Clear out
Are we really going to try to offload DJ, Alex Gilbey, JFC and Craig MacGillivray before the window closes? How light do we need this wage bill to be? And how many do we have to sell to add?
The bench is already packed full of youngsters, and players like Aaron Henry need a loan deal to stop their progress being blunted like Albie Morgan’s was.
Gilbey wants to be nearer to home, and therefore his Lincoln move has hit the skids. JFC was on Leyton Orient’s radar. DJ, Tuesday night’s goal scorer, is in MK Dons and Lincoln’s headlights.
MacGillivray wants first team football after making 43 appearances last season. I can’t blame him, although he never convinced me, but he possibly deserves better. Are we okay with Harness as Wollacott’s deputy especially the Ghanaian international will likely be missing at the World Cup.
I’d rather keep Kirk over DJ based on performances so far, and in thinking I know how Garner wants to utilize his players. I’ve always liked JFC and think he still adds good value to the squad.
All this to pick up another centre-half? If Garner manages to smuggle in another striker and a left-back too, then I will tip my hat.
Better news on the injury front in that Corey Blackett-Taylor did no significant damage, and will be back in action soon. Likewise Conor McGrandles who will wear a lightweight cask on his broken hand.
Chicago Addick 
Possibly we need immediate cover going forward, with Aneka out for two thirds of the season.
1, A decent forward that knows the football in our division, with past history of at least 30 games a season.
2, A good seasoned central defender.
I reckon the current squad might just about push for a play-of place if it were injury free and suspension free. In my dreams! We will continue to pick up injuries and there will be players suspended, so the squad is light (and that’s putting it mildly). Despite the bold predictions from TS, actions speak louder than words and the action (almost non-action) in this window sends a strong message that TS has tempered his ambitions…and I can’t blame him for that.
Left field thought : Nabby Sarr is a free agent….I guess he is now out of our price range.
We can only live, and suppotrt, in hope.
Err I was under the impression football was a meritocracy. Messrs MacGillivray, Forster-Caskey, Gilbey and Jayiesimi all have, and have had, the opportunity to compete for a starting place. Indeed preseason 90% of people saw Morgan and Kirk heading for the exit but they have, and are, through their efforts securing the right to play.
Can anyone of the others contribute? They can, but each is at a stage of their careers where they need to be playing first team football and thus if there are other opportunities out there why would you stand in their way?
Equally as a business if they are only going to be able to make a peripheral contribution why would I want them on the payroll?
In terms of Henry, or Clayden, or Ness or Chin each has shown the potential to contribute and grow withe club. That is entirely as it should be. They have worked hard to get themselves in the first team changing room. Each has performed well. I see no compelling reason to change their current development path at this time.
If the situation changes then the opportunity for loans remains throughout the season.
Overall the club has restructured the squad to meet a changing pattern of play. Does there remain work to be done? There does. Will it get done within this transfer window? Time will tell but the direction has been most encouraging.
I would be surprised if all the players being talked about will go, probably a couple will. Agree with goalkeeper concerns. McGillivray must be itching for a move given he’s not even getting a game in the Carabao, but we surely need experienced cover for Wollacott.
Suspect the attraction in letting JFC go is that we might get a fee and his wages are probably relatively high. Always liked him but he had a poor game on Tuesday for his standards. Possibly just short of match practice but not really sure clubs would take a risk on him injury wise. As to wingers, if you could take the best aspects of DJ, CBT and Kirk you could probably make one decent player, but they wouldn’t be with us. I like DJ for his energy at least. CBT has pace and directness but not sure of his footballing brain. Kirk has the ability but has a tendency to stand around like a wallflower at times.
Life in division 3 eh ?!
