Michael Appleton - March 2025 appointed Shrewsbury manager (p124)

Henry Irving said:

PeanutsMolloy said:

Henry Irving said:

My initial reaction was "uninspiring.  Mid league 1 manager for mid league 1 club.

It's true that Appleton has had success and he is meant to be a good coach, especially with young players but it doesn't scream "we've got billionaires owners with ambition and passion" rather "it's the best we can do on our self-imposed small budget as no one on the up would come so we got a journeyman in".

But on reflection none of that is Appleton's fault.

He is the manager (sod this head coach nonsense) and so I wish him nothing but the best of luck.

And some good luck, with injuries and with emerging talent, is what he will need.

I also hope he can bring in his own backroom team.

There is a half decent squad here to work with when they are all fit, motivated and clear on their roles.

If Appleton can weld them into a team that is greater than the sum of its parts he might bring us some success.

But I fear success for the fans (challenging for promotion and at least a top six finish) may be be different from success for the SMT (cost savings and player sales) and Appleton will be hard pressed to  achieve both.

Not you too Henry.
How are cost savings and player sales, without challenging for promotion, "success" for SMT?
You were there when we regularly sold players to plug the financial holes.
It has to be done but it's about timing.
SMT says they'll sell when it optimises the value to CAFC. They could have sold Leaburn already if they were penny pinchers uninterested in promotion. They didn't.
Will they throw stupid money at a promotion challenge? I trust not because it usually backfires, the owners close the wallet permanently and the club ends up worse off.
It takes time.

@PeanutsMolloy

My language was sloppy.

Of course the SMT would like and hope for on the field success as that will increase income

However, I believe that their priority will be staying within the budgetary limitations under which they sold the deal to the beneficial owners.

And those two may not always be mutually inclusive

Understood and thanks for clarifying.
But is staying within budgetary limitations agreed with owners a bad thing?
There seems to be a presumption here that the Texas Prospectus business plan is Joshua Friedman et al's business plan.
The Texas prospectus was targeted at small-ticket investors who most certainly would not want to or could be relied upon to invest more. Hence the nutso business plan.
Friedman et al are not small-ticket investors.
As experienced private equity investors, I guarantee you they will be expecting to be asked to make measured follow on investments and will anticipate doing so providing the business is heading in the right direction and the specific case is sound.
Of course you run a business as cost-efficiently as possible but not so as to strangle it.
CM's description of the plan of selling young players is to do so not the moment cash is desperately needed but when their value is optimised. That's only possible if the owners are prepared to make further working capital available, as we found a way of doing 1994-98.
We'll see if he and they are true to this promise.

Being a football manager is subjective, are there really managers out there who can guarantee you success ? I don’t think so  . Please give the guy a chance , keep your fingers crossed, say your prayers and you never know .We need Lady Luck rather than a barrage of abuse to a new manager and new owners who have been here just a couple of months .

Wouldn't have been my choice but, tbh, I'm not really sure who I would've picked from the unappealing list of potential candidates being bandied about.

Whatever it says about the current state of the club, and however demoralizing that may be, none of it is Appleton's fault, so I hope the crowd give him time and this is one of those situations where the mood on here isn't necessarily in tune with the mood in the wider crowd attending matches at the Valley. If promotion is too much to ask, if he can at least organize a team to defend set pieces and not part like the Red Sea in front of Moses every time we lose possession in the opposition's half, then he'll be an upgrade on recent managers and better for my blood pressure.

Welcome to Charlton Michael. I hope you exceed, admittedly low, expectations.

TBF to Charlton fans I think they will give Michael Appleton time; added time in the 1st half is my guess against Stevenage but I may be a tad optimistic as it could be before KO when the chants of "you don't know what you're doing" ring out.

PeanutsMolloy said:

Henry Irving said:

PeanutsMolloy said:

Henry Irving said:

My initial reaction was "uninspiring.  Mid league 1 manager for mid league 1 club.

It's true that Appleton has had success and he is meant to be a good coach, especially with young players but it doesn't scream "we've got billionaires owners with ambition and passion" rather "it's the best we can do on our self-imposed small budget as no one on the up would come so we got a journeyman in".

But on reflection none of that is Appleton's fault.

He is the manager (sod this head coach nonsense) and so I wish him nothing but the best of luck.

And some good luck, with injuries and with emerging talent, is what he will need.

I also hope he can bring in his own backroom team.

There is a half decent squad here to work with when they are all fit, motivated and clear on their roles.

If Appleton can weld them into a team that is greater than the sum of its parts he might bring us some success.

But I fear success for the fans (challenging for promotion and at least a top six finish) may be be different from success for the SMT (cost savings and player sales) and Appleton will be hard pressed to  achieve both.

Not you too Henry.
How are cost savings and player sales, without challenging for promotion, "success" for SMT?
You were there when we regularly sold players to plug the financial holes.
It has to be done but it's about timing.
SMT says they'll sell when it optimises the value to CAFC. They could have sold Leaburn already if they were penny pinchers uninterested in promotion. They didn't.
Will they throw stupid money at a promotion challenge? I trust not because it usually backfires, the owners close the wallet permanently and the club ends up worse off.
It takes time.

@PeanutsMolloy

My language was sloppy.

Of course the SMT would like and hope for on the field success as that will increase income

However, I believe that their priority will be staying within the budgetary limitations under which they sold the deal to the beneficial owners.

