I am not unhappy or moaning but let's be honest and admit none of our new aquisitions will make much (any) difference to whether we stay up or not but we lost our best player and another first choice starter who both scored goals (Gallagher and Leko).
Despite the hype, the bottom line is that under this ownership, the squad is significantly weaker than it was in August under Roland.
What happened to our prime targets (not Maddison, who sounds like a dick anyway) but what about Parrot and Idah and why did they not wish to join CAFC and Bowyer??
Lack of money, fear of injury, fear of league 1 ??
Sorry, but that's just not true. Our new acquisitions will 100% make a difference to whether we stay up and it's just wrong to say they won't.
As for Parrot Spurs decided they were not going to loan him and Norwich presumably felt the same re Idah.
It would be good if people checked their facts before posting critical nonsense. Sorry.
Pretty sure Spurs had to keep Parrott due to UEFA homegrown regulations.
Yup it was some sort of regulation about a 3 year restriction. Bostock was a problem because Toulouse wouldn’t handle the paperwork. Norwich decided to retain Idah.
DD, I've heard he is quite the handful overall happy with that, now time to get behind the boys and help them break into the playoffs. I can't quite believe how negative some people are, it's baffling.
Very happy with Davis. Can’t understand why Birmingham let him go - maybe a loan fee paid?
They are more than skint and due a points deduction under FFP. If they don't sell Bellingham or get their expenditure down the next FFP punishment would probably mean relegation.
I think it is the midfield where we have been most affected in our poor run. People say we need defenders, but we have decent defenders that need the support of the midfield. Likewise in attack. If we were to suffer the same injuries again, we can cover them sufficiently now IMO. We also have until the next window to persuade Lyle that his future is with us. If he does well though, I suspect a Premier League club might be willing to take a free punt despite his age.
The Remit for Lee Bowyer in August under Duchatelet was to finish 21st or above. What has taken most Charlton fans by Surprise after acquiring an owner from a stable in form: UAE, is the bar hasn't been raised in January.
My perception from Matt Southall after he watched every game in November was he understood the injury crisis and from (January 2nd) would bring Green in for Leko and a loan striker as we were down to one fit striker. 29 days later and 3 loan players come in on deadline day; Wasn't our Deadline day earlier than the 31st January?
Lee Bowyer is happy now because he feels he can carry out his remit but the nagging doubts remain. Questions still need to be put to Matt, but not today.
Only blind loyalty today, as this is our first Cup final in February
Nope, deadline day is deadline day.
Clubs aren't going to say ok, we need to wait until the end of the window to see what our options are, but as you're Charlton and desperate, we'll let you have one of our players on the cheap and just take the chance it doesn't drop us in the shit.
With the likes of Lockyer, Pearce, Pratley, McGeady, Davis and Taylor in a match day squad, we have the physicality to ensure we never roll over as many Charlton sides have done in the past.
Very happy with Davis. Can’t understand why Birmingham let him go - maybe a loan fee paid?
They are more than skint and due a points deduction under FFP. If they don't sell Bellingham or get their expenditure down the next FFP punishment would probably mean relegation.
I was slightly surprised they didn't sell Bellingham because of this, a big fee would have gone a long way towards balancing their FFP books
Maybe it wouldn't have helped because it was too late for the FFP calculation
I don't think it is easy to relax and assume that we will climb the table, it is going to take the blood sweat tears toil and resolve that has been characteristic of Lee Bowyer, the players and us fans over the past two years.
This is true, when you get sucked in it can be difficult to pull yourself out of a relegation scrap. Three points today will be massive. A defeat and the lack of activity during January will be biting us in the bum and not letting go!
Just catching up on this thread with a massive hangover.
I'm pretty happy with the window as a whole. Huge disappointment to lose Conor but that was out of our control. Would have been nice to have had some bodies in earlier but I think we are in a decent position for the end of the window.
We have brought in players where we most needed it (backup for Cullen and a box-to-box midfielder) these had to be the priority after losing 2 in midfield and having such an injury crisis there.
We have also brought in Green who looks good and we may look to do what we did with Leko and play him up top. Alternatively him along with Doughty means for the first time we can play with wingers. McGeady provides more cover at the top of the diamond and also means we have the option to go 4231.
