Just to clarify: I meant Robinson got lucky in terms of it appears he may have chosen the right players in the window rather than pure lottery type luck. I congratulate him if that turns out to be the case. However without proper backing he won't always be able to do that in the future.
Just to clarify: I meant Robinson got lucky in terms of it appears he may have chosen the right players in the window rather than pure lottery type luck. I congratulate him if that turns out to be the case. However without proper backing he won't always be able to do that in the future.
Quite. But I don't see choosing the right players as luck. We'll agree to disagree. All the best.
Just to clarify: I meant Robinson got lucky in terms of it appears he may have chosen the right players in the window rather than pure lottery type luck. I congratulate him if that turns out to be the case. However without proper backing he won't always be able to do that in the future.
Quite. But I don't see choosing the right players as luck. We'll agree to disagree. All the best.
Spot on in this and your previous post.
I know where @Mametz is coming from when he says he's worried about proper backing. At some stage, particularly if we get promoted, more investment will be needed. It'll be a test of how much further we can go under Duchatelet.
The trouble is with the way things have been done it makes it look like people going or not going and the protests are more result based when quite a few were saying it's not about results. To those that are just getting a season ticket or renewing would you of done if results weren't so good Bear in mind with Novak being sent off after 8 minutes we could of quite easily lost our 1st 2 games. To CARD when's the next protests if results start going pear shaped ,you then got people saying you weren't protesting when we was winning .
I understand fans going because we are playing better football and to take their children along, meet up with mates etc. but can someone please explain to me the burning need to buy a season ticket?
The ground is hardly full and the demand for tickets isn't high.
This may just be my opinion, but buying a season ticket is telling the regime that you are ok with what they are doing. Sure, you may save a £100 but to me my principles are worth a lot more than that, and the damage they are doing to the club is not ok.
FYI I am one of the fans who IF we got to Wembley or we reached the Premiership I still won't be attending or buying a season ticket respectively. For any games in the future I will only be showing up only to protest, because I just simply couldn't enjoy it with this mob in charge.
I went to one game last season and that was Coventry at home which we won 3-0 and I thought to myself after "that was nice a day out, but in the grand scheme I don't give a toss." That is down to the idiots in charge and them alone.
I understand fans going because we are playing better football and to take their children along, meet up with mates etc. but can someone please explain to me the burning need to buy a season ticket?
The ground is hardly full and the demand for tickets isn't high.
This may just be my opinion, but buying a season ticket is telling the regime that you are ok with what they are doing. Sure, you may save a £100 but to me my principles are worth a lot more than that, and the damage they are doing to the club is not ok.
FYI I am one of the fans who IF we got to Wembley or we reached the Premiership I still won't be attending or buying a season ticket respectively. For any games in the future I will only be showing up only to protest, because I just simply couldn't enjoy it with this mob in charge.
I went to one game last season and that was Coventry at home which we won 3-0 and I thought to myself after "that was nice a day out, but in the grand scheme I don't give a toss." That is down to the idiots in charge and them alone.
Did you have a S/T for the 3 seasons we were in L1 before RD arrived ? If not how many home games did you attend ? Genuine questions, I'm just curious, please don't feel obliged to answer.
I understand fans going because we are playing better football and to take their children along, meet up with mates etc. but can someone please explain to me the burning need to buy a season ticket?
The ground is hardly full and the demand for tickets isn't high.
This may just be my opinion, but buying a season ticket is telling the regime that you are ok with what they are doing. Sure, you may save a £100 but to me my principles are worth a lot more than that, and the damage they are doing to the club is not ok.
FYI I am one of the fans who IF we got to Wembley or we reached the Premiership I still won't be attending or buying a season ticket respectively. For any games in the future I will only be showing up only to protest, because I just simply couldn't enjoy it with this mob in charge.
I went to one game last season and that was Coventry at home which we won 3-0 and I thought to myself after "that was nice a day out, but in the grand scheme I don't give a toss." That is down to the idiots in charge and them alone.
