Exciting times
It’s exciting, right?
Six years ago in the exact same position we had just convinced Jason Pearce and Jonny Williams to sign new contracts, this only after Roland Duchatelet did a u-turn over Lee Bowyer’s contract. Joe Aribo had just left and Duchatelet was behind our backs negotiating to cash in on Anfernee Djiksteel.
This time around we already have six new players with the squad on a highly valuable pre-season trip to Slovenia.
Nathan Jones has acquired a mix of experience and potential. We know bids have been lodged for other players and the club are not finished in the transfer market.
Equally we must remember how different our counterparts are in this league, we are no longer a big fish in a small pond. We are scrappy, territorial, brave, resourceful, curious like a Sergeant Major in a big ocean.
We cannot compete with the majority of clubs on salaries nor fees. Nathan Jones is selling a project, a plan, a culture, a potential and as Curbs copyrighted Jones is selling what it means to be a Charlton Athletic player.
That’s not for every existing Championship or top League One player and will limit our universe. Jim Rodwell, Phil Chapple, Nathan Jones and the owners need to be smart, brave but show steely ambition and foresight. That’s what I am seeing and buying.
I am shocked if I’m honest in the time since the play-off final that six players have already been signed plus a handful of new contracts penned.
It won’t be easy, there will be tough days and weeks, possibly months and it might be a grind, but we are back and unlike last time we are alive and kicking.
Again, how exciting is it?
We need to become a schoal of Pirranana to stay in the Championship 😃
Yes they have done very well on paper to get 6 players in.
Opps….Piranha I meant and I know they are not saltwater fish…doh !!!!
Looks like more incoming, news of the Blackpool lad, Apter bid being accepted. I think do we need a striker now though.
It is as described, very exciting times.
I am not overly excited by the signings so far, in my opinion Oloafe is similar standard to Kanu. Like Kanu he is not a No.9, he will need a player like Leaburn to create openings for him, at Stockport he had Wooton, a CF to set up chances for him.
I hope NJ creates the right framework to get the best out of him. I will be interested to see how he compares to Kanu and Ahadme in the preseason matches.
Some players seem to be missing from the short videos from Slovenia, notably Mannion and Ahadme.
The club have been extremely slow this year telling supporters the players in the U21 and U18 squads. The U21s played Fulham at Sparrows Lane Saturday morning and Fulham gave a match report with photos, CAFC posted nothing, very frustrating for somebody you likes to follow the academy sides.
Harvey Kedwell has signed for Dagenham and Redbridge and I wish him every success.
A supporter since 1964 not felt as excited for many years
After being burnt by so many different changes of owner over the last 15 years I was cynical about this new lot/the senior management team and yes they’ve made a few mistakes (Michael Appleton) but they have invested in the team and club as they promised and look to be here for the long haul.
I’m happy with the signings we’ve made, only Amari’i Bell is what you might call old – the others are young and can grow and develop with the club and look to have the attributes to play at Championship level so hopefully we’ve acquired stars of the future rather than a load of footballing mercenaries who are just here for a season or two because the money is right.
We need a couple more signings, I think we need a winger for the right and I assume they have a target or two in mind and we’ll no doubt shift on one or two players. So far, so good.