Think we need to turn this on it’s head. We’ll have a new manager and a lot of new players. Anything less than top six will be failure. Top six will be progress and of course promotion will be success.
just 3 teams can get promoted, 1 of them via a bit of a lottery.
There are imo 4 (modern) bigger clubs than Charlton in the league:
Derby County Sheffield Wednesday Ipswich Town Portsmouth
There are then a group that we probably sit alongside at present:
Bolton Wanderers Charlton Athletic Barnsley
And then there are others that were either clearly better than us last season, or will carry a higher budget / wage bill than us this season:
Oxford Wycombe Peterborough MK Dons Plymouth
So unfortunately we have no ‘given rights’ to do particularly well next season and expectations should be tempered.
We are coming from a low base, we need to be in top 6 contention come January at a minimum and there should then be a reassessment of what’s realistic for the remainder of the season.
But outside of Top 6 will be a big disappointment next season. Trouble is looking at that list, there are fans of 10-12 clubs that will equally be saying the same.
For me it’s promotion. Thomas would probably say something like:
I can wake up one morning and go 'Ooh, I don't feel like running Charlton today, can I just stay in bed?' 'Ooh, don't know, better ask the boss.' 'Thomas can I stay in bed all day?' 'Yes you can Thomas.' Both me, that's not me in bed with another bloke called Thomas.
just 3 teams can get promoted, 1 of them via a bit of a lottery.
There are imo 4 (modern) bigger clubs than Charlton in the league:
Derby County Sheffield Wednesday Ipswich Town Portsmouth
There are then a group that we probably sit alongside at present:
Bolton Wanderers Charlton Athletic Barnsley
And then there are others that were either clearly better than us last season, or will carry a higher budget / wage bill than us this season:
Oxford Wycombe Peterborough MK Dons Plymouth
So unfortunately we have no ‘given rights’ to do particularly well next season and expectations should be tempered.
We are coming from a low base, we need to be in top 6 contention come January at a minimum and there should then be a reassessment of what’s realistic for the remainder of the season.
But outside of Top 6 will be a big disappointment next season. Trouble is looking at that list, there are fans of 10-12 clubs that will equally be saying the same.
Nothing like a dose of Charlton reality to piss on the fireworks.
Automatic promotion: bloody hell, outstanding work! Promotion via play-offs: successful season Play-offs but no promotion: a good base to start '23/'24 but that season MUST result in promotion Top half: improvement on this year (that's a low bar) but not filling me with too much confidence about the future Bottom half: disappointing to say the least, going backwards Relegation: slaughter the lot of them
just 3 teams can get promoted, 1 of them via a bit of a lottery.
There are imo 4 (modern) bigger clubs than Charlton in the league:
Derby County Sheffield Wednesday Ipswich Town Portsmouth
There are then a group that we probably sit alongside at present:
Bolton Wanderers Charlton Athletic Barnsley
And then there are others that were either clearly better than us last season, or will carry a higher budget / wage bill than us this season:
Oxford Wycombe Peterborough MK Dons Plymouth
So unfortunately we have no ‘given rights’ to do particularly well next season and expectations should be tempered.
We are coming from a low base, we need to be in top 6 contention come January at a minimum and there should then be a reassessment of what’s realistic for the remainder of the season.
But outside of Top 6 will be a big disappointment next season. Trouble is looking at that list, there are fans of 10-12 clubs that will equally be saying the same.
In that context I would simply focus on the one game at a time approach. I know I sound clunky, but we can approach each game with an 11v11 approach, be well prepared, give our all and go for a result. Last season Rotherham were having a particularly brilliant run, but oops lost 1-0 at Accrington Stanley. Because John Coleman was focussed on the immediate job in hand. We can do that. Each game can be an event in itself as it were.
1, Only promotion via autos or playoffs 2. Top 3 finish without promotion but foundations for a real push the following one 3. Top 6 finish but foundations for a real push the following one 4. Higher than this year but foundations for a real push the following one
For me I think top 3 no.2. I don't think any fans of any club could realistically expect 1 although obviously what we will be aiming and hoping for.
EDITED Actually thinking about it finishing 6th isn't successful so i've changed it to top 3.
4.5 13th again will be no mean feat beginning so late from such a low starting point let's face it we've not even got the board and the dice out yet, far less moved onto square one
We were 24 points off 6th this year which is a huge amount of quality and points to make up. I think anything but top 6 is a failure but also really don't fancy our chances of it
just 3 teams can get promoted, 1 of them via a bit of a lottery.