Did you have a S/T for the 3 seasons we were in L1 before RD arrived ? If not how many home games did you attend ? Genuine questions, I'm just curious, please don't feel obliged to answer.
The lowest team in the PL got £30m in 2007/08. Murray was chasing that money, as indeed he was in 2006/07, albeit for Charlton's benefit.
The issue in 2007/08 was one of financial governance (and Pardew), as you imply. That is why Murray was removed from the chair of the plc by the other directors in January 2008 and why Varney ceased to be chief executive (his own choice in response to the situation between the various warring parties).
The Prem League money was £20m the season we went down though wasn't it? So we spent in excess of 60% of what we'd received the season before, in a lower division.
I was aware of the rest of what you pointed out I was just making the point that even experienced club owners/chief execs can make terrible mistakes, which is why it is possible (although, maybe, not in our case) that new owners and/or chief execs will take a while to learn from their errors.
I bought season tickets for myself and my 11 yr old yesterday (East Stand this time). I wasn't going to, but the football I've seen this year has made me think it's going to be hard to stay away.
It's a tricky decision for many, in particular those who are boycotting.
[Apologies for reposting this from a different thread, but I think it's more relevant in this one. And apologies for banging on about Jimmy Seed again]
To @mascot88@ElfsborgAddick and many others [who are staying away], I just say this. I was brought up supporting Millwall because of the way the owners of the club treated Jimmy Seed. Later on I followed Millwall, Spurs, Sheffield Wednesday, Charlton (JS's clubs) and QPR (because I lived close to Loftus Rd). But I always knew that Charlton was the club he cared most about (and it was our 'family club') but I knew they let him down, so steered clear of full support. In that time I wrote the short book about his time at Charlton, but only very rarely went to matches. I was basically letting the behaviour of owners of the club (who are NOT the club) spoil my enjoyment of football for more than 40 years! It took the death of my mum (who always loved Charlton) to flick a switch somewhere and the rest is (recent) history. Much as I'm enjoying bringing the family back into the fold, I can't help feeling gutted at the great times and emotions missed. I enjoyed the play-off final from afar, but I wasn't there. I was delighted about the return to the Valley, but I wasn't there. I cheated myself out of great times and great memories. I trying to make up for lost time now. You guys are true Charlton fans and I totally respect your motives for staying away. But the old club is not Duchatelet and Meire. Don't let them take away your great times. Great occasions missed will be missed forever. Life is very short.
Fair point.
But a large part of me staying away is, the woeful football being served up during the Duchebag era, so no memories of this particular period I'd care to retain and quite frankly I didn't want to waste my money either.
Most of my charlton memories are of the past and I'll still retain those, I'd rather not spoil that at the moment.
Could this season be different, lets hope so but it'll take more than a handful of games to lure me back, if at all.
Oh yes, can understand not wanting to go at that time for all sorts of reasons. The football is clearly more entertaining now, but if you don't want to go back at all, even with better football being played and matches being won, is it purely because of the owners, or have you just lost interest? But you wouldn't be on this forum if that was the case?
I think there's something to be said for me losing my interest in football, from the top down.
I'm tired of the old cronies brigade, the boring England football, the monopoly of a few clubs in the prem and world wide, same old teams year in year out. Leicester apart, christ and how refreshing was that.
We can all pretty much know whose going to win the World Cup, Euros, Champions League, other European competitions and the various leagues around the world, not just in England.
The owners of clubs who don't seem to give a fuck, obviously there are some exceptions.
I've never been one to follow my team around the country, home games mostly with the a smattering of away matches, mostly london venues and important away games further afield.
I've never understood those that do, that's not a criticism and of course if one supports a top team be it at club or international level, then of course that makes it more understandable.
