I know next to nothing about Harvey Knibbs, although a friend of mine, an ardent Cambridge supporter, rates him very highly:
” Knibbsy is an absolute diamond. We took him from Villa's academy and watched him develop into a wonderful all round footballer. He can play CM or wide or as a striker and will score goals. He never stops working and is rarely injured.
I so hope he goes to the Valley, another step up for him. He's fairly quick but not as rapid as his brother who was the UK 400m champion a few years ago.
Kelman is a great signing, I'm sure he too can make the step up.”
Kelman and Godden can definitely play together, just as TC could with Godden. They’ll question is how much can/should Godden play. When fit you’d hope he’s still capable of starting and being a focal point but we won’t really know how effective he can still be in the Championship until he’s played a few games
I know next to nothing about Harvey Knibbs, although a friend of mine, an ardent Cambridge supporter, rates him very highly:
” Knibbsy is an absolute diamond. We took him from Villa's academy and watched him develop into a wonderful all round footballer. He can play CM or wide or as a striker and will score goals. He never stops working and is rarely injured.
I so hope he goes to the Valley, another step up for him. He's fairly quick but not as rapid as his brother who was the UK 400m champion a few years ago.
Kelman is a great signing, I'm sure he too can make the step up.”
Not only are we not relying on loans, the contract lengths are mostly 3 & 4 years....which means we aren't having to churn 7 or 8 players every season like we have been doing for the past half a dozen seasons.
Which is good but brings its own risks as the Ahadme situation (still three years on his contract) shows.
But it also means the transfer fees are spread over the three or four years of the deals for FFP purposes I believe and if they do very well or we have to sell they have more value.
Is this the most we’ve ever spent in a transfer window? Or do the PL days beat it
We had that window under Dowie where we spent a lot... On shit
Couple of legends at bargain prices what you talking about
Jesus . Two of the worst players ever to put the shirt on . Dowie should have been locked up !
I will never understand giving Dowie more money in one summer than Curbs had had combined pretty much.
Didn't Curbs see Murray after that window, and jokingly complain that he never got given those sort of funds?
They were all crap apart from Carson too, and yes I include the perennially unfit and overweight, albeit very talented Andy Reid in that
Andy Reid was most certainly not crap. Wonderful footballer. Gets in pretty much any charlton team over the past 20 years.
He was hugely overweight in the premier league and hardly played. Good in the championship until he wanted to move in January. Talented, yes .
This is probably not helping the discussion, but, yes Dowie was a shit manager, but remember Richard Murray's role in all of this. Richard Murray brought someone in to pick the incoming players and deal with the transfers, Billy Davies turned down the Charlton manager position because of this set up, and that set up didn't change under Dowie, it rather suits a certain individual to lay all the blame at Dowie's door, especially when he was the one who employed him, much to the annoyance and against the advice of fellow directors.
And Murray was letting Curbishley still chose the players to sign like Hasslebank after he left .. Dowie had no say in transfers ….. plus Murray did not put a relegation clause into any of the contracts , hence the reason you had players like Marcus Bent on 22k a week sitting in the stands for 18 months …
Even for you that is an incredibly inaccurate post.
Curbs had no say after he left.
Dowie had too much say, signing players from agents he was "mates" with. I wonder why?
M Bent was never on £22k a week. I still have the spreadsheet of the wages from that time at home somewhere. No one was on that much.
Something for the museum perhaps....😉😀
All my board minutes have been scanned and donated to the museum but for obvious reasons are not on public display. Maybe after 30 years.
As a 10 he's not really a silky ball player, but more direct, possesses good energy and off the ball graft. Perfect for the NJ forward press, defending from the front, creating chances from forcing opponents in to defensive errors, and has goals in him.
When Docherty signed last year, NJ had hoped that he could play that same role. Doc took about 20 mins in the 1st game of the season to prove to NJ and everybody else that a 10 wasn't his position - and reverted to an 8.
Anderson has shown glimpses in that same 10 role, especially coming on as a sub and closing the game out.
If we do sign Knibbs, that's a piece of NJ's team puzzle that he's waited a year to complete.
Andrew Mills was hired as our in-house agent to negotiate deals.
