To those saying they hope we don't get left behind, in our promotion season we lost the opening game to Sunderland and we couldn't even name a full bench. Just five of the available seven, those being Ajose, Sarr, AMB, Maloney (I don't even remember him) and Hackett-Fairchild.
And we went on to get promoted.
What's strange is that I've just been back through every season since then and I can't find a stronger, fuller squad than the one we've got now. (Find me another season where we've got players like MacGilvray, Payne, Kirk, McGrandles, Gilbey & Lavelle on the BENCH on day one). And yet this board is more overwhelmingly negative than it's ever been. I can only put it down to some kind of collective emotional trauma we've all experienced because objectively we are better placed than we have been in the past five years, including the season we got promoted.
The season won't live or die based on whether we do our final business on deadline day or not, we are already further ahead than we've been in a long time.
It’s a fuller squad than on the opening day compared with the last arguably 15 seasons . Whether it is a good squad remains to be seen.
As an aside , I wonder if our lack fo use of John and Castillo (and Burstow) will have done us any favours with the loan market from premier league clubs .
It feels like in previous TS summers we’ve had the budget but our recruitment has been poor. This summer I think we are being a lot smarter with recruitment but I’m not sure the budget is enough to get us up there. I think we’ve improved from last season (not hard!) but not enough to be top 6. Hopefully we can bring in 3 really good players that make the difference but I’m not that confident
i think this is a fair summary - bring 3 top signings in before the window closes and i will view things differently and think that we have been more selective as to how and where our budget has been spent - if we don't then i will think the strategy has always been to shoestring it with a manager who knows a lot of lower division players who might just be able to conjure something out of not a lot - we enquired about Lewis Bate again this window but were told the figures and said he was out of our price bracket - he's now at Oxford so either we either only valued him at a certain amount or we are being outgunned by the likes of Oxford.
I was surprised as I’d assumed we’d be in for Bate. I think he’ll be one of the best midfielders in this division. Definitely a cut above Morgan from what I’ve seen.
Hopefully it’s more to do with us being loaded in midfield than our budget.
It feels like in previous TS summers we’ve had the budget but our recruitment has been poor. This summer I think we are being a lot smarter with recruitment but I’m not sure the budget is enough to get us up there. I think we’ve improved from last season (not hard!) but not enough to be top 6. Hopefully we can bring in 3 really good players that make the difference but I’m not that confident
i think this is a fair summary - bring 3 top signings in before the window closes and i will view things differently and think that we have been more selective as to how and where our budget has been spent - if we don't then i will think the strategy has always been to shoestring it with a manager who knows a lot of lower division players who might just be able to conjure something out of not a lot - we enquired about Lewis Bate again this window but were told the figures and said he was out of our price bracket - he's now at Oxford so either we either only valued him at a certain amount or we are being outgunned by the likes of Oxford.
I don’t mind being outgunned for a permanent signing with the fee and wages, but a loan is a bit of a concern. Having said that, at the same time it’s quite disgusting that the bigger clubs can demand fees for their loan players. Bad enough they can hoover the talent but then profit from other clubs helping develop them leaves a sour taste. Personally I don’t think league 1,2 and maybe even champ clubs should have to pay for the loans.
To those saying they hope we don't get left behind, in our promotion season we lost the opening game to Sunderland and we couldn't even name a full bench. Just five of the available seven, those being Ajose, Sarr, AMB, Maloney (I don't even remember him) and Hackett-Fairchild.
And we went on to get promoted.
What's strange is that I've just been back through every season since then and I can't find a stronger, fuller squad than the one we've got now. (Find me another season where we've got players like MacGilvray, Payne, Kirk, McGrandles, Gilbey & Lavelle on the BENCH on day one). And yet this board is more overwhelmingly negative than it's ever been. I can only put it down to some kind of collective emotional trauma we've all experienced because objectively we are better placed than we have been in the past five years, including the season we got promoted.
The season won't live or die based on whether we do our final business on deadline day or not, we are already further ahead than we've been in a long time.
So much in this post I want to disagree with, but 2 that stand out are :
We narrowly lost to Sunderland on the first day of that season and then met them in the PLAY OFFS 9 months later. No one will be meeting Accrington in the play offs this season.