I guess my Charlton history influences that too, over 40 years man and boy and apart from the prem years, play off final, back to the valley and a few others, there's not a great deal of happy memories, though maybe that just comes with the territory of being a football supporter, just imagine what it must be like for those fans worse off than us? Having said that, I often wonder if there's something more real about supporting a Welling United or Dartford?
I'd hate to think how much money I've spent on this football club and what better use I could have made of it and I think it's frightening how much those who follow the team home and away and have done for years, how much money they've spent. Have I got value for money, I don't think so and I don't think most of the owners over the years have been that bothered about the fans, who pay up week in week out, a few exceptions but certainly not this regime.
Of course I'll always love Charlton, it's in my blood, I'm on here enough times.
I'm still like a kid when we win and it still has a tendency to ruin my life when we lose, but not quite so much as it did, how bloody sad is that?
Not sad at all. It's what thousands of men all over the country do.
It costs an awful lot to follow a football team and that's fine if you can afford it but and this not grounded in any research, I do get the feeling so many can't and get themselves into debt or the family goes without, that doesn't seem right to me.
It costs me £175 for an entire year. Is that really so much? And it can be paid in installments I think
I've been boycotting since the advent of CARD, thus I've only been to one match (Swindon last season) in what seems like s very long time.
Reports of the most exciting football since the Curbs era have, however got me tempted, so I'll be pitching up on Saturday vs Southend.
I've read some on here saying that RD is doing something different that has brought about the early success this term. I tend to think that the change is RD (and Daisy Disaster) is doing nothing except setting a budget, leaving the football stuff to those who know best. By good fortune the latter, in KR, had proved to be a shrewder operator than I for one judged him to be. And if this state of equilibrium persists, then maybe good times are just around the corner.
On the other hand, it all might go belly up in the next few weeks and things will return to the now familiar depressing state of affairs. But hell I'm tired of all that stuff! I want to actually enjoy my football again.
So I'll give them the benefit of the doubt - for now.
I feel a bit like the bloke who farted in a lift and got out having started this. Glad I did though as there have been some excellent and heartfelt views expressed. I can agree or disagree but at the end of the day it's a personal decision for whatever reason is most relevant to the individual.
For me, I have gone through a number of phases in the last few years: from euphoria in 11-12 to disappointment the following year, elation at a new owner who threatened to break the perverse and sickening mound that football has become to revulsion at what that shambles of an owner and his patsy turned out to be. I've protested, walked away, watched my team in the hope they would lose to hasten Roland's demise and ended up going more to watch the emerging soap opera than anything else. I finally gave up at the end of the year before last for the overwhelming reason that the football was utter shite and I wasn't enjoying myself. It just wasn't my club anymore (see separate thread).
I went to the odd game last season as a paying or non-paying "customer". I felt little bond and the entertainment value was zilch. But something happened over the summer and I feel that attachment again. I can't do anything about Roland. I don't have a billion in the bank. But I miss my Saturdays being entertained and, despite the flaws in the squad, this feels more like my Charlton again. I could continue to stay away and I admire those whose principles still dictate that they do. But I had a heart attack a few years ago and am in "smell the coffee" mode. I could wait till I'm dead till everything is ok. Or I could go along and enjoy the ride. It's a season on season decision for me. I made the choice to stay away last year. This year I'm back and I'm being entertained. Whatever else happens it'll be a different sort of soap opera and I might as well have the ST and sit beside people I like and have that sense of belonging.
If Roland's dark side comes to the fore again I'll walk away again. But life is short folks. Live, laugh, love and be happy. Btw it's my birthday and I've had a couple of scotches. Cheers.
Ps. I really don't give a flying f*** whether it's breech, breach or bottom.
I bought season tickets for myself and my 11 yr old yesterday (East Stand this time). I wasn't going to, but the football I've seen this year has made me think it's going to be hard to stay away.
It's a tricky decision for many, in particular those who are boycotting.