In some ways, we were way ahead of time as nearly every club has that type of set up now. It is similar to the role that Rodwell does now.
Murray wanted someone to take on that role that had largely fallen on him before. Neither Murray or Mills picked the players.
But Mills wasn't actually that good at the job and made a few mistakes including one overseas deal (can't remember who now) where he mixed up ££ and $$ and cost the club a lot of money.
Davies agreed to the job and then just ghosted Murray. Did he ever do much again afterwards?
Murray also strongly denied hiring Dowie to spite Jordan. There may have been an element of up yours to Jordan but I think it was more that Davies had fallen through and then Murray jumped in for Dowie. Dowie did have a decent track record as a manager at the time but he was very unimpressive in board meetings IMHO.
He once turned up with a list of the types of players he wanted from Inter. It was like a kids list and Richard Collins said afterwards "how was that written by a man with a degree in engineering?"
Don't get me started on Pardew. Never seen a more arrogant arsehole.
Anyway, not really 2025 transfers and don't want to upset those who can't skip past posts
would be happy with this against Watford! Few headaches in there.
I can’t see Godden not starting but either way, that’s pretty close I’d say.
Can't see us playing Kelman & Godden together unless we have to. Interesting that Kelman says NJ told him he'll play every game.
They can definitely play together. Because they both score goals people seem to think they are similar players. They really aren’t that similar. Kelman is maybe similar to a younger Godden but the Godden we have now would work fine with Kelman. Kelman can run in behind and run the channels, Godden can compete with the defenders and win duels and then we’ve got 2 players that will be in the box to finish chances
I’d be starting Godden or Leaburn with Kelman, though I haven’t seen much of Olaofe yet
I don't disagree, Godden has more to his hold up game and Kelman has more to the technical half-turn and channel side. But knowing how NJ likes to play when everyone is fit, I can't see him not preferring a Leaburn/Tanto with a Kelman/Godden.
Based on how NJ liked to play it last season he wants one striker with pace to run in behind and in the channels and one to compete with defenders and be a focal point.
For me that’s Kelman, TC or Olaofe for the first role and then Godden or Leaburn for the second role.
Could see us going with Kelman and Olaofe maybe, and having 2 channel runners, a bit like when NJ first took over and we didn’t have a good hold up striker, but I think he prefers to have one
Like Bowyer with Grant and Taylor? That was a lethal combination both running the channels and fluid all across the front line, goals galore in the 1st half of that promotion season.
As you say though, probably not quite Plan A for NJ .... but it is an option now.
Is this the most we’ve ever spent in a transfer window? Or do the PL days beat it
We had that window under Dowie where we spent a lot... On shit
Couple of legends at bargain prices what you talking about
Jesus . Two of the worst players ever to put the shirt on . Dowie should have been locked up !
I will never understand giving Dowie more money in one summer than Curbs had had combined pretty much.
Didn't Curbs see Murray after that window, and jokingly complain that he never got given those sort of funds?
They were all crap apart from Carson too, and yes I include the perennially unfit and overweight, albeit very talented Andy Reid in that
Andy Reid was most certainly not crap. Wonderful footballer. Gets in pretty much any charlton team over the past 20 years.
He was hugely overweight in the premier league and hardly played. Good in the championship until he wanted to move in January. Talented, yes .
This is probably not helping the discussion, but, yes Dowie was a shit manager, but remember Richard Murray's role in all of this. Richard Murray brought someone in to pick the incoming players and deal with the transfers, Billy Davies turned down the Charlton manager position because of this set up, and that set up didn't change under Dowie, it rather suits a certain individual to lay all the blame at Dowie's door, especially when he was the one who employed him, much to the annoyance and against the advice of fellow directors.
And Murray was letting Curbishley still chose the players to sign like Hasslebank after he left .. Dowie had no say in transfers ….. plus Murray did not put a relegation clause into any of the contracts , hence the reason you had players like Marcus Bent on 22k a week sitting in the stands for 18 months …
That's how I had it Ronnie.
It's not true.
Happy for you to put me right on this Henry, did Dowie call the transfers ?
Yes, he did.
