This is not just on the pitch with the squad its off the pitch too, Things like catering was supposed to be all brilliant then 5 minutes later just everyone was enjoying it, it went shit again. Programme sellers disappeared. The £10 voucher for west upper fans who had to be moved was an absolute shambles and even resolving it was a joke.
Pretty bored of it all at the minute.
Only few weeks back that Kashi was the bargain of the season , Big Mc was an idol of the fans all ready shall I go on .........
How many times have we been relegated since they took over?
How many times have we been close to bankruptcy?
How many times have we been evicted from the ground and forced to share the worst stadium in the league?
In the last, say, seventy years, when has the pitch been properly invested in and been in better condition?
Since, say, the war*, when have we had better, realistic, funded, approved plans for training facilities? (Take your pick: Iraq, Falklands, WWII).
We may not be as high up in the football league as most of us want. But without the investment, stability and security that these people have brought to the club, there was always the possibility we wouldn't *be* in the football league.
Then who would we support?
Bloody hell someone with sense on this forum
How do you think we are doing Colin? We have not won an away game since March. We are two points off a relegation spot. Confidence seems at rock bottom. Are you happy with that? Because you seem to find an excuse for everything bad that happens.
For some reason, we changed the way we were playing after the Wolves game. In the opening five games, we played quick passing, direct football and pressed the opposition. We won the ball back high up the pitch and got at the opposition.
From the Rotherham game onwards, we've played sideways-backwards-sideways, before crossing the halfway line and sat off the opposition. Our style of play has changed and it's easily contained. It looks like the players are going through the motions.
Something has happened in the group to change the dynamics. If I didn't know otherwise, I'd guess that the players are not happy with the coach, for whatever reason. It wouldn't be the first time, the dressing room has got the manager/coach the sack.
As ever, an interesting insight.
How much to you believe the lack of certain players or the opposition playing against us in different ways are also factors?
How many times have we been relegated since they took over?
How many times have we been close to bankruptcy?
How many times have we been evicted from the ground and forced to share the worst stadium in the league?
In the last, say, seventy years, when has the pitch been properly invested in and been in better condition?
Since, say, the war*, when have we had better, realistic, funded, approved plans for training facilities? (Take your pick: Iraq, Falklands, WWII).
We may not be as high up in the football league as most of us want. But without the investment, stability and security that these people have brought to the club, there was always the possibility we wouldn't *be* in the football league.
Then who would we support?
I don't go to Charlton to admire the pitch, and whilst I am well aware of the benefits, I'm not that bothered about our training facilities. I've had great enjoyment over the years watching Charlton play on a crap pitch having spent the week training at ramshackle training ground.
We're not going bust - granted.
As for being relegated, that's part of football. I can live with that if we're skint, if people have made mistakes, if we've appointed a manager who we thought would be good but turned out to be terrible, or signed players who weren't as good as they were supposed to be. As long as the ultimate aim was to be the best that we could be, I don't mind if we fail.
Roland seems to aspire to tread water, to muddle through, to achieve mediocrity whilst balancing the books. Difficult to put into words, you either get it or you don't.
Final paragraph sums up the tenure of the Belgians term so far.
He's such a strange man, it's not like he's making money when we are in this division, in fact he's making fairly major losses. Is he hoping his half-arsed playing investment will result in an unlikely promotion? I don't understand his motives at all.
2 seasons on the trot we are 5 or 6 players short of a championship squad. Too many crappy foreigners who no one has ever heard for being brought in, in the hope that one or two may be decent so we can sell on for a profit. Too many crappy players again being brought on the cheap with the hope they are miraculously over their injuries problems.
It's like they are dangling a bit of cheese on a bit of string and every time we get a nibble and want more they move it away again and say fuck you thats your lot for a while. This is not just on the pitch with the squad its off the pitch too, Things like catering was supposed to be all brilliant then 5 minutes later just everyone was enjoying it, it went shit again. Programme sellers disappeared. The £10 voucher for west upper fans who had to be moved was an absolute shambles and even resolving it was a joke.