[Apologies for reposting this from a different thread, but I think it's more relevant in this one. And apologies for banging on about Jimmy Seed again]
To @mascot88@ElfsborgAddick and many others [who are staying away], I just say this. I was brought up supporting Millwall because of the way the owners of the club treated Jimmy Seed. Later on I followed Millwall, Spurs, Sheffield Wednesday, Charlton (JS's clubs) and QPR (because I lived close to Loftus Rd). But I always knew that Charlton was the club he cared most about (and it was our 'family club') but I knew they let him down, so steered clear of full support. In that time I wrote the short book about his time at Charlton, but only very rarely went to matches. I was basically letting the behaviour of owners of the club (who are NOT the club) spoil my enjoyment of football for more than 40 years! It took the death of my mum (who always loved Charlton) to flick a switch somewhere and the rest is (recent) history. Much as I'm enjoying bringing the family back into the fold, I can't help feeling gutted at the great times and emotions missed. I enjoyed the play-off final from afar, but I wasn't there. I was delighted about the return to the Valley, but I wasn't there. I cheated myself out of great times and great memories. I trying to make up for lost time now. You guys are true Charlton fans and I totally respect your motives for staying away. But the old club is not Duchatelet and Meire. Don't let them take away your great times. Great occasions missed will be missed forever. Life is very short.
Fair point.
But a large part of me staying away is, the woeful football being served up during the Duchebag era, so no memories of this particular period I'd care to retain and quite frankly I didn't want to waste my money either.
Most of my charlton memories are of the past and I'll still retain those, I'd rather not spoil that at the moment.
Could this season be different, lets hope so but it'll take more than a handful of games to lure me back, if at all.
Oh yes, can understand not wanting to go at that time for all sorts of reasons. The football is clearly more entertaining now, but if you don't want to go back at all, even with better football being played and matches being won, is it purely because of the owners, or have you just lost interest? But you wouldn't be on this forum if that was the case?
I think there's something to be said for me losing my interest in football, from the top down.
I'm tired of the old cronies brigade, the boring England football, the monopoly of a few clubs in the prem and world wide, same old teams year in year out. Leicester apart, christ and how refreshing was that.
We can all pretty much know whose going to win the World Cup, Euros, Champions League, other European competitions and the various leagues around the world, not just in England.
The owners of clubs who don't seem to give a fuck, obviously there are some exceptions.
I've never been one to follow my team around the country, home games mostly with the a smattering of away matches, mostly london venues and important away games further afield.
I've never understood those that do, that's not a criticism and of course if one supports a top team be it at club or international level, then of course that makes it more understandable.
I guess my Charlton history influences that too, over 40 years man and boy and apart from the prem years, play off final, back to the valley and a few others, there's not a great deal of happy memories, though maybe that just comes with the territory of being a football supporter, just imagine what it must be like for those fans worse off than us? Having said that, I often wonder if there's something more real about supporting a Welling United or Dartford?
I'd hate to think how much money I've spent on this football club and what better use I could have made of it and I think it's frightening how much those who follow the team home and away and have done for years, how much money they've spent. Have I got value for money, I don't think so and I don't think most of the owners over the years have been that bothered about the fans, who pay up week in week out, a few exceptions but certainly not this regime.
Of course I'll always love Charlton, it's in my blood, I'm on here enough times.
I'm still like a kid when we win and it still has a tendency to ruin my life when we lose, but not quite so much as it did, how bloody sad is that?
Not sad at all. It's what thousands of men all over the country do.
It costs an awful lot to follow a football team and that's fine if you can afford it but and this not grounded in any research, I do get the feeling so many can't and get themselves into debt or the family goes without, that doesn't seem right to me.
It costs me £175 for an entire year. Is that really so much? And it can be paid in installments I think
that's not home and away, train fare, food, beer, programmes, shirts etc etc.