Dowie had no say … that’s why the Forest manager turned us down cause he would only be a coach not a manager and would have no say on transfers and Davies said that ... so why did we bring in players that summer that Curbs tired to sign in his last window Murray and the bloke brought in to handle transfers were working of Curbs list of targets ….
But Davies didn't fancy working at The Valley in a continental-style structure alongside coach Les Reed and general manager Andrew Mills.
Is this the most we’ve ever spent in a transfer window? Or do the PL days beat it
We had that window under Dowie where we spent a lot... On shit
Couple of legends at bargain prices what you talking about
Jesus . Two of the worst players ever to put the shirt on . Dowie should have been locked up !
I will never understand giving Dowie more money in one summer than Curbs had had combined pretty much.
Didn't Curbs see Murray after that window, and jokingly complain that he never got given those sort of funds?
They were all crap apart from Carson too, and yes I include the perennially unfit and overweight, albeit very talented Andy Reid in that
Andy Reid was most certainly not crap. Wonderful footballer. Gets in pretty much any charlton team over the past 20 years.
He was hugely overweight in the premier league and hardly played. Good in the championship until he wanted to move in January. Talented, yes .
This is probably not helping the discussion, but, yes Dowie was a shit manager, but remember Richard Murray's role in all of this. Richard Murray brought someone in to pick the incoming players and deal with the transfers, Billy Davies turned down the Charlton manager position because of this set up, and that set up didn't change under Dowie, it rather suits a certain individual to lay all the blame at Dowie's door, especially when he was the one who employed him, much to the annoyance and against the advice of fellow directors.
And Murray was letting Curbishley still chose the players to sign like Hasslebank after he left .. Dowie had no say in transfers ….. plus Murray did not put a relegation clause into any of the contracts , hence the reason you had players like Marcus Bent on 22k a week sitting in the stands for 18 months …
Even for you that is an incredibly inaccurate post.
Curbs had no say after he left.
Dowie had too much say, signing players from agents he was "mates" with. I wonder why?
M Bent was never on £22k a week. I still have the spreadsheet of the wages from that time at home somewhere. No one was on that much.
Something for the museum perhaps....😉😀
All my board minutes have been scanned and donated to the museum but for obvious reasons are not on public display. Maybe after 30 years.
Didn't Trump want them released? Don't say he's changed his mind on these papers too?
It's a nice problem to have, as yes you want a strong bench, but I'm struggling to work out where Knibbs fits in. And where that leaves Carey if Knibbs is a number 10, never mind Berry. We already have TC and Tanto as the wide left attacker, and have enough central strikers.
Is this the most we’ve ever spent in a transfer window? Or do the PL days beat it
We had that window under Dowie where we spent a lot... On shit
Couple of legends at bargain prices what you talking about
Jesus . Two of the worst players ever to put the shirt on . Dowie should have been locked up !
I will never understand giving Dowie more money in one summer than Curbs had had combined pretty much.
Didn't Curbs see Murray after that window, and jokingly complain that he never got given those sort of funds?
They were all crap apart from Carson too, and yes I include the perennially unfit and overweight, albeit very talented Andy Reid in that
Andy Reid was most certainly not crap. Wonderful footballer. Gets in pretty much any charlton team over the past 20 years.
He was hugely overweight in the premier league and hardly played. Good in the championship until he wanted to move in January. Talented, yes .
This is probably not helping the discussion, but, yes Dowie was a shit manager, but remember Richard Murray's role in all of this. Richard Murray brought someone in to pick the incoming players and deal with the transfers, Billy Davies turned down the Charlton manager position because of this set up, and that set up didn't change under Dowie, it rather suits a certain individual to lay all the blame at Dowie's door, especially when he was the one who employed him, much to the annoyance and against the advice of fellow directors.
And Murray was letting Curbishley still chose the players to sign like Hasslebank after he left .. Dowie had no say in transfers ….. plus Murray did not put a relegation clause into any of the contracts , hence the reason you had players like Marcus Bent on 22k a week sitting in the stands for 18 months …
That's how I had it Ronnie.
It's not true.
Happy for you to put me right on this Henry, did Dowie call the transfers ?
