Even *I* am actually quite concerned

[Arch]

Charlton's business this summer:

OUT:

Patrick McCarthy
Osei Sankofa
Chris Iwelumo
Marcus Bent
Madjid Bougherra
Ben Thatcher
Amdy Faye

IN:

Mark Hudson
Stuart Fleetwood
Nick Bailey (who?)

It's not just about spending money. And if it was your money paying Doyle, Lita, Convey, etc, would you be happy to continue forking it over and splash out for other players? Look at Ingimarsson. Why should a defender with vast experience, very little history of injury trouble, excellent training habits, who has just turned 31 not be at the peak of his game? We should be looking at the players we have and their failings as well as that of the management before assuming the secret is to spend our way out. If Doyle's not got his heart in it, then I'd completely endorse the idea that he should be sold and got off the payroll before more money is spent on a replacement. I'm willing to bet we have one of the top three or four payrolls in the Championship. Why should JM be held accountable when the good money he's already spending is being pissed back in his face by a direly underachieving team?

[kwik-silva]

We desperately lack a defensive midfield player to protect the back four.

I agree with this, however hasnt Harper basically been playing in this position the last three away games?!? I don't how he has managed to completely neglect his attacking responsibilities yet still do so poorly as a defensive midfielder!

The only reason I can think of (and I'm trying to give him a chance here) is that he's not 100% sure of what role he's meant to be playing

[Barry the bird boggler]

We can start by selling Doyle and Harper and drafting Bikey into defensive midfield allowing more protection for defence and a fit Matejovsky to do some damage.

Add a left back into the mix and sign a quality striker we can all get excited about plus a left winger who can play like Convey did 2 years ago and we might start getting somewhere.

Currently I see us struggling in this division while Birmingham, a side we took 4 points off of and finished above last season, walk the division.

[rg6royal]

We don't seem to play with the passion and commitment anymore therefore hence the reason we have been poor in the last 2 away games. We won't win the league this season as we aren't good enough away from home. On the other hand at home I believe we will win most of our games. A play-off place though I can see us just about getting.

[Agent Balti]

The fact he didn't act last year will forever stay in some people's memory sadly - we KNOW he's a thinker, we KNOW his style, why expect it to change all of a sudden?

Maybe when it's not actually working would be a bit of a hint to me. Just throwing it out there... You can't just keep hitting the same buttons to exude a different response. When it works, fine, don't change it; I wouldn't expect anything less. When it isn't, a man of who is a thinker, should be thinking a lot harder.

[Platypuss]

Sometimes you just have to stop thinking, and start doing.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

A year down the line and Madejski's £30M+ richer, far more than it took to build his ego busting MadStad. The bloke is having a laugh, but at least his statement of "Get me back in the Prem so I can sell" well John .......... this is football ...... sell £8.5M worth of players and buy a laughable 800k = your fecked.

the guy is/was owed £40 million by the club. Are you suggesting he invented that figure and didn't loan it to the club after all?

Besides, somebody repaying a debt to you doesn't make you richer.

[Royal Rother]

Sometimes you just have to stop thinking, and start doing.

A nice plati-puss-itude.

His approach has brought sufficient success over the years for me to believe faith in his ability / desire to start doing soon enough is not misplaced.

As I haver said before, 1 season of inactivity should not wipe the memory of a career of thoughtful management and considered decisions that has brought a high measure of success.

We shall see.

[RoyalBlue]

A year down the line and Madejski's £30M+ richer, far more than it took to build his ego busting MadStad. The bloke is having a laugh, but at least his statement of "Get me back in the Prem so I can sell" well John .......... this is football ...... sell £8.5M worth of players and buy a laughable 800k = your fecked.

the guy is/was owed £40 million by the club. Are you suggesting he invented that figure and didn't loan it to the club after all?

Besides, somebody repaying a debt to you doesn't make you richer.

IMO the guy hasn't had a bad deal out of the club. I would suggest he loves his name being known by everyone, the hero worship, name singing, rubbing shoulders with the stars etc.etc. Would he have achieved this as Chairman of Hurst Publishing etc?

The irony is that unless he does something to turn things around PDQ, he may also end up repaying that debt in terms of plaudits changing to brickbats.

I also wonder how keen some of the showbiz stars will be to sit watching a mid-table, non-performing Championship team?!

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

A year down the line and Madejski's £30M+ richer, far more than it took to build his ego busting MadStad. The bloke is having a laugh, but at least his statement of "Get me back in the Prem so I can sell" well John .......... this is football ...... sell £8.5M worth of players and buy a laughable 800k = your fecked.

the guy is/was owed £40 million by the club. Are you suggesting he invented that figure and didn't loan it to the club after all?

Besides, somebody repaying a debt to you doesn't make you richer.

