I don't know... Seems like some of our fanbase have forgotten about trying to enjoy the football or the start of a new season and instead spend all day moaning about the owner/transfers. I thought it was just us but I guess it's happening at every club.
Little bit easier to enjoy the football when you’re one of the best teams in the world. Whilst just down the road Charlton are conceding a 96th min equaliser at Accrington Stanley…
"All I want is an owner who cares so I can just go back to watching the football."
I think the response would have been completely different if the narrative had been:
"The whole club is fucked, from top to bottom, it's going to take 2 maybe 3 years to fix. We won't always get it right but it won't be through lack of trying. It wont be easy but we will get there".
I genuinely think last season was a massive kick in the bollocks for everyone, including TS. I honestly believe he thought we had a "title winning" squad.
It's strange, though. I flicked through some previous summer transfer threads from the Roland/ESI days, back when we couldn't even field a complete team and didn't know when or what quality of player we'd be signing, and it was still less miserable than it is now.
I think there was an element of acceptance back then? Everyone gave the management team 100% support in the knowledge that they were doing their best in difficult circumstances, and there was nothing we could do about it. We just hoped for better days.
Now we do have an owner who cares, and it hasn't yet resulted in an improved league performance, but the mood is even more miserable than when it all felt hopeless. The 100% support mantra is gone as well.
Almost as predictable as someone like you using a video about Liverpool to dig out Charlton fans
Alright alright keep your hair on, it’s just a bit of fun.
IMO it’s a video about the nature football fans and human beings. Liverpool are the best example to use because, while being a recognisable name across the world, they have also seen undeniable success in recent years. And yet their fans still can’t stop themselves.
If we want to get into a measuring competition about which fanbase has it worst at this exact moment in time, there’s plenty of candidates before there’s CAFC.
I don't know... Seems like some of our fanbase have forgotten about trying to enjoy the football or the start of a new season and instead spend all day moaning about the owner/transfers. I thought it was just us but I guess it's happening at every club.
Little bit easier to enjoy the football when you’re one of the best teams in the world. Whilst just down the road Charlton are conceding a 96th min equaliser at Accrington Stanley…
"All I want is an owner who cares so I can just go back to watching the football."
I think the response would have been completely different if the narrative had been:
"The whole club is fucked, from top to bottom, it's going to take 2 maybe 3 years to fix. We won't always get it right but it won't be through lack of trying. It wont be easy but we will get there".
I genuinely think last season was a massive kick in the bollocks for everyone, including TS. I honestly believe he thought we had a "title winning" squad.
It's strange, though. I flicked through some previous summer transfer threads from the Roland/ESI days, back when we couldn't even field a complete team and didn't know when or what quality of player we'd be signing, and it was still less miserable than it is now.
I think there was an element of acceptance back then? Everyone gave the management team 100% support in the knowledge that they were doing their best in difficult circumstances, and there was nothing we could do about it. We just hoped for better days.
Now we do have an owner who cares, and it hasn't yet resulted in an improved league performance, but the mood is even more miserable than when it all felt hopeless. The 100% support mantra is gone as well.
I think the dynamic is much more merky and shades of grey now, especially if you contrast it with 18/19.
Then it was us, Bowyer and Gallen against Roland, little Thomas and the world. The same was true with ESI.
Once Thomas was the cast as the Knight in shining armour Bowyer and to a lesser extent Gallen started getting stick. If there had been a crowd it would have massively turned on Bowyer and the players. Not on Thomas.
Last summers blame was very firmly laid at the door of Roddy and Adkins, rightly or wrongly. Very very quickly. The crowd turned after the 2nd home game of the season. I have never seen that before, especially when you consider how well we finished the previous season.
It flipped back as soon as Jackson got the job, it helped that we started winning as well.
Now we can't blame anyone else other than the incumbents. All the has beens and never wases have been released.
I admit the above is a summery of the mood, not everyone's, including mine, opinions at the time.
Personally now feel the events between May 2021 and May 2022 was a massively missed opportunity. That was caused by reasons other than lack of investment or ambition. What really worries me, being honest, is I don't think "they" know what they did wrong, or even think they did anything wrong at all.
I am not angry, I am disappointed. Sometimes that's worse.
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.
Have you developed a 6th sense too?
Sometimes watching cafe is like watching the walking dead
I don't know... Seems like some of our fanbase have forgotten about trying to enjoy the football or the start of a new season and instead spend all day moaning about the owner/transfers. I thought it was just us but I guess it's happening at every club.
