Evolution is devolution
A random thought đź’
On one hand I am pleased that we have an ownership group that are committed to begin building a club infrastructure, normalizing supporter relations and communicating with us like adults, have invested in The Valley and Sparrows Lane, even though they don’t own it, and really importantly pay the bills.
On the other hand, this group of extremely rich mix of individuals have not been prepared to spend money to support getting our club to the next level of The Championship.
That is their prerogative, and no one knows how to spend other people’s money like a football fan.
Yet, these are not only smart and wealthy individuals they surely are also perceptive, no?
The summer was full of rumours that the owner group cut Nathan Jones’ transfer budget. The total spend by the club in the end was just £1.5 million. Jones had made clear and we all knew it that top priority was a right winger and a ball playing midfielder. We got a 19-year old winger and a perennially injured midfielder that was a trialist.
The recruitment strategy has once again come into question, and so it should, especially as Jones hangs his hat on it and thrives in his team’s humble resources and always having to out-perform spending.
Jones is only part of the recruitment team, and will not be the one scouting and analyzing new players. The summer’s recruitment looked sporadic and reactive, and clearly Jones did not get many first choices.
What we have is another disjointed squad of players not capable to playing to a style or system. The majority of the squad is still at League One level, or youngsters simply not ready for the grade. Evolution is devolution.
Our highest earner is out own loan, we have others signed from the division below loaned out that aren’t at the level we are. We have a loan player AWOL, and another not good enough, or a fairer assessment is that he is no better than what we’ve got.
Our budget is either third or fourth lowest in the division depending on who you believe and bookies and even the most sympathetic of podcasters had us as relegation favourites.
Jones should carry the biggest responsibility of all. He coaches, picks the team, sets them up, establishes tactics, makes in game changes, manages the players and the culture.
Coaches will always get the sack before a managing director, a head of recruitment, player or owner. Yet, he was not backed in the summer by his employer, and worse I think he had to pivot to a new strategy and has been unable to build a new layer of progression.
When Global Football Partners acquired the club in July 2023 for ÂŁ15 million, they breathed new life into the club and gave it ambition although let us not forget Michael Appleton, but at least they did convince and pay Nathan Jones to join when we sat just above the relegation places.
Tell me. When was a darker day. Then or now?
It is Joshua Friedman who wants out, and it is for his share the club are seeking new investors. Friedman is a hedge fund guy and has a net worth of £3.7 billion, around 925 Jes Rak-Sakyi’s.
His investment in Charlton is chump change, but I suspect it is making him less than of a turn than his stake in Warner Bros. Yet, he specializes in distressed assets. You’d think Charlton would appeal to his business brain, or at least to his son Spencer, who was seen a fair bit at The Valley in the early days.
Meanwhile Gabriel Brener, who was at the game yesterday, is apparently the most committed. He only has a net worth of ÂŁ262 million..
We don’t know how the investor group is split in terms of percentage, it has never been publicized, all we do know is the consortium is anchored by seven primary shareholders who each own a stake of 5% or more.
Again, it’s easy to spend someone else’s money, but wouldn’t any investor want to make sure they are doing all they can to make it sustainable, successful and enjoyable. It was never going to make a profit, they knew that, right?
I am emotionally scarred and burnt out of fighting and bemoaning this club’s owners. This is a different group and I trust Gavin Carter to build a long-term football club we can be proud off. However short term neglect and shortsightedness could well take us right back to where we came from. Again.
So, tell me Gabriel, Joshua, Warren and Hiro. What is the point?
That sums it up perfectly. it is not a viable business so why do any of them get involved?
To be fair and we the long-suffering supporters are not stupid, as I believe the so-called Owners think we are.
There is absolutely no ambition, and do you really think they would trust Jones with another big budget like last season, and what the vast percentage were simply either injury-prone and/ or simply not up to the standard.
They talk really a load of bullshite and ok wonderful to have a staged Q/A session once and Jones is party to that too.
