A message from Katrien Miere and the board recognises the importance of dialogue with the fans and developing a shared vision for the club, but asks for patience at a very busy time for the club on and off the pitch: Board statement
Some have argued that postponing meetings with fans until after the end of the season is a classic delaying tactic. My view is that Roland and Katrien want to do all they can to keep the club in the Championship. There are also a number of matters that needed to be sorted out off the pitch were Katrien can play a key role. Even Voice of the Valley paid her some regard in the last issue.
The results of the CAS Trust survey of fans are now available and they make interesting reading, although would respondents be as sceptical now about the chances of José Riga keeping us in the Championship?: Survey results
6 comments:
Although Wyn Grant's view is that "Roland and Katrien want to do all they can to keep the club in the Championship" I haven't seen or heard any reasoned argument, based on what has happened so far at CAFC to support that view. I say that Wyn's view is completely wrong and I'll explain exactly why I hold such a contrary view. If they really were serious about keeping Charlton in the Championship then they would have ensured that Kermogant and Stephens did not leave the club. Their departures seriously depleted the squad that was already thin in terms of the quality (ie.creative) players that the club needed in order to fight against the drop. The football argument for retaining Kermogant and Stephens remains overwhelming. Unfortunately what seems to have overwhelmed RD is the money offered for the players . So, nil points there for the Belgian duo in terms of doing everything possible to retain Championship status. A Belgian commentator remarked that RD likes football but he likes money better.
So far then RD had presided over a significant weakening of the playing resources, including the moving on (a much-parroted sentiment following the shameful sacking of CP) of possibly the best goalkeeper at the club.The next effort by which their desire to do all that they can to keep Charlton in the Championship might be measured was the shipping in of a number of players whose roles and fitness for immediate purpose in the fight against relegation seemed at the time(and indeed remain largely so to date)something of a mystery. At the very least they were not physically fit enough to contribute immediately which is what the situation required. Sadly, nil points again for effective action to retain Championship status. The signing of Obika was positive and it's to be hoped that the loan signing from Man Utd will give Riga some quality options because he must desperately want to get more goals and quickly. He and the team have done remarkably well to take eight points from a possible fifteen by scoring only two goals. Defending stubbornly and well in the hope of getting a decisive goal is a knife-edge stategy. Riga might feel that it is the only way given the resources at his disposal and it might yet prove to be enough to keep Charlton up. Riga and the coaches and players will deserve every credit if they succeed. As for RD, he could well be left counting the cost(4,million I believe?)of survival. I sincerely hope so.
This continuing debate only goes to prove just how diverse opinions are, but then hasn't it always been that way in football? I'm with WG on this one generally but TR is certainly right about the suitability for the circumstances of some of the first signings of the RD era.
The 'best goalkeeper at the club' only played one game at Orient and has since left the club. When I last looked, Stephens wasn't even at the bench at Brighton. If RD likes money more than he likes football, he would be better off keeping Charlton in the Championship.
Wyn, with regard to the two players that you mention, in the context of this exchange of views I can only look at how they were performing whilst they were Charlton employees. Ainwick was keeping Hamer out of the team and Stephens, along with Kermogant were first team regulars and in many peoples opinion the two best players at the club. What they have done since leaving Charlton is not relevant, although if you want to go down that route I'm sure you and all Charlton supporters would far prefer that Kermogant's subsequent goals for AFCB were listed in our goals for column.
To address your second point I have to say that logic would seem to support the view that if RD were more interested in money than football then he would indeed be better off by keeping Charlton in the Championship. But, it is only logical, and this is the very worrying point, if he has the very highest aspirations for CAFC. above all other factors (I mean of course in the football context). This is by no means clear, in fact there is absolutely no conflict, on the basis of what he has so far said, between relegation and the realisation of his strategy, model, call it what you will. It is not necessary to 'wait and see' in order to conclude that owning a number of football clubs with the plan of moving players, coaches between them presents a clear potential for abuse and conflict of interest The needs of any given club that he owns might at any time take precedence over the needs and aspirations of CAFC. My thought is that any representative group seeking talks with RD and Ms Meire should at the same time seek parallel discussions with the Football League and express their concerns about the situation at CAFC.
The Football League is not going to talk about groups of fans, nor are they going to intervene in the affairs of a particular club, other than to apply the owners and directors test which has only been failed once (at Leeds). As for the network model, it may be unwise, but there has been clear encouragement for that sort of arrangement from Uefa and to a lesser extent from the Commission. Outside football it is not unusual for companies to have a number of subsidiaries. I appreciate that people think that football is different, although often that reinforces conservatism and stands in the way of innovation.
There are valid points here that are well worth closer scrutiny and responding to but I've said all that I want to say for now on what I see as the substantive difficulties as they have manifested themselves under RD's ownership. I'm sure as Brian G commented that diverse opinion will continue to characterise the debate for some time. I'm equally sure that we all have the best interests at heart of CAFC,(I'll resist the temptation,for me, of the obvious caveat here!) and thank-you Wyn for the opportunity to express some thoughts.
Post a Comment