For the past three years many of you have been moaning at how crap the communication from the club has been, even I'll concede it has been poor. So now RD has hopefully seen the light (and yes, that could well be down to the protests of last year) and employed someone with undoubted pedigree. What he is being paid is immaterial to the likes of you and I, it is RD that is funding it.
He has made changes to the footballing side in players and managers and appears to want to get the club back to the Championship as soon as possible. Slade didn't cut the mustard so he has moved swiftly to bring a young enthusiastic manager that hopefully can get us up. We will have to see in January, but it once again appears that KR will be backed in the transfer market.
Improvements have been made, but it seems at the moment he is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't!
For the past three years many of you have been moaning at how crap the communication from the club has been, even I'll concede it has been poor. So now RD has hopefully seen the light (and yes, that could well be down to the protests of last year) and employed someone with undoubted pedigree. What he is being paid is immaterial to the likes of you and I, it is RD that is funding it.
He has made changes to the footballing side in players and managers and appears to want to get the club back to the Championship as soon as possible. Slade didn't cut the mustard so he has moved swiftly to bring a young enthusiastic manager that hopefully can get us up. We will have to see in January, but it once again appears that KR will be backed in the transfer market.
Improvements have been made, but it seems at the moment he is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't!
Because, quite simply, we still have a totally incompetent laughing stock of a CEO.
For the past three years many of you have been moaning at how crap the communication from the club has been, even I'll concede it has been poor. So now RD has hopefully seen the light (and yes, that could well be down to the protests of last year) and employed someone with undoubted pedigree. What he is being paid is immaterial to the likes of you and I, it is RD that is funding it.
He has made changes to the footballing side in players and managers and appears to want to get the club back to the Championship as soon as possible. Slade didn't cut the mustard so he has moved swiftly to bring a young enthusiastic manager that hopefully can get us up. We will have to see in January, but it once again appears that KR will be backed in the transfer market.
Improvements have been made, but it seems at the moment he is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't!
What improvements have been made?
British "manager" Slade bringing in a new era as claimed by KM? Sacked.
New head of comms? Had one of those but she walked out after 45 days when totally undermined by the {....} rant. Now replacing her 9 months later after paying huge amounts to an PR agency and a consultant. Improvement in communication seen??????
league position? Relegated and mid-table in league 1
Attendances? Way down
Commercial income? Way down?
Thomas Driesen still involved in picking players? yes
Sorry, them saying they've learnt from mistakes and them actually doing anything better is not the same thing.
For the past three years many of you have been moaning at how crap the communication from the club has been, even I'll concede it has been poor. So now RD has hopefully seen the light (and yes, that could well be down to the protests of last year) and employed someone with undoubted pedigree. What he is being paid is immaterial to the likes of you and I, it is RD that is funding it.
He has made changes to the footballing side in players and managers and appears to want to get the club back to the Championship as soon as possible. Slade didn't cut the mustard so he has moved swiftly to bring a young enthusiastic manager that hopefully can get us up. We will have to see in January, but it once again appears that KR will be backed in the transfer market.
Improvements have been made, but it seems at the moment he is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't!
What improvements have been made?
British "manager" Slade bringing in a new era as claimed by KM? Sacked. Slade had us languishing near the bottom of the table, sacked before the new window, new young and enthusiastic manager appointed - positive!
New head of comms? Had one of those but she walked out after 45 days when totally undermined by the {....} rant. Now replacing her 9 months later after paying huge amounts to an PR agency and a consultant. Improvement in communication seen?????? Brought in new staff with pedigree - positive
league position? Relegated and mid-table in league 1 Two points behind play off spot with a game in hand!
Attendances? Way down If KR gets us challenging for promotion attendances will improve
Commercial income? Way down? As above
Thomas Driesen still involved in picking players? yes Part of the scouting team maybe, picking the players - No
Sorry, them saying they've learnt from mistakes and them actually doing anything better is not the same thing.
For the past three years many of you have been moaning at how crap the communication from the club has been, even I'll concede it has been poor. So now RD has hopefully seen the light (and yes, that could well be down to the protests of last year) and employed someone with undoubted pedigree. What he is being paid is immaterial to the likes of you and I, it is RD that is funding it.
