Tuesday 15 July 2014

12 months is a long time in football

Twelve months ago we waited with baited breath for signings. Players left in droves, especially strikers and we worried until the season had almost begun.

So here we are today 7 signings in. Players re signed and youth contracts extended. The response .... Fed up of network signings.  Poor old Rolly you just can't please some critics.

Sunday 13 July 2014

New Season New Club Beckons

A month ago I was firmly in the Roland camp, lets see what he will do, how he invests in our club.  The only thing he had done wrong in my mind since the end of the season was the new kit.  Except I was to find out it was TJ and MS that made that wonderful decision.

I suspect that the kit choice was a bit like when our keepers wore pink.  The decision was made between Elliot and Randolph.  The conversation went something like this :-

Elliot "Darren, its pink - the fans will take the piss out of us!"
Randolph "I understand what you are saying but its for charity".
Elliot "Well if its for a good cause, I suppose that i can take the abuse of wearing pink - PARKIE we'll go for the pink keepers top!"

Six months later, end of season.

Elliot "Darren when are you signing your new contract!"
McRandolph "Sod that for a game of soldiers", there is no way I'm wearing pink!!!"

Anyway I digress. What have I got to moan about Roland?  He's facilitated the Academy, repainted the Valley (I suspect he brought in painters and did not do it himself), put down a pitch better than he needed to and has invested in players.

Well he did not give Riga the job, but even that does not worry me.  Riga was employed for a specific task, keep us up.  There was no sense of a job to follow, Riga avoided the conversation and so did Kate.  Should he have been thanked at the end, maybe, but many of us don't get thanks when we achieve our objectives, should he have been paid a bonus - yes and I expect he had one in his contract.

We have had the redundancies of staff, good solid Charlton people, stalwarts of our club , but as a serial redundantee, I know businesses do it and its part of the capitalist society we live in (a bit of politics there!!).

He failed to keep Poyet, well true but that shipped sailed before he arrived. 

So why do I feel uncertain? During the Prem years we had loads of non UK players, so why should I be worried that we have an influx now at the Valley?  Am I being xenophobic? A little Indian boy not wanting old Johny foreigner invading my team?  I hope not (I don't mean the little boy bit, thats another ship that has also sailed).

I'm hoping its a passing thing, that once I get to see the team, I'll start relating to the players that are coming in, after all I had never heard of Guchi 7 months ago and towards the end of the season I was a staunch defender and not because we could have been distant relatives (my family moved from Persia in the 16th century).

I do have one concern that is based on my principles of English football and that is, the Premier League has already destroyed opportunities for young English players.  I have always said that leagues below Prem should maintain the 70:30 home player ratio and now my club is bursting through this.

In the latter years of the Prem. we moaned about the lack of affinity between the fans and the players and I fear that this will be the case again.  If Jacko moves on, or becomes a bit player, who will follow in the footsteps of Kinsella, Powell, Elliot and Jacko to do the fist pump or tunnel jump?  Its a unique relationship between us and the players that i fear will die under this regime (and probably any other).  I just hope that it is kept going longer and the academy stars of today become the heroes of tomorrow and remember what being a Charlton player is all about when it comes to relating to the fans.