Little bit easier to enjoy the football when you’re one of the best teams in the world. Whilst just down the road Charlton are conceding a 96th min equaliser at Accrington Stanley…
"All I want is an owner who cares so I can just go back to watching the football."
I think the response would have been completely different if the narrative had been:
"The whole club is fucked, from top to bottom, it's going to take 2 maybe 3 years to fix. We won't always get it right but it won't be through lack of trying. It wont be easy but we will get there".
I genuinely think last season was a massive kick in the bollocks for everyone, including TS. I honestly believe he thought we had a "title winning" squad.
It doesn't take 3 seasons to turn around a football club, especially when the club is below it's natural level. Wigan rebuilt their side in one summer and got promotion straight away, whereas we made a horlicks of it and went backwards from what had been a decent team at the end of 20/21. Bolton rebuilt in L2, got promotion straight away, had a decent season in L1 and now look better equipped to challenge for promotion than we do.
I don't know... Seems like some of our fanbase have forgotten about trying to enjoy the football or the start of a new season and instead spend all day moaning about the owner/transfers. I thought it was just us but I guess it's happening at every club.
Little bit easier to enjoy the football when you’re one of the best teams in the world. Whilst just down the road Charlton are conceding a 96th min equaliser at Accrington Stanley…
"All I want is an owner who cares so I can just go back to watching the football."
I think the response would have been completely different if the narrative had been:
"The whole club is fucked, from top to bottom, it's going to take 2 maybe 3 years to fix. We won't always get it right but it won't be through lack of trying. It wont be easy but we will get there".
I genuinely think last season was a massive kick in the bollocks for everyone, including TS. I honestly believe he thought we had a "title winning" squad.
It doesn't take 3 seasons to turn around a football club, especially when the club is below it's natural level. Wigan rebuilt their side in one summer and got promotion straight away, whereas we made a horlicks of it and went backwards from what had been a decent team at the end of 20/21. Bolton rebuilt in L2, got promotion straight away, had a decent season in L1 and now look better equipped to challenge for promotion than we do.
I don't know... Seems like some of our fanbase have forgotten about trying to enjoy the football or the start of a new season and instead spend all day moaning about the owner/transfers. I thought it was just us but I guess it's happening at every club.
Little bit easier to enjoy the football when you’re one of the best teams in the world. Whilst just down the road Charlton are conceding a 96th min equaliser at Accrington Stanley…
"All I want is an owner who cares so I can just go back to watching the football."
I think the response would have been completely different if the narrative had been:
"The whole club is fucked, from top to bottom, it's going to take 2 maybe 3 years to fix. We won't always get it right but it won't be through lack of trying. It wont be easy but we will get there".
I genuinely think last season was a massive kick in the bollocks for everyone, including TS. I honestly believe he thought we had a "title winning" squad.
It doesn't take 3 seasons to turn around a football club, especially when the club is below it's natural level. Wigan rebuilt their side in one summer and got promotion straight away, whereas we made a horlicks of it and went backwards from what had been a decent team at the end of 20/21. Bolton rebuilt in L2, got promotion straight away, had a decent season in L1 and now look better equipped to challenge for promotion than we do.
There isn't a blueprint either way.
24-teams, even ten teams into three positions just doesnt work - Portsmouth are example of a team that have recovered and are still waiting.
Impression I get from the video, is that fans are too pent up, and focused these days over Transfers.
Too busy complaining about X, Y, Z playing, saying who we should sign... continuously throughout the season, as the moment we hit September, there will be fans of clubs saying that they need X, Y, Z come the January window - Just try and enjoy the actual Football - Results of course arent always going to go the way we want, but for me thats the unpredictable nature of the sport as a whole, thats one reason why I love this game.
I mean the quotes from Mr Mendez about budget has been talked about now
Surely last season (when we probably had the third / fourth biggest), and our result last week, proved that budgets mean diddly squat down here.
Well said! Obviously for some that pre-season trepidation is overwhelming and they over state the negatives. You don’t hear from the silent majority who are genuinely excited about this season irrespective of our actual chances.
JFC at his best was clearly one of the better midfielders we’ve had in this division and he had some decent matches at Championship level, albeit in a team that was relegated. Standing out in our mediocre teams doesn’t necessarily make you a great player overall and I don’t think he would’ve got into Bowyer’s play off winning team, even if fit. However, I think it’s a bit disrespectful, unless injuries have really taken their toll (and how would most fans know having not seen him play much since fit again), to suggest he is league 2 level when he had lots of good matches in the two divisions above, especially league 1 level.