Pretty bored of it all at the minute.
Only few weeks back that Kashi was the bargain of the season , Big Mc was an idol of the fans all ready shall I go on .........
How many times have we been relegated since they took over?
How many times have we been close to bankruptcy?
How many times have we been evicted from the ground and forced to share the worst stadium in the league?
In the last, say, seventy years, when has the pitch been properly invested in and been in better condition?
Since, say, the war*, when have we had better, realistic, funded, approved plans for training facilities? (Take your pick: Iraq, Falklands, WWII).
We may not be as high up in the football league as most of us want. But without the investment, stability and security that these people have brought to the club, there was always the possibility we wouldn't *be* in the football league.
Then who would we support?
Bloody hell someone with sense on this forum
How do you think we are doing Colin? We have not won an away game since March. We are two points off a relegation spot. Confidence seems at rock bottom. Are you happy with that? Because you seem to find an excuse for everything bad that happens.
I know this will get the usual reaction from Damonorthstand, Darrenflapjack etc etc but Colin has to blindly back Riga, Peters and now Luzon regardless to maintain his belief that Powell was a terrrible manager. CP could do nothing right in his eyes and all his successors can therefore do no wrong.
Clearly injuries to those that can't play and those who carry on playing despite an injury aren't helping us but that was an almost inevitable consequence of having a very thin and very inexperienced (in this league or often anywhere) squad.
If you look at the squad we had at the END of last season there were more players and more experience.
How many times have we been relegated since they took over?
How many times have we been close to bankruptcy?
How many times have we been evicted from the ground and forced to share the worst stadium in the league?
In the last, say, seventy years, when has the pitch been properly invested in and been in better condition?
Since, say, the war*, when have we had better, realistic, funded, approved plans for training facilities? (Take your pick: Iraq, Falklands, WWII).
We may not be as high up in the football league as most of us want. But without the investment, stability and security that these people have brought to the club, there was always the possibility we wouldn't *be* in the football league.
Then who would we support?
I don't go to Charlton to admire the pitch, and whilst I am well aware of the benefits, I'm not that bothered about our training facilities. I've had great enjoyment over the years watching Charlton play on a crap pitch having spent the week training at ramshackle training ground.
We're not going bust - granted.
As for being relegated, that's part of football. I can live with that if we're skint, if people have made mistakes, if we've appointed a manager who we thought would be good but turned out to be terrible, or signed players who weren't as good as they were supposed to be. As long as the ultimate aim was to be the best that we could be, I don't mind if we fail.
Roland seems to aspire to tread water, to muddle through, to achieve mediocrity whilst balancing the books. Difficult to put into words, you either get it or you don't.
Final paragraph sums up the tenure of the Belgians term so far.
He's such a strange man, it's not like he's making money when we are in this division, in fact he's making fairly major losses. Is he hoping his half-arsed playing investment will result in an unlikely promotion? I don't understand his motives at all.
I fancy the next set of audited accounts will tell us more. He hasn't lost money yet as the club is afloat by loans from staprix? As many of us said from day 1 though football success is clearly not an aim perhaps beyond staying up.
The club is not what it used to be and it does not feel quite the same.
I'm not sure what this means? If you go back in history we have had some very dodgy owners, that I did not want running our club (Slater and Jimenez being the last encumbents). I like the view that Roland has that a football club is an integral part of the community, almost replacing religion, where familiar faces turn up to watch games. He has shown that he is in for the long term, investing in the pitch and the training ground. I know that things are not going right on the pitch at the moment, I should do, I've been to every league game, home and away. People on CL seem to swing violently from ecstatically enthusiastic about what's going on, to RD and KM out you are ruining our club. Take a longer term view, even if the ride ahead may be a little bumpy.