Agree our season wont live or die based on whether we do our final business on deadline day because its already too late. We needed a big rebuild this summer & to do it BEFORE the season started. 2 games in & we still dont have a left footed left back & only 3 recognised strikers - 1 of which made his debut (and yes, scored) on Saturday & 1 is so injury prone that he is not fit enough to start the season.
And this season was going to be different than last. Yeah right.
As @oggy red posted above we picked up 5 points from our first 5 games in that promotion season including... A 1-1 draw away at Accrington in our third match.
To those saying they hope we don't get left behind, in our promotion season we lost the opening game to Sunderland and we couldn't even name a full bench. Just five of the available seven, those being Ajose, Sarr, AMB, Maloney (I don't even remember him) and Hackett-Fairchild.
And we went on to get promoted.
What's strange is that I've just been back through every season since then and I can't find a stronger, fuller squad than the one we've got now. (Find me another season where we've got players like MacGilvray, Payne, Kirk, McGrandles, Gilbey & Lavelle on the BENCH on day one). And yet this board is more overwhelmingly negative than it's ever been. I can only put it down to some kind of collective emotional trauma we've all experienced because objectively we are better placed than we have been in the past five years, including the season we got promoted.
The season won't live or die based on whether we do our final business on deadline day or not, we are already further ahead than we've been in a long time.
So much in this post I want to disagree with, but 2 that stand out are :
We narrowly lost to Sunderland on the first day of that season and then met them in the PLAY OFFS 9 months later. No one will be meeting Accrington in the play offs this season.
Agree our season wont live or die based on whether we do our final business on deadline day because its already too late. We needed a big rebuild this summer & to do it BEFORE the season started. 2 games in & we still dont have a left footed left back & only 3 recognised strikers - 1 of which made his debut (and yes, scored) on Saturday & 1 is so injury prone that he is not fit enough to start the season.
And this season was going to be different than last. Yeah right.
I feel like you may have misread my post or skimmed it? It's nothing to do with who our opposition is on the first day, Accrington, Sunderland or whoever else. It was about the readiness of our squad.
And on the other point you say it's 'too late because we are supposed to have our team before the season starts', and yet I've given the example above where we couldn't even fill the bench on the first day and went on to get promoted.
But as everyone on here agrees, the 18/19 squad had better players £ for £ than our current squad. Taylor for Stockley, Grant for Aneke, Aribo for Gilbey/Fraser, Cullen & Biliek for Dobson & Magrandells. OK, we couldn't fill the bench that day but that was under RD and is a pretty low bar to start with !
I still contest that although we have brought in a number of players it was still not enough at 30th July & the squad is not balanced enough to maintain a top 6 challenge. Yes, we might bring in 1 or 2 by Sept 1st but they are very likely going to be loans and unless 1 is JRS then expect to underwelmed by the likes of John, Smith, Smyth, Castillo, Levitt, Arter.....
To those saying they hope we don't get left behind, in our promotion season we lost the opening game to Sunderland and we couldn't even name a full bench. Just five of the available seven, those being Ajose, Sarr, AMB, Maloney (I don't even remember him) and Hackett-Fairchild.
And we went on to get promoted.
What's strange is that I've just been back through every season since then and I can't find a stronger, fuller squad than the one we've got now. (Find me another season where we've got players like MacGilvray, Payne, Kirk, McGrandles, Gilbey & Lavelle on the BENCH on day one). And yet this board is more overwhelmingly negative than it's ever been. I can only put it down to some kind of collective emotional trauma we've all experienced because objectively we are better placed than we have been in the past five years, including the season we got promoted.
The season won't live or die based on whether we do our final business on deadline day or not, we are already further ahead than we've been in a long time.
So much in this post I want to disagree with, but 2 that stand out are :
We narrowly lost to Sunderland on the first day of that season and then met them in the PLAY OFFS 9 months later. No one will be meeting Accrington in the play offs this season.