JFC at his best was clearly one of the better midfielders we’ve had in this division and he had some decent matches at Championship level, albeit in a team that was relegated. Standing out in our mediocre teams doesn’t necessarily make you a great player overall and I don’t think he would’ve got into Bowyer’s play off winning team, even if fit. However, I think it’s a bit disrespectful, unless injuries have really taken their toll (and how would most fans know having not seen him play much since fit again), to suggest he is league 2 level when he had lots of good matches in the two divisions above, especially league 1 level.
Pratley for example has played at much higher levels but is currently League two level. Not disrespectful to feel JFC is the same.
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.
Have you developed a 6th sense too?
Sometimes watching cafe is like watching the walking dead
Which cafe is that then, I'll try and stay away..sounds a bit grave!!.😉☕
JFC at his best was clearly one of the better midfielders we’ve had in this division and he had some decent matches at Championship level, albeit in a team that was relegated. Standing out in our mediocre teams doesn’t necessarily make you a great player overall and I don’t think he would’ve got into Bowyer’s play off winning team, even if fit. However, I think it’s a bit disrespectful, unless injuries have really taken their toll (and how would most fans know having not seen him play much since fit again), to suggest he is league 2 level when he had lots of good matches in the two divisions above, especially league 1 level.
Pratley for example has played at much higher levels but is currently League two level. Not disrespectful to feel JFC is the same.
I don't know... Seems like some of our fanbase have forgotten about trying to enjoy the football or the start of a new season and instead spend all day moaning about the owner/transfers. I thought it was just us but I guess it's happening at every club.
Little bit easier to enjoy the football when you’re one of the best teams in the world. Whilst just down the road Charlton are conceding a 96th min equaliser at Accrington Stanley…
"All I want is an owner who cares so I can just go back to watching the football."
I think the response would have been completely different if the narrative had been:
"The whole club is fucked, from top to bottom, it's going to take 2 maybe 3 years to fix. We won't always get it right but it won't be through lack of trying. It wont be easy but we will get there".
I genuinely think last season was a massive kick in the bollocks for everyone, including TS. I honestly believe he thought we had a "title winning" squad.
It doesn't take 3 seasons to turn around a football club, especially when the club is below it's natural level. Wigan rebuilt their side in one summer and got promotion straight away, whereas we made a horlicks of it and went backwards from what had been a decent team at the end of 20/21. Bolton rebuilt in L2, got promotion straight away, had a decent season in L1 and now look better equipped to challenge for promotion than we do.
No it doesn't but under promise and over deliver would have completely changed the current narrative.
JFC at his best was clearly one of the better midfielders we’ve had in this division and he had some decent matches at Championship level, albeit in a team that was relegated. Standing out in our mediocre teams doesn’t necessarily make you a great player overall and I don’t think he would’ve got into Bowyer’s play off winning team, even if fit. However, I think it’s a bit disrespectful, unless injuries have really taken their toll (and how would most fans know having not seen him play much since fit again), to suggest he is league 2 level when he had lots of good matches in the two divisions above, especially league 1 level.
Pratley for example has played at much higher levels but is currently League two level. Not disrespectful to feel JFC is the same.
JFC at his best was clearly one of the better midfielders we’ve had in this division and he had some decent matches at Championship level, albeit in a team that was relegated. Standing out in our mediocre teams doesn’t necessarily make you a great player overall and I don’t think he would’ve got into Bowyer’s play off winning team, even if fit. However, I think it’s a bit disrespectful, unless injuries have really taken their toll (and how would most fans know having not seen him play much since fit again), to suggest he is league 2 level when he had lots of good matches in the two divisions above, especially league 1 level.
Pratley for example has played at much higher levels but is currently League two level. Not disrespectful to feel JFC is the same.
Apart from the fact JFC is 10 years younger......
But had two serious injuries
He came back from the 1st one as good as before.
Arguing how good he was is valid, we will never all agree, but I am not sure where the narrative that he is "finished" has come from. Looked fit and healthy in preseason?
If JRS is one of the two deals nearly done, is there any real idea of who the other player is? Simpson/McKirdy/both of them would be ideal but that’s only because they played well under BG previously.
We have seen in the 1st 2 games that we are alot more potent from midfield this season and once Payne is match ready that will again improve imo. Add to the main strikeforce with a mobile CF and we are cooking on gas this season
I don't know... Seems like some of our fanbase have forgotten about trying to enjoy the football or the start of a new season and instead spend all day moaning about the owner/transfers. I thought it was just us but I guess it's happening at every club.