Colin - TWELVE??????? OK I've got Mak, Hendo, JJ, Celebbos, Reza, C-Cook, Igor that's 7 of which JJ, Reza and C-Cook were not starters when fit but who are the other five and how is it Colin that you know so much more than the rest of us. Pray do tell
Big Mak should never have played against Huddersfield, he aggravated his hamstring injury and has since missed 3 games, playing Sarr upfront would have been a better option as a target man. Playing unfit players just goes to show the squad is not big enough and that is down to the people at the top. "Building a Better Tomorrow Together" slogan now seems as apt as Ed's Tombstone. Just remember the old saying Tomorrow Never Comes
The writing was on the wall from the start of the season with the thin squad. No pace on the wings, lack of a creative midfield, weakness at left midfield, no cover at right back, apart from inexperienced Cook or one of Charlton's best midfielder, Cousins. The lack of a decent additional striker, doesn't allow for strikers to recover properly from injury. The lack of striking options last season led to Vetekele being played when injured. This season this has forced Vetekele to be played before fully able to recover fitness and form and similar aggravation of Makienok's injury at Huddersfield. The squad contains some quality but is overall not strong enough for a competitive Championship season.
The writing was on the wall from the start of the season with the thin squad. No pace on the wings, lack of a creative midfield, weakness at left midfield, no cover at right back, apart from inexperienced Cook or one of Charlton's best midfielder, Cousins. The lack of a decent additional striker, doesn't allow for strikers to recover properly from injury. The lack of striking options last season led to Vetekele being played when injured. The lack of strikers this season has forced Vetekele to be played before fully able to recover fitness and form. The aggravation of Makienok's injury at Huddersfield similar. The squad contains some quailty but is overall not strong enough for a competitive Championship season.
Ah but we should be grateful because the Belgian hasn't relegated us or had a financial crisis yet. And the pitch oh the pitch !!!
The writing was on the wall from the start of the season with the thin squad. No pace on the wings, lack of a creative midfield, weakness at left midfield, no cover at right back, apart from inexperienced Cook or one of Charlton's best midfielder, Cousins. The lack of a decent additional striker, doesn't allow for strikers to recover properly from injury. The lack of striking options last season led to Vetekele being played when injured. The lack of strikers this season has forced Vetekele to be played before fully able to recover fitness and form. The aggravation of Makienok's injury at Huddersfield similar. The squad contains some quailty but is overall not strong enough for a competitive Championship season.
And not only do you know that and I know that but Luzon knows that.
The writing was on the wall from the start of the season with the thin squad. No pace on the wings, lack of a creative midfield, weakness at left midfield, no cover at right back, apart from inexperienced Cook or one of Charlton's best midfielder, Cousins. The lack of a decent additional striker, doesn't allow for strikers to recover properly from injury. The lack of striking options last season led to Vetekele being played when injured. The lack of strikers this season has forced Vetekele to be played before fully able to recover fitness and form. The aggravation of Makienok's injury at Huddersfield similar. The squad contains some quailty but is overall not strong enough for a competitive Championship season.
And not only do you know that and I know that but Luzon knows that.
I suspect Miere knows that too.
Whats the reasoning behind having a consistently under strength squad ? Particularly where it doesn't help assets retain their value - such as Vetekele, who has gone back wards from a good start at the club. Its a real flaw in the strategy. Maybe someone can reason it out as it doesn't make a lot of sense to me.
It is not twelve Colin, stop making things up to suit your agenda. Don't say Solly or Watt as they both played on Saturday. Players injured or suspended are Henderson, Diarra, Reza, Vetokele, Jackson, Charles-Cook,Makionek, Caballos,that is EIGHT. Who are the other four players?
How many times have we been relegated since they took over?
How many times have we been close to bankruptcy?
How many times have we been evicted from the ground and forced to share the worst stadium in the league?
In the last, say, seventy years, when has the pitch been properly invested in and been in better condition?
Since, say, the war*, when have we had better, realistic, funded, approved plans for training facilities? (Take your pick: Iraq, Falklands, WWII).