Agree our season wont live or die based on whether we do our final business on deadline day because its already too late. We needed a big rebuild this summer & to do it BEFORE the season started. 2 games in & we still dont have a left footed left back & only 3 recognised strikers - 1 of which made his debut (and yes, scored) on Saturday & 1 is so injury prone that he is not fit enough to start the season.
And this season was going to be different than last. Yeah right.
I feel like you may have misread my post or skimmed it? It's nothing to do with who our opposition is on the first day, Accrington, Sunderland or whoever else. It was about the readiness of our squad.
And on the other point you say it's 'too late because we are supposed to have our team before the season starts', and yet I've given the example above where we couldn't even fill the bench on the first day and went on to get promoted.
But as everyone on here agrees, the 18/19 squad had better players £ for £ than our current squad. Taylor for Stockley, Grant for Aneke, Aribo for Gilbey/Fraser, Cullen & Biliek for Dobson & Magrandells. OK, we couldn't fill the bench that day but that was under RD and is a pretty low bar to start with !
I still contest that although we have brought in a number of players it was still not enough at 30th July & the squad is not balanced enough to maintain a top 6 challenge. Yes, we might bring in 1 or 2 by Sept 1st but they are very likely going to be loans and unless 1 is JRS then expect to underwelmed by the likes of John, Smith, Smyth, Castillo, Levitt, Arter.....
That's a different point to the one you just made (and the one my post made) but OK.
I was trying to make a simple point and I'll stick with it. We have the most 'ready' squad that we've had in recent memory at this stage. If we sign the remaining players on deadline day, that won't decide our season. The quality will, I'll agree with that part. (I'm surprised that you do, considering I always read you saying we have to have everyone in by X day or else).
If I go back and look for your pre-season posts in 2018, will I find you being positive about the season ahead?
There's been some comparison with our preparation of the 2018/19 promotion season.
You know, we began that season understrength and results reflected it. Who remembers that in the entire month of August 2018, 5 League matches were played ...... yielding just 5 points.
A Sunderland L ... 1-2 H Shrewsbury W... 2-1 A Accrington D... 1-1 H Posh ......... L ... 0-1 A Fleetwood. D... 0-0
Just 1 win in our first 5 matches, an average of a paltry single point agame ..... that form over the course of the season would have resulted in certain relegation.
Maybe we should have sacked Lee Bowyer!
That Peterborough game. We should have had a penalty. It was denied..then Posh clear to an player who races away and passes to a player who was offside. They score. Bowyer got into trouble as he went after the ref on the pitch. At Accrington Grant missed an absolute sitter and hit the post.
We were unlucky at Sunderland and Fleetwood I didn't see that year. Could have easily been 10 points from 5.
Likewise at Accrington this past weekend, we would’ve had three points but for the obvious. It’s 1 point so far but coulda/shoulda been 3…
It feels like in previous TS summers we’ve had the budget but our recruitment has been poor. This summer I think we are being a lot smarter with recruitment but I’m not sure the budget is enough to get us up there. I think we’ve improved from last season (not hard!) but not enough to be top 6. Hopefully we can bring in 3 really good players that make the difference but I’m not that confident
i think this is a fair summary - bring 3 top signings in before the window closes and i will view things differently and think that we have been more selective as to how and where our budget has been spent - if we don't then i will think the strategy has always been to shoestring it with a manager who knows a lot of lower division players who might just be able to conjure something out of not a lot - we enquired about Lewis Bate again this window but were told the figures and said he was out of our price bracket - he's now at Oxford so either we either only valued him at a certain amount or we are being outgunned by the likes of Oxford.
I don’t mind being outgunned for a permanent signing with the fee and wages, but a loan is a bit of a concern. Having said that, at the same time it’s quite disgusting that the bigger clubs can demand fees for their loan players. Bad enough they can hoover the talent but then profit from other clubs helping develop them leaves a sour taste. Personally I don’t think league 1,2 and maybe even champ clubs should have to pay for the loans.
