I always think the term 'a bad at the office' is overused in football. However, the 'office' bit of it does hold some water. A football team has some differences to other groups of people that work together - like only 11 can play at once - but it does have many similarities. Businesses/offices/groups of workers take time to put together a good team. It's quicker to put together a bad team than it is to build a good team.
Charlton's recruitment policy over recent years has been a complete mess. Although, on paper, we look to be reasonably strong for League One, this team has been thrown together. Good teams are not just the best individuals - they are a group of individuals that make a good team. It is no wonder that they haven't gelled as well as a team as one might hope. I am sure of the signings were made in haste, which meant recruiting, to be kind about it, some players who didn't fit into the Charlton mould.
The transfer embargo messed up two windows. We all want a team that is better than the sum of its parts and we probably have a team at the moment that is worse than the sum of its parts, but it will take time to fix this.
Sandgaard took over on 25th September (if my Google search is right) - that was a couple of weeks before the window closed. The 25th Septemberis just over 4 months ago. It seems a lot longer, but it is not. Building a team will take time. Getting the right group will take time. The fact that we exist to play football in 2021 at all looked highly doubtful at one point.
As Bowyer says, we are lucky not to be where Wigan are in many ways. You could argue the Club in terms of it as business (not the supporters) deserve to be where Wigan are. I would hope for and expect progress such that on 4th February 2022, we are in a better position, but we shouldn't underestimate the damage that Roland and the ensuing 'shenanigans' did. Yes, we want to get out of this division and be a step nearer Europe, but 4 months is not long.
Whilst I tend to agree with LB, this does sound to me like his excuse or reason why Sangaard shouldn't consider terminating his employment as manager of CAFC. He is obviously under pressure, and perhaps the cracks are now beginning to show.
Whilst it is true to a point, I think Bowyer is best focussing on getting us firmly in the play off places rather than offer excuses why we might not achieve this.
The article won't make any difference to Sandgaard. I'm sure they will have already had this conversation and it may be why he has been given as long as he has.
To some of us, this was a completely unnecessary statement as we understand the position we’re in. This isn’t for any one other than all those who keep expecting us to be Real Madrid overnight now we have a decent owner. Let him get on with his job, Thomas is.
More excuses and unnecessary chatter from Bowyer .. you now have some decent players, so less of the media hype and more attention to tactics and player performance please Mr Bowyer
I read that as look what I’ve had to deal with Thomas, please don’t sack me.
im in the bowyer out camp but that has made me reconsider a little bit
This 100%.
Smacks of "I'm doing the best I can as I'm currently having to rebuild every season". Doesn't say, however, that he has now been given the tools but is still not doing as well as has been expected.
And things wont change until we -
1) stop bringing in 5 or 6 loans per season. Hardly any of them stay (obviously) so that's another half a dozen players you half to find for the next season
2) use our Academy players more, so we don't have to keep loaning in players. No point having an Academy if you don't play them. Also (as LB has just pointed out) they are great at generating revenue.
3) keep giving short term contracts. I know a lot is down to what the player wants but signing up players for 2 years just means more rebuilding 2 years later as, once again, those types of players generally leave after their 2 years. (Yes, I'm looking at you Lyle Taylor).
Looks things are starting to change with the 3.5 years given to DJ though.
I think it is a sign he is feeling a bit under pressure and is putting an excuse out there. Sandgaard will already be aware and as you say, so will most of us. Sandgaard has said he wants us promoted within two seasons so Bowyer has to try to do it this season or face the difficult task of convincing Sandgaard he is the man to do it in the second season.
If we don't get promoted, I think Sandgaard will expect play offs and signs we are moving forwards. That is irrespective of player sales we have made.
It’s strange how people have completely stopped realising he is responding to questions put to him by journalists in a press conference and that he is not going out of his way to make ‘statements’.
if you take whatever tribal hat you’ve got on I really don’t understand how there is anything fundamentally there that anyone can disagree with
You have a point. I suppose we need to know what the question was. Does anybody know?
"Given the takeover shenanigans over the last couple of years at Charlton, how do you think performances have been compared to another club with basket-case ownership problems, Wigan?"
To some of us, this was a completely unnecessary statement as we understand the position we’re in. This isn’t for any one other than all those who keep expecting us to be Real Madrid overnight now we have a decent owner. Let him get on with his job, Thomas is.
Not a single fan thought we would be Real Madrid over night.
Some thought we may be relative shoe ins for the play offs of a poor quality League One this season and many thought we would get more than 14 points from our last 12 games or whatever it is.