We may not be as high up in the football league as most of us want. But without the investment, stability and security that these people have brought to the club, there was always the possibility we wouldn't *be* in the football league.
Then who would we support?
Things could be worse, so nothing can be criticised. Helpful attitude that.
No one said nothing should be criticised but surely as a discussion site an alternative point should be allowed.
How many times have we been relegated since they took over?
How many times have we been close to bankruptcy?
How many times have we been evicted from the ground and forced to share the worst stadium in the league?
In the last, say, seventy years, when has the pitch been properly invested in and been in better condition?
Since, say, the war*, when have we had better, realistic, funded, approved plans for training facilities? (Take your pick: Iraq, Falklands, WWII).
We may not be as high up in the football league as most of us want. But without the investment, stability and security that these people have brought to the club, there was always the possibility we wouldn't *be* in the football league.
Then who would we support?
Things could be worse, so nothing can be criticised. Helpful attitude that.
No one said nothing should be criticised but surely as a discussion site an alternative point should be allowed.
Jesus Christ. Who's not allowing anything? Point at the bit where I said that his point wasn't allowed. And the thing is, there is no alternative point there. Shrugging and saying 'could be worse' is not an alternative view, it's the exact opposite, it's avoiding the issue entirely
How many times have we been relegated since they took over?
How many times have we been close to bankruptcy?
How many times have we been evicted from the ground and forced to share the worst stadium in the league?
In the last, say, seventy years, when has the pitch been properly invested in and been in better condition?
Since, say, the war*, when have we had better, realistic, funded, approved plans for training facilities? (Take your pick: Iraq, Falklands, WWII).
We may not be as high up in the football league as most of us want. But without the investment, stability and security that these people have brought to the club, there was always the possibility we wouldn't *be* in the football league.
Then who would we support?
I don't go to Charlton to admire the pitch, and whilst I am well aware of the benefits, I'm not that bothered about our training facilities. I've had great enjoyment over the years watching Charlton play on a crap pitch having spent the week training at ramshackle training ground.
We're not going bust - granted.
As for being relegated, that's part of football. I can live with that if we're skint, if people have made mistakes, if we've appointed a manager who we thought would be good but turned out to be terrible, or signed players who weren't as good as they were supposed to be. As long as the ultimate aim was to be the best that we could be, I don't mind if we fail.
Roland seems to aspire to tread water, to muddle through, to achieve mediocrity whilst balancing the books. Difficult to put into words, you either get it or you don't.
Final paragraph sums up the tenure of the Belgians term so far.
He's such a strange man, it's not like he's making money when we are in this division, in fact he's making fairly major losses. Is he hoping his half-arsed playing investment will result in an unlikely promotion? I don't understand his motives at all.
I fancy the next set of audited accounts will tell us more. He hasn't lost money yet as the club is afloat by loans from staprix? As many of us said from day 1 though football success is clearly not an aim perhaps beyond staying up.
I agree, the next publication of financial accounts will be very interesting.
How many times have we been relegated since they took over?
How many times have we been close to bankruptcy?
How many times have we been evicted from the ground and forced to share the worst stadium in the league?
In the last, say, seventy years, when has the pitch been properly invested in and been in better condition?
Since, say, the war*, when have we had better, realistic, funded, approved plans for training facilities? (Take your pick: Iraq, Falklands, WWII).
We may not be as high up in the football league as most of us want. But without the investment, stability and security that these people have brought to the club, there was always the possibility we wouldn't *be* in the football league.
Then who would we support?
I don't go to Charlton to admire the pitch, and whilst I am well aware of the benefits, I'm not that bothered about our training facilities. I've had great enjoyment over the years watching Charlton play on a crap pitch having spent the week training at ramshackle training ground.
We're not going bust - granted.
As for being relegated, that's part of football. I can live with that if we're skint, if people have made mistakes, if we've appointed a manager who we thought would be good but turned out to be terrible, or signed players who weren't as good as they were supposed to be. As long as the ultimate aim was to be the best that we could be, I don't mind if we fail.