Just the way it is but unless the parent club were paying a portion, and knowing his deal at Leeds, he would comfortably be on - I assume - more than any player at Charlton - surprised he didn’t end up in the championship but style of play and location would have been a factor
This is the beginning of my 58th season of watching the Addicks. Over this time I have developed a 6th sense about how we are likely to fare in the upcoming season and in the past 20 years I have rarely been wrong. When I have sensed an upturn in our fortunes I have invariably placed a bet for the season (Outright Winners, Promotion or both). I don't bet at any other time. When I fear a disappointing season ahead I simply don't place a bet. I did not bet in the last two seasons. However, this season I have placed two bets (£50 @ 28-1 Outright Winners and £50 @ 7-1 Promotion). Over the past 15 years I'm up by c£2,600. Who knows how this season will pan out, but I'm certainly not as negative as some and I have put my money where my mouth is. I'm quietly confident that this will turn out to be a much better season than some here fear.
This is the beginning of my 58th season of watching the Addicks. Over this time I have developed a 6th sense about how we are likely to fare in the upcoming season and in the past 20 years I have rarely been wrong. When I have sensed an upturn in our fortunes I have invariably placed a bet for the season (Outright Winners, Promotion or both). I don't bet at any other time. When I fear a disappointing season ahead I simply don't place a bet. I did not bet in the last two seasons. However, this season I have placed two bets (£50 @ 28-1 Outright Winners and £50 @ 7-1 Promotion). Over the past 15 years I'm up by c£2,600. Who knows how this season will pan out, but I'm certainly not as negative as some and I have put my money where my mouth is. I'm quietly confident that this will turn out to be a much better season than some here fear.
Just a genuinely pleasant post to read. With the way we're set up and the squad we have it'll either come together or it won't. All we have in the meantime is hope. Fingers crossed that you're quids in by the end of the season.
There's been some comparison with our preparation of the 2018/19 promotion season.
You know, we began that season understrength and results reflected it. Who remembers that in the entire month of August 2018, 5 League matches were played ...... yielding just 5 points.
A Sunderland L ... 1-2 H Shrewsbury W... 2-1 A Accrington D... 1-1 H Posh ......... L ... 0-1 A Fleetwood. D... 0-0
Just 1 win in our first 5 matches, an average of a paltry single point agame ..... that form over the course of the season would have resulted in certain relegation.
Maybe we should have sacked Lee Bowyer!
That Peterborough game. We should have had a penalty. It was denied..then Posh clear to an player who races away and passes to a player who was offside. They score. Bowyer got into trouble as he went after the ref on the pitch. At Accrington Grant missed an absolute sitter and hit the post.
We were unlucky at Sunderland and Fleetwood I didn't see that year. Could have easily been 10 points from 5.
But it wasn't 10 points though, was it? It was just 5 points from 5 games. My point was that we began that season understrength. Results reflected it.
It was late additions to the squad after the season had already started, with Beilik, Cullen, etc that helped make the difference. And that was before Purrington was signed in the January, which balanced and sorted out a leaky defence.
Perhaps I should also mention the emergence of Grant as a prolific scorer in a Charlton shirt, for half a season anyway before Roland cashed in. And then there was a young Aribo, inconsistant at first but gradually finding his feet; Dijksteel coming in at RB to replace the injured Solly.
Will there be a surprise emergence of maybe a youth player this season, Leaburn, Henry or even Morgan finally finding his feet?
Anyway that 2018/19 season, only 5 points from the first 5 games. And yet we still won promotion.
To those saying they hope we don't get left behind, in our promotion season we lost the opening game to Sunderland and we couldn't even name a full bench. Just five of the available seven, those being Ajose, Sarr, AMB, Maloney (I don't even remember him) and Hackett-Fairchild.
And we went on to get promoted.
What's strange is that I've just been back through every season since then and I can't find a stronger, fuller squad than the one we've got now. (Find me another season where we've got players like MacGilvray, Payne, Kirk, McGrandles, Gilbey & Lavelle on the BENCH on day one). And yet this board is more overwhelmingly negative than it's ever been. I can only put it down to some kind of collective emotional trauma we've all experienced because objectively we are better placed than we have been in the past five years, including the season we got promoted.
The season won't live or die based on whether we do our final business on deadline day or not, we are already further ahead than we've been in a long time.
So much in this post I want to disagree with, but 2 that stand out are :
We narrowly lost to Sunderland on the first day of that season and then met them in the PLAY OFFS 9 months later. No one will be meeting Accrington in the play offs this season.