Yes, he did.
Dowie had no say … that’s why the Forest manager turned us down cause he would only be a coach not a manager and would have no say on transfers and Davies said that ... so why did we bring in players that summer that Curbs tired to sign in his last window Murray and the bloke brought in to handle transfers were working of Curbs list of targets ….
But Davies didn't fancy working at The Valley in a continental-style structure alongside coach Les Reed and general manager Andrew Mills.
You're such a lemon it's unreal.
I love it when Ronnie posts.....takes the heat off me 😆.
It's a nice problem to have, as yes you want a strong bench, but I'm struggling to work out where Knibbs fits in. And where that leaves Carey if Knibbs is a number 10, never mind Berry. We already have TC and Tanto as the wide left attacker, and have enough central strikers.
Carey and Knibbs as competition for the 10 spot, with Berry slowly moving out of the picture is my guess.
I see that being where Fullah ends up too, and I think he’ll make an impact this season, whether that’s in cameos for us or out on loan.
Is this the most we’ve ever spent in a transfer window? Or do the PL days beat it
We had that window under Dowie where we spent a lot... On shit
Couple of legends at bargain prices what you talking about
Jesus . Two of the worst players ever to put the shirt on . Dowie should have been locked up !
I will never understand giving Dowie more money in one summer than Curbs had had combined pretty much.
Didn't Curbs see Murray after that window, and jokingly complain that he never got given those sort of funds?
They were all crap apart from Carson too, and yes I include the perennially unfit and overweight, albeit very talented Andy Reid in that
Andy Reid was most certainly not crap. Wonderful footballer. Gets in pretty much any charlton team over the past 20 years.
He was hugely overweight in the premier league and hardly played. Good in the championship until he wanted to move in January. Talented, yes .
This is probably not helping the discussion, but, yes Dowie was a shit manager, but remember Richard Murray's role in all of this. Richard Murray brought someone in to pick the incoming players and deal with the transfers, Billy Davies turned down the Charlton manager position because of this set up, and that set up didn't change under Dowie, it rather suits a certain individual to lay all the blame at Dowie's door, especially when he was the one who employed him, much to the annoyance and against the advice of fellow directors.
And Murray was letting Curbishley still chose the players to sign like Hasslebank after he left .. Dowie had no say in transfers ….. plus Murray did not put a relegation clause into any of the contracts , hence the reason you had players like Marcus Bent on 22k a week sitting in the stands for 18 months …
Even for you that is an incredibly inaccurate post.
Curbs had no say after he left.
Dowie had too much say, signing players from agents he was "mates" with. I wonder why?
M Bent was never on £22k a week. I still have the spreadsheet of the wages from that time at home somewhere. No one was on that much.
Ronnie will still defend the indefensible. Dowie, Roland, Methven. Let it go Ronnie, they were bad for Charlton, it’s okay to be wrong. Glad I’ve been wrong about NJ too!
Andrew Mills was hired as our in-house agent to negotiate deals.
In some ways, we were way ahead of time as nearly every club has that type of set up now. It is similar to the role that Rodwell does now.
Murray wanted someone to take on that role that had largely fallen on him before. Neither Murray or Mills picked the players.
But Mills wasn't actually that good at the job and made a few mistakes including one overseas deal (can't remember who now) where he mixed up ££ and $$ and cost the club a lot of money.
Davies agreed to the job and then just ghosted Murray. Did he ever do much again afterwards?
Murray also strongly denied hiring Dowie to spite Jordan. There may have been an element of up yours to Jordan but I think it was more that Davies had fallen through and then Murray jumped in for Dowie. Dowie did have a decent track record as a manager at the time but he was very unimpressive in board meetings IMHO.
He once turned up with a list of the types of players he wanted from Inter. It was like a kids list and Richard Collins said afterwards "how was that written by a man with a degree in engineering?"
Don't get me started on Pardew. Never seen a more arrogant arsehole.
Anyway, not really 2025 transfers and don't want to upset those who can't skip past posts
Very informative post and not information that’s usually available to your average supporter and if it is it’s usually shrouded with misinformation and inaccuracy. Lot of water under that bridge now so no harm done in sharing in my opinion but you’ve set a few records straight here. Thankyou.