He has made changes to the footballing side in players and managers and appears to want to get the club back to the Championship as soon as possible. Slade didn't cut the mustard so he has moved swiftly to bring a young enthusiastic manager that hopefully can get us up. We will have to see in January, but it once again appears that KR will be backed in the transfer market.
Improvements have been made, but it seems at the moment he is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't!
For the past three years many of you have been moaning at how crap the communication from the club has been, even I'll concede it has been poor. So now RD has hopefully seen the light (and yes, that could well be down to the protests of last year) and employed someone with undoubted pedigree. What he is being paid is immaterial to the likes of you and I, it is RD that is funding it.
He has made changes to the footballing side in players and managers and appears to want to get the club back to the Championship as soon as possible. Slade didn't cut the mustard so he has moved swiftly to bring a young enthusiastic manager that hopefully can get us up. We will have to see in January, but it once again appears that KR will be backed in the transfer market.
Improvements have been made, but it seems at the moment he is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't!
What improvements have been made?
British "manager" Slade bringing in a new era as claimed by KM? Sacked. Slade had us languishing near the bottom of the table, sacked before the new window, new young and enthusiastic manager appointed - positive!
New head of comms? Had one of those but she walked out after 45 days when totally undermined by the {....} rant. Now replacing her 9 months later after paying huge amounts to an PR agency and a consultant. Improvement in communication seen?????? Brought in new staff with pedigree - positive
league position? Relegated and mid-table in league 1 Two points behind play off spot with a game in hand!
Attendances? Way down If KR gets us challenging for promotion attendances will improve
Commercial income? Way down? As above
Thomas Driesen still involved in picking players? yes Part of the scouting team maybe, picking the players - No
Sorry, them saying they've learnt from mistakes and them actually doing anything better is not the same thing.
Doesn't appear to me to be the same thing at all!
So are you saying that "a corner has been turned" in the last few weeks (Rubashow and Robinsons and a few decent results) and everything is going to improve from November 2016 onwards? but the previous corners that have been turned over the last few years were false dawns or failures?
I'm really not trying to horrible but is this how you see it, or how do you see the preceding two years? What/who is at fault for the club being relegated and paying the wages of Tony Watt, Naby Sarr, Igor Vetokele etc.?
For the past three years many of you have been moaning at how crap the communication from the club has been, even I'll concede it has been poor. So now RD has hopefully seen the light (and yes, that could well be down to the protests of last year) and employed someone with undoubted pedigree. What he is being paid is immaterial to the likes of you and I, it is RD that is funding it.
He has made changes to the footballing side in players and managers and appears to want to get the club back to the Championship as soon as possible. Slade didn't cut the mustard so he has moved swiftly to bring a young enthusiastic manager that hopefully can get us up. We will have to see in January, but it once again appears that KR will be backed in the transfer market.
Improvements have been made, but it seems at the moment he is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't!
What improvements have been made?
British "manager" Slade bringing in a new era as claimed by KM? Sacked. Slade had us languishing near the bottom of the table, sacked before the new window, new young and enthusiastic manager appointed - positive!
New head of comms? Had one of those but she walked out after 45 days when totally undermined by the {....} rant. Now replacing her 9 months later after paying huge amounts to an PR agency and a consultant. Improvement in communication seen?????? Brought in new staff with pedigree - positive
league position? Relegated and mid-table in league 1 Two points behind play off spot with a game in hand!
Attendances? Way down If KR gets us challenging for promotion attendances will improve
Commercial income? Way down? As above
Thomas Driesen still involved in picking players? yes Part of the scouting team maybe, picking the players - No
Sorry, them saying they've learnt from mistakes and them actually doing anything better is not the same thing.
Doesn't appear to me to be the same thing at all!
So are you saying that "a corner has been turned" in the last few weeks (Rubashow and Robinsons and a few decent results) and everything is going to improve from November 2016 onwards? but the previous corners that have been turned over the last few years were false dawns or failures?
I'm really not trying to horrible but is this how you see it, or how do you see the preceding two years? What/who is at fault for the club being relegated and paying the wages of Tony Watt, Naby Sarr, Igor Vetokele etc.?
