I'm sure it's all been said by others but that really was an atrocious and hugely dispiriting performance. Oldham were very limited but they were by far the better side on the night and Charlton were very fortunate to take a point. If the game had gone on for another five minutes, we would probably have lost, such was the collective collapse in energy and spirit.
We defended ok - especially as the ball kept coming back time after time - and, as usual, Holmes showed some touches of class. The central midfield was, however, exceptionally poor - as it has been in most games this season. We lack any semblance of creativity (other than from our wingers) and, to compound matters, our players don't have the speed and energy to close down and press the opposition. We knew there would be a Jordan Cousins size hole in our midfield, but I didn't expect it to be quite so big. Our approach now when the opposition have the ball is to to scurry back nervously to within 30 yards of our goal.
It may be a little harsh on Ulvestad, who's only been here a month, but I think this is the worst central midfield I have seen at Charlton in nearly 50 years. Even in those couple of mediocre seasons in the early 70s when we languished in Division 3, we had players who could pass the ball and play to some sort of pattern. Ditto under Parky.
I don't know what the answer is, other than for Slade and his coaching team to try and instil some kind of coherent tactical approach; last night, it looked as if most of that team had never been introduced, let alone played together before. As to personnel, should we not be giving players like Regan Charles-Cook and Aribo a game in the Checkatrade Cup to see if they might be able to step up ? We don't know what the position is with Ba, but is he now completely beyond the pale and incapable of performing at League 1 level ? We've got to pay the blighter until January at least, so may as well try and get some use out of him if it is at all viable.
12 points and only 2 wins from 10 games is a poor return and, unfortunately, things seem to be getting worse, not better. It's not Slade's fault that a large chunk of the budget is being consumed by subsidising the wages of players on loan and buying off the contracts of others, like Bergdich; likewise, he has been handicapped by Duchatelet's obsession with trying to run a squad with as few players as possible and recruiting at the last minute. Be that as it may, we have paid significant transfer fees for four players (which is four more than practically every other club in League 1) and this group of players should, on any objective view, be doing substantially better than they are.
It's far too early to talk about replacing Slade, although that is likely to come to pass if we go into the New Year anywhere near the bottom 4. Whatever his shortcomings, he was presumably the most credible manager we could attract last summer, given Charlton's shocking reputation in the world of football. That being so, it's likely to prove even harder to get someone decent in if Slade is sacked. We desperately need an upturn in performance, not least because the failure of this appointment will only reinforce Duchatelet's belief in short term, low grade and cheap coaches.
The pressure is now well and truly on and I don't expect it to get any easier on Saturday against Rochdale. Keith Hill's teams like to pass the ball and I think our weaknesses have been well and truly sussed out by other teams in this division.
At best we have a mediocre squad, largely due to the financial restraints imposed on Brussell by You Know Who but compounded by a manager who hasn't set the world alight thus far.
We have to challenge the game plan of the gaffer from minute 1 to minutes 90+. We have to believe that his aim is to gain 3 points from every home game but his substitutions regularly mean that we question his "goal".
Teaching my grandmother to suck eggs wasn't something I planned to do but FFS, our midfield is sorely lacking in skill, pace, character & just about everything else you can think of. Sadly, even I have to believe that JJ's legs are best kept "on ice" in readiness for a last throw of the dice from the bench.
Why have a player on the bench & not bring him on who, basically is unknown to other L1 teams & who has given glimpses of what he COULD do to change a game ...and I don't mean Rojo.
I wonder what the team spirit is like behind the scenes - have the members bonded? Are they " a unit" ? Does the gaffer inspire confidence ? Is he inspirational ? SO many questions.
Finally, how many of us could have written the script tonight ?
If we can't beat teams like Oldham ( no offence meant) at The Valley then I see little hope for this season. We know as far as the squad is concerned, we have what we have until January. And as I'm sure others have pointed out before my post, if we sacked RS, who the hell would want to join our version of Ringling Brothers ? So, where do we go from here ?
More than ever, at this moment in time, I am numb. I didn't enjoy one minute of tonight's game...I was bored / disinterested/ distracted/ angry throughout the 90 minutes - something I don't believe I have ever felt at a Charlton match before & it breaks my heart to admit this.
Whatever it takes, WE HAVE TO GET OUR CLUB BACK before the disease that threatens its very existence becomes terminal. We are not yet at rock bottom but the speed & manner of our decline is frightening. Sadly, until we are rid of this toxic regime, I see no future.
" Just sell our club, our famous football club " !
Who could argue with your sentiments, Fanny.
The big question must be, even if RD and his circus did throw in the towel, who, in their right minds is going to buy this sinking ship?