Agree our season wont live or die based on whether we do our final business on deadline day because its already too late. We needed a big rebuild this summer & to do it BEFORE the season started. 2 games in & we still dont have a left footed left back & only 3 recognised strikers - 1 of which made his debut (and yes, scored) on Saturday & 1 is so injury prone that he is not fit enough to start the season.
And this season was going to be different than last. Yeah right.
I feel like you may have misread my post or skimmed it? It's nothing to do with who our opposition is on the first day, Accrington, Sunderland or whoever else. It was about the readiness of our squad.
And on the other point you say it's 'too late because we are supposed to have our team before the season starts', and yet I've given the example above where we couldn't even fill the bench on the first day and went on to get promoted.
But as everyone on here agrees, the 18/19 squad had better players £ for £ than our current squad. Taylor for Stockley, Grant for Aneke, Aribo for Gilbey/Fraser, Cullen & Biliek for Dobson & Magrandells. OK, we couldn't fill the bench that day but that was under RD and is a pretty low bar to start with !
I still contest that although we have brought in a number of players it was still not enough at 30th July & the squad is not balanced enough to maintain a top 6 challenge. Yes, we might bring in 1 or 2 by Sept 1st but they are very likely going to be loans and unless 1 is JRS then expect to underwelmed by the likes of John, Smith, Smyth, Castillo, Levitt, Arter.....
Blimey, Golfie you are gloomy this morning.
I do hope you're enjoying your holiday down here in Sunny Cornwall. It's not even raining. There's not a cloud in the sky, the sun is shining and the sea sparkling.
Maybe we just have to see how the season unfolds. That's half the fun of football anyway!
Sounds like Orient are aiming high this season, with promotion their priority.
If they are prepared to pay the wages, JFC won't be out of pocket and playing regularly in a League 2 promotion chasing side will be far more appealing than occasionally sitting on the Charlton bench.
Orient forum, someone claims they know a CAFC player and it’s true, another claims he made the rumour up. Then someone says Gillingham managed by JJ are interested.
If JFC drops down to division 2 and has a very successful season, injuries permitting then next summer he’ll be just the sort of player that aspirational league one clubs will look to sign. It a mad, mad, mad world.
If JFC drops down to division 2 and has a very successful season, injuries permitting then next summer he’ll be just the sort of player that aspirational league one clubs will look to sign. It a mad, mad, mad world.
I suspect he hasn’t recovered well from his long term injury.
There's been some comparison with our preparation of the 2018/19 promotion season.
You know, we began that season understrength and results reflected it. Who remembers that in the entire month of August 2018, 5 League matches were played ...... yielding just 5 points.
A Sunderland L ... 1-2 H Shrewsbury W... 2-1 A Accrington D... 1-1 H Posh ......... L ... 0-1 A Fleetwood. D... 0-0
Just 1 win in our first 5 matches, an average of a paltry single point agame ..... that form over the course of the season would have resulted in certain relegation.
Maybe we should have sacked Lee Bowyer!
Wow, to those results, so don't panic if its the same situation at the end of the fist 5 games?
This is the beginning of my 58th season of watching the Addicks. Over this time I have developed a 6th sense about how we are likely to fare in the upcoming season and in the past 20 years I have rarely been wrong. When I have sensed an upturn in our fortunes I have invariably placed a bet for the season (Outright Winners, Promotion or both). I don't bet at any other time. When I fear a disappointing season ahead I simply don't place a bet. I did not bet in the last two seasons. However, this season I have placed two bets (£50 @ 28-1 Outright Winners and £50 @ 7-1 Promotion). Over the past 15 years I'm up by c£2,600. Who knows how this season will pan out, but I'm certainly not as negative as some and I have put my money where my mouth is. I'm quietly confident that this will turn out to be a much better season than some here fear.
