Souness must go ?

[chris]

Charlton can't be much bigger, a few extra thousand fans which is not difficult to beat Blackburn on, but it's a district that is surrounded by Crystal Palace, Millwall  etc. and  really you would find due to London being so accessible that allot of this surrounding area support Chelsea, Arsenal, Spurs etc. more North London teams minutes away.

What i'm trying to say is Charlton are not very *fashionable*, don't have much of a recent history, therefore maybe a slightly bigger fan base but not a bigger name then Blackburn.

Other then people that live in that district, you will not see kids from Croydon wearing Charlton shirts

if i lived in London i would support a big team like everyone else in London that does not directly live in a district.

They're about to apply for planning permission to increase ground capacity at the Valley by another 10,000 which will take them to roughly the same as Liverpool, Everton Chelsea and Arsenal.  Beyond Spurs and West Ham - suddenly football in London looks very different.

Charlton are running an aggressive marketing campaign down the railway line to places like Rainham and Gillingham in Kent.  Direct and regular trains to Premiership football, and 5 mins from the station to the ground.  Massive - and rich - population in that corner of England.  Attractive to families because there's no history of trouble unlike any other London club.  Cheapest tickets in the Premier League (and cheaper than Millwall and QPR who evolve in far less fashionable circles).

Charlton are on an absolute winner, within 10 years will be up there with Arsenal.  And Chelsea if the Russian hangs in there.

knew about the ground increase but didn't know they were marketing in Kent as a family club, thats actually quite clever approach. Hopefully next season when Curbishley goes to Spurs they will get relegated.

[Tris]

knew about the ground increase but didn't know they were marketing in Kent as a family club, thats actually quite clever approach. Hopefully next season when Curbishley goes to Spurs they will get relegated.

That's why it meant so much to the Gills to put them out of the FA Cup

[CAPT KAYOS]

knew about the ground increase but didn't know they were marketing in Kent as a family club, thats actually quite clever approach. Hopefully next season when Curbishley goes to Spurs they will get relegated.

That's why it meant so much to the Gills to put them out of the FA Cup

Tris

Do they still have the nightbus/train running to these areas etc?

[Tris]

Tris

Do they still have the nightbus/train running to these areas etc?

Last train's about midnight I think ...

[USABlue]

Dunno if anyone saw Sky's Monday night roundup tonight, but the Liverpool fan on the panel - in the face of far more media pressure and general "hype" than we get - made a fantastic point that I think is relevant to Souness here as well.

The point being that Houllier almost made his own job a poisoned chalice by winning the three cups then having a run in the Champs League - it was built up as the new Liverpool and things would be back to the 70s and 80s.

Now things aren't, Houllier is taking the flak and he probably doesn't deserve it.  Just like Souness doesn't deserve it.

Contrast that with Curbishley at Charlton.  Popular with the media, with fans (their own and in general) but he's never won anything (except a penalty shootout play off v Sunderland).

Charlton are now a bigger club (support wise) than Rovers.  And they're in London.  You'd never know it though.  Curbishley has never exceeded anyones hopes or fulfilled anyones dreams, and has never been near Cardiff - or Europe.

Souness and Houllier have made themselves targets by winning.  Wenger and Ferguson are always on the verge of winning, and Ranieri has joined them (and is great entertainment).  No other manager in the Prem has done sh!t.  Check the list.

Great post tris, I'd never looked at it that way.  Does this mean mediocrity is the best thing to aspire to for a footy manager to keep his job?

[sam]

"Dunno if anyone saw Sky's Monday night roundup tonight, but the Liverpool fan on the panel - in the face of far more media pressure and general "hype" than we get - made a fantastic point that I think is relevant to Souness here as well.

The point being that Houllier almost made his own job a poisoned chalice by winning the three cups then having a run in the Champs League - it was built up as the new Liverpool and things would be back to the 70s and 80s.

Now things aren't, Houllier is taking the flak and he probably doesn't deserve it.  Just like Souness doesn't deserve it.