So many folk feel the same as you and tonight I cannot express my frustration and anger in words but, for myself, I cannot see investors queuing up to take up the poisoned chalice. The fans should have or need to come up with something better than, 'Sell the Club and do one' - they need to attract a buyer and the way things are going, that will not be easy.
If you were a potential investor and you saw the way the Club has been brought to its knees by fans voting with their feet and killing revenue/income streams so aggressively and so early in the tenure of the owners, would you not be deeply concerned that the same might happen to you as the new owner?
But surely it was only a matter of weeks ago that question was posed & unless I've been hallucinating again ( only 2 wines last night- should have been more!) I believe Airman indicated that a certain investor was still interested....and the front man of such will be only too aware of why the fans are protesting. He , and others, should be aware of the history of these fans in their ability & willingness to help bring our famous club back from the brink - something the current regime will NEVER understand.
And are you honestly saying it's the fans that should " attract a buyer " ? The fans are the responsible ones that are bringing the disaster that's our club to the public/media's attention by their actions which have not been taken lightly. Would you rather we all sit on our hands , gaffer tape our mouths & watch whilst our football club goes to the dogs ?
ANY investor worth his salt will already know, or should make it his/her job to scratch below the current, toxic surface, that Addicks are a very special breed of supporters- resilient, loyal in the extreme & fiercely proud of their football club WHEN they are respected & not treated like idiots. We have been part of the CAFC team & will be so again but each week/month/year that passes by under KM /RD will make the recovery more difficult & prolonged.
The regime should remember there is no "i" in team but seemingly, their spelling, like their raison d'etre is flawed in the extreme.
Hi, Fanny I'm probably on the wrong website here since it is has such strong support for C.A.R.D but I too would like to see new owners - moreso a new C.E.O, tbh as I am told that Roland has put a lot of money into the Club and the squad last season compared to this is chalk from cheese in quality which reflects the relegation and the lost revenue from ticket and merchandising.
My comment on the fans attracting investment was based on the reducing numbers at each game and how that may cheapen the value of the Club which may, in turn, affect the price Roland is offered by potential investors/buyers against the price he would expect to realise - this scenario might make it even more difficult for Roland to walk in the shorter term if the loss is too considerable to write off. He may take the view that the wins will start to come and they'll revitalise the Club from within and with himself at the helm.
Katrien has to go, imho, as she has shown that she is simply not up to the task.
If we are to be bought then please let it be by someone who has proper money and not a strung-together consortium who promise a return to the halcyon days yet do not have the depth of pockets to actually deliver - that would be simply out of the frying pan and into the fire.
I would not have any problem with a Russian Oligarch or an Arab Sheikh coming up with hard cash and a clear vision of where they want to take the Club and the level of commitment they are prepared to make to achieve it.
The drop in central revenue (TV, PL solidarity money) is vastly more than the forfeited commercial revenue. That has nothing to do with the fans, it is only about the failure on the pitch.
The amount being spent on the missing seven is also likely to exceed the difference in other commercial revenue. That has nothing to do with the fans either.
The cut in the remaining football budget has much more to do with these factors than how many people are attending matches. That's just maths.
Which is why, although I entirely understand people boycotting home games, replica kits etc, I'm not sure that the empty home stands will actually make that much of a difference to whether Rolands sells or stays.
But IF, and it's a big if, say 2-3,000 of the regulars would agree to boycott one match to start with, wouldn't this make the papers/Sky Sports, BBC SE news etc ?
A drop from the published attendances at The Valley by such a number in one fell swoop could be another nail in RD/KM's coffin ( We want to be togevver!) regardless of the minimal loss of income.
" What is happening at CAFC ? There must be something seriously amiss when loyal fans desert The Valley en masse !"
Pride comes before a fall, Roly, old man ....
The club would issue thousands of comps in response to a planned boycott and enough tourists would come to make it a non-story, even if you could get enough ST holders to participate.
At best we have a mediocre squad, largely due to the financial restraints imposed on Brussell by You Know Who but compounded by a manager who hasn't set the world alight thus far.
We have to challenge the game plan of the gaffer from minute 1 to minutes 90+. We have to believe that his aim is to gain 3 points from every home game but his substitutions regularly mean that we question his "goal".
Teaching my grandmother to suck eggs wasn't something I planned to do but FFS, our midfield is sorely lacking in skill, pace, character & just about everything else you can think of. Sadly, even I have to believe that JJ's legs are best kept "on ice" in readiness for a last throw of the dice from the bench.
Why have a player on the bench & not bring him on who, basically is unknown to other L1 teams & who has given glimpses of what he COULD do to change a game ...and I don't mean Rojo.
I wonder what the team spirit is like behind the scenes - have the members bonded? Are they " a unit" ? Does the gaffer inspire confidence ? Is he inspirational ? SO many questions.