The squad has more depth and looks more rounded than before the window even if losing Conor has potentially (not sure how they will go yet) left us slightly short of quality in one midfield role.
For people wondering why we have invested in our midfield... a couple of games ago we played Vennings, Dempsey, Morgan, Gallagher and Pratley. We lost the best of these 5, one is 34 and performing out of his skin and the other 3 are no where near ready.
Last game we brought back one decent midfielder against a strong Fulham side and our defence kept a clean sheet.
We have the firepower to score goals (albeit I would have liked one more attacker if I was being greedy).
Midfield was where we were losing games. Bowyer has made sure this won’t happen anymore.
Davis is a good signing but what’s the point of Matt smith ? He won’t get much game time.
If anything he is the most essential player. Only genuine box-to-box midfielder. Cant see us playing a diamond without him tbh.
But who will he play instead of when everyone is fit?
If Cullen and Pratley/Davis take 2 of the midfield spaces, that still leaves Field, JFC, Williams, Green, McGeady, Doughty, Aneke, Oztumer as midfield or attacking midfield options.
If we play 4231 I can't see Smith as a first choice part of the 2 or the 3?
Davis is a good signing but what’s the point of Matt smith ? He won’t get much game time.
If anything he is the most essential player. Only genuine box-to-box midfielder. Cant see us playing a diamond without him tbh.
But who will he play instead of when everyone is fit?
If Cullen and Pratley/Davis take 2 of the midfield spaces, that still leaves Field, JFC, Williams, Green, McGeady, Doughty, Aneke, Oztumer as midfield or attacking midfield options.
If we play 4231 I can't see Smith as a first choice part of the 2 or the 3?
Can't you see we needed a squad ? Bowyer needed 22 players who will all be ready for selection. Lee wanted the headache of who to leave out. Two strikers at home is imperative till the end of season.
Davis is a good signing but what’s the point of Matt smith ? He won’t get much game time.
If anything he is the most essential player. Only genuine box-to-box midfielder. Cant see us playing a diamond without him tbh.
But who will he play instead of when everyone is fit?
If Cullen and Pratley/Davis take 2 of the midfield spaces, that still leaves Field, JFC, Williams, Green, McGeady, Doughty, Aneke, Oztumer as midfield or attacking midfield options.
If we play 4231 I can't see Smith as a first choice part of the 2 or the 3?
I think we can solve this by playing 472 formation
Comments
So nothing we could do about any of them.
Just woken from a 4 month coma ?
If they don't sell Bellingham or get their expenditure down the next FFP punishment would probably mean relegation.
Clubs aren't going to say ok, we need to wait until the end of the window to see what our options are, but as you're Charlton and desperate, we'll let you have one of our players on the cheap and just take the chance it doesn't drop us in the shit.
Maybe it wouldn't have helped because it was too late for the FFP calculation
I'm pretty happy with the window as a whole. Huge disappointment to lose Conor but that was out of our control. Would have been nice to have had some bodies in earlier but I think we are in a decent position for the end of the window.
We have brought in players where we most needed it (backup for Cullen and a box-to-box midfielder) these had to be the priority after losing 2 in midfield and having such an injury crisis there.
We have also brought in Green who looks good and we may look to do what we did with Leko and play him up top. Alternatively him along with Doughty means for the first time we can play with wingers. McGeady provides more cover at the top of the diamond and also means we have the option to go 4231.
The squad has more depth and looks more rounded than before the window even if losing Conor has potentially (not sure how they will go yet) left us slightly short of quality in one midfield role.
If Cullen and Pratley/Davis take 2 of the midfield spaces, that still leaves Field, JFC, Williams, Green, McGeady, Doughty, Aneke, Oztumer as midfield or attacking midfield options.
If we play 4231 I can't see Smith as a first choice part of the 2 or the 3?
Bowyer needed 22 players who will all be ready for selection. Lee wanted the headache of who to leave out.
Two strikers at home is imperative till the end of season.
Very easy for people to sit on their computer moaning that we should've done this and that, but it's not as if Southall and Gallen weren't trying.
If things had gone differently we could've ended up with at least 3 different players yesterday to what we eventually got.