SLP Article with CM

Good read.

That's a really good interview and one which should give us all hope and optimism for the future.

LargeAddick said:

proof, pudding, eating of etc etc but it can't be denied that good work is going on at the Club whether that be hiring NJ, hiring Dr Will, work at the training ground, work at The Valley, bringing the Superstore back in house, player recruitment. We are definitely heading in the right direction. I never watched the Sunderland Netflix stuff so my judgement is not clouded by it but maybe he's learned from it because he comes across as being very competent and able. Long may it continue.

Exactly how I feel. 

It can't be denied that this new group of owners are making significant changes both on and off the pitch. These changes/additions won't be cheap  but it does seem there is a 'root and branch' systematic plan being put in place.
I think, so far, that with the changes already seen, it's time for all supporters to get behind this 'project'. People wanted to see the colour of their money, I believe we now are.

As a freely admitted member of the "Methven sceptics" I am more than happy to hold my hands up and say he has done very little wrong since Appleton was finally turfed out. 

Whether it's because he's learned from his Sunderland experience, is being held on tighter reins or maybe his reputation always was a bit exaggerated I don't know, or care.

If he was to leave right now then he'd go with the club being in a generally better state and position (off the pitch) than when he came in, and it's been a while since any of our owners could say that.

Once the on-pitch stuff matches the off-the-pitch talk, I'm sure Methven will receive the plaudits he's waiting for. 

We are a football club at the end of the day and last season we came 16th under his ownership. Hopefully this season is a lot, lot better. 

He does know what we want to hear but we've had a few who lacked even that. Personally, i've always thought he talks a lot of sense and don't let the inverted snobbery regarding his accent and pink trousers cloud that. He's asking us to put that first 6 months last season behind us. I'm happy to look at things with a clean slate from now. Wouldn't be surprised to see Rodwell or Scott moving on mind you. If CM is calling the shots at the Valley and the non football side of the club, aren't Rodwell and Scott treading on each others toes at the training ground?          

All well and good but why the initial suggestions he’s not really involved but amazingly the money men latterly asked him to get more involved ?

Cant we just have a bit more transparency on that?

LargeAddick said:

proof, pudding, eating of etc etc but it can't be denied that good work is going on at the Club whether that be hiring NJ, hiring Dr Will, work at the training ground, work at The Valley, bringing the Superstore back in house, player recruitment. We are definitely heading in the right direction. I never watched the Sunderland Netflix stuff so my judgement is not clouded by it but maybe he's learned from it because he comes across as being very competent and able. Long may it continue.

I didn't see the Sunderland programs but CM's reputation preceded him loud and clear
He arrived in SE7 very much the character in which he'd been portrayed and vilified
His posho voice and demeanour will always wrankle wiv som sarfeast laandon geezers  
Can't say I was too pleased when he was elevated to an executive position by GFP recently
The very least that can be said about him is that his deportment and style have been tuned up in the same way that all the training ground, Valley pitch, etc, etc improvements have been rolled out this summer.  Much is being made of not many season ticket sales but at least that trajectory appears to be upward.  The revenue from that ain't making a meaningful dent in the outgoings.
All of that hanging together isn't coincidence or luck or Skintgaard type bluster.  It must have cost fortunes.  Rich people don't (often) get rich or stay rich by pissing their money around willy-nilly.  They also tend not to keep tossers in jobs they can't actually do.  GFP's major shareholders have made and lost more money than probably all we season ticket holders will ever do all added together.  If they are entrusting CM with mitigating their losses on the commercial side of things then I ain't gonna question their judgement.  If CM's actually no good at it, he'll be out on his ear.  Same goes for Scott, Rodwell and others.
Probably the biggest outlay has been on players, certainly the biggest commitment on the new blokes' contracts, GFP ain't mucking about.
NJ has to get an acceptable return on the investment that's been made.  We might have a reasonable guess at what that 'return' needs to be.  How long he's got to turn his squad of bodies into a winning team, we don't know.  Hopefully GFP are blessed with some patience.  Duffers like Appleton need sacking pronto but generally managerial turmoil serves only to create an ever faster spinning whirlpool of failure and losses.
It's very much in keeping with Britain in July 2024 as a whole to be blaming the impoverishment of today on the underinvestment and shitty management of the previous custodians but attributing injury problems to ropey training pitches is certainly backed up by all the effort and money devoted to remedying them.  It is all seeming to hang together, they're all singing from the same hymn sheet.
Fingers crossed that Wigan, Orient, Bolton and Reading are comparatively less well prepared and our season gets off to a decent start, nothing breeds success like success.
A handful of points will make it much easier to top up the squad as the window nears closure. 

Airman Brown said:

Stu_of_Kunming said:

Elthamaddick said:

great article, it's difficult not to like the fella and he always comes across well.

I think we are now also starting to see that they mean business with everything being done around the club and not just on the playing squad. A few real big statements of intent with the pitch upgrades and the work at the training ground.

long way to go, but I'm feeling more confident at the end of July that I have for many a year

Funny how some high profile ‘connected’ posters have simply vanished since things have started looking much better from an ownership point of view.

I guess it’s easier than accepting they got it wrong. 

If you’re talking about me, I’m busy elsewhere and to be honest haven’t paid Charlton much attention for some time. The outcome on the pitch last season speaks for itself. 

I’m not going to comment on Charlle Methven here one way or the other, but I haven’t forgotten that he stated last year that any half-competent management could reduce the operating loss to £1m-£2m and offset that with player trading. That was as silly in its way as any statement made by Sandgaard, but I’m pleased that as chief executive he won’t be able to escape responsibility for delivering on it. 

So nothing at all to say about the long list of positive things being done at the club right now? 

Costs aren’t being cut, solid investments are being made on and off the pitch, facilities are being upgraded left right and centre, but let’s focus on one comment instead. 

Cmon lads, we all want the best for Charlton. Like opinions, people can change. I didn’t watch the Sunderland doc but heard the guy was a bell and we’ve had plenty of them to be aware of. But this ain’t Sunderland so lessons learnt. 

Unfortunately after years of seeing incompetents 'run' the club this lot have started badly so the cynics have been concerned.
Time will tell if lessons have been learnt.