Reasons to be positive.......
Jun 20, 2019 4:45:49 GMT
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jonkool, mersthamred, and 7 more like this
Post by hairyhotdog on Jun 20, 2019 4:45:49 GMT
Love reading what’s posted on here in every thread , but even though this past week has been the usual rollercoaster of emotions that is attached to being a Charlton fan , plenty of ups but maybe more downs , there is room for more positivity I feel , so here’s the reasons why.....
(i) Management - We have secured (doesn’t matter how) the services of a group of guys in LB JJ SG and AM (assuming so) , that have proved to be a winning combination in the short time they’ve been together. Through the training , our players seem to be the fittest , to the preparation for the games , the substitutions , the ability to change the formation during the game and not to forget the amazing (so far) ability to scout some great talent...
We have a relatively young and , it seems forward thinking group who proved themselves more than capable last season and with a bit more luck injury wise , would have been champions of League 1...
(ii) Recruitment - Been reading that we are aiming for 22 players at the very least and so far we have 11 , now we will undoubtedly be making use of the loan facility to the max like the past few seasons , so there 5 players there , so to make the 22, we need 6 new permanent signings or academy promotions , that’ll be no problem , and with SG already proven himself more than capable of finding a diamond in the rough , and with the restrictions on what we can pay in wages , the challenge is a bit tougher but when you are good at something , making it a bit harder on yourself is something we all relish if we are of that ilk (ie playing pool with the wife left handed or finding way to bathroom at night with your eyes closed) and how can we even doubt that SG hasn’t got that “ready for the challenge” steely determination...
(iii) Fans - Now looking at last years attendances from the clubs in this years Championship , and I don’t think unfairly estimating that our average gate this upcoming season will be around the 17/18k mark , that would make us nowhere near the bottom 3 in average attendance , around midtable..
And after our fans being voted the best fans in league 1 last year , we did make a difference (as testified by LB and the players on numerous occasions) and we will make a difference again this season...
(iv) Takeover - It’s as close as it’s ever been , we all want it and it may just happen , this will bring us fresh impetus and hopefully more money for players , but if not then at the very least a dead weight will have been lifted from everyone’s shoulders , fans , players and CAFC staff alike...
(v) Momentum - Something that shouldn’t be overlooked , we are arguably the form team heading into this season and noone can really turn around and say , hold on but it’ll be a different side running out on Week 1 , because last year we were the least settled side in the whole of league 1, without looking it up , if we did start the same side consecutive weeks , then it was very very deep into the season. Yet we still managed promotion and arguably were the best side in the division...
(vi) Players - As stated above and elsewhere it seems we currently have 11 players , but they are a very good 11 players , gone are the average players , earning bundles , we are now left with a leaner skeleton that we can add too..
Lyle Taylor... would anyone really swap him for any other striker in our league..? Our Defence.... ok Bauer’s left the building but we kept the 2nd highest amount of clean sheets last year in the country behind Liverpool , with a couple of additions we will arguably be stronger defensively this year...
(vii) Opposition - Just going on our former players , are we really that scared of our defence facing an attack led by Karlan...? Or do we really believe we can’t score against a defence marshalled by the BFG...? Come week 1 will Millwall , Barnsley and QPR’s team sheets really strike fear into us...? I don’t think so , yes this is a competitive league , yes some teams seem to have an advantage having parachute payments (not helped the likes of Sunderland Stoke Wigan Hull etc) but it’s also a league where players on big money underperform , where fans get frustrated and managers get sacked. All negative things that we will avoid...
(viii) Championship - As touched on above this is a hard league , yes , however it’s not a league where shocks don’t happen , Brighton , Burnley , Huddersfield , Cardiff , Norwich , Sheffield United etc have recently been promoted out of this league , it’s not insurmountable to get promoted. The style of football in the championship is arguable more suited to the free flowing football that LB wants and has had us playing , less long ball , agricultural stuff that we found tricky to break down last year...
(ix) Wages - Ok we can’t pay the big wages , does that mean that we don’t get the guys on 40/50k a week that are just playing for the money and we have a side full of hungry guys earning 5/6k who are playing for their futures , playing to get a better contract.. I doubt anyone looked at Cattermole at Wembley and would of swapped him for one of ours...
(x) Premiership - We are one step closer to the Premiership and while they continue to buy foreign players for over inflated prices , we can (hopefully) cherry pick some of the unwanted players , the more that filter down will only be a good thing for a side like us , who has no big earning stars to keep happy...