I may well be wrong but I have always assumed at this level every team finds it hard to build because a) contracts are usually shorter, b) best players get whisked away. In fact, the Cap will just accentuate this. I would be interested to know just how much churn there was at the teams currently sat above us in the summer. I doubt it was insubstantial, maybe Hull aside.
The churn and squad uncertainty would have been very difficult to deal with but don't explain playing Smyth at RB or having Pratley ahead of Oshi at CB for weeks or the very many other baffling decisions made this season.
who's idea was it to have the cap in the first place?
seems to cause no end of trouble and accentuates the gap between championship and league 1. which is bad enough as it is with teams like Sheffield Wednesday, Forest, Derby and others spending well over what they should.
It does seem to weaken League One in relation to the Championship. I think the biggest puzzle to me is that it stops clubs rewarding players that are doing well with better contracts.
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But he is right, we're doing far better than Wigan after our mini-rebuild which starts again in June.
Charlton's recruitment policy over recent years has been a complete mess. Although, on paper, we look to be reasonably strong for League One, this team has been thrown together. Good teams are not just the best individuals - they are a group of individuals that make a good team. It is no wonder that they haven't gelled as well as a team as one might hope. I am sure of the signings were made in haste, which meant recruiting, to be kind about it, some players who didn't fit into the Charlton mould.
The transfer embargo messed up two windows. We all want a team that is better than the sum of its parts and we probably have a team at the moment that is worse than the sum of its parts, but it will take time to fix this.
Sandgaard took over on 25th September (if my Google search is right) - that was a couple of weeks before the window closed. The 25th September is just over 4 months ago. It seems a lot longer, but it is not. Building a team will take time. Getting the right group will take time. The fact that we exist to play football in 2021 at all looked highly doubtful at one point.
As Bowyer says, we are lucky not to be where Wigan are in many ways. You could argue the Club in terms of it as business (not the supporters) deserve to be where Wigan are. I would hope for and expect progress such that on 4th February 2022, we are in a better position, but we shouldn't underestimate the damage that Roland and the ensuing 'shenanigans' did. Yes, we want to get out of this division and be a step nearer Europe, but 4 months is not long.
im in the bowyer out camp but that has made me reconsider a little bit
But he doesn’t half bang on about this.
How have we sold that much?
Bonne 2m, Dijksteel 2m, Grant 2.5m plus his sell on fee (3m?), then say just over a million for Doughty and Phillips combined.
Who else is there?
He is obviously under pressure, and perhaps the cracks are now beginning to show.
This isn’t for any one other than all those who keep expecting us to be Real Madrid overnight now we have a decent owner.
Let him get on with his job, Thomas is.
Smacks of "I'm doing the best I can as I'm currently having to rebuild every season". Doesn't say, however, that he has now been given the tools but is still not doing as well as has been expected.
And things wont change until we -
1) stop bringing in 5 or 6 loans per season. Hardly any of them stay (obviously) so that's another half a dozen players you half to find for the next season
2) use our Academy players more, so we don't have to keep loaning in players. No point having an Academy if you don't play them. Also (as LB has just pointed out) they are great at generating revenue.
3) keep giving short term contracts. I know a lot is down to what the player wants but signing up players for 2 years just means more rebuilding 2 years later as, once again, those types of players generally leave after their 2 years. (Yes, I'm looking at you Lyle Taylor).
Looks things are starting to change with the 3.5 years given to DJ though.
If we don't get promoted, I think Sandgaard will expect play offs and signs we are moving forwards. That is irrespective of player sales we have made.
Me personally? I'd be sitting by a lake carp fishing.
But they are in an extraordinary situation and I don't see the point of making changes.
You might find a manager who is brilliant at getting the best out of a makeshift team during a pandemic. But is that what we need in the longer term?
if you take whatever tribal hat you’ve got on I really don’t understand how there is anything fundamentally there that anyone can disagree with
Some thought we may be relative shoe ins for the play offs of a poor quality League One this season and many thought we would get more than 14 points from our last 12 games or whatever it is.
I may well be wrong but I have always assumed at this level every team finds it hard to build because a) contracts are usually shorter, b) best players get whisked away. In fact, the Cap will just accentuate this. I would be interested to know just how much churn there was at the teams currently sat above us in the summer. I doubt it was insubstantial, maybe Hull aside.
The churn and squad uncertainty would have been very difficult to deal with but don't explain playing Smyth at RB or having Pratley ahead of Oshi at CB for weeks or the very many other baffling decisions made this season.
seems to cause no end of trouble and accentuates the gap between championship and league 1. which is bad enough as it is with teams like Sheffield Wednesday, Forest, Derby and others spending well over what they should.
Peterborough are regular sellers of players, but by usually buying low and selling high. The Toney fee is £5m rising up to £10