Roland seems to aspire to tread water, to muddle through, to achieve mediocrity whilst balancing the books. Difficult to put into words, you either get it or you don't.
Final paragraph sums up the tenure of the Belgians term so far.
He's such a strange man, it's not like he's making money when we are in this division, in fact he's making fairly major losses. Is he hoping his half-arsed playing investment will result in an unlikely promotion? I don't understand his motives at all.
I fancy the next set of audited accounts will tell us more. He hasn't lost money yet as the club is afloat by loans from staprix? As many of us said from day 1 though football success is clearly not an aim perhaps beyond staying up.
I agree, the next publication of financial accounts will be very interesting.
The writing was on the wall from the start of the season with the thin squad. No pace on the wings, lack of a creative midfield, weakness at left midfield, no cover at right back, apart from inexperienced Cook or one of Charlton's best midfielder, Cousins. The lack of a decent additional striker, doesn't allow for strikers to recover properly from injury. The lack of striking options last season led to Vetekele being played when injured. The lack of strikers this season has forced Vetekele to be played before fully able to recover fitness and form. The aggravation of Makienok's injury at Huddersfield similar. The squad contains some quailty but is overall not strong enough for a competitive Championship season.
And not only do you know that and I know that but Luzon knows that.
I suspect Miere knows that too.
Whats the reasoning behind having a consistently under strength squad ? Particularly where it doesn't help assets retain their value - such as Vetekele, who has gone back wards from a good start at the club. Its a real flaw in the plan.
We don't know.
KM has said that RD believes that football clubs can be run in a different way ie not losing money. Originally that was based on the "network" producing savings but that proved to be full of flaws, costly flaws too, and no longer really exists or is mentioned by the club.
Financial Fair Play (FFP) was going to reduce other clubs' spending so we were competing on a slightly more level playing field. That has been blown away with clubs being allowed to overspend by £13m per season rather than £0m.
So RD sets a budget and we have to stick to it.
Only we don't as KM has already said we have gone over it and we would have gone further over if we'd had to pay the fee and wages from James Henry. Yet that money earmarked for Henry hasn't been spent elsewhere. Instead we have McAleny who I suspect was a much cheaper option but was still bought in after KM said we were over budget.
And that is over RDs budget NOT over the FFP limits. RD could spend more but chooses not to.
His money and his decision and I do believe that money isn't the only answer. Coaching, tactics, experience, leadership, team spirit, fitness, luck, all play a part but if other clubs are spending much more than they are likely to have more and better players with all those qualities. Especially if they have better contacts in English football and are so better able to find quality loans/deals.
The argument being made by some now is that this isn't our year and that we are building for next season or even the season after that. I haven't seen this said by KM or RD but it is a convenient rationalisation for not doing well this year. Only it doesn't work like that.
This would be fine if there was evidence of building a squad over those 2 or 3 seasons but that isn't the case. The turnover of players is large and often it is the first teamers that are leaving (Gomez, Buyens, Johnson, Bulot, Eagles) that leave.
So every season we start again. We've also started each of the last three seasons under RD with a different head coach and that's not counting Riga who never even got that far.
How can you plan long term and build stability when the likelihood is that there will be yet another head coach. A mid-table finishing position and demands to raise a set amount of money means that it is all change every summer?
RD is investing long term in Sparrows Lane and that is great but the new training ground won't be ready until just before the 2017/8 season. A decent pitch is a minimum requirement not a nice to have extra BTW.
We're producing good young players. But when they come into the team now it is too often in a struggling side. And rather than one young player slotting into an experienced side it is four or five playing because that all we have not because they are ready. And remember nearly all those players were with the club long before Roland.
The plan doesn't make sense and while people guess like to guess what it is or look for the positives (and there are positives) this whole situation could easily fixed.
RD and KM could tell us what the plan is and how it is going to work. That simple.