Finally, how many of us could have written the script tonight ?
If we can't beat teams like Oldham ( no offence meant) at The Valley then I see little hope for this season. We know as far as the squad is concerned, we have what we have until January. And as I'm sure others have pointed out before my post, if we sacked RS, who the hell would want to join our version of Ringling Brothers ? So, where do we go from here ?
More than ever, at this moment in time, I am numb. I didn't enjoy one minute of tonight's game...I was bored / disinterested/ distracted/ angry throughout the 90 minutes - something I don't believe I have ever felt at a Charlton match before & it breaks my heart to admit this.
Whatever it takes, WE HAVE TO GET OUR CLUB BACK before the disease that threatens its very existence becomes terminal. We are not yet at rock bottom but the speed & manner of our decline is frightening. Sadly, until we are rid of this toxic regime, I see no future.
" Just sell our club, our famous football club " !
Who could argue with your sentiments, Fanny.
The big question must be, even if RD and his circus did throw in the towel, who, in their right minds is going to buy this sinking ship?
So many folk feel the same as you and tonight I cannot express my frustration and anger in words but, for myself, I cannot see investors queuing up to take up the poisoned chalice. The fans should have or need to come up with something better than, 'Sell the Club and do one' - they need to attract a buyer and the way things are going, that will not be easy.
If you were a potential investor and you saw the way the Club has been brought to its knees by fans voting with their feet and killing revenue/income streams so aggressively and so early in the tenure of the owners, would you not be deeply concerned that the same might happen to you as the new owner?
But surely it was only a matter of weeks ago that question was posed & unless I've been hallucinating again ( only 2 wines last night- should have been more!) I believe Airman indicated that a certain investor was still interested....and the front man of such will be only too aware of why the fans are protesting. He , and others, should be aware of the history of these fans in their ability & willingness to help bring our famous club back from the brink - something the current regime will NEVER understand.
And are you honestly saying it's the fans that should " attract a buyer " ? The fans are the responsible ones that are bringing the disaster that's our club to the public/media's attention by their actions which have not been taken lightly. Would you rather we all sit on our hands , gaffer tape our mouths & watch whilst our football club goes to the dogs ?
ANY investor worth his salt will already know, or should make it his/her job to scratch below the current, toxic surface, that Addicks are a very special breed of supporters- resilient, loyal in the extreme & fiercely proud of their football club WHEN they are respected & not treated like idiots. We have been part of the CAFC team & will be so again but each week/month/year that passes by under KM /RD will make the recovery more difficult & prolonged.
The regime should remember there is no "i" in team but seemingly, their spelling, like their raison d'etre is flawed in the extreme.
Hi, Fanny I'm probably on the wrong website here since it is has such strong support for C.A.R.D but I too would like to see new owners - moreso a new C.E.O, tbh as I am told that Roland has put a lot of money into the Club and the squad last season compared to this is chalk from cheese in quality which reflects the relegation and the lost revenue from ticket and merchandising.
My comment on the fans attracting investment was based on the reducing numbers at each game and how that may cheapen the value of the Club which may, in turn, affect the price Roland is offered by potential investors/buyers against the price he would expect to realise - this scenario might make it even more difficult for Roland to walk in the shorter term if the loss is too considerable to write off. He may take the view that the wins will start to come and they'll revitalise the Club from within and with himself at the helm.
Katrien has to go, imho, as she has shown that she is simply not up to the task.
If we are to be bought then please let it be by someone who has proper money and not a strung-together consortium who promise a return to the halcyon days yet do not have the depth of pockets to actually deliver - that would be simply out of the frying pan and into the fire.
I would not have any problem with a Russian Oligarch or an Arab Sheikh coming up with hard cash and a clear vision of where they want to take the Club and the level of commitment they are prepared to make to achieve it.
The drop in central revenue (TV, PL solidarity money) is vastly more than the forfeited commercial revenue. That has nothing to do with the fans, it is only about the failure on the pitch.
The amount being spent on the missing seven is also likely to exceed the difference in other commercial revenue. That has nothing to do with the fans either.
The cut in the remaining football budget has much more to do with these factors than how many people are attending matches. That's just maths.
Which is why, although I entirely understand people boycotting home games, replica kits etc, I'm not sure that the empty home stands will actually make that much of a difference to whether Rolands sells or stays.
But IF, and it's a big if, say 2-3,000 of the regulars would agree to boycott one match to start with, wouldn't this make the papers/Sky Sports, BBC SE news etc ?
A drop from the published attendances at The Valley by such a number in one fell swoop could be another nail in RD/KM's coffin ( We want to be togevver!) regardless of the minimal loss of income.