It's a nice problem to have, as yes you want a strong bench, but I'm struggling to work out where Knibbs fits in. And where that leaves Carey if Knibbs is a number 10, never mind Berry. We already have TC and Tanto as the wide left attacker, and have enough central strikers.
Carey and Knibbs as competition for the 10 spot, with Berry slowly moving out of the picture is my guess.
I see that being where Fullah ends up too, and I think he’ll make an impact this season, whether that’s in cameos for us or out on loan.
I feel better about that. I know Berry is very liked on here, but he really wasn't that great last season and could go anonymous pretty often. I can't see him cutting it in the Champ now. We need more energy and involvement in that position.
Is this the most we’ve ever spent in a transfer window? Or do the PL days beat it
We had that window under Dowie where we spent a lot... On shit
Couple of legends at bargain prices what you talking about
Jesus . Two of the worst players ever to put the shirt on . Dowie should have been locked up !
I will never understand giving Dowie more money in one summer than Curbs had had combined pretty much.
If I remember right, at the time Dowie was appointed, there was a new TV deal agreed - with significantly increased payments to Prem League clubs. Justifying our big spending, didn't Richard Murray say something along the lines that it was' vital Charlton stayed in the Prem'?
Is this the most we’ve ever spent in a transfer window? Or do the PL days beat it
We had that window under Dowie where we spent a lot... On shit
Couple of legends at bargain prices what you talking about
Jesus . Two of the worst players ever to put the shirt on . Dowie should have been locked up !
I will never understand giving Dowie more money in one summer than Curbs had had combined pretty much.
If I remember right, at the time Dowie was appointed, there was a new TV deal agreed - with significantly increased payments to Prem League clubs. Justifying our big spending, didn't Richard Murray say something along the lines that it was' vital Charlton stayed in the Prem'?
We all know how that turned out.
That’s true - but he could have promised that to Curbs.
Perhaps Murray would have done, if Curbs had extended his contract .......but with only a year to run, Curbs had declared that he would leave Charlton at the end of his contract. Murray made the decision to make the managerial change immediately, rather than have a manager who was running down his contract.
Yep. It’s been done to death but they shoulda just let him run it down and have a successor in place. Anyway, back to 2025…
As a 10 he's not really a silky ball player, but more direct, possesses good energy and off the ball graft. Perfect for the NJ forward press, defending from the front, creating chances from forcing opponents in to defensive errors, and has goals in him.
When Docherty signed last year, NJ had hoped that he could play that same role. Doc took about 20 mins in the 1st game of the season to prove to NJ and everybody else that a 10 wasn't his position - and reverted to an 8.
Anderson has shown glimpses in that same 10 role, especially coming on as a sub and closing the game out.
If we do sign Knibbs, that's a piece of NJ's team puzzle that he's waited a year to complete.
Berry is probably the better 10 there but hopefully not needed as a regular starter now.
Don't get the 'Where are Charlton getting all their money from?' Chunter It's well documented the wealth of our owners. People ,podcasts and general commentators make sweeping statements about what a clubs budget is. But how can they really ever know? Many clubs these days have people of wealth at the top of their trees. Whether they are willing to part with it is an answer only they can know.
It's why I think making assumptions about how much of it they are willing to spend is a bit silly.
Is this the most we’ve ever spent in a transfer window? Or do the PL days beat it
We had that window under Dowie where we spent a lot... On shit
Couple of legends at bargain prices what you talking about
Jesus . Two of the worst players ever to put the shirt on . Dowie should have been locked up !
I will never understand giving Dowie more money in one summer than Curbs had had combined pretty much.
Didn't Curbs see Murray after that window, and jokingly complain that he never got given those sort of funds?
They were all crap apart from Carson too, and yes I include the perennially unfit and overweight, albeit very talented Andy Reid in that
Andy Reid was most certainly not crap. Wonderful footballer. Gets in pretty much any charlton team over the past 20 years.
He was hugely overweight in the premier league and hardly played. Good in the championship until he wanted to move in January. Talented, yes .