And those two may not always be mutually inclusive

Understood and thanks for clarifying.
But is staying within budgetary limitations agreed with owners a bad thing?
There seems to be a presumption here that the Texas Prospectus business plan is Joshua Friedman et al's business plan.
The Texas prospectus was targeted at small-ticket investors who most certainly would not want to or could be relied upon to invest more. Hence the nutso business plan.
Friedman et al are not small-ticket investors.
As experienced private equity investors, I guarantee you they will be expecting to be asked to make measured follow on investments and will anticipate doing so providing the business is heading in the right direction and the specific case is sound.
Of course you run a business as cost-efficiently as possible but not so as to strangle it.
CM's description of the plan of selling young players is to do so not the moment cash is desperately needed but when their value is optimised. That's only possible if the owners are prepared to make further working capital available, as we found a way of doing 1994-98.
We'll see if he and they are true to this promise.

Ideally, we'd want to be financially responsible AND flexible enough to invest in the playing side whenever possible.

The key difference is, as I see it, is that the owners in 94-98 and beyond, were fans so their priority was, I believe, to progress the club rather than make a profit.

Anyway, good to debate with you as always. We must have drink and put the world/club to rights sometime.

Got a feeling he will play 4231 in his first game for us 


Watson Jones Hector Edun
Taylor Dobson
T.Campbell Leaburn CBT
May 

An argument for C.Campbell in there cause he's had a good start for us (despite my Wolves mate saying he's shocking) and seems very composed on the ball. 

Could also make a case for a few others, especially Camara in the double pivot if he's back fit by then. 

Either way on the face of it, that team looks good enough to get a result, let's see if he can earn his paycheque 

DOUCHER said:

I'll get behind him - not exciting - a bit meat and 2 veg but maybe that's not a bad thing - probably the most positive thing i can say really - not sure what his particular style of play is if he has one but nothing can be worse than that garnerball crap.   

'but nothing can be worse than that garnerball crap' 
 
I just pray your right!

Just saying... maybe give the guy a chance?

"Oxford fan here. MApp is held in high esteem at our club. After a shaky first season, he delivered two great seasons. We had Lundstram and Roofe in a League 2 side!

"What he does need is time. For a quick fix, he’s not your man and I suspect things will stay mediocre until the next transfer window. Give him long enough and he can thrive. 

"See his spell at Lincoln too. Slow start, but improved".

Callumcafc said:

SELR_addicks said:

SDAddick said:

Callumcafc said:

BigRedEvil said:

Callumcafc said:

One half of the NTT20 duo gives his opinion.

https://twitter.com/georgeelek/status/1700099759183180061?s=46&t=ynww82GMl7VKBjthBflU0g

I don't think this squad can deliver promotion 

https://Twitter.com/georgeelek/status/1700102688585720142?s=46&t=ynww82GMl7VKBjthBflU0g

https://twitter.com/jordy_drapes/status/1700108796012511550?s=46&t=ynww82GMl7VKBjthBflU0g

https://twitter.com/georgeelek/status/1700109719027728421?s=46&t=ynww82GMl7VKBjthBflU0g

Just want to bump this. This is a solid squad. I would add CBT in there. Our first 11 should be one of the best on paper in the division. We haven't had our first 11 yet, I'm not entirely sure what it is or who plays where, but this is a good squad in a down year for League One.

In short: Appleton better be the man.

Heard it all before...

We'll see them lose 2-0 to Port Vale and look shocked as to why. 

And before the season started, Port Vale fans would’ve swapped their squad for ours.

We have the better players. We have to have a manager/coach that makes them the better team.

We've had the 'best first 11 on paper' for like 3 years now. 

Half of the players are in middling League One and Two sides now. 

Will be impressed if MA is still around at the end of the season. Will need to be backed in the Jan window for any kind of success this season. For any chance of that happening, MA will need to do well in the next few months - with a not a great hand dealt to him squad wise. 

On the upside Michael chances are you will be able to spend Christmas at home with the family. 

billysboots said:

SELR_addicks said:

Would love to know if there has been a single positive decision this 'new ownership' has made since buying our club. 

Been one uninspiring move after the next. Proper tinpot stuff. 

the only one I can think of is binning “addicts to victory “ everything else has the cheap option . 

Including sacking Holden 6 months into a 3 yesr contract?  The cheap option would have been to not sack him.

been said on here a few times, our squad now shows promise .. let's see what Apples n Pears can do with it

Wheresmeticket? said:

GreenWithEnvy said:

Think I will go back to bed

To dream of Michael Appleton 

Supporting a he club has been a waking nightmare for the past 10 years!! 

SELR_addicks said:

Callumcafc said:

SELR_addicks said:

SDAddick said:

Callumcafc said:

BigRedEvil said:

Callumcafc said:

One half of the NTT20 duo gives his opinion.

https://twitter.com/georgeelek/status/1700099759183180061?s=46&t=ynww82GMl7VKBjthBflU0g

I don't think this squad can deliver promotion 

https://Twitter.com/georgeelek/status/1700102688585720142?s=46&t=ynww82GMl7VKBjthBflU0g

https://twitter.com/jordy_drapes/status/1700108796012511550?s=46&t=ynww82GMl7VKBjthBflU0g

https://twitter.com/georgeelek/status/1700109719027728421?s=46&t=ynww82GMl7VKBjthBflU0g

Just want to bump this. This is a solid squad. I would add CBT in there. Our first 11 should be one of the best on paper in the division. We haven't had our first 11 yet, I'm not entirely sure what it is or who plays where, but this is a good squad in a down year for League One.

In short: Appleton better be the man.

Heard it all before...

We'll see them lose 2-0 to Port Vale and look shocked as to why. 

And before the season started, Port Vale fans would’ve swapped their squad for ours.

We have the better players. We have to have a manager/coach that makes them the better team.

We've had the 'best first 11 on paper' for like 3 years now. 

Half of the players are in middling League One and Two sides now. 

I can't speak for others, but I've never said something like that, but I feel the same about people moaning about "squad is poor, too many frees and loans."

We're in League One, that's how every squad is composed.