" What is happening at CAFC ? There must be something seriously amiss when loyal fans desert The Valley en masse !"
Pride comes before a fall, Roly, old man ....
The club would issue thousands of comps in response to a planned boycott and enough tourists would come to make it a non-story, even if you could get enough ST holders to participate.
I have noticed the % of tourists have gone up while the regulars are boycotting, watching their local team, going shopping or traveling the world on their Gap year. (mind the Gap)
The £5 charge for Rochdale is looking rather steep.
I thought the team run out of steam, like the last 3 matches, they are either not fit enough or need more youngsters playing. It good to have experience but they need to be fit enough to last 90 minutes which Oldham seemed to easily be able to do. Our team need fitness training.
Also why did we not take the money for Fox - he cant defend , he got got roasted on a number of occasions and gave away a free kick, which led to the goal, when the Oldham player was going nowhere. As soon as the goal went in he started blaming others - which he always does to take the the attention off himself and then tries to get the team going by clapping his hands. How many goals do we let in, on that side of the pitch, He just is not good enough. !!!
I thought the team run out of steam, like the last 3 matches, they are either not fit enough or need more youngsters playing. It good to have experience but they need to be fit enough to last 90 minutes which Oldham seemed to easily be able to do. Our team need fitness training.
Also why did we not take the money for Fox - he cant defend , he got got roasted on a number of occasions and gave away a free kick, which led to the goal, when the Oldham player was going nowhere. As soon as the goal went in he started blaming others - which he always does to take the the attention off himself and then tries to get the team going by clapping his hands. How many goals do we let in, on that side of the pitch, He just is not good enough. !!!
and Ajose scored 26 at Swindon. We have over the years generally been too negative and struggle to score enough goals. Why? Who knows? Probably the fans fault.
True about ajose but my swindon mates say he had about 10 chances a match for them.
The big question must be, even if RD and his circus did throw in the towel, who, in their right minds is going to buy this sinking ship?
So many folk feel the same as you and tonight I cannot express my frustration and anger in words but, for myself, I cannot see investors queuing up to take up the poisoned chalice. The fans should have or need to come up with something better than, 'Sell the Club and do one' - they need to attract a buyer and the way things are going, that will not be easy.
If you were a potential investor and you saw the way the Club has been brought to its knees by fans voting with their feet and killing revenue/income streams so aggressively and so early in the tenure of the owners, would you not be deeply concerned that the same might happen to you as the new owner?
But surely it was only a matter of weeks ago that question was posed & unless I've been hallucinating again ( only 2 wines last night- should have been more!) I believe Airman indicated that a certain investor was still interested....and the front man of such will be only too aware of why the fans are protesting. He , and others, should be aware of the history of these fans in their ability & willingness to help bring our famous club back from the brink - something the current regime will NEVER understand.
And are you honestly saying it's the fans that should " attract a buyer " ? The fans are the responsible ones that are bringing the disaster that's our club to the public/media's attention by their actions which have not been taken lightly. Would you rather we all sit on our hands , gaffer tape our mouths & watch whilst our football club goes to the dogs ?
ANY investor worth his salt will already know, or should make it his/her job to scratch below the current, toxic surface, that Addicks are a very special breed of supporters- resilient, loyal in the extreme & fiercely proud of their football club WHEN they are respected & not treated like idiots. We have been part of the CAFC team & will be so again but each week/month/year that passes by under KM /RD will make the recovery more difficult & prolonged.
The regime should remember there is no "i" in team but seemingly, their spelling, like their raison d'etre is flawed in the extreme.
Hi, Fanny I'm probably on the wrong website here since it is has such strong support for C.A.R.D but I too would like to see new owners - moreso a new C.E.O, tbh as I am told that Roland has put a lot of money into the Club and the squad last season compared to this is chalk from cheese in quality which reflects the relegation and the lost revenue from ticket and merchandising.
My comment on the fans attracting investment was based on the reducing numbers at each game and how that may cheapen the value of the Club which may, in turn, affect the price Roland is offered by potential investors/buyers against the price he would expect to realise - this scenario might make it even more difficult for Roland to walk in the shorter term if the loss is too considerable to write off. He may take the view that the wins will start to come and they'll revitalise the Club from within and with himself at the helm.
Katrien has to go, imho, as she has shown that she is simply not up to the task.
If we are to be bought then please let it be by someone who has proper money and not a strung-together consortium who promise a return to the halcyon days yet do not have the depth of pockets to actually deliver - that would be simply out of the frying pan and into the fire.
I would not have any problem with a Russian Oligarch or an Arab Sheikh coming up with hard cash and a clear vision of where they want to take the Club and the level of commitment they are prepared to make to achieve it.