"You've got no right to know" "It's his club, he can do what he likes" "You put £££££ in and then you can know" will be the predictable and meaningless responses.
If KM wants to "build a better tomorrow together" then she and RD need to focus on the "together" bit. Try taking a leaf out of the Palace Chairman's book (and he's only doing what CAFC did years before) and try selling what you are doing to fans, tell us what you are doing, answer the difficult questions, explain, explain, explain.
Create a buzz about the club and its future, don't just expect all the fans to sit passively wanting for success.
It's not another meaningless "town hall" meeting she needs to worry about. That was all wind and noise. The real threats are the silent decisions to not renew that season ticket, to not bother with the shirt sponsorship or the lounge pass. Once those fans have stopped it is much, much harder than you think to get them back. That means less income, more empty seats and a lower budget and so the downward spiral continues.
2 seasons on the trot we are 5 or 6 players short of a championship squad. Too many crappy foreigners who no one has ever heard for being brought in, in the hope that one or two may be decent so we can sell on for a profit. Too many crappy players again being brought on the cheap with the hope they are miraculously over their injuries problems.
It's like they are dangling a bit of cheese on a bit of string and every time we get a nibble and want more they move it away again and say fuck you thats your lot for a while. This is not just on the pitch with the squad its off the pitch too, Things like catering was supposed to be all brilliant then 5 minutes later just everyone was enjoying it, it went shit again. Programme sellers disappeared. The £10 voucher for west upper fans who had to be moved was an absolute shambles and even resolving it was a joke.
Pretty bored of it all at the minute.
Only few weeks back that Kashi was the bargain of the season , Big Mc was an idol of the fans all ready shall I go on .........
How many times have we been relegated since they took over?
How many times have we been close to bankruptcy?
How many times have we been evicted from the ground and forced to share the worst stadium in the league?
In the last, say, seventy years, when has the pitch been properly invested in and been in better condition?
Since, say, the war*, when have we had better, realistic, funded, approved plans for training facilities? (Take your pick: Iraq, Falklands, WWII).
We may not be as high up in the football league as most of us want. But without the investment, stability and security that these people have brought to the club, there was always the possibility we wouldn't *be* in the football league.
Then who would we support?
Bloody hell someone with sense on this forum
How do you think we are doing Colin? We have not won an away game since March. We are two points off a relegation spot. Confidence seems at rock bottom. Are you happy with that? Because you seem to find an excuse for everything bad that happens.
2 seasons on the trot we are 5 or 6 players short of a championship squad. Too many crappy foreigners who no one has ever heard for being brought in, in the hope that one or two may be decent so we can sell on for a profit. Too many crappy players again being brought on the cheap with the hope they are miraculously over their injuries problems.
It's like they are dangling a bit of cheese on a bit of string and every time we get a nibble and want more they move it away again and say fuck you thats your lot for a while. This is not just on the pitch with the squad its off the pitch too, Things like catering was supposed to be all brilliant then 5 minutes later just everyone was enjoying it, it went shit again. Programme sellers disappeared. The £10 voucher for west upper fans who had to be moved was an absolute shambles and even resolving it was a joke.
Pretty bored of it all at the minute.
Only few weeks back that Kashi was the bargain of the season , Big Mc was an idol of the fans all ready shall I go on .........
How many times have we been relegated since they took over?
How many times have we been close to bankruptcy?
How many times have we been evicted from the ground and forced to share the worst stadium in the league?
In the last, say, seventy years, when has the pitch been properly invested in and been in better condition?
Since, say, the war*, when have we had better, realistic, funded, approved plans for training facilities? (Take your pick: Iraq, Falklands, WWII).
We may not be as high up in the football league as most of us want. But without the investment, stability and security that these people have brought to the club, there was always the possibility we wouldn't *be* in the football league.
Then who would we support?
Bloody hell someone with sense on this forum
How do you think we are doing Colin? We have not won an away game since March. We are two points off a relegation spot. Confidence seems at rock bottom. Are you happy with that? Because you seem to find an excuse for everything bad that happens.