Little bit easier to enjoy the football when you’re one of the best teams in the world. Whilst just down the road Charlton are conceding a 96th min equaliser at Accrington Stanley…
"All I want is an owner who cares so I can just go back to watching the football."
I think the response would have been completely different if the narrative had been:
"The whole club is fucked, from top to bottom, it's going to take 2 maybe 3 years to fix. We won't always get it right but it won't be through lack of trying. It wont be easy but we will get there".
I genuinely think last season was a massive kick in the bollocks for everyone, including TS. I honestly believe he thought we had a "title winning" squad.
It doesn't take 3 seasons to turn around a football club, especially when the club is below it's natural level. Wigan rebuilt their side in one summer and got promotion straight away, whereas we made a horlicks of it and went backwards from what had been a decent team at the end of 20/21. Bolton rebuilt in L2, got promotion straight away, had a decent season in L1 and now look better equipped to challenge for promotion than we do.
What is our "natural level" though? Bolton and Wigan were in the Premier League more recently than we were. We've spent seven of the last eight years (double check my maths there) in League One. We have a Cat 2 academy, albeit a very good one. We have a League One budget and we're running at a loss (as almost every club, if not every club, at this level is).
Look, I think TS has serious issues if he fully believes some of the things he's said, especially at this point. And it's particularly hard to get things right when you make yourself the CEO despite no football, or even UK business, experience. And also hard when you make your son the head of analytics despite no football AND no analytics experience. But hey, rich guy is gonna rich guy.
I don't think any teams deserves to be at a particular level unless they're actually at that level. There is a reason we're at this level, there's a reason Derby and Portsmouth and Sheff Wed and Bolton are at this level despite having been in the Premier League at at least one point. In many cases, it's financial mismanagement, which is shit, but it's a very strong and common reason to fail and fall down the leagues.
Sorry, this isn't a dig at you specifically, I see this mindset both implicitly and explicitly on here all the time because a lot of us grew up with Charlton in the Prem. But that was almost 15 years ago. That was the exception, not the rule. If you go off of those last 15 years, I believe we've spent more time in League One than the Championship now (again, double check my maths). We were on the brink of not existing anymore at at least one point and quite possibly more. The club's current owner doesn't own the stadium. I would argue we're at our level.
JFC at his best was clearly one of the better midfielders we’ve had in this division and he had some decent matches at Championship level, albeit in a team that was relegated. Standing out in our mediocre teams doesn’t necessarily make you a great player overall and I don’t think he would’ve got into Bowyer’s play off winning team, even if fit. However, I think it’s a bit disrespectful, unless injuries have really taken their toll (and how would most fans know having not seen him play much since fit again), to suggest he is league 2 level when he had lots of good matches in the two divisions above, especially league 1 level.
Pratley for example has played at much higher levels but is currently League two level. Not disrespectful to feel JFC is the same.
I don't know... Seems like some of our fanbase have forgotten about trying to enjoy the football or the start of a new season and instead spend all day moaning about the owner/transfers. I thought it was just us but I guess it's happening at every club.
Little bit easier to enjoy the football when you’re one of the best teams in the world. Whilst just down the road Charlton are conceding a 96th min equaliser at Accrington Stanley…
"All I want is an owner who cares so I can just go back to watching the football."
I think the response would have been completely different if the narrative had been:
"The whole club is fucked, from top to bottom, it's going to take 2 maybe 3 years to fix. We won't always get it right but it won't be through lack of trying. It wont be easy but we will get there".
I genuinely think last season was a massive kick in the bollocks for everyone, including TS. I honestly believe he thought we had a "title winning" squad.
It doesn't take 3 seasons to turn around a football club, especially when the club is below it's natural level. Wigan rebuilt their side in one summer and got promotion straight away, whereas we made a horlicks of it and went backwards from what had been a decent team at the end of 20/21. Bolton rebuilt in L2, got promotion straight away, had a decent season in L1 and now look better equipped to challenge for promotion than we do.
What is our "natural level" though? Bolton and Wigan were in the Premier League more recently than we were. We've spent seven of the last eight years (double check my maths there) in League One. We have a Cat 2 academy, albeit a very good one. We have a League One budget and we're running at a loss (as almost every club, if not every club, at this level is).