This is probably not helping the discussion, but, yes Dowie was a shit manager, but remember Richard Murray's role in all of this. Richard Murray brought someone in to pick the incoming players and deal with the transfers, Billy Davies turned down the Charlton manager position because of this set up, and that set up didn't change under Dowie, it rather suits a certain individual to lay all the blame at Dowie's door, especially when he was the one who employed him, much to the annoyance and against the advice of fellow directors.
And Murray was letting Curbishley still chose the players to sign like Hasslebank after he left .. Dowie had no say in transfers ….. plus Murray did not put a relegation clause into any of the contracts , hence the reason you had players like Marcus Bent on 22k a week sitting in the stands for 18 months …
That's how I had it Ronnie.
It's not true.
Happy for you to put me right on this Henry, did Dowie call the transfers ?
Yes, he did.
Dowie had no say … that’s why the Forest manager turned us down cause he would only be a coach not a manager and would have no say on transfers and Davies said that ... so why did we bring in players that summer that Curbs tired to sign in his last window Murray and the bloke brought in to handle transfers were working of Curbs list of targets ….
But Davies didn't fancy working at The Valley in a continental-style structure alongside coach Les Reed and general manager Andrew Mills.
You're such a lemon it's unreal……. Really …. you clearly was not around during this time or had someone who sat in the directors box at this time either .. and very good friends with Peter Varney
Comments
” Knibbsy is an absolute diamond. We took him from Villa's academy and watched him develop into a wonderful all round footballer. He can play CM or wide or as a striker and will score goals. He never stops working and is rarely injured.
But it also means the transfer fees are spread over the three or four years of the deals for FFP purposes I believe and if they do very well or we have to sell they have more value.
As a 10 he's not really a silky ball player, but more direct, possesses good energy and off the ball graft.
Perfect for the NJ forward press, defending from the front, creating chances from forcing opponents in to defensive errors, and has goals in him.
When Docherty signed last year, NJ had hoped that he could play that same role.
Doc took about 20 mins in the 1st game of the season to prove to NJ and everybody else that a 10 wasn't his position - and reverted to an 8.
Anderson has shown glimpses in that same 10 role, especially coming on as a sub and closing the game out.
If we do sign Knibbs, that's a piece of NJ's team puzzle that he's waited a year to complete.
https://x.com/mjwmacca/status/1949188225614176462?t=2Qrfz0JyhrK02PU1sp7kIA&s=19
"Say this with alot of teams. But where are charlton getting the money from. -
In some ways, we were way ahead of time as nearly every club has that type of set up now. It is similar to the role that Rodwell does now.
Murray wanted someone to take on that role that had largely fallen on him before. Neither Murray or Mills picked the players.
But Mills wasn't actually that good at the job and made a few mistakes including one overseas deal (can't remember who now) where he mixed up ££ and $$ and cost the club a lot of money.
Davies agreed to the job and then just ghosted Murray. Did he ever do much again afterwards?
Murray also strongly denied hiring Dowie to spite Jordan. There may have been an element of up yours to Jordan but I think it was more that Davies had fallen through and then Murray jumped in for Dowie. Dowie did have a decent track record as a manager at the time but he was very unimpressive in board meetings IMHO.
He once turned up with a list of the types of players he wanted from Inter. It was like a kids list and Richard Collins said afterwards "how was that written by a man with a degree in engineering?"
Don't get me started on Pardew. Never seen a more arrogant arsehole.
Anyway, not really 2025 transfers and don't want to upset those who can't skip past posts
As you say though, probably not quite Plan A for NJ .... but it is an option now.
We already have TC and Tanto as the wide left attacker, and have enough central strikers.
https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/25343873.bolton-wanderers-closing-charlton-athletic-striker/
I see that being where Fullah ends up too, and I think he’ll make an impact this season, whether that’s in cameos for us or out on loan.
It's well documented the wealth of our owners. People ,podcasts and general commentators make sweeping statements about what a clubs budget is. But how can they really ever know?
Many clubs these days have people of wealth at the top of their trees. Whether they are willing to part with it is an answer only they can know.
It's why I think making assumptions about how much of it they are willing to spend is a bit silly.