I’m sure there’s other reasons to be positive but after awaking at my usual 4am (something for you youngsters to look forward too) and writing all the above I’m now petrified of making a wrong step and deleting it all by mistake..
(i) Management - We have secured (doesn’t matter how) the services of a group of guys in LB JJ SG and AM (assuming so) , that have proved to be a winning combination in the short time they’ve been together. Through the training , our players seem to be the fittest , to the preparation for the games , the substitutions , the ability to change the formation during the game and not to forget the amazing (so far) ability to scout some great talent...
We have a relatively young and , it seems forward thinking group who proved themselves more than capable last season and with a bit more luck injury wise , would have been champions of League 1...
(ii) Recruitment - Been reading that we are aiming for 22 players at the very least and so far we have 11 , now we will undoubtedly be making use of the loan facility to the max like the past few seasons , so there 5 players there , so to make the 22, we need 6 new permanent signings or academy promotions , that’ll be no problem , and with SG already proven himself more than capable of finding a diamond in the rough , and with the restrictions on what we can pay in wages , the challenge is a bit tougher but when you are good at something , making it a bit harder on yourself is something we all relish if we are of that ilk (ie playing pool with the wife left handed or finding way to bathroom at night with your eyes closed) and how can we even doubt that SG hasn’t got that “ready for the challenge” steely determination...
(iii) Fans - Now looking at last years attendances from the clubs in this years Championship , and I don’t think unfairly estimating that our average gate this upcoming season will be around the 17/18k mark , that would make us nowhere near the bottom 3 in average attendance , around midtable..
And after our fans being voted the best fans in league 1 last year , we did make a difference (as testified by LB and the players on numerous occasions) and we will make a difference again this season...
(iv) Takeover - It’s as close as it’s ever been , we all want it and it may just happen , this will bring us fresh impetus and hopefully more money for players , but if not then at the very least a dead weight will have been lifted from everyone’s shoulders , fans , players and CAFC staff alike...
(v) Momentum - Something that shouldn’t be overlooked , we are arguably the form team heading into this season and noone can really turn around and say , hold on but it’ll be a different side running out on Week 1 , because last year we were the least settled side in the whole of league 1, without looking it up , if we did start the same side consecutive weeks , then it was very very deep into the season. Yet we still managed promotion and arguably were the best side in the division...
(vi) Players - As stated above and elsewhere it seems we currently have 11 players , but they are a very good 11 players , gone are the average players , earning bundles , we are now left with a leaner skeleton that we can add too..
Lyle Taylor... would anyone really swap him for any other striker in our league..? Our Defence.... ok Bauer’s left the building but we kept the 2nd highest amount of clean sheets last year in the country behind Liverpool , with a couple of additions we will arguably be stronger defensively this year...
(vii) Opposition - Just going on our former players , are we really that scared of our defence facing an attack led by Karlan...? Or do we really believe we can’t score against a defence marshalled by the BFG...? Come week 1 will Millwall , Barnsley and QPR’s team sheets really strike fear into us...? I don’t think so , yes this is a competitive league , yes some teams seem to have an advantage having parachute payments (not helped the likes of Sunderland Stoke Wigan Hull etc) but it’s also a league where players on big money underperform , where fans get frustrated and managers get sacked. All negative things that we will avoid...
(viii) Championship - As touched on above this is a hard league , yes , however it’s not a league where shocks don’t happen , Brighton , Burnley , Huddersfield , Cardiff , Norwich , Sheffield United etc have recently been promoted out of this league , it’s not insurmountable to get promoted. The style of football in the championship is arguable more suited to the free flowing football that LB wants and has had us playing , less long ball , agricultural stuff that we found tricky to break down last year...
(ix) Wages - Ok we can’t pay the big wages , does that mean that we don’t get the guys on 40/50k a week that are just playing for the money and we have a side full of hungry guys earning 5/6k who are playing for their futures , playing to get a better contract.. I doubt anyone looked at Cattermole at Wembley and would of swapped him for one of ours...
(x) Premiership - We are one step closer to the Premiership and while they continue to buy foreign players for over inflated prices , we can (hopefully) cherry pick some of the unwanted players , the more that filter down will only be a good thing for a side like us , who has no big earning stars to keep happy...
I’m sure there’s other reasons to be positive but after awaking at my usual 4am (something for you youngsters to look forward too) and writing all the above I’m now petrified of making a wrong step and deleting it all by mistake..