The drop in central revenue (TV, PL solidarity money) is vastly more than the forfeited commercial revenue. That has nothing to do with the fans, it is only about the failure on the pitch.
The amount being spent on the missing seven is also likely to exceed the difference in other commercial revenue. That has nothing to do with the fans either.
The cut in the remaining football budget has much more to do with these factors than how many people are attending matches. That's just maths.
Which is why, although I entirely understand people boycotting home games, replica kits etc, I'm not sure that the empty home stands will actually make that much of a difference to whether Rolands sells or stays.
But IF, and it's a big if, say 2-3,000 of the regulars would agree to boycott one match to start with, wouldn't this make the papers/Sky Sports, BBC SE news etc ?
A drop from the published attendances at The Valley by such a number in one fell swoop could be another nail in RD/KM's coffin ( We want to be togevver!) regardless of the minimal loss of income.
" What is happening at CAFC ? There must be something seriously amiss when loyal fans desert The Valley en masse !"
Pride comes before a fall, Roly, old man ....
I doubt the media would notice. The PL dominates the headlines, with the Championship filling up the rest of the space
Poor crowds in L1 aren't headline news. The protests last season were headline news though, if you make them funny they go viral on the internet (e.g. the beachballs and stressballs) and create lots of publicity
Our central midfield hasn't really clicked yet but I don't think they're THAT bad (except when Foley plays) - Crofts is a tidy, disciplined DM and Ulvestad has a forward burst and a pass in him. Our main problem yesterday is that we played with 9 for most of the game, with Jackson and Novak literally unable to contribute. It gets quite hard for central midfielders when there is nobody to pass to.
A very big problem we have now is that it is hard to see how Slade could improve with the midfield he has available. They are all so slow they are incapable of pressing in the middle in case they get caught out. Crofts, Jackson, Foley and , it looks like, Ulverstad cannot be the central midfield of a team that wants to attack and press. There is no chance of fixing this until January now-as far as i know there are no young players in our squad who can play this role. Does anybody have any idea how this could be fixed in the short term?
Use a midfield diamond with Lookman in behind Maginnis & Ajose. Crofts at the base, with Holmes and Ulvestad on either side. Solly and Fox at full back pushing forward to join in the play on their side. As one goes, the other tucks in as the third defender alongside Bauer & Texeira. WIth Maginnis as the focal point, play "up, back and through" football at a fast tempo. Attacking football!
If Mowgli can play Fantasy Football in real life, so can I. (He describes himself as a football freak, as if that legitimises his involvement. Drop the football from that description, we'll settle for freak).
A very big problem we have now is that it is hard to see how Slade could improve with the midfield he has available. They are all so slow they are incapable of pressing in the middle in case they get caught out. Crofts, Jackson, Foley and , it looks like, Ulverstad cannot be the central midfield of a team that wants to attack and press. There is no chance of fixing this until January now-as far as i know there are no young players in our squad who can play this role. Does anybody have any idea how this could be fixed in the short term?
This is from Fatscholes on ITTV. I think the analysis is pretty good. I agree with the idea of bringing in Holmes, who has lots of energy, can score a goal and pick a pass, in the centre of midfield as the link between striker and defence / defensive midfield. This is the position that is severely lacking in the team and causing a disconnect in the team.
I would switch Botaka onto the right and Lookman onto the left but it is a good shout.
Slade has the players he has until January 17 window and has to find a solution to the centre midfield problem.
Fatscholes:
The players we had on the pitch last night were better footballers than those on Oldham's team sheet. However we beat ourselves.
We played 4 1 3 2 however the midfield were just dominated by the Oldham flat 4.
I don't understand why we had firstly Crofts & then Foley playing in a hole in front of the defence. It seemed to me that they didn't know how to play the position, this is because there was no number 10 for Oldham so the defensive midfielder was marking space. Yet because of this, the midfield 3 were far too stretched. Holmes was hugging the touchline most of the time, Ulvestad was in the middle but sitting deeper than needed & Jackson was on the left side but not close enough to Ulvestad, nor wide enough to provide an outball. Thus our 3 were far to wide apart & Oldham were just able to play through the gaps. I thought the defence played well last night as they were not protected by any of the front 6 players. Strikers not closely down quick enough, not defending from the front.
More disappointing for me was that no one from the bench was looking to get the players to move up the pitch until the 87 minute. It was only then that there were positive motions from Slade and his coach ( I still don't know his name!) We were at home and should have been on the front foot & we let them play the entire game. Our goal was well worked but very lucky to hit the near post space. And I wouldn't have been surprised to concede a second for the 2nd consecutive home game.