Just cannot go, as irrespective of the standard of football I cannot derive any pleasure at the game knowing that RD and KM are at the helm of the club and don't have any real ambition for it. It's clear that others feel the need to attend and that is up to them but I just cannot forget everything that has happened in the last three and a half years, not even for ninety minutes.
Just cannot go, as irrespective of the standard of football I cannot derive any pleasure at the game knowing that RD and KM are at the helm of the club and don't have any real ambition for it. It's clear that others feel the need to attend and that is up to them but I just cannot forget everything that has happened in the last three and a half years, not even for ninety minutes.
Will be intersting to see the crowd on Saturday as this is the first match after the school holidays and we are in form.
Assuming Southend bring 1500 I would hope we might get nearer 13/14k for this.
I reckon it will be nearer 16/17k...whatever happened to the thread for guessing the crowd ?
If Southend bring 1,500 then we will do well to get 13k-14k.
There were just over 10k home fans for Plymouth and just shy of 11k for Bristol Rovers. A crowd of 16k-17k would require a 50 per cent increase in home support over three weeks. You'll be disappointed if you imagine that is possible for a L1 match in September.
The lowest team in the PL got £30m in 2007/08. Murray was chasing that money, as indeed he was in 2006/07, albeit for Charlton's benefit.
The issue in 2007/08 was one of financial governance (and Pardew), as you imply. That is why Murray was removed from the chair of the plc by the other directors in January 2008 and why Varney ceased to be chief executive (his own choice in response to the situation between the various warring parties).
The Prem League money was £20m the season we went down though wasn't it? So we spent in excess of 60% of what we'd received the season before, in a lower division.
I was aware of the rest of what you pointed out I was just making the point that even experienced club owners/chief execs can make terrible mistakes, which is why it is possible (although, maybe, not in our case) that new owners and/or chief execs will take a while to learn from their errors.
I don't think the comparison is persuasive. Murray's mistake (Varney had limited say over football in 2007/8) was to put his trust in the wrong managers and overestimate his own importance - although clubs often struggle to adapt when a long-serving manager departs (Man United after Busby and after Ferguson, for example). However, Murray had a long track record of relative success so debatably had earned the right to make his own mistakes.
Duchatelet's problem has been that he ultimately wants to run the show, impose his own ideas and interfere at random without actually doing the work himself. He defines success differently from us. He still believes that fans were responsible for relegation. He has no track record of success, persists in errors regardless of the facts and he has managed to waste more money than Charlton did in 2006-08.
You could argue that Murray did as much damage, but he did not do it over three and a half years and he did not have the opportunities to put things right that Duchatelet has had and wilfully ignored. The mistake would be to assume that Duchatelet has learned anything. Don't you know how clever he is?
I am swimming against the tide by saying that when at the then reviled MKD I always thought Robinson's teams played attractive football, and at the time he was a bloke that seemed to have appeared from nowhere, in a job that others would have hesitated to take, and there was something about his confidence and his general approach that I found admirable.
This was in the context that we were all supposed to hate MKD because of the AFC Wimbledon shenanigans.
I would say that it is likely that I was much more aware of the cut of Robinson's jib over the past few years than RD or KM.
I say all this because I believe that Robinson was appointed because he was available and willing and not because of any detailed knowledge or even research by the regime. The stars were aligned and they got lucky with Robinson's appointment, and seeing as how they were bigging up Slade a week before he was sacked there seems little likelihood that Robinson was a 'controlled' appointment. I mean look at all the other managerial appointments for evidence!
I think that Robinson arrived with certain expectations, and some kind of unclear 'understanding' was reached between him and the owners, he felt he could plan for the future almost as soon as he arrived.
However in my view Robinson has had to reach many compromises with the regime which he didn't expect but to his credit he has got on with it. I am still concerned that we are only a couple of instances away from Robinson being undermined just like every manager has been under this regime. I hope he is supported in the future and not undermined but experience with this regime tells me that he is always at risk of seeing his decent work undone. However I like his style of football and apart from his attitude to referees I like his approach to the game generally.