Of course, I do not have a crystal ball, but as I have for all of my life supporting Charlton, I live in hope and as I see it at the moment, improvements have been put in place to support that.
The preceding two years were not great at all, RD came with a plan to make us part of his network, which at the time, I thought could be interesting, unfortunately for us, the quality required to complete in the Championship was hugely underestimated and his plan failed. Although it has taken time for him to see what is required at the English level of football, it appears that from this season he has attempted to put that right.
Successful business men will not want to fail, and there is no denying that RD is a successful businessman. If he wants to spend his money on changing things, however expensive, to put that right, then why not?
What are we going to do then, spend the rest of our lives whinging and moaning about the first two wasted years under RD or embrace the changes of this season? I know what camp I am in!
For the past three years many of you have been moaning at how crap the communication from the club has been, even I'll concede it has been poor. So now RD has hopefully seen the light (and yes, that could well be down to the protests of last year) and employed someone with undoubted pedigree. What he is being paid is immaterial to the likes of you and I, it is RD that is funding it.
He has made changes to the footballing side in players and managers and appears to want to get the club back to the Championship as soon as possible. Slade didn't cut the mustard so he has moved swiftly to bring a young enthusiastic manager that hopefully can get us up. We will have to see in January, but it once again appears that KR will be backed in the transfer market.
Improvements have been made, but it seems at the moment he is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't!
There was a time when communication was important, but it seems to me that most people are over that and just want them gone. Besides, what's the point of them communicating anything when the fan-base has absolutely no trust in anything they say or do? Everything that this regime does will always be viewed with an air of suspicion, and it will stay that way until the club is sold. They will never get the fans back on side, and I believe that KM has started to understand that there are no other fans that are going to turn up for the 'matchday experience', so they need the ones they've alienated. But sadly, many will never come back under this regime and many may never come back at all, regardless of the quality of the communication going forward.
KR yet to be manager for a league game. Arguably, the Slade/Nugent combo had turned things around, Swindon excepted. And that was probably the players reacting to the knowledge that Slade was on his way.
For the past three years many of you have been moaning at how crap the communication from the club has been, even I'll concede it has been poor. So now RD has hopefully seen the light (and yes, that could well be down to the protests of last year) and employed someone with undoubted pedigree. What he is being paid is immaterial to the likes of you and I, it is RD that is funding it.
He has made changes to the footballing side in players and managers and appears to want to get the club back to the Championship as soon as possible. Slade didn't cut the mustard so he has moved swiftly to bring a young enthusiastic manager that hopefully can get us up. We will have to see in January, but it once again appears that KR will be backed in the transfer market.
Improvements have been made, but it seems at the moment he is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't!
What improvements have been made?
British "manager" Slade bringing in a new era as claimed by KM? Sacked. Slade had us languishing near the bottom of the table, sacked before the new window, new young and enthusiastic manager appointed - positive!
New head of comms? Had one of those but she walked out after 45 days when totally undermined by the {....} rant. Now replacing her 9 months later after paying huge amounts to an PR agency and a consultant. Improvement in communication seen?????? Brought in new staff with pedigree - positive
league position? Relegated and mid-table in league 1 Two points behind play off spot with a game in hand!
Attendances? Way down If KR gets us challenging for promotion attendances will improve
Commercial income? Way down? As above
Thomas Driesen still involved in picking players? yes Part of the scouting team maybe, picking the players - No
Sorry, them saying they've learnt from mistakes and them actually doing anything better is not the same thing.
Doesn't appear to me to be the same thing at all!
So are you saying that "a corner has been turned" in the last few weeks (Rubashow and Robinsons and a few decent results) and everything is going to improve from November 2016 onwards? but the previous corners that have been turned over the last few years were false dawns or failures?
I'm really not trying to horrible but is this how you see it, or how do you see the preceding two years? What/who is at fault for the club being relegated and paying the wages of Tony Watt, Naby Sarr, Igor Vetokele etc.?
Of course, I do not have a crystal ball, but as I have for all of my life supporting Charlton, I live in hope and as I see it at the moment, improvements have been put in place to support that.