I know it wont happen but Saturday I would like to see the following start the game, on the front foot Rudd
Solly Bauer Konsa Fox Ulvestad Jackson Lookman Holmes Botaka Magennis
At best we have a mediocre squad, largely due to the financial restraints imposed on Brussell by You Know Who but compounded by a manager who hasn't set the world alight thus far.
We have to challenge the game plan of the gaffer from minute 1 to minutes 90+. We have to believe that his aim is to gain 3 points from every home game but his substitutions regularly mean that we question his "goal".
Teaching my grandmother to suck eggs wasn't something I planned to do but FFS, our midfield is sorely lacking in skill, pace, character & just about everything else you can think of. Sadly, even I have to believe that JJ's legs are best kept "on ice" in readiness for a last throw of the dice from the bench.
Why have a player on the bench & not bring him on who, basically is unknown to other L1 teams & who has given glimpses of what he COULD do to change a game ...and I don't mean Rojo.
I wonder what the team spirit is like behind the scenes - have the members bonded? Are they " a unit" ? Does the gaffer inspire confidence ? Is he inspirational ? SO many questions.
Finally, how many of us could have written the script tonight ?
If we can't beat teams like Oldham ( no offence meant) at The Valley then I see little hope for this season. We know as far as the squad is concerned, we have what we have until January. And as I'm sure others have pointed out before my post, if we sacked RS, who the hell would want to join our version of Ringling Brothers ? So, where do we go from here ?
More than ever, at this moment in time, I am numb. I didn't enjoy one minute of tonight's game...I was bored / disinterested/ distracted/ angry throughout the 90 minutes - something I don't believe I have ever felt at a Charlton match before & it breaks my heart to admit this.
Whatever it takes, WE HAVE TO GET OUR CLUB BACK before the disease that threatens its very existence becomes terminal. We are not yet at rock bottom but the speed & manner of our decline is frightening. Sadly, until we are rid of this toxic regime, I see no future.
" Just sell our club, our famous football club " !
Who could argue with your sentiments, Fanny.
The big question must be, even if RD and his circus did throw in the towel, who, in their right minds is going to buy this sinking ship?
So many folk feel the same as you and tonight I cannot express my frustration and anger in words but, for myself, I cannot see investors queuing up to take up the poisoned chalice. The fans should have or need to come up with something better than, 'Sell the Club and do one' - they need to attract a buyer and the way things are going, that will not be easy.
If you were a potential investor and you saw the way the Club has been brought to its knees by fans voting with their feet and killing revenue/income streams so aggressively and so early in the tenure of the owners, would you not be deeply concerned that the same might happen to you as the new owner?
But surely it was only a matter of weeks ago that question was posed & unless I've been hallucinating again ( only 2 wines last night- should have been more!) I believe Airman indicated that a certain investor was still interested....and the front man of such will be only too aware of why the fans are protesting. He , and others, should be aware of the history of these fans in their ability & willingness to help bring our famous club back from the brink - something the current regime will NEVER understand.
And are you honestly saying it's the fans that should " attract a buyer " ? The fans are the responsible ones that are bringing the disaster that's our club to the public/media's attention by their actions which have not been taken lightly. Would you rather we all sit on our hands , gaffer tape our mouths & watch whilst our football club goes to the dogs ?
ANY investor worth his salt will already know, or should make it his/her job to scratch below the current, toxic surface, that Addicks are a very special breed of supporters- resilient, loyal in the extreme & fiercely proud of their football club WHEN they are respected & not treated like idiots. We have been part of the CAFC team & will be so again but each week/month/year that passes by under KM /RD will make the recovery more difficult & prolonged.
The regime should remember there is no "i" in team but seemingly, their spelling, like their raison d'etre is flawed in the extreme.
Hi, Fanny I'm probably on the wrong website here since it is has such strong support for C.A.R.D but I too would like to see new owners - moreso a new C.E.O, tbh as I am told that Roland has put a lot of money into the Club and the squad last season compared to this is chalk from cheese in quality which reflects the relegation and the lost revenue from ticket and merchandising.
My comment on the fans attracting investment was based on the reducing numbers at each game and how that may cheapen the value of the Club which may, in turn, affect the price Roland is offered by potential investors/buyers against the price he would expect to realise - this scenario might make it even more difficult for Roland to walk in the shorter term if the loss is too considerable to write off. He may take the view that the wins will start to come and they'll revitalise the Club from within and with himself at the helm.
Katrien has to go, imho, as she has shown that she is simply not up to the task.
If we are to be bought then please let it be by someone who has proper money and not a strung-together consortium who promise a return to the halcyon days yet do not have the depth of pockets to actually deliver - that would be simply out of the frying pan and into the fire.