Contrast that with Curbishley at Charlton.  Popular with the media, with fans (their own and in general) but he's never won anything (except a penalty shootout play off v Sunderland).

Charlton are now a bigger club (support wise) than Rovers.  And they're in London.  You'd never know it though.  Curbishley has never exceeded anyones hopes or fulfilled anyones dreams, and has never been near Cardiff - or Europe.

Souness and Houllier have made themselves targets by winning.  Wenger and Ferguson are always on the verge of winning, and Ranieri has joined them (and is great entertainment).  No other manager in the Prem has done sh!t.  Check the list."

A nice piece of sophistry to ameliorate GS's shortcomings. But it doesn't really wash. Houllier is having a hard time because he has spent £118 million, missed out on the lucrative champions league and not achieved much more than Evans. Fans are aware of Rovers financial limitations but GS is having a hard time (as he himself would expect and has acknowledged) due to poor performances which are his ultimate responsibility.

"We could learn allot from what Charlton have achieved"

The best post you've made in ages, Gav.  

"Saunders is first team coach"

92er - do you know if he has any coaching experience?

[tucker]

"Dunno if anyone saw Sky's Monday night roundup tonight, but the Liverpool fan on the panel - in the face of far more media pressure and general "hype" than we get - made a fantastic point that I think is relevant to Souness here as well.

The point being that Houllier almost made his own job a poisoned chalice by winning the three cups then having a run in the Champs League - it was built up as the new Liverpool and things would be back to the 70s and 80s.

Now things aren't, Houllier is taking the flak and he probably doesn't deserve it.  Just like Souness doesn't deserve it.

Contrast that with Curbishley at Charlton.  Popular with the media, with fans (their own and in general) but he's never won anything (except a penalty shootout play off v Sunderland).

Charlton are now a bigger club (support wise) than Rovers.  And they're in London.  You'd never know it though.  Curbishley has never exceeded anyones hopes or fulfilled anyones dreams, and has never been near Cardiff - or Europe.

Souness and Houllier have made themselves targets by winning.  Wenger and Ferguson are always on the verge of winning, and Ranieri has joined them (and is great entertainment).  No other manager in the Prem has done sh!t.  Check the list."

A nice piece of sophistry to ameliorate GS's shortcomings. But it doesn't really wash. Houllier is having a hard time because he has spent £118 million, missed out on the lucrative champions league and not achieved much more than Evans. Fans are aware of Rovers financial limitations but GS is having a hard time (as he himself would expect and has acknowledged) due to poor performances which are his ultimate responsibility.

"We could learn allot from what Charlton have achieved"

The best post you've made in ages, Gav.  

"Saunders is first team coach"

92er - do you know if he has any coaching experience?

I think it was Tris who relaid that observation.

Gav gets to much credit

[92er]

Saunders was given the job when another club was interested in having him for their manager. I really don't know what experience he has.

[waggy]

its time for souey to wheel and deal his way out off trouble,i think with our present squad the nationwide beckons,so mr souness has 15 days left to save our team.who does he sell,who does he keep,even more who does he sign.

 so far we have signed enckleman,a waste off cash in my eyes,he ain't going to take brads place unless he get's injured.that money should have gone on outfield players.now jw has said we ain't got no cash,well if we go down his job will be in jepordy,or should be.

     i reckon if souey can't wheel and deal his last chance will be the youngster's.

[Nelsta]

one thing i dont understand is how souness last season was called one of the best managers then all of a sudden as soon as things start to go wrong everybody jumps on his back it just goes to show how fickle people can be and i ask them to sod off and just support united and be done with it coz you aint gonna find no glory here

[92er]

Not by everybody he wasn't.