The preceding two years were not great at all, RD came with a plan to make us part of his network, which at the time, I thought could be interesting, unfortunately for us, the quality required to complete in the Championship was hugely underestimated and his plan failed. Although it has taken time for him to see what is required at the English level of football, it appears that from this season he has attempted to put that right.
Successful business men will not want to fail, and there is no denying that RD is a successful businessman. If he wants to spend his money on changing things, however expensive, to put that right, then why not?
What are we going to do then, spend the rest of our lives whinging and moaning about the first two wasted years under RD or embrace the changes of this season? I know what camp I am in!
Thanks for the polite response, a rare thing on here sometimes.
I'm with you to a degree... everytime they make a change i hope... and hope, but so far it has been really disappointing. I thought the network idea was interesting too, and the notion of break-even was comforting, but they have failed, and failed, and failed. On top of the failure, they have lied and disrespected us.
I hope you are correct and they can turn it around but the evidence of the past two years doesn't make hopeful.
For the past three years many of you have been moaning at how crap the communication from the club has been, even I'll concede it has been poor. So now RD has hopefully seen the light (and yes, that could well be down to the protests of last year) and employed someone with undoubted pedigree. What he is being paid is immaterial to the likes of you and I, it is RD that is funding it.
He has made changes to the footballing side in players and managers and appears to want to get the club back to the Championship as soon as possible. Slade didn't cut the mustard so he has moved swiftly to bring a young enthusiastic manager that hopefully can get us up. We will have to see in January, but it once again appears that KR will be backed in the transfer market.
Improvements have been made, but it seems at the moment he is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't!
I completely agree that it 'should' be an improvement on the communication side of things, lets face it, it can't be any worse. However the cost should bother us if it's another debt that RD is loading onto the club and will eventually want back.
However, how can you possibly think that the changes to the footballing side in players is an improvement? Look at the players we had (the likes of Morrison, Stephens, Kermorgant, Cousins, JBG) who've all been let go yet would all quite likely still be with us if we were a solid top half championship side with ambition.
And i agree with you that Robinson is an improvement on Slade, but aside from giving us a new pitch, i'm struggling to think of any more improvements that they've made during their time.
You're obviously a fan of many years, so i'm genuinely keen to know what improvements you think they've made from the day they walked in the building to now?
For the past three years many of you have been moaning at how crap the communication from the club has been, even I'll concede it has been poor. So now RD has hopefully seen the light (and yes, that could well be down to the protests of last year) and employed someone with undoubted pedigree. What he is being paid is immaterial to the likes of you and I, it is RD that is funding it.
He has made changes to the footballing side in players and managers and appears to want to get the club back to the Championship as soon as possible. Slade didn't cut the mustard so he has moved swiftly to bring a young enthusiastic manager that hopefully can get us up. We will have to see in January, but it once again appears that KR will be backed in the transfer market.
Improvements have been made, but it seems at the moment he is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't!
What improvements have been made?
British "manager" Slade bringing in a new era as claimed by KM? Sacked. Slade had us languishing near the bottom of the table, sacked before the new window, new young and enthusiastic manager appointed - positive!
New head of comms? Had one of those but she walked out after 45 days when totally undermined by the {....} rant. Now replacing her 9 months later after paying huge amounts to an PR agency and a consultant. Improvement in communication seen?????? Brought in new staff with pedigree - positive
league position? Relegated and mid-table in league 1 Two points behind play off spot with a game in hand!
Attendances? Way down If KR gets us challenging for promotion attendances will improve
Commercial income? Way down? As above
Thomas Driesen still involved in picking players? yes Part of the scouting team maybe, picking the players - No
Sorry, them saying they've learnt from mistakes and them actually doing anything better is not the same thing.
Doesn't appear to me to be the same thing at all!
So are you saying that "a corner has been turned" in the last few weeks (Rubashow and Robinsons and a few decent results) and everything is going to improve from November 2016 onwards? but the previous corners that have been turned over the last few years were false dawns or failures?
I'm really not trying to horrible but is this how you see it, or how do you see the preceding two years? What/who is at fault for the club being relegated and paying the wages of Tony Watt, Naby Sarr, Igor Vetokele etc.?