I would not have any problem with a Russian Oligarch or an Arab Sheikh coming up with hard cash and a clear vision of where they want to take the Club and the level of commitment they are prepared to make to achieve it.
The drop in central revenue (TV, PL solidarity money) is vastly more than the forfeited commercial revenue. That has nothing to do with the fans, it is only about the failure on the pitch.
The amount being spent on the missing seven is also likely to exceed the difference in other commercial revenue. That has nothing to do with the fans either.
The cut in the remaining football budget has much more to do with these factors than how many people are attending matches. That's just maths.
I bow to your wider knowledge but add your major revenue sources to mine and it makes it even worse.
Our central midfield hasn't really clicked yet but I don't think they're THAT bad (except when Foley plays) - Crofts is a tidy, disciplined DM and Ulvestad has a forward burst and a pass in him. Our main problem yesterday is that we played with 9 for most of the game, with Jackson and Novak literally unable to contribute. It gets quite hard for central midfielders when there is nobody to pass to.
I've certainly been one of the biggest protagonists to question the JJ love in on here Leuth, but I've simply come to accept that we do need him, despite how off the pace he is. I have now come to this conclusion based on his continued ability to get goals, his captaincy and overall knowledge of the game and professional experience. It's not ideal that he's out on the left, and we saw that from how quickly Holmes swapped wings last night, however pretty much all the games Holmes has played in so far he's swapped wings, which means it's more of an issue with Slade than JJ.
Given the situation we find ourselves in I actually think we need JJ now more than ever, and if you look back through my history of posts on JJ, that takes a lot for me to say. I respect your opinion but I don't see Crofts in the same light as you. He's been caught in possession too often this season, can't turn and is a very mediocre player from what I can see. I'd rather see JJ back in the centre as part of a 4-5-1 with Magennis up top on his own. Simply because Magennis holds the ball up so well and JJ can just concentrate on late runs then
Match day 11pm forecast is rain, rain and more rain. We now know this team cannot sustain any period of pressure when sun shining or on a muggy late summers eve thus prepare yourself for more misery when Saturday comes. Water off a manc's back of course thus don't be surprised when the shock in store is a reality. Fortunately we no play 8 Oct. The welcome break might just see a head coach in situ by game 12, whenever that is.
Our central midfield hasn't really clicked yet but I don't think they're THAT bad (except when Foley plays) - Crofts is a tidy, disciplined DM and Ulvestad has a forward burst and a pass in him. Our main problem yesterday is that we played with 9 for most of the game, with Jackson and Novak literally unable to contribute. It gets quite hard for central midfielders when there is nobody to pass to.
I've certainly been one of the biggest protagonists to question the JJ love in on here Leuth, but I've simply come to accept that we do need him, despite how off the pace he is. I have now come to this conclusion based on his continued ability to get goals, his captaincy and overall knowledge of the game and professional experience. It's not ideal that he's out on the left, and we saw that from how quickly Holmes swapped wings last night, however pretty much all the games Holmes has played in so far he's swapped wings, which means it's more of an issue with Slade than JJ.
Given the situation we find ourselves in I actually think we need JJ now more than ever, and if you look back through my history of posts on JJ, that takes a lot for me to say. I respect your opinion but I don't see Crofts in the same light as you. He's been caught in possession too often this season, can't turn and is a very mediocre player from what I can see. I'd rather see JJ back in the centre as part of a 4-5-1 with Magennis up top on his own. Simply because Magennis holds the ball up so well and JJ can just concentrate on late runs then
JJ does score goals, but when the ball's in the middle of the park, waiting to be won, he's a complete waste of space on the evidence I've seen. The only position I see him occupying successfully is behind the strikers, and I think both Lookman and Holmes would be much, much better in that role. They're professional footballers, they should all know the game. Make Josh Magennis captain. He deserves it. I've turned into Viewfinder
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We defended ok - especially as the ball kept coming back time after time - and, as usual, Holmes showed some touches of class. The central midfield was, however, exceptionally poor - as it has been in most games this season. We lack any semblance of creativity (other than from our wingers) and, to compound matters, our players don't have the speed and energy to close down and press the opposition. We knew there would be a Jordan Cousins size hole in our midfield, but I didn't expect it to be quite so big. Our approach now when the opposition have the ball is to to scurry back nervously to within 30 yards of our goal.
It may be a little harsh on Ulvestad, who's only been here a month, but I think this is the worst central midfield I have seen at Charlton in nearly 50 years. Even in those couple of mediocre seasons in the early 70s when we languished in Division 3, we had players who could pass the ball and play to some sort of pattern. Ditto under Parky.