We as Supporters as fast becoming the THFC of the championship. Win a game and it's all glory glory.... Lose and its sack the board, manager, players, tea lady etc...!!!!!
We as Supporters as fast becoming the THFC of the championship. Win a game and it's all glory glory.... Lose and its sack the board, manager, players, tea lady etc...!!!!!
I tend to agree that there is over reaction both ways although it is more than one defeat now.
And I haven't seen much sack the board or manager yet.
We as Supporters as fast becoming the THFC of the championship. Win a game and it's all glory glory.... Lose and its sack the board, manager, players, tea lady etc...!!!!!
That is not true. The questions that are asked have been asked from day 1 of the Belgian's ownership.
When the OP stated "this is not just on the pitch with the squad its off the pitch too" I think he means things such as the prevention of Upper West ticket holders from using the lift from the West Stand reception to gain access to their seats. Many of whom have had lift passes for years. However access was via new 'Vista Lounge' and they obviously don't want people walking through this lounge.
The club has given the reason for the withdrawal of this service as being on grounds of health and safety and the evacuation of people in the event of an emergency. Yet they told these people to use the service lift instead which is far more dangerous. I believe that people are having to move elsewhere in the stadium and people get used to sitting in a particular seat and many make friends with those around them. Health & safety has never been an issue before and I think this is an appalling way to treat fans who have supported the club for many years.
The OP also mentions the catering which was supposed to be far superior under Delaware North. I personally don't think it is any better and in fact we are paying more each year and getting less. We used to have mints with our coffee, biscuits at half time and a plate of sandwiches at full time but those were withdrawn and we get only a piece of cake at full time. We used to have a choice of meat, now there is no choice and you could have either a dessert OR cheese and biscuits. This year the cheese and biscuits have been withdrawn. Small things I know, but to me they are penny pinching.
Failure to give the Manager a squad with depth will affect attendances as well. No-one wants to watch a team which is struggling and certainly doesn't enhance the match day experience. If our owner spent a bit more to give the squad depth in the event of injuries, then the feel good factor of a winning team would return, attendances would increase and he might even gain the riches that promotion to the Premier League would give him.
We as Supporters as fast becoming the THFC of the championship. Win a game and it's all glory glory.... Lose and its sack the board, manager, players, tea lady etc...!!!!!
That is not true. The questions that are asked have been asked from day 1 of the Belgian's ownership.
Questions that good as disappeared whilst we were winning during Rigas heroics, Peeters early reign, GLs 'bounce' and start to this season
Comments
How much to you believe the lack of certain players or the opposition playing against us in different ways are also factors?
I don't understand his motives at all.
Clearly injuries to those that can't play and those who carry on playing despite an injury aren't helping us but that was an almost inevitable consequence of having a very thin and very inexperienced (in this league or often anywhere) squad.
If you look at the squad we had at the END of last season there were more players and more experience.
As many of us said from day 1 though football success is clearly not an aim perhaps beyond staying up.
OK I've got Mak, Hendo, JJ, Celebbos, Reza, C-Cook, Igor
that's 7 of which JJ, Reza and C-Cook were not starters when fit but who are the other five and how is it Colin that you know so much more than the rest of us.
Pray do tell
I suspect Miere knows that too.
KM has said that RD believes that football clubs can be run in a different way ie not losing money. Originally that was based on the "network" producing savings but that proved to be full of flaws, costly flaws too, and no longer really exists or is mentioned by the club.
Financial Fair Play (FFP) was going to reduce other clubs' spending so we were competing on a slightly more level playing field. That has been blown away with clubs being allowed to overspend by £13m per season rather than £0m.
So RD sets a budget and we have to stick to it.
Only we don't as KM has already said we have gone over it and we would have gone further over if we'd had to pay the fee and wages from James Henry. Yet that money earmarked for Henry hasn't been spent elsewhere. Instead we have McAleny who I suspect was a much cheaper option but was still bought in after KM said we were over budget.