Charlton Pathetic from top to bottom and including the vast majority of the staff, and so-called media teams,
John West
Well said CA , I think everyone are a bit worried coyr
I have to totally agree with your comments CA and like you worry about our owners involvement and long-term commitment to us.
I have total faith on Gavin Carter and his enthusiasm and achievements since being appointed.
We are once again in a turbulent phase and results are hard to achieve but I remember the very dark days when the future of Charlton surviving was in real doubt.
We will get through this storm if the fans,players,management, owners pull in the same direction…..Charlton is part of our lives and not just sports club.
We all have had our lives affected watching the happy and challenging periods of returning to The Valley.
Sorry, Gavin Carter does not feel right with mem but tbf most of them do and come across as very insincere and smarmy.
Yesm I have supported them since 1961 and not normally one to sing my praises, but was a very proud candidate of the Magnificent Valley Party, and also worked as a volunteer groundsman under the Late character Sir Maurice Banham.
Unless, something dramatically changes we are hurtling down to Division one
CA,
All very relevant and interesting, some of which reinforces a post I made on this site only a few weeks ago about the quality (or lack of it) of our new signings, not only this season but going back to Gassan Ahadme!
This is the single reason I can’t jump on the NJ Out bandwagon, simply because after all the noises NJ made at the end of last season about what we needed in terms of transfers to truly progress this season (which I agreed with 100%)……………it simply hasn’t happened again.
So not knowing how much input NJ has into who we actually sign, then I find it difficult to lay the blame for where we are entirely at his feet.
What I would say about Saturday is, I sit about 10 rows behind NJ and he was nowhere near as animated as he usually is.
We also miss a true leader on the pitch, after we scored against Norwich we needed a captain to rally the team, making sure every player was aware that we needed to go after Norwich again immediately, as at that time they were a team who had lost their previous 6 games, had conceded after 10 mins and were most definitely on the ropes………..BUT!!!
I’m not sure where we, or NJ, go from here, we don’t have the ammunition to develop and I’m not sure we have the ammunition to fight our way out of it.
I so hope I’m wrong!
Trev
Some interesting points there CA 🤔 is the RD days back again it’s a right old shambles down at the valley at the moment hopefully it can get sorted ASAP. Another thing quickly I read on the Chatlton transfer rumour page that Kelman,Knibbs and Campbell could be going in January this would spell disaster for the club we need to make sure we keep the better players to stand any chance of staying in the championship…COYR
We have absolutely no chance in staying up.
Something that doesn’t cost a lot of money is coaching of player’s. Yesterday we witnessed player’s not able to do the basics, like passing the ball to each other, defender’s getting goal side, player’s closing down the opposition and tracking runs. These are all things that you would expect coaches to work on, and playet’s be able to execute. The ball spent less time in the clouds yesterday so that’s a plus. The attack looked more potent with Kelman in the side but playing one-up against Norwich and Watford. Really? The midfield were blowing out their a***** after a fantastic first 20 minutes but little wonder because only Coventry has had regular game time. Mwamba has the legs but he needs an experienced player alongside him for guidance. Player’s show no signs of anticipating danger and close down in a half-hearted fashion. Address these issues and Charlton might just win a game.
C.A your article is spot on. I have long wondered why some of these people own a football club, but it must be like a racehorse: because you can, the vanity and the thrill.
If we do go down this year it will put us back 5 years because we will have to sell to balance the books and it is more likely we will lose the enthusiasm (what’s left of it) from the current owners. Regardless, they can only invest an additional 30m over three seasons and that isn’t anywhere near enough to bridge the gap.
We have some very promising youth players and a great defence (Saturday was a bad day at the office). I looked at the game again last night. Two teams clearly void of confidence. We should have been two up to begin with. Schoolboy errors from Ramsay and Coventry (again) cost us the lead. After that, we had a very marginal call for offside that wouldn’t have been given 9 times out of 10 and they had the benefit of an own goal to boot. On another day, the goal is the and we take the momentum.
My brother used to say to me that supporting Charlton was character building, if so, we should have it an abundance. Let’s bring some of it out for the remainder of the season!!!
COYA