If we got promotion though would we ever have the synergy between players manager and fans we would need in the tough times? Under this regime could we ever have a Cardiff 5-4? Things are good right now, but promotion would need to be followed by real and shrewd team building to get us back to where we were when the regime took over, I am not confident that would happen.
I always go to matches, but miss my season ticket last season and this after 44 successive years of having one, and not getting a ST is my form of resistance I suppose as I see buying one as a way of validating this regime, and I don't want to validate a regime that has such an apparent distainful attitude to our support which borders on utter contempt at times.
Will be intersting to see the crowd on Saturday as this is the first match after the school holidays and we are in form.
Assuming Southend bring 1500 I would hope we might get nearer 13/14k for this.
I reckon it will be nearer 16/17k...whatever happened to the thread for guessing the crowd ?
If Southend bring 1,500 then we will do well to get 13k-14k.
There were just over 10k home fans for Plymouth and just shy of 11k for Bristol Rovers. A crowd of 16k-17k would require a 50 per cent increase in home support over three weeks. You'll be disappointed if you imagine that is possible for a L1 match in September.
Not sure what the Plymouth gate has to do with it but the first two games were in the school holidays and since then the hype about the way charlton are playing and the performances by individual players has gone through the roof. Your max of 13/14k is probably more realistic but I wouldnt rule out even more turning up on Saturday.
Comments
Just to clarify: I meant Robinson got lucky in terms of it appears he may have chosen the right players in the window rather than pure lottery type luck. I congratulate him if that turns out to be the case. However without proper backing he won't always be able to do that in the future.
I know where @Mametz is coming from when he says he's worried about proper backing. At some stage, particularly if we get promoted, more investment will be needed. It'll be a test of how much further we can go under Duchatelet.
To those that are just getting a season ticket or renewing would you of done if results weren't so good
Bear in mind with Novak being sent off after 8 minutes we could of quite easily lost our 1st 2 games.
To CARD when's the next protests if results start going pear shaped ,you then got people saying you weren't protesting when we was winning .
The ground is hardly full and the demand for tickets isn't high.
This may just be my opinion, but buying a season ticket is telling the regime that you are ok with what they are doing. Sure, you may save a £100 but to me my principles are worth a lot more than that, and the damage they are doing to the club is not ok.
FYI I am one of the fans who IF we got to Wembley or we reached the Premiership I still won't be attending or buying a season ticket respectively. For any games in the future I will only be showing up only to protest, because I just simply couldn't enjoy it with this mob in charge.
I went to one game last season and that was Coventry at home which we won 3-0 and I thought to myself after "that was nice a day out, but in the grand scheme I don't give a toss." That is down to the idiots in charge and them alone.
Genuine questions, I'm just curious, please don't feel obliged to answer.
I was aware of the rest of what you pointed out I was just making the point that even experienced club owners/chief execs can make terrible mistakes, which is why it is possible (although, maybe, not in our case) that new owners and/or chief execs will take a while to learn from their errors.
Reports of the most exciting football since the Curbs era have, however got me tempted, so I'll be pitching up on Saturday vs Southend.
I've read some on here saying that RD is doing something different that has brought about the early success this term. I tend to think that the change is RD (and Daisy Disaster) is doing nothing except setting a budget, leaving the football stuff to those who know best. By good fortune the latter, in KR, had proved to be a shrewder operator than I for one judged him to be. And if this state of equilibrium persists, then maybe good times are just around the corner.
On the other hand, it all might go belly up in the next few weeks and things will return to the now familiar depressing state of affairs. But hell I'm tired of all that stuff! I want to actually enjoy my football again.
So I'll give them the benefit of the doubt - for now.