IMO the guy hasn't had a bad deal out of the club. I would suggest he loves his name being known by everyone, the hero worship, name singing, rubbing shoulders with the stars etc.etc. Would he have achieved this as Chairman of Hurst Publishing etc??!

Not at all, which to me makes his attitude rather strange. If it is this adulation that he craves, then why would he be so keen to sell and leave it behind?

[Platypuss]

Where does thoughtful management and considered decisions end and procrastination begin?

[The 17 Bus]

Where does thoughtful management and considered decisions end and procrastination begin?

I have highlighted it for you, in bold.

[Smoking Kills Dancing Doe]

The fact he didn't act last year will forever stay in some people's memory sadly - we KNOW he's a thinker, we KNOW his style, why expect it to change all of a sudden?

Maybe when it's not actually working would be a bit of a hint to me. Just throwing it out there... You can't just keep hitting the same buttons to exude a different response. When it works, fine, don't change it; I wouldn't expect anything less. When it isn't, a man of who is a thinker, should be thinking a lot harder.

That's the problem.

He won't change and is not a manager who can rebuild on a team he's had success with in the past. Last year should have stayed in peoples memory and maybe we would have moved on.

So why were there all those people at his car park space if he can't change? He couldn't even bring himself to sack Downes when our back four has been a disgrace.

Coppell can't change, this team needs change. We're stuck in limbo for a year.

[Rex]

but as a thinker Coppell should be well aware of his own style of management. He clearly is, admitted this publicly, but so far he has not shown this ruthless streak that he is aware he needs.
Being a thinker has both positive and negative aspects to it. Sometime intuition and ruthlessness need to be acted upon. This will not damage his persona but could actually enhance it, for the better of RFC.

[Royalee]

Save our Steve, LOL.

After 4 points against relegation candidates, we get overrun in midfield and defence by the half decent team with any quality. Still, Harper's an excellent defensive midfielder and Sonko is Superman.

Well done once again to the car park brigade, thank you for holding back RFC for at least a year you utter morons.

[glass half full]

Charlton's business this summer:

OUT:

Patrick McCarthy
Osei Sankofa
Chris Iwelumo
Marcus Bent
Madjid Bougherra
Ben Thatcher
Amdy Faye

IN:

Mark Hudson
Stuart Fleetwood
Nick Bailey (who?)

It's not just about spending money. And if it was your money paying Doyle, Lita, Convey, etc, would you be happy to continue forking it over and splash out for other players? Look at Ingimarsson. Why should a defender with vast experience, very little history of injury trouble, excellent training habits, who has just turned 31 not be at the peak of his game? We should be looking at the players we have and their failings as well as that of the management before assuming the secret is to spend our way out. If Doyle's not got his heart in it, then I'd completely endorse the idea that he should be sold and got off the payroll before more money is spent on a replacement. I'm willing to bet we have one of the top three or four payrolls in the Championship. Why should JM be held accountable when the good money he's already spending is being pissed back in his face by a direly underachieving team?

This sticks in my gullet as I say it but Pardew is a shrewd operator and is brave enough to give opportunities to young players. The younger players for Charlton were the difference yesterday.

[RoyalBlue]

The fact he didn't act last year will forever stay in some people's memory sadly - we KNOW he's a thinker, we KNOW his style, why expect it to change all of a sudden?

Maybe when it's not actually working would be a bit of a hint to me. Just throwing it out there... You can't just keep hitting the same buttons to exude a different response. When it works, fine, don't change it; I wouldn't expect anything less. When it isn't, a man of who is a thinker, should be thinking a lot harder.

That's the problem.

He won't change and is not a manager who can rebuild on a team he's had success with in the past. Last year should have stayed in peoples memory and maybe we would have moved on.

So why were there all those people at his car park space if he can't change? He couldn't even bring himself to sack Downes when our back four has been a disgrace.

Coppell can't change, this team needs change. We're stuck in limbo for a year.

Coppell will be gone by Christmas if things don't start to improve pretty quickly and dramatically.

[Royal Rother]

Don't be so melodramatic. There doesn't need to be a dramatic improvement. Getting (arguably) our 2 best players back in the team should help somewhat wouldn't you say? As should playing 2 hungry strikers who offer something (anything!) to the cause.

If we are not Top 6 by Christmas I should imagine Coppell will go of his own accord but there are enough reasons for optimism if you are prepared to look for them that I doubt that will come to pass.

[kwik-silva]

I think when our two 'best' players return to te squad we should be ok, if doyle had scored the pen. yesterday it could've been very different, we battled well to get back onto level terms after a 2-0 deposite, away from home, and without Marek/Bikey etc. Sonko being suspended could almost be a blessing, a good place for Bikey to fit back in, without much fuss

[Streets]

On paper our first choice eleven is quite something, but just look at our options on the bench and the remainder of the squad as a whole - piss poor.

I can only see a mixed season and missing out on the play-offs at this rate.

That team needs investment!!!