Of course, I do not have a crystal ball, but as I have for all of my life supporting Charlton, I live in hope and as I see it at the moment, improvements have been put in place to support that.
The preceding two years were not great at all, RD came with a plan to make us part of his network, which at the time, I thought could be interesting, unfortunately for us, the quality required to complete in the Championship was hugely underestimated and his plan failed. Although it has taken time for him to see what is required at the English level of football, it appears that from this season he has attempted to put that right.
Successful business men will not want to fail, and there is no denying that RD is a successful businessman. If he wants to spend his money on changing things, however expensive, to put that right, then why not?
What are we going to do then, spend the rest of our lives whinging and moaning about the first two wasted years under RD or embrace the changes of this season? I know what camp I am in!
Your optimism does you credit and I too felt that after an initial "bumpy ride" Duchatelet would come good after 3 or 4 years. I said it on here many times but that was with FFP and a working network and not knowing about the Fraeye/Dreisen scouting team.
You're right that successful businessmen to not want to fail but many do. Many long standing firms go under. BHS is the most recent I can think of but Phillip Green is a very successful businessman.
Where I disagree with you is when you used the loaded phrase "spending our lives whinging and moaning about the first two wasted years".
I'm glad you agree that they were wasted as they clearly were although some anti-CARD people will deny even that, but I'm not looking back to the many mistakes of previous seasons. And I'm not whinging, I'm protesting and not just from a keyboard.
I'm looking at the on-going mistakes of which the Comms recruitment is one, putting all their faith into Slade was another, not sacking Driesen was another, not shifting the expensive players not in the squad (Sarr, Watt, Cebellos, Igor, Tx, Ba, Johnson) which was a major factor in Slade not getting the midfielders he and everyone saw he needed, Slipping O'Loughlin into the coaching set up when we had no manager, refusing to accept that the drop in gates is down as much if not more to unhappiness with the regime as with results and league status, mishandling comms around basic things likes the Jimmy Seed stand sign.
That is all this season, not two years ago.
It's great that you look into the future and see success but there is the real difference between our stances.
I'm judging them on what they've done and continue to do.
You're judging them on what you hope they will do some time in the future.
I have no way of doing it, and I write this based on what I have been told, but I wonder how the costs of the communications and consultants are measured against player wages. I am thinking particularly about Dillon Phillips.
So, this despicable regime that doesn't engage in meaningful dialogue with fans and has been caught with it's trousers down on an uncountable number of occasions, has employed the services of some expensive spin men. Do you know what I'm expecting now? An altogether better quality of lie.
For the past three years many of you have been moaning at how crap the communication from the club has been, even I'll concede it has been poor. So now RD has hopefully seen the light (and yes, that could well be down to the protests of last year) and employed someone with undoubted pedigree. What he is being paid is immaterial to the likes of you and I, it is RD that is funding it.
He has made changes to the footballing side in players and managers and appears to want to get the club back to the Championship as soon as possible. Slade didn't cut the mustard so he has moved swiftly to bring a young enthusiastic manager that hopefully can get us up. We will have to see in January, but it once again appears that KR will be backed in the transfer market.
Improvements have been made, but it seems at the moment he is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't!
Was the appointment of Slade a "mistake" and if so who made it and why?
I'm expecting the same quality of low but slightly better written.
Probably in words I don't understand.
No, that's not true, I will understand the meaning of each word, but not the sentence that has been constructed from them.
'The club has embarked on a meaningful discovery of past mistakes and plans to issue guidelines internally to ensure these mistakes never happen again. Fans can rest assured we are looking into it'
Club still working with Pitch even though we have poached one of their staff? Maybe we had to pay a transfer fee or he's not very good and they were happy for him to leave.
The fact that the new Head of Comms refuses to accept invitations on social media such as Twitter and LinkedIn does not exactly make me feel optimistic that he will be 'communicating'.
The fact that the new Head of Comms refuses to accept invitations on social media such as Twitter and LinkedIn does not exactly make me feel optimistic that he will be 'communicating'.
Just to add, Mel Baroni did so even before she had actually started in anticipation of connecting with the fan base.