For me, I have gone through a number of phases in the last few years: from euphoria in 11-12 to disappointment the following year, elation at a new owner who threatened to break the perverse and sickening mound that football has become to revulsion at what that shambles of an owner and his patsy turned out to be. I've protested, walked away, watched my team in the hope they would lose to hasten Roland's demise and ended up going more to watch the emerging soap opera than anything else. I finally gave up at the end of the year before last for the overwhelming reason that the football was utter shite and I wasn't enjoying myself. It just wasn't my club anymore (see separate thread).
I went to the odd game last season as a paying or non-paying "customer". I felt little bond and the entertainment value was zilch. But something happened over the summer and I feel that attachment again. I can't do anything about Roland. I don't have a billion in the bank. But I miss my Saturdays being entertained and, despite the flaws in the squad, this feels more like my Charlton again. I could continue to stay away and I admire those whose principles still dictate that they do. But I had a heart attack a few years ago and am in "smell the coffee" mode. I could wait till I'm dead till everything is ok. Or I could go along and enjoy the ride. It's a season on season decision for me. I made the choice to stay away last year. This year I'm back and I'm being entertained. Whatever else happens it'll be a different sort of soap opera and I might as well have the ST and sit beside people I like and have that sense of belonging.
If Roland's dark side comes to the fore again I'll walk away again. But life is short folks. Live, laugh, love and be happy. Btw it's my birthday and I've had a couple of scotches. Cheers.
Ps. I really don't give a flying f*** whether it's breech, breach or bottom.
It's clear that others feel the need to attend and that is up to them but I just cannot forget everything that has happened in the last three and a half years, not even for ninety minutes.
There were just over 10k home fans for Plymouth and just shy of 11k for Bristol Rovers. A crowd of 16k-17k would require a 50 per cent increase in home support over three weeks.
You'll be disappointed if you imagine that is possible for a L1 match in September.
Duchatelet's problem has been that he ultimately wants to run the show, impose his own ideas and interfere at random without actually doing the work himself. He defines success differently from us. He still believes that fans were responsible for relegation. He has no track record of success, persists in errors regardless of the facts and he has managed to waste more money than Charlton did in 2006-08.
You could argue that Murray did as much damage, but he did not do it over three and a half years and he did not have the opportunities to put things right that Duchatelet has had and wilfully ignored. The mistake would be to assume that Duchatelet has learned anything. Don't you know how clever he is?
This was in the context that we were all supposed to hate MKD because of the AFC Wimbledon shenanigans.
I would say that it is likely that I was much more aware of the cut of Robinson's jib over the past few years than RD or KM.
I say all this because I believe that Robinson was appointed because he was available and willing and not because of any detailed knowledge or even research by the regime. The stars were aligned and they got lucky with Robinson's appointment, and seeing as how they were bigging up Slade a week before he was sacked there seems little likelihood that Robinson was a 'controlled' appointment. I mean look at all the other managerial appointments for evidence!
I think that Robinson arrived with certain expectations, and some kind of unclear 'understanding' was reached between him and the owners, he felt he could plan for the future almost as soon as he arrived.
However in my view Robinson has had to reach many compromises with the regime which he didn't expect but to his credit he has got on with it. I am still concerned that we are only a couple of instances away from Robinson being undermined just like every manager has been under this regime. I hope he is supported in the future and not undermined but experience with this regime tells me that he is always at risk of seeing his decent work undone. However I like his style of football and apart from his attitude to referees I like his approach to the game generally.
If we got promotion though would we ever have the synergy between players manager and fans we would need in the tough times? Under this regime could we ever have a Cardiff 5-4? Things are good right now, but promotion would need to be followed by real and shrewd team building to get us back to where we were when the regime took over, I am not confident that would happen.
I always go to matches, but miss my season ticket last season and this after 44 successive years of having one, and not getting a ST is my form of resistance I suppose as I see buying one as a way of validating this regime, and I don't want to validate a regime that has such an apparent distainful attitude to our support which borders on utter contempt at times.
Conflicted of Lee signing off.