I don't know what the answer is, other than for Slade and his coaching team to try and instil some kind of coherent tactical approach; last night, it looked as if most of that team had never been introduced, let alone played together before. As to personnel, should we not be giving players like Regan Charles-Cook and Aribo a game in the Checkatrade Cup to see if they might be able to step up ? We don't know what the position is with Ba, but is he now completely beyond the pale and incapable of performing at League 1 level ? We've got to pay the blighter until January at least, so may as well try and get some use out of him if it is at all viable.
12 points and only 2 wins from 10 games is a poor return and, unfortunately, things seem to be getting worse, not better. It's not Slade's fault that a large chunk of the budget is being consumed by subsidising the wages of players on loan and buying off the contracts of others, like Bergdich; likewise, he has been handicapped by Duchatelet's obsession with trying to run a squad with as few players as possible and recruiting at the last minute. Be that as it may, we have paid significant transfer fees for four players (which is four more than practically every other club in League 1) and this group of players should, on any objective view, be doing substantially better than they are.
It's far too early to talk about replacing Slade, although that is likely to come to pass if we go into the New Year anywhere near the bottom 4. Whatever his shortcomings, he was presumably the most credible manager we could attract last summer, given Charlton's shocking reputation in the world of football. That being so, it's likely to prove even harder to get someone decent in if Slade is sacked. We desperately need an upturn in performance, not least because the failure of this appointment will only reinforce Duchatelet's belief in short term, low grade and cheap coaches.
The pressure is now well and truly on and I don't expect it to get any easier on Saturday against Rochdale. Keith Hill's teams like to pass the ball and I think our weaknesses have been well and truly sussed out by other teams in this division.
The £5 charge for Rochdale is looking rather steep.
I thought the team run out of steam, like the last 3 matches, they are either not fit enough or need more youngsters playing.
It good to have experience but they need to be fit enough to last 90 minutes which Oldham seemed to easily be able to do.
Our team need fitness training.
Also why did we not take the money for Fox - he cant defend , he got got roasted on a number of occasions and gave away a free kick, which led to the goal, when the Oldham player was going nowhere. As soon as the goal went in he started blaming others - which he always does to take the the attention off himself and then tries to get the team going by clapping his hands. How many goals do we let in, on that side of the pitch, He just is not good enough. !!!
Poor crowds in L1 aren't headline news. The protests last season were headline news though, if you make them funny they go viral on the internet (e.g. the beachballs and stressballs) and create lots of publicity
If Mowgli can play Fantasy Football in real life, so can I. (He describes himself as a football freak, as if that legitimises his involvement. Drop the football from that description, we'll settle for freak).
I would switch Botaka onto the right and Lookman onto the left but it is a good shout.
Slade has the players he has until January 17 window and has to find a solution to the centre midfield problem.
Fatscholes:
The players we had on the pitch last night were better footballers than those on Oldham's team sheet. However we beat ourselves.
We played 4 1 3 2 however the midfield were just dominated by the Oldham flat 4.
I don't understand why we had firstly Crofts & then Foley playing in a hole in front of the defence. It seemed to me that they didn't know how to play the position, this is because there was no number 10 for Oldham so the defensive midfielder was marking space. Yet because of this, the midfield 3 were far too stretched. Holmes was hugging the touchline most of the time, Ulvestad was in the middle but sitting deeper than needed & Jackson was on the left side but not close enough to Ulvestad, nor wide enough to provide an outball.
Thus our 3 were far to wide apart & Oldham were just able to play through the gaps. I thought the defence played well last night as they were not protected by any of the front 6 players. Strikers not closely down quick enough, not defending from the front.
More disappointing for me was that no one from the bench was looking to get the players to move up the pitch until the 87 minute. It was only then that there were positive motions from Slade and his coach ( I still don't know his name!)
We were at home and should have been on the front foot & we let them play the entire game. Our goal was well worked but very lucky to hit the near post space. And I wouldn't have been surprised to concede a second for the 2nd consecutive home game.
I know it wont happen but Saturday I would like to see the following start the game, on the front foot
Rudd
Solly Bauer Konsa Fox
Ulvestad Jackson
Lookman Holmes Botaka
Magennis
If you want a Central Midfielder with drive, then sign one.
Given the situation we find ourselves in I actually think we need JJ now more than ever, and if you look back through my history of posts on JJ, that takes a lot for me to say. I respect your opinion but I don't see Crofts in the same light as you. He's been caught in possession too often this season, can't turn and is a very mediocre player from what I can see. I'd rather see JJ back in the centre as part of a 4-5-1 with Magennis up top on his own. Simply because Magennis holds the ball up so well and JJ can just concentrate on late runs then
Water off a manc's back of course thus don't be surprised when the shock in store is a reality.
Fortunately we no play 8 Oct. The welcome break might just see a head coach in situ by game 12, whenever that is.