For the past three years many of you have been moaning at how crap the communication from the club has been, even I'll concede it has been poor. So now RD has hopefully seen the light (and yes, that could well be down to the protests of last year) and employed someone with undoubted pedigree. What he is being paid is immaterial to the likes of you and I, it is RD that is funding it.
He has made changes to the footballing side in players and managers and appears to want to get the club back to the Championship as soon as possible. Slade didn't cut the mustard so he has moved swiftly to bring a young enthusiastic manager that hopefully can get us up. We will have to see in January, but it once again appears that KR will be backed in the transfer market.
Improvements have been made, but it seems at the moment he is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't!
Was the appointment of Slade a "mistake" and if so who made it and why?
Thanks in anticipation.
Actually, I think the appointment of Slade was a reasonable one at the time even though I personally was underwhelmed. What Slade did do was make a lot of changes at the training ground, identified glaring errors in summer training schedules and rehab schedules. He made the players wear club suits to matches, a small thing but all about bringing some pride back to the side. So as KR has already stated, the basics of the club were set up and in place and that was down to Slade.
Where he let himself down was unfortunately on the pitch, too many draws which highlighted his negativity and probably the reason he has never had a promoted side. It may have been harsh on him to be let go, but I really think RD wants success this season, hence KR's appointment.
For the past three years many of you have been moaning at how crap the communication from the club has been, even I'll concede it has been poor. So now RD has hopefully seen the light (and yes, that could well be down to the protests of last year) and employed someone with undoubted pedigree. What he is being paid is immaterial to the likes of you and I, it is RD that is funding it.
He has made changes to the footballing side in players and managers and appears to want to get the club back to the Championship as soon as possible. Slade didn't cut the mustard so he has moved swiftly to bring a young enthusiastic manager that hopefully can get us up. We will have to see in January, but it once again appears that KR will be backed in the transfer market.
Improvements have been made, but it seems at the moment he is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't!
Was the appointment of Slade a "mistake" and if so who made it and why?
Thanks in anticipation.
Actually, I think the appointment of Slade was a reasonable one at the time even though I personally was underwhelmed. What Slade did do was make a lot of changes at the training ground, identified glaring errors in summer training schedules and rehab schedules. He made the players wear club suits to matches, a small thing but all about bringing some pride back to the side. So as KR has already stated, the basics of the club were set up and in place and that was down to Slade.
Where he let himself down was unfortunately on the pitch, too many draws which highlighted his negativity and probably the reason he has never had a promoted side. It may have been harsh on him to be let go, but I really think RD wants success this season, hence KR's appointment.
I think you are right on Slade but I feel, that Duchatelet not only wanted us higher in the table but wanted O'Loughlin on the staff.
Slade said no and as soon as we lost a game he was gone.
For the past three years many of you have been moaning at how crap the communication from the club has been, even I'll concede it has been poor. So now RD has hopefully seen the light (and yes, that could well be down to the protests of last year) and employed someone with undoubted pedigree. What he is being paid is immaterial to the likes of you and I, it is RD that is funding it.
He has made changes to the footballing side in players and managers and appears to want to get the club back to the Championship as soon as possible. Slade didn't cut the mustard so he has moved swiftly to bring a young enthusiastic manager that hopefully can get us up. We will have to see in January, but it once again appears that KR will be backed in the transfer market.
Improvements have been made, but it seems at the moment he is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't!
Was the appointment of Slade a "mistake" and if so who made it and why?
Quite touching to see how enthusiastic KR is at the moment - like an overexcited puppy. Whether that will be still be the case in 15 games time and after the January window only time will tell. RD's ambitions for this year will be plain to see if we can keep hold of our best players in January.
Lets just give a chance to KR and not continually knock the club at every opportunity
I could be wrong, but is it not the current ownership/(mis)management/regime that is being continually knocked, not the Club (because the Club is infinitely more than the sum of the parts of those allegedly running it)?
And, in fairness, it is Duchatelet and his minions that provide the all too regular opportunities....
Comments
He has made changes to the footballing side in players and managers and appears to want to get the club back to the Championship as soon as possible. Slade didn't cut the mustard so he has moved swiftly to bring a young enthusiastic manager that hopefully can get us up. We will have to see in January, but it once again appears that KR will be backed in the transfer market.