There are imo 4 (modern) bigger clubs than Charlton in the league:
Derby County Sheffield Wednesday Ipswich Town Portsmouth
There are then a group that we probably sit alongside at present:
Bolton Wanderers Charlton Athletic Barnsley
And then there are others that were either clearly better than us last season, or will carry a higher budget / wage bill than us this season:
Oxford Wycombe Peterborough MK Dons Plymouth
So unfortunately we have no ‘given rights’ to do particularly well next season and expectations should be tempered.
We are coming from a low base, we need to be in top 6 contention come January at a minimum and there should then be a reassessment of what’s realistic for the remainder of the season.
But outside of Top 6 will be a big disappointment next season. Trouble is looking at that list, there are fans of 10-12 clubs that will equally be saying the same.
I don't agree that either of Ipswich or Portsmouth are bigger than us, especially the latter.
I may just be being a bit morose, but in answer to the question " what will a successful season look like?" from where we are now (No Manager, Half a squad made up largely of those who shat in the nest last season, and general head scratching as to what's going on behind the scenes), I'd say success would be pretty much avoiding relegation. Cos if we are still in our current state in two months time then that's where were heading. Being a little more optimistic, I'll make the heroic assumption that all of the above in parenthesis (that's posh for brackets by the way 😉) get attended to at least in some degree. Even then I can't see how we will be pushing for promotion unless the changes are pretty cataclysmic or Thomas just gets lucky. The problem at the moment is that "success" in terms of not getting any worse doesn't stack up to the "success" that previous hyperbole and sense of entitlement has led us to expect.
just 3 teams can get promoted, 1 of them via a bit of a lottery.
There are imo 4 (modern) bigger clubs than Charlton in the league:
Derby County Sheffield Wednesday Ipswich Town Portsmouth
There are then a group that we probably sit alongside at present:
Bolton Wanderers Charlton Athletic Barnsley
And then there are others that were either clearly better than us last season, or will carry a higher budget / wage bill than us this season:
Oxford Wycombe Peterborough MK Dons Plymouth
So unfortunately we have no ‘given rights’ to do particularly well next season and expectations should be tempered.
We are coming from a low base, we need to be in top 6 contention come January at a minimum and there should then be a reassessment of what’s realistic for the remainder of the season.
But outside of Top 6 will be a big disappointment next season. Trouble is looking at that list, there are fans of 10-12 clubs that will equally be saying the same.
I can really see the likes of Plymouth, Wycobme and maybe even MK Dons tailing off this season. Derby are classed as a big team but are in a complete mess and even if the takeover all goes smooth they have a huge rebuild on their hands so I cant see them being a threat. Barsnley and Peterborough do have some tried and tested players in this level but neither will have massive budgets in this division. For me Sheffield Wednesday, Ipswich and Bolton will be the main protagonists and we could easily get in that mix if we spend wisely
In this league, teams have ups and downs from season to season and clubs appear from 'nowhere' to make the top six the following year.
Doncaster finished 15th in 17/18 and 6th in 18/19. Plymouth were 18th in 20/21 and 7th (unlucky to miss the playoffs on 80pts) in 21/22.
Similarly, teams that finish in and around the top six in one season can often fall off the following year, due to the the disappointment/hangover of coming so close and missing out. See Shrewsbury a few years ago, or Lincoln more recently. There are countless other examples in both directions.
As a top six club by reputation in this league, it should be relatively simple to climb up the league in a short period of time. But that possibility requires leadership and everyone at the club pulling in the same direction.
just 3 teams can get promoted, 1 of them via a bit of a lottery.
There are imo 4 (modern) bigger clubs than Charlton in the league:
Derby County Sheffield Wednesday Ipswich Town Portsmouth
There are then a group that we probably sit alongside at present:
Bolton Wanderers Charlton Athletic Barnsley
And then there are others that were either clearly better than us last season, or will carry a higher budget / wage bill than us this season:
Oxford Wycombe Peterborough MK Dons Plymouth
So unfortunately we have no ‘given rights’ to do particularly well next season and expectations should be tempered.
We are coming from a low base, we need to be in top 6 contention come January at a minimum and there should then be a reassessment of what’s realistic for the remainder of the season.
But outside of Top 6 will be a big disappointment next season. Trouble is looking at that list, there are fans of 10-12 clubs that will equally be saying the same.