And that is over RDs budget NOT over the FFP limits. RD could spend more but chooses not to.
His money and his decision and I do believe that money isn't the only answer. Coaching, tactics, experience, leadership, team spirit, fitness, luck, all play a part but if other clubs are spending much more than they are likely to have more and better players with all those qualities. Especially if they have better contacts in English football and are so better able to find quality loans/deals.
The argument being made by some now is that this isn't our year and that we are building for next season or even the season after that. I haven't seen this said by KM or RD but it is a convenient rationalisation for not doing well this year. Only it doesn't work like that.
This would be fine if there was evidence of building a squad over those 2 or 3 seasons but that isn't the case. The turnover of players is large and often it is the first teamers that are leaving (Gomez, Buyens, Johnson, Bulot, Eagles) that leave.
So every season we start again. We've also started each of the last three seasons under RD with a different head coach and that's not counting Riga who never even got that far.
How can you plan long term and build stability when the likelihood is that there will be yet another head coach. A mid-table finishing position and demands to raise a set amount of money means that it is all change every summer?
RD is investing long term in Sparrows Lane and that is great but the new training ground won't be ready until just before the 2017/8 season. A decent pitch is a minimum requirement not a nice to have extra BTW.
We're producing good young players. But when they come into the team now it is too often in a struggling side. And rather than one young player slotting into an experienced side it is four or five playing because that all we have not because they are ready. And remember nearly all those players were with the club long before Roland.
The plan doesn't make sense and while people guess like to guess what it is or look for the positives (and there are positives) this whole situation could easily fixed.
RD and KM could tell us what the plan is and how it is going to work. That simple.
"You've got no right to know" "It's his club, he can do what he likes" "You put £££££ in and then you can know" will be the predictable and meaningless responses.
If KM wants to "build a better tomorrow together" then she and RD need to focus on the "together" bit. Try taking a leaf out of the Palace Chairman's book (and he's only doing what CAFC did years before) and try selling what you are doing to fans, tell us what you are doing, answer the difficult questions, explain, explain, explain.
Create a buzz about the club and its future, don't just expect all the fans to sit passively wanting for success.
It's not another meaningless "town hall" meeting she needs to worry about. That was all wind and noise. The real threats are the silent decisions to not renew that season ticket, to not bother with the shirt sponsorship or the lounge pass. Once those fans have stopped it is much, much harder than you think to get them back. That means less income, more empty seats and a lower budget and so the downward spiral continues.
And I haven't seen much sack the board or manager yet.
That tea lady though, she's got to go.
Many of whom have had lift passes for years. However access was via new 'Vista Lounge' and they obviously don't want people walking through this lounge.
The club has given the reason for the withdrawal of this service as being on grounds of health and safety and the evacuation of people in the event of an emergency. Yet they told these people to use the service lift instead which is far more dangerous. I believe that people are having to move elsewhere in the stadium and people get used to sitting in a particular seat and many make friends with those around them. Health & safety has never been an issue before and I think this is an appalling way to treat fans who have supported the club for many years.
The OP also mentions the catering which was supposed to be far superior under Delaware North. I personally don't think it is any better and in fact we are paying more each year and getting less. We used to have mints with our coffee, biscuits at half time and a plate of sandwiches at full time but those were withdrawn and we get only a piece of cake at full time. We used to have a choice of meat, now there is no choice and you could have either a dessert OR cheese and biscuits. This year the cheese and biscuits have been withdrawn. Small things I know, but to me they are penny pinching.
Failure to give the Manager a squad with depth will affect attendances as well. No-one wants to watch a team which is struggling and certainly doesn't enhance the match day experience. If our owner spent a bit more to give the squad depth in the event of injuries, then the feel good factor of a winning team would return, attendances would increase and he might even gain the riches that promotion to the Premier League would give him.
so many selective memories