Improvements have been made, but it seems at the moment he is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't!
British "manager" Slade bringing in a new era as claimed by KM? Sacked.
New head of comms? Had one of those but she walked out after 45 days when totally undermined by the {....} rant. Now replacing her 9 months later after paying huge amounts to an PR agency and a consultant. Improvement in communication seen??????
league position? Relegated and mid-table in league 1
Attendances? Way down
Commercial income? Way down?
Thomas Driesen still involved in picking players? yes
Sorry, them saying they've learnt from mistakes and them actually doing anything better is not the same thing.
I'm really not trying to horrible but is this how you see it, or how do you see the preceding two years? What/who is at fault for the club being relegated and paying the wages of Tony Watt, Naby Sarr, Igor Vetokele etc.?
The preceding two years were not great at all, RD came with a plan to make us part of his network, which at the time, I thought could be interesting, unfortunately for us, the quality required to complete in the Championship was hugely underestimated and his plan failed. Although it has taken time for him to see what is required at the English level of football, it appears that from this season he has attempted to put that right.
Successful business men will not want to fail, and there is no denying that RD is a successful businessman. If he wants to spend his money on changing things, however expensive, to put that right, then why not?
What are we going to do then, spend the rest of our lives whinging and moaning about the first two wasted years under RD or embrace the changes of this season? I know what camp I am in!
I'm with you to a degree... everytime they make a change i hope... and hope, but so far it has been really disappointing. I thought the network idea was interesting too, and the notion of break-even was comforting, but they have failed, and failed, and failed. On top of the failure, they have lied and disrespected us.
I hope you are correct and they can turn it around but the evidence of the past two years doesn't make hopeful.
However, how can you possibly think that the changes to the footballing side in players is an improvement? Look at the players we had (the likes of Morrison, Stephens, Kermorgant, Cousins, JBG) who've all been let go yet would all quite likely still be with us if we were a solid top half championship side with ambition.
And i agree with you that Robinson is an improvement on Slade, but aside from giving us a new pitch, i'm struggling to think of any more improvements that they've made during their time.
You're obviously a fan of many years, so i'm genuinely keen to know what improvements you think they've made from the day they walked in the building to now?
You're right that successful businessmen to not want to fail but many do. Many long standing firms go under. BHS is the most recent I can think of but Phillip Green is a very successful businessman.
Where I disagree with you is when you used the loaded phrase "spending our lives whinging and moaning about the first two wasted years".
I'm glad you agree that they were wasted as they clearly were although some anti-CARD people will deny even that, but I'm not looking back to the many mistakes of previous seasons. And I'm not whinging, I'm protesting and not just from a keyboard.
I'm looking at the on-going mistakes of which the Comms recruitment is one, putting all their faith into Slade was another, not sacking Driesen was another, not shifting the expensive players not in the squad (Sarr, Watt, Cebellos, Igor, Tx, Ba, Johnson) which was a major factor in Slade not getting the midfielders he and everyone saw he needed, Slipping O'Loughlin into the coaching set up when we had no manager, refusing to accept that the drop in gates is down as much if not more to unhappiness with the regime as with results and league status, mishandling comms around basic things likes the Jimmy Seed stand sign.
That is all this season, not two years ago.
It's great that you look into the future and see success but there is the real difference between our stances.
I'm judging them on what they've done and continue to do.
You're judging them on what you hope they will do some time in the future.
I wonder why that is..??
Thanks in anticipation.
Probably in words I don't understand.
No, that's not true, I will understand the meaning of each word, but not the sentence that has been constructed from them.
'The club has embarked on a meaningful discovery of past mistakes and plans to issue guidelines internally to ensure these mistakes never happen again. Fans can rest assured we are looking into it'
(PM me if Tom doesn't do it for you KM/TK)
Where he let himself down was unfortunately on the pitch, too many draws which highlighted his negativity and probably the reason he has never had a promoted side. It may have been harsh on him to be let go, but I really think RD wants success this season, hence KR's appointment.
Slade said no and as soon as we lost a game he was gone.
And, in fairness, it is Duchatelet and his minions that provide the all too regular opportunities....
I don't knock the club at every opportunity because I'm a fan and the fans are the club.