When you analyse the comments made by TS after he purchased the club – about making the Prem in 5 years etc – and you look at the transfer activity in this transfer ‘window’ particularly, and the downward pressure on overheads, it really does amount to over-inflated bull****. I started to have my concerns last season. Is TS really any different to Duchatelet? My dedication to the Charlton cause has eroded as a consequence of demoralising ownership by Roland, and ESI 1 & 2 but, like others, l was totally seduced by TS’ platitudes. At last!, l thought, we have an ambitious owner However, by mid-season in 2021 l started to question some of the strange decision making at the club. For this reason l decided to stall on buying a 22/23 season ticket to watch the club l have ardently supported home & away since 1964. I feel my actions have been vindicated. Something at the club is not right at the moment and the actions no longer match the owner’s stated ambitions. I feel that l have been suckered. Until the club start to walk the walk instead of talk the talk, l will will observe from afar. After 60 odd years this club has not been easy to support. I thought that was about to change with TS but no. This policy of constantly selling players instead of following a long-term plan to build a strong squad with quality and depth will never see the necessary consistency required to get out of L1. This club never fails to underwelm.
With respect, the more people stay away the bigger the problem will get. I genuinely think if we had 20,000 through the door each week you’d see an entirely different desire and ability ti invest.
Not meant personally but we don’t have a thick and thin fan base, a lot of opinionated moaners who go absent unless we’re in play offs semi- finals. Roland gave many an excuse to boycott but I don’t see them back now.
I get results/league position puts bums on seats but you’ve got to start somewhere. In my opinion, a packed valley would provide not just some of income but a mood shift from cost cutting to let’s roll the dice and stay in it together.
Like everyone else here I live in forlorn hope.
Steve
I am not taking your comments personally although they do feel as though they are aimed at me. They say the older you get the wiser you get. Like many, l suffered the lack of investment during Glikstein’s ownership but by then the club had drawn me in. Watching at Selhurst Park was tough and being one of just 3000 at Birmingham at the Play-Off Final against Leeds on a Friday night, although a great result and dramatic, it was difficult for other reasons, especially at New St Station afterwards. I volunteered my help one Sunday morning to help clear the weeds from the Valley terraces, andxreturned again to help paint the crush barriers. I voted and campaigned for the Valley Party. I feel l have demonstrated my commitment to the club and am no fair weather fan. Watching the club grow with everyone pulling in the same direction was as rewarding as watching a good performance by the team. The spirit of the fans took a bit of a hammering during Duchatelet’s time and it was painful witnessing everything that had been built collectively, being dismantled bit by bit by an uncaring and abusive owner. The alienation of the fans, or “customers” as we were described back then, was a bitter pill to swallow. Similarly, the shenanigans that went on during the ESI 1 & 2 periods of ownership were also difficult to bare. Because the club had sunk so low and become so unrecognisable that was why everyone was so willing and full of optimism after TS purchased the club. An ambitious owner, or at least that’s what we all thought. I was one who hung off of every encouraging word uttered by TS. But the ambitious words appear to be hollow. We have been down this road too many times. I will put my bum on a seat again at the Valley but it will be at a time of my choosing. Longevity has taught me that owner’s love nothing more than blind loyalty. Well l will no longer be taken for granted. It’s taken a long time for me to learn this lesson. This owner needs to earn my respect. The longer l have been away from the Valley the easier it gets. I attended more away games than home games last season. I am sick of egotistical owner’s who tread all over the things that we value. Enough is enough, for me at least.
Definitely not aimed at you good sir just a general observation.
It’s a tough one and no easy answer but I do agree, if you’re giving it prem in 5 years you’ve made your bed, either put up or schtum up
I agree.
I have never been convinced by DJ and would be quite pleased to see him depart if it allowed us to bring somebody else in, I really like JFC and think he is a quality player who is more than capable of doing a job for us. I think that Gilbey could be a good player but I think he is one of those which need to be a large fish in a small pond and I think that if he feels like the main man who is playing every game then he will be a good player for another team.
We need to add players where we are most injury prone and that will be in defence and in attack, I still do not understand why we let Connor Washington go, he was hard working and offered something different to our current strikers.