Look, I think TS has serious issues if he fully believes some of the things he's said, especially at this point. And it's particularly hard to get things right when you make yourself the CEO despite no football, or even UK business, experience. And also hard when you make your son the head of analytics despite no football AND no analytics experience. But hey, rich guy is gonna rich guy.
I don't think any teams deserves to be at a particular level unless they're actually at that level. There is a reason we're at this level, there's a reason Derby and Portsmouth and Sheff Wed and Bolton are at this level despite having been in the Premier League at at least one point. In many cases, it's financial mismanagement, which is shit, but it's a very strong and common reason to fail and fall down the leagues.
Sorry, this isn't a dig at you specifically, I see this mindset both implicitly and explicitly on here all the time because a lot of us grew up with Charlton in the Prem. But that was almost 15 years ago. That was the exception, not the rule. If you go off of those last 15 years, I believe we've spent more time in League One than the Championship now (again, double check my maths). We were on the brink of not existing anymore at at least one point and quite possibly more. The club's current owner doesn't own the stadium. I would argue we're at our level.
I'd agree natural level would be where you end up in order of financial clout. We're losing money as are most, so I'm not sure what natural level means.
Mckirdy, still young, but been around, rarely done anything anywhere, with an attitude of a premier league footballer and the ability of a mid table league 2 team. Last season was a fluke.
Comments
I think there was an element of acceptance back then? Everyone gave the management team 100% support in the knowledge that they were doing their best in difficult circumstances, and there was nothing we could do about it. We just hoped for better days.
Now we do have an owner who cares, and it hasn't yet resulted in an improved league performance, but the mood is even more miserable than when it all felt hopeless. The 100% support mantra is gone as well.
IMO it’s a video about the nature football fans and human beings. Liverpool are the best example to use because, while being a recognisable name across the world, they have also seen undeniable success in recent years. And yet their fans still can’t stop themselves.
If we want to get into a measuring competition about which fanbase has it worst at this exact moment in time, there’s plenty of candidates before there’s CAFC.
Then it was us, Bowyer and Gallen against Roland, little Thomas and the world. The same was true with ESI.
Once Thomas was the cast as the Knight in shining armour Bowyer and to a lesser extent Gallen started getting stick. If there had been a crowd it would have massively turned on Bowyer and the players. Not on Thomas.
Last summers blame was very firmly laid at the door of Roddy and Adkins, rightly or wrongly. Very very quickly. The crowd turned after the 2nd home game of the season. I have never seen that before, especially when you consider how well we finished the previous season.
It flipped back as soon as Jackson got the job, it helped that we started winning as well.
Now we can't blame anyone else other than the incumbents. All the has beens and never wases have been released.
I admit the above is a summery of the mood, not everyone's, including mine, opinions at the time.
Personally now feel the events between May 2021 and May 2022 was a massively missed opportunity. That was caused by reasons other than lack of investment or ambition. What really worries me, being honest, is I don't think "they" know what they did wrong, or even think they did anything wrong at all.
I am not angry, I am disappointed. Sometimes that's worse.
24-teams, even ten teams into three positions just doesnt work - Portsmouth are example of a team that have recovered and are still waiting.
“Great video but I won’t be able to enjoy it until we sign some ****ing players!”
Arguing how good he was is valid, we will never all agree, but I am not sure where the narrative that he is "finished" has come from. Looked fit and healthy in preseason?
Look, I think TS has serious issues if he fully believes some of the things he's said, especially at this point. And it's particularly hard to get things right when you make yourself the CEO despite no football, or even UK business, experience. And also hard when you make your son the head of analytics despite no football AND no analytics experience. But hey, rich guy is gonna rich guy.
I don't think any teams deserves to be at a particular level unless they're actually at that level. There is a reason we're at this level, there's a reason Derby and Portsmouth and Sheff Wed and Bolton are at this level despite having been in the Premier League at at least one point. In many cases, it's financial mismanagement, which is shit, but it's a very strong and common reason to fail and fall down the leagues.
Sorry, this isn't a dig at you specifically, I see this mindset both implicitly and explicitly on here all the time because a lot of us grew up with Charlton in the Prem. But that was almost 15 years ago. That was the exception, not the rule. If you go off of those last 15 years, I believe we've spent more time in League One than the Championship now (again, double check my maths). We were on the brink of not existing anymore at at least one point and quite possibly more. The club's current owner doesn't own the stadium. I would argue we're at our level.
Mckirdy, still young, but been around, rarely done anything anywhere, with an attitude of a premier league footballer and the ability of a mid table league 2 team. Last season was a fluke.