So now we fully understand what Meire meant at the end of last season, when she told a sycophantic fans group that we would have a "competitive" budget this season. A poor team and squad, which finished a poor 13th in a poor League One, had since seen 16 departures and only 7 arrivals. You can argue that the squad last season was bloated and that many of the 16 who have left were wasters, but who's fault is that ? What is inescapable is that the Belgian owner remains hellbent on stripping Charlton to the bone. The £11.75m received in January for Lookman and Fox has basically disappeared. The £300k plus saved on Watt's wages this August has gone the same way. In short, the poor woman's Daniel Levy had to wait until the very last hour of the transfer window in order to sell a player - Novak - before she would loosen the purse strings to even bring a low quality loan in. What a way to run a football club. Prepare for Regime Season of Failure Series 4. We will have a Box Set soon.
To me... what Gobbo has brought in are fine but to sell/loan out all but one of our strikers while bringing in one kid hardly out of nappies is inexcusable! Poor poor planning... not happy
It's always the same with them. They did sign some good players and tied down Holmes (which must have came at a wage increase) but they just didn't do enough. This league is poor, I mean ****, if Peterborough can be top of the league, we can get a decent "permanent" striker and get automatic. What I do hate about our owners is this very pertinent part you wrote @Royston, and explains their plan transfer plan all along: 100% agree with. When you've received a tonne of money can we not fork out £1.5million for a decent striker. I mean hell, the tight fisted **** would have still made £10million out of Lookman sale. Don't need ****ing short-term loans, we need to go back to signing pernmant players that fans can have a rapport with, that actually want to play for the club. I remember reading Curbs autobiography and there's a section in here where he used to show prospect players videos on the history of the club and how the fans formed their own political party, etc., to get the valley back, and what the club meant to the fans.... We just don't have any of that! Why I feel sorry for those that did believe the PR machine for another season. If we get promoted, it's not because of shrewd Belgian ownership, it's mere ****ing luck having the gods on our side.
When I said yes I can merge... what I meant was ..... no I can not any more?? Not sure why this has been removed as a mod option but ... that's life.
In my opinion it always comes back to the same issue with Duchatelet, and always will. 1. He could not care less what division Charlton are playing in, so long as Meire has her train set to play with. 2. Costs must be stripped out at every opportunity to help him get his dough back. 3. So long as Steve Avery is producing good 'uns off the conveyor belt, he knows he can offset the costs of Meire's incompetence by selling a Gomez, a Pope or a Lookman once a year. The Apologists are now stooping so low that they are claiming that fact that we didn't sell Konsa yesterday is a sign of Duchatelet's ambition
One point... when Fosu was brought in I am sure he was described as a left winger/striker .... is Fosu a striker option?
Almost certainly not - a very good skilful player at this level, but about as physical as Quentin Crisp.
So, we've sent 4 strikers out on loan, Ajose, Igor, Umerah and Hanlan, sold one, Novak, given one away, TWWW, and in return got one loanee in. Have I missed anyone?
Over the summer we have released a total of 17 players, & signed 7. Even allowing for Holmes getting a pay rise, it is clear that Uncle Skinflint has reduced the budget yet again
Controversial - but I think this has been one of our better Windows. Without going in to the Lookman money, just looking at who we let go and who we've signed, I don't think it's bad business. Questionable decisions with people like Ajose (loan) and Novak leaving on a free but a lot of dead weight has gone and we have the foundations for a good team. Of corse we know that if we do excel on the pitch then we will probably look to cash in on that.