Norfolk Red – As always an excellent post and agree with every word.
Alan Bamber – We did not let Washington go – it was his choice as he refused the contract offered, which was then withdrawn. Allegedly he fell out with TS over the Jackson sacking..
Once again due to totally inept planning and management, we are now playing at panic last minute.com.
Garner has completely had the rug pulled from under his feet, the lack of support underwhelming. We have made no outlay at all (except wage structure) and have had in the money from Burstow (£1m) and the Pope money (instalments).
And yet Garner has to offload the highest earners before any further investment.
That is TS style of support.
And yet ultimately he saved the club and it is his money do with as he pleases.
It is just not want fans want.
Thanks for the clarification on Washington – I was not aware of that and being a “SuffolkRed” I’m sometimes out of the loop!
Is the issue that some of the money is not being reinvested or is it that our squads combined wages are near the limit of what we are allowed to pay?
Pattern emerging here. No problem moving on average players but only if you replace with better. So far we haven’t replaced all those we needed to eg Washington and the evidence suggests those we have brought in may be cheaper but not better. That’s a dangerous mix. Cost-cutting over ambition.
The positive baloon is slowly deflating….clearing out players needs to be balanced with new players who will add to the squad and not just fill a gap.
Player movements are part of football but if TS wants progress appointments will need to be carefully examined.
I’m still optimistic and feel sure we can inflate the baloon, after fixing the leak!
And I really hope that we don’t sell Sean Clare,he’s a player who is proving that he should start games at present…..I fear that if he moves it will follow the pattern of our loss and other teams gain.
I’m aware that he may want to further his career if that’s the case I’d understand.
I agree. The better player’s need to be tied down with longer contracts to avoid them from being cherry-picked by rivals. That requires funding, of course, but offers stability and a basis to grow a better quality squad in return. The nucleus of the squad also need to be permanent signings to add to that stability.
I think TS should be honest with the supporters in that his financial resources have been dramatically eroded by his company’s poor performance resulting in a large drop in share price. Also his private investments will have been eroded by the pandemic and conflict in Ukraine.
I thought some time ago that his wisest move should have been to seek a co-investor.
His recent tactic of getting rid of players who are on better than average wages does not lead to confidence in his ongoing stewardship.
As you know I follow the U21s and U18s closely and can confidently state the academy is very strong at this time, thanks to Steve Avory and his staff. I think there are at least 10 players who have a good chance of making the grade, but they need to develop at the right pace and not rushed to catch the eye of other clubs so that they can be sold.
I will be very surprised if Miles Leaburn is with us next season
One of the big problems, apart from investing in and paying out some monies to bring known quality in, it appears we are still giving long contracts to the wrong players.
Such as, Aneke, well known he is injury prone, plus can’t complete 90 minutes, yet we pay £300,000 for him and give him a three year contract to spend the majority of it, playing football manager on his ipad at home.
Giving long contracts to these new freebie players brought in by Garner, who are from a division lower, but who have mostly never played &/or been tested in a higher league before! Whilst exisiting first team players, such as Sean Clare, Morgan who have shown their quality, have not had any extensions to their contracts and will only be offered something once others are interested and as per usual with Charlton, it will be too little and too late!
This has been the same sorry story for many years now and the only difference is, Sangaard is now giving some of the young up and coming future stars longer contracts, as this will be a cheap option, as he can see when they start to perform and others take notice, they can then be flogged off for a healthy profit at a later stage.
At present, I can only see and agree with others on here, the 5 year optimistic or bu…..t plan, whatever you want to call it, has gone up in smoke and the now aim is to make as much money as possible and if by luck &/or chance, it leads to promotion, all the better, as no new monies will be spent on players, unless there is a surplus from others leaving!
Dont get me going on Aneke again………..
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Seems to me we are going back to the Glickstein era of a club being only a pure business enterprise to make us dollars for a pinball kid from danmark.