I don't agree that either of Ipswich or Portsmouth are bigger than us, especially the latter.
As a neutral I’d say pompey are slightly bigger than charlton. They’ve won the FA cup in living memory and although your attendances are similar, theirs are genuine, where as Charlton’s have always been artificially inflated.
Ipswich are a much bigger club than charlton. They regularly get over 25k for third tier football, even when they was playing poorly.
Could even be argued that Bolton are bigger than charlton, going on attendances and recent history, although like Pompey theres not a lot in it.
There’s a ‘big 6’ in league one next season in terms of history and club size; Derby, Sheffield Wednesday, Ipswich, Charlton, Portsmouth & Bolton. The typical ‘too big for league 1’ clubs. Then you have the likes of Barnsley, Peterborough, Plymouth, Oxford who are fair sized clubs and competitive. Following that Lincoln, Accrington, Wycombe and MK Dons who are your ‘smaller sides’ who have been packing a punch recently. Finally I look at sides like Forest Green, Bristol Rovers, Exeter, Cheltenham, Cambridge, Port Vale, all of which recently promoted and are more than likely going to be solid.
After all my waffling I’ll say this, whether we like it or not, top6 is respectable in this league. It is almost becoming a mini championship and I’d argue it’s harder this season to get out of league 1 than it would be to stay up in the championship, of course that’s just my opinion
I reckon top 2 would be brilliant, promotion through that or play offs also brilliant, top6 would be a successful season in the sense there is some serious competition for it, of course not getting promoted will be disappointing. It’s a very tricky situation where we should be expecting promotion but I accept it’s a lot harder than being made out and won’t be surprised to see us finish anywhere in the top 10
There's some great posts here! My initial reaction is that, from where we are now, I would regard top half of L1 as success. Top 6, a real achievement and top 2 a dream. In my opinion there is very little of the 21/22 season team to "build on", so the new manager has to assemble a competitive team - given he's not been appointed yet, what are the chances?
Comments
Promotion has got to be the aim. Anything less will be a ball ache.
Massive season ahead. One of the most important for many a year perhaps in terms of our medium to long term prospects.
There are imo 4 (modern) bigger clubs than Charlton in the league:
Derby County
Sheffield Wednesday
Ipswich Town
Portsmouth
There are then a group that we probably sit alongside at present:
Bolton Wanderers
Charlton Athletic
Barnsley
And then there are others that were either clearly better than us last season, or will carry a higher budget / wage bill than us this season:
Oxford
Wycombe
Peterborough
MK Dons
Plymouth
So unfortunately we have no ‘given rights’ to do particularly well next season and expectations should be tempered.
But outside of Top 6 will be a big disappointment next season. Trouble is looking at that list, there are fans of 10-12 clubs that will equally be saying the same.
That goes from the ownership, coaching staff and the players.
At the moment, we may not want it enough and we may not be fighting for success. We are unorganised.
Promotion via play-offs: successful season
Play-offs but no promotion: a good base to start '23/'24 but that season MUST result in promotion
Top half: improvement on this year (that's a low bar) but not filling me with too much confidence about the future
Bottom half: disappointing to say the least, going backwards
Relegation: slaughter the lot of them
I know I sound clunky, but we can approach each game with an 11v11 approach, be well prepared, give our all and go for a result.
Last season Rotherham were having a particularly brilliant run, but oops lost 1-0 at Accrington Stanley. Because John Coleman was focussed on the immediate job in hand.
We can do that. Each game can be an event in itself as it were.
For Martin into the role of CEO.
Doncaster finished 15th in 17/18 and 6th in 18/19.
Plymouth were 18th in 20/21 and 7th (unlucky to miss the playoffs on 80pts) in 21/22.
Similarly, teams that finish in and around the top six in one season can often fall off the following year, due to the the disappointment/hangover of coming so close and missing out. See Shrewsbury a few years ago, or Lincoln more recently. There are countless other examples in both directions.
As a top six club by reputation in this league, it should be relatively simple to climb up the league in a short period of time. But that possibility requires leadership and everyone at the club pulling in the same direction.
I reckon top 2 would be brilliant, promotion through that or play offs also brilliant, top6 would be a successful season in the sense there is some serious competition for it, of course not getting promoted will be disappointing. It’s a very tricky situation where we should be expecting promotion but I accept it’s a lot harder than being made out and won’t be surprised to see us finish anywhere in the top 10