[waggy]

one thing i dont understand is how souness last season was called one of the best managers then all of a sudden as soon as things start to go wrong everybody jumps on his back it just goes to show how fickle people can be and i ask them to sod off and just support united and be done with it coz you aint gonna find no glory here

is that aimed at me by any chance

[Nelsta]

one thing i dont understand is how souness last season was called one of the best managers then all of a sudden as soon as things start to go wrong everybody jumps on his back it just goes to show how fickle people can be and i ask them to sod off and just support united and be done with it coz you aint gonna find no glory here

is that aimed at me by any chance

its aimed at all thoses people that have just appeared as soon as things go bad and all the people that will all of a sudden turn into souness's biggest fan as soon as we string together a few wins

[waggy]

today was our 10th central defensive partnership off the season,we have had every permatation off taylor - amoruso-todd-nissa-short-babbell going.this is half our problem this season,ok injuries and suspension's have played a part,but the manager has too find his best partnership soon.

       with mcbride not coming how about ashton off crewe.

[Radagast]

Well it's a bit challenging finding the best partnership when we can't keep the same two fit/free of suspension/being needed in other positions for two games in a row. Tiny deserved to be dropped though, you can't build a partnership when one of them is obviously playing terribly.

[Radagast]

Well it's a bit challenging finding the best partnership when we can't keep the same two fit/free of suspension/being needed in other positions for two games in a row. Tiny deserved to be dropped though, you can't build a partnership when one of them is obviously playing awful.

[92er]

Rovers6 will be delighted with the interview Patrick Barclay has in the Sunday Telegraph today with.............Paul Sturrock.I can't do a link but somebody might be able to help.Barclay,of course, is from Dundee and I think he might be a Dundee rather than United supporter.

[Tom Pringle]

Rovers6 will be delighted with the interview Patrick Barclay has in the Sunday Telegraph today with.............Paul Sturrock.I can't do a link but somebody might be able to help.Barclay,of course, is from Dundee and I think he might be a Dundee rather than United supporter.

Click for article, you need to be registered.

[92er]

Thanks.

[roversWASmylife]

After hearing Souness` comments on ITV after the game yesterday I was rather puzzled with his comments.

Souness said along the lines, that this season has been very dissapointing and that there`s a group of players here that have under-performed this season. And need to improve individually and as a team.

Then Souness said along the lines, that do I need to do anything so I can improve to help the players. And I`ll have a long hard luck at myself come the end of the season.

It was somewhere along the lines similar to what he said.

Now to me, it sounds as if  Souness is deciding his future at the moment and will decide come the summer. Could this be that he feels he can`t take the club any further than he has done already, or is it that there aren`t any more funds to buy new players to further and strengthen the club?

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

After hearing Souness` comments on ITV after the game yesterday I was rather puzzled with his comments.

Souness said along the lines, that this season has been very dissapointing and that there`s a group of players here that have under-performed this season. And need to improve individually and as a team.

Then Souness said along the lines, that do I need to do anything so I can improve to help the players. And I`ll have a long hard luck at myself come the end of the season.

It was somewhere along the lines similar to what he said.

Now to me, it sounds as if  Souness is deciding his future at the moment and will decide come the summer. Could this be that he feels he can`t take the club any further than he has done already, or is it that there aren`t any more funds to buy new players to further and strengthen the club?

My thought's echoed.Souness came across as rather negative so say the least,someone who had basically lost interest.

Souness has always(quite fairly) stated that since his heart problems etc and the birth of his son,football has taken a backseat in priority to his family and that he would only remain involved in football as long as he was enjoying himself.

Mmmmmmmmmm.........

[stegraham]

Yep, he sounded down beat. But so would I have been if I hadn't had X pints before the game on Saturday. We seem to be turning into the poor mans Aston Villa - footballing wise.

ste

[waggy]

he is the man at the rudder,and we need him to be positive or he might as well go now

[Clive]

The more I read this board today, the more depressed I feel. No money, McBride seemingly going to Fulham and talk of a manager whose heart is not in the fight for survival (no pun intended).

If he feels like that, perhaps he should go, and then we can get someone else who is up for it. The worst thing right now is to have a manager who is semi-detatched and dispondent.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

'semi-detatched and dispondent.'

Exactly how he came across Clive.