This is the beginning of my 58th season of watching the Addicks. Over this time I have developed a 6th sense about how we are likely to fare in the upcoming season and in the past 20 years I have rarely been wrong. When I have sensed an upturn in our fortunes I have invariably placed a bet for the season (Outright Winners, Promotion or both). I don't bet at any other time. When I fear a disappointing season ahead I simply don't place a bet. I did not bet in the last two seasons. However, this season I have placed two bets (£50 @ 28-1 Outright Winners and £50 @ 7-1 Promotion). Over the past 15 years I'm up by c£2,600. Who knows how this season will pan out, but I'm certainly not as negative as some and I have put my money where my mouth is. I'm quietly confident that this will turn out to be a much better season than some here fear.
Jus a genuinely pleasant post to read. With the way we're set up and the squad we have it'll either come together or it won't. All we have in the meantime is hope. Fingers crossed that you're quids in by the end of the season.
If JFC drops down to division 2 and has a very successful season, injuries permitting then next summer he’ll be just the sort of player that aspirational league one clubs will look to sign. It a mad, mad, mad world.
I suspect he hasn’t recovered well from his long term injury.
You need to play the hand you have, not the hand you think you have.
North Hykeham is a sub district of south Lincoln by the way.
Yes that’s true…..the sub divisions of Lincolnshire gets a bit confusing to say the least, with a very unusually large number of district councils, sub divisions, borders. etc. Mind you, it is after all the second largest county in the country…..it’s huge, with farmlands going on for mile after mile, it’s the bread basket of the country and feeds the nation. Many of the locals don’t follow it, to say nothing of the many thousands of annual newcomers to the county, new housing goes on at a massive pace. If you’re thinking of moving out of London it’s a great place to live…..first off you can strike up a conversation with complete strangers and they will engage with you, that’s a very precious thing. Anyway…..excuse me for wandering so far off subject, I got a bit carried away there. 🫢
Comments
Hopefully it’s more to do with us being loaded in midfield than our budget.
I still contest that although we have brought in a number of players it was still not enough at 30th July & the squad is not balanced enough to maintain a top 6 challenge. Yes, we might bring in 1 or 2 by Sept 1st but they are very likely going to be loans and unless 1 is JRS then expect to underwelmed by the likes of John, Smith, Smyth, Castillo, Levitt, Arter.....
I was trying to make a simple point and I'll stick with it. We have the most 'ready' squad that we've had in recent memory at this stage. If we sign the remaining players on deadline day, that won't decide our season. The quality will, I'll agree with that part. (I'm surprised that you do, considering I always read you saying we have to have everyone in by X day or else).
If I go back and look for your pre-season posts in 2018, will I find you being positive about the season ahead?
My point was that we began that season understrength. Results reflected it.
It was late additions to the squad after the season had already started, with Beilik, Cullen, etc that helped make the difference.
And that was before Purrington was signed in the January, which balanced and sorted out a leaky defence.
Perhaps I should also mention the emergence of Grant as a prolific scorer in a Charlton shirt, for half a season anyway before Roland cashed in.
And then there was a young Aribo, inconsistant at first but gradually finding his feet; Dijksteel coming in at RB to replace the injured Solly.
Will there be a surprise emergence of maybe a youth player this season, Leaburn, Henry or even Morgan finally finding his feet?
Anyway that 2018/19 season, only 5 points from the first 5 games.
And yet we still won promotion.
I do hope you're enjoying your holiday down here in Sunny Cornwall. It's not even raining.
There's not a cloud in the sky, the sun is shining and the sea sparkling.
Maybe we just have to see how the season unfolds.
That's half the fun of football anyway!
If he moves there, guess we know he's a player that likes to remain "near home".
If they are prepared to pay the wages, JFC won't be out of pocket and playing regularly in a League 2 promotion chasing side will be far more appealing than occasionally sitting on the Charlton bench.
Especially if he doesn't have to move home.
https://lofcforum.boards.net/thread/11965/midfielder
He is fully fit.
Many of the locals don’t follow it, to say nothing of the many thousands of annual newcomers to the county, new housing goes on at a massive pace.
If you’re thinking of moving out of London it’s a great place to live…..first off you can strike up a conversation with complete strangers and they will engage with you, that’s a very precious thing.
Anyway…..excuse me for wandering so far off subject, I got a bit carried away there. 🫢
We just need a little bit of BLANK
Quality